What's hard to fly, what's easy?

[avbug]

Virtually any airplane is a straightforward flier so long as the operator takes the time to learn the equipment and then treats it professionally. It is the poor carpenter that blames his tools.

Someone denegrated the Cessna 207 when heavy and hot. I have to say that aside from a cub, the 207 is perhaps one of the sweetest flying bush airplanes available. Get more time in that airplane and let it save your bacon enough times, and you'll change your tune.

Someone else identified the 20 series Lears. I disagree wholeheartedly. Wonderful machines, well designed, and fly beautifully. I've heard some folks call them "slippery" when slow, and havent' a clue what they mean. The airplanes present no quirks, and fly nicely if one stays ahead of the airplane and understands it. Those who denegrate it just don't know how to fly it.

The same may be said for virtually any airplane. A man who deserves a great deal of respect, Jimmy Doolittle, once remarked that the most dangerous airplane he'd every flown was the R-1 Gee-Bee. I'll take him at his word. I wouldn't rate any airplane I've ever flown as difficult, or even challenging. I'd much rather attempt to rate them in terms of what was the most fun, but as flying any airplane is a thrill and a privilege, that would be darn hard to do. They've all been fun.

If flying the airplane isn't fun, or is difficult, it's not being done right. That speaks to the pilot, not the machine. A poor carpenter always blames his...

 

[bobbysamd]

Cessnas, jet powered and otherwise . . .

Although I have only a couple of hours in a Citation, I recall how amazed I was at how easy it was to land. Just like a 172. Very friendly airplane.

We used 182RGs for Commercial Single and CFI Initial training. I could never get a good landing in that airplane with two people in front. Always landed flat, no matter how hard I flared. It was also heavy on the controls when doing maneuvers. Clearly, not the role for which it was designed, which was to haul, haul, haul and to go on cross-countries. It was a nice instrument platform.

Although I learned to fly in a 172, I found I liked Piper better. I got better crosswind landings in them, probably because Cessnas are short-coupled.

I appreciate Avbug's comments above. Jimmy Doolittle sure showed 'em when he drove the B-26 around on one engine. Remember what a handfull it was? Although, I believe, training was blamed in whole or part for the B-26's problems. I haven't any knowledge whatsoever if multi-engine training was taught then the way we teach it now.

 

[RichardFitzwell]

I agree with Thedude about the B727's apparent lack of power on takeoff. In addition to charter, many are used as freighters and are very heavy on takeoff. The 727-200s with -17 engines can hold their own but an older 727-100 with -15 engines are pigs.

FedEx operates several 727-200s with the Valsan conversion that will out climb the autopilot and many new first officers. Less than ten were converted and they are monsters. Valsan took the 727-200 and removed engines #1 and #3. They replaced them with P&W -217 engines (similar to MD80 engines). They left engine #2 alone as a -17.

It's nothing to pin the VSI at 6000 fpm through 18,000' in an empty Valsan conversion. Now that's a hand full.

 

[AWACoff]

I disagree that the E120 is hard to land. After I got the height perspective down and had 300 hours in the plane, good landings were a matter of course. Sure it doesn't have trailing link but but the gear does have some shock absorption. Just fly it onto the runway. As for systems, the E120 has more bugs in it than the Museum of Natural History. The dang thing is always dinging with false alarms, deice failures, EECs failing, flap control faults, pack overheats, outflow valves sticking, etc. Makes for an easy transition to the 328 prop.

 

[prodigal]

bobbysamd

I disagree about Pipers being easier to land than Cessnas. I think Cessnas are easier to really grease in. Pipers may be easier to just get on the ground.
Beech Travelair is an oldie but a very goodie.

 

[WaitingForClass]

The ATR's are a pretty nice airplane to fly. Especially the ATR 42. Greasing a landing in a 42 isn't much to brag about. The 72 is a different story though. Especially if it is empty. The ATR's are a pretty modern turbo prop with a lot of bells and whistles. The systems are really straight forward. Nothing to tricky.
The plane I liked the least out of all the planes I have flown was a seneca. I couldn't get a nice landing to save my life. It seemed like it had a tendency to balloon more than most planes.

 

[airmack]

Easy and Hard

Easy to fly...anything with wings, Hard to fly...anything with wings in a level 3-6 Thunderstorm.

 

[Thedude]

If you are in a lvl 3-6, chances are you are just along for the ride.
I've been to the purple and still here to tell about it.

Deviate to penetrate.

 

[saabtrash]

This is one of the better threads I've read. Very intersting to hear all of the different takes people have on different A/C. Just one thing I have to say, AVBUG...chill out. Seriously it's a bunch of guys talking about the stuff they've flown. Even if you are a bad carpenter, the head can still fly off your hammer while your swinging it without it being your fault.

