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4-Place Trainer Airplanes

Four-place trainers have a number of advantages over their two-place bretheren. They are larger inside, can carry more weight, and are typically faster. If you want to take someone with you on a training flight, or want to do a familiarization flight, this is the way to go. The four-place trainers are also quite useful for cross country trips. They are all instrument certified, so they can be used for both instrument training and, once the pilot is certified, for trips through the clouds!

Cessna 172 "Skyhawk"

6031L Front Right

The Skyhawk is one of the mainstays of flight training and personal flight. A & M provides a number of "hawks" for rental, from a 1998 172R model to a modern 2006 172SP with a G1000 glass panel. They all have autopilots, Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) certified Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) Receivers, and some have full-color multi-function displays, as well. The 172R has the 160HP engine, while all the others are S models with 180HP.72662 Left Rear

We have a Garmin G-1000-equipped 172, what is commonly called a "glass panel." Because of the advanced avionics, it does require additional instruction and checkout, and has a recency requirement with a shorter period than the other 172's.

G1000 Panel

But even the "steam gauge" 172's we have qualify as "Technically Advanced Aircraft."

172 with MFD

The 172's have enough room that four people can fit comfortably, though that will usually necessitate leaving with less than full tanks. Most of them have leather interiors, for that extra touch of luxury.172 rear seat

For more information, see the Wikipedia article on the Skyhawk.

Piper PA-28-181 "Archer III"

Some people prefer to have a low-wing aircraft for one reason or another. N288JF from the front Others prefer to fly an aircraft with an air conditioner so they stay cool in the summer. N288JF Panel For both of those, we offer the Piper Archer III. This is a recent model (1999) with a very nice panel.  It has air conditioning, a good autopilot that will capture a preset altitude while climbing or descending at a specified rate, dual Garmin 430s and an HSI, carburetor ice detection.  Because some of the switches are overhead, the panel in front is cleaner than many.

 

 

 

 

 

Specifications


172R 172SP PA-28-181
Places 4
Useful Load 764 lbs 832 - 887 lbs 771 lbs
Cruise speed 118KTS@75% 123KTS @75% 123KTS @ 75%
Fuel burn 8.6 gph@75% 10 gph @75% 11gph @ 75%
Fuel capacity 53 gal 53 gal 48 gal
Ceiling 14,000 14,000 not specified
Range 675NM @60% 640NM @45%  
Avionics KLN
autopilot
KLN
IFR panel
autopilot
MFD (some)
G1000 (some)
AIR CONDITIONING
2 GNS 430 GPS/COM
STEC 55 AP w/alt capture
STEC 180 HSI
GMA 340 audio
GTX 320 xpdr


Tail Type Empty Weight Gross Weight Empty
Moment
N72662 172R 1686 2450 66.088
N5105N 172SP 1693 2550 68.495
N786SA 172SP 1677 2550 67.342
N363MA 172SP 1695 2550 66.791
N988JF PA-28-181 1786 2550 87.96
N6131L 172SP (G1000) 1741 2550 72.442

Disclaimer: These values for comparison only and are not to be considered official numbers.  It is the Pilot in Command's responsibility to verify any numbers used in calculating performance against official numbers found in the airplane's Operating Handbook.


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