Today’s Top Pick is a 1948 Piper PA-14 Family Cruiser.

How many more pilots would have purchased a Piper Cub or one of its many derivatives if the aircraft could carry more than two people? Certainly the company had this in mind when developing the three-place PA-12 Super Cruiser.

But even Cub fans might not be aware of the PA-14, a four-place model developed by widening the front of the Super Cruser’s cabin to add a fourth seat. This machine could have been just right for many customers with families of four, but difficult financial times at Piper coincided with PA-14 production. Only 200-odd PA-14s rolled out of the Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, factory before the model was discontinued.

Subsequent four-place Piper models, such as the Pacer and Tri-Pacer, eventually addressed the needs of traveling families, though the Family Cruiser, with its traditional control sticks and Cub styling, always seemed like the one that got away. The aircraft for sale presents a rare opportunity.

Like many PA-14s, this one wound up in Alaska, where pilots truly appreciate an airplane with extra utility. Many of the modifications made to the airframe and systems are aimed at maximizing the aircraft’s performance in the region’s often-challenging conditions. The airplane’s design and features could make it an ideal vintage traveler for modern families.

This 1948 Family Cruiser has 11,117 hours on the airframe and 749 hours on its 160 hp Lycoming O-320-A2B engine. Time on the Sensenich two-blade 74DM6-0-52 propeller is unknown.

The aircraft is equipped with Super Cub landing gear, throttle and horizontal stabilizer with modified elevators, Cleveland brakes, 26-inch Goodyear tires,  Scott ABI 3200 tailwheel, seaplane doors, float fittings, and other modifications, and comes with EDO 2000 floats.

The VFR panel includes a Garmin Aera 500 GPS, King KY 92 comm radio and a CHT gauge.

Pilots who love Cubs but need four seats should consider this 1948 Piper PA-14 FamilyCruiser, which is available for $125,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Cubs to Gather in California
• FLYING Magazine: Piper Celebrates 75-Year Milestone With Company Fly-In
• FLYING Magazine: A Virtual History of the Piper Cub
• Plane & Pilot: Piper Super Cub PA-18-150
• The Aviation Consumer: Used Taildraggers: Demand, Prices Up
• The Aviation Consumer: Used Aircraft Guide: Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser

The post This 1948 Piper PA-14 Family Cruiser Is a Super-Rare ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1965 Piper PA-18-160 Super Cub.

Piper’s PA-18 Super Cub evolved from the legendary J-3 and the PA-11 Cub Special that followed, but with flaps, electrical systems, and engines typically in the 150 hp range, the Super Cub performed like none of its ancestors. Known for taking off and landing within a few hundred feet or less, these airplanes came to define STOL and backcountry flying. Many wound up on oversize tires, skis, or floats, plying the Alaskan bush and other challenging environments.

Modification was the name of the game with Super Cubs, with owners tailoring the aircraft to their specialized needs. Indeed, it is difficult to find a stock Super Cub these days. Most will have at least a few upgrades to their engines, fuel systems, and airframes. Mods range from high-performance propellers and exhaust systems and lightweight starters to extended baggage compartments, external racks, and cargo pods. 

This Super Cub has 10,060 hours on the airframe and 50 hours on its Lycoming O-320 B2B engine. The aircraft received new paint and interior in 2011. Its basic VFR panel includes a Becker com radio and intercom.

Pilots looking for the singular experience of flying what many consider the grandfather of backcountry aviation should consider this 1965 Piper PA-18-160 Super Cub, which is available for $112,965 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Aircraft Comps: Piper PA-18 Super Cub Versus the World
• FLYING Magazine: Hartzell Trailblazer Prop Available for Super Cub
• FLYING Magazine: Behind the Scenes at CubCrafters, Crafting a Cub
• Plane & Pilot: Reconnecting With An Old Friend In A Super Cub
• Plane & Pilot: Super Cub Gallery
• AVweb: Sensenich Gets Prop STC For Piper Super Cub

The post This 1965 Piper PA-18-160 Super Cub Is a Backcountry Pioneer and an ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The NTSB has also named the FAA, Piper Aircraft, and Lycoming engines as parties to the investigation, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said in a briefing Wednesday.

