Switching Aircraft

H

hhins

Filing Flight Plan
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Apr 24, 2012
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hhins
Hello,

I'm at about 21 hours, a recent solo under my belt and training is going along pretty well for the most part. (Thankfully!)

Now, I need to move for a job in the next month and the place I'm moving to doesn't have the shiny brand new 172s but an older PA28a.

I know it's not the end of the world... but I can't find a lot of resources on the best way to transition to different planes, especially during training.

Thanks for any links or advice!
 
Was it Greg (bigblockz) that had a similar thread to this in the winter?
 
Yeah. I just switched from PA-28s to a 172. I'm liking the 172 better.

In the Cherokee you'll need to add the fuel pump to your takeoff and landing checklists. I think the transition from the 172 to a Cherokee will be pretty easy, maybe a couple of hours. And as a bonus, you can see the runway when you're making your pattern turns. :)
 
The flight school where you will train should have a good plan for transitioning pilots from other planes to their Cherokees. Let them take you through it and you'll be fine.
 
Thanks for the replies so far! I could also transition into a Diamond DA20 but I thought the Piper would be a closer fit.
 
Learned in Cherokee 180, purchased cherokee six as my first aircraft. Use to coming down when I pulled the throttle back.

Jump forward 7 years after getting away from flying I got current in 172. The 172 very forgiving although I miss being able to see everything when I turn. Especially onto base leg and final. Now I'm looking to buy a 182. Also took me awhile to get use to darn high wing settling on runway.

I feel comfortable flying either a high wing or low wing which was always something i wondered about. An hour or 2 in the cherokee and it will all be good. They all fly under the same principles. Good luck with your training!

Jon
 
hhins said:
Thanks for the replies so far! I could also transition into a Diamond DA20 but I thought the Piper would be a closer fit.
Click to expand...

I don't know anything about the Piper's but I just got checked out in a DA-20 after doing my training in 172's and 152's. I am in love with the Diamond. It's fast, sleek, and has an incredible view. If the DA-20 at your particular flight school has wheel caps, its a no-brainer...wheel caps are sexy. Landing is almost too easy in the DA-20 also.
 
I've never flown a PA28 either, but I'd guess that it's closer in handling to the 172 than the DA20. That being said, I too would rather fly the Diamond, and am getting checked out in one tomorrow :)
 
I tend to follow the 'just fly the airplane' school of aviation and there's nothing notably perplexing in switching. you can always rely on the basic flight controls and plain physics.
 
PA-28's will be different than 172's but they won't set you back too far. Some people actually find them easier to land.

Let me give you some advice. You can save yourself some time in the air and general grief if you follow this. The following is good advice anytime you are going to transition to a different plane than what you are used to (even after you get your certificate).

See if you can get to the airport early (when the plane is available). Get out the POH and read through it. Once you're familiar with it, get the checklist out and run through it all.
Sitting in the cockpit with the engine off and with no sense of urgency is a great time to learn where all the controls are rather than when you need to work one in flight (Where is the carb heat on this blasted thing? etc...). Once you've done that, write out the various important speeds: Rotation, best climb, best glide, approach speed, and stall speeds. You'll need these on every flight.

My wife had an interesting time she was getting a BFR in an Arrow. She has a lot of retract time, but it's all in our Navion which has the gear lever as a large hydraulic lever in the center of the panel. She was doing OK until she lifted off in the Arrow and the instructor asked her when she was going to raise the gear. My wife said she would as soon as she found it. The instructor pointed out the small switch at the top of the panel.
"This little thing, how cute!" my wife says as she raised it with two fingers. A few minutes going over things on the ground would have avoided problems like that.
 
I think this is a great topic. I'm always switching it up as a renter. (172 150HP, 180Hp, Piper PA-28 200HP, sometimes Super Decathlon 180). It will probably be that way until I buy.

Fortunately there was some local training on this very subject last year. My notes are incomplete. Here are my note fragments.

Notes_Aircraft_Type_Transitions

Small -> Large
Large -> Small
Simple -> Complex
Complex -> Simple
Fast -> Slow
Slow -> Fast
Trainers -> Special Purpose

There is more then takeoff and landing.

Flight stall and spin charateristics
(Explore under ideal conditions and alt)

Use checklists, written or mneumonics

Preflight differences
Land checklist differences
Best Glide Speed
Glide Ratio
Minimum Sink Rate
Landing aim points and flare
Cross wind and cross wind limitation differences
Accelerated stall differences
Wing loading (what happens if you get reall slow)
Max Gross
Slip Restrictions
Fuel tank management
Fuel tank switching
Full trim characteristics

Determine impact alt static has on IAS, higher or lower
(also tells you about static leaks)

There were recent stories about a local airbus pilot buying himself a small aircraft and totaling it on his first landing because he flared so high. A first time fatal ultralight landing because pilot got too slow and it just dropped out of the sky. Even the PA28 gets too slow very different from a 172, I understand it's the wing loading.

Hope this helps.
 
Excellent replies, you're slowly making me a bit less worried that I'll be tacking on dozens and dozens of additional training hours. :)
 
hhins said:
Excellent replies, you're slowly making me a bit less worried that I'll be tacking on dozens and dozens of additional training hours. :)
Click to expand...
Dozens of hours? No way. Dozens of minutes maybe. Took me about 2 hours to be as comfortable in the 172 as I had been in Cherokees. Flying the thing? First trip around the pattern, no problem. Once I stopped looking for the boost pump switch and the Johnson bar for the flaps it was all good. :)
 
DaleB said:
Dozens of hours? No way. Dozens of minutes maybe. Took me about 2 hours to be as comfortable in the 172 as I had been in Cherokees. Flying the thing? First trip around the pattern, no problem. Once I stopped looking for the boost pump switch and the Johnson bar for the flaps it was all good. :)
Click to expand...

I agree, 1-2 hours and you will be fine!:)
 
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