The Ultra Stik will have more self-recovery than a low wing. Considerably less than with a trainer, yes, but the tendency was very noticeable when I compared a Twist to my Tango (the Twist is a mid-wing, the Tango a high-wing). Both of these planes share the same wing design and have similar control surfaces. My Tango was more sensitive than the Twist on the controls, however, and that may have been my setup. I would recommend the Ultra-Stik before I would a low-wing as a second plane, because even a low-wing "trainer" such as the Sig Four-Star, Tiger 2, or Rapture 40 is going to require more airspeed, a longer takeoff run, and a shallower approach when landing. They have a thinner airfoil, higher center of gravity, and narrower wing cord. These issues reduce stability, and increase snap capability at lower speeds. There are plenty of low-wing crash stories, and many are due to complacency, when the pilot least expected it.

The high-wing in general just allows for a larger margin of error. If there is any discomfort about handling a trainer easily through all phases of flight, then the best bet would be to consider a semi-symmetrical high wing such as the Arrow or Avistar first, then perhaps move on to the more responsive Ultra Stik or low-wing as a third plane.

NorfolkSouthern