Cessna, Again, $9 wet?

I last flew a Cessna in 2007*.

I recently decided to join the Air Capital Aviation Club, which owns three C172s and two C182s. Yesterday, I received an orientation flight in one of the club C172s, N5221E. I am returning to that world.

My first flight in a Cessna was in 1978, when I was a summer intern working for Cessna as a computer operator. I worked the day shift and had been told the flying club was full; too many day-shifters wanted to use the flying club fleet on evenings and weekends. Halfway through the summer, my supervisor moved me to the evening shift. I immediately joined the club and started renting wet Cessnas for $9 an hour (instructors were $10). 800 dollars and a few weeks later, I had my private pilot certificate.

I've owned a C172 and also a T206h. I flew the 206 all over the country, west coast and east coast, San Diego and Dulles. Myrtle Beach. Florida. Idaho wilderness.

I still own a Sonex, but the mighty Cessna family of aircraft has returned to my life.

If you are wondering, club members rent this well equipped IFR C172 for $133 per hour, wet.

*I did get a flight in a C120 taildragger in 2020, but that's a whole other type of airplane and a completely different story.