Buying a Piper Cherokee 235 Sight Unseen and Flying It 2,000 Miles In 2 Days!
We bought the cheapest Piper Cherokee 235 in the world! We bought this plane sight unseen cheap, and proceed to fly it 2,000 miles in 2 days all around the western USA. In my opinion this is the best single engine piston airplane for under $75,000. The useful load is insanely high, it is simple to fly, it has tons of power from the Lycoming O-540, and it cruises pretty fast! All way going well until we ran into our first problem landing in Utah... What do you all think of the raw polished aluminum? Should we do any mods?
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PLEASE NOTE: We are aviation enthusiasts. These videos are for entertainment purposes only. We are NOT qualified to give flying instruction. All of our videos, including this one, have been significantly edited down from the original full length raw footage. Many radio calls, checklist steps, and other procedures have been omitted to keep the videos a reasonable viewing length. Please speak to a CFI with any flying questions you may have.
Silver bullet 310 or Tin Can 235?!? What do you all think of the polished aluminum? Do you have any 235 experience? I you all enjoyed this one. Part 2 coming soon along with the other plane reveal 🙌
Am a fan of the polished look lads 👌 Something a bit different sets it apart from the others in the fleet ✈️
Polished for sure. Hershey bars rule !
Tin Can 235, keep it polished metal with maybe blue accents. It's a classic airplane and the polished metal gives it that classic look. You don't want another white plane do you? :)
The 235 was my first airplane. Got my private pilot and instrument rating in it back in 1998. Never should have sold it.
I'm going to miss the Silver Bullet 310.
The Cherokee 235 has always been my favorite GA bird, and I agree, it's criminally underrated. The newer 235s with the constant speed props are great too, but there's something about these original 235's that is so captivating. Would love to be able to own one one day!
Yes the newer 235s have even more capability, and they can still be had for not much! Cherokee 235s rock!!
The blue dye will sometimes cause the strainer to stick open. Just dabbing the dye out with a rag will fix the problem. - Cherokee owner
My old man restored and flew Tri Pacers and PA-140s for years, loved his Pipers ")
Great to see 8694W again. I got my high performance endorsement in her at KCHD on Halloween 2021! I understand there is quite the story of how she ended up in Chino. Would love to hear about it someday. Enjoy!
Wow, you've flown it! Did you know the owner, or was it available for rental?
@@JRAviation I met the owner once, but my CFI knew him pretty well. That's how I ended up flying it.
Got my private at KCHD!
I owned a 1964 235 and it, overall was best plane I ever flew. Mine carried 84 gallons and I could carry 4 adults and fly 150 mph. I also had the fixed pitch prop and per book, it flew faster than the constant speed variant. In my opinion, the 235 beats the heck out of a 182 Cessna and for way less money. Mine had the motor gas STC that made the 13 gallon per hour burn more manageable. I also had a nice set of radios. Initially, it took a lot of cranking to start until I read the published start procedure calling for rotating engine with switch off and then I think you switched it to one mag for start and then both when it fired up. Fuel management was more detailed with 4 tanks and on long trips, I ran tips first 15 minutes each side and each one to edge of starvation. You had to watch the fuel pressure gage closely to avoid running out which I occasionally did if I got distracted. I wish I still had mine.
Buy a Mooney button 👇🏼
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Yuh they should get a ultra acclaim Mooney or they should get a 414 cessna
I no has money 😢
Without being there and knowing for sure, The fuel leak is related to the fuel sump check valve that costs $15 and you need two quick fingers or ideally two people to unscrew and replace but many times if you push it consistently it may release dirt that can cause the leak. We replace one almost yearly on our warrior.
I was thinking the same, but from my experince with the tapered wing PA28s, the leak is in the wrong spot. It should be leaking on the wheel.
It’s great to see young men doing great things like this, keep it going.
I love the Cherokee 235 and there is a STC to convert the fixed pitch model that you have to a constant speed prop in order to get faster cruise speed and better climb performance. The amount of useful load that the Cherokee 235 has is phenomenal. And what other aircraft has 1000lbs of useful load while only burning 12.5 gallons per hour? Well, the answer is no other GA plane does.
Almost 1000 pound payload on this one! You’re right, not much else competes with it. A constant speed prop would be sweet.
