N3539V

N3539V is a Cessna 140, a single-engine piston aircraft operated by CHAD GORACKE FARMS INC. SkyMeter has tracked 306 flights totalling 128 hours of airtime via ADS-B across 2 callsigns. The most frequent segment is KBDN to KBDN. Service window in our records spans 400 days. Of those flights, 46 (15.0%) carry at least one detected incident — go-around, unstable approach, stall warning, or runway excursion. The Cessna 140 has a 33 ft wingspan, a maximum takeoff weight of 1,500 lb.

About the Cessna 140

The Cessna 140 is a classic post-World War II two-seat taildragger that helped democratize general aviation in the late 1940s. Built between 1946 and 1950, the 140 was Cessna's answer to returning servicemen and a booming civilian flight training market—an affordable, rugged airplane that could be flown off grass strips and maintained in barn hangars across rural America. Powered by an 85-horsepower Continental C-85 engine, it featured fabric-covered wings, a welded steel-tube fuselage, and conventional landing gear that demanded real stick-and-rudder skills.

The 140 was essentially a refined version of the 120, adding flaps and a bit more panel space, and it became a beloved trainer and weekend flyer for a generation of pilots. With a cruise speed around 90 knots and a range of roughly 450 miles, the 140 was never fast or long-legged, but it was honest, forgiving, and cheap to operate. Nearly 5,000 were built before production ended in 1950, replaced by the tricycle-gear Cessna 150 a decade later.

Today the 140 remains a sought-after vintage aircraft, prized by tailwheel enthusiasts and warbird-adjacent collectors who appreciate its simplicity and direct connection to the golden age of light aviation. SkyMeter has tracked flights across airframes and operators, with the largest observed operator.