Cessnas or Pipers????

[turpentyine]

Which plane is considered to be better to train in?

 

[siucavflight]

Cessna

 

[bobbysamd]

Best aircraft in which to train

As a practical matter, the most affordable one!

No kidding. I've trained private students in high-wing Cessnas and low-wing Bonanzas. The 172s were simple singles with flaps being the only "advanced" gizmo; the Bonanzas were high-performance/complex singles with flaps, controllable props, manually-switched fuel pumps, need to switch tanks periodically, and retractable landing gear. Both did the job. I trained students for other ratings in low-wing Pipers and they did the job for them.

What matters more is the quality of the instruction provided. The instruction you receive should instill the thought processes to enable you to fly any airplane.

Hope that helps. Good luck with your training.

PS-One thing I would add is once you choose your training airplane, try to stay in the same type aircraft for at least the duration of your Private training. You need that consistency. Changing aircraft types frequently during training can be confusing and cost you more money at a time when you are having enough trouble learning new concepts.

 

[midlifeflyer]

Which plane is considered to be better to train in?

FWIW, here's my personal FAQ on what to look for in deciding what airplane to learn in:

Question: What should I train in?

Short answer: It really doesn't matter.

Long-winded answer:

"Training airplanes" are called that for a reason. They tend to be easy to fly and their costs tend to be in the affordable range. And that's the whole idea -- to get over the flying learning curve. To comprehend, apply and correlate the theory and the manual skills that go into controlling an airplane. Transitions into other airplanes are not big deal later, with FBO checkout policies, rather than skill transfer, being the primary consideration.

IMHO, the ONLY important things in choosing a training airplane are (in no particular order):

o Safety. Although it goes without saying, but I thought I'd say it anyway so someone else won't point it out to me

o Mechanical quality. This is really more of a function of how well the place maintains their airplanes than anything else.

o Simplicity. You probably don't want to learn to fly more dials and levers than you need

o Comfort. If you're 7'3", you might have a little trouble in that 152!

o Availability. This includes ease of booking for your time slot, the number of airplanes in the type, and how much they go in for maintenance. You really want to be able to fly a similar aircraft throughout your initial training. It's just easier to develop proper visual sight pictures and a feel for power settings if the view in and out of the cockpit is the same. That one Beech Skipper may be a blast to fly, but if there's only one of them and 6 152s, take the 152s. Think about this one, though. Everyone may be learning in 172s because the school has 8 of them, but that means that the 2 newer Katanas are always available. (Of course, this doesn't mean you turn down that offer to join your CFI in a Bonanza for a cargo run!

So, get the best deal you can with a school or FBO that cares about maintenance and CFIs who care about their students. That's all that's really important.

 

[HAZ-MAT]

Single Engine: Cessna
Multi Engine: Piper

 

[illinipilot]

cessnas

Comfort. If you're 7'3", you might have a little trouble in that 152!

True, although a 172 has more head and leg room than any primary piper product that I have ever flown.

I learned to fly in cessnas so I have a soft spot in my heart for them. Piper does have some nice things about it though.

- Larger wheel base = forgiving cross wind landings.
- (the new archers and arrows at least) have a much more comfortable grip on the control wheel than cessnas
- You don't need to worry about climbing all over the a/c to check the fuel quantities or to fuel up the airplane.

Cessnas on the other hand
- Don't seem to get as hot in the summer because the wing provides some shade for the cockpit.
- It is much less awkward to strain the fuel and check under the wing.
- The afore mentioned roominess of the cabin of comparable aircraft e.g. C-172 v. Archer

I did teach last summer in beechcraft muskateer, that is an airplane that has very few redeeming qualities, in my mind.