Whirly -
Not knocking anyone or their aeroplane, honest, and I apologise to anyone who took it that way. I'm very partial to the Archer II I sometimes hire for getting around in, and had a most enjoyable 90 mins in it earlier this year doing nothing but general handling and a series of mixed circuits - flapless, glide, bad weather, short field etc. One of the best hours I've spent in an aeroplane this year. And I did make a point of checking out on the C-152 recently, as it felt like a gap in my education - and what a smooth, light and lovely thing it was, it put a big smile on my face. As for sometimes wanting to go out and have fun without a lot of headache, of course, and I'm a firm believer in the idea that anything as expensive as private flying should be fun, otherwise why bother? It's just that learning is fun too, and even if a lesson is sometimes hard work, those are often the ones I find most rewarding, looking back on them. Plus, having a broader repertoire means you have more ways of having fun in future!