Best aircraft to learn in?
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Join Date: Apr 2011
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Best aircraft to learn in?
Is this a bit like picking a flying school/club, you should try a few before you decide? Any thoughts or points on good aircraft?
If indeed you can afford the luxury of choice, rather spend it on selecting a suitable instructor. Hard enough, that, for a newbee. Leave the choice of plane - and many more - to her/him.
I agree with Jan.
Apart from anything, there are very few training aeroplanes that are genuinely not good for learning in - and those which exist, are very rare for obvious reasons - why should the schools buy them?
If you are very tall or short, there are a few you might wish to avoid - but if the instructor is okay, and you can fit in the aeroplane okay, pick whatever's cheapest.
G
Apart from anything, there are very few training aeroplanes that are genuinely not good for learning in - and those which exist, are very rare for obvious reasons - why should the schools buy them?
If you are very tall or short, there are a few you might wish to avoid - but if the instructor is okay, and you can fit in the aeroplane okay, pick whatever's cheapest.
G
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C172 SP every day of the week.
Good fuel flow, easy to fly, stable, 180hp injected engine, good vis (for a high wing).
Have a trial flight in a PA28 or 38 too if they are handy. But, as has been said, your instructor and school is the main concern. Look for recommendations as some will be tricky, some will be naff.
Good fuel flow, easy to fly, stable, 180hp injected engine, good vis (for a high wing).
Have a trial flight in a PA28 or 38 too if they are handy. But, as has been said, your instructor and school is the main concern. Look for recommendations as some will be tricky, some will be naff.
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Would love to own a nice C180, and would like to learn in a taildragger. But they are expensive to buy, hard to find, and not many schools use them anyway.
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Still a PPL student here, but managed to try a few a/c, and out of all of them I prefer the TB10. 
Did 10 hours of PPL training on the TB10 and I only wish I could have carried on with the same type of a/c, unfortunately I moved and none is available for training at my local aerodrome.
Did 10 hours of PPL training on the TB10 and I only wish I could have carried on with the same type of a/c, unfortunately I moved and none is available for training at my local aerodrome.
You can learn on a permit aeroplane if you sole-own it.
I'd argue learn on microlights if you want to fly microlights, and the NPPL(M) is an inefficient route to SEP/SSEA. However, the minimum hours to convert from NPPL(M) to NPPL(SSEA) is very small so that option is readily and cheaply available for anybody who has significant hours in 3-axis microlights in the UK.
Microlights are absolutely not an efficient route the JAR-PPL(SEP), you get 10% of your P1 hours off, up to 10 hours! Frankly this is daft, since anybody with 100hrs PiC of 3-axis microlights really should not not 35 hours to get a PPL(SEP); you can improve your value for money by getting the night qualification within that 35 hours.
G
I'd argue learn on microlights if you want to fly microlights, and the NPPL(M) is an inefficient route to SEP/SSEA. However, the minimum hours to convert from NPPL(M) to NPPL(SSEA) is very small so that option is readily and cheaply available for anybody who has significant hours in 3-axis microlights in the UK.
Microlights are absolutely not an efficient route the JAR-PPL(SEP), you get 10% of your P1 hours off, up to 10 hours! Frankly this is daft, since anybody with 100hrs PiC of 3-axis microlights really should not not 35 hours to get a PPL(SEP); you can improve your value for money by getting the night qualification within that 35 hours.
G
Join Date: May 2010
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I learned to fly in a Cessna 152. On one day a C152 was not available, so I had the lesson in a very old 1960's PA28 with a trim handle in the roof, ASI in MPH and of course the handbrake flaps and I really did not like it. I was happy to be back in the 152 on the following lesson, although this was prob. just a case of a student pilot flying something that he was not used to.
All these basic SEP aeroplanes are quite like for like I think, although I've heard the Piper Tomahawk is a good trainer, however a bit like Marmite.
First flight post PPL was my check flight in the Cessna 172S (180hp) which I found to be a natural progression from the C152, my 'differences training' was just over an hour.
I did my IMC rating in a C172P (160hp), it did not really feel that much different to the S model, maybe slightly less right boot requred on climb out, but still a suprisingly capeable a/c (ok you Cirrus and TB20 pilot's are prob. laughing at me for saying that
).
All these basic SEP aeroplanes are quite like for like I think, although I've heard the Piper Tomahawk is a good trainer, however a bit like Marmite.
