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At this point I have just about 200 hours low wing time (mostly 'Coupe, some Cherokee), 200 hours high wing time (mostly C-152, some C-172, a little C-182). I like them both, in different ways. First, I think the view is somewhat better in a high wing, and the Cessnas are so stable. They pretty much always want to right themselves, even in a spin. Plus, it's easier to camp under the wing. And the C-182 is just a rock in the air; you don't have that sensation of bobbing around like a cork on the waves in rough air. Plus the C-172s have just about the best safety record in GA. I'd also be more comfortable landing a high-wing on rough terrain. But I like the view in turns better in a low-wing, and I mostly prefer landing low wings. If you've got a little too much airspeed on final, you can bleed it off in ground effect and not get that float. There are times when I feel like I just can't get the Cessnas to stop flying. I'd rather stall the low-wings I've flown because of the gentle break, but I wouldn't want to spin a Piper -- you've really got to fly it through from what I hear and I found that the Cessna pretty much wanted to fly itself out of the spin unless I held it in. And, high or low, there's something to be said for flaps. The C-172 I've flown had forty degrees, which makes for a nice air brake as well as letting you have a nifty steep approach. But I prefer the mechanical flap lever in the Pipers to the motorized flaps in the Cessna. The mechanical ones pretty much don't break, and you can milk the flaps in a really gradual way that you can't do with motorized ones. Interestingly enough, my husband (who HATES to fly -- even commercial) has been up with me in Cessnas, and in the 'Coupe, and much prefers the 'Coupe. I was surprised by that; I thought the extreme visibility and smallness might freak him out. He said that psychologically it was easier for him to feel like he was sitting on the wing rather than hanging from it. I also tend to prefer how low wings behave in bumpy air; seems to me you get a sort of bobbing and rolling in the high wings, and you tend to get some tail wagging and yawing in the low wings. For whatever reason, the high wing version tends to wear me out; might just be that I fight it more than the other or something. All that said, I'd still rather fly the 'Coupe most days. For one thing, I can't stand it when I can't see out of the back of the airplane. I'd also rather drive an MG than a nice sedan, even though you feel every bump in the road. It's that fun factor thing; guess I'm addicted to it ;-) Leslie Holbrook Alon A2 N161LH Chester, CT 3B9 __________________________________________________________________________ ___________ Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com __________________________________________________ To unsubscribe from this list please send mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A http://www.topica.com/t/17 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
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