Our goal is to offer a wide selection of planes to accommodate our diverse market.
Cessna’s 172
Piper’s PA-28
Diamond’s DA40
The Cirrus SR20 (and a little of the SR22)
Cessna 172
Let’s start with a little history lesson. After all, the Cessna 172 didn’t become the top-selling airplane of all time out of nowhere. It all started with a variant model of the Cessna 170 (which was itself a variant of the Cessna 140).
Modifications had been made, but Cessna’s engineers felt like something still wasn’t right. The real game changer came when the engineers changed the variant 170 from a conventional taildragger to the tricycle configuration we all know and love today.
The engineers considered this enough variation to warrant a new model number, so the variant 170 became known as the Cessna 172. Cessna test-flew the new model and received the proper certifications in June of 1955.
They started mass-producing the new 172 as soon as they could, with the first run of the new model being released in 1956. We don’t know if they knew it at the time, but Cessna had something special on their hands.
The Cessna 172 was met with immediate popularity. They produced 4,195 of the new 172s in the first five years alone! 1956 saw the production of over 1,400.
The Cessna 172 has gone on to be the most popular plane of all time. Around 43,000 have been produced since 1955 (including variant models). The 172 has remained in mass-production for over 50 years and shows no signs of letting up!
So what’s made the Cessna 172 so enduring, so ubiquitous among flight schools and plane owners alike? It comes down to usefulness in ground school for student pilots, forgiveness for mistakes, and accessibility to replacement parts.
Ground School and Flight Training
Ground school can be a few different things. For most people, it conjures up images of homework, and this isn’t too far from the truth. But it’s not the whole truth, and it certainly isn’t nothing but the truth.
Sure, you’ll learn about weather, sectionals, and how to pass the FAA knowledge exam. While this is all pretty interesting and important, you’ll also be learning how to taxi around the airport.
Cessna 172s are fantastic for this part of flight training for two main reasons:
The tricycle landing gear positions the fuselage, and therefore the pilot, horizontal to the ground.
High-wing planes provide pilots with a better view of what’s happening under them.
These two factors give pilots the best view possible. The horizontal position of the fuselage gives pilots a better view of what’s happening around them on the ground. This helps them learn ground references early on in their ground training.
The high-wing placement will give pilots a better view of what’s happening beneath them. A better view of what’s happening below you will come in handy when practicing takeoffs, landings, and traffic patterns.
None of this is to say that low-wing planes don’t make ideal trainers. Both high-wing and low-wing planes have their pros and cons, but high-wing planes have more immediate benefits to student pilots.
Forgiveness
An airplane’s forgiveness can be a tricky concept. On the one hand, you feel like you intuitively know what it means.
On the other hand, you can’t help but Google the term only to find that all of the results are psychological or religious in nature. This might be helpful to some people, but not for our current purposes.
The Piper PA-28
Arrow. Archer. Warrior. These words are different ways of saying the same thing — the Piper PA-28. Like the Cessna 172, the PA-28 is a great all-around plane, and therefore a fantastic trainer.
The Piper PA-28 was born out of competition with Cessna. The Cessna 170, to be exact. The 170 was modern and Piper knew that they needed to step their game up. After a failed attempt at buying the design for what would become the Mooney Mark 20, Piper decided to design and build their own plane.
Piper’s main goal was to improve on their Tri-Pacer without outdoing the Comanche that had just entered production. Piper completed the design for the PA-28 in 1956-57.
The prototype flew in 1960 and earned its type certificate from the FAA. Piper sold 286 planes that year and has been producing them ever since.
Low-Wing Placement
Piper made a ton of improvements to the Tri-Pacer’s design. It was given a wider cabin, manually operated flaps, and a tricycle landing gear. However, the most significant change from the Tri-Pacer was switching from a high-wing to a low-wing design.
We’ve tackled the question of wing placement before, but it’s been a minute so let’s review. Low-wing planes have the benefit of:
Fueling not requiring a stepladder because the fuel tank is below the engine
Having more stability when taxiing because the landing gears are affixed to the wings rather than the fuselage, allowing for wider positioning
Their low center-of-gravity, combined with a wider positioning for landing gear, makes it easier to taxi in strong winds
Providing more crash protection since the bulk of the crash will be absorbed by the wings instead of the fuselage
And let’s be honest, low-wing planes are just plain sexy. There’s something more futuristic about them.
Flying in a low-wing aircraft can feel more like gliding. It feels as if you’re slicing through the air on your wings rather than being pulled forward by your propeller. This last point is an issue of aesthetics more than anything else, so it really comes down to your personal preference.
Cost of Maintenance
Another benefit of the Cessna 172 is maintenance. Now, we’re assuming that you’ll be renting a plane to train in rather than buying one, but you may decide to buy one after getting your PPL.
Maintenance costs won’t be your concern as a student pilot since you will be renting. However, a Piper PA-28 would make an excellent choice for a new plane owner since they are much cheaper to maintain than other models.
This is assuming that you don’t buy a plane before taking flying lessons. Some people do this, but we don’t recommend it. Only take this route if you have the money and time to fund your passion for flight.
But rentals costs are on your side with a Piper PA-28, too. Like the Cessna 172, the PA-28 is a mainstay at most flight schools. This means that you may pay less for rentals.
It also comes in handy if you ever decide to buy a plane. Parts are plentiful and relatively cheap, making owning a Piper PA-28 a realistic goal!
Choosing between a PA-28 and a 172
There’s no correct answer here. In fact, there’s no correct answer when it comes to any of the planes we discuss on this list (excluding the one that’s not the easiest to learn to fly). Your final decision will come down to what’s available, price, and your personal preference.
A new pilot’s best option would be not choosing at all. Instead, try experimenting with both and see what you enjoy the most. This will give you a more informed opinion, as well as make you a more versatile pilot in the long run.
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