Tag Archives: Cessna 150

Tony, a 150, and Sattler’s

With the holiday season hastily approaching and little time remaining to complete our gift shopping, some of us decide to partake in the shopping mall experience for convenience. So naturally, I try to avoid the malls due to the sheer conglomerate of people hustling and bustling to complete their lists. Sure, it’s nice to have unlimited options, both in consumables and edibles, but I’ll save this for a “last resort.” Although, I do fancy a warm cinnamon roll or hot pretzel while shopping!

Have you ever stopped to think about what businesses will do to get our attention with hopes that we will divulge in shopping at their stores? It’s the time of year when the retail sector needs to make a profit, and they will do anything to grab our attention! My next story, although not during the holiday season, is still a marketing campaign that involved my father, Tony, a Cessna 150, and the old Sattler’s “998” store at the Boulevard Mall in Amherst NY.

Tony checking the propeller before flight.

I don’t know if Sattlers contacted Tony with the idea or the other way around, but it was a brilliant pitch and a perfect pairing! The idea is to land a small private airplane in the mall’s parking lot, dissemble the wings to maneuver it inside, and then reassemble the plane for the presentation. Afterward, the process repeats itself, and Tony successfully takes off from the same parking lot headed back to Buffalo Air-Park.

Here, Tony is checking the fuel.

Although I only have five photographs from the event without any dates, it was in the late 1960s, to the best of my belief. A 1965 Cessna 150F, N8179S, is used, and it astonishes me that Tony can pull this off! Can you imagine getting ATC clearance now for this stunt? You may get a visit from the FAA with a lot of questions. It’s funny how times have changed!

Tony in the pilot’s seat with the door open. Unknown co-pilot & person outside.
Tony going through the preflight checklist. Everything looks good!

I checked the registration number of that 150F, click here, and the airplane is still active! That’s very interesting, and I would like to know if the owner knows the history!

Tony is taxing to the opposite end of the parking lot for a clear takeoff.

Also, here’s a link to the history of Sattlers written by forgottenbuffalo.com, and check out their short video on YouTube below!

Leave a comment if you have more to share, and I hope you enjoyed this short story! Happy holidays, and see you in the post!

Cessna 150

The Cessna 150 is a successor to the famous tail dragger Cessna 140, which ended production in 1951. This new Cessna 150 started production in 1958 and was later replaced by the Cessna 152 in the summer of 1977. The landing gear changed from a tail dragger to a new tricycle design, and the new Fowler flaps replaced the older narrow hinged wing flaps found on the 140s. The Fowler flap is a split flap that slides rearwards before hinging down, increasing its efficiency.

1965 was the last year of the straight tail

The American made 150s are all powered by the Continental O-200-A 100hp four-cylinder air-cooled direct-drive engine. Over 3000 Cessna 150s came off of the assembly line in 1966, and it was the first year of a swept tail. The previous years had a straight tail.

1966 was the first year of the swept tail

Click this link to see more photos of the Cessna 150 on the photos page! https://buffaloairpark.com/cessna-150/

Cessna introduced the Aerobat, model 150K, in 1970 with a list price of $12,000 with just over 700 built in the US through the spring of 1977. This limited aerobatic aircraft features additional structural strength to handle higher G force, four-point harnesses, dual overhead skylights for increased visibility, and removable seat cushions for wearing parachutes. It also has a more sporty checkerboard paint scheme. Surprisingly, it retained the original Continental O-200-A engine without any modifications to increase power or performance.

1977 was the last year for the Cessna 150K Aerobat