Piper Tomahawk (2-place) 
When the original Piper Aircraft Corporation first conceived a new trainer in the mid-1970s, the company polled flight instructors to determine what traits this airplane should have. The 1978 to 1982 Tomahawk delivers what these special customers ordered: an airplane that provides honest response to pilot inputs, a comfortable cabin with great visibility, and big-airplane-style handling. The control forces and sensitivities match those of the Learjet 35, making transitions to larger aircraft the easiest of any basic trainer, hence the Tomahawk's popularity with U.S. Air Force flying clubs.
Cessna 172 (4-place)
Though strictly speaking it's not a pure trainer, the 172 is one of the most common airplanes used by flight schools. There are really three Cessna Skyhawks — the newest versions, produced since 1996, are 180-horsepower and 160-hp airplanes with fuel-injected four-cylinder Lycoming engines; the 1984 through 1968 models with the 160-hp or 150-hp four-cylinder Lycomings; and the early ones (1956 to 1967) with 145-hp Continental six-cylinder engines. 172s are also very common instrument training aircraft as well as a very popular rental model. Learn to fly in a 172 and you'll be able to rent and fly from almost any fixed base operator (FBO) worldwide.
