Given the right student and the right instructor a turbine jet could be used as a trainer. And IMHO that is where the P-51 PTS comes into play. Yes, it can be used as a trainer. But it's not for everybody. First, not every student is going to be able to learn on it. Also, not every instructor is going to be able to teach on it. Don't get me wrong as I'm not saying that it's impossible to use it as a trainer, because it can be done. But the envelope of who will be able to learn on this trainer setup is much smaller than it would be for some of the more traditional trainers out there.

I've taught many people to fly, and there would only be a few of those that I would have taught with this PTS system. If you are considering this system I would recommend that you first find your instructor. Find out if they are comfortable teaching on this system. Also, if possible have them give you a intro flight on a more traditional trainer. By doing this they'll get a feel for if you will be able to learn on this system.

Hangar 9 definitely tapped into an area with trainers with this PTS system. Everybody wants to fly that P051 for some reason, and by making a "trainer" look like one they get an "A" for getting a lot of interest. Unfortunately though it's not a trainer for everybody. I like to call it an advanced trainer instead of a basic trainer. This system will work for some, and not for others. Hopefully you'll fall into the group that this system will work for. But if not, you can always move up to it from a more basic trainer later on.

Ken