Featured Articles
Left Coast Pilot – April 2013 A Lot More Flying Than I Expected!
I ended my February column by saying that I expected to be flying a lot less, given my wife's cancer diagnosis. In fact, I'm delighted (and more than a little surprised) to report that I've been flying a lot: my logbook includes half a dozen entries so far this year, totaling no less than 5.9 hours in two very different airplanes. And before I go any further, the reason I've been able to fly that much is that Kate is doing very well. By the time you read this, her... Read more
The Perfect 10: Aircraft Interiors: Tips and suggestions from SCS Interiors
Freshening up your aircraft’s interior can be an important update for many reasons. In addition to looking good, it increases your and your passengers’ comfort. New carpet and seat coverings often add value to your aircraft while reducing cockpit noise and vibration. Many pilots dream of the day their airplane’s cockpit is a Perfect 10, and for many, leather seats are at the top of the wish list. “There is nothing more beautiful than a leather interior in a plane—especially one that is custom designed in colors to give the... Read more
Welcome to the New Piper Flyer Association Website
January 23, 2013 Welcome to our new website. We're excited to offer some great content and also exclusive members only features. We have new community pages where members can share information, videos, photos and more. We'll be adding new content on a regular basis, so check back often. If you are a member of the Piper Flyer Association you should have received, or will receive shortly, an email with your log in information. Please log in to access members only content and our brand-new community pages. If you don't know your log in, use... Read more
The Dollars and Sense of Business Flying: A trip to Decatur, Ala.
You can’t get there from here? Yes you can… if you fly your own airplane! I’ve been a fan of flying since I was a little kid—and I’m going to be 60 in February. I grew up in Bensenville, Ill. just a mile away from O’Hare (KORD) and I would ride my bike down to Runway 14R all the time to watch the DC-3s, Electras and DC-6s. I started training for my private pilot certificate in 1980, and flew about 50 hours. Then my first son was born—this may sound... Read more
The Great American Airshow
IN A TOUGH ECONOMY, AIRSHOWS ARE STILL RIDING A WAVE OF POPULARITY. There are now more than 325 airshows held each year across North America drawing millions of spectators. This year, airshow promoters expect attendance numbers of 10 to 12 million which illustrates that even in a recession, airshow attendance is strong. Why? Airshows are one of the best entertainment values around. Consider a trip to Disneyland. Tickets for a family of two adults and two children to step through the gates of the Magic Kingdom total just over $250, and that’s... Read more
Piper’s Pest-Busting Airplanes: PA-25 & PA-36 Pawnee
In the first few decades of the aviation age, airplanes quickly became a part of Americans’ daily lives. In addition to providing invaluable service in World War II, aircraft also served in a war against six-legged pests. The first known use of a heavier-than-air machine occurred in August 1921. A United States Army Air Service Curtiss JN-4 Jenny piloted by John A. Macready was modified at McCook Field to spread lead arsenate to kill Catalpa Sphinx caterpillars at a farm near Troy, Ohio. This first test was considered highly successful. The first... Read more
Prepare for Next Year’s Inspection Now.
The object of an annual inspection is to determine that the aircraft is in condition for safe operation and complies with the type certificate. Here are some practical suggestions from an A&P/IA. I am often asked by aircraft owners, “What can I do to reduce the cost of an annual inspection?” and I will offer some suggestions and observations in this article. The key lies in preparation for the annual. Owner Maintenance Owners performing maintenance should coordinate their efforts with their mechanic/inspector. Check with your inspector prior to changing the engine... Read more
Papa, My “Baby” Comanche and Me
I came to own piper(Papa), a 1960 PA-24 in a roundabout way. I had been screening ads in Trade-A-Plane and on the Internet for another airplane. I had studied Mooney, Beech and Cessna options but the airplanes that fit my needs were either quirky in some way or beyond my means.I had previously owned a 1947 Piper PA 12. (Editor’s Note: For the story of Steve’s PA-12 see “My First Airplane, What Mike Taught Me About Flying”) June 2011, Piper Flyer) It was a very simple airplane and didn't burn... Read more
Spark Plug Servicing
According to FAR Part 43 Appendix A, “Major Alterations, Major Repairs, and Preventive Maintenance,” aircraft owners are permitted to service the spark plugs in their engine. The following should help owners get more acquainted with this task.The short list of removal and reinstallation tools include a six-point 7/8-inch deep socket; a ratchet wrench and extensions that fit the socket; either a ¾-inch or 7/8-inch open-ended wrench to remove and reinstall the spark plug high-tension leads; a torque wrench to insure that the plugs are tightened properly during re-installation; and some... Read more
Destination: Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks
“Pilot Report: Gorgeous!” That’s what I said when closing my flight plan after a two hour air tour during a flying vacation in (and over) Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, two of the premier vacation destinations in the U.S. Both parks and related areas, including the resort town of Jackson Hole, Wyo., turned out to be particularly well suited for a flying vacation—in fact, as our photos show, some features really can’t be fully appreciated unless you see them from the air.The scenery in both parks is so spectacular that... Read more
My First Airplane: What Mike Taught Me About Flyin
06/2011 My First Airplane: What Mike Taught Me About Flyingby Steve Ells I had been bitten by the aviation bug as soon as I joined the U.S. Navy and started sending away to the EAA for booklets on homebuilt airplanes in the mid-1960s. I still have titles such as, “Amateur Aircraft Builder’s Manual, First Volume 1959,” and “Wood, File Number 1.” After three Vietnam cruises during the three years, 10 months and 21 days I spent in the Navy, I worked my way through the 13-month airframe and powerplant curriculum at Northrop... Read more
Pipers PA-31 Twins
In October of 1958, Piper proposed a twin-engine version of the successful Comanche single. This was not the PA-30 Twin Comanche, the planning of which had begun two years earlier but development and production of which would be several years hence (thus the skip in numeric order). Piper initially planned for the model to be developed in California by Bill Lear, and would furnish a PA-24 Comanche airframe and two 200 hp IO-360 engines. Whether this actually ever happened is not recorded, but in 1962 the PA-30 project was given... Read more
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Piper, European Dealers Exhibit at EBACE…
VERO BEACH, Fla., May 21, 2013 – Piper Aircraft Inc. and its European dealers and sales agents will display a 2013 single-engine turboprop M-Class Meridian at this year’s EBACE, the European Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition, to be held May 21-23 at Geneva Palexpo and Geneva International Airport. “This venue is truly Europe’s premier event focused on business aviation, and Piper’s...
