The PTS P-51 was my first plane as well.

I practiced with G3 for several months before taking instructions.

On my first day out the instructor told me " oh, you know how to fly " and handed me the controls, up until it came time to land. My knees were about to buckle that day, so there was no way I would attempt a landing...

The second day out I soloed, the third I certified with the PTS.


The plane has some "faults" that are easily corrected, including the gear blocks and "walking" needles.

This does not rule it out as a good trainer, but it needs a bit more TLC than a regular trainer would.


With the training aids on ( get rid of that prop though ) it flies very slowly and is quite comparable to a regular high wing trainer in terms of speed.

Take offs are a bit more difficult with tail draggers, but at least with the PTS you will not have to "unlearn" the tendancies you pick up with the high wingers, as you transition to low winged planes.

You DO NEED an instructor with the PTS, more so than you would for a high wing traditional trainer, because of the PTS's idiosyncracies... these idiosyncracies ( which are really normal for most tail draggers ) is one of the things that turns off many people to recommending the PTS as a first plane.

If you have a good and flexible instructor though, you'll do well with this plane, especially when you add the simulator into the mix... ( though not the one included with the PTS... phew! ).

Pulling the training aids off and changing the props, transforms the plane into something you are apt to keep around for a long time... as long as you don't crash it... That is this model's greatest strength... the ability to become the "second and third" plane.

But to last that long, you must have an instructor help you out initially.

I was quite happy I selected the PTS instead of the Nexstar or Alpha.