6'3" and 240lbs in a cessna 150

I did my PPL in 1986 in a C150. I fit in there along with my flight instructor. Now, 39 years later, I don’t even think I could get through the door. I think I’d have something like 200 # left for pax, cargo and fuel lol. Great little planes, no doubt but look to get something a little larger for your forever plane. Not everyone carries as much “life” weight as I do, but you will certainly gain some along the way. HAPPY FLYING!
 
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Daleandee said:
Are you still speaking to each other? :biggrin:

That's an amazing trip for more than a couple of reasons ...
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Heck, it's impressive just that both came back. No mysterious "bear attacks", etc. :cool:

To to OP. Great advice in one of the above posts. In addition to "will it fly with me and my son" (answer - barely), how long do you want to keep this plane? If more than 2 years, then get a 172 at the minimum. Second the idea posted above that a 182 would also be a great option.

Another POV - DON'T buy until you get your PPL (and Instrument rating highly recommended), AND then get a year or so under your belt. You'll then have a much, much better idea of what kind of flying and thus what plane would best suit you. So for now.... rent.
 
Thanks Ghery. I’ve taken a look at a few now and I’m convinced I need to find something larger! Looking at an arrow this week.
 
CraigSA said:
Thanks Ghery. I’ve taken a look at a few now and I’m convinced I need to find something larger! Looking at an arrow this week.
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Beware the “I must buy a plane now-it is”.

How many hours do you have in an arrow? Have you checked insurance for a student/low hour PPL for a retract?
 
CraigSA said:
Thanks Ghery. I’ve taken a look at a few now and I’m convinced I need to find something larger! Looking at an arrow this week.
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If insurance kicks you in the butt you may want to look at something like a Cherokee 235. Much better perfromance than a Cherokee 180, CS Prop and can haul something close to its own weight. Or a C182 of course or a Cessna 175 which has better performance than a 172 (i just happen to have a mint one for sale, full glass etc w O360)
 
I have 70+ hours in an Arrow. I quit flying it long before the club sold it. I don't what the problem was (angle between the seat and rudders???) but after 3 hours it was all I could do to climb out of the plane. Take a long XC in that plane before you consider it.
 
WDD said:
Another POV - DON'T buy until you get your PPL (and Instrument rating highly recommended), AND then get a year or so under your belt. You'll then have a much, much better idea of what kind of flying and thus what plane would best suit you. So for now.... rent.
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While that advice is good in general, it is hard to figure out how you will actually use a plane until you have one.

If you are renting, it is hard to take weekend trips. Hard to do something on short notice. A couple of weeks ago, we planned a trip on Thursday and departed early Friday morning for the weekend with less than 2 hours each way flying time. Can't do that renting or even most clubs.
 
Pinecone said:
While that advice is good in general, it is hard to figure out how you will actually use a plane until you have one.

If you are renting, it is hard to take weekend trips. Hard to do something on short notice. A couple of weeks ago, we planned a trip on Thursday and departed early Friday morning for the weekend with less than 2 hours each way flying time. Can't do that renting or even most clubs.
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I'm in the camp of, "buy whenever you're ready" - if that's early on or even still during training (as long as you know for sure you ain't quitting), go for it. I bought my first plane right after I got my license. It sure as heck wasn't my forever plane - there were 5 more planes in between - but I'm still glad I bought it as early as I did. After work, I was able to just go to the airport and fly for an hour. Gained a lot of experience during that first year that I think I wouldn't have gained if I was limited to renting due to availability and advanced notice to rent the plane. Sure, if you're not ready for all that comes with ownership, don't buy a plane - but I don't think the hours in your logbook have anything to do with that.
 
Pinecone said:
While that advice is good in general, it is hard to figure out how you will actually use a plane until you have one.

If you are renting, it is hard to take weekend trips. Hard to do something on short notice. A couple of weeks ago, we planned a trip on Thursday and departed early Friday morning for the weekend with less than 2 hours each way flying time. Can't do that renting or even most clubs.
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Purpose of flying several other planes is to see if that plane really works for you. Can spouse get in and out, how does it fly X Country for you, does it fit what you need it to, fly into airports/runways you want to use, etc. And how does it feel / fit you while flying? All of this IMHO you can find out by renting.

I rented for a few years before buying, and did help a lot to figure out what would work.

YMMV
 
WDD said:
Purpose of flying several other planes is to see if that plane really works for you. Can spouse get in and out, how does it fly X Country for you, does it fit what you need it to, fly into airports/runways you want to use, etc. And how does it feel / fit you while flying? All of this IMHO you can find out by renting.