Read morePiper Appoints Veteran Industry Executiv…
VERO BEACH, Fla., May 21, 2013 – Piper Aircraft Inc. has appointed General Aviation industry veteran, Drew McEwen, to Vice President of Sales and Marketing, where he will lead global sales and marketing for the Company. He will continue to report to President and CEO Simon Caldecott and serve on the Company’s Executive Leadership Team. “Drew’s leadership of Piper’s global sales...
Read morePiper Receives OK for Garmin G1000 in Se…
VERO BEACH, Fla., May 15, 2013 – Piper Aircraft, Inc. has received Type Certificate approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to incorporate the Garmin G1000 avionics suite into new twin-engine Piper Seneca V aircraft models for delivery beginning this year. Piper Aircraft Inc. is one of the first manufacturers to adopt the most recent G1000 software supporting a three display avionics...
Read moreDUSTY, STAR OF ‘DISNEY’S PLANES,’ TO APP…
Dusty Crophopper will be on display and fly throughout week at Oshkosh EAA AVIATION CENTER, Oshkosh, Wis. – (May 21, 2013) – The summer release of “Disney’s Planes,” the animated comedy adventure from above the world of the popular 2006 film “Cars,” has the entire aviation community buzzing. “Disney’s Planes” captures all of the thrill and excitement that flying has...
Read moreBIRD? PLANE? IT’S JETMAN AT EAA AIRVENTU…
EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wis. — (May 2, 2013) — Yves “Jetman” Rossy, the world’s first jet-powered man, will make his first public U.S. flights this summer at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, showcasing the cutting edge of human flight at The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration on July 29-August 4. The U.S. flights are supported by Jetman’s sponsor, the luxury Swiss watch manufacturer...
Read moreThe New Airman Certification Standard: W…
Newcastle, WA -- Over the past several months, ASA has been participating on the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) Airman Testing Standards and Training Working Group, which resulted from the Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) conducted in 2011. One of the primary tasks of the ARAC was to provide an integrated Airman Certification Standard (ACS) which will replace the Practical Test Standards...
Read moreCalifornia Aviation Awareness Day
California Aviation Awareness Day at the Capitol in Sacramento, April 24, 2013 The California Aviation Awareness Day at the Capitol is presented to inform legislators, staff, and the public about the importance of aviation to the welfare of the California economy and to raise the level of awareness of the benefits of aviation to all Californians. Our Main Message Aviation is vital to...
Read moreNext Series of ASTM D7547 UL 91 Unleaded…
Lycoming Continues Call for ‘UL 100’ as a Fleetwide Solution Williamsport, PA – Lycoming Engines, a division of Avco Corporation, released Service Instruction SI-1070R in April of 2012, which approved a wide variety of engines for use with ASTM D7547 UL 91 unleaded avgas. European Aviation Safety Administration (EASA) Safety Information Bulletin (SIB) 2011-01 provided aircraft-level approval on the basis of...
Read moreBuildAPlane Announces Teachers’ Day 2013…
BuildAPlane, a non-profit aviation education organization in cooperation with GAMA and EAA, will sponsor Teachers’ Day at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture again this year in Oshkosh, WI. The event is scheduled for July 30th, 2013, and will expose teachers to a variety of programs and curricula that allow educators to put aviation in classrooms, from middle school through high...
Read moreActivity Stream
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John Bagnas updated the article: Piper Receives OK for Garmin G1000 in Seneca V’s2 days ago -
John Bagnas updated the article: Piper Appoints Veteran Industry Executive2 days ago
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John Bagnas updated the article: Piper, European Dealers Exhibit at EBACE 20132 days ago
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John Bagnas added a new article: Piper, European Dealers Exhibit at EBACE 20132 days ago
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John Bagnas added a new article: Piper Appoints Veteran Industry Executive2 days ago
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John Bagnas added a new article: Piper Receives OK for Garmin G1000 in Seneca V’s2 days ago
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John Bagnas updated the article: DUSTY, STAR OF ‘DISNEY’S PLANES,’ TO APPEAR AT EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH 20132 days ago