Re: Cessna\'s and Piper\'s
From a flying skills standpoint, there's little difference (if any) between flying the two. The addition of a fuel pump and the responsibility for managing one's fuel supply require more attention from pilots used to a fuel selector with a "both" setting, particularly on your first couple xc flights in the Piper.
Visibility in all the directions important to the pilot IS better in the Piper; you'll find the base-to-final turn much easier due to the ability to see the runway throughout the turn--which allows you to adjust your rate of turn and minimizes overshoot/undershoot difficulties.
There are a few things that take a little getting used to, though. The flaps control is what's called a Johnson Bar and is on the floor between the seats, it operates sort of like an emergency brake in many cars. The nice thing about it is that you don't really have to direct your attention visually to it to operate it; most have three detents (15, 25 and 40 degrees), so you just pull up until it locks at the detent. The throttle and mixture controls are lever-type controls as opposed to push/pull knobs like on the Cessna. I'm still not fully used to them.
The biggest adjustment in moving to the PA-28 that I sometimes fly was the fact that the airspeed indicator was in MPH rather than knots, forcing me to learn and keep straight a different set of speeds. To be honest, I find myself relying more on the colored arcs than the numbers because of this. The next biggest adjustment was getting used to the Garmin GNS 430 in the airplane, which isn't to be taken lightly as it's the #1 comm. The downloadable PC simulator from Garmin is a must-have for getting used to using it. You don't want to be futzing with the thing in busy airspace (the only kind we have around here).
