Piper Tomahawk Aeroplane

Information About the Piper Tomahawk

The Piper Tomahawk - or the Piper PA-38-112 Tomahawk to give it its full name - had a short but sweet production run from 1978 - 1982, was the general aviation manufacturer's attempt at creating a more affordable training aircraft. And, despite its brief run of just under 2,500 units being made, that is precisely what it became.

Powered on a Lycoming O-235 four-cylinder piston engine with a twin-bladed tractor propeller, with two front hinged doors for cabin access, it is both nimble and agile for novice aviators. It is in fact still used by the Australian Air Force Cadets on their flight courses.

Flying Lessons in the Piper Tomahawk

Here in the UK, we have one venue currently which offers Aeroplane Flying Lessons in the Piper Tomahawk, which is Teesside International Airport up in County Durham in the North East of England. Delivered by Captain Mark Lee, an experienced commercial pilot, of Eden Flight Training, a recognised CAA Approved Training Organisation based at the airport, we would say there is no better man to learn from.

And even better, those as young as 14 can take part in these lessons, which vary in length from 15 minutes all the way up to 90 minutes, and which start from as little as £59. Whichever session length you opt for, you'll have a full safety briefing down on the ground before you head into the cabin, prepare for take off and zoom up the runway into the air, your confidence gradually building as you master flying this small but mighty flying machine!

Is The Piper Tomahawk a Good Trainer?

As it was built first and foremost with being a training aircraft in mind, the short answer is yes! One key design feature that gives it an advantage over, say, the Cessna 152, is that it had involvement from flight instructors in its original conception and design - in other words, it was built for budding pilots.

Unlike its competitors such as the aforementioned Cessna, which were designed to spontaneously fly out of a spin, the incorporation of a NASA GA(W)-1 Whitcomb airfoil means that pilot intervention is necessary to help it recovery from spins more quickly and thus efficiently - which has to be a big tick in the favour of anyone looking to become a truly great pilot.

Whilst it might not possess some of the more advanced technological capabilities of more modern trainer aircraft, the Tomahawk is still very responsive and puts in a good performance up in the air.

Booking a Piper Tomahawk Aeroplane Experience

We've made it as straightforward as possible to book your next flying lesson experience in a Tomahawk here at FlyDays. Visit our Aeroplane Flying Lessons Calendar to browse and book forthcoming dates with regularly updated availability direct from our suppliers at each of the venues we work with.

Or there's our open Gift Vouchers that can be purchased and redeemed and used towards any of the flying experiences you see listed above, which also make a fantastic gift idea for just about any special occasion for the prospective aviation enthusiast in your life!