Piper Tri-Pacer - The Ultimate Affordable Plane 

I messed up and somehow called the Tri-Pacer the wrong model. The Tri-Pacer is a PA-22, not a PA-20 as I said in the video. I don't know what I was thinking. Thank you for watching!

The first airplane I had ever flown on. In 1972 at age 5½. I'll never forget 😊

My first plane was a Tri-Pacer I bought in 1975 with only 14 hrs of flying time. I had so much fun in that plane with a few scares that taught me lessons that kept me safe

Most of the haters have never flown one. Put most of my time in one, and yea, throw a rock out where you chop it and that's where you land, but it also means it goes where you fly it. As a young pilot, I always was trying to fly it smooth, all relaxed and working toward that grease landing. I got my eyes opened real quick when dad and I came across the road landing at our farm, yea, I was already anticipating the grease, and the wind tunnel upset the hell out of her. Dad had to have been anticipating my screw up, because in a split second he rammed the throttle, added aileron and rudder and set her down dead in the middle with just a bot of a bump. I will never forget him looking at me and saying " you fly it to the ground ". God I wish we still had her.......

When I was 19, (I’m nearly 63 now) I owned a Colt, PA-22-108. 108 hp, 2 seat Tri-Pace with no flaps and the back windows were painted on. I remember I bought it for $4,800.00. I actually flew it more after I sold it than I did when I owned it. It was a great airplane.

I just bought a 1955 Tri with my dad! We love it!

Have had one for thirty years. I love it. Been all over the country. And since I live in Wisconsin, Oshkosh is a local fly in. Flew it to every one since 1992 except 2001 and 1999. I even landed in 2020, just because.

I was giving myself a headache trying to find a decent airplane that wouldn't bankrupt me until a PA-22-150 popped up at my local airport. A lot more capable than a Cessna 150 and cheaper than most of them! Something I learned during the pre-buy: if you're starting one up for the first time and are confused about where the master and starter switches are, check under the left seat! 😉

I owned and flew a 1960 PA22 150 for 10 years until 2014, a fantastic lifetime experience.

Most of my friends that have owned Tri-Pacers, have been very careful about observing "Weight and Balance" restrictions. And four, full grown Adults are a bit much to load. But Mom, Dad and two kids works out just fine! Cruise speeds vary according to the engine installed. The 150 or 160 hp versions can cruise at up to 135 mph. To cut noise and extend range, most cruise at 125 or even 120. Happy Flying!

My first airplane was a PA-22-150 twenty five or more years ago. It was a great introduction to aircraft ownership. In fact I still have it, but it is disassembled in my boathouse. It was a fine flying little plane with two things I really didn't like, the single lever (Johnson Bar) brakes and its lack of performance in mountain flying. Neither were game enders, but both required awareness and planing.

I loved your video because you are completely right about prices going up in a crazy way. Looks like only the very rich will be capable to own a four seater or so. Last week I was browsing "just in case" I could/would buy a 172 Cessna and I got aback about prices. In fact 182 is cheaper. Surprisingly, 150/152 prices are also sky rocketing. I think this option you're presenting now is great. I owned an Aeronca Champion around 19 years ago and believe me, was a wonder so much that I didn't face up a trouble to wash it away from my hands. An all fabric airplane, slow and underpowered but a nice one to fly. Looks like the tripacer is the same kind of airplane but a bit faster, though I like much more the pacer. Thank you for sharing this interesting video of yours. Definitively, I'm subscribing your channel. Greetings from Mexico.

I fly the heck out of my TriPacer bought Jan of '20 and have about 200 hours in it. Love the plane and was at Oshkosh with it this year. I have a the trip on my channel and it's a great plane to train in. My GF got her PPL in July in my plane. Great video. Just subbed to your channel nice vids. Thanks for sharing.

Flew one out of Yomitan air base on Okinawa in 1967. It was limited to 3 passengers due to its age. It was a “Power Plane” that has the gliding angle of a brick with no power.

The Tri Pacer is a wonderful airplane! I flew one round trip from Fayetteville, North Carolina, (Ft. Bragg), to E. St. Louis and return in 1962 when I was 19 years old. Great trip.

I flew one from Miami to Panama (the long way) It’s a great plane Even landed off airports and in bad weather on the Pan American highway and on a mountain road in 1964 lol

I used to own the pa22 in the picture , a great , reliable airplane and my wife’s favorite of all the aircraft we have owned over the years

I learned to fly in the late 60s I put most of my time in a piper colt, nice airplane.

I picked my 1959 150hp Tri Pacer in July 2019 for $15k, it was a bit clapped out and spare in the cockpit, but also mechanically sound with fresh Stitts. I trained in a 1965 Cherokee 160 for about a year… and it’s very comparable to flying a Tri Pacer… except the Tri Pacer has a bit of an agricultural feel to it.. but speed, controls, and performance are very close.

