Know your airplane
Reference pages for the airplanes you train in — history and variants in plain English, a factual specifications & performance table with its source cited, and a direct line from the airplane back to the concepts on your FAA knowledge test. Specifications are facts; narrative is original.
Cessna 172 Skyhawk
The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing airplane and the most-produced aircraft in history. Its forgiving handling and fixed tricycle gear have made it the default primary trainer for generations of U.S. pilots.
Cessna 152
The Cessna 152 is a two-seat, single-engine, high-wing airplane built from 1977 to 1985 as the successor to the Cessna 150. Light, cheap to operate, and famously docile, it remains one of the most common ab-initio trainers on flight-school ramps.
Piper PA-28-181 Archer
The Piper PA-28-181 Archer is a four-seat, single-engine, low-wing airplane from Piper’s long-running Cherokee family. With 180 horsepower and a forgiving tapered wing, it is one of the most common low-wing trainers and personal cross-country aircraft in the U.S. fleet.
Cessna 182 Skylane
The Cessna 182 Skylane is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing airplane — essentially a heavier, more powerful 172 with a constant-speed propeller. It is the classic "step-up" airplane for pilots moving beyond a basic trainer into real cross-country and family flying.
Diamond DA40 Diamond Star
The Diamond DA40 Diamond Star is a four-seat, single-engine, low-wing composite airplane with a long, glider-like wing and a bubble canopy. Built around modern glass avionics and a strong safety record, it is a popular contemporary trainer.
Cirrus SR20
The Cirrus SR20 is a four/five-seat, single-engine, low-wing composite airplane and the first certificated general-aviation aircraft delivered with a whole-airframe parachute (CAPS). With side-yoke controls and glass avionics, it is a widely used modern trainer.
Studying for the written?
Drill ACS-aligned practice questions on performance, weight & balance, and systems — free to start.
Take a free practice test →Specification figures are facts cited to the manufacturer and the FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet. Narrative is original wording. Always fly to the limitations in the official POH/AFM for your specific aircraft.