How long have you flown the PA28? 20 yrs +
Which version? -161
How many hours so far? 1500+
How and when did you find it/buy it? Was a club plane, bought out other members in stages.
Price? I’m not answering that!
What’s the history of the plane? US registry till 1990, then UK, some training and club flying, private for 20yrs.
What would you tell every pilot who will fly a Pa28 – nice to know / need to know?! Learn the proper approach speeds. Make sure the Gascolator drain doesn’t stick open.
Any memorable anecdotes? Carb heat broke hot in middle of Irish sea, mended it myself with parts from a bike shop (under engineer supervision!)
What was your nicest flight in a Pa28? Friedrichshafen – Portoroz thro’ the alps at 10,000’.
What was your scariest experience? Efato due gascolator drain (see above).
What do you like about it? Reliable, parts available everywhere.
What do you dislike about it? Leaks in the rain. No good for sightseeing downwards!
Shortest strip? Highest Elevation? 450m. No high elevations (yet)
Highest Altitude? Fastest Groundspeed? 10’000 (per above). Sligo – Wellesbourne in 2 Hrs (281 nm!).
Longest flight? Many 3-4 Hrs but memorably Modlin EPMO – Braunschweig EDVE 370nm.
Note: Keeping assets is a character defect. I still have, and drive, my first Land Rover (1951, purchased for £50 in 1971) and have no intention to trade the Warrior for anything else. For me it’s the trip that matters, not the plane, and the Warrior gives me the best tradeoff of capability, reliability and cost of ownership for long range VFR touring. Pre-covid, we went every summer on a tour of Scandinavia meeting contacts in every capital and was never delayed by weather or tech issues for more than a day or two. The one big downside is the downward visibility and in the US I fly the 172 (similar TT and ranges) and enjoy the extraordinary view, especially the wrap around windscreen in the SP. The 172 goes higher (and needs to in the Rockies) but the luggage compartment is awful! In UK, I take comfort from having the wing between me and the cold, dark sea.
Out of curiosity, why are you asking, Snoopy? Are you looking into buying one?
CharlieRomeo wrote:
Out of curiosity, why are you asking, Snoopy? Are you looking into buying one?
Just realized I never answered. Bought a 28-140 with a good friend last year. He took over my share and I’m looking for, preferably, a 28-180 now.
I fly my PA28RT201, AKA Piper Arrow IV since 2017 when i bought it in Finland. The airplane was initialy a Finish Airforce plane, allocated to a liaison unit (never used for training) and mid first decade 2000, selled to a group of seven pilots for their own use.
After seen the plane on Planecheck, I made a first trip to Finlad, saw the plane a nd requested a ore-buy check, and on my second trip I flew it to his first homebase in Cyprus. It was my first (and unique) plane after finalizing PPL. Later, as my work place was about to change, I moved the plane to Portugal and also the registration to D (OH to 5B and later D).
The airplane has currently 9,000 flying hours, midtime enginne.
I recently had to make decision if I would keep it or would invest into a more sifisticated and faster plane. Since prives has recently became unrealistic, and speed coast a lot of money, I decided that instead I would spend a considerable amount of money to buy something that I am not aware of the conditions, and that I would not probably find what I want, to keep it and upgrade it. So, now it’s parked at Czech Republic to completely upgrade the avionics with Garmin (all glass cockpit), meaning that it is an investment to keep it for many years (unless I get the euromillions).
It has been a pleasent journey, it took me several times to cross euripe, from Cyprus to Portugal, from Cyprus to north of europe, or from Portugal to east of Europe. Not the fastest, not the slower, it is a fair plane that (with limitations which most of us flying GA have it), takes me where I want to go.
What I miss? A bit more speed and a bit lazy to climb, more MTOW and most important, FIKI. And the last it’s going to be my next investment.
And yes, I bought it in 2017 at an excellent price: 46,000 euros.
@Imsl1967 You said FIKI is going to be your next investment: is there a STC to make an Arrow FIKI?
NicoKM wrote:
@Imsl1967 You said FIKI is going to be your next investment: is there a STC to make an Arrow FIKI?
I don’t think you can do more than just heated prop on Arrow…
My understanding, only PA32 has the CAV system for TKS retrofit
An electrical hot prop on turbo Arrow 4 is more than enough IMO, the wing is draggy already and quick climbs are manageable but I doubt it’s the right platform to cruise with ice? for descents, you gotta love the 2.5km runway in Dijon even with rime ice on that T-tail
NicoKM
https://www.cav-systems.com/tks/retrofit/
Hopefuly they will come with solutions in a near future. O5herwise only prop.