So with my new training comes a new aircraft. After learning to fly and bumming around the skies of New England in early seventies era Cessna 172M's, I have upgraded to the new, and much nicer 172SP's for my training. Even though the old M-models were beat up, and constantly were going in for some kind of maintenance, I still love to fly them and only move on because it is practical to do so. Since instrument training is about learning to fly the instruments, it would do no good to me to fly in an aircraft that is constantly giving me incorrect readings. Also the older model Cessna's are no longer kept in IFR condition. So it is with a little remorse, and a much more strained wallet that I move on to the newer Skyhawk.
I can't even start to pretend that I am not extremely excited about this though. The SP's have about 30 more horse's under the cowling, and are fuel injected. So no more fooling around with the carb heat all the time! The interior is also like sitting in a Ferrari after getting used to a 1985 Pinto. With mock leather seats, all new avionics and working heat and air, its a beautiful thing. It seems like a very easy transition to make, and the only thing that I know I will have to work hard to learn about now is the autopilot. Although where is the fun in flying a small plane if you aren't doing it by hand???(says the guy who is yet to try an instrument approach in piss poor weather....)
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