Nice looking plane, and reasonable on the fuel consumption. Hopefully the issue is not too serious. Looking forward to the next video to see what else you bought. I like the polished look, but know it takes far more effort to keep it looking great, over a paint job. Stay safe guys!
Glad so see someone on the YTs showing how to calculate fuel burn like a old fashioned (normal) pilot.
You got it right this time, the video is really fun.
I purchased a 1965 PA-28-235 with the cosntant speed propr a year ago. Great little plane and especially easy to transition from a Cessna 172. I base out of the airport just south of Chino, Corona Muni (KAJO). Chino does have some great planes. My aircraft came with fuel leak as well. :) Fortunately mine was the quick drain--a $15 fix! Good luck on the 235, it's a great plane. :)
Great to see Christian 👍🏻 you guys are so cool
Used to own one in South Africa and you could load it up and if the doors would close it would fly, on the way back from a trip to Namibia we lost the motor and had to land on a farm road, much excitement for the locals and a farmer towed us back to his farm, had to get the engine replaced as the magneto drive shaft sheared and engine was close to time out, they upgraded engine to 250HP and performance was amazing, I sold it and went on to the 300 which was also a great aircraft
The 235 is a great airplane. I flew it out of Scottsdale for a long time with the valley flying club that was in the late 90s. That thing is a beast I could take it fully loaded in the summertime to Flagstaff or Sedona and it would just jump off the ground.
Exactly!
I really like your videos and feel a lot of joy watching them thank you
Glad you like them!
Owned a 65 235 for 5yrs. One of the best 4 seaters out there! Run your tips for 1hr - makes it easy to remember. Headwinds will kill it though lol love those planes!
I love your new plane!
I think you made an excellent choice. {I'm assuming you have a Dakota} For one, the Piper Dakota was actually one of the PA28 series that was exempt from the wing spar AD in 2020 because the actual wing spar is thicker than on the lessor powered models of PA28. The only negative, is there is no BRS mod available for the Dakota like there is on a Cessna 182. Any C-182 built after 1964 can have a BRS installed if the owner wants it. On the Dakota or any Piper for that matter, no BRS mod is available.
Beautiful bird! Love to see it
Owen doing that fighter jet approach :) Fun fact, the Cherokee uses only 40% less fuel per distance than an Eclipse twin jet despite the Eclipse going close to 3x faster. JetA is a bit cheaper than 100LL so on fuel cost they aren't far apart. So a modern 4 seater twin jet could be more fuel efficient than a Cherokee. Aint that sumtin
That plane in the back 22R is a Beechcraft Sierra, just like mine!! So fun as there aren't tons of them around. Solid planes with so much room and 2 doors!
Just bought a C model Sierra back in November. Love it so far!
Only downside to the 235 is space in the cabin! I fly a 6/300 with the same useful load! Excellent choice!
Ah, you are in my wheel house now. That fuel leak can be one of four things. A cracked vent hose, a bad fuel quantity sender gasket, a failure in the sealer at a seam or rivets. Either way, if it only leaks when full, you are going to be pulling the tank loose and sliding it forward. The fuel will need to be drained since you need to take the fuel delivery line off to remove the tank. Better hope the mounting screws come loose as they are special structural screws and in two different lengths. So what was the simple fix? 🔨
Wow, you know your stuff! I'm pretty sure it was just some sealer at the seam. They said it was a minor little fix.
@@JRAviation Just remember that a fuel leak in a wing is very dangerous. One literally blew a Cessna 340 out of the air.
This channel is so good. I really enjoy the content. Ignore any negativity, you guys are going to be very successful.
Remember with the 4 tanks…. Fill the tips, drain the mains. When refueling, fill the tips first and when flying, use the mains first. I was told it has to do with the twisting force on the wing spar particularly if flying heavy. But check the manual.
I did my ppl training on a 235 and still own it, my instructor always thought me to fly the tips first because in the event of a spin the centrifugal force can give you a hard time getting out of the spin. But this is just what I was thought;)
based in chino too, will go see it soon
Fun fact, all single-engine prop GA aircraft have the engine angled to the right except the Meyers 200. The straight engine in that one means a well developed right leg.
Jeffery this sounds like a whole lot of dedication, motivation, commitment, devotion, and hard work. In the end everything will be worth it I'm sure of it.
