Interests

Here's some info on her: 1968 Cessna 150H. Tail number: N22310. 100HP Continental O-200-A, 4 cylinder, air-cooled engine.

Cruises two people and baggage about 104 MPH @ 6.5 gallons of fuel per hour. I've logged over 80 hours flying this type, half of that as a student. I transitioned to the larger, 4 passenger Cessna 172 shortly after getting my license and hadn't flown the 150's for a while before I bought this..

This airplane was instrument (IFR) certified until 8/02. I let it expire as I am not IFR rated. It would be easy to get it re-certified. It has a Horton STOL (Short TakeOff and Landing) wing modification, which really improves the handling characteristics. The mod brings the stall speed down to about 35 MPH, as opposed to the standard Cessna stall of about 42 MPH!

There is also an ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) with a new two-year battery installed in the baggage compartment. This device has an inertial switch that triggers the transmitter in the unfortunate event of a crash. The signal is monitored by rescue services.

Here's the proud owner with his newly painted aircraft.
June 23, 2001

Interior Shot - These sheepskin seat covers came
from Sporty's and are really luxurious. This picture was taken before the new door panels and leather yoke cover were installed..

Panel - Upgraded from the original with over $5,000 in new avionics. The picture was taken in June of 2001 and does not show the FS-450 fuel flow computer or the pilot's side leather yoke cover.

More on the Panel - To the right is what the avionics stack looks like now. I added a new Bendix-King SkyMap IIIC color GPS navigation system (on top) and a new Bendix-King KY-97A Communications transceiver (third unit down). The old original Cessna ARC 300 radio was removed as it is now obsolete. I upgraded the old primary Bendix-King KX-170B radio (the one just below the GPS) with a MAC 1700VTX digital faceplate conversion. There's a FlightCom two-place stereo intercom with digital clearance recorder, too (not shown in this photo).

On March 26, 2001, the bird went to AirCover in Urbana, Ohio, to be completely stripped and repainted. Age was not kind to the old, original paint job. AirCover clear-coated her with a new process and polished the windows and prop.

A leather yoke cover with a built-in PTT was custom made in California. It's now installed and really enhances the yoke's functionality. Late in 2001, a new windshield and the pilot's side glass were installed. They'd become pretty hazy from age. A pair of Rosen sun visors replaced the old vinyl ones, improving visibility in bright sunlight. I also installed new interior door panels that upgrade the interior significantly. Tina surprised me this past Christmas (2002) by having new carpet installed during the annual inspection. The guys kept it totally secret from me for two whole weeks! Quite a feat, since I would drop in on them unannounced to check the inspection process.

Avionics Stack

I designed a miniature glare shield that fits over the top of the GPS and is held in place with Velcro. It significantly enhances the display in bright sunlight. See below...

July 25, 2002: Had a new J.P. Instruments FS-450 Fuel Flow computer installed (shown right). It continuously shows gallons per hour on the upper display and then automatically sequences through additional information on the lower display. This info includes:

	Fuel used
	Fuel remaining
	Time remaining at current fuel rate
	GPS leg fuel required
	MPG

The SkyMap IIIC GPS feeds time and distance information to the computer for the last two items above.

I also had the landing light switch replaced. It was shorting and blowing the 20 amp fuse. Working fine now.

J. P. Instruments FS-450 Fuel Flow Computer

November 7, 2002: Purchased a TPAS - Traffic Proximity Alert System. Neat little thing. It's a box about 5" wide by 1.5" high and 10" deep. It sits Velcroed on the glareshield (dash) of the airplane and listens for altitude transponders in aircraft being interrogated by terminal radar. When a transponder is interrogated, it sends a signal back to the originator including the aircraft's altitude. Just about every airplane has a transponder nowadays. They're required in controlled airspace. This little box uses those signals and some pretty sophisticated circuitry to determine how far away that transmission is. If the signal is within an envelope 1800 feet above or below and either 5 miles or 10 miles (depending on the scan range selected) out from my plane, it tells me visually and audibly and gives range to target. Then I know that an aircraft is within my "danger zone" and can scan for it at that range. The alerts change as the target range decreases. Unfortunately, since it's passive, it can't determine bearing to target. But, as they say, in a busy traffic area like I fly in, close to a big airport (CVG), it beats a blank. It's powered by its own batteries, but could be hard-wired into the airplane's system. You can read more about the instrument (RX-110 TPAS) at www.surecheckaviation.com.

Surecheck Aviation's RX-110 TPAS

Custom Made Avionics Glareshield

Here's an invention of mine that I will custom build for your avionics stack. It's a miniature glareshield that fits over your color LCD display (GPS or MFD) to reduce the effects of bright sunlight. Though most manufacturers of these displays claim they're readable in direct sunlight, in practice, that's not always the case.

Here's a picture of my Bendix-King SkyMap IIIC with the glareshield in use. Made of non-glare, flat black plexiglas, the lightweight and tough shield is held firmly in place with Velcro and can be easily removed at any time. Folds for storage in your glovebox or flight bag.

To build one for you, I'll need the height and width of your unit plus how far out from the panel it extends. Minimum price is $49.95 postpaid. Email the measurements for an exact quote.

Custom Made Avionics Glareshield

Photo taken in September, 2000, just after purchase

New chrome added to rear of each fender. Also changed the logo on the tank to a custom one with gold accents.
Photos taken May 16, 2003

Ah, Summer...

This baby is really retro. Looks, sounds, smells and rides like a 1950's Harley-Davidson Heritage Soft-tail -- but with Honda reliability and quality. 1100cc (46 HP) liquid-cooled V-twin engine with shaft drive. The chrome trim for the rear of the fenders really dresses up the bike! There's a special chrome cover for the radiator that has a stylized eagle on it -- very sharp! Also have a gold and chrome eagle's head on the front fender and a full size chrome engine guard.

The Aero is no longer made as of 2002. Honda took it off the market when Harley-Davidson threatened to sue because they thought it was a copy of their bike.

I bought this originally thinking I was moving to California and was going to use it to commute to work. But, plans changed and now it's just for fun. Not much good in the winter here in Ohio, but there are some nice days and with the right clothing, no problem. I used to keep it in the hangar with the plane during the winter but I now keep it here on the farm with a nice full cover to help keep it pretty. It's almost 6 years old now.

This bike really attracts attention when I'm on the road. This is good since most drivers tend to not see motorcycles. I learned situational awareness skills flying my airplane. This takes even more of that with the crazies out there.

The bike is big (635 lbs.) and very comfortable to ride. When I was in the Navy, homeported in Hawai'i, I had a Honda 350CL. It was tiny compared to this. But it was quite adequate for the small island of Oah'u. It got me everywhere I wanted to go. This bike does the same, but in real style!