LAKELAND, Fla., Sun ’n Fun, April 13, 2010 — As Piper Aircraft, Inc. this year celebrates its 50^th anniversary of the Piper Cherokee, the company is inviting pilots and passengers to honor and commemorate this venerable aircraft by logging some time for the Cherokee Heritage Journey.

 

Participants in the Cherokee Heritage Journey get a stamp each time they attend any number of fly-in events across the country. The pilot attending the most events will win a new Garmin GPSMAP 696, and the winning passenger will get $5,000 toward flight training in the new PiperSport light sport aircraft.

 

Participants can log onto the company’s website (www.piper.com) for a schedule of air shows and fly-ins designated as part of the Cherokee Heritage Journey. Pilots, in turn, can pick up an official passport from Piper employees at any of the pre-selected events and then use it to collect other stamps along the way. The more stamps collected, the better the chances to win. The Piper passport will also record the pilot’s name, aircraft registration number, the departure airport and distance flown to reach events. Passport entries from each destination will be validated by a Piper employee signature. Pilots must also fly a Cherokee to participate in the Cherokee Heritage Journey.

“It’s time for our Cherokees to take a bow,” said Piper Director of Marketing Jacqueline G. Carlon. “We’ve been building PA-28s for 50 years now, and the Cherokee Heritage Journey is a great way to celebrate this versatile family of airplanes.”

The first Cherokee flew in 1960.  Since that time, the line expanded to include the Piper Warrior, Archer, Arrow and Dakota, all iterations of the PA-28 airframe.  Currently Piper offers three Cherokees in its lineup: the Warrior III, the Arrow and the newly revamped 180hp Archer III.

Piper Aircraft Inc. is headquartered in Vero Beach, Fla. Piper’s rich legacy is born of 72 years of unparalleled history, with almost 150,000 aircraft brought to market and more than 160 models certified. Approximately 90,000 of those aircraft are still flying and being serviced and supported on every continent by Piper’s 65 service centers, 27 dealers and 2,500 field personnel. Piper is the only general aviation manufacturer to build and offer aircraft for every general aviation mission, from trainers and high-performance aircraft for personal and business use to turbine-powered business aircraft and the PiperJet. For more information about Piper Aircraft and to find an authorized service center near you, please visit www.piper.com.