The Piper PA-18 150 Super Cub piloted by Eugene “Buzzy” Peltola Jr., 57 and husband of Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola, went down shortly after takeoff around 8:45 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time Tuesday, approximately 64 miles north of St. Mary’s, Homendy said.

St, Mary’s is located north of Bethel, Alaska, in mountainous terrain.

• READ MORE: ‘Flying Wild Alaska’ Pilot Jim Tweto Dies in Accident

Citing preliminary information, Homendy said Peltola had flown to the remote area to drop off a hunter with their equipment. Peltola was departing the area and was alone in the airplane when it went down shortly after takeoff. 

Witnesses to the accident will be interviewed by the NTSB, she said.

The NTSB said the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center at Anchorage’s Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson received a satellite signal from the airplane’s emergency locator transmitter at 8:48 p.m. ADT and deployed an Alaska Air National Guard rescue team, which arrived at the scene early Wednesday.

• READ MORE: NTSB Cites Weather, Terrain as Possible Factors in Denali Accident

Alaska State Troopers reported that Peltola initially survived the accident and was cared for by two hunters, but he succumbed to his injuries before additional help could arrive.

Because of the remote location, there are no reports of weather in the area at the time of the accident. According to Timetable.com, sunset was approximately 9:29 p.m. ADT.

Peltola was issued a commercial pilot’s certificate in 2004, according to The New York Times.

Homendy noted it is unclear if the flight was conducted under Part 91 or Part 135. Local media noted that Eugene Peltola had recently retired from his position as regional director of Alaska’s Bureau of Indian Affairs.

• FAA: Safety Improvements Needed In Alaska

The accident follows calls by the NTSB for improvement to aviation safety in Alaska. In 2020, the agency reported that the accident rate is 2.35 times higher and the fatal accident rate 1.34 higher in the state than the rest of the U.S. 

“Whether it is a Part 135 flight or a pleasure trip, all pilots must deal with Alaska’s challenging geography and weather,” former NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt said at the time of the report. “We need to give them all the tools and resources to do so safely.”

VIDEO: NTSB virtual media briefing with @ChairHomendy on the St. Mary’s, Alaska plane crash investigation: https://t.co/lfi0RJHUAe

— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) September 13, 2023

The post NTSB Launches Probe After Lawmaker’s Husband Killed in Alaska Crash appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1951 Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub

Get ready to fine-tune your wheel-landing technique and gracefully zigzag on the taxiway for better visibility. There are many versions of the Piper Cub available to pilots seeking a traditional taildragger experience, including contemporary designs inspired by the original. This model, however, makes a great case for being the purest, most desirable version. The Super Cub continues to set the standard for light, high-wing, bush-capable aircraft.

This Super Cub has 5,050 hours on the airframe and 630 hours on its 150 hp Lycoming O-320 engine since overhaul. The panel is a basic VFR affair, including Bendix/King comms, a Garmin Aera 510 GPS, and a Garmin transponder. This machine looks great inside and out because it received new paint and seats last year. 

Pilots who want to explore off the beaten path, visiting remote strips and off-airport locations, would be hard-pressed to find an airplane better suited to the mission. 

This backcountry transporter is available for $160,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the airplane through FLYING Financial Group. For more information, email info@flyingfinancial.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Affordable Aviation: 5 Airplanes Under $100K on Aircraft for Sale
• FLYING Magazine: Aircraft Comps: Piper PA-18 Super Cub Versus the World
• FLYING Magazine: Clash of Cubs: Three Modern Takes on a Classic
• Plane & Pilot: A Super Cub Biplane And The Top Ten Planes Of All Time
• The Aviation Consumer: Piper Super Cub

The post Today’s Top Aircraft For Sale Pick: 1951 Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

On August 6, the pilot and two sheep hunters departed from the Big Lake Airport (PAGQ), Big Lake, Alaska, in a Cessna 206 to scout the Dillinger River area for a possible hunting location and a suitable landing area for the pilot’s PA-18.