As far as airplanes go, here is my 2 cents. The Aero-Commander 500 was the coolest recip that I ever got the chance to fly. Easy to land, plenty of power, etc. As far as transport category, the only thing I've flown is the Saab 340. It's cool to me, but it is kind of difficult to land nicely on a continuous basis. Judging by the opinions of all the captains I've flown with, it isn't the best A/C out there.

 

[EagleRJ]

Saab 340 is a good all-around airplane. Fun and easy to fly, handles WX well, and it rides well in turbulence. It is hard to get a greaser, with that straight gear, but you can land it in 1500' if you have to. It's not without negatives, though. It's a dog in the summer when you're loaded, and it's tough to keep cool, especially when the AC ducts are leaky. The systems are pretty straightforward, except for the electrical system, with its 21 busses. The autopilot works great, which is more than I can say for the EMB-145!

 

[rjcap]

Anybody who misses the EMB 120 has a major screw loose.

Let me remind you of your fine old friend. Remember those hot days in August and the packs are spitting out warm air as you sit in the cockpit and bake alive in the sun. How about those 15 hour duty days and all the **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** vibration and noise. Remember eating a whole bottle of asprin to get rid of that Brasilia headache ?

You think the electrical system was bad how about that nightmare of a prop system ??

Send that thing to the boneyard.

 

[AWACoff]

Ya know, I had forgotten about those sweltering days in the Brakillya...THANKS! I do recall cancelling 2 flights a few summers ago out of ORD due to crew overheating problems. When you literally have sweat pouring off you and running into your eyes and no galley to get ice from (a few of the Lakes Brasilias did not/do not have galleys...They may have pulled them all by now), you are not mentally capable of functioning at 110%. How is it that the packs can be nice and cold (due to them freezing up) but we just get hot air (cue sounds of whiny, sweaty, tired pilots). On the other hand, one of our Brakillyas had such good packs that it would blow snow even on the hottest days (literally....ice particles would blow out the vents....I know, I know...bad for the packs). All in all though, once you got up to cruise it cooled off and it was a fun and responsive plane.

 

[flx757]

I've flown a wide variety of aircraft, but 2 definitely stand out: the deHavilland Dash 7 - nothing was more fun than some of those MLS and STOL approaches we flew in the mountains of Colorado and Alaska; and the B757 - a very nice airplane, great performance....like UPS Capt said, a joy to fly.

 

[Smoove Ride]

ahhh... the bradildo.

rjcap... i might have a screw loose. i miss flying the bradildo at times. granted, it baked you in the summer, but the ECS system is not one to brag about on the rj. even in manual it's a pain in the ass and requires constant attention.

hell, my car has a better temperature control system on it. -sr.

 

[Twotter76]

DHC-6 Twin Otter is a very easy airplane to fly. I think the Duchess I was flying before was actually more difficult to handle. Great airplane as long as your aren't in a hurry to go anywhere. I can hover given the correct circumstances!

 

[rjcap]

Smoove,

You definitely have a screw loose.

Your telling me you would rather bake in the Brakila then hit the manual ECS control and adjust the temp in the CRJ ?

Yeah, I really hate having the cockpit too cold in August. I might need to bring a sweater next time !

 

[rjcap]

OK, Thats enough.

I'll stop ragging on the EMB 120.

 

[Marko Ramius]

AWACoff,

The situation you describe is everyday in the 1900. I'm sure the same goes for the J32 and Metroliner as well. Bake in the summer, freeze in the winter. Remember the DVL crews that did their runups in ski clothing? That said, I did stop taking planes with inop VCM's on those hot DEN days-I would do the same now especially if I had to do their PHX runs. It's funny that their isn't an airplane from the 172 to the 777 where the pilots are totally satisfied with the air conditioning system! Which reminds me, the 737 sucks in the summer when your on the ramp on a hot day with the pits open. The only way to get cool air from the APU is to turn off the Recirc fan and let the supply duct temparature drop, but then you get minimal airflow. I think I'm just going to stay home.

 

[PBRstreetgang]

CRJ-SWEEEEET, easiest ever. 1200hrs.+

EMB- sweeeet, great a/c + all the bugs you could imagine, 1500hrs.+

J-32- hardest yet, this a/c will make you work harder, for every nm
flown than any other type, but in a strange perverse way the most
satisfying plane yet. kinda like a hard workout.

 

[717driver]

Give me a break here, guys! These posts are like bad poetry. One guy describes an airplane as 'handling like a wet buffalo in the mud', another misses one airplane 'like an old friend', and then we have Avbug. I only wish I were as sh!t hot and could say no airplanes are hard to fly. I have flown 20-series Lears, and they suck.

Now for my 2 cents-
I thought the Citation II had good characteristics, considering was its made to do. The Falcon 20 is quite underpowered with the original engines, but has the best flying qualities and predictability I've seen. The Lear 20s will certainly put a smile on your face with unbelievable climb rates, but they're old and way too small for those of us in the 6 ft height range. The 717 is really cool with all the new bells and whistles and great air conditioning.