The Practical Endurance of the Piper Cherokee Six

FLYING investigates what it's like to own, maintain, and fly the original Cherokee Six.

Jason McDowell

Friday, December 24, 2021 at 08:23 AM ET

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The Cherokee Six was designed with simplicity and utility in mind. Credit: Jason McDowell

Key Takeaways:

The Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six was introduced in 1965 to provide significantly more passenger and cargo space than its four-place PA-28 predecessor, accommodating 6-7 people and boasting extensive baggage capacity.
It features a fixed-gear design, a spacious cabin with configurable seating, and is powered by reliable Lycoming O-540 (260 hp) or IO-540 (300 hp) engines.
Owners value its robust load-carrying ability and predictable flight characteristics, though performance and handling require attention when heavily loaded, and it offers an economical alternative to light twins for utility.
Ownership is practical due to commonality within the Cherokee family, ensuring good parts and service availability, making it a versatile aircraft for a range of uses from light, powerful flight to "personal airliner" trips.

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When Piper introduced its popular four-place PA-28 Cherokee in 1960, it didn’t take long for the company to realize that a significant number of customers (and potential customers) had a need for more space and more load-carrying capability. By 1963, Cessna had responded to that market segment by introducing its six-place 205, and Piper followed suit in 1965 by introducing the PA-32 Cherokee Six.

The Cherokee Six was designed with simplicity and utility in mind. While it later evolved into the Saratoga, Lance and “Six”—all with various blends of retractable gear, turbocharged engines, T-tails and tapered wings—we’re focusing on the original version, built from 1965 to 1979.