blaquehawk99

172 all the way!

ClarenceOver

Even for the multi? wow!

OnCenterline

Jacey,
The cool thing--one of many cool things--about GA, as the responses here indicate, is that it doesn't matter what plane you learn on. I used the Piper Colt/Cherokee 140 & 180/Cessna 152/172 for my private, and mostly a 172 for instrument. I did my commercial in an Arrow and an Aztec, and flew whatever was available for the CFI (I figured I'd have to be able to fly anything on any given day anyway). In between, if it had wings, I flew it: Grumman's, a Baron, a Citabria, a few hours in a Cub, Warriors, Archers, and Aztecs.

Pick whatever suits your fancy and your wallet. Bang for the buck is best achieved in a 152, and bang for the buck with comfort will put you in a 172 (or bigger).

The Piper 180/Archer/Warrior line is also comfortable, whereas the 140 is a bit tight.

Pick one you like, and preferably one that the flight school has several copies of. If they have one Diamond, and you want to fly that, expect scheduling issues. If it has 6 Skyhawks, scheduling will be easier.

Some of my students started in the 152 and moved to the 172 for cross-country and beyond. That works as well, and did not add significantly to the cost (at the time; less true now).

The two most important things are to be safe and to have fun. Right behind those is fly as frequently as possible. If money is an issue there, go for a 152. If it isn't, go for the Skyhawk.

727C47

I got my private ticket in a C152, but I learned to fly in a DC3.

HeavyDriver

C-152 for Private, C-172 for Instrument, PA28R for commercial, PA44 for Multi...Over 30 years ago...Very Cheap then. $27.00/hr wet for the C-152 and $8.00/hr for the instructor...

aviatorhi

Got my ratings in a 177/172/Aztec... Learned to fly in B190s and C207s.

ClarenceOver

Pa 38 private. Pa 28 instrument commercial. cj6a for the commercial gear swing. Be76 multi.

miniacaris

Got my private in a 1971 Grumman AA-1A. I'd recommend an older, steam gauge plane for your initial training, but don't choose that one, or really any AA-1A for that matter unless you enjoy 1500ft takeoff rolls and spinning into your demise.

Instrument in a SR-20, Multi-Commercial in a Seminole, CFI in an Arrow, and I now teach in an SR-20. I'd recommend doing your instrument in a plane with at least a current IFR GPS. It'll increase your approach capabilities greatly and that's where the industry is going.

Yazzoo

How I'd do it -
Private: C152, or 172 if you/you're instructor are bigger
Get your private on an aircraft with steam gauges
Instrument: C172, steam gauges. If you can fly instruments on steam, it will be easy to transition to Glass. Not so true the other way around.
Commercial: 172RG or Arrow, doesn't matter
Multi: Seneca or Seminole or Duchess, go with the cheapest and/or most available

Yoda2

Welcome to APC, The 150/152's are fine trainers. I had most of my primary training in a 150, and loved it. The biggest difference between a 150 and a 152 is that the 152 has slightly more power and 10 Deg. less Max flap angle. At that point in my life we could still fit two people in a 150 and still be under gross... In hindsight, I feel I was made a better pilot due do initially choosing the 150 over the more stable 172. I might recommend you do get checked out later in a 172 for your instrument flying and it is also nicer for taking friends for rides. Additionally, whichever you choose you are not checking another box... The quality of your primary flight instruction with heavily impact all your future flying. The skills you learned and honed in that 150 or whatever, will carry directly through to any aircraft you go on to fly in the future. It is very important to make sure you receive quality flight instruction, especially primary instruction. Also study your butt off; learn more than the minimum required. Good luck