Each day, the team at Aircraft For Sale picks an airplane that catches our attention because it is unique, represents a good deal, or has other interesting qualities. You can read Aircraft For Sale: Today’s Top Pick at FLYINGMag.com daily.
Today’s Top Pick is a 1978 Cessna 152.
There is a special place in my heart for the Cessna 152, largely because it was the airplane in which I began flight training right after college graduation in 1988. Back then you could take off from Leesburg Executive Airport (KJYO) in Virginia, fly to Frederick Municipal (KFDK) in Maryland and back without worrying about clearances, violations, and interceptions.
The Cessna for sale today is nearly a twin of the trainer I flew nearly 40 years ago, with the same color scheme and graphics inside and out, and a similar panel, minus the GPS. It stirs memories of flying in the Washington, D.C., area before the days of the post-9/11 Special Flight Rules Area, which more recently has placed the airspace beyond the level of challenge that many private pilots consider acceptable.
The aircraft is also an ideal personal aircraft for pilots seeking a solid, stable platform for traveling, training or building time toward career advancement. If you typically fly by yourself or with an instructor or a single passenger, the 152 is a capable, comfortable all-rounder, if not a particularly fast one.
This 1978 Cessna 152 has 3,500 hours on the airframe and 140 hours remaining before TBO on its Lycoming O-235 engine, which was remanufactured by the factory in 2019. The aircraft was equipped with new avionics in 2019, a new interior in 2021, and cylinders in 2024.
Currently owned by an ATP-rated professional pilot, the Cessna has an upgraded panel featuring a Garmin GTN 650 WAAS GPS/nav/com and ADS-B.
Pilots seeking an economical personal aircraft for travel, training or time building should consider this 1978 Cessna 152, which is available for $80,000 on AircraftForSale.
If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use our airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.
- FLYING Magazine: Why Aren’t Cessna 140s/150s Considered Light Sport Aircraft?
- FLYING Magazine: Passenger Lands Cessna 150 After Pilot Incapacitation
- FLYING Magazine: I Learned About Flying From That: 18,300 Feet in a Cessna 150
- FLYING Magazine: AOPA Introduces ‘Reimagined’ Cessna 152
- Plane + Pilot: Reunited With The Cessna 152 Aerobat I First Soloed In
- Plane + Pilot: Incredible Plane: Cessna 150
- Plane + Pilot: Cessna 150/152
- The Aviation Consumer: Used Aircraft Guide: Cessna 150/152
