Originally Posted by gunradd

Ok first off I would be very careful getting a viper for a first jet. They like to tip stall for inexperienced flyers and it happens very quickly. I've seen so many new pilots get vipers then put them in the ground turning final.

Size...
I will use the same type of airframe for comparison here. T1 mini -T-1 and the T3.

These are all the same airframe just different sizes and I have lots of flying time on all 3. The easiest to fly I would say is the T3. It is extremely stable and a fun bird to fly. A problem with the bigger birds though is understanding how much load your putting on the aircraft. So for instance if your going to want to fly full throttle straight down then yank on it the T3 is not the plane for you. The T-1 for me is the best of the 3 because its easy to handle by yourself and it has a very light wing loading at its size. It will do anything you want in the sky also. It will fly like a trainer or do any advanced maneuver in the book when you get more experienced. I have gotten many people turbine waivers on the original T-1. Some of these guys had 0 jet experience and I could get them done in one day on the T-1. The smaller mini T-1 is a great flyer but harder to see and for sure a tougher aircraft to fly then its bigger brothers. The smaller jets have pretty much all the same equipment as a larger jet so your going to have a much higher wing loading. That being said I have seen many guys get a mini T-1 as a first jet and have great success.

Bottom line is bigger is better up to point. You really want something at least 85 inches long. Also Stay away from vipers for a first jet.