Evector SportStar -- a Light Sport 2 Person Trainer |
Here are a few similarities:
- GA is populated by enthusiasts with varying levels of commitment, training, and experience.
- GA "accidents" get wide press.
- GA pilots are often the cause of concern (and rightly so when they do dumb things).
My purely anecdotal, non-scientific estimates of the distribution of commitment to safety and proficiency (as a Flight instructor I get to fly with a wide range of pilots for training, re-training, and flight reviews):
- 25% of pilots are committed to training, safety, and proficiency.
- 50% meet standards and seek to improve or at least maintain proficiency.
- 20% are barely proficient.
- 5% are hazards.
I'd guess the distribution is similar for legal handgun owners (illegal owners are all in the "hazard" category as they have not pursued the most basic requirement of gun safety -- remaining legally unblemished).
Here's where the similarities end.
The View from the left seat |
Basic Training
The majority of GA pilots learn on a simple trainer (Cessna 152/172, Cherokee 140/160/180) with basic instruments and move up as knowledge and proficiency increases. This is a function of the availability and cost for high-end aircraft (there are some who learn in a $500k Cirrus, but most do not).
Does it make sense for someone who wants to learn handguns to start with a a"trainer?"
I think so.
For example, a new shooter might start with a Browning Buckmark .22 LR. The pistol is as heavy as most service pistols, has similar operation (safety, slide, magazine), and shoots inexpensive .22 LR ammo.
The new user has plenty of time to focus on sight picture, grip, bod position, loading/ reloading, and safety fundamentals before graduating to a louder, sharper shooting duty pistol.
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The Standard Flight Trainer: Cessna 152 |
I think so.
For example, a new shooter might start with a Browning Buckmark .22 LR. The pistol is as heavy as most service pistols, has similar operation (safety, slide, magazine), and shoots inexpensive .22 LR ammo.
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Browning Buckmark Camper .22 LR |
The BuckMark is equivalent to the Cessna 152 - operates and handles close enough to larger aircraft to inculcate good fundamentals, while being the least expensive way to burn holes in the sky. It is also relatively docile and predictable, so the novice has time to adjust and learn the correct response.
You can still crash a 152, so it is not completely safe. But flying is not inherently "safe" -- and neither are firearms. So there's enough potential danger to teach respect also.
Of course there are other .22 LR pistols, but I found the Buckmark to be the perfect compromise of quality, durability, accuracy, and price. It's an excellent platform for introducing new shooters to handguns without the distractions of recoil, loud bangs, and muzzle-end flash.
Of course there are other .22 LR pistols, but I found the Buckmark to be the perfect compromise of quality, durability, accuracy, and price. It's an excellent platform for introducing new shooters to handguns without the distractions of recoil, loud bangs, and muzzle-end flash.
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