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Garth

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Garth
I have a question for everyone, I'm currently training in a Sportstar and my school has several in their fleet, I've trained with the same one for most of my training. I would like to try another Sportstar in their fleet but has different systems. Should I stay with the same Sportstar or try different ones? I know most of them handle the same but the different GPS systems and electronics will confuse me
 
Garth said:
I have a question for everyone, I'm currently training in a Sportstar and my school has several in their fleet, I've trained with the same one for most of my training. I would like to try another Sportstar in their fleet but has different systems. Should I stay with the same Sportstar or try different ones? I know most of them handle the same but the different GPS systems and electronics will confuse me
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The confusion of changing may be a problem. Cool planes though. that is all I can say, haha
 
If your VFR don't sweat over the different avionics too much. You won't be looking at them much anyway
 
Fly them both! If you're nervous about the others, right now with a CFI is the time to find out. My school required my to fly in both of their 172's. They each flew a little different, too--liked one, didn't care for the other but flew it anyway. It handled different enough to notice but not to make a difference, other than the extra 10º of flaps.
 
Speaking as an instructor, I'd say that changing aeronautical horses in the middle of your training stream is rarely a good option. Unless there is a significant difference in availability between the two types and availability is currently a problem, your training will go faster and more smoothly if you stick with one plane until you get your pilot certificate, then try the others.
 
My school has 6 Warriors, I think I have flown all of them. I have flown one way more than the others however. It is the CFI's favorite. The only difference between them is a few are older and have the 150 HP engine vs the 160 HP variant. They also have 2 Archers which I suppose I could use, but have not (mainly because they cost more).
 
Speaking as an instructor(expired) I'd say changing it up is good for ya. Try the other one now or you might be trying it the day of your checkride for the first time. Just don't waste time learning the details of different avionics systems. That would be a waste. The variety(even slight) will be good for you.
 
I've flown 6 of the 7 172's that my school has available. Each one is slightly different... one has a shorter throttle, 2 of them have the 180HP engines, a couple have the extra 10 degrees of flaps, etc. My instructor wanted me to find the one that felt most comfortable to me. Once I did, we stuck with it. I can fly the other planes (and have on occasion when my personal choice was busy or down for maintenance) if need be.

So I'd say try the different planes and pick the one you're most comfortable with, though I imagine at this point it will be the one you've been flying.

And they are fun little planes, I plan on getting checked out in my school's Sportstar once I have my license (which will hopefully be soon).
 
You are working on your pilots license SEL. Single Engine Land. You should be able to fly anything that fits in that category with the proper transition training. Training in different airplanes only strengthens your ability to fly.
 
Geico266 said:
You are working on your pilots license SEL. Single Engine Land. You should be able to fly anything that fits in that category with the proper transition training. Training in different airplanes only strengthens your ability to fly.
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This. Exactly this.

I know people who are afraid to go from a 172 to a 152. It's pitiful, at best.
 
I've flown six 172s, all 160hp N-models though, so far in my training. A couple of some power flow exhaust mods, the plane I fly the most has the long-range tanks.

It amazes me how different they feel, some require almost no effort to taxi while others help build leg muscles. The plane I fly the must seems to have a non-linear feel to the elevator while others don't. Some are just dogs while others climb beautifully.

As I am nearing my check ride, I have decided to fly just one plane mainly due to the avionics. Every plane having completely different GPS and radio set ups, I want to have this one down (with GTN-650, terrible secondary radio and CDI, DME, extended range tanks, some engine +15hp mod which uses slightly more fuel, etc).

After my certificate, I'd like to check out the SPs for when I want to pay more for prettier planes with passengers, 182s, DA40s, Cherokees (maybe), 177.... so much to learn! :)
 
When I was getting my private I was checked out in 3 planes. PA28-140, 152, and 172. That way if someone was using one, I could schedule one of the other two. It stalled my training exactly 0 hours.
 
As a CFI Id say

Just get your ticket in the same plane (unless it becomes unavailable). After your PPL go start flying different planes.
 
Get used to flying them all, in this case the only difference is the mental effort required to learn a different radio architecture, you can do 99% of that without spending a dollar, just the time and effort to do some studying. Do not seek to make your training as easy as possible, seek to make your training as difficult as possible. The easy way rarely teaches well.
 
EdFred said:
When I was getting my private I was checked out in 3 planes. PA28-140, 152, and 172. That way if someone was using one, I could schedule one of the other two. It stalled my training exactly 0 hours.
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Yeah, I flew the whole stable of singles the flight school I used had in the 40hrs it took to do my PP. I did most of my flying in one of the 4 150/152s, but also used a 182, 172, 172RG, PA-28-161 & 180, and got 3.2 in a BE-18. I don't see where flying any of the others detracted from my ability to fly the 152 I took my check ride in, nor did it add to the time required to get my PPL.
 
Garth said:
I have a question for everyone, I'm currently training in a Sportstar and my school has several in their fleet, I've trained with the same one for most of my training. I would like to try another Sportstar in their fleet but has different systems. Should I stay with the same Sportstar or try different ones? I know most of them handle the same but the different GPS systems and electronics will confuse me
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Hi Garth - My school had three SportStars (plus a Harmony) and they were similar enough that if you'd flown one, you could fly the others without any issue, but different enough that you needed to put a little thought into their panels.

I flew them all, making it easier to schedule! And, I discovered that my "favorite" changed - sometimes due only to recent familiarity, and sometimes because my prior favorite was taken offline due to somebody's expensive mishap or routine maintenance.

The one I soloed with, 241BM, doesn't have a VOR so it's not very useful for the lost-diversion procedure they like to teach and test.

The one I liked for a while, 125MX, had a NAV receiver connected to a dual display HSI that tracked the radials from two VORs at the same time. That made triangulation a snap once I figured out how to use it. It also had a dual-frequency radio so I could monitor ATIS without having to request a frequency change while with flight following. It also had a parachute, which my wife liked - for me.

Unfortunately, 5MX had a prop strike with another student while I was on the home stretch for my checkride.

The IFR-equipped one, 907SL, ultimately became my favorite. I really liked using it's round gauge attitude indicator for steep turns, but oddly it's more capable NAV/COM can only tune one frequency at a time. Thus, I was always having to ask for a frequency change to get the weather.

Here's some cell phone pictures that I marked up as best I could back then in order to learn the SportStar panels on my own time, outside of the planes:



Google your equipment to find the manuals and figure it all out. Fun stuff.
 
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I say go ahead and change planes. We have two sportstars and I try to get time in both. It helps gain experience and awareness of the planes instruments.

Just watch out on the radio. I keep having to catch myself almost saying the wrong callsign.
 
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