Sure Guz (Chino Aviation) took care of you. I am based out of KCNO, great airport to do some filming with all the warbirds etc flying around almost every day.
Owen does a great job at flying... it must be amazing to fly towards a runway at night, then have to turn that sharp and line up center of the runway! Excellent job Sir!
Go back and get that Saab 35 Draken ( Dragon) in the background!!😍
Was it truly a fuel leak? Every Piper I’ve flown, if you overfill it, you’ll get pouring/drips from the fuel vent.
Those K-155's are more reliable than the TV stuff.
Looks like you guys found a great trainer.
great buy , Quit advertising I want to buy one soon ,your going to make the prices go up!!! scooter kicks butt , but unless your flying a 235 or larger 82+ lbs each is a little heavy for most light singles , at least a pair together in the baggage compartment.
Nice score! How about getting a ride-a-long in the Draken in the background? That would be super cool!
*Great idea however that one's been parked at least since 2018...*
saw that one for sale on FB.. Yep, it was a good deal
I bid against you on this plane until the very end ha. I ended up getting a really good deal on a Cherokee 180. I’m based at KOGD so you flew it through where it’s home almost was.
Hi Bros, This Piper Cherokee 235 seems to be a well done purchase. Without to kerosene leak and some minor details with the on board communication-system everything else seems to work perfectly so when these problems were solved you were able to flight a significant distance. I look forward to your next vlog and send you love from the Netherlands
That's not kerosene, its 100LL Avgas.
Hard to believe that's a plane from the 60s. It looks fantastic. Better than a lot of the new stuff imho!
Don't make 'em like they used to!
I start my classes for my ppl this week. I can't wait. It's been a long-time goal, and im finally doing it.
Awesome, congratulations!
I just had my first lesson four days ago, starting about the same time! Good luck :)
Wow what a Beauty lads.
Chino Airport has some damn cool planes there.
Beautiful bird!
It really is!
love the Cherokees
The one I flew definitely had a variable pitch prop
The silver color looks kinda sick
That's what I fly. We have a 1976 Pathfinder but it's basically the same ship. Love the power but they are a bit thirsty lol... Fun fact: Same wings and tail as the Cherokee 6, only the fuselage is different on the 6. That's why the useful load is high.. We just did a new engine. Had 2500 hours on the old engine which was running fine but leaked oil out of every seam...
Your a good pilot
Why is it not more popular? Yes it’s faster. Yes it’s got more load capacity. But, yes, it burns more fuel. Yes, it has higher insurance. Not many people need the difference in speed and load that the 235 offers over the 180. There is a very real break point where a plane doesn’t justify the jump in price/insurance/fuel burn. Everything in aviation is a compromise. The jump from the 180 to the 235 is one of those.
I just realized the cherokee 180 you have on trade a plane pic is KAY's FLYWITHKAY Cherokee 180
All I fly is C172 and PA28. Next time you do a 2k mile trip, can I come and fly you? And build hours?
Yes, the reason people do not jump on the Piper 235 is that they are prone to Fuel leaks !
Looks pretty nice! Not the biggest fan of that particular Cherokee though, I mean they are supposed to be affordable and are for the most part. But the IO-540 is way overkill for what is a trainer and it sucks a good bit more fuel.
Wait, I see the Pittsburgh Steelers shirt point go PGH! Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Taylor , Alderdice, high school! Go Steelers!
Half our family it’s from Pittsburg! Go Steelers!
And the good thing is, no Cirrus BS. No Parachute etc.
Love the Steelers shirt....
Why wait for the fuel pressure to drop? Why not do 1hr and then change? Fill it up when you land, see what you’ve burned? Seems less risky?
O-540’s are almost bulletproof if you take care of them. Mine has over 800hrs on and still runs perfectly. I just clean the plugs and change the oil.
What type of battery is in the scooter? If a lithium battery aren’t there very specific regulations especially wrt packaging for throwing lithium batteries into the baggage compartment of an aircraft!
They def bought a Piper Malibu
Scooters are subject to harsh vibrations that are hard on the batteries. A Li-Ion battery fire would be bad. Better to use sodium ion batteries (they're all non-flammable afaik)
So cool
with that kind of useful load I could image they were used for carrying all sorts of high value "things"...
