flying more than one make and model?

Hi guys, another question.

What are the most commonly-held views on flying more than one make and
model of aircraft?

Take the example of a 172 and a Warrior. Clearly the aircraft are
different and the best solution would be to fly only one make and
model, but the reality of plane rental is that if you are checked out
and current in more than one aircraft, you have more flexibility in
terms of when you can go flying, which means more fun and more overall
currency.

At what experience level is it generally seen as sensible to regularly
fly two different makes and models of plane? Is this a big deal or not?

Tom

What are the most commonly-held views on flying more than one make and
model of aircraft?

There are two commonly held views:

1: don't do it.
2: do it.

I have no trouble switching aircraft, and it makes me more flexible.
But you do have to be a bit more aware fo the differences between them.
I'm in a flying club now that has three cherokees, outfitted almost
identically. I'd rather have different kinds of aircraft for different
missions. IT takes me a bit to get used to the Cessnas again when I fly
out West, but it's no big deal.

When I had just gotten my license, I was a member of a club that had a
Warrior, a 172, a 152, and a Tomahawk. I don't remember any particular
problem switching between them, though they did fly differently (I could
make smoother greasers in the Warrior; the 172 tended to plop sometimes)

Jose
--
There are more ways to skin a cat than there are cats.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

On Wed, 13 Sep 2006 16:18:59 GMT, Jose
wrote:

When I had just gotten my license, I was a member of a club that had a
Warrior, a 172, a 152, and a Tomahawk. I don't remember any particular
problem switching between them, though they did fly differently (I could
make smoother greasers in the Warrior; the 172 tended to plop sometimes)

I think quirks in radios and panels are more important than where the
wing is. When I was a primary student, I remember that the yellow 150
flew *way* different than the blue 150. My instructor said that, for
me, they probably did feel different. Much later, I'd say that, for
getting from here to there, vfr, most fairly dirty fixed-gear
airplanes fly pretty much alike.

Most. The Yankee took a little more attention in the air; the
Luscombe took more attention on the ground.

Don

I generally don't recommend student pilots switch back and forth
because they are still learning and becuase they need to become "one
with the plane" for their checkride. However, any private pilot who
flys semi-regularly should have no problems switching between the Piper
and the Cessna. At some point the differences between planes become
almost non-existant. Often times the first experience I have in a new
type of airplane is sitting right seat with a student pilot.

-Robert, CFII

Robert M. Gary wrote:
I generally don't recommend student pilots switch back and forth
because they are still learning and becuase they need to become "one
with the plane" for their checkride. However, any private pilot who
flys semi-regularly should have no problems switching between the Piper
and the Cessna. At some point the differences between planes become
almost non-existant. Often times the first experience I have in a new
type of airplane is sitting right seat with a student pilot.

The FBO where I learned had two C150s, an older model with the straight
turtledeck and no back window and a later version with the "omni view"
or whatever Cessna called it. The older one also had manual flaps vs.
electric in the new one. The avionics were totally different. I
switched back and forth often during my training and never found it a
problem. Personally, I think it actually helped when I moved up the the
172 and then 182.

I believe it is very important to learn to make the airplane do what you
want it to do with whatever control inputs are required. I think
switching airplanes now and then helps develop this trait. I hear way
too many people who move to a different airplane and then land on the
nosewheel, or drop it in or some such thing and then say "well N12345
didn't require that much pull to flary." Who cares what the last
airplane required to flare? You are flying the one you are in now, not
the one you were in last.

Matt

Robert M. Gary wrote:
I generally don't recommend student pilots switch back and forth
because they are still learning and becuase they need to become "one
with the plane" for their checkride. However, any private pilot who
flys semi-regularly should have no problems switching between the Piper
and the Cessna. At some point the differences between planes become
almost non-existant. Often times the first experience I have in a new
type of airplane is sitting right seat with a student pilot.

