#MyPiperStory Showcase

“As part of building experience towards my flight instructor rating, I began flying the Piper PA38 Tomahawk. I have many memories and stories from my time flying the great machine, from cross countries up and down the South Island of New Zealand, and lunch trips with my parents, but my most memorable is a solo trip I took to the west coast of the South Island. On this flight, it was a beautiful day, and I was just out to build some hours and enjoy the sunshine. With nowhere to be, I took my time and decided to take the Tomahawk for a climb up to 13,000ft. The little machine worked its magic and proved its strength in reaching its service ceiling with no issues. The views were amazing, and this flight remains one of my favourite aviation experiences, a story I still tell my students and friends, years on.”

“I started flight training in a Tomahawk in 1981 in Austin (at an airport that no longer exists), and I thought that was the coolest looking plane I had ever seen, like a miniature airliner. In the 40+ years since then, at least half of the 30 types I’ve flown are Piper. I took my (now) wife flying on our first date in a Cherokee in 1987 and I’m sure it helped seal the deal. The first airplane I owned was a Turbo Arrow IV (in 1988), which taught me a lot about “finesse”, and the two of us flew all over the country on countless adventures. When the Malibu was announced, I aspired to own one until the stars finally aligned in 2000, when Dick Dumais bought the first Meridian, and I stepped into his ’98 Mirage. That airplane changed our lives with pressurization and weather capability. At that time, we had an eight year old daughter and a dog to take so many new places, venturing much further, from California to the Bahamas, and New York to the northwest. This was also the first plane that I was able to use as a serious business tool, flying all over the county and Canada, really learning the value of private air transport. And now, finally, I am so incredibly fortunate to be able to own an M600. With family, children, and grandchildren scattered across the country, we are so very much enjoying the ability to go wherever and whenever we want, and sharing our passion for aviation. We’re able to do so many things that just can’t be done any other way; there’s no way we could do what we’re doing on the airlines. This really is the perfect airplane for our needs and we hope to enjoy it for many more years (at least until whatever is next arrives!) It’s such a remarkable machine, and there is nothing else that can do what the M600 does, with the efficiency that it delivers. And all along this journey, Piper has been a wonderful partner, doing everything possible to ensure we have the best possible experience. Thank you so much for being a part of our lives and being an integral part of the memories that we’re creating.”