The passengers were planning for an 8- to 10-day hunting trip. The morning of the accident, the pilot and the two hunters departed PAGQ in the Cessna 206, subsequently landing at a remote airstrip in an area referred to as Donkey Creek.

• FAA: Safety Improvements Needed In Alaska

The hunters and hunting gear were off-loaded, and the pilot returned to PAGQ to pick up the PA-18 before returning to Donkey Creek to load one of the hunters and his gear for the flight to the hunting location near the Dillinger River. At 11:50 a.m., the pilot told the other hunter he would return in about two hours to transport him to the hunting location.

However, the pilot never returned.

Around 4 p.m., the stranded hunter used a satellite messaging service to contact family members to see if they had heard from the pilot or passenger of an overdue airplane. Over the next several hours, family members and friends of the missing pilot and passenger made several unsuccessful attempts to reach them.

• READ MORE: Flying Blind: Trust Is the Cornerstone for This Alaska Air Rescue Team

About 9:30 p.m., a FAA alert notice (ALNOT) was issued for the overdue airplane, and the Alaska Air National Guard Rescue Coordination Center (AKRCC) began a search. The efforts were hampered by poor weather in the area.

Four days later, wreckage was located at the bottom of a narrow ravine on the west fork of the Yentna River, also known as Shellabarger Pass, in Denali National Park and Preserve.

Investigators noted that at the time of the accident, preliminary weather information was limited because of a lack of weather reporting facilities in the remote location. However, it was noted that an AIRMET was in effect for occasional mountain obscuration. There were no pilot reports (PIREPs) available within 100 miles of the accident site around the estimated accident time. Also, there are no weather cameras on Shellabarger Pass.

On August 11, the NTSB investigator-in-charge and Denali National Park rangers traveled to the location by helicopter but could not access the wreckage because of the steep and unstable terrain.

• READ MORE: ‘Flying Wild Alaska’ Pilot Jim Tweto Dies in Accident

Investigators noticed the presence of airplane debris and non-aircraft equipment on the canyon wall about 400 feet above the main wreckage.

The wreckage was photographed by helicopter, and an NTSB drone was deployed to document the accident site.

In the days following the accident, the National Park Service made several attempts to recover the occupants of the aircraft, but the efforts had to be suspended because of hazardous conditions at the site. According to the NPS, any future recovery operations will be evaluated if environmental conditions improve.

Alaska’s nearly 600,000 square miles of terrain includes 14 mountain ranges, and at least 82 percent of the state’s communities are accessible solely by air, according to the FAA. 

The post NTSB Cites Weather, Terrain as Possible Factors in Denali Accident appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The new prop’s light weight and increased responsiveness contribute to its improved performance on the Super Cub, the company said. The ability to adjust pitch also gives pilots more operational flexibility.

Sensenich said it tested the new propeller extensively in Alaska and Texas during the certification process and said the STC is available, and shipments of pre-ordered propellers have begun. The company said pilots have been “raving” on supercub.org about the propeller’s performance on their airplanes.

Sensenich said it is working on other projects for FAA approval including ground-adjustable carbon props for 0-320-powered Cessna 172s and for other Continental and Lycoming 4-cylinder engines ranging from 65 to 140 horsepower.

The post Sensenich Receives STC for Piper Super Cub Prop appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Williams was riding his 1986 Honda around 5 p.m. EDT when a Honda SUV turned in front of him, according to NBC News. Williams was thrown from his motorcycle and suffered internal injuries in the collision. He was airlifted to a hospital but could not be saved.

Williams had been a pilot for more than 40 years and was honored by the Living Legends of Aviation. According to the organization, Williams’ flying career began in 1969—when his high school football coach, who was holding his ring during a game, lost it. His coach offered Williams two free flying lessons in his Super Cub in lieu of payment and Williams accepted.

