is it bad to fly cessna 152's that are left outside in the wind/rain/snow?

Question

i live in cleveland ohio and rent cessna 152's and they are left outside, tied down all the time. does all this weaken the planes structure over time?

Answer 1

They should be fine. Of course it would be best for them to be in a hangar, but it's just like parking your car in the driveway as opposed to the garage. You always do a full check of the plane before you use it anyway. I've been around planes all my life, and have seen quite a few crashes, and none of the crashes I've seen had anything to do with the structural integrity of the plane. In fact, most of the planes i saw crashed had been kept in hangars. It was mostly just drunk Rich people doing stupid things. If the planes weren't tied down, you would have a problem. Or, if there was a storm with 60 + MPH winds. Hail damage is easy to spot, and usually not detrimental to the flight of the plane.

Answer 2

Well I own a 1946 Luscombe, and it was kept outdoors most of its years, (now that I own it, it is under cover), and it passed it's last annual with no problem at all. Simply put, an aircraft is better off under cover, but that isn't always possible. Annual inspections are important for all aircraft and that is why they are required. A mouse can do as much damage on a plane inside a hangar as it can on a cessna sitting in a field!

Fabric wing airplanes should be kept under cover, because the elements can quickly cause damage to the fabric over time.

All planes must be inspected on an annual basis, and properly cared for at all times.

Flight schools almost always keep the cessnas outside. Pre-flight your aircraft well...that is your opportunity to spot little problems before they grow.

It would be nice to hangar all aircraft, but its not possible.

Your mechanic is your dearest friend!

Answer 3

You should not have any problem with this, as long as you ensure that there is no ice or frost buildup on the critical surfaces of the airframe (wings, tail, etc.). When I was a flight instructor, we never kept our planes in the hangar. There just wasn't room. We always did a thorough preflight and made sure that there wasn't anything contaminating the aircraft surfaces. As long as you do that, you won't have any problems with leaving the airplane outside.

Answer 4

The fact that you said they are 152's should tell you that it's ok to tie them down as they are an older airplane design. Aircraft aluminum and Acrylic Laquer aren't affected much by weather. About the only thing that is affected is the plastic windows and the tires.

Answer 5

I wouldn't recomend it unless you have had the plane completly deiced and have checked that there is no ice on the carbuator or intake. Small planes have a nasty habbit of icing up once in the air. When they do this you are at the mercy of the ice. No flight controls or you lose all power. check out this sight for more information on small plane issues.

Answer 6

it should be ok i did it for years