Should I think twice?

DrBenny

New Member
So, I've flown three times in the past five weeks: the first time was solo in a 172R (five weeks ago), the second time was with CFII in that Saratoga (three weeks ago), and the last time was with a CFI in the 182S (a few days ago). That last time was in high winds, which was also good for me.

Now I've got my original CFII's plane, the good 'ol 172N (in which exact plane I have about 150 hours), scheduled for Monday. I haven't flown the 172N for about a month and a half, but I feel good about the flight and am not worried about any procedures. I have about 220 hours TT. My question is, assuming the weather is reasonable, should I think twice about this flight?
 
Why are you nervous about this flight?

Flying a C172 of any model should not be a problem for someone with 200 hours, so there must be some other reason you are asking.
 
I really think I'm fine, but I ask for two reasons:

1) It has, after all, been five weeks since I flew a 172N, BUT

2) I tend to over-worry things.
 
Nah, your concern is not 'overworrying' just good self preservation type thinking
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. You should (and will) be just fine; if I were you I would go over the POH the night before to jog the memory, once you get in the plane things will feel like you never left.
 
When I was a private student I was a little nutty, I liked one specific 172 on the ramp and didn't feel comfortable flying the other ones solo. I guess I just liked the familiarity, since the other planes had vastly different avionics. As you gain experience you'll learn to quickly adapt to small differences in planes, and as another person said, it's still a 172 and everything you have learned about flying a 172 still applies. Nothing to worry about, enjoy it.
 
If SkyGuy gets that all of the time, then why a pic like that???
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a 172N is a 172N is a 172N... you shouldnt have any problems. If the radio stack is different, just figure out how to transmit on 1 and listen on 2 and you should be FINE
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I was faced with the exact same situation. I hadn't flown a 172 for 6 months, then one day I was tossed in one and was expected to perform to commercial standards. I have about the same amount of hours as you do, and I had no problems. Hop in and go, and don't worry 'bout it!
 
Haha, reminds me of a time about a year ago when I was in your shoes. I'd been flying nothing but a 182RG for about 1 or 2 months and I decided to rent a 172 for night currency. Simple enough I thought, but as fate would have it, I ended up having a comm failure. Somewhere between being cleared for takeoff and turning downwind for my first stop and go, my headphone jack got knocked loose from it's socket. This is not a good thing to experience in the pattern of a controlled airport at night. I eventually figured out the problem but not before I caused a little tension for ATC. The 182 I had been flying had the comm jacks on the left hand wall of the cabin while the 172 had the jacks under the instrument panel. I suppose it is possible that I somehow knocked the cord loose with my knee, who knows.

Moral of the story:

Mentally go over the little details of the cockpit before you start the engine. Make sure you remember where everything is and think about the differences between the Saratoga, 182S, 172R, and 172N. For relatively low time pilots like you and I, flying different airplanes, no matter how similair they are, warrants at least a quick review of the cockpit layout and POH before each flight. Do that and you should be fine.
 
I would not worry; you have been flying higher performance aircraft, and going to a 172 will be a breeze. While in the UK I frequently did not fly for 3-6 months, and as soon as I got back in the plane it wa like I never left.
 
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