to train in a Cessna or Cirrus?

[AviatorGator]

So far, I'm the lone vote for "both". If money is no object, I think it would be excellent for you to get some experience in a higher performance airplane towards the end of your PPL training. I would still recommend the 172 for the majority of your training.

Also, if you eventually intend to buy/fly your own Cirrus after completing your PPL, I recommend you should get even more primary training in the SR-22. The more primary instruction you receive in something you'll be flying by yourself down the road, the better off/safer you'll be.

I have to say that the 152 is an extremely fun plane to fly. I would highly recommend it for anybody getting their PPL if weight restrictions don't cut back on your fuel load too much.

My instructor was 6'4 230 and I was 6'1 185 so a 152 was not very practical for my Private.

This is the problem with the 152 for primary training. Do not get into a 152 with an instructor until they have proven to you it is within weight and balance limitations. That said, a 152 is a great XC time building machine and is fun to fly solo.

 

[Hootie]

Unless you are a multi-millionaire, whichever is CHEAPEST!

 

[Okie_Pilot]

$239/hour? Whew.

For that price, you might as well do something as silly as renting a twin and learning how to fly it first, or finding someone with a Pitts or Extra and start off in that. Get your tailwheel, high performance, spin endorsment, and be a bada$$.

 

[Douglas]

If money doesn't matter, the choice doesn't matter.
Though I'd rather watch those hard landings being done in a Cessna.

 

[ComplexHiAv8r]

One of the clubs that I rent from (pretty cheap compared to the rest of the field) rents a SR22 for $239. That's a whole lot of money for an hour in a plane.

Any idea how many hours a year the SR22 gets? Curious. For the SR20 I fly cost is about $101-102 for operations (fuel/hanger/insurance/annual).

 

[upup89]

go with the cheapest thing possible. a PPL is a PPL

 

[ozziecat35]

Definitely the Cessna, either 152 or 172. I did about half my PPL in an SR20. ($139/hr) Yes, it was badass, but I could have doubled my time had I been flying a 152...Though in my opinion, a Cirrus is the easiest thing in the world to land....

 

[jrh]

go with the cheapest thing possible. a PPL is a PPL

Wrong.

This is exactly the myth I keep trying to dispel with people.

The plane a person trains in very much matters. Now, that isn't to say a more expensive plane is inherently better...but it might offer options for training that a cheaper plane doesn't. And those options might be important to a person, depending on what their goals are.

The Cirrus is a good option for somebody who intends to own a Cirrus and has the disposable income to do it. It's far better to beat up the rental company's Cirrus rather than your own. The thing to remember here is that not everybody has *your* financial perspective. There are guys out there who don't really care about if their private pilot certificate takes $5,000 or $25,000....they only want the best possible training for what they want to do. These are not the typical college-age "career" students, but they're out there. A person considering the purchase of a half million dollar aircraft generally doesn't want to pinch every penny possible when it comes to training.

Now, for the 152/172 debate. The fact is, a 172 flies very similarly to a 152. When it comes to learning how to land, either aircraft will do the job about as well. BUT, what about when it comes to cross country training? I work at an airport about 150 miles away from the nearest Class B airspace. In a new 172, cruising at 125 knots, it's no big deal to jump down to the Class B for a XC training flight. In a 152, cruising at 95 knots, we're talking about a several hour excursion. In this case, what is it worth to include real world Class B ops in a person's training? A person can generally get a larger amount of cross country experience if training in a 172 instead of a 152.

And how about flying in weather? Everybody talks about what a great experience it is to get some time in the clouds as a student pilot, but how many 152s are really well equipped for IFR ops? How about 172s? I know which one I'd rather go into the clouds with.

How about developing good CRM? A lot of 152s have one NAV/COM and that's about it. A lot of 172s have multiple NAV/COMs, GPS, autopilot, etc. What's it worth to incorporate CRM training from Day 1, as opposed to trying to figure it out on one's own after getting their private pilot certificate?

When it comes to glass panel vs. conventional panel training, I could make another list of arguments.

Why am I so passionate about this? Because I've seen it over and over. Somebody gets their training on the cheap, flying a ratty old 152 at a quiet untowered airport, thinking, "A PPL is a PPL." Then they come to me for a rental checkout, flight review, or instrument rating, and it's my job to bring them up to speed on things they could have already been proficient at, had they been willing to drop a few extra bucks during their initial training.

So there's nothing wrong with learning in a 152, 172, or Cirrus. They're all good planes under different circumstances. Just understand the end result of training in each *will* be different.


Now, to the original OP: What are your goals? After you become a private pilot, what do you want to be able to do? The answers to those questions will go a long way towards figuring out how to go about getting your training.

 

[KSCessnaDriver]

Wrong.

This is exactly the myth I keep trying to dispel with people.

