Pilot 100 And Pilot 100i Targeted At Smaller Flight Schools

On the opening day at Sun 'n Fun, Piper Aircraft introduced two new variants of its venerable PA-28, the Piper Pilot 100 and Pilot 100i.

The airplanes have been developed to respond to the need for a new trainer aircraft at a price point that could support the growing demand for professionally trained pilots. Piper focused on proactive planning and collaboration with several key vendors to achieve that goal. The Pilot 100 series features several new components, such as the Continental Prime IO-370-D3A engine and Garmin G3X Touch Certified avionics in the VFR variant of the airplane. The IFR-capable Pilot 100i is upgradeable to the Garmin G3X Touch, GFC500 autopilot, and the new GNX 375.

Piper president and CEO Simon Caldecott said at the news conference that a basic trainer should not be a "variant of a light-sport anything.

"With the unprecedented demand for professional pilots, our team worked closely with several key suppliers to deliver an aggressively priced proven trainer that offers the advanced systems and performance that flight schools and airline programs of all sizes desire. We are excited to add the Pilot 100 series to our training product line at a price point that provided optimal economics for all operators," Caldecott said.

The base price for the two-place VFR-equipped Pilot 100 is 259,000, while the IFR-capable Pilot 100i is priced at $285,000. A comparable Piper Archer Tx would be north of $350,000, Caldecott said.

(Staff images)

FMI: www.piper.com