With the Piper Archer, fuelling is not an issue, as it is easy to reach the wing. However, if you are going to buy an aircraft, you might find you have a preference, so it is worth trying both to see which you like best.Īnother difference between high and low wing aircraft comes when refueling since the fuel tanks are in the wings. To be honest, pilots quite easily get used to both of these. But in a turn, the wings obscure the ground, which is a problem in the airfield pattern when you are not used to it. In a high wing aircraft like the Cessna 172, on the other hand, the visibility in the cruise is great! You can see everything below you, and for many people, this makes a fight much more pleasurable and also makes visual navigation easier. But the advantage of a low wing aircraft is that, in turns, you can see the ground clearly, which is a distinct advantage when in the airfield pattern, and particularly when turning on to final in order to prepare for landing. You might prefer to buy an aircraft where your view is not obscured. However, it is not so good when you are on a pleasure flight and particularly want to look at the scenery below you. This can make visual navigation harder, though that not much when you become accustomed to it. In a low-wing aircraft like the Piper Archer, the wings obscure the ground as you are flying straight and level. But in terms of visibility, the position of the wings makes a great deal of difference. When actually flying, there is little to choose between them. So what difference does this wing position make, and which is best? Of course, it is possible to have a biplane with wings both above and below, but we’ll leave those for now as they are quite unusual these days. High Wing or Low Wing Aircraft: Which Is Better?įairly early on in their flying, students realize that most aircraft are either low wing and have their wings below the level of the cockpit, or high wing, with wings that are above it. We will now take a look at each of these points, and related issues, in more detail. The Cessna 172 performs well on short runways and rough strips, whereas the Piper Archer is not quite so good in these situations.The Piper Archer is somewhat awkward to climb into, as you have to stand on the wing to reach the door, whereas in the Cessna 172, this is not a problem, as the door is below the wing.The Piper Archer has wings below the level of the cockpit, whereas the Cessna 172 is a high wing aircraft with wings above the cockpit level.The Piper Archer has only one door on the right-hand side for access, whereas the Cessna 172 has two doors on each side of the aircraft.The main differences between the Piper Archer and Cessna 172 are: The Main Differences Between the Piper Archer and Cessna 172 So what are both these aircraft like to fly? Which is best, and what are the main differences between them? And which one should you buy? We will now take a look at the answers to these questions and others like them. And they want something which is fairly easy to fly. New pilots are often looking for a four-seater aircraft so that they can take family or friends flying, rather than the two-seaters on which they might have learned to fly. Either one is quite likely to be the aircraft a new pilot first flies after getting his or her license. The Piper Archer and Cessna 172 are both four-seater, all-metal aircraft that are popular with private pilots and owners alike.

Cessna 172 cockpit side view