I think of “small plane” as anything that is single pilot rated.
[Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley]
You gonna give me a hard-on.
[/GSEF]
So then, where do flying cars fit into all this?
IMHO, I would say that if you can grab it by the prop and pull it out of the hangar, it is a small plane. If you need a tug, it isn’t.
Basically 2-6 passenger single engine prop planes.
And so you should be. As a perpetual student you must have done a lot of practice over the years :).
To me a “small plane” is single pilot, mainly piston engined (with exceptions), and less than 5700kg (which is a dividing line in the Australia rule set.)
There are other things that go toward my impression of how big an aeroplane is. A Dash 8 (any model) has an aisle that an average bloke can stand up straight in. The same can’t be said for many other turbo-prop regional aircraft.
At work we have Dash 8s, Islanders, a Shrike, and Reims F406s. I consider all but the Dash 8 to be “small”. If I was reading a news report however, I might expect a “small plane” to be more in the area of single engine 4 - 8 seat Cessna/Piper type general aviation aircraft.
I think in general I agree with Johnny’s perception of “small plane.”
ETA: A few other indicators.
If one of the passengers sits up front with the pilot, it’s a small plane.
If my shoulders touch the the guy sitting next to me, it’s a small plane.
If it has a “flightdeck” it’s a big/medium plane.
If it has a space designed for me to place my flightbag, it’s a big/medium plane.
Absent any other context, I would say that if it’s commonly used by airlines, it’s not a “small plane”, it’s an “airliner”. I also like 1920’s suggestion of “If one of the passengers sits up front with the pilot, it’s a small plane.”. Which of course leads to, if there isn’t a seat up front with the pilot, it’s definitely a small plane.
The Cessna Caravan is the dividing line between “small” and “medium”. From the factory, it’s small; put on some amphibious floats and it’s medium.
For me, if it’s small enough to have been made by Cessna then it’s a small plane. Anything bigger and it isn’t.
150’s and 172’s and smaller are “small planes”. I got a friend that flew “Big Planes” (L1011).
Sagnasty– uhhh, Piper?
A C-12 is a small plane to me (and slow, too - OMG slooooow). Any plane where the pilot can talk to the passenger(s) over his shoulder is a small plane.
And any plane where the passengers can hear him is probably experiencing engine failure. :dubious:
Yelling works.
I think it easier to go like this:
A C5 is a ‘big’ plane.
If the plane will fit into its cargo bay, its a ‘small’ plane.
There are fairly standard industry definitions for jets, based in part on the FAA.
Very light jets, such as the Cessna Mustang or Honda Jet, have take-off weights under 10k lbs, and are most often (though not necessarily) certified for Part 23 and single pilot operation. They’ll typically seat 6 or less.
Light Jets, such as the Cessna CJ2 or Embraer Phenoms, have takeoff weights of up to 20k lbs, and are split between Part 23 and Part 25 in one or two pilot configurations. Passenger capacity is often 8, with a range of 6-12, at the outside.
Mid-size business jets, such as the Gulfstream G150 and Cessna Citation X, are bit harder to classify. Again, they can be Part 23 or 25, but I believe exclusively 2 pilot configurations. Rather than take-off weight, use a cut-off of around US$20MM for a 2007 delivery.
Large business jets, including the Gulfsteam G550 and Bombardier Global Express, top out at 19 passengers for a variety of FAA reasons. Prices range from US$20-50MM. Aside from some truly massive, and truly rare, Boeing, Embraer, or Bombarier business jet conversions from their respective RJ or commercial jet lines, these are the largest business jets you are likely to find.
Larger still are ERJs, CRJs, and finally commercial hub and spoke aircraft from Boeing and Airbus.
I’ve been in each group, and none seemed “too small”. An ultralight personal aircraft like a Foxbat… now that is small. But still not too small, IMO.
I think that with engine failure, yelling is a given.
I think the US public thinks like this: Boeing makes regular size & king-size planes. Anything smaller than a Boeing is a small plane.
I think anyone in aviation or familiar with it pretty well follows the FAR definitions.
And the two words most often yelled…? 
“Not Good!!!”