My wife wants to get her ticket and she really likes the TriPacers "retro coolness" as she puts it; she also likes the rear door which she calls the "General Patton" door (our male Doberman travelling companion). Her dad (gone west many years ago) had an Aeronca and later a Swift in her childhood and that is part of the retro appeal to her, I think. It seems like a capable and straightforward airplane to me from what I've read but I have no direct experience with one or any other Pipers for that matter other than riding in my brother's Comanche 250 long ago.

We have a BD-4 with an IO-470 that really is not suitable as a trainer because of the vulnerability of the nosegear with 500 pounds of engine and propeller above it. If it were to be dropped in hard even once it could get very expensive very fast......I certainly slammed a C-152 onto the tarmac a few times while learning and suppose she may do the same.

I've never flown a PA-22 and hear alot about it's sink rate. Is it similar to a C-182 when you are a little slow and cut the power on short final (sure recipe to drop a 182 in and possibly bend the firewall in the process)?

Thoughts about the -22 as a trainer are appreciated.