7. Piper Aircraft Corporation

Stories from my love of airplanes

By Fred Burlingame, Jr.

In November of 1968 I became a Corporate Pilot for Piper Aircraft Corporation at Lock Haven, PA. I feel that I broadened the operations at Piper with my experience in Air Taxi because the pilots at Piper were frequently cancelling trips when it was safe to go and in Air Taxi there is more urgency to make the trip, if it can be done safely, because if you don’t fly – there is no pay.

At Piper we flew the Cherokee 140, 160, 180, 235 and Cherokee Six 300 as well as doing 30 day refly’s in PA-18’s and Pawnees and Pawnee Braves. Aircraft awaiting delivery required a 30 minute flight every 30 days to keep the rust out of the cylinders. Mainly we used the Aztec for Corporate Flights flying executives, employees, vendors and customers and flights to expedite urgently needed parts, paint and any other shortages which might hold up production. We frequently flew Navajos, Pressurized Navajos and Cheyennes. Prior to the flood in 1972 the Comanche and the Twin Comanche were used a great deal. It was very nice to always be flying new equipment. After the acquisition of the Aerostar we had them on the line as well and I really like the airplane. It is good for 210 knots cruise and handles very well. We flew in the Golden Triangle, single pilot, day and night IFR routinely going to White Plains, La Guardia, Kennedy, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington National, Pittsburgh, Boston, Chicago O’Hare and all points in between. For three years, consecutive, we had four pilots and each one logged just over 1,000 Hours a year.

Because of the interplant travel between Lock Haven, Vero Beach and Lakeland interplant shuttle flights were initiated. At first we used the Pressurized Navajo and usually had to stop at Florence, SC for fuel going to Vero Beach. We would stop in Vero Beach to unload packages and people and pick up what they had for Lakeland or Lock Haven. Then we would overnight at Lakeland. We would leave Lakeland around Noon and arrive in Lock Haven about 1700 depending on whether a fuel stop was required. Later Cheyennes were put on the shuttle and usually we could go Lock Haven to Vero Beach and from Lakeland to Lock Haven non-stop. With the Cheyennes we would leave Lock Haven at 0700 Hours, be at Vero Beach about 1030 Hours, continue to Lakeland, leaving there at 1330 Hours and arrive in Lock Haven about 1700 Hours, thus eliminating the layover at Lakeland. It made a long day.

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