flight school aircraft

[Ivan]

An-2... you can fly everything that is ligther than it after you get your license on it

[cerphr]

[quote]I would recommend the hi-wing Cessnas for your initial flight training. As a student pilot, you'll be doing

[Hagar]

As with most things in life this is all a matter of preference. The high-wing Cessnas are very popular trainers & I'm in no position to argue. They're reliable, easy to fly & economical to operate. It really depends on what you wish to do.

Most, if not all, military services throughout the world have been using low-wing types for ab initio (basic) training for many years. Until very recently (& despite the fact that the Army operated no other fixed wing types) all British Army Air Corps pilots did their basic training on the DHC-1 Chipmunk before transferring to helos.

PS. This is the Chipmunk, one of the finest basic trainers ever built. IMHO

[Staiduk]

Gotta agree with you there; Hagar. Got to fly a Chipmunk twice in my life; I'd dearly love to get checked out in one; but they're in slightly limited supply up here. The big advantage of the 172 is that it's so damned easy to fly for new students - emphasis on 'new'. It's a nice, stable platform, reassuring for a newcomer who still can't quite grasp the fact those little white things are houses waaaaay down there. (OK; I'm exaggerating - I get the 16-18 yr. old range.) Also, the cabin arrangement makes it very easy for instructors, when you can reach over in front of Cdt. Useless in the right-hand seat and say "THAT'S the airspeed, you numpty!"

Basics only - after graduating from the Cessna K-Car; advancement into other aircraft should be strongly encouraged; to give the new pilot the challenge he needs. I think we'll all agree that getting your lisence doesn't mean learning to fly - it means getting a lisence to learn to fly.
Cheers!