Which is the best General Aviation trainer? Cessna or Piper?

Question

The Cessnas include a family of three trainers, the 140, 150 and 152. The Pipers start with the Cherokee 140 and later the Tomahawk.

I have my favorite. Which is yours and why?

I could have included the J-3 Cub but chose not to, although it was the first plane flown by many a World War II ace.

You may like an aircraft built by another company. Name it if you wish, but I'm still interested in your preference between Cessna and Piper. By the way, both of these companies have produced superb training aircraft.

But so have several other companies.

I earned my Private License in the Grumman American AA-1A and AA-1B series, a nice little trainer that was a lot of fun to fly. You could not spin it because recovery was nearly impossible, but spin avoidance was pretty easy so that was what they taught.

In a club I flew Cessna 172 and 150 aircraft and rather preferred the 172, but enjoyed both.

I earned my later single-engine ratings in the Piper PA-28 Cherokee in the 140, 150 and 200R variations.

I also had some training time in the Cessna 140 and later in the Tri-Champ, a tricycle-gear version of the Aeronca Champion. I liked the Tri-Champ except for the heel brakes. The Cessna 140 was a great little trainer--a taildragger.

I remain very partial to the Cherokee as a good cross-country airplane with good enough handling characteristics to make it an excellent trainer.

I never had spin training, regrettably. The emphasis was always spin avoidance. You have to learn spins in sailplanes, though, so maybe...

Answer 1

Both manufacturers make excellent airplanes, and each presents its special challenges and opportunities.

Whoever the manufacturer, in my opinion a low-wing airplane trains the most competent students. In the high-wing airplane it is too easy to form certain bad habits (for example, judging height on landing by looking down over the left main wheel). The low wing airplane requires you to keep your head up and judge your final approach by looking along the runway ahead.

Also, most high performance airplanes are low-wing airplanes, and if you plan to move up, having done your primary training in a low-wing ship will stand you in good stead.

So given the choice between a Cessna 150/152 or a Piper Cherokee 140, I would recommend the Cherokee for primary training. The Beechcraft Skipper or Musketeer are also good. The Piper Tomahawk is a demanding airplane, but requires the formation of good habits.

Having said all that, I think the best trainer is the Stearman. But they are hard to find and expensive to fly. I learned in an Aeronca Chief, and really learned how to land in that diminutive 80-HP taildragger. It's a great trainer if you can get access to one.

But the point is to learn to fly. Have fun...(!)

Answer 2

You get what you pay for. My school was cheaper, but the facility was not very well managed and I probably spent more money, time and aggravation doing it the cheaper way. As for which plane to fly, it doesn't really matter. I personally learned on a Cessna 172 because there were only a hand full of Pipers on the field surrounded by Cessna's. I was more comfortable knowing that after I was done, renting, ownership (whole or fractional) and just buddying up for flight time was going to be more available with a stronger Cessna foundation.

Answer 3

I'm kind of prejudiced, because I have several hundred hours in Cessnas, and only a few in Pipers. Besides... Being an old fart with bad knees like me, the high-wing Cessna is much easier to get in and out of.

The really cool thing about modern Cessna singles is that they all fly and handle pretty much the same... For each step up the ladder, from 150/152 to 170/172 to 180/182 to 210... Each aircraft is a bit heavier and more powerful, and the control feel is a bit heavier to go along with the heavier aircraft. Even the 207/208 Caravans share some of the same handling characteristics as their smaller siblings, so it is much easier to transition from one aircraft to the next as your experience grows.

With all the new airplanes being introduced into the Light Sport category, I think we're going to see more new pilots getting their initial training in light sport aircraft, and then transitioning to the more traditional General Aviation aircraft for upgrades to private and commercial tickets.

Answer 4

It is hard to say. I trained in a 172 with a bit of time in a 152 and they were great aircraft. Easy to land, huge flaps, forgiving stall qualities, and good ergonomics (like two doors, power gauges where you can see them, good cockpit flows, and a simple fuel system).

The first Piper I flew was a Turbo Seminole (comparable in performance to a Baron 55 unlike the other Slowminoles) so it was quite a leap for me after the 172. My next Piper was a Cherokee Six, then a Cherokee Warrior, and a Cherokee 140. So I came to the Cherokee Warrior/140 with a lot of previous experience but I found them easy and enjoyable to fly. One thing I notice about Piper owners is they tend to embellish the faster speeds of the Cherokee compared to the Cessnas. I've found the difference (horsepower per horsepower, weight for weight) is about five miles per hour. Combined with mountains and the Cherokee's lethargic climb rate, block times are about equal between it and the 172 for a 100 mile trip.

For training they have both been very successful. More pilots have been trained in Cessnas than any other planes and they don't say 'Cherokee easy' for nothing. As far as the high wing vs low wing bit each has its advantages and disadvantages. Some say that a low wing will teach you to land better but I don't think so. I was concerned when I flew my first low wing but I didn't say anything and neither did my instructor. I landed fine.

One plane that is a bit of a sleeper I was introduced to was the Beechcraft Sundowner. It is a bit heavier than a Cherokee and a bit more challenging to land because of a small wing area and rubber puck gear, but its handling qualities in the air are second to none in its class (except maybe the Grummans) and it has a better pitch and roll rate than a Citabria. They are one of the strongest light planes ever built (the airframe is stressed for 150% of +6/-3Gs) and they are quite cheap on the market. They also have an aerobatic kit available. A good one for someone who wants to buy their own plane and do their license and still have something to haul people or throw around.

Answer 5

I am doing my training in a 152 now. I haven't been in a Piper yet, however, I can make an asumption that I would like the Cessna better mainly because I like the high-wing. You can see a whole lot more on the ground. There are no restrictions to where you can look. Unless of course another plane is coming down ontop of you and you can't see it.

The only low-wings I've been on are the big commercial jets and if you get anywhere near a wing seat, forget about seeing the ground.

Answer 6

Another reason for the 150 (not 152) is that it can better teach short field landings and how to best get rid of the flaps on a rejected landing. They have 40 degrees of flaps rather than the 152's 30. The smaller engine also allows a student to better earn to control an airplane at a minimum climb performance -- every flight that has an instructor along. A hot day with a new Private certificate is not time to learn that in a larger fully loaded airplane, even a 172.
All that said, after learning, I prefer the Pipers.

Answer 7

I have flown the Cessna 150, the Tomahawk and the Piper 160 and 180. I would have to say the 150 is the best trainer because of its stall and spin recovery characteristics. However, out of this group of planes, the Tomahawk is the most fun to fly. It has the most responsive controls of the Pipers and is just a joy to fly. I have never put one in a spin but I hear that recovery requires more than just letting go of the controls. For this reason, even though it is my favorite, I would say it is not the best trainer.

Answer 8

this is a tough question. but i prefer cessna, even tough cherokee is better for a student pilot to learn the traffic pattern (my personal opinion). but somehow i prefer cessna for a trainer, maybe just because i was trained in it. ^^

Answer 9

ill go for Cessna 172 skyhawk good trainer aircraft nice and wide use just an i dea by airline training

Answer 10

cessna