-Robert, CFII

No Kidding I have had days were I have flown 8 different airplanes in
the same day. One Day I flew all of the following.

Tomahawk, Aeronca 7AC, C175-180, C172, PA28-151,C150, C206,Citabria.

Does tend to make you a "Jack of all Trades, Master of None."

Brian CFIIG/ASEL

wrote:
Hi guys, another question.

What are the most commonly-held views on flying more than one make and
model of aircraft?

Take the example of a 172 and a Warrior. Clearly the aircraft are
different and the best solution would be to fly only one make and
model, but the reality of plane rental is that if you are checked out
and current in more than one aircraft, you have more flexibility in
terms of when you can go flying, which means more fun and more overall
currency.

At what experience level is it generally seen as sensible to regularly
fly two different makes and models of plane? Is this a big deal or not?

Tom

As an instructor, I usually fly (or at least watch people fly) different
makes and models, and it's never been an issue. As long as you can keep
track of speeds, quirks, and everything else, I don't see it as a big deal.

When I fly myself, I usually fly twins, so it's a moot point - there
just aren't that many rentals out there, most schools only have one
model for rent.

On 2006-09-13, wrote:

What are the most commonly-held views on flying more than one make and
model of aircraft?

It's not just make and model. I did all my private pilot training in
C-172s. I probably flew at least 6 different planes during my training,
and they're all different. Different radios, flap controls, yokes,
engine power, fuel drains, etc.

I think flying exactly one plane (mine!) during instrument training made
a big difference. If you switch around you have to adapt to new audio
panels, which radio controls which CDI, which radio is the "remote" for
the DME, power settings, and on and on. It's not that you can't learn
to fly a variety of planes AND on instruments, but there's no need to
work on both at the same time.

--
Ben Jackson AD7GD

http://www.ben.com/

In article .com,
wrote:

Hi guys, another question.

What are the most commonly-held views on flying more than one make and
model of aircraft?

Take the example of a 172 and a Warrior. Clearly the aircraft are
different and the best solution would be to fly only one make and
model, but the reality of plane rental is that if you are checked out
and current in more than one aircraft, you have more flexibility in
terms of when you can go flying, which means more fun and more overall
currency.

At what experience level is it generally seen as sensible to regularly
fly two different makes and models of plane? Is this a big deal or not?

Tom

I flew a couple of types (Tri-Pacer and Cessna 140) shortly after I got
my pricate and had no trouble. Later, I was in a flying club that had a
C140, a C172, two Bonanzas (B-35 and F-35) and a Meyers 200 (my favorite
at the time). I had about 150-200 hours at the time and had no trouble
with any of them. It is just a matter of keeping track of the quirks in
each and flying accordingly.

What are the most commonly-held views on flying more than one make and
model of aircraft?

Take the example of a 172 and a Warrior. Clearly the aircraft are
different and the best solution would be to fly only one make and
model, but the reality of plane rental is that if you are checked out
and current in more than one aircraft, you have more flexibility in
terms of when you can go flying, which means more fun and more overall
currency.

In my vast career of 63 hours total time, I've flown several 172s and
Diamond DA20s, a 150, and a Beech Sundowner. Flexibility is fine and all,
but for me it's just a lot more fun knowing how to fly more than one kind of
plane. Also, it's gotten me a lot closer, faster, to knowing what kind of
plane I want to fly long-term. As far as transitioning goes, I found that
the differences in radio and panel layout and procedures were more
noticeable than differences in flight characteristics. The instructor who
checked me out in the DA20 kept saying, "Don't worry, it's just another
airplane," and he was kinda right.

At what experience level is it generally seen as sensible to regularly
fly two different makes and models of plane? Is this a big deal or not?

I don't expect there's a right answer for everyone, but I didn't want to try
something else until I felt comfortable enough in the 172 I trained in. The
reason for wanting to reach a certain comfort level before moving on was to
have something reassuring to come back to -- nothing more sophisticated than
that.

-Tom Young