Williams continued to take flying lessons when he was in college, paying for them by working a series of odd jobs. When he was cast in Grease on Broadway, he made enough money to buy a Piper Clipped Wing Cub.

As his acting career grew, so did his flying career. Williams earned his private pilot certificate and instrument rating, along with multiengine, commercial, CFI, and helicopter certificates. He flew a Piper Cherokee and later a Seneca to build his hours.

Williams’ acting career was varied. In addition to musicals, such as Grease and Hair, he played serious characters with an edge to them on television shows such as Law & Order. Most recently he portrayed Dr. Andrew Brown in the WB series Everwood.

Sometimes his acting and aviation combined and he was able to fly with Hollywood stunt pilots, working with Art Scholl in the film The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper. For eight years Williams owned Cineflight, a company that provided aviation services for movies and television.

Among the other aircraft Williams owned are the Piper Cub that he enjoyed flying off his grass strip and a T-6 Texan. He also flew a Navajo Chieftain and earned a type rating in a Cessna Citation.

Williams also wrote a children’s book Air Show! which provides a kid’s perspective of the joys of aviation.

The post Actor, Aviator Treat Williams Mourned appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In the early stages of COVID-19, it was almost certain that I would lose my Boeing 737 captain seat and be downgraded to first officer with an attendant decrease of income. A furlough or my airline going bankrupt were possible too. As the situation evolved and my position appeared safe, the geographic and mental separation of being a continent away from our land combined with the restrictions of quarantine to ensure that our focus drifted and deadlines slipped. And then the Pacific Northwest real estate market went nuts, supply chains went FUBAR, the cost of lumber quadrupled, and available construction workers became rare as hen’s teeth. 

Initially we persisted, knowing we wouldn’t build until 2023 but otherwise hewing close to our original plan of building a three-bedroom, 2,300-square-foot timber-framed house and 50-foot-by-60-foot hangar in quick succession. We hired an old-school architect who expanded on my longtime vision to produce a beautiful, understated Northwoods design that we fell in love with. But as we pored over plans, financial reality set in. The cost of building the home would likely exceed $400 per square foot, putting the price of our humble forest cottage near $1 million. That rankled every fiber of my naturally cheap being, but if I could accept this as the cost of having a roof over our heads in Seattle, we could afford it. 

What we could not afford—and what probably wasn’t possible given all the supply-chain and labor shortages and construction delays—was to build the hangar simultaneously with or shortly after the house. When I ran the numbers, it would take several more years of saving to put us in a comfortable position to build a hangar and buy an airplane. So we had to decide: What did we want more, a house or an airplane? 

• READ MORE: Building the Dream Gets Off to a Rocky Start

Captains at my airline make a decent income and most have rather nice houses. There’s a certain cultural expectation, but I had long broken the airline pilot mold by selling everything and running off to sea. Post-boat, our lifestyle has remained mobile, minimalistic, and adventure-oriented. We lived in 200 square feet for nearly five years and had the time of our lives. We never really missed having a big house. We did, however, miss having our own airplane—Dawn even more so than me. Our choice was clear. The hangar came first. 

When we moved west in August last year, we had the idea that we would get a tiny home, and we even looked at a few. They aren’t quite legal in our county, though, and we had difficulty getting a septic system approved for a “seasonal cabin.” We considered building the hangar in 2022 and just wildcatting an apartment in the loft for a year, but the wily county planners were once again ahead of us: Given our zoning, it turned out that a hangar could not be permitted without an existing legal single-family residence. This revelation sent Dawn and I into a late night, wine-fueled brainstorming session, sketching out eight solutions and listing the pros and cons of each. 

By night’s end, our course was clear, and the next morning, I started drafting plans. Our new aim was to build the 50-by-60-foot pole-barn hangar with an attached 15-foot-by-60-foot side shed, finished out as a two-bedroom living area—a “barndominium,” if you will—all permitted as a single-family residence. We found a pole barn company able to engineer my plans and supply the kit, and engaged contractors to erect the shell, pour the slab, and install the septic system. 

