Our planes are selected for training suitability and to give pilots superior skills.

Acadian Aviation offers four of the flight training industry’s top planes, including the Piper Arrow III, the Piper Tomahawk, the Piper Warrior, Piper Archer III and the Piper Twin Comanche.

Piper Tomahawk

When the original Piper Aircraft Corporation first conceived a new trainer in the mid-1970s, the company polled flight instructors to determine what traits this airplane should have. The 1978 to 1982 Tomahawk delivers what these special customers ordered: an airplane that provides honest response to pilot inputs, a comfortable cabin with great visibility, and big-airplane-style handling. The control forces and sensitivities match those of the Learjet 35, making transitions to larger aircraft the easiest of any basic trainer, hence the Tomahawk’s popularity with U.S. Air Force flying clubs.

The Piper Tomahawk is a member of the popular Piper PA-38 family, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2011. Like the rest of the Piper family, the Tomahawk is a light aircraft designed for flight training and personal use built by Piper Aircraft. Thanks to the inclined seat rails that move up while moving forward and down while moving back, tall pilots gain headroom while short pilots can easily see over the instrument panel.

What can the Piper Tomahawk do?

Ventilation is much better than average, and the cabin is wider by several inches than most other two-seat airplanes. Two doors make boarding a snap. The Tomahawk is one of several variations of the Pa-28 family, which include engines ranging from 140 to 300 hp, some with turbocharging. The Piper family has been the mainstay of Acadian Pilot since its inception, and has long been considered a top training plane.

Piper Warrior

For the last three decades, the training fleet has been dominated by two aircraft: the Piper Cherokee, which evolved to become the Piper Warrior, and the Cessna 150/152. Tens of thousands of pilots spent their formative flight hours in the larger four-seat Cherokee or Warrior and the diminutive two-seat Cessna.

Piper Warriors can be found at many flight schools. Warriors are also very common instrument training aircraft as well as a popular aircraft to rent.

Warriors can be found at many flight schools and can be used for primary and advanced training. It’s also a popular aircraft to rent.

The airplane’s single right-side door requires the left-seat student pilot to board first, followed by the instructor. Mechanical flaps and cable flight control linkages produce handling qualities that are well balanced. The Warrior family has been a big part of Acadian Pilot since its inception, and has long been considered a top training plane.

Piper Archer III

The Piper Archer III, over the last 20 years, has become one of the most popular airplanes found in flight schools, and with good reason.

It offers simple design, stable flight characteristics, and navigation capabilities that growing pilots expect today.

Since the first Archer was built in 1963 — to the Archer III, which debuted in 1995 — simplicity has been an underlying, core focus of its design and functionality.

The Archer III’s flight deck is ergonomically designed, with large switches, buttons and controls intelligently placed for easy access. The flaps — which provide 10, 20, and 40 degree notches —  are manually engaged with a Johnson bar located between the two front seats. And it’s cruising speed is more than efficient for newcomers, allowing a pilot to travel 400-500 miles in three to four hours.

For many pilots, the Archer III is a popular choice to learn in, and a popular choice for new pilots looking for an entry level airplane.

Piper Twin Comanche

The Piper Twin Comanche, part of Acadian Aviation’s lease fleet, is an ideal airplane for weekend trips and quick getaways. The Comanche can carry four- to six passengers, and travel up to 170 knots at 17 gph.

The Twin Comanche does all of this and more with the 160-horsepower Lycoming O- 320 engine —  the same engine used in the plodding Cessna Skyhawk, Piper Super Cub, and Piper Tri-Pacer — thanks to its fuel injection and, in some cases, turbocharged versions.

Fly from Lafayette to Tampa, Nashville, Kansas City, even Cancun, Mexico, in comfort with the The Twin Comanche, which can carry up to 90 gallons of fuel in its four fuselages.

The Comanche’s solid blend of speed, fuel economy, control, feel, and range make it a perfect weekender for a family of four or a quick business trip.