152--->172

oregonboy109

oregonboy109

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oregonboy109
Tomorrow will be my first transition/checkout flight in the 172 and since I've never flown one before I was wondering what some of differences in flying characteristics are compared to a 152?

Things I'm expecting:
More right rudder needed during takeoff/climb out
Heavier control feel
Need to trim more (you can kind of get away with not using too much trim in the 152)

Anything else I should expect?

Thanks,
Sam
 
oregonboy109 said:
Tomorrow will be my first transition/checkout flight in the 172 and since I've never flown one before I was wondering what some of differences in flying characteristics are compared to a 152?

Things I'm expecting:
More right rudder needed during takeoff/climb out
Heavier control feel
Need to trim more (you can kind of get away with not using too much trim in the 152)

Anything else I should expect?

Thanks,
Sam
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You'll never be able to do it. The 172 is just too much plane. Just keep working that right thigh out at the gym and maybe, just maybe one day it will be strong enough to keep that sucker on the center line.

All kidding aside, the 172 is easier to fly than a 152, just need to get the hang of it. Stalls in the 172 are boring, it handles a crosswind better. Should only take you a few hours to get the hang of it. You won't notice much/any difference in the amount of rudder you need.
 
Be prepared that there are an extra set of seats in the back.
 
Bigger, heavier. More mass. It's a little less responsive and has more inertia. Bounces around a little less.
Pitch - especially pitching up - requires noticeably more effort. You'll be motivated to trim.
A little wider inside, a little higher, and bigger looking out. Weird the first time you turn around and see a whole lot more cabin than you are used to.

I've flown three different C-152s, two with 125hp, and four-five different C-172s. Never flown a C-182 - or anything with more than 160 hp. Glad there's a flying question I can authoritatively answer!

Have fun up there.
 
oregonboy109 said:
Things I'm expecting:
More right rudder needed during takeoff/climb out
Heavier control feel
Need to trim more (you can kind of get away with not using too much trim in the 152)
Click to expand...
Good questions, Sam. Yes, you may notice some differences in the areas you mentioned. In general, though, you will find the 172 to be more comfortable, quieter and more stable. You'll be sitting closer to the windshield and a little lower relative to the wing. so you may find visibility to be better, too.

But there's one thing your transition flight might not show you. The 172 has back seats and a big baggage area that goes way back into the tailcone. If those back seats and the baggage compartment are filled (to legal limits, of course), the heavier weight and the changed center of gravity will make noticeable differences in performance and handling, as compared to flying solo or with just you and your instructor. It's hard to change the CG very much in a C-150/152.

If you don't have an opportunity to take "ballast" with you on your transition flight, ask your instructor what you can expect when the airplane is loaded to gross weight. Later on if you get the chance to fly a six-seat airplane (or larger) the differences will be similar in nature but greater in degree.

G-Man said:
Pitch - especially pitching up - requires noticeably more effort. You'll be motivated to trim.
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Yes -- pitching down, too. For example, say you're on very short final at a nice slow speed with power off and full flap, lined up for that perfect landing on the numbers. Suddenly a large flock of geese sitting next to the runway gets spooked and takes off right into your path (exactly what happened to me a few weeks ago) and you give it full power to go around. You will be surprised how much the airplane wants to pitch up and how much force it takes to keep the nose down to a proper climb angle until you can get the flaps up to 20 and the trim rolled in.

Have fun!
 
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Same plane really, just a little bigger.

My first 150 flight was solo, no biggie.


Read the POH, honestly you don't even need a checkout flight for that transition.
 
Yep, gotta agree with AirmanG, about the only question I can answer very well on here.

Spent around 40 hours learning a 115hp 152 and passed my checkride in that. Day I passed my checkride I flew home in the 160hp 172n I had purchased a couple weeks prior.

Don't recall much about that flight or the test flight in it, other than trying to slow down on landing was much more difficult.

