Top Asked Flight Training Questions
Updated: Sep 14, 2022
Essential questions to know before flight training
Before beginning your flight training; here is a list of questions you should know before selecting and making the decision on what aircraft to learn to fly on. Learning to fly is very challenging and rewarding, it expensive and takes time. Researching before you begin flight training can will give you the best chance to get your flight training completed quickly and without blowing the budget.
Contents:
What is the most popular flight training aircraft?
The most popular flight training aircraft ever made is the Cessna 172, this aircraft is a durable, safe and efficient trainer made from the Cessna company in America. The Cessna 172 is still in production and there are many variants of the C172. The most recent come with G1000 avionics.
Cessna 152 or Cessna 172 aircraft?
The most cost effect aircraft is the C152, this is a 2-seater trainer with side-by-side seating and a smaller engine. Due to its lower running costs, it is cheaper to operate and therefore cheaper to flight train with. The current price to rent a Cessna 152 can be seen on this page. A Cessna 172 is a larger aircraft that can take 3 passengers plus the pilot. It’s made to fly short range distances with all passengers on board. The cruise speed is 110kts compared to the Cessna 152 cruise of 90kts. The Cessna 172 burns 35lts and hour and can fly for up to 5 hours with 200 litres of full onboard, compared to the Cessna 172, the Cessna 152 burns around 15 litres an hour and holds 100 litres of full.
Piper or Cessna Aircraft for training?
Piper and Cessna are both the largest competitors for flight training aircraft ever made, both aircraft are made in America. The biggest comparison between Piper and Cessna is the Pipers Low wing design compared to a Cessna high wing design.
High Wing or Low Wing Aircraft?
Generally high wing aircraft are better the low wing aircraft, the main advantage of the high wing is the increased visibility from having the wings above. The pilot and passengers get full vision below the wing. Most flight charter aircraft will be high wing to give the passengers greater visibly around the aircraft, this also helps with navigation as you have better visibility when flying past navigation objects or locations.
RAA-us VS GA? Pros and Cons
RAA-us is a cheaper and more recreational style of flying, all your flying in an RAA-us aircraft counts towards total flying experience. Flying RAA-us aircraft compared to a Cessna can be more challenging as the aircraft are a lot lighter and have less control authority compared to larger training aircraft like a Cessna. An RAA-us aircraft cannot exceed 750kg and therefore are limited to two people only where as a Cessna 172 can take 4 people. Training in a J160 or similar aircraft will set you up nicely to convert to a Cessna aircraft for training. Depending on the flying organisation, they may require you to do a type conversion which could be anywhere from 2-5 hours in the new aircraft type. If you are looking to train in an RAA-us aircraft try and find a flying school that have both RAA-us and GA registered aircraft. That way your instructor could instruct you on both and be able to help you with differences between RAA-us and GA aircraft handling and flying.
Can your hours in RAA-us count for Commercial Pilots License?
All flight hours around the world count towards flying experience no matter what aircraft you operate and fly. Your hours in a Jabiru, Sling, Sportstar or Tecnam are just as valuable as hours in a Cessna or Piper aircraft. If you do not fly within an integrated flight training course you will have to compete 200hrs instead of the 150-hour CPL course. If you obtained your RAA-us license I would then suggest you go to a flying school that will give you a basic brief on a C172 and start your conversion training to get recognition of prior learning and demonstrate your flying ability to obtain the 150Hr flying course.
RAA-us cost vs GA cost:
If you plan to fly with no passengers but yourself and one friend then I would suggest flying under the RAA-us license. This will allow you to take benefit of reduced costs associated with RAA-us aircraft and still get the same amount of joy out of flying. Operating a GA aircraft will allow you to fly with up to 4 passengers in a C172 or PA18 however you will need to hold a class 2 medical and the flying costs are nearly double what they can be in an RAA-us aircraft.
Can I self-study for my pilot’s license?
Yes, you can self-study your theory for all exams including Solo, Basic Aeronautical Knowledge, Radio, Recreational Theory, and Private Pilot License theory. There are many providers including ourselves that can provide training packages or tutoring for theory.
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