AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2013 - 69

For an airplane to have made it through a year without major dings in a rental environment is indicative that it’s not all that fragile.
or damaged structure. Happily, there were none. The members use the tow bar when pushing the airplane back; no one pushes down on the rear fuselage or horizontal stabilizer to maneuver the airplane, something that has damaged 152s. The extra care may mean that damage has been avoided; however, for an airplane to have made it through a year without major dings in a rental environment is indicative that it’s not all that fragile. The warned-of pitot tube and door latch issues proved true. Despite a club rule that a brightly colored cover be on the pitot tube at all times other than when the airplane is moving, there have been injuries. So far no lost eyeballs; just some gashed heads. Club members wonder why Cessna didn’t paint the pitot a bright color. Also, despite great care in assuring the doors were latched, one did come open at about 400 feet after takeoff. It wrapped itself around the wing strut, as advertised. Instructor Joe Moraboto took over the airplane and flew it back to the runway, maintaining between 70 and 80 KIAS. He said the airplane was easily controlled. And, after some discussion, Cessna paid for the repairs. Cessna also developed a secondary door latch, which the club installed and has worked flawlessly. There were unexpected quirks to work out. Checking the oil involves a slightly different push-and-turn procedure to replace the dipstick, so there have been oily messes after a flight when the dipstick was not properly secured. The combination of hot brakes and their location near where one steps when debarking have meant some burned ankles post flight. As the airplane’s susceptibility to turbulence became known, flights were scheduled only up until about noon or in the evenings. That cut into usage, as did the two-week downtime to replace the door. Further, windy days meant students

in the Skycatcher were grounded when they could have flown the 152s. The wisdom of a conservative wind policy was verified when a student in another flight school’s LSA (not a Skycatcher) lost control on takeoff on a gusty day and wrecked the airplane. The initial $100 per hour price proved to be too low; it was increased to $104 almost immediately. At that price usage was poor, about 15 hours per month compared to more than 55 for each 152. In June 2012 the price was lowered to $78 per hour to match the 152s. Usage shot up to nearly 70 hours in the next month, confirming the prediction that demand was very price elastic. While the members love the fun handling and performance as well as the intuitive glass cockpit, they have not been very willing to pay an extra $26 an hour for the joy. When the 152s and 162 were priced the same, the Skycatcher got the nod, except when weight or wind was an issue. One problem has been that although most maintenance has been covered by warranty—and it hasn’t needed a great deal—it still takes time for someone to get warranty claims processed and paid. Plus, the Skycatcher seems to eat tires and brakes. Surprisingly, maintenance costs for the 162 have worked out to be the same as the 152s—$14 per hour. The club hasn’t decided whether to continue the reduced price on the Skycatcher; it means using the other club airplanes to subsidize it. The members are starting to look at the future and the decision whether to put more money into the 152s to again upgrade the interiors and avionics, which will cause the hourly price to increase somewhat, or buy another Skycatcher (or do both). They like the performance, handling, glass, and the fact that the 162 has proven more robust than expected in service. However, the financial realities of buying and operating a new 162 versus a refurbished 152 are going to make for some interesting discussions among the club membership in the next few months. AOPA
RICK DURDEN holds an ATP and CFII, is a

regular contributor to AOPA Pilot, and was a member of the Michigan Flyers in the 1970s.
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2013