What airplane to start training with?

comet605

comet605

New Member
Hello all,
im about to start my flight training :) but i have one more desion to make , what plane do i start training in ? Here are my options :
Cessna 152
Katana DA-20
Katana DA-40
Cessna 172
Also if you had the choice would you choose glassinstrument panel or steam gauges to start on?
 
comet605 said:
Hello all,
im about to start my flight training :) but i have one more desion to make , what plane do i start training in ? Here are my options :
Cessna 152
Katana DA-20
Katana DA-40
Cessna 172
Also if you had the choice would you choose glassinstrument panel or steam gauges to start on?
Click to expand...


The cheapest I could find, which was a C152!! I don't think you need Glass Panel for your private - learn the basic 6 pack, VOR tracking, pilotage, deadreckoning and move on/up from there.
 
I would train initially in the C-152. Then the C-172 for instrument. As for glass, I would not start flying those until after you have your instrument. Learn the basics with the tried and true steam guages. If you start with the glass, you may never "downgrade" to the steam guages and will be lacking a foundation of flying.
 
Train in the cheapest aircraft you can find (as long as it is safe and airworthy that is).

If you can find an IFR 152, I would even use that. As an instructor, I did a lot of BAI in a non-IFR certified 152, because we weren't on an IFR flight plan and if you can hold a 152 to standards, you should have no problem holding a 172 to them. You not only save money, but will probably do a better job in the long run.
 
I'd say go with the 152 for Private and 172 for Instrument. They're both proven training platforms and there's a fair amount of carry-over between the two so the learning curve isn't too steep.

Stay away from glass until you've got your instrument. It's easy to go from round gauges to glass, but going the other way can be a bit rough. Likewise, stay away from FADEC until you've learned on two/three knobs per engine--especially when it comes to multi-engine.

For the record, there's nothing wrong with the DA-20 and DA-40 (but avoid G1000 Diamondstars for now). Their "feel" is very different from the Cessnas, however, and may or may not be to your liking. They also tend to be more expensive trainers, if that's a consideration.
 
The cheapest I could find. I would stay in the cheapest for all my ratings if I could. Flying a 172 or anything other than the cheapest is a waste of money. Flying a 172 over a 152 will not make you a better pilot.
 
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