Plane change befor PPL?

[OZiPilot]

Hey All,

I was just wanting to know what people thoughts were about changing planes before i start my PPL.

I did all my GFPT training in a Piper Warrior but after taking a flight in a Cessna 172 i like it so much better!

Few problems i come into;
1. My school only offers Piper aircraft.

2. Would the change to a new school end up costing me a lot more money?
I expect that they would put me through the ringer on the new plane? but i don't want to spend to many hours. how many should i expect to do?

3. For the record i fly at YMMB, I see Cessna's all the time but have no clue what school they are from? Any pointers to a school would be helpful.

Is it just better to stick with the Warrior until my PPL is complete? Then jump into a Cessna?

Cheers!!
OziPilot!

[Eljay]

Is it just better to stick with the Warrior until my PPL is complete? Then jump into a Cessna?

In a word.

YES

[JustJoinedToSearch]

I imagine you are flying at MFS,
As for question 3, I'm pretty sure every other school at Moorabbin has Cessna aircarft.
I know at least Tristar, Oxford and MFT do.
I did all my PPL training in the same aircraft type as GFPT so I can't really help with the rest of your questions.

[matt1975]

ozi i just pm'd you

[clear to land]

Finish your GFPT in what you started, then complete your Navs for your PPL in the 172. (I did RPPL in Tomahawk and then UPPL in 172-found it worked for me!)

[Lasiorhinus]

How far into your PPL training are you? If it's a long way off still, there's no harm in swapping now. On the other hand, if you've only got a couple of flights to go, stick with the Warrior until after your flight test, and then fly whatever you want.

If you want to find out where the Cessnas are nesting, watch where one parks, and watch where the pilots walk back to.

(or just go and see Glen B)

[OZiPilot]

matt1975 just got your pm!

I have not even started it as yet.
I was just keeping my hours current while do some study and gather some funds then i am going to get into it! :ok:

[Avgas172]

Ditto for me .... tommyhook (JEM) for RPPL thence warrior (FCR) then 172RG for Retrac/CS endo thence my own 172 (still cant land the bloody thing properly, whilst wazza's land themselves) ....sigh....:}
(It's been 24 years now so I should get the hang of it soon)

[Checkboard]

Is not Royal Vic still flying PA28s? :confused:

As to the question of changing - the differences aren't huge, and a change is as good as a holiday - it will give you greater experience to handle both types. Yes, a school will want to properly train you on the new aircraft - so there will be a couple of lessons to do that but that would happen anyway. (i.e. before or after you have a license)

So doing the conversion before your test will add a bit of dual (which you would have to do anyway) and a couple of hours extra dual before a test isn't a bad thing. :ok:

The Cessna experience will help if you head to the bush on a job search, as these types are (almost invariably) used in bush flying.