Hiya
AMRAAM, the points on the C152 are my own personal opinion. I'm sure the majority of pilots and flying instructors out there will disagree with me. After all, the 152 was, and still is, the worlds most popular training aircraft. Once again I think the success was a lack of cost effective commercial options rather than the appeal of the actual machine...who knows.
I feel that the C152 offers poor visibility in almost
every phase of flight. Its nose sits about 8 inches higher than the PA38 in a climb. The PA38 flies level with a noticeable nose down attitude and the C152 does not. The C152 has huge wings that obscure visibility above the aircraft at all times and below the aircraft in turns. The Tommychucks wing is very narrow and has a constant chord from root to tip. Visibility is undoubtedly better. The 152s cabin is boxed in with 'limited' windows and the PA38 has a brilliant bubble canopy.
The PA38 has an access panel to the engine for pre-flights and the Cessna 152 does not. I know it’s a small point but it is an important part of training. The PA38 teaches fuel management, it has the student handle a
marginally faster aircraft and teaches what I believe to be slightly better stick-and-rudder skills.
I feel that the PA38 has a better cockpit and a more ergonomic set-up. The PA38 has a 3-inch divider between the two seats and the 152 has nothing - in fact asses touch in flight.
AMRAAM. I personally find it much easier to get in and out of a PA38 and find it has HEAPS more room (partly because I am a big bast@rd)!
Having rambled that, the C152 handles better at low speeds (and in the stall) than the Tomahawk. The 152 is also better ventilated and you don’t have the added maintenance costs of a fuel pump.
I think that Piper, Cessna and Beechcraft have done for GA training aircraft what McDonalds has done for fine food. The standards of today’s training and the quality of pilot is all a result of the very limited operating envelope of modern day training aircraft.
Bottom line...let the student decide. It's generally not the performance that they are interested in but the cosmetics. History suggests girls will pick the 152 and guys will go with the Tomahawk. Sad but true.
All my views only. I still do a bit of destructing but when it came time to buy a few machines I didn’t go with any of the aircraft in question, but that’s another story…
The Hairy Log Book, sorry to take your post as an opportunity to vent my curiously sad frustrations
