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A passel of Pipers

At these annual fly-ins, pilots show off their aircraft

The 38th Annual Sentimental Journey to Cub Haven Fly-In held in June invited pilots and their aircraft to fly in and “kiss the ground the Piper J–3 was built on” at the William T. Piper Airport (LHV) in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. And at the annual Massey Aerodrome in Maryland, antique aircraft and others enjoyed a picture-perfect day. Several hundred aircraft of all varieties flew in for these events. We met many Piper aircraft owners and learned why they love their airplanes.

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Meet the pilots

  • Meet the pilots
    1974 Piper Seneca II: “I love this airplane. It’s my dad’s old airplane and it’s been in our family for over 30 years. It reminds me of my dad and continues his legacy.” Andrew Findlay; Norfolk, Virginia
  • Meet the pilots
    1957 Piper Tri-Pacer PA–22-150: “I learned to fly in my dad’s Tri-Pacer, and I came across pretty good deal on this one. It’s taken me from southern Maryland to Texas and it can haul a load. I can take the family with me wherever we’re going—all three kids and all of our stuff, and it’s been great.” Matt Carruthers; St. Mary’s, Maryland
  • Meet the pilots
    1955 Piper Pacer: “I first saw this airplane 16 years ago and told the owner I’d own it one day. I love it because of the restoration by Richard Miller. It’s absolutely superb, and I love the red-and-black color scheme.” Joe Flood; Franklinville, New Jersey
  • Meet the pilots
    Piper PA–28R201T Arrow: “My Piper is my first-sight love. Fast, efficient, reliable, it couldn’t be a better choice to travel all over the Greek islands with power and safety. Next to me is a fellow pilot, Tom Papachristos, from Marion, Arkansas, who joined me on a flight in Greece.” Dinos Georgiadis; Thessaloniki, Greece
  • Meet the pilots
    1946 Piper PA–12 Super Cruiser: “I love it because it’s a Cub, and Cubs are my favorite airplane. This airplane has a Lycoming O-290-D2 135-horsepower engine, so it flies like a Cub, but it has a little more power and performance.” Brian McCay; Charlottesville, Virginia
David Tulis
David Tulis
Senior Photographer
Senior Photographer David Tulis joined AOPA in 2015 and is a private pilot with single-engine land and sea ratings and a tailwheel endorsement. He is also a certificated remote pilot and co-host of the award-wining AOPA Hangar Talk podcast. David enjoys vintage aircraft and photography.

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