64 MAY 2020 ÇPlane&Pilot
O
vershadowed by Concorde where
it sits, a Cessna 152 Aerobat
occupies a spot in the Steven F.
Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum.
One might wonder why a common
little plane sits in such a hallowed han-
gar. After all, the Cessna 152 Aerobat,
a mildly aerobatic version of the long-
running Cessna 150/152 model, one
of thousands built, was pretty com-
monplace, its sporty checkerboard
paint scheme and skylight windows
notwithstanding. There’s really noth-
ing extraordinary about the plane,
is there?
Owners would certainly disagree,
and besides, N7557L is no ordinary
bird. It was owned by a man who
launched untold thousands of dreams
of flight (including mine) with his gift for writing flight
manuals and instructing. I visit N7557L every time I am
at Udvar-Hazy in reverence of its history and its former
owner, William K. Kershner.
Bill Kershner, a technical journalism graduate from
Iowa State University, a former naval aviator and, later,
corporate pilot, was a prolific aviation writer and an ardent
educator who shared his knowledge and love for avia-
tion with countless students throughout his long career.
Kershner’s Student Pilot’s Flight Manual sold more than
a million copies, including one copy that found its way
into my hands at the age of 12. My cousin Terry, who flew
L-23 Seminoles (better known Stateside as the Beechcraft
Queen Air) in Vietnam, recognized that I had the flying bug
and sent this gem to me in 1975. I pored over every page
of it, my eyes riveted to Kershner’s well-crafted explana-
tions of Bernoulli’s Principle, Venturi effect and L/D max,
along with his whimsical illustrations and wry humor. This
book opened the door to aviation for me. With the help of
his wife, Betty, he wrote and illustrated the Student Pilot’s
Flight Manual in 1960, and it is currently in its 11th edition.
He taught flying, too. In the late 1960s, Kershner created
the Ace Aerobatic School at the Franklin County/Sewanee
Airport, Tennessee. Over the next 30 years, Bill instructed
numerous students in the basics of aerobatics and spintraining, with a focus on upset training for instrument-rated
pilots. In 1984, Bill bought N7557L for his school and used it
as the basis of his illustrations for his newer flight manual.
After World War II, Cessna redesigned its 120/140 series
aircraft with tricycle gear and an O-200 engine and desig-
nated it the 150 series. This series quickly became a flight
school staple. Some 23,902 Cessna 150s and 7,593 Cessna
152s were built for a series total of 31,533. But only 1,483
of these were Aerobats. The 152 version was a spunky bird,
featuring the ruggedly reliable Lycoming O-235 110-hp
engine and a beefed-up structure to withstand +6g to -3g
forces, perfect metrics for an aerobatic school. Bill loved
the handling and spin characteristics of the plane.
Kershner became known as the “spin doctor,” conducting
over 7,000 spins, of up to 21 turns, in the Aerobat, some-
times filming it adorned with ribbons or cones for analysis
and instruction. Kershner has the unique distinction of
being the only pilot who is a member of the International
Aerobatic Club and Flight Instructors Halls of Fame.
At the time of his passing in January 2007, Kershner had
documented more than 11,000 hours total military and
civilian time in his logbook, with 4,300 hours as an instruc-
tor. In March of that year, Bill’s son, William C. Kershner,
and grandson Jim flew “Orville” on its final journey from
Sewanee, Tennessee, to Dulles Airport, Virginia. PPCessna 152 Aerobat: Spin Cycle!
The aerobatic version of the “Commuter” is a fine set of wings no
matter how you look at it. But this one is something extra special.THIS INCREDIBLE PLANE
By Deb IngsORLA
NDO^ JOSE^ SUARE
Z^ GARCIA