Dawn and I will finish out the living quarters ourselves, with the assistance of my retired contractor father. We ordered a 44-foot-by-15-foot Higher Power hydraulic door and will incorporate PEX tubing for radiant heat into the slab, but the hangar portion will remain otherwise unfinished for the moment. We’ll add insulation, a boiler, a standby generator, and solar power as time and finances allow. We plan to live in the hangar for three to eight years and build the house when the time is right, at which point the annex will make for extra storage or a nice mother-in-law suite. 

We ordered the pole barn kit in March 2022, and I refined the annex plans and put together a building permit application package that we submitted on May 7. We’d already been doing a lot of site prep since last December, thinning trees and brush and expanding the clearing. In January, we cut in a driveway and bought a storage shed, and material deliveries started in June. We trenched in power and water just prior to heading east for Oshkosh, and after a few small changes, our building permits were issued on July 22. As it stands in late September, we have broken ground and erected the poles; the trusses go up soon and we hope to have a roof and a slab before autumn rains begin. We’ll start the living quarters in late October, planning to move in early in the new year. 

Throughout this process, two things have become very clear. Whether putting in a long hard day of work on our land or listening to bullfrogs by the campfire on a still summer evening, we absolutely love spending time at the airstrip. It’s a little slice of heaven, and we can’t wait to call it home. And secondly, our yearning for an airplane of our own has only intensified, even as we rent a local Piper Cherokee and fly my neighbor Ken’s generously lent Super Cub. It’s been more than six years since we sold our Piper Pacer, and we need to find another vintage adventure machine to explore far horizons. 

The draw of the airstrip and the promise of our own airplane have been hugely motivational as we’ve put in a ton of hard work and navigated all the twists and turns of the process these last six months, and I expect they will power us through all the really hard work ahead (and various additional wrinkles). In a way, this is a very analogous repeat of how we built our life together cruising aboard Windbird: hard work, persistence, flexibility, and living each day intentionally. If the result is anything like our last adventure, the reward will be supremely worthy of the struggle. 

The post Building the Dream While Rolling With Twists and Turns appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

According to CubCrafters, Summit Aircraft Skis are a favorite of owners of CubCrafters Carbon Cubs—as well as many other aircraft—because the unique ski design allows pilots to take their aircraft into the backcountry even when the landing areas are not cleared of snow. CubCrafters notes the manufacturing of skis has already begun at its Yakima factory.

About the Ski Design

Mike Custard, founder of Summit Aircraft Corporation, notes that the Summit Ski design utilizes a patented bolt-on attachment bracket that completely eliminates the need to weld skis to the landing gear. The Summit Skis also weigh less than and are more aerodynamic than most competitors’ penetration skis.

“Our like-minded drive for high quality innovation is one of the main reasons we chose CubCrafters as our successor,” said Mike Custard, founder of Summit Aircraft Corporation. “CubCrafters’ leadership, its people, and facilities are all outstanding. The tooling and construction techniques are familiar to the CubCrafters’ composites facility and staff.”

The company specializes in skis for carbon fiber, tube and fabric, and metal experimental aircraft. Summit’s innovative ski design is a lightweight, 100 percent carbon fiber structure using a “monocoque” construction technique, which supports structural load by using the skis exterior structure, as opposed to using an internal frame that is then covered with a non-load-bearing outer skin.

Custard adds that he will remain onboard for a time to ensure a smooth transition for both staff and customers.

Bob Breeden, an Alaska backcountry flying expert who has Summit Skis on his Super Cub, is positive about the acquisition, saying, “I’ve been using Summits’ skis for some time now and they have enabled me to adventure further afield and discover and land in new, fresh places. I really love these skis and I’m very pleased to hear that they will be in CubCrafters’ capable hands going forward. I know the team there will keep the innovation going and will ensure the skis are supported in the future.”

“We are very excited and pleased to welcome Summit’s customers and products into our family here in Yakima,” said Patrick Horgan, CubCrafters president and CEO. “It has been a joy for our team to work together with Mike Custard, Summit’s founder, to coordinate a smooth ski manufacturing transition. Adding Summit Skis to the CubCrafters product lineup allows us to better meet our customers’ needs and adds a new profit center. We see a great potential for growth with the Summit brand that we want to be a part of going forward.”

