Welcome Guest. Sign in or Signup

2 Answers

Best airplane for 4 ft 8 inch pilot to learn or buy?

Asked by: 1664 views Flight Instructor, General Aviation, Light Sport Aircraft, Private Pilot, Student Pilot

Okay I totally messed that question up. I meant 4 ft 8 inches.  What type of airplane would be best to learn to fly for a short person only 4 ft 8.

Ace Any FAA Written Test!
Actual FAA Questions / Free Lifetime Updates
The best explanations in the business
Fast, efficient study.
Pass Your Checkride With Confidence!
FAA Practical Test prep that reflects actual checkrides.
Any checkride: Airplane, Helicopter, Glider, etc.
Written and maintained by actual pilot examiners and master CFIs.
The World's Most Trusted eLogbook
Be Organized, Current, Professional, and Safe.
Highly customizable - for student pilots through pros.
Free Transition Service for users of other eLogs.
Our sincere thanks to pilots such as yourself who support AskACFI while helping themselves by using the awesome PC, Mac, iPhone/iPad, and Android aviation apps of our sponsors.

2 Answers



  1. ayavner on Jan 19, 2019

    Hi Diane – thanks for clearing that up! Honestly any of the earlier mentioned planes will still work – you can move the seats forward and they make various cushions and back supports. Keep in mind that many young kids take flight lessons (not that you are one) but they would be even shorter than that and they manage. Most trainers out there really are not designed for larger people and I think you’ll find it less of a disadvantage than you think. Why not go out to a local airfield on a weekend and ask some pilots or a school if you can sit in their planes and try them out for size?

    In my Cherokee, I find that the seats move forward far enough that it would be impossible for me to move my legs – that should be enough to get you going, but please let us know what you find out or decide!

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  2. KDS on Jan 19, 2019

    You might want to take a look at the movie Right Footed. It’s about a lady who was born without arms. Among other accomplishments, she learned to fly and received a pilot certificate. Sometimes, being on the edge of the bell curve is an advantage.

    I did work with a flight school that used Diamond DA-20’s for training. I think that airplane would fit you like a glove. They aren’t the common training, but if you can find one in your area, be sure to check it out.

    But, don’t think you’re restricted or limited. I once had a student who swore he couldn’t fly without a boat cushion I initially provided for him that let him sit higher in the seat. It reminded me of Dumbo’s Magic Feather. He didn’t believe he could fly without it. I began to regret ever letting him use that cushion and it took a lot of convincing to get him to fly without it. Today, he is a DPE in two aircraft categories and never uses anything but the standard seat adjustments.

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes


The following terms have been auto-detected the question above and any answers or discussion provided. Click on a term to see its definition from the Dauntless Aviation JargonBuster Glossary.

Answer Question

Our sincere thanks to all who contribute constructively to this forum in answering flight training questions. If you are a flight instructor or represent a flight school / FBO offering flight instruction, you are welcome to include links to your site and related contact information as it pertains to offering local flight instruction in a specific geographic area. Additionally, direct links to FAA and related official government sources of information are welcome. However we thank you for your understanding that links to other sites or text that may be construed as explicit or implicit advertising of other business, sites, or goods/services are not permitted even if such links nominally are relevant to the question asked.