Piper aircraft history and background

From Piper Cub to PiperJet

When William T. Piper Sr. introduced the Piper Cub in 1937, he had a dream. He felt that everyone should fly. And he believed that Piper could provide everyone with that freedom.

A career as a builder of aircraft wasn't exactly the first thing Bill Piper thought about after graduating from high school in Bradford, Pa. in 1898. After a short hitch in the Spanish-American War, he went to Harvard instead of Yale because his teetotaling father believed that there were fewer saloons in Harvard Square than in New Haven. Piper was a star hammer thrower, graduated cum laude in 1903. He spent the next eleven years as a construction engineer, went back to Bradford in 1914 and became a successful oil-well operator. When the Taylor Brothers Aircraft Corp. moved to Bradford (see the rare postcard left below), Piper became a director, though at that moment he had little interest in aviation. But that was about to change!

After the Taylor company went bankrupt during the Depression, Piper poured in his oil money to keep it going and... he learned to fly! He insisted that the company build a smaller, less expensive plane, and became responsible for the creation of the first Cub. Price: $1,325. In 1936 Piper bought out Taylor, but he had hardly got started when the company's factory was destroyed by fire. Though the business was only 5% insured, Piper remarked stoically: "At least we'll get some publicity out of it."

Borrowing money to start up again, Piper moved to an abandoned silk mill in Lock Haven, where he set up the Piper Aircraft Corp. Cub sales rose from 22 in 1931 to 687 in 1937, when Piper took over as the No. 1 U.S. light-plane maker. The rest, as we all know, is history.

Still keeping the late William T. Piper Sr.'s dream alive today, Piper Aircraft now is the only general aviation manufacturer to offer a complete line of aircraft to help realize the flying dreams of most any pilot. From rugged, reliable trainers to high performance turbo-props, and the new PiperJet, Piper creates the highest quality craft for everyone - from new pilots to adventure-seekers to serious business travelers.

There is a feeling that everyone at Piper shares, a torch that has been passed from generation to generation. A feeling of wonder, of veneration, of excitement, of personal commitment to the dream. From the head office to the factory floor, there is an understanding that the Piper people are not just making a thing - they’re making magic. They’re making freedom. They’re making dreams come true. They’re giving them wings. And that feeling has engendered a deep personal commitment to quality in everyone working with Piper:

"We know the value of what we make. And we’re determined to make it the best it can possibly be. We build quality in every step of the way so our owners are sure of it in the end. It is our shared passion to ensure that every one of our customers is totally satisfied with their Piper experience.

A new level of excitement, a new set of guidelines and standards, new products and innovations, Piper has now become a name that will help ensure consistently outstanding treatment of our pilots at every stage of their ownership experience. We know we don’t just make airplanes. We create the freedom of flight. That’s why we give our absolute best to everything we do".