Milestones: Piper celebrates its 80th
Vero Beach manufacturer seeing strong production numbers
It started with a yellow airplane
1937: William T. Piper establishes the Piper Aircraft Corp. The Piper Cub is born.
1948: Piper PA–15 Vagabond is developed.
1954: Piper PA–23 Apache is Piper’s first twin-class, all-metal airplane.
1957: Fred Weick joins Piper and establishes manufacturing facility in Vero Beach, Florida.
1972: The Cheyenne, Piper's first certified turbine aircraft, is introduced.
1983: Piper Malibu is certified.
1994: Piper Archer III is launched.
2000: Piper PA–46 Meridian is certified.
2008: Unpressurized Piper Matrix is introduced.
2015: New M-class line is launched—the M350, M500, and M600.
Founded in 1937 by William T. Piper, the company that gave the world the iconic yellow J–3 Cub started out in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. That location, near the Susquehanna River, was prone to flooding, so the company relocated to Vero Beach in 1967. Piper also has manufactured aircraft in California; Oklahoma; and Lakeland, Florida, but those locations have since closed.
Several proud owners of J–3s flew their airplanes to Vero Beach Regional Airport (VRB), creating a static display of the recognizable aircraft along the flight line. Carl and Donna Miller flew the 1941 J–3 that they restored to the anniversary celebration. The Millers are founding members of Florida Cub Flyers, a chapter of the Antique Airfield Association that has 42 members around the state.
Piper is on schedule to produce 163 aircraft in 2017, and will produce 210 in 2018, said Eric Wright, senior director of certification and technical affairs. Piper has built more than 140,000 aircraft throughout its history. Of those, 100,000 are still flying around the world. The company holds more than 150 type certificates.
Piper produces single-engine piston PA-28 Warriors (to order), Archers, and Arrows; twin-engine Seminoles and Senecas; and the turbine M series 350/500/600, as well as Matrixes (to order). In August, Piper announced that sales of the PA-28 trainers had grown to their highest level since 2003. The company has supplied aircraft to the ATP Flight Schools, FlightSafety International, and the University of North Dakota, among others. Trainers are sold directly to flight schools, but a dealer network still services turbine shoppers.
The company employs about 800 workers, some of whom have worked for Piper more than 50 years. Some retirees are hired back part-time so that they can train younger workers in certain manufacturing techniques. “It works well and yields a really quality product,” said Brian Mesing, senior program manager of new product development.
Visitors to the factory saw aircraft in production, as the company runs two shifts six days a week at the million-square-foot facility. Mesing noted that Piper builds 90 to 91 percent of every aircraft. Engines, propellers, and avionics are the only outsourced items, he said.
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