Hi!

Wondering if anyone has any experience with the Cessna forums and which one is a good one. The "free" ones seem pretty lame. I am tempted by Cessna.org, but you need to pay to play there. Not opposed to that, but mostly interested in the forums.

So, would appreciate any feedback on what Cessna (single) specific forums you guys see as decent.

CB

I have been told the jet pilot one is very good.
Don't know the url though....

I have been a Cessna Pilots Association (CPA) member for a long time. The organization is on something of a slow fade. But... the forum is still quite good. If you want actual usable advice on things Cessna the forum there is by far the best. You will easily recoup the $55 membership fee. CPA does still provide tech support by paid staff members, at least in theory, but some folks have been getting mixed service through that mechanism. I would simply view it as a subscription to a good type-specific forum.

Cessna.org was the best I found. Some very good model specific info, Cessna parts for sale etc. I think BT has a broader audience, but if I still had a 182 I would read both.

Having been a member of cessna.org for about 12 years I would agree it' s a pretty good website. The observation that it appears to be in a slow fade is probably correct. The owner of the group has had some personal tragedies in the last year or two and may or may not be as focused as in times past. The amount of technical information available made the membership more than worthwhile for me. I will say this website appears to have a much larger active membership.
Tim

Perfect! Thanks Guys!

CB

I own a Skylane and am a member of cessna.org., but as said, it seems to be fading. A Cessna single is such a straight forward aircraft and most shops have so much experience that I find the technical info of little value. They do have some very good articles in their publication though. My membership has lapsed, and I am blocked from the web site but have not received a renewal notice.

Probably won't bother.

Jgreen

Hi All,

Agree with the others. The CPA and Cessna.org was, IMHO, the "gold standard" for type clubs and forums.

I belonged for several years, starting when I was looking for a C177, and later a 182/182RG. The forum itself was worth the price of admission.

Great people, great info, and a lot of people just looking to help a guy out. Since everyone had to be a CPA member, and used their real name on the forum, things were at least as civilized as they are here on BT.

Around 2009 or so, I did notice a pretty fair decline in posts. I chalked it up to the overall industry malaise that was taking root. I had my Bo at that point, so I let my membership lapse. I'm not sure what's happened since, but If I had a Cessna, that'd be my first stop.

Type clubs and/or forums are a wonky thing...kinda like hot starts. Sometimes they fire off, some times they don't. Some boards are superficial, have a pretty obvious profit motive and/or don't get over the traffic hump, and that turns people off.

I never did understand why the CPA forum was so active, and the ABS forum wasn't. Go figure.

Best,
Rich

Tagging on. CPA member since 2005. Mostly agree with above.

Definitely worth your $55. Yes, Cessna's are common, but there is a wealth of type specific knowledge, particularly if you have an RG. When you need a specific part and Cessna wants $4K and a 6 month lead time, CPA is the place to find a workaround.

Thanks for the info...

So are you guys recommending CPA or cessna.org?

I have a C82R (182RG) and we had to replace a landing gear saddle a couple years ago. New part was $16k and we found a used one for $10k. Seems expensive, but beats landing and have it break and slide off the runway...

Still wondering if one site is better than the other.

Thanks!
CB

CPA is Cessna.org

One and the same.

There is CPS (Cessna-pilots.net) which is free and is an offshoot (long story) of CPA and has more of a social focus. Not a type club per se - more a much smaller version of beechtalk.

Although not as 'exciting' without the Ken and Mike show. Lucky we get our fix on the MU2 forum.... You got your Mt's on order Jon?

Andrew

cessna.org is still overall the recommended for singles.
http://www.twincessna.org/ is far more active and very well run at present for all Cessna twins.
For 150ies, there is a separate site, also for several vintage taildraggers.

I would like to invite you to visit the Cessna Pilots Society http://www.cessna-pilots.net/ This is more of a down home group without too many folks feeding their own agenda/ego. Joining is free and one does not have to be a cessna owner or pilot to join.
Pilots and friends helping other pilots and freinds and just being friends.

When I was in my primary flight training I looked into buying a C152 for my PL and IR.
Didn't do it, but I joined this group.
http://www.cessna150-152club.com/
They were really helpful and fun, and very active.
I still get Birthday greetings from some of them.
It was much more of a social club, but really there to help ease people on to the smallest step of GA.
And they do have fun. Which is important when you can only do 90Kts.