Bargain Buys on AircraftForSale: 1972 Piper PA-28R-200 Arrow

Among all of the complex airplanes available on the used market, most come with a corresponding downside with which a new owner must contend. Mooneys, while fast and efficient, offer little shoulder space and feel a bit tighter than they truly are. Bonanzas are either quite pricey or are hampered by engine/prop combinations that can be particularly challenging to own and maintain. Bellanca Super Vikings fly beautifully but add wood and fabric to the maintenance equation.

Among all of the options with powered retractable gear, two are widely considered to be the easiest to own and maintain—Cessna and Piper. But after evaluating Cessna’s retractable gear design, it’s tough to argue with the utter simplicity of the Piper. 

Today’s bargain comes in the form of a 1972 PA-28R-200 Arrow. With 6,875 hours on the airframe and 1,210 hours since the Lycoming IO-360’s last major overhaul in 2016, it’s been flown regularly. Indeed, nearly 135 hours per year is just what you want to see when it comes to reliability, and accordingly, this Arrow will likely prove to be more reliable and trouble-free than examples that have spent most of their time sitting unused in a hangar for months on end.

The paint, while showing some signs of aging, looks quite modern compared to factory original schemes from the 1970s, and the blue, white, and gray colors stand out nicely on the ramp. Wing root fairings add a few knots of cruise speed, while the LED landing light has a pulse mode to make you stand out to other traffic.

Inside, the panel sports a standard six-pack of analog gauges but has been upgraded with some Garmin goodies, including a  GTN 650W GPS/NAV/COM. Additionally, it’s equipped with a GTX 345 transponder that provides ADS-B in and out functionality. On top of the glareshield, an Alpha Systems angle-of-attack gauge provides far more precise lift and stall margin information than just relying on the airspeed indicator.

Overall, this Arrow combines the efficiency of a retractable-gear airplane with the ease of ownership that Piper PA-28 owners have come to love. For just under $100k, it will likely serve its next owners well for quite some time.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance and quickly calculate your monthly payment using the airplane finance calculator. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.