High Performance and Complex Airplanes 

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Transition to a complex airplane, or a high performance airplane, can be demanding for most pilots without previous experience. Increased performance and increased complexity both require additional planning, judgment, and piloting skills. Transition to these types of airplanes, therefore, should be accomplished in a systematic manner through a structured course of training administered by a qualified flight instructor.

A complex airplane is defined as an airplane equipped with a retractable landing gear, wing flaps, and a controllable-pitch propeller. For a seaplane to be considered complex, it is required to have wing flaps and a controllable-pitch propeller. A high performance airplane is defined as an airplane with an engine of more than 200 horsepower.