High Wing, Low Wing Or Bi-Plane?

[AircraftOwner Online]

We want to know, do you prefer a high wing, low wing or bi-plane? Tell us which you choose and why below.

It's time for those of you who prefer the low wing and bi-planes to be heard, right now the high wing folks are dominating the comments... can we really continue to let that happen?

[Jack Lawless]

I'll vote for hight wing. Here in the southwest we need the shade. I had a couple of low wing planes and cooked in them in the summer.

[David Lopez]

For overall looks I love the Commander 115.
But for overall utility you just can't beat the high wing.

[Giancarlo Riolfo]

Yes, that's another high wing plus: fuel and gravity. :)

[Charles K Black]

I fly a Cardinal RG. The visibility is great, even in a turn. Since the fuel tanks are above the engine, gravity is my fuel pump. The center of gravity is below the center of lift, so there is no tendency to invert in a "too slow" situation. Ingress and egress is easy from either side. I have spent many dry, comfortable nights under the wing of my Cardinal. All it takes is a plastic tarp and some tiedowns.

[Giancarlo Riolfo]

I'm a high wing flyier 'cause I learned flying on a Tecnam P92 and the plane I currently have has a high wing. I like the good ground visibility and the wing-ground clearance. High wing plane's shortcoming is the poor visibility in turns. I had the opportunity of flying low wing planes and when you turn from base to final: wow! you can see the runway! ;) :D Anyway, there are good hing wing and good low wing aircrafts and I like flying them both. :D I never tried a biplane: I should fly one sometimes.

[Dan Mayworm]

Any position, just so that it has a wing.

Regarding Andy's comment, I have flown low wing aircraft since I graduated out of a 150 over 50 years ago. I am 6'3" and having to duck down to see out of any high wing Cessna kept me in the low wing category.

However, I have been flying a high wing Flight Design CTLS for the past 5 years and bought it because the cabin is 49" wide and you can see out any and all the windows without any bending over ( not true of the Cessna 162).

[Gus Hawkins]

High wing. God put wings on the top of birds for a reason!

[Steven Roth]

I prefer BOTH. I have a high-wing, open-cockpit Fairchild 22 for fun and a low-wing Globe Swift for "getting there". The Fairchild makes me wonder why you need that biplane lower wing!

[gregg m. reynolds]

no matter how you cut it, you can't beat the shade under a high wing at the airshows and fly-ins!

[Andy Dale]

I prefer a low-wing plane, primarily because of my height (6'5"). As an experienced flight instructor, I have over 2K hours each in high and low wing aircraft, and I find that I must duck my head to see either right or left out under the wing of a high wing aircraft such as a Cessna 172 or 182. This is annoying as well as being a safety issue. For the past 16 years I have owned a Rockwell Commander 112A, which is a low wing retractible. The view from this large cockpit is exceptional, and I can see all that I need to see with little effort. However, I am also a seaplane pilot, and in this case I much prefer a high wing Cessna 180 or 172 on floats.

The traditional advantage of a high wing over a low wing plane is the fact that high wing planes have both a pilot and a co-pilot door for easy entry and exit. My Commander represents an exception to typical low wing aircraft design, in that it also has a pilot and co-pilot door. Newer low wing aircraft designs such as the Cirrus SR-22 incorporate this feature as well.