A LOW TIME PVT PLT IN A C152 RUNS OUT OF FUEL AFTER HALF AN HOUR OF FLT AND GETS A VECTOR FROM CVG APCH CTLR FOR AN EMER LNDG AT I69; OH.

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DURING MY PREFLT INSPECTION OF HE ACFT I MADE A VISUAL CHK OF THE GAS TANKS AND NOTICED THEY WERE APPARENTLY HALF FULL. I ASKED MY FLT SCHOOL ATTENDANT HOW MUCH GAS WAS MISSING AND HE SAID 1 HOUR. AFTER FLYING FOR HALF AN HOUR THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND QUIT. I CALLED CLG APCH FOR VECTORS TO CLERMONT AND TO DECLARE EMER WHICH I THOUGH TO BE (AND WAS) THE CLOSEST FIELD. BY PLAYING WITH THROTTLE; MIXTURE; STARTER; AND PRIMER I KEPT RESTARTING THE ENGINE AND EVENTUALLY MADE IT TO CLERMONT. THE ENGINE ACTUALLY REGAINED PWR ENTIRELY ABOUT 1 MILE SW OF THE FIELD. I FLEW THE ENTIRE TFC PATTERN AND LANDED. I TAXIIED BACK TO PARKING AREA AND CALLED A MECHANIC TO SEE WHAT WENT WRONG AND CINCINNATI APCH TO TELL THEM I MADE IT DOWN SAFELY. THE MECHANIC FOUND IN SHORT ORDER THAT THE PLANE HAD USED 25 OF IT'S 24.5 USEABLE GALLON OF GAS. I WAS EMBARRASSED; BUT LUCKY NOT TO HAVE SUFFERED WORSE. FROM THE INCIDENT I LEARNED NEVER TO RELY ON SOMEONE ELSE'S INFO ABOUT YOUR FLT. I SHOULD HAVE FOUND A BETTER WAY TO CONFIRM HOW MUCH FUEL WAS MISSING FROM MY TANKS. I WOULD RECOMMEND NEVER LEAVING THE ARPT WITHOUT FULL TANKS OR MEASURING THE GAS WITH SOME SORT OF ACCURATE VISUAL INSTRUMENT.