Good video. I have a lot of time in those models including the first Tri Pacer you showed KTF. Great airplane Danny

Tri Pacers are awesome aircraft! I’ve flown many in the sixties and seventies. Fabric is not what to worry about. Check the tubing on bottom sides!

My wife and I are both pilots We have a PA22-160. We adore our bird. N1646P :)

I loved ours. 1957 pa22 150. Somewhere about 1750-1800 tt. That was 1993-95 as I recall. Best of all the aircraft I've ever flown. Gave 12k flew couple 3 yrs and it's still flying somewhere south of here last I checked. Fast fun, short field, sinks like a rock but a treat to fly. Miss it and flying.

I own N1646P. Funnest airplane i've ever flown. I'll never sell her.

I've never seen a Tri-pacer in my country, but I do have time on a Colt, and I loved it. The side slips were out of this world. I loved my Mooney time too, but found it hard to drain condensation out of the tanks in a dirt field in rain and still look presentable for the flight ...

I bought my 1957 TriPacer with 150 HP many years ago for $7500. I sold it two years after many hours for $7500. Great airplane. It would be worth much more now obviously.

The Tripacer is the PA22, the PA20 is the Pacer, a tail wheel version of the airplane that preceded the Tripacer

My first airplane was a 1954 PA22 150 that I bought bought in 1976 for $6,000. I loved that plane.

I had two Tri-Pacers, one each 150 & 160. The 160 was all metal. Bought them back in 69 (the 160-metal) and 73--the 150 and I think Ipaid around 4500 +/- for each. My first airplane was an Erco Aircoupe bought 1967 for $2250. I'm 85 now and still flying....a Grumman AA1B which I have owned for 43 years.

My first (annnnd only, life got in the way so training has been postponed) 15 hours of training were in a Tri-Pacer and a Bearhawk. Genuinely enjoyed my time in then, even if I don't have much experience for comparison lol

What a cool video! I found my 1960 Piper Comanche 250 after looking at the usuals. Just like you point out here: it’s good to look outside your zone and see other options!

Prospective airplane buyer - finally an affordable and good value airplane! Tri Pacer seller - I saw a video about the value of my Tri Pacer and well I thought it was only going to be worth 20-25k but that video says I should be able to get 40-45k for it, I'm delighted!

I owned a PA22 1957 N7615D rolled tip wing. It had been modified with a extra notch of flaps (3 positions) . Loved this bird. Wish I still had her.. Put a lot of hours on it and had very little problems.. Not expensive to maintain either. She would do a full slip to a short runway with ease.. I kept her at Tucson and they often asked me to do a short field landing for Runway 11. She had a DF (not ADF) lol.. Really miss her!!

The PA-20 is the Pacer, the Tri-Pacer is a PA-22. They are the same airplane except the Pacer is a tail dragger and the Tri-Pacer has tricycle landing gear. A couple of things about these airplanes: there are corrosion problems around the door frames. This is expensive to just doe the inspection and if corrosion is found then the longerons must be replaced. $$$ The other thing is the Pacer is not an easy airplane to handle. The tail and airfoil come from the Cub. Upon flair the sort coupled fuselage will blanket the airflow over the vertical stabilizer making control difficult. This makes the Pacer prone to ground loops. Piper fixed this by adding the nose gear. There is an STC to convert the PA-22 to a tail dragger. These are known as PA-22/20. The STC gear is wider than the PA-20. These are a little better landing than the stock PA-20. Other than these issues, they are great airplanes. Good luck

Unreal prices..Like everything. I was 11 yrs. old when I started taking flying lessons in my dads Tri-Pacer out of Long Beach. Last time I checked the plane was still in service somewhere up in Montana.

My first airplane ride--ever--was in either a Colt or a TriPacer. A birthday present from my dad (in the late 50's). I see the 2021 Cessna 172 costs almost $500,000! Yikes!!

So fab thanks.

The Milk Stool is a great little plane. Just don't forget that it's fabric, and that won't last forever.

Great video. I do not yet have my PPL but this was a great video as I was looking at a reasonable plane to us e and it get my hours in. It looks like these would be a keeper too if found and purchased.

It was neat to see my TriPacer on there, not sure how you got the pic though because I took it and don’t remember sharing it anywhere

It is sooo frustrating to see prices skyrocket like that. I remember when a '60s M20C would cost 30k and a clapped out 172 would almost be given away, they were even cheaper than 152s. A Tri Pacer? Nobody wanting to get anywhere would even consider the obese ahem, sorry "overgrown" Cub. Well, at least you're making money while flying at the same time. Honest congratulations for the great timing and thanks for sharing your experience with us through your YT content. It is really appreciated!

