My wife is 5' 1", I am 6' 1". In the 172 she used a booster cushion. In the Navion, it's one of the few planes we can both fly comfortably without resorting to stuff like that.
Short in stature.. interested in PPL..
- Thread starter FiremanMike
- Start date
Brad Z
Final Approach
I'm 6' 4", and flying is one of the few activities I wish I was shorter for. Assuming you're proportionate (which is a fair assumption based on your occupation), you will feel comfortable in just about any cockpit. If you make it up the ranks and become a flight instructor, your smaller stature will be a benefit as you'll be able to instruct in aircraft that other folks (like myself) simply cannot fold themselves into).
P.S. They're a reason they're called fighter jockeys, and it's not just because because flying a fighter is like riding a thoroughbred.
P.S. They're a reason they're called fighter jockeys, and it's not just because because flying a fighter is like riding a thoroughbred.
bluerooster
Pattern Altitude
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shorty
Simple solution: Buy a Taylorcraft, Aeronca Chief, or Luscombe. Learn to fly in it. You'll have no problems with seat height, or short legs, and you'll have tailwheel endorsement as well.
I used one of these Sporty's cushions in the Tecnam light sports:
It works okay, but in my Beech it's too narrow for the seats and tends to move around a bit so sometimes I'm falling off the side of the cushion. I've switched over to these patio chair cushions now:
$6 each from Walmart's aviation department. I had to stuff some extra foam rubber into them as they were a little too thin, but they're the perfect size for the plane's seats and with laces tying them in place they won't slide around. I've only made one short flight with them so far, but I think they're going to work out okay.
When I was renting Cherokees, I used a boat-type cushion under me. The seat would go forward far enough but I needed more height. Worked okay.
A word of advice: when you try out a cushion, make sure you can still reach any controls on the floor, like a fuel selector or a flaps bar. My Beech originally had fixed shoulder belts, and with the belt snug and the cushion under me I couldn't reach the flaps bar. Installing inertia-reel shoulder belts fixed that problem nicely.
It works okay, but in my Beech it's too narrow for the seats and tends to move around a bit so sometimes I'm falling off the side of the cushion. I've switched over to these patio chair cushions now:
$6 each from Walmart's aviation department. I had to stuff some extra foam rubber into them as they were a little too thin, but they're the perfect size for the plane's seats and with laces tying them in place they won't slide around. I've only made one short flight with them so far, but I think they're going to work out okay.
When I was renting Cherokees, I used a boat-type cushion under me. The seat would go forward far enough but I needed more height. Worked okay.
A word of advice: when you try out a cushion, make sure you can still reach any controls on the floor, like a fuel selector or a flaps bar. My Beech originally had fixed shoulder belts, and with the belt snug and the cushion under me I couldn't reach the flaps bar. Installing inertia-reel shoulder belts fixed that problem nicely.