One of the special highlights of flying round the world in our trusty Comanche (ZK-BAZ) was taking it back to where it was born at Lock Haven in the state of Pennsylvania, a well kept small rural American town that symbolically hugs the adjacent Susquehanna River.
In the late 1930’s, William (Bill) Piper adopted Lock Haven as the manufacturing home for his Piper Aircraft Company. In those days the J-3 Cub, a straight forward two seat trainer aeroplane, was the company’s principal product. During the war years many thousands of them were built for the military.
Going into the 1950’s, Bill Piper foresaw a market for economical, comfortable and fast private owner aeroplanes and thus the Piper PA-24 Comanche was born. The prototype, Serial Number PA24-1, took to the air in May 1956 with a second example following in October that same year.
The first production Comanche, Serial Number PA24-3, came off the Lock Haven assembly line in September 1957. It was followed by a rapid linage of improvements and new models. Altogether, Piper produced 4,857 single-engine Comanche’s between 1958 and 1972 in six variants. By the end of 1961, Piper had successfully adapted the hugely popular legacy Comanche design into a twin-engine variant designated the PA30, perhaps better known as a Twin Comanche.
The Bazflyer’s own trusty Comanche was born at Lock Haven in 1962 emerging from the factory as Serial Number PA24-3206. Although designated a PA24-250 it was delivered with the fuel injected six cylinder engine, toe-brakes and electric flaps, all features that were production standard on the subsequent PA24-260 model.
As the overall aircraft market shrank and production numbers dwindled, Piper figured the Comanche was no longer cost-effective to produce. So when the Susquehanna River flooded in 1972 damaging much of the tooling on the Comanche line, a decision to cease production was inevitable.
As testimony to Piper’s timeless design and craftsmanship thousands of Comanches fly-on in the hands of aficionados all over the world. What better example than our own Comanche flying some 13,000 nm (24,000 kms) all the way from New Zealand to land at Lock Haven, the place where, as a brand new aeroplane, it flew out of fifty-seven years previous.
Nostalgic as this historic occasion was, it got better. In a hangar on the airport, not far from the now derelict old Piper factory, the Bazflyers found Norm Johnson, a former Piper employee from the late ’50's, working away in his hanger proudly restoring N2024P, the original prototype Comanche PA24-1. (Since our visit Norm’s precious piece of history is once again flying in Lock Haven skies.
The quaint town of Lock Haven still embraces the Susquehanna River, nowadays insulated from its flowing waters by solid stop banks. The old brick Piper factory building, having been empty for 50 years, longingly appeals for a purposeful occupier. Notwithstanding, Bill Piper’s legacy lives on. His Comanche prototype is back in the air at its place of birth and the first mighty PA24-400, perhaps Bill’s ultimate dream, resides in the nearby Piper Museum. Even although our ‘homecoming’ visit to Lock Haven was for just a few days, landing our Comanche back at its place of birth was a very special and nostalgic privilege…indeed!
Stop banks contain the Susquehanna River as it flows through the town of Lock Haven, PA.
Part of the now derelict Piper Aircraft factory where thousands of Cub and Comanche aeroplanes were born
A venerable Piper Cub in its element (photographed at Lock Haven)
The prototype Comanche, Serial Number PA24-1, undergoing a loving restoration in Norm’s hangar on Lock Haven airport.
Data plate PA24-1 attached to Norm’s first ever built Comanche.
Norm Johnson in a technical discussion with Bazflyer1
Bazflyers with Comanche ZK-BAZ at Lock Haven
‘Bill’ Piper was a visionary entrepreneur in his fifties when he discovered aviation.
