� Q: I’m considering a commercial pilot certificate. Does it matter if I earn flight time in a low-wing or high-wing aircraft? —Jeff in Temecula, California
� A: Jeff, you seem to have a fairly easy question, but you have not provided all of the details. It is presumed that you are aiming for a professional flying career.
Let’s look at what my favorite regional airline requires: SkyWest. To get your application through the door, you will need 1,500 hours of total flight time and an ATP certificate; 500 hours of cross-country experience; 100 hours of night time; 75 hours of instrument logged; and 25 hours of multiengine time. Nowhere do the requirements specify high or lowwing airplane experience. In fact, I cannot ever recall any employer of pilots stipulating high- or low-wing time as a condition of employment.
However, you might want to consider where your career goals will take you and acquire experience that will give you bonus points. For example, if you would like to work with a company like Kenmore Air in the great Northwest flying tourists to the San Juan Islands in spiffy airplanes such as de Havilland Otters and Beavers, you will want to get at least 500 hours of floatplane time.
Aside from the career implications, whether you fly a high- or low-wing airplane during your training may have some distinct advantages or disadvantages for your overall airmanship skills.
A high-wing aircraft offers better visibility below. Landing characteristics are somewhat different in that low-wing airplanes tend to float more because of ground effect, yet high-wing airplanes seem to be more susceptible to gusts and weathervane forces. The center of lift can be higher in a high-wing airplane. That effect is often offset in a low-wing airplane by dihedral, which can affect aerodynamic stability. Propeller ground clearance is generally greater in a high-wing airplane.
Finally, it is my personal recommendation that pilots train in a high-wing airplane where the wing belongs. It takes skill and uncanny aptitude to fly a high-wing airplane. The fact that I own a Cessna 182 has nothing to do with this unbiased comment.
Related Articles
