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Private Aircraft question

3,122 Views | 16 Replies | Last: 4 mo ago by SabineAg
Whaler
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10:15p, 7/19/25
AG
In the late 70's I took flying lessons during the summer. I didn't quite complete my flight training for my private pilots license… weather didn't cooperate for my final cross country and I ran out of time before going back to A&M. Anyway, I'm interested in getting back into flying, and I'm reading about aircraft. For the life of me, I can't remember if the Piper Cherokees I was training in had air conditioning. I don't think so…. So, in Texas, especially summer in Texas, do you need a/c in your private aircraft to be comfortable?
TIA…
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CanyonAg77
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10:34p, 7/19/25
AG
Almost no entry-level private aircraft will have air conditioning.

You'll have to tough it out.

Air is a lot smoother at sunrise anyway, fly Dawn Patrol as much as possible.
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Rockdoc
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10:45p, 7/19/25
AG
Yeah I took my training in a 152. Like he said above, almost no trainer type aircraft have AC. Fly early in the morning. In Abilene in the heat of the midday in summer made those little 152's not wan to settle on the runway.
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Gunny456
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In reply to Whaler • 11:31p, 7/19/25
AG
I owned a 1979 Piper PA-28-161 or called the Warrior 1. Had it for about 12years.
It was basically a Cherokee with tapered wings that were two feet wider than the old Cherokee with the " Hershey Bar" wings.
Mine had a factory option AC that worked really well. However, when activated, the cooling coil door would fold down out of the belly of the plane and create quite a bit of drag and would cost you a few knots of cruising air speed.
Honestly I never hardly ever used it. It was nice while on the ground on hot days but I rarely felt the need to use it once I got over 2500-3000' altitude.
But it was a relatively inexpensive general aviation aircraft that did have working AC.
Lots of Warriors were used in flight schools for IFR training.
Great airplane,…. affordable, safe, and fairly economical with the Lycoming 160HP power plant.
It was kinda a rare factory option but quite a few Piper Warriors had it. I'm sure you can search and find one today.
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MaroonDontRun
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10:06a, 7/20/25
AG
A/C is nice on the ground but as soon as you reach altitude it becomes unnecessary (the lapse rate ~4 degrees per 1000 ft.).

Before I bought my Mooney I was in a flight club out of KTME (Houston Exec) and all of their aircraft came equipped with A/C. I used to fly their Piper Archers and really enjoyed them.

US Flight Club

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Pinochet
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10:20a, 7/20/25
You don't need a/c. It costs you weight. Especially in a trainer, you should just do as Canyon says. Fly early or just wear shorts and open the vents. Once you finish your license, some people get portable units that run on a battery/ice chest and can keep you cool on the ground. I have one of those that I got for free and still don't use because it's not worth the hassle.
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strn
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3:40p, 7/20/25
AG
AC is not worth the cost or weight. It cools off once you start climbing out.
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fire09
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6:21p, 7/20/25
AG
One other point, training for you is mostly going to be done at low altitude, especially metro area flying. Be prepared to sweat. Fly early. Bring a neck cooler. 2000 ft is still hot as hell and doing lazy 8 or turns around point or hood work is going to make your insides hurt, which doesn't combo well with heat.
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Whaler
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10:52p, 7/20/25
AG
Yeah, I remember during my fight training in the 70's, I almost always flew in the early mornings and wore shorts. And it was hot, lol. I remember once we were up, it wasn't nearly as bad… but I couldn't remember if it was all due to altitude or whether we also turned on a/c once we were at altitude. Thanks for your responses and jogging my memory.
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BMach
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3:37p, 7/21/25
AG
I've heard the icy breeze coolers work decently in airplanes, but I never put one in the 172s I trained in. Just toughed it out on the ground in a busy class D at KGTU. Sitting number 7 in line for departure with a full pattern sucked for afternoon lessons.
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MouthBQ98
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3:40p, 7/21/25
AG
Only been in a small plane or copter a few times but I do remeber even when it was miserable on the ground, once in the air, between air flow and temps dropping off as altitude increased, it was pretty comfortable not all that high up.
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average_joker
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2:17p, 9/22/25
AG
Training typically creates longer taxi and ground time since students typically are slower at tasks and the instructor may be, instructing. I'd suggest starting training back up in mid October. Nice pretty days.
I can confirm thag US Flight Club has A/C equipped Archers. They also have a flight school attached that trains students im Cherokee 180's called Executive Flight School. https://www.executiveflightschool.com/
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fire09
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In reply to average_joker • 7:54a, 9/23/25
AG
That's the old crew from Weiser, or what's left of them. Good people. TME is a great towered learning airport but it's gotten significantly more busy since I started flying out of there in 15. Harry runs USFC out there as well. Not sure if Aaron is still involved. Harry is a great dude and got me my instrument ticket. Not sure he is still instructing. Some of the members are incredibly unsafe, they should really start to restrict it, just a matter of time until the first major incident with the yahoos. But the planes aren't making money just sitting so they need the headcount.
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confucius_ag
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8:08a, 9/23/25
AG
My dad made a small swamp cooler out of styrofoam for his 172. It would sit in the back seat. He made some hard molded ducts that would blow on the back of your neck. He used a small fan with a pump that circulated water through an oil cooler.

Put in a bag or 2 of ice and it felt pretty good.
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Emotional Support Cobra
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9:27a, 9/23/25
AG
My son takes lessons now in Piper Cherokees. On the ground they just ride around with the door open til takeoff. Then the vents allow airflow while in flight. While not A/C cold it cools down pretty well at 3000ft and up.
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average_joker
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In reply to fire09 • 2:18p, 9/23/25
AG
fire09 said:
That's the old crew from Weiser, or what's left of them. Good people. TME is a great towered learning airport but it's gotten significantly more busy since I started flying out of there in 15. Harry runs USFC out there as well. Not sure if Aaron is still involved. Harry is a great dude and got me my instrument ticket. Not sure he is still instructing. Some of the members are incredibly unsafe, they should really start to restrict it, just a matter of time until the first major incident with the yahoos. But the planes aren't making money just sitting so they need the headcount.
Harry claims he doesn't teach anymore, but he's giving instruction twice a week to a friend of his. Aaron is around, but he flies corporate so he mostly does admin stuff.
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SabineAg
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4:14p, 9/23/25
AG
I've been getting instruction out of West Houston Airport (KIWS). Flying their 172s the past couple of months has not been bad at all.

As mentioned above, once you turn on the plane the prop will give you plenty of breeze through the window. And once you're in the air it's cool enough and there's a good breeze through the air ducts.

As someone who also started and didn't finish once before, I would highly recommend finding the school that is in closest proximity to you and an instructor you want to work with.

Not letting traffic get in the way of planning lessons and enjoying who you're flying with makes a huge difference.
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