The PA–20 Piper Pacer made news in 1950 by adding a nosewheel to become the PA–22 Tri-Pacer. The gear seemed a little close together, and thus it gained an unfair nickname—the flying milk stool. Tri-Pacers came in 125-, 135-, 150-, and 160-horsepower models with a 180-horsepower after-market conversion available. There are 2,833 Tri-Pacers still registered out of 7,629 built (other estimates are 2,000 aircraft higher). There are also 721 Piper Colts registered, the lower-power two-seat aircraft that looks like a Tri-Pacer but is more equal to a Cessna 150. The Tri-Pacer compares well to the Cessna 172. It has a steel-tube-and-fabric construction fuselage and therefore should live in a hangar to protect against corrosion and sun damage to the fabric.
THE REAL WORLD
George Klitsch used his 160-horsepower Piper Tri-Pacer to travel between two homes in Florida and found at 125 miles per hour it was quite fast enough, given the Florida traffic and Everglades detours he was avoiding. For a per-hour cost including pretty much anything you can think of (engine fund, maintenance, hangar, fuel, oil, maintenance) he suggested calling Connie Stevens, president of the Short Wing Piper Club. She keeps spreadsheets on costs and estimates the per-hour cost for her 150-horsepower Tri-Pacer flown 50 hours per year is $81.90 while other pilots with 150-horsepower Tri-Pacers report $92 to $112 based on flying 100 hours per year. Stevens’ total annual costs are $4,095, and of that, $3,670 were fixed costs to include, hangar, insurance, and annual maintenance costs.
Klitsch offers this tip to determine if the aircraft you want to buy has corrosion in the steel-tube frame: From the exterior, run your hand along the bottom of the airframe. If the steel tubes have rust, you will feel it. That is not the airplane you want. What he likes best about his Tri-Pacer is the ability to land on any spot he selects. That means the airplane can also develop a high sink rate, but if the tower says land long or land short, or land on that exact spot, you’ll be able to do it.
Alton K. Marsh is a freelance aviation writer.
For more information
Short Wing Piper Club, P.O. Box 10822, Springfield, Missouri 65808; 855-797-2411, email [email protected]; www.shortwingpiperclub.org. You might first reach an answering service, but they do call back promptly.