When My instructor and I went up for the insurance checkoff and some minor training of the differences is when I really noticed the changes between the two. I always laugh still but it felt like I was taking off in a leerjet in that thing the first few times, I can't imagine what the difference would have been if I had bought a 182 like I was thinking or heaven forbid something even more powerful haha.

Being in ND we have wind constantly so my instructor took me and the rest of his students up on the windiest days over and over constantly to make sure we didn't become "fair weather pilots" as he put it. Landing the 152 in heavy crosswinds was tricky to say the least and gave me a healthy appreciation for the wind. It made me confident to be able to land in anything SHOULD I HAVE TO, but also made me quite nervous now about it for whatever reason. Now anytime I am flying and the wind gets strong I am always nervous about the landing but have only recently realized that WOW the 172 does not get pushed around ANYTHING like that 152 did.

I almost miss the stupid maneuverability of the 152 but I really love the 172's extra room, power(trying to do a power on stall in it was very difficult), airspeed, etc.

You will like it. To answer your questions: Yes, more right rudder is needed, A little more authoritive pull back on the yolk for take off, and more backpressure on the yolk and less throttle for landings is only major differences you'll notice.

Have fun buddy!!
 
Oh, and pushing the 172 in and out of the hanger by myself sucks haha, the 152 was much easier.
 
Just add 20 to everything you did in the 152. 30 for the 182. Pretty simple.
 
My transition to the 172 from a 152 went something like this...... Ok, there it is, let's go fly. Oh, remember to add 5 knots to your speeds and you'll be just fine. I had a retired Army Apache pilot for my CFI at the time.

I was given the choice to either fly the 172 or wait for the 152 to come out of annual. I had a total of 10 hours at that point and everything I did on that first flight seemed easier.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Thanks for the replies everyone! I'll post again this evening after the flight.

thanks,
Sam
 
Be prepared when that big motor throws you back in the seat and I always like to do those high performance take offs like the air show pilots. :o)
 
A 152 flies just like a 172, which flies just like a 182, which flies just like a 206, which flies just like a Caravan.
 
The one big thing with a 172 is that there's a world of difference between flying it solo or with just the instructor (even the fat guy I flew with) in the right seat and loaded up to gross with three of your friends. If your instructor didn't already suggest it, you might try at least one flight loaded up to gross during your transition.

I've played "human ballast" on such flights with Margy's instructor. I nearly had a student on a stage check demonstrate a departure stall just after takeoff. This led to what I refer to as the CFI death scream (a sound only made when a CFI is in imminent danger of dying). I believe the line was (as he was pushing hard against the student to get the nose down) "If you drop thing thing on its tail, we'll all die."
 
My very first flight was in a 152. Between my instructor and I we were pushing max gross and had trouble climbing plus it was very cramped. That was the last time I sat in a 152.
 
Some perspective, if someone offers me a flight in a 172 odds are Im gonna skip unless we are going somewhere fun. If someone offers me a flight in a 152, Id be there in 10 minutes. 150s are much more fun.
 
Enjoy the transition training. About everything else (except how much more it costs at the fuel pump) has been said.
 
Heavier controls, more right rudder on takeoff and climb out, and it may feel slightly different as far as handling (not quite as sensitive as the 152). It's more stable as well. It shouldn't take you long to transition as it's very similar, may just take an hour to two to adjust to the larger feeling of it.
 
The real transition is when you jump back into the C-152. Your like WTF. REALLY!!!!!

Have fun. Your going to love it.
 
G-Man said:
Bigger, heavier. More mass. It's a little less responsive and has more inertia. Bounces around a little less.
Pitch - especially pitching up - requires noticeably more effort. You'll be motivated to trim.
A little wider inside, a little higher, and bigger looking out. Weird the first time you turn around and see a whole lot more cabin than you are used to.

I've flown three different C-152s, two with 125hp, and four-five different C-172s. Never flown a C-182 - or anything with more than 160 hp. Glad there's a flying question I can authoritatively answer!

Have fun up there.
Click to expand...

