​
Hey everyone,
I recently sat in a PA-28 Archer DX to check cockpit fit, and I’m a bit confused about whether I properly fit or not.
For context:
- Height: 6'6"
- Sitting height: 99 cm
What I experienced:
- On right turn, full yoke deflection was completely fine
- On left turn, the yoke just touched my knee and stopped slightly short (very small margin)
- I was wearing sports shoes (thick sole)
- Seat was likely fully back and fairly upright
I could get full movement if I slightly adjusted/twisted my leg, but naturally it was just barely interfering.
Now I’m trying to figure out:
- Is this considered acceptable for training?
- Or does this mean I’m too tall for the PA-28 platform?
I’ve heard that:
- Seating position (not maxing seat back)
- Reclining the backrest
- Using thinner shoes
…can make a difference, but I haven’t tested again yet.
Would really appreciate input from:
- Tall pilots flying PA-28
- Instructors who’ve seen similar cases
Main question:
👉 If it’s only a very slight interference that might be fixed with setup/shoes, is the aircraft still workable long-term?
I used chat gpt to summarise the doubts I had
Thanks for Help