First flight post PPL was my check flight in the Cessna 172S (180hp) which I found to be a natural progression from the C152, my 'differences training' was just over an hour.
I did my IMC rating in a C172P (160hp), it did not really feel that much different to the S model, maybe slightly less right boot requred on climb out, but still a suprisingly capeable a/c (ok you Cirrus and TB20 pilot's are prob. laughing at me for saying that
).
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I have heard that high wing aircraft tent to be more stable then low wing, so could help you in the early stages of flight training. However saying that I am learning in a Cherokee 140, its been bashed around a bit so is a bit of challenge and has the 'handbrake flaps' and trim in the roof, but other than that im finding it great fun!
Good luck
Good luck
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Flew a PA28 first 15 hours of PPL (hated it), switched schools and finished up flying Flight Designs (love them). It's a stick control not a yoke, might be weird at first but it feels so much more natural, at least thats my opinion. Flight Design CTSW - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Where I'm from its hard to find schools who use these planes. Another downside is the Flight Designs are 2-seaters, so I'm forced to rent C172s when I have more than one friend along for the ride. But I did hear they are coming out with 4-seaters in 2013!!
Where I'm from its hard to find schools who use these planes. Another downside is the Flight Designs are 2-seaters, so I'm forced to rent C172s when I have more than one friend along for the ride. But I did hear they are coming out with 4-seaters in 2013!!
The Flightdesign CTSW and (slightly older and slower but very similar) CT2K are microlights in the UK, rather than LSA as in the USA (both categories are basically national-only).
There are some excellent schools in the UK training for the NPPL(M) in the CTSW - I've no personal link apart from getting on well with their CFI, but MSA at Damyns Hall is one such, and very well regarded.
G
There are some excellent schools in the UK training for the NPPL(M) in the CTSW - I've no personal link apart from getting on well with their CFI, but MSA at Damyns Hall is one such, and very well regarded.
G
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Currently learning, and I was advised as follows:
"Sit in it, make vroom vroom noises, look around, and ask yourself if you think you would be comfortable/happy spending the next 40+ hours being stressed in that plane"
But in all honesty, the advice was sound, and was to imagine whether I wanted to spend a whole load of time in it, and whether I felt relaxed, claustrophobic, safe etc.
Whilst I am sure its true that you can learn in most things, I was told you are more likely to stick through to the end of the training if you like the aircraft you are sitting in, and less likely if you get up on a dreary day and think "I don't want to spend the next hour or two rattling around in that old rustbucket.
That is why I have ended up in microlights. And whilst Ghengis is right that its not an efficient way to get to a full PPL, that didn't matter much for me day 1. If during the process I get a yearning to change, I will, and if not, then not.
(and no, I am not loaded, and therefore free from making those kind of decisions. I just know what gives me a greater chance of sticking with things when it gets stressful).
"Sit in it, make vroom vroom noises, look around, and ask yourself if you think you would be comfortable/happy spending the next 40+ hours being stressed in that plane"
But in all honesty, the advice was sound, and was to imagine whether I wanted to spend a whole load of time in it, and whether I felt relaxed, claustrophobic, safe etc.
Whilst I am sure its true that you can learn in most things, I was told you are more likely to stick through to the end of the training if you like the aircraft you are sitting in, and less likely if you get up on a dreary day and think "I don't want to spend the next hour or two rattling around in that old rustbucket.
That is why I have ended up in microlights. And whilst Ghengis is right that its not an efficient way to get to a full PPL, that didn't matter much for me day 1. If during the process I get a yearning to change, I will, and if not, then not.
(and no, I am not loaded, and therefore free from making those kind of decisions. I just know what gives me a greater chance of sticking with things when it gets stressful).
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Okay, well lets put it another way - the cheapest aircraft I can learn in is a C152. I have had a few trial lessons here and there but only in P38s. Club now only has C152s, C172s or PA28s
if you had a choice between high wing or low wing which would you choose (Cessna vs Piper). My understanding is that low wing aircraft don't experience as much crosswind on the ground and glide better. Not saying this is a good or bad thing.
if you had a choice between high wing or low wing which would you choose (Cessna vs Piper). My understanding is that low wing aircraft don't experience as much crosswind on the ground and glide better. Not saying this is a good or bad thing.