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Best airplane to learn to fly or buy for short person

Asked by: 2392 views Flight Instructor, General Aviation, Light Sport Aircraft, Private Pilot, Student Pilot

What type of airplane would be best to learn to fly ,  potentially buy for a short person 5 ft 8 inches tall.  Are the Piper Warrior or Archer better than the Cessna 152 or 172?  Does anyone have a suggestion ?

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2 Answers



  1. ayavner on Jan 16, 2019

    Not sure that really falls into the category of “short person” haha – certainly not tall, but I think most planes in this category are designed for folks about that size. I own a Cherokee 140, but have flown the Archer, Warrior, Arrow, as well as the 152 and 172 and they all seem to fit pretty nicely with no extra accomodations… i think in this day and age maybe your width would be more of a consideration – the pipers seem to have more shoulder/elbow room but that’s just going off my memory.

    I am 5’8 and medium build, about 160. You’d do great with any of those!

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  2. Russ Roslewski on Jan 16, 2019

    I am tall (6’2″).

    As a “person”, I like being this height. It has its advantages.

    As a “pilot”, though, man I wish I was 5’8″. That’s probably about the perfect height for most airplanes. Tall enough that you can reach everything, and short enough that you don’t have to worry about headroom or legroom.

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