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Comment by dghughes | Hacker News Reader

I did a bit of training in a Cessna 152 but one day we had to take a 172 it was like going from a Yugo to a Cadillac.

In the 152 I was literally rubbing shoulders with my instructor but in the 172 we had shoulder room. The 172 has four seats and feels huge compared to the 152, well really it is huge compared to the 152.

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I have my baptism flight a month ago in a 152. The instructor was worried because he couldn't fully move the wheel back because of my knees, then I tried another position and he couldn't press the pedals. It took us a while to find a position for my legs, but I didn't feel safe about this until we landed.

I am tall 1.90m (6'3"). I want to take classes further but I think I should find another plane.

Note: I used a Fiat 600 for like 6 months. I think the 152 is smaller inside.

I'm about your height, and the 172 works fine. The 152 is definitely a squeeze.

Last time I was in the air in a private plane was a 152 a couple of months after a friend achieved his pilot's license. We're both 6'2" and around 190lbs. It took a bit of work, and we were shoulder to shoulder the entire flight, but it was workable. The cabin of the 152 is smaller than any car I've ever been inside of. There's room behind the seats for maybe two backpacks.

I have 200 hours in a 150 and I'm your height. You'll get used to it. Keep in mind that the 150/2 is a better training plane than the 172. It will teach you to respect the rudder and the crosswinds, while a 172 is forgiving to the point that it may become dangerous. Also, anxiety is normal initially. I'm saying that because there's a difference of ... 1/4" between the two planes' cabin width (39 1/2 to 39 1/4).

I really appreciate your advice! Thank you very much, I will give it a try

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