Cherokee PA-28-140 - Comfortable ?

igorek82

igorek82

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Can someone be 6'2" tall and still comfortable in a Cherokee PA-28-140? I find myself hitting my legs with yoke with the seat all the way back... :(
 
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igorek82 said:
Can someone be 6'2" tall and still comfortable in a Cherokee PA-28-140? I find myself hitting my legs with yoke with the seat all the way back... :(
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Not in the back seat but if your sitting up front then yes.
 
the one in question was born in 1966... it's not so much that i'm whining about "comfort" as much as i'd like to positively be able to say "yes" to free and correct item on the checklist (and this is with the knee board removed). i need to double check the seat position i guess?

p.s. im perfectly comfortable in a C172, never tried C150...
 
My good friend who is at least 6' tall (maybe not 6'2") sits in the right seat with no problems, not obstructing the controls and his seat is not all the way back.
I can take a closer look (and measurement) next time he flies with me and report back.
 
I'm 6'1" and comfortable, seat is either one or two notches forward from the back. Not sure if the yoke type makes a difference for leg clearance but I have the rams horn style, not the bowtie that would have originally been on a '66.
 
I'm 6'2" and fit fine in one (think ectomorph).
 
I'm 6'0 and my flight instructor was 6'2'' - we started in a c152, I fit fine length-wise, he was cramped. Width wise, the two of us could not move in the cabin...
 
I am 6'5" and learned to fly in 1968 Cherokee 140 with the overhead crank. There's a bit of yoke interference with my kneeboard, but nothing unsafe. In fact, Cherokee is one of the very few basic airplanes where I can wear it on the right leg (at least when solo). One of those Cherokees is in my forum avatar. To give you a different idea about my height, I can easily look into a gas tank on Cessna 150, but I cannot see bottom.

Speaking of which, I also flew a 1976 150M a bit (they started making it with a lowered seat in 1976). It's more cramped than Cherokee, but it helps a lot that its yoke goes up at an angle versus PA-28. In fact, I think I could fit into pre-1976 150s, or at least I checked fit when I wanted to buy one.

Still, in my experience there aren't any comfortable airplanes for tall pilots among basic singles, and even affordable retracts. North American T-6/SNJ Texan is okay, but nothing before that.

My own Carlson is actually somewhat comfortable, despite its dimunitive size (its gross weight is 955 lbs). I really think that if you're tall, you ought to pay your way into a Cirrus or resign to experimentals forever.
 
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I have a '69 Cherokee 140, and at 6'1", I don't have any problems. Seat is probably 1-2 notches from the most rearward position. Knees/kneeboard only get in the way during full deflection (i.e. control surface check).
 
I'm 6'2" and have no problem with my Cherokee. I do not use a kneeboard though. My iPad is mounted on the yoke.
 
igorek82 said:
Can someone be 6'2" tall and still comfortable in a Cherokee PA-28-140? I find myself hitting my legs with yoke with the seat all the way back... :(
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Front seat yes - same dimensions as all other PA-28s, including Arrows. Back seats -- not so much. Less back seat room than all other short-body PA-28s.

bnt83 said:
Pick a later year one that has the larger doors. I had a '62 and it was very tight for my 6' brother.
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Early C-150s had the same tiny doors as the C-120/140. The doors of the 1966 C-150F were somewhat wider and taller; and for 1967 (C-150G) the doors were bowed outward, providing a welcome additional 3" of cabin width at the elbow. All subsequent 150s and 152s had the same arrangement.

C-150G_cabinwidth.jpg


FredFenster said:
I'm 6'1" and comfortable, seat is either one or two notches forward from the back. Not sure if the yoke type makes a difference for leg clearance but I have the rams horn style, not the bowtie that would have originally been on a '66.
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All Cherokee 140s were built with the bowtie yokes. After 1968 all other PA-28s and PA-32s had the ram's horn yokes, but the -140 sported the bowtie until the end of production at the end of the 1977 model year. If you find a -140 with ram's horns, it's a retrofit.
 
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igorek82 said:
Can someone be 6'2" tall and still comfortable in a Cherokee PA-28-140? I find myself hitting my legs with yoke with the seat all the way back... :(
Click to expand...

Shouldn't be a problem but fit is "personal", dependent a lot on BMI, not just height.
 
All of you long legged folks flying with the seats moved back should be taking advantage of the Piper/FAA Re-Issued bulletin that allows using the moment arm for actual seat position instead of the arm given in the Piper documentation. It helps with the slanted portion on the front end of the weight and balance limits. IIRC, the standard arm is the seat mid-position. You can lengthen the front seat moment arm by the distance that you are positioning it behind the mid-point.
 
Thank you everyone, lots of great info, as always. Will give it another try!
 
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