Summit Skis will continue to be available on both CubCrafters aircraft and aircraft from other manufacturers as well.

“Summit Skis, when combined with the outstanding wintertime defrost and cabin heater technology used on our FX-3 model, makes that aircraft the ultimate ski airplane,” said Brad Damm, CubCrafters’ vice president. “The acquisition is part of an ambitious growth and business development strategy that has been supported by the outstanding early success of our recently announced public stock offering.”

About CubCrafters

CubCrafters was founded in 1980 by Jim Richmond, who started with the popular Super Cub design and refined it and improved on it resulting in experimental, LSA, and Part 23 certified aircraft all with the mission of heading into the backcountry.

READ MORE: The CubCrafters XCub Is an Ideal Backcountry Machine

Over the decades CubCrafters has used a combination of innovative design, modern materials, and updates in engine technology to create the ultimate backcountry aircraft. The company’s flagship XCub aircraft is offered in both nosewheel and tailwheel configuration, resulting in what basically can be described as an off-road vehicle with wings.

The post CubCrafters Acquires Summit Aircraft Skis appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

CubCrafters is known for its Part 23 certified “Cub-inspired but improved upon” designs as well as its light sport and experimental aircraft. The company was founded in 1980 by Jim Richmond, a backcountry pilot who made it his mission to build Cubs with more modern materials and manufacturing techniques.

The XCub will be used in place of the USDA’s fleet of 30-plus-year-old legacy Piper PA-18 Super Cubs that are currently in service.

The USDA utilizes turbine-powered helicopters and single-engine airplanes in multiple operations, such as the aerial application of herbicides, fertilizer and insecticides, surveying crops and wildlife, feeding fish, the application of seed in remote areas, and for support of wildland fire-fighting services.

Airplanes are usually significantly less expensive to operate than helicopters, said Brad Damm, CubCrafters’ vice president of sales and marketing, noting the operational cost of one of their Cubs is about $250 per hour while a turbine-powered helicopter runs approximately $2,500 per hour.

“The first two aircraft [for the USDA] are in production now and scheduled for delivery in August and September of 2023,” Damm said. “Under the contract, they have fixed price options to purchase additional aircraft in both 2024 and 2025. Our goal here at CubCrafters is to provide them with such a good platform (an aircraft that is more capable, more cost effective, and safer), that they ultimately replace their entire current fleet of around 40 legacy aircraft with the XCub.”

The aircraft are equipped with a CubCrafters CC393i, a lightweight 4 cylinder 215 HP fuel injected engine with dual electronic ignition that CubCrafters developed for the XCub in partnership with Lycoming.

It is Damm’s understanding that the USDA aircraft will be somewhat customized for the intended mission. 

“Probably the most exciting modification will be an experimental FLIR camera,” he said, “set up to display directly through the Garmin G3X, to help identify wildlife and increase pilot situational awareness in low light or low visibility situations.”

Damm noted that CubCrafters is hopeful this infrared (IR) technology could eventually be offered to the civilian market, noting it would provide a great pilot situational awareness tool for seeing terrain in low light or low visibility—for example, flying in the backcountry during a smoke event.

• READ MORE: CubCrafters Advances Towards Becoming a Public Company

“The pilot would have both synthetic vision and enhanced vision on the G3X, in addition to what they could see out the windscreen. Similarly, in low light or at night, the IR camera allows a view of terrain that the human eye simply can’t see,” he said.

CubCrafters Popular with Pilots

Last summer CubCrafters announced the company was going public, with a goal to raise $50 million. Within a few days, 10 percent of that goal had been achieved, said Rod Turner, CEO of Manhattan Street Capital, adding, “It’s a true testament to the reputation CubCrafters has earned over their 40 years in business.”

The post CubCrafters Secures Department of Agriculture Contract appeared first on FLYING Magazine.