Looking to expand my rental choices, yesterday I began getting checked out in the Piper Cherokee, a 1963 PA-28-180, available at Twin Oaks.
The Cherokee has one door (on the right hand side), so it was a bit more difficult to get my 6’6” frame into than the 172, but once in, it was pretty comfortable, and we began going over the instrument panel, radios, etc. The Cherokee does not have the VOR navigation equipment that the 172's have, but does have the same GPS, and is completely suited for VFR flight.
The preflight was pretty straight forward, and we were soon taxiing for run-up. The Cherokee is a great plane to taxi, and will go right where you want it to, but the hand brake in place of toe brakes took some getting used to.
The takeoff roll was easy enough, but required a fair bit more backpressure to rotate than I’ve grown accustomed to. I really couldn’t find the right combination of speed and backpressure to make a real smooth lift off. Maybe experimenting with the trim some will help.
We headed southeast into the Willamette Valley to practice some slow flight and stalls. The Cherokee will fly very nose high in slow flight, and really buffets as the stall approaches with both power on and power off, giving allot of warning. Recovery was as simple as easing off the backpressure. The 172’s I’ve been flying will buffet some with power off, but just seem to drop smoothly with power on.
We turned towards Aurora to practice some landings and pattern work. We did a few landings with various flap settings, and with no flaps. My landings were surprisingly good, but I need to work on keeping my approach speed down. The Cherokee also drops fast with the throttle out, never failing to surprise me as I’d pull the throttle crossing the threshold.
The flaps on the Cherokee are also a bit different. The flap are deployed manually using a Johnson bar, which resembles a long version the e-brake between the front seats in many cars. The first notch is 10 degrees, second 25, and third 40. The Cherokee also tends to pitch nose down as flaps are added, which is opposite of the 172.
Two full stop landings back at Twin Oaks ended lesson one in the Cherokee. It’s not quite as spacious for a taller pilot, but still comfortable and fun to fly. Really a nice chance to experience something different.
I have one more lesson to practice engine out landings, steep turns, and just get a little more comfortable with it, and I should be good to strike out on my own.
It was also nice to fly with my instructor Kelly again, who I’ve not flown with since a week prior to my check ride in May. He mentioned that my airmanship was very solid, which I was happy to hear. I had some nervousness before the flight, worried that I was unknowingly slipping in my short time alone.
The Cherokee has one door (on the right hand side), so it was a bit more difficult to get my 6’6” frame into than the 172, but once in, it was pretty comfortable, and we began going over the instrument panel, radios, etc. The Cherokee does not have the VOR navigation equipment that the 172's have, but does have the same GPS, and is completely suited for VFR flight.
The preflight was pretty straight forward, and we were soon taxiing for run-up. The Cherokee is a great plane to taxi, and will go right where you want it to, but the hand brake in place of toe brakes took some getting used to.
The takeoff roll was easy enough, but required a fair bit more backpressure to rotate than I’ve grown accustomed to. I really couldn’t find the right combination of speed and backpressure to make a real smooth lift off. Maybe experimenting with the trim some will help.
We headed southeast into the Willamette Valley to practice some slow flight and stalls. The Cherokee will fly very nose high in slow flight, and really buffets as the stall approaches with both power on and power off, giving allot of warning. Recovery was as simple as easing off the backpressure. The 172’s I’ve been flying will buffet some with power off, but just seem to drop smoothly with power on.
We turned towards Aurora to practice some landings and pattern work. We did a few landings with various flap settings, and with no flaps. My landings were surprisingly good, but I need to work on keeping my approach speed down. The Cherokee also drops fast with the throttle out, never failing to surprise me as I’d pull the throttle crossing the threshold.
The flaps on the Cherokee are also a bit different. The flap are deployed manually using a Johnson bar, which resembles a long version the e-brake between the front seats in many cars. The first notch is 10 degrees, second 25, and third 40. The Cherokee also tends to pitch nose down as flaps are added, which is opposite of the 172.
Two full stop landings back at Twin Oaks ended lesson one in the Cherokee. It’s not quite as spacious for a taller pilot, but still comfortable and fun to fly. Really a nice chance to experience something different.
I have one more lesson to practice engine out landings, steep turns, and just get a little more comfortable with it, and I should be good to strike out on my own.
It was also nice to fly with my instructor Kelly again, who I’ve not flown with since a week prior to my check ride in May. He mentioned that my airmanship was very solid, which I was happy to hear. I had some nervousness before the flight, worried that I was unknowingly slipping in my short time alone.
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