Second plane I ever flew in way back in the ‘60’s. Been a favorite ever since. How do I send you a pic of it. I fly rc a lot nowadays but very hard to get a good model of it. Great vid brings back lots of memories. Chow from Australia.

A different style of video, but I enjoyed it!

Great video. What are you thoughts on the current fleet of Tri Pacer 135s with the o-290 engines and the inability to replace the engines as they are out of production?

My father crashed not one but two tri-pacers and walked away from both. He never flew again. He said, "three strikes and I'm out." Neither crash was due to pilot error.

I know what you were thinking… 20…. Like in M20…. Or really M20C…. 😃. It happens to Mooney guys all the time…. Great video! - a -

I had issue with the PA-20 comment as well, but I see that's been brought up already. This leave me wondering about the comment regarding the rudder being coupled to the ailerons via bungees? I did a ground up restoration on a 1951 0290 powered Tri-Pacer (ser #180) and remember nothing of the sort. Is there a possibility this was a "feature" added at a later date?

I always loved the PA-22 never flew one but maybe someday I will. I'll trade a flight in my C177RG.

Awesome video man, I think you missed one really BA thing about the short wing line up. And thats the availability of crazy cheap project planes, The availability of spare parts, And really good support from univair, wag aero, and others on new parts. Over 9,400 of them were built and it seems like alot of them were stuffed in old hangars and barns. Pretty much every eaa chapter has some cool retired IA to help with the certified part. They really are a good option for someone who wants to build there own airplane.

For average Joe, there really aren't any truly affordable airplanes. However, that doesn't stop folks from diving in.

Flying Rock! Don't hate me, comparing side by side with my Ercoupe.

Would you be able to do a video like this of a BD4c?

How about a 1959 Cessna 175 Skylark with 2200 TTAF for $119,000. Better still, a 2008 Mooney Ovation 3 GX wih 970 TTAF for a cheap $ 499,000, haha I bet you would like to own that one. These are the asking prices where i come from. Thanks for the upload.

Hi from Ireland, I'm of a certain age now and have the urge to fly I found a 1961 pacer colt for sale about 30mls from me asking price in euros is 24k a 152 of similar age is 54k , I think it's my time to fly 😎👍 happy Christmas from Ireland 🇮🇪

I've got two sad Tri-Pacer stories, you could say. My dad's first plane was a 1953 PA-22-135 Tri-Pacer, it was a project, when he got it, working as an A&P in California back in the 90s. He struggled to keep it and he split the tie down cost with a buddy. That Buddy stopped paying his half and my dad was forced to sell it. I tried finding the plane, I contacted the last owner, and he said that he doesn't remember who he sold it to. To simplify the 2nd story, I wright it like this. 1. It's 2019, me and my dad get a hangar in West Texas 2. The very next day after getting the hangar a Lil red 1957 PA-22-160 Tri-Pacer pops up for sale not far from the airport. 3. We buy the plane for $20k and my dad gets an instructor and starts learning to fly. 4. COVID hits and they separate 5. It's December of 2020 and the Tri-Pacer is out of annual. 6. My dad starts doing work to it for a annual and finds a hairline crack in one of the cylinder heads. 7. We visit a cylinder shop and are told to check the cam. 8. We get back and find that the cam is toast and the motor is pulled and torn down. 9. We send the case out for machining and find out that the crank is toast. 10. My dad's medical expires and now his qualification is hung up in the system Long story short, parts availability has become bleak and parts prices skyrocketed. My dad can't get his medical and the plane rots in the hangar with dust all over it. We are looking at selling the plane and hangar and giving it all up. But, we still hold on to hope, as there is a motor for sale with missing logs that will work but is not guaranteed to have good parts.

Funny, If I sold all the SHIB I had when it reached ATH I probably could have bought a TRIPACER LMFAO. Now I can't even buy the powerplant

yes good plane BUT you ned the 160 HP esp for Hot & high density like in AZ the 160 are RARE and big $ !

I think with the economy going into recession prices will start getting better.

but there are thousands of once great GA planes of all sized rotting away in barns, fields and hangars! It's insanity.

its a PA 22 not a 20 which is the pacer

They have always been a bargain with great performance.

The tri pacer is not a solid or true 4 seater. Its a great 2 seater with a lot of cargo room

PA22

You definitely have to do your homework when purchasing an aircraft.

Tri-Pacer = PA22

4:36 LOL A shibarmy plane. That's silly.

I’d bail on buying right now. Airplanes will fall off the cliff just like they did from 2008 to 2015