From: egeiselman@falcon.aamrl.wpafb.af.mil
Newsgroups: rec.aviation
Subject: RE: Skyhawk vs. Warrior
Date: 8 Sep 92 19:07:26 GMT
Organization: USAF AL/CFH, WPAFB, Dayton, OH

Jeff,

    If I were in your situation, and I have been, I would plan on getting
checked out in both the Skyhawk and the Warrior.  I say this for reasons of
availability.  The plane you are checked-out in may not be available when you
want to fly.  Which plane to get checked in first?  Fly the Warrior first.  I
say this for two reasons:  First, everything else being equal, the warrior is
the better choice because you are learning a new configuration.  The more--
different--experience you can get the better.  I will not argue whether or not 
all things really are equal.  The second reason has to do with the checkout 
itself.  If you get the Warrior checkout, since this is new configuration for 
you, you are paying for "real" dual.  You are paying for something which 
requires dual from your perspective as well as the FBO's perspective.  If 
you trained in Cessnas, you know you can fly Cessnas.  You have to pay to 
prove it to the FBO.  Related to this is a nice bonus.  Say you fly the Piper 
and get signed-off.  Now you ask to get checked in the Skyhawk.  The 
instructor just flew with you (it must be the same instructor) and saw that 
you did just fine in a airplane that is new to you.  She also saw that, 
according to your,logbook, you trained in Cessnas.  Your Skyhawk check will be 
short and sweet.

     Now for some added info you didn't ask for.  There are two checkout
tricks I have found to be good practice.  Both are based on the logic of the
above advise.  Your goal for a rental checkout should not be: to be able to
rent the airplane.  You know you can fly the the plane, the FBO only cares
that you can fly well enough so they get your money and their plane back at
the end of the rental.  Your goal should be to learn something new or to brush
up on something you have trouble with or haven't done for a long time.  You
are paying for dual time and you will have a CFI at your disposal.  A CFI will
love it if you say "If you don't mind, Mr. CFI, I would really like to work on
this, this and this during the checkout."  Your job is to identify what "this"
is.  If the CFI is not receptive to this idea, or they have a strict checkout
protocol, I would think twice about renting from that FBO.  Checkouts will not
be the only thing the FBO is not flexible on.  Such as minimums, being
weathered in, forgetting to cancel at scheduled time, etc...  To push this
concept to the limit, try this one (it only works once a single FBO so it
is good for renting away from you home base):  You walk into the FBO and
arrange an hour or so of instrument or commercial dual time.  Go up for your
training and about 40 mins into the hour ask "do you think when we get back I
could sign up this plane, or one of the VFR planes for solo?"  If you get an
affirmative, you just passed your checkout.  This procedure will take longer
then a normal checkout and it will also cost more but you also get the hour of
dual and the checkout for the price of just the training. 

     One last idea:  Get a tailwheel checkout for your next bi-annual.


Eric.

-- 

"The opinions and views expressed here are strictly my own and do not 
necessarily reflect the official position of either the U.S. Air Force 
or its contractors."
Newsgroups: rec.aviation