I rented for a few years before buying, and did help a lot to figure out what would work.

YMMV
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That's if you are financially able (and willing) to buy your forever plane out of the gate. I wasn't able to. If I was, I would have bought the Comanche first but I was still happy to fly around in my own "transitional" planes at first, upgrading as my bank account grew until I could make the jump to my permanent plane. Also, I'm glad I made some of the ownership mistakes everyone probably does on a Cessna 150, learned from it and didn't have to pay the price by making them on a much more expensive to fix airplane.
 
WDD said:
Purpose of flying several other planes is to see if that plane really works for you. Can spouse get in and out, how does it fly X Country for you, does it fit what you need it to, fly into airports/runways you want to use, etc. And how does it feel / fit you while flying? All of this IMHO you can find out by renting.

I rented for a few years before buying, and did help a lot to figure out what would work.

YMMV
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Only if you can rent what you are thinking of buying. So fine for a CD-172/182 or PA-28 series. Not likely with my turbo Mooney.

A lot of what you mention can be figured out without flying the airplane.
 
Some can, sure. I was liking the Archer - until I sat in it. Some you need to fly. I liked the Tiger a lot. But after a few trips, it just wasn’t the X Country plane I needed.
 
After I got my license a friend of mine had 5 planes and lost his medical at 80 years old. He had 2 C172s and offered one to me to fly. I flew it for 6 months almost everyday after work. I learned so much in it. After 6 months I bought it from him as I could see his health failing. He did pass away months after I bought it. This was in 2018, before the price of 172s took off. So I bought it cheap.
I still have it and it seems to be the plane for me for now. I don't do much X county flying and I like that it is inexpensive to operate. Easy for me to work on. Still fun to fly. My buddy fly's with me when he is in town and he has taught me so much in it.
My buddy has been trying to get me into a 182 but I just have not craved it enough to give up my trusty 172.
I did probably make the mistake of putting too much money into it early on and that is why I still wanted to fly it more. And I do still fly it a lot, over 1400 hrs since I bought it.
I have flown my friends ArrowII and my other friends 182 and got my ratings in them.
My wife and buddy wants to see me in a 182 but I just don't know if that what I want to do? Burn more fuel and higher maintenance cost when all I do is fly around the neighborhood? Probably if I had a 182 I would do more X county flying?
Thankful to my late friend and my buddy who has taught me so much about flying.
 
Gary Ward said:
After I got my license a friend of mine had 5 planes and lost his medical at 80 years old. He had 2 C172s and offered one to me to fly. I flew it for 6 months almost everyday after work. I learned so much in it. After 6 months I bought it from him as I could see his health failing. He did pass away months after I bought it. This was in 2018, before the price of 172s took off. So I bought it cheap.
I still have it and it seems to be the plane for me for now. I don't do much X county flying and I like that it is inexpensive to operate. Easy for me to work on. Still fun to fly. My buddy fly's with me when he is in town and he has taught me so much in it.
My buddy has been trying to get me into a 182 but I just have not craved it enough to give up my trusty 172.
I did probably make the mistake of putting too much money into it early on and that is why I still wanted to fly it more. And I do still fly it a lot, over 1400 hrs since I bought it.
I have flown my friends ArrowII and my other friends 182 and got my ratings in them.
My wife and buddy wants to see me in a 182 but I just don't know if that what I want to do? Burn more fuel and higher maintenance cost when all I do is fly around the neighborhood? Probably if I had a 182 I would do more X county flying?
Thankful to my late friend and my buddy who has taught me so much about flying.
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If you want to carry more people and stuff, a 182 is better. If it's just you, or you and a friend, a 172 is just as good at considerably lower cost. For just flying around, I doubt there's a better plane in the world.
 
Thanks again to everyone for the inputs here - it has been really insightful.

An AI summary of the thread :)

Fit & Comfort
  • Consensus: You’ll fit, but it’ll be tight. Several pilots your size or larger said they’ve flown 150s, but not comfortably.
  • Cabin space: Described as “cozy,” “cramped,” and “not ideal for long flights.” One user said even a 172 felt snug at your size.
⚖️ Weight & Performance
  • Weight limits: With you and your son, plus fuel, you’ll be near or over max gross weight. That limits fuel and baggage options.
  • Hot weather: Arizona’s high temps and density altitude are a concern. Expect sluggish climb rates and longer takeoff rolls.
  • Real-world anecdotes: Some users shared that even with lighter loads, performance was marginal in similar conditions.
Advice & Alternatives
  • Try before you buy: Multiple users strongly suggested doing a test flight with your son to see how it feels.
  • Other aircraft: Recommendations included the Cherokee 140/160, Tri-Pacer, and Citabria—all roomier and better performers in hot/high conditions.
  • Ownership trade-offs: While the 150 is affordable and simple, users cautioned that comfort and utility might be compromised for your use case.
 
