Cessna 150 and 152 Service Ceiling: Reading Published Altitudes
Service ceiling is a published climb-performance reference. It is not a promise that a Cessna 150 or 152 can cruise usefully at that altitude with any load or in any temperature. The records below identify the model year associated with each figure and retain their original feet units.
Ceiling and practical operating altitude
A ceiling figure describes a different question from cruise speed or sea-level climb rate. It should not be substituted for the performance evidence needed on a high-elevation departure. A route requiring sustained climb and terrain clearance needs the applicable handbook charts, loading information and conditions, not simply an altitude below a brochure ceiling.
Published ceiling by year and model (21 records)
| Reference family | Year | Model | Metric | Value | Units | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 150 | 1960 | 150 | Service ceiling | 15300 | ft | [1] |
| Cessna 150 | 1961 | 150A | Service ceiling | 15300 | ft | [2] |
| Cessna 150 | 1962 | 150B | Service ceiling | 15600 | ft | [3] |
| Cessna 150 | 1963 | 150C | Service ceiling | 15600 | ft | [4] |
| Cessna 150 | 1964 | 150D | Service ceiling | 12650 | ft | [5] |
| Cessna 150 | 1965 | 150E | Service ceiling | 12650 | ft | [6] |
| Cessna 150 | 1966 | 150F | Service ceiling | 12650 | ft | [7] |
| Cessna 150 | 1967 | 150G | Service ceiling | 12650 | ft | [8] |
| Cessna 150 | 1969 | 150J | Service ceiling | 12650 | ft | [9] |
| Cessna 150 | 1970 | 150K | Service ceiling | 12650 | ft | [10] |
| Cessna 150 | 1971 | 150L | Service ceiling | 12650 | ft | [11] |
| Cessna 150 | 1972 | 150L | Service ceiling | 12650 | ft | [12] |
| Cessna 150 | 1973 | 150L | Service ceiling | 12650 | ft | [13] |
| Cessna 150 | 1974 | 150L | Service ceiling | 12650 | ft | [14] |
| Cessna 150 | 1977 | 150M | Service ceiling | 14000 | ft | [15] |
| Cessna 152 | 1978 | 152 | Service ceiling | 14700 | ft | [16] |
| Cessna 152 | 1979 | 152 | Service ceiling | 14700 | ft | [17] |
| Cessna 152 | 1980 | 152 | Service ceiling | 14700 | ft | [18] |
| Cessna 152 | 1981 | 152 | Service ceiling | 14700 | ft | [19] |
| Cessna 152 | 1982 | 152 | Service ceiling | 14700 | ft | [20] |
| Cessna 152 | 1985 | 152 | Service ceiling | 14700 | ft | [21] |
- [1] 1960 model-year specification page
- [2] 1961 model-year specification page
- [3] 1962 model-year specification page
- [4] 1963 model-year specification page
- [5] 1964 model-year specification page
- [6] 1965 model-year specification page
- [7] 1966 model-year specification page
- [8] 1967 model-year specification page
- [9] 1969 model-year specification page
- [10] 1970 model-year specification page
- [11] 1971 model-year specification page
- [12] 1972 model-year specification page
- [13] 1973 model-year specification page
- [14] 1974 model-year specification page
- [15] 1977 model-year specification page
- [16] 1978 model-year specification page
- [17] 1979 model-year specification page
- [18] 1980 model-year specification page
- [19] 1981 model-year specification page
- [20] 1982 model-year specification page
- [21] 1985 model-year specification page
Why the source year belongs beside the value
The 150 family spans several model generations, while the 152 introduces a different engine installation. The table keeps the year and model alongside the figure so readers can return to the right historical reference. It does not interpolate an omitted year or extend a U.S. standard-aircraft row to every Aerobat or French-built counterpart.
Where a condition field is blank, the normalized source record has not preserved a detailed condition for that value. Treat the entry as a pointer to the publication. Establish the chart definition and assumptions there before attempting a more exact comparison. Apparent differences between headline values can reflect reporting conditions as well as aircraft changes.
Connect the altitude question to the mission
For a prospective purchase, ask how the aircraft performs at the airfields and temperatures where it will actually operate. Climb-rate research and useful load are more directly connected to many of those decisions. The amount of fuel needed for the route also affects the initial weight.
An engine conversion needs its own approved performance and operating evidence. The standard model's ceiling is neither a verified figure for the conversion nor proof that the converted aircraft meets a particular mission. Resolve that uncertainty through the aircraft records and applicable supplements.
Avoid an altitude-only buying rule
A buyer considering elevated terrain should describe the route, departure airfield and expected load to the person evaluating performance. A ceiling headline contains none of that complete mission context. Record which handbook material was used to assess the mission and what assumptions remain unresolved. The result should be a documented aircraft-specific assessment, rather than a pass or fail based on whether a terrain elevation is below one published ceiling.