Yup, I'll add one more to your list.

Comfort. If you can't comfortable sit in say a Cessna 150/152 for two hours, you probably should think about spending the money to train in the 172. The hourly rental rate may be more, but I'll bet when you aren't thinking about how uncomfortable you are, you'll learn stuff a little bit quicker. Personally, at 6'1", I can sit in a 152 for hour, maybe an hour and a half. So, go sit in the planes before you commit to something. Make sure the plane fits you, and you fit the plane.

 

[Ryans Dad]

Wrong.

This is exactly the myth I keep trying to dispel with people.

The plane a person trains in very much matters. Now, that isn't to say a more expensive plane is inherently better...but it might offer options for training that a cheaper plane doesn't. And those options might be important to a person, depending on what their goals are.

The Cirrus is a good option for somebody who intends to own a Cirrus and has the disposable income to do it. It's far better to beat up the rental company's Cirrus rather than your own. The thing to remember here is that not everybody has *your* financial perspective. There are guys out there who don't really care about if their private pilot certificate takes $5,000 or $25,000....they only want the best possible training for what they want to do. These are not the typical college-age "career" students, but they're out there. A person considering the purchase of a half million dollar aircraft generally doesn't want to pinch every penny possible when it comes to training.

Now, for the 152/172 debate. The fact is, a 172 flies very similarly to a 152. When it comes to learning how to land, either aircraft will do the job about as well. BUT, what about when it comes to cross country training? I work at an airport about 150 miles away from the nearest Class B airspace. In a new 172, cruising at 125 knots, it's no big deal to jump down to the Class B for a XC training flight. In a 152, cruising at 95 knots, we're talking about a several hour excursion. In this case, what is it worth to include real world Class B ops in a person's training? A person can generally get a larger amount of cross country experience if training in a 172 instead of a 152.

And how about flying in weather? Everybody talks about what a great experience it is to get some time in the clouds as a student pilot, but how many 152s are really well equipped for IFR ops? How about 172s? I know which one I'd rather go into the clouds with.

How about developing good CRM? A lot of 152s have one NAV/COM and that's about it. A lot of 172s have multiple NAV/COMs, GPS, autopilot, etc. What's it worth to incorporate CRM training from Day 1, as opposed to trying to figure it out on one's own after getting their private pilot certificate?

When it comes to glass panel vs. conventional panel training, I could make another list of arguments.

Why am I so passionate about this? Because I've seen it over and over. Somebody gets their training on the cheap, flying a ratty old 152 at a quiet untowered airport, thinking, "A PPL is a PPL." Then they come to me for a rental checkout, flight review, or instrument rating, and it's my job to bring them up to speed on things they could have already been proficient at, had they been willing to drop a few extra bucks during their initial training.

So there's nothing wrong with learning in a 152, 172, or Cirrus. They're all good planes under different circumstances. Just understand the end result of training in each *will* be different.


Now, to the original OP: What are your goals? After you become a private pilot, what do you want to be able to do? The answers to those questions will go a long way towards figuring out how to go about getting your training.

Thanks for the reply. My goals are to just get the PPL, IR, and eventually ME. I can only get a Class 3 medical due to insulin-dependent diabetes, so career training is sadly not an option. I'd like to fly as much as possible though, whether its just going up on a nice day or taking the family to the shore for a few days...

 

[Joe Gremlin]

Your poll needs a forth choice. Neither. Do your private in a Supercub or a Citabria. Then move to the 172 for instruments and then move to the Cirrus for commercial with the complex portion being done in a Mooney. Do the multi in an Aztec or Travelaire and go back to a C152 to do the CFI.

Teach in the C152 until you get about 1500 hours and then fly freight in the Northeast for a couple of years. Do all that and you'll be ready to fly anything.

 

[jrh]

Thanks for the reply. My goals are to just get the PPL, IR, and eventually ME. I can only get a Class 3 medical due to insulin-dependent diabetes, so career training is sadly not an option. I'd like to fly as much as possible though, whether its just going up on a nice day or taking the family to the shore for a few days...

Awesome! That's exactly what I was wondering.

I'd recommend you train in a 172, and here's why:

It doesn't sound like speed is a critical factor for what you're wanting to do. You don't need speed to cruise around on a nice day, or take relatively short trips, like going to the shore. Therefore the Cirrus isn't needed, because that plane's primary feature is speed.

I've flown around Philly a lot (lived in Reading, PA for a year) and having more advanced avionics, like multiple communication radios and a GPS, will come in very handy. 172s typically have those things, while 152s typically don't. You'll be a lot more comfortable taking trips through the busy airspace out there when you have those tools in the plane.

If you want to fly your family places, a 172 offers enough space to fit your wife and a couple kids. Obviously, that wouldn't happen in a two seat aircraft.

