Originally Posted by
xrayalpha
So, Chuck, you are saying (or meant to say):
if you learn to fly on a Cub, you will be able to fly a 172. But if you learnt to fly on a 172 you won't stand a chance in a Cub.
.
I would not send a brand new PPL who had only been flying a Super Cub solo on a C 172 without any additional training for the same reason I would not send a pilot who had only ever flown a C 172 solo in a Super Cub; there is an unacceptable risk that they will bend the aircraft.
The Super Cub guy will probably need less training to make the conversion but it won't be zero hours. The Super Cub pilot will be used to sitting in the centre of the aircraft with a low cowl. He will take a bit of time to get used to the very different sight picture you get sitting on the left side and with a high cowl. He will also be used to a stick in his right hand and the throttle in his left the reverse of a C 172. For these reason and the fact that a c 172 has much heavier controls than a Super Cub sending a new pilot out with no preparation is IMO unprofessional.
If the intent of your question is "how can we improve the quality of flight instruction" than I can think of many things that will achieve the aim that don't require a wholesale change over of training aircraft.....
BTW I have trained PPL's on tailwheel aircraft. Were they better pilots than the ones trained on tricycle gear airplanes ? Overall I don't think so because being a good pilot is more than just keeping the aircraft straight on takeoff and landing, although that is of course an important skill.
However if I had a choice I would do all the training on tail draggers because they are generally cooler airplanes and more fun to fly. However the economics of the flying training game makes this impossible.