I know what you mean about the PA28's stability. I've never flown a 152 except as pax, but the PA28 is by far the most boring aircraft I've ever flown! Sorry, but put me in something that responds when I move the stick (ok, the yoke if I can't have a stick) please!
Last Saturday night I had the dubious pleasure of flying a PA28 for the first time in 8 months, and I have to say it was dull! The fact that I was not particularly impressed with the instructor who was checking me out probably didn't help - he was horrified at the idea of slipping to lose height at 500' on final, amongst other things. But I found that, in the cruise, I was pretty much a passenger - point he in the right direction and trim her properly, and I didn't need to do anything else. I'd forgotten just how boring the PA28 can be! At one point, my instructor took control while I checked something out on my chart. My instructor "gave" control back to me without saying anything (another criticism) and the 'plane was so stable it took me a couple of minutes to realise no one was at the controls!
(Of course, it was all worthwhile because it was a great reminder of how beautiful night-flying is - towns and roads laid out before you, flashing strobes of other aircraft clearly visible in the distance, and fireworks adding splashes of colour to the night sky all around. I just wish I had a nice 24-hour airport nearby so I could fly at night all year round.)
FFF
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