A Piper Cherokee 140... good first plane?

: $100 burger. If your typical mission is one or two on a XC, I would
: actually prefer the 140 because of its large fuel capacity and resulting
: excellent range, particularly for IFR.

That's what finally sold me on the PA28. Remember that even though the "book" fuel capacity of a PA28-140 is
36 gallons, it can hold 50... that can be very useful for a two-person cross-country. Something like a 6-7 hour
endurance at low power cruise... not too bad for a trainer-class plane.

: The C-172 has much more rear seat room, plus a real baggage compartment. It
: is an excellent "family" airplane, but without much performance.

True... the PA28-140 has pretty bad baggage room unless the back seats are removed. Also, back seats have no
legroom for a real adult. In a pinch they work, though.

: If you like the Cherokee but need the ability to carry 3 or 4 on a regular
: basis, and want to stick to an airplane in the 150-160 HP class, consider
: the Piper Warrior

Stretched fuselage by a few inches... good call. They fetch a fair bit more price, however.
-Cory
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* Cory Papenfuss *
* Electrical Engineering candidate Ph.D. graduate student *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
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