| | Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 4,280 Likes: 38 Member/2500+posts | | Member/2500+posts Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 4,280 Likes: 38 | Good grief, none of those are as easy to fly as an Ercoupe. Students have started from scratch and soloed in a day in them - was kind of a big deal in the 1960s, fair amount of magazine coverage each time someone would do it.
A Citabria easier to fly than any nosewheel airplane? What are those folks smoking?
Cherokee 140/180, series are all easier to fly than a 172, the rudders don't need to be used in flight and you can bang them onto the ground out of almost any kind of approach. A 172 requires a little skill. I'm with Rick on this one. Ercoupe 1st, easy choice. Besides no rudder pedals, some don't even use a mixture control. Turn the key and fly, just like a car.
Life is short, eat dessert first.
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 4,850 Likes: 266 Member/2500+posts | | Member/2500+posts Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 4,850 Likes: 266 | Good grief, none of those are as easy to fly as an Ercoupe. Students have started from scratch and soloed in a day in them - was kind of a big deal in the 1960s, fair amount of magazine coverage each time someone would do it.
A Citabria easier to fly than any nosewheel airplane? What are those folks smoking?
Cherokee 140/180, series are all easier to fly than a 172, the rudders don't need to be used in flight and you can bang them onto the ground out of almost any kind of approach. A 172 requires a little skill. I'm with Rick on this one. Ercoupe 1st, easy choice. Besides no rudder pedals, some don't even use a mixture control. Turn the key and fly, just like a car. Yup, Rick pretty much said it. The Ercoupe, the Cherokee 140/180/Warrior line is stupid simple to fly (just be careful of the float if you carry too much speed) And the Citabria? Not difficult, but not even the easiest among the tail wheel trainers let alone all the nose wheel aircraft. Sounds like Aviation Consumer need to do a rebuttal article  | | | | | Joined: Jul 2013 Posts: 576 Member/500+posts | | Member/500+posts Joined: Jul 2013 Posts: 576 | I own #2 and #3, and used to own #1. I find the 150 ridiculously easy to land well - I sometimes say you could train a monkey to land one. I had only a few hours in PA-28s prior to buying mine in March. I find the 150 much more fun to fly, it is so light on the controls. In comparison I think the Cherokee is like driving a truck on or near the ground, especially in trying to hold the nosewheel off after the mains touch down. It does have a more solid, stable feel aloft.
1967 C182K
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2014 Posts: 1,763 Likes: 1 Member/1500+posts | | Member/1500+posts Joined: Sep 2014 Posts: 1,763 Likes: 1 | Yeah... plus a bit more room than our birds.  Ya think? 🚔 I've flown the top 3 and have always felt Piper had heavy handling characteristics in ground effect. Best was the later Arrow, worst was the T-tail Lance. I think the aircraft I connected best with was the Mooney 231. While not a primary trainer by any means it still provided the best feedback and control response of anything I've had the privilege to fly over my 29 years in the air.
Former Owner Of 1971 Cessna 150L N1471Q ... 71 Quebec Eh?! (It's a Canadian thing  ) Ocala, Florida KOCF [ Linked Image]
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2013 Posts: 6,388 Likes: 1017 Member/5000+posts! | | Member/5000+posts! Joined: Jul 2013 Posts: 6,388 Likes: 1017 | The 4th easiest to fly was the Diamond DV20/DA20 Katana and the 5th easiest to fly was American Champion Citabria. I question some of the choices but I could not say as I haven't flown all of these. I've flown the Cessna172, Piper Pa28 version the Warrier, and the Cessna 150. The Katana or Citabria i haven't flown. I did my initial license training in a Diamond DA20, then I moved to a C172, then a Piper Cherokee, and finally my C150. The 150 is the easiest because it is slow enough to give a slow thinker like me time to figure out what to do. The DA20 was the hardest due to its differential brake steering on the ground and its higher climb and cruise speeds. I used to be behind the airplane a lot! | | | | | Joined: May 2015 Posts: 487 Likes: 61 Member/250+posts | | Member/250+posts Joined: May 2015 Posts: 487 Likes: 61 | Although not necessarily easy or difficult, I found the DA20 a uniquely enjoyable plane to fly for several reasons: 1-The seating position is like sitting in a Lazy Boy with legs out in front of you and your back slightly reclined in a sheep skin lined seat. 2- The visibility is excellent due to canopy size and shape. 3- For me the stick is more intuitive than a yoke.
Also I admit to enjoying a late model, nearly new plane. If you ever get a chance give one a try, you might like it...
Last edited by Anthony_Balestrino; 09/25/15 02:21 AM.
Antonio Bal
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2015 Posts: 5,096 Likes: 21 Member/5000+posts! | | Member/5000+posts! Joined: Jan 2015 Posts: 5,096 Likes: 21 | I completed my PPL in the DA20, and quite enjoyed it. Diamond used to build them here in London Ontario, and my flight school was at the same airport. I found it a very fun airplane to fly, just not great for ground visibility due to the low wing. And a bit of a greenhouse on the ground in summer, but lots of fun all the same.
150M C-FJBN
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2014 Posts: 291 Member/250+posts | | Member/250+posts Joined: Aug 2014 Posts: 291 | I flew a Katana for a while and loved it. It's often described as "slippery" and doesn't like to shed its airspeed when landing. Think the very opposite a 150 with 40° of flaps. You have to stay disciplined on your approach airspeed or you'll end up floating past the runway! | | | | | Joined: Jul 2013 Posts: 6,388 Likes: 1017 Member/5000+posts! | | Member/5000+posts! Joined: Jul 2013 Posts: 6,388 Likes: 1017 | I flew a Katana for a while and loved it. It's often described as "slippery" and doesn't like to shed its airspeed when landing. Think the very opposite a 150 with 40° of flaps. You have to stay disciplined on your approach airspeed or you'll end up floating past the runway! True! Also you need to know how to slip it to get down, because those flaps don't do so much like you said. I loved the Diamond. If I had loads of cash I'd buy one. Great plane. The rental DA20-C1 was in the shop more than you'd want, but that could because we were hard on it, as student pilots. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 3,789 Likes: 179 Member/2500+posts | | Member/2500+posts Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 3,789 Likes: 179 | To me the pa28-140 is a nice plane to learn to fly-its simplicity. The easiest to land would be Beechcraft Bonanza or the Mooney-but their increase complexity negates its easy landing characteristics. I soloed in a Mooney-and loved it.
Love c150 for fun flying and making short hops to fly-ins
Bruce
Bruce Hoven
retired school teacher and pharmacist-1976 C150
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