N41282

1974 Piper Cherokee Warrior

Rental Rate: $120/hour “wet”, which means fuel and all taxes included

Warriors are the Piper equivalent to the famous Cessna 172. I prefer Pipers: I find they're easier for students to land, and they're more stable in turbulent air.

My three favorite things about N41282:

Classic: It was built in 1974. It is rivet-for-rivet identical to a brand new Warrior III. The instrument panel on newer airplanes is different, of course. And engines are now fuel-injected. But the basic airframe is untouched.

Environmentally responsible: Airplanes get enough bad press about fuel-efficiency and environmental impact. Most piston airplanes in the US are still running with lead in the fuel. Not mine! I have an auto-gas Supplemental Type Certificate (STC). This means I can legally put in unleaded fuel.

Reliable: Every time I put the key in the ignition, we go fly. Yes, I regularly schedule maintenance, and the airplane is down while it's being worked on. But I haven't cancelled a scheduled flight because something was wrong with the airplane. This is deeply comforting to me.