Enjoy the piper. It’s a great simple airplane. I have a 180. The useful load in my piper is perfect for me. I can put 740lbs of people and cargo into my airplane with full fuel at 50 gal. Very easy to fly. I came from flying cessnas
The fuel sump prob wasn’t closed tightly enough. Did you even try??
Polished aluminum is a lot of work to keep it looking nice, but your plane is lighter, without overall base coat, or a constant speed prop. The fixed pitch model probably has lighter stab/pitch forces, too. Overall a good solid airplane, especially in the summer at higher elevation airports.
She is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!! I have a friend who as a Globe GC 1 Swift....almost 20 years older than your Piper.
the background noise is awesome, nobody hears it but you.
Haha ha! the most fun trip so far.
Did you see a formation of flying saucers ovr Mt. Ranier like Kenneth Arnold saw?
Owned one the fuel valve can be cleaned easily and stopped the dripping. Should have called a person familiar with the plane. Great plane. 235s.
Greatest year of all just saying
The most accurate fuel gage is the clock!
Pretty cool. What app do you use for that calculator? It's very legible to my older eyes. Thanks.
It’s just the native app built-in to all iPhones.
@@JRAviation OK thanks for the quick reply! Can't wait to see what "other Piper" you bought... a Malibu is my guess.
235s are great, but If I recall, the 235 burns about 2 GPH more than a 180. So this is my best guess: The schools want the low power Cherokees because they are more profitable to operate. This means you, as a private buyer, are in direct competition with every Mom 'n Pop flight school and flying club, along with other private buyers. This increases the demand on the low power Cherokee, but not the 235.
I see what that point of view, but at he same time you can pull the power back on a 235 to match 180 fuel flows and speeds nearly. The extra power gives you so much more capability while flying.
If you have the power and you’re paying by the hour, you use every bit of it
Also, it is considered "High Performance". Probably not a good training airplane for a flight school. Insurance is probably a lot more for student pilots.
@@JRAviation I agree, but think about any biz that does wet rate rentals... it's a wet rate... are you REALLY going to pull that power back? In the immortal words of a Comanche owner I once knew "I don't pay those ponies to loiter"
@@gorgly123 Good point. Thanks.
What was leaking on the 235 in Salt Lake #"??? What did he see when he took the cowl off ? Was it oil spray on that tube and firewall from the oil cooler there mounted on the back of the engine ??? Anybody please.
Yea, probably the extra maintenance cost and the increased fuel burn makes the 180 a better choice.
please tell us you had the fuel truck pump that tank out!!!
Love the comment, "oh no, we can't take our new Piper. We'll have to fly our private jet back to Arizona!" What happened with the leak in Utah?
The Tin Can saga 😤
Did you try the bar of soap trick on the fuel leak?
When are you guys going to LS swap one of your planes? Now that would be cool!
I own a Cherokee 180. Bought it super cheap and using it for flight training. Main reason I didn’t go for a 235 was they were a little more expensive at the time. I didn’t need the extra useful load and the 180 burns significantly less fuel. And still has about 1100 lbs useful load. Cruising at 9,500 i burn 6.5-7 gph
Those geese were just telling you how much they liked the plane! *caution wing wash*
Were you successful in bringing the paint back to life on the 601 or does the airplane need to be repainted? Thanks.
You’ll see next video:) The paint was saved
When will you get your PPL? It is somewhat crazy that you are buying lots of planes but you can´t fly them yourself. Please give us an update on your flight training status.
Called it.
I dig it! I’ve got one coming soon!!!
No glass display? I would have a phone or tablet for nearby aircraft and weather.
So when are you gonna get your pilots licenses as every time a plane has a issues it seems to be the excuse you give to not start your training, am I the only one to notice this In previous previous videos
Please don't paint over the polished aluminum! I love the look and if it was polished and paint stripes redone, it would look so awesome! How much did you pay for the 235? Cost to get it in the air? I really enjoyed the experimental plane that you bought on auction and the explanation of the cost to get it operational. I'm a student pilot, at 61, and these videos give me an idea of if I should purchase or join a flight club. Thanks!
Dry cool
These older planes ...182's, Piper Dakotas ect....incredibly capable & affordable.
Nice shirt.
Beautiful airplane, Cherokees are a real workhorse, but did anyone notice that there is a J35 Draken in front the Cherokee?!
I was wondering what that was!
Im at SNA, how do i ride in one of your planes?