Transition Training Can Help a Pilot Add New Skills

Airplanes, like people, have their quirks, and these quirks can bite you.

Meg Godlewski

Monday, March 24, 2025 at 08:55 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

Transitioning from a high to low wing like this Piper PA-28 will add new skills. [Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

Pilots are encouraged to broaden their experience by getting checked out in diverse aircraft types, which enhances skills, expands rental opportunities, and builds a robust aviation résumé.
Crucial preparation for transitioning to a new aircraft involves comprehensive study of its POH/AFM, identifying significant differences from familiar planes, and actively preventing negative transference of piloting habits.
Pilots must meticulously identify aircraft-specific "gotchas," such as varying airspeed units, engine systems (carbureted vs. fuel-injected), instrument configurations, and fuel system operations, and always consult insurance providers for training requirements when acquiring new aircraft.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Low-wing, high-wing, single-engine Piper, Cessna, Diamond, Cirrus, Tecnam, Beechcraft, and a handful of light sport designs—that pretty much sums up what you can find on the rental ramp at most airports. It’s easy to get in a rut where you only fly one or two designs, but if you want to increase your options and add to your aviation résumé, make it your mission to be checked out in every aircraft you can.

This Article First Appeared in FLYING Magazine

If you're not already a subscriber, what are you waiting for? Subscribe today to get the issue as soon as it is released in either Print or Digital formats.