A C152 WAS LANDED ON A PVT GRASS STRIP AS A RESULT OF FUEL EXHAUSTION. PERSONAL PLT PRESSURE TO GET HOME AND PLANNING TECHNIQUE; WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

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AT DEP ON A 279 NM XCOUNTRY FLT; I HAD CALCULATED A FLT TIME OF 3 HRS 30 MINS. WIND WAS FROM THE W AT 15 KTS; ALT 3000 FT MSL; WITH A W HDG. MY INTERP OF THE PERFORMANCE CHARTS FOR THE C152 MANUAL GAVE ME AN ENDURANCE OF 4 HRS. THIS WOULD ALLOW 30 MINS RESERVE FUEL. AT 3 HRS INTO THE FLT; FUEL GAUGES WERE READING 1/8 TANK. I FELT IT SUFFICIENT TO REACH MY DEST OF ABOUT 40 MORE NM. AT 3 HRS 9 MINS; THE ENG WENT ROUGH. I WAS WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE OF A PVT GRASS STRIP AND MADE A SAFE LNDG. ON THE GND THE ENG SMOOTHED OUT; BUT I WAS CLRLY IN NEED OF FUEL. I FEEL THERE WERE SEVERAL FACTORS THAT BROUGHT ME TO THIS SIT: 'GET HOMEITIS.' I HAD BEEN STRANDED FOR 4 DAYS DUE TO WX AND NEEDED TO GET BACK. POOR JUDGEMENT OF SIT; 20 DEGS ABOVE STANDARD TEMP; AND IMPROPER LEANING. I KEPT IT RICH TO ADD COOLING BECAUSE OF A HIGH RPM SETTING. I FALSELY TRUSTED THE FUEL GAUGES. MY RECENT TRAINING IN C172 GAVE ME FALSE EXPECTATIONS OF THE C152. I FEEL SOME WAYS TO PREVENT THIS SIT WOULD BE TO BECOME MUCH MORE FAMILIAR WITH PERFORMANCE OF THE ACFT AND TO CALCULATE A SAFETY MARGIN INTO ANY PERFORMANCE INFO. ABOVE ALL I BELIEVE THE KEY IS SIMPLY TO PLAN AHEAD IN SPECIFIC DETAIL; THE ENTIRE FLT; AND NEVER TO BE IN TOO GREAT A HURRY TO MAKE AN EXTRA FUEL STOP.