Cessna 152 Performance Data

	Cessna 152 Performances Cessna 152 \| Flying the Desert Takeoff Distances \| Landing Distances \| Parachute and Gliding \| Range Cruising Speeds \| Climbing Speeds \| Stalling Speeds .
	Takeoff Distances	The distance you need to take off can be broken in two parts. First, the ground roll: this is the distance you need to run along the runway until you leave the ground, and second, the so-called 50' distance: the distance you need to reach an altitude of 50' (to avoid trees and buildings). Both distances depend HEAVILY on the air temperature, altitude, wind, and runway type, plus some other less important factors. That being said, on a normal day on a paved runway, you could take off with a ground roll of as little as 250 m. (750') and clear a 15m. (50') obstacle within a total distance over 420 m (1400'), but if, for example, you took off from a hot, high-altitude airport like Grand Canyon, with a temperature of 30°C at an altitude of 2000m (6000 '), low air pressure and little tailwind, you would probably need much more than the 450 m. (1500') of ground roll and 900m. (2900') indicated in the POH. .
	Landing Distances	These depend greatly on how much wind you've got and in which direction, and how slippery the runway is. If the runway is concrete and dry, there's no wind and you're a proficient pilot, you could land the plane safely in as little as 150m. (500'). Note that if you are lucky enough to have a strong, stable wind blowing in the exact direction of the runway, you could land in a few meters. I've heard stories of pilots who have landed in Carcassone, France, with a head wind so strong that they were actually about to fly with a negative speed relative to the ground - that is, they were going backwards - while maintaining a safe speed relative to the air. .
	Parachute and Gliding	I have never heard of a Cessna 152 being equipped with a parachute. So, what if the engine stops? The answer is that you can fly over very long distances with the engine turned off. For example, if you are flying at 2000m. (6000') and the engine stops, you still have 10 NM (18 km) to find a convenient road, field or roof to land on.
	From the Pilot Operating Handbook .
	Range	The Cessna 152's range depends on certain variables. A 152 with long range tanks could fly as far as 690 NM (1200 km or 800 miles), but to do that you'd have to climb to 10'000', reduce the power and fly for 8.7 hours, which is a very long time in a 152. The farther you want to fly on a given amount of fuel, the slower you'll have to fly. But since you pay for the plane by the hour, unless you're trying to cross the Atlantic, there's really no reason to do that. With more reasonable flying parameters, say 75 % power at 8000', you'll still be able to fly 540 NM (1000 km or 630 miles. .
	How far you can fly with 37 gallons of fuel depends on the combination of power, speed and altitude you choose. .
	Cruising Speed	Speed is the single most important thing when flying. Too low, you fall, too fast you destroy the plane while flying and you crash when landing. If you have not yet flown yourself, all you probably need to know is the cruising speed which, as usual, depends on a number of things. I usually fly between 100 and 110 Knots (that is, 190 km/h or 115 mph). You must remember that this speed is speed relative to the air, not the ground. If you are flying in a mass of air that is itself moving at 20 Knots in the same direction as you, then you're flying 20 Knots faster relative to the ground. .
	Climbing Speeds	If you want to go up, you pull the wheel towards you and the airplane slows down while it climbs (after all the energy has to come from somewhere). If you want to climb at the fastest speed possible, you'll aim for the so-called Vy, or Best Rate-of-Climb Speed - 67 knots. If you see a tree looming up in front of you and you want to climb at the quickest rate relative to the ground, then you'll use the Vx, Best-Angle-of-Climb Speed - 55 knots. .
	Stalling Speed	Speed is the thing that makes you fly. Under a certain speed you stop flying. If you're at a high altitude when this happens, you can regain some speed quickly by pushing the wheel down, but if you are close to the ground, for example during take-off or landing, you usually crash and die. So remember this speed, 40 knots because if you go slower than 40 knots, you'll usually fall out of the sky. However if you have the flaps down, you can fly at 35 knots without stalling. When you are about 5 knots from stalling, a horn starts blowing to warn you. Better listen to it.

Cessna 152 Performances