172s are very common. That means if you want to take a trip for a few days, it will be easier to find a 172 available for rental for those days than a Cirrus. With the Cirrus, if another renter has it reserved, you're out of luck. With a 172, you can just go to another flight school or club to rent their 172.

Hopefully in the future you'll consider buying your own plane. 172s make fantastic first planes. Easy to fly, affordable insurance, easy to maintain, etc. Owning an older 172 costs about as much as owning a nice car, whereas a Cirrus will have higher costs in pretty much every area. This all goes back to the idea of allowing you to stay in the air more.

Good luck with everything! Keep us posted on how your training goes, and ask any more questions that come up.

 

[Roger, Roger]

Wrong.

This is exactly the myth I keep trying to dispel with people.

The plane a person trains in very much matters. Now, that isn't to say a more expensive plane is inherently better...but it might offer options for training that a cheaper plane doesn't. And those options might be important to a person, depending on what their goals are.

The Cirrus is a good option for somebody who intends to own a Cirrus and has the disposable income to do it. It's far better to beat up the rental company's Cirrus rather than your own. The thing to remember here is that not everybody has *your* financial perspective. There are guys out there who don't really care about if their private pilot certificate takes $5,000 or $25,000....they only want the best possible training for what they want to do. These are not the typical college-age "career" students, but they're out there. A person considering the purchase of a half million dollar aircraft generally doesn't want to pinch every penny possible when it comes to training.

Now, for the 152/172 debate. The fact is, a 172 flies very similarly to a 152. When it comes to learning how to land, either aircraft will do the job about as well. BUT, what about when it comes to cross country training? I work at an airport about 150 miles away from the nearest Class B airspace. In a new 172, cruising at 125 knots, it's no big deal to jump down to the Class B for a XC training flight. In a 152, cruising at 95 knots, we're talking about a several hour excursion. In this case, what is it worth to include real world Class B ops in a person's training? A person can generally get a larger amount of cross country experience if training in a 172 instead of a 152.

And how about flying in weather? Everybody talks about what a great experience it is to get some time in the clouds as a student pilot, but how many 152s are really well equipped for IFR ops? How about 172s? I know which one I'd rather go into the clouds with.

How about developing good CRM? A lot of 152s have one NAV/COM and that's about it. A lot of 172s have multiple NAV/COMs, GPS, autopilot, etc. What's it worth to incorporate CRM training from Day 1, as opposed to trying to figure it out on one's own after getting their private pilot certificate?

When it comes to glass panel vs. conventional panel training, I could make another list of arguments.

Why am I so passionate about this? Because I've seen it over and over. Somebody gets their training on the cheap, flying a ratty old 152 at a quiet untowered airport, thinking, "A PPL is a PPL." Then they come to me for a rental checkout, flight review, or instrument rating, and it's my job to bring them up to speed on things they could have already been proficient at, had they been willing to drop a few extra bucks during their initial training.

So there's nothing wrong with learning in a 152, 172, or Cirrus. They're all good planes under different circumstances. Just understand the end result of training in each *will* be different.


Now, to the original OP: What are your goals? After you become a private pilot, what do you want to be able to do? The answers to those questions will go a long way towards figuring out how to go about getting your training.

OP-
Listen to this man. He knows that of which he speaks.

 

[Dynasty22]

$239/hour? Whew.

For that price, you might as well do something as silly as renting a twin and learning how to fly it first, or finding someone with a Pitts or Extra and start off in that. Get your tailwheel, high performance, spin endorsment, and be a bada$$.

or you could get a boeing type rating

 

[ILS37R]

Unless you plan on owning a Cirrus, go with the Cessna.

Cessna is better at taking abuse, is far more docile and (disregard if money is no concern) a lot cheaper. Plus, "upgrading" to a Cirrus after getting your initial rating is pretty easy.

If you're thinking of perhaps getting a Cirrus at some point, you might also consider looking for Piper Warriors and Tomahawks, and Diamond's DA-20 and DA-40. Low wings handle a little differently than high wings and, while it's nothing that a few flights can't transition you through, it's worth considering.

Regardless, I'd advise against switching between the two during primary training, as 172s and SR-22s are very different planes. Better to focus your energy on learning to fly than learning the differences between aircraft. Get your PPL in a single aircraft, then transition to as many types as you like afterwards.

 

[Fly_Unity]

Your poll needs a forth choice. Neither. Do your private in a Supercub or a Citabria. Then move to the 172 for instruments and then move to the Cirrus for commercial with the complex portion being done in a Mooney. Do the multi in an Aztec or Travelaire and go back to a C152 to do the CFI.

Teach in the C152 until you get about 1500 hours and then fly freight in the NorthWEST for a couple of years. Do all that and you'll be ready to fly anything.

Fixed it