The difference between a 150 and a 172 is relatively minor. A LITTLE heavier controls, but nothing to write home to mama about.
Trim? Don't worry about it.
Biggest differences will be a thirstier engine, a tendency to clip the boarding step on your shin, a back seat, and MORE ROOM [in the 172 --- you'll TBT and ask how you ever fit in that sardine can]

You want to notice a difference in aircraft, upgrade from the 172 to the 182. Then, you'll know about heavier controls and a need to trim!
 
Pilawt said:
You will be surprised how much the airplane wants to pitch up and how much force it takes to keep the nose down to a proper climb angle until you can get the flaps up to 20 and the trim rolled in.
Click to expand...

Try that in a 185. Makes a 172 look like a tame kitten. Takes a huge push to keep that nose where it belongs until you can get the trim rolled forward, and that takes some time. That big push is about the time that poorly-maintained seats can rip off the seat rails, or a cracked seat fails, and the pilot falls backwards.

The 150 has more rudder authority than the 172, making effective slips much easier. Its flaps are also about as big as a 172's, too, so steeper descents are possible.

The 152's O-235 can be a pain to start. That series of engines are famous for that, and many of them have two impulse mags to help out. The O-320 in the 172 starts easily.

Dan
 
Yeah, not a difficult transition, nearly trivial.

Even a 182 transition isn't hard, though you do have to learn what the blue knob and cowl flaps are for, and sometimes you have to mind the CG with two adults in front, full fuel, and no back seat passengers or cargo. 182s do use flaps somewhat differently from 152s and 172s on takeoff.

The best performance per dollar is a 180 HP converted 172 (M or N). They will fly over 1000 lb payload, and work well at moderately high altitudes, generally for the same cost as an unconverted 172. They are also not hard to find. My current club is working on a second one!
 
I didn't fly the 172 much (10-15 hrs)... mainly all 152 time in training and post training until I bought the Tiger.

1. More sumps
2. 152 felt easier to land to me than the 172. We had several 172's and they all handled a little different from one another. The ugliest one was my favorite in high wind.
3. Site picture is different
4. Seat rails sometimes "slip" on takeoff in the ones I rented.
 
TUPilot said:
With full fuel, the 160hp I fly occasionally can take 2 fat guys, three skinny guys, or four toddlers...
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My wife routinely tells me I act like a toddler....unfortunately that hasn't helped useful load...
 
Prepare to be bored at a slightly higher speed.
 
172 easier than 152
182 easier than 172

I'm not kidding

(Haven't flown a 210, so don't know is the same applies next step up)
 
Like Dan said, the 150/152 has more rudder authority. I think, at least with me flying, the 150/152 will handle more crosswind than a 172.
 
danhagan said:
4. Seat rails sometimes "slip" on takeoff in the ones I rented.
Click to expand...

There is certainly an AD out for 172s older than 1997. But have you ever experienced that?

I train all my passengers in the Cessna Butt Wiggle and give them a warning that, if it happens, let it slide and don't grab anything in front. But it has never happened.
 
Dan Thomas said:
Try that in a 185. Makes a 172 look like a tame kitten. Takes a huge push to keep that nose where it belongs until you can get the trim rolled forward, and that takes some time. That big push is about the time that poorly-maintained seats can rip off the seat rails, or a cracked seat fails, and the pilot falls backwards.
Click to expand...
Stick forces like that also lead one to consider the structural integrity of the control yoke.

I recall a day when I was instructing, and a 182 pilot parked his airplane on our ramp after a landing. He shut down and got out of his airplane with an ashen look on his face, and one-half of the yoke in his hand.

:eek:
 
Well the flight was great! Advice here was spot on. Lots more right rudder on takeoff and climb out, the controls were not too much heavier but I did trim more than in the 52, very comfortable and the room is noticeable coming from the small 52. I'll be going up one more time to do stalls and short/soft takeoff and landings and after that I'm good to go in any one of our clubs three 172s. I'll still be using the 152 probably 75% of the time but overall I LOVED the 172.
Sam
 
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