Looking for starter plane

In article ,
Jimbob wrote:
Thanks for the input all.

I think after weighing all the factors, the Cherokee line is the most
logical choice. I think it fits all my requirements for range, speed,
wing location and economy. The only thing is the door. And that's
really only cosmetic and conveinence. Thus, it should be bottom of my
list.

Jim:

My cherokee has one installed door and a second emergency door. You
should see what a 3 D cell steel flashlight does to the pilot's
window....Instant Door! Plus you have the advantage of a great
emergency landing light.

The other advantage of the low-wing (and please, let's not get into
the religious discussion again...) is that you can see the runway
at all times in the pattern. But remember that someone in a high-wing
may be below you, so you'll both be invisible to each other.

I've owned a 140 and a 151 and loved them both.

That said I must say that the door was my single biggest complaint. Not only
was it a hassle to pile 3-4 people in and out but the years of passengers
grabbing the door as they pull themselves out and set themselves in leaves
most of them ill-fitting at best and quite drafty in the winter. My wife
constantly (only in the winter mind you - she reads this stuff) complained
about the cold air coming through the door so I'd have to turn the heat to
shoe melting temperatures to combat it.

FWIW, if I were to get back into the market for a starter plane I'd have to
give the 172 a serious look. All of the positives that can be said for the
cherokees (easy to maintain, cheap to insure, every mechanic has worked on
them, yada yada yada) can also be said for the skyhawk. Performance is
roughly the same and you get a 2nd door, albeit likely for a higher cost.

Just my $.02

-Brian
Iowa City, IA

"Jimbob" wrote in message
...
Thanks for the input all.

I think after weighing all the factors, the Cherokee line is the most
logical choice. I think it fits all my requirements for range, speed,
wing location and economy. The only thing is the door. And that's
really only cosmetic and conveinence. Thus, it should be bottom of my
list.

Picking a nit here... but a "C-140" is common vernacular for a Cessna
140. A high-wing, two-seater taildragger from days of yore when
aviation was still magical and electric starters were just barely
beginning to be viewed as not for sissies anymore. Referring to a
Cherokee 140 as a C-140 is horribly incorrect.

Having said that, a Cherokee 140 is indeed a fine first airplane for a
new pilot. They do tend to be more affordable to purchase and maintain
than a C-172, and if you only consider the two front seats, a Cherokee
140 actually has more room than the Cessna 172. Its front seat area is
wider and you have noticeably better shoulder room between the pilot
and co-pilot seats. The back seats are a different story. A C-172 back
seat is rather uncomfortably cramped and can hold an adult but a
Cherokee 140's back seat just simply sucks, usually an adult has to sit
sideways to keep his knees out of his chest. I've flown hundreds of
hours in both, but if I'm solo or only have one pax, then I'd rather
fly the Cherokee any day. The single door of a Cherokee has never been
a "turn-off" for any of my passengers yet. The Cherokee usually is a
tiny bit faster than a C-172 of same horsepower, and when solo and full
of fuel, the Cherokee has much greater range. The only time I'd rather
be in the C-172 would be if I have a real engine-out and am forced to
land in a tight space. The Skyhawk can land much slower and shorter
than a Cherokee can.

wrote:
: Picking a nit here... but a "C-140" is common vernacular for a Cessna
: 140. A high-wing, two-seater taildragger from days of yore when
: aviation was still magical and electric starters were just barely
: beginning to be viewed as not for sissies anymore. Referring to a
: Cherokee 140 as a C-140 is horribly incorrect.

I agree... I had to reread a number of posts to figure out what they were
saying. A C-140 is a 2-place, tailwheel Cessna. A -140 when one's already talking
about Cherokees might be OK, otherwise, it's a PA28-140.

: be in the C-172 would be if I have a real engine-out and am forced to
: land in a tight space. The Skyhawk can land much slower and shorter
: than a Cherokee can.

Legendary Hershey-bar, "brick" glide ratio. It sure does stall nicely,
though... It also seems to load very nonlinearly. Basically, it seems to fly the
same as you load it up until a point, and then won't climb anymore.

-Cory

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* Cory Papenfuss *
* Electrical Engineering candidate Ph.D. graduate student *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
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