Height Disadvantage

[Jim Logajan]

An update on Alan's visibility issues...he ended up switching to a Cherokee, and passed his checkride yesterday. Congratulations, Alan!!!

Congratulations to him!

(These threads that rise from the dead aren't always easy to to spot, unless one is careful about examining posting dates.)

 

[Dan Thomas]

You might get an independent mechanic (one who is familiar with 172s but not the guy looking after this particular 172) to have a look at it. I am a hair under 5'7" and have no trouble reaching stuff in the 172, but the 182 and 150 are better fits. The 172 was built for long people.

-The seat stops might be in the wrong places, stopping the seat from rolling as far forward as it's supposed to.

-The rudder system might be out of rig; see that all the time in older 172s. The pedal faces are supposed to be something like 6-1/2" from the firewall. Cables stretch, pulleys wear. And a good mechanic will watch the service manual for adjusting all that; the nosegear is the primary rigging datum for the rudder.

-The elevator system might be out of rig; see that too often, too. The elevator stops must be set for proper travel first, then the cables adjusted to get proper yoke travel. An out-of-rig system can make it difficult to get adequate authority for flaring.

In short, make sure the airplane isn't at fault before you go spending a heap of money on fancy cushions and pedal blocks. Maybe go sit in a 172 at another school altogether for comparison purposes.

Dan

 

[Henning]

OMG! Go to any marine store and buy a boat cushion. Look for the ones that are approved flotation devices for small boats.

Your ass turns to lead after about an hour on one though. They're basically the same thing as the seat "cushion" in an Air Tractor which is torturous.

 

[denverpilot]

OMG! Go to any marine store and buy a boat cushion. Look for the ones that are approved flotation devices for small boats.

As a plus...

"Your seat may be used as a flotation device" can be added to your passenger briefing.

 

[Kirbhund]

An update on Alan's visibility issues...he ended up switching to a Cherokee, and passed his checkride yesterday. Congratulations, Alan!!!

Thanks Diana! I think you beat Lynn to the announcement of a new pilot!! And yes, the Cherokee made a huge difference actually. I could actually see the horizon on various maneuvers, helped with everything and I wasn't locked in on the instruments anymore...love the Cherokee!

 

[Ken Ibold]

Thanks! The height adjustments on the seat don't quite cut it, the pedal extenders sound promising...do they make them specifically for the rudder pedals? Finding a firm cushion is difficult, the ones they sell for this purpose are not at all firm and lose their thickness pretty quickly..

Get one from Oregon Aero. The 2" SoftSeat portable cushion. I used one in my Pitts when I didn't want to wear a seat chute, and then moved it to my desk chair, where it has been for several years.

 

[kontiki]

At 5'6" when I restarted lessons in a 1975 172M, I recall thinking that I had visibility problems too. I'd back the seat down exactly X turns from higest position and use a particular grey cusion that CFI gave me.

Then I flew a much later model 172R & S models with different seats, then 150s and 152s, then got my IR, then when I went back to that 172M, I didn't bother lugging that cushion around. Eventually I gave it back to the school for someone else to use.

I'd bet a six pack you'll get past it and grin when you look back.

 

[MBDiagMan]

Are you sure that you are not wanting yourself to be too far forward.

When I began driving almost 50 years ago, I didn't feel comfortable unless I had the seat so far forward that the steering wheel was against my stomach. As I got more proficient, I moved the seat way back so I could extend my arms and legs.

I've seen people that had been driving 30 years that still were not comfortable unless the steering wheel was rubbing on their gut, literally.

It could be that you just think that you must be forward. Put the seat farther back and extend your arms and legs. This will be against your instincts at first, but give it a try while an instructor is still flying with you.

5'6" is not that short. I'm sure that LOTS of people, especially ladies, that short or shorter have dealt with this issue successfully.

Best of luck with it.
Doc

 

[Anthony]

Maybe some growth hormones, so you an grow to an adult height?




Seriously, congrats. Be careful down there.

 

[p1l0t]

OMG! Go to any marine store and buy a boat cushion. Look for the ones that are approved flotation devices for small boats.

LOL yeah I am 5'8" and our Mooney in the club (which we are shopping for a new interior) has seat cusions that are almost flat. I keep a small pillow that is designed for a wooden chair I think that was like $5 or something at Walmart. It is a permanent resident of the trunk in my car for the days I fly the Mooney [or any other airplane I happen to need a boost].

<---<^>--->

 

[write-stuff]

Aw heck, Henning, I thought y'all were talkin' about someone else.