I'm 6'3", long-waisted with broad shoulders. I sat in a 152 once. My left shoulder was pinned against the window, and my right shoulder was in the middle of the passenger seat. I didn't know about performance nor useful load then, but I knew that plane wasn't going to work.
 
Not to flog a dead horse but does anyone have any experience with STs for seat rail extensions for extra leg room?
 
Ok so I eventually managed to sit in a 150 l model. I was surprised that my legs did not contact the panel and I had enough space to work the controls. With a large person next to me it is tight for sure and not comfortable but I’d say the legroom for me is manageable.

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So, imagine you’re writing an ad for this plane. “Fit is tight, it’s uncomfortable, you can barely work the controls, but your legs won’t hit the panel”.

And….. you haven’t yet experienced flying in it with a large passenger.

So…. Yeah, you can do better.
 
WDD said:
“Fit is tight, it’s uncomfortable, you can barely work the controls, but your legs won’t hit the panel”.

And….. you haven’t yet experienced flying in it with a large passenger.
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... and in the rough & tumble of thermals & turbulence!
 
Pull the yoke all the way back and you'll be surprised at how much interference your knees and thighs will create. Be willing to bet you can't get full travel without splaying your legs as far as possible, and even then, you may still be restricting control movement.
 
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The cost of an airplane is offset by the expected return on investment when you sell it. It’s hard to beat a 172 for that. I have a new pilot friend about your size with a son about the same as yours. They’re loving their new to them 172.
 
I own a C150J. I am 5'8" and 200 lbs and I hate getting in and out if there is anyone else with me(mostly my 95 lbs 15 yr old son flies with me).
 
Back in the 1960s Cessna marketed the 150 as a great traveling machine for a young successful family with two kids.

So why wouldn’t you fit?

(Just kidding)
 
CraigSA said:
Ok so I eventually managed to sit in a 150 l model. I was surprised that my legs did not contact the panel and I had enough space to work the controls. With a large person next to me it is tight for sure and not comfortable but I’d say the legroom for me is manageable.

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Now fly for an hour or 90 minutes and tell me how comfortable you feel.
 
So I sat in an another 150m today. Very different. I barely was able to fit. I check the seat and it was all the way back. Surprised how different it was. It was a newly renovated one and the seats were probably a fair bit thicker is all I can imagine.
 
I like the suggestion to consider a 170. Assuming you have a CFI who is tailwheel proficient, that would be great! More payload, and cooler look.
Otherwise, I think you correctly sensed the tone of the responses. I'm 73" tall and just under 200 lbs. I have given over 50 hours instruction is 150 or 152 and it is TIGHT. These days I am training a person who is taller & bulkier than I am, and we can only put about 12 gallons fuel in the 150 to keep in W&B. That's 2-3 hours if you lean well. Oh, and any sort of DA will ruin the climb.
I hope you can find the 170. ;-)
 
I missed this thread when it was first posted...

I did my PP-ASEL in a 152. I'm 6'7" and was about 170lbs at the time. When I got out of the plane to meet the DPE for my checkride, the guys at the FBO said "How the heck do you get in that thing!?" I said "I don't really 'get in' - I kind of 'put it on'." My dad (6'5" 220 at the time) and I flew together in the 152 exactly once. We hit some windshear on final and realized that we were lucky to get the controls to move enough around our knees and elbows to be able to recover. That scared us enough that we decided not to double up in it anymore. Also, I'm pretty sure with both of us in it, we were at or VERY near max gross with full fuel.

It was a fun plane to putz around in solo, but just too darn cramped with anyone in the other seat.
 
CraigSA said:
So I sat in an another 150m today. Very different. I barely was able to fit. I check the seat and it was all the way back. Surprised how different it was. It was a newly renovated one and the seats were probably a fair bit thicker is all I can imagine.
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Well that's good experience for riding the Airlines.
 
I flew with a 6'3" 220 friend this weekend. We were at max gross. It was challenging for his body to not interfere with the pedals/yoke/flap johnson bar.
 
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