By Michelle Adserias
John Miles had two long-standing items on his bucket list: becoming a pilot and owning an airplane.
He has been fascinated with airplanes since he took his first commercial flight when he was four years old, but it wasn’t until the summer of 1995 that John was able to pursue his private pilot certification. After a few lessons, however, life circumstances interrupted his pursuit. In 2021, he was able to continue his training at Genesis Aero in Georgetown, Texas (KGTU). He faced another delay while working out his medical certification with the FAA. While he waited, he continued to build hours, gain experience, improve his skills, and purchase his first aircraft; N4378B — a 1985 Piper Archer II (PA-28-181). John wanted to finish up his certification in a plane he felt perfectly comfortable flying.
John completed his check ride at Austin Executive Airport (KEDC) in December 2023.
Although he started his training in Cessna 172s, John always had an affinity for low wing airplanes. Before purchasing a plane, however, he wanted to try flying some other models. When he visited a flight school and tried out the Piper Archer, he was hooked. It turned out to be a great fit! Purchasing N4378B and completing his PPC moved two big dreams from his bucket list to reality.
Why the Archer II?
In addition to just feeling comfortable in his PA-28-181, John appreciates its stability. It’s very smooth and easy to handle, even in crosswind landings, which makes it fun to fly.
“I always wanted a plane for fun and personal travel. I appreciate the convenience and ease of covering greater distances, quicker, without having to drive,” John explained.
John also appreciates the roominess of the Archer. While no 4-seat, single-engine aircraft is exceptionally spacious, John finds he can fly three-hour legs on a journey without feeling cramped.
It’s also economical to fly. Although John hasn’t determined an approximate cost per hour, he noted: “The Lycoming O-360 engine delivers good power, and I can cruise at seven-and-a-half to nine gallons per hour between 6500 feet and 9500 feet on almost every trip.”
Of course, every aircraft has a few shortcomings — despite its strengths. In this case, the wheel pants pose some challenges. Checking the tire pressure and putting air in the tires is a “pain in the butt.” Their size and shape make other types of wheel maintenance difficult.
As is commonly the case, it’s difficult to keep the cabin at a comfortable temperature. N4378B has an auxiliary blower fan to circulate outside air but it can’t keep up with the Texas heat while John is climbing to higher, cooler altitudes.
Though not specific to a Piper Archer, John is painfully aware that getting in and out of low wing aircraft is not always easy, but once inside, settling in is a breeze.
John observed, “No one looks good climbing out of a low wing.”
More About N4378B
When John purchased N4378B it was in excellent condition. “My CFI, who went with me to pick it up, said it was the one of the cleanest he’d ever seen” and it had low hours, about 600 since the engine overhaul. All it really needed was a few avionics upgrades.
The plane already had an S-TEC 30 autopilot which worked well, so John left that alone.
The vacuum system was removed and replaced with a Garmin GI 275 EIS. The main reason John chose the GI 275 was the size and to see fuel flow more accurately and lean the mixture more easily — though he also appreciates having so much important information in one easy-to-see place; fuel flow, EGT/CHT temps, rpm, power percentages and more.
A new Garmin GNC 355 took the place of the old King KX155 display, which was starting to function improperly. John appreciates having the second comm and GPS it provides. The original audio panel was also having some problems and ultimately gave way to a PS Engineering 8000 unit.
Finally, the existing AI and DG were replaced with two Garmin G5’s, which John finds are much cleaner and easier to use. “They interface with my GNS 430W [which was installed when John purchased the plane] flawlessly and the autopilot couples with them all nicely as well. I’m very happy with my current setup.”
Currently, John has no plans for further upgrades. He is aware support for the Garmin 430 units is falling off and realizes an upgrade will be necessary if it quits, but is hoping it still has a long life ahead.
The FAA may soon be issuing new ADs regarding wing spars and wing connections that could impact many Piper owners, John included. Since his plane has low hours (less than 3000 TTAF), John doesn’t anticipate this creating an immediate problem for him.
Replacement parts have not been difficult for John to find. Last year he had to replace his number one cylinder because it was knocking and there was some scoring. He was able to get a new cylinder and piston installed quickly and was back in the air within two weeks. His primary place for purchasing parts is Aircraft Spruce.
Flying For the Fun of It
John purchased N4378B in the summer of 2022. Since purchasing his aircraft, he has flown about 260 hours in this plane, 160 hours of which were in the past 12 months. Most of the time, he flies to airports in Texas he has never visited before. He and his wife, Tiffany, enjoy checking out the restaurants in area airports and enjoying those $100 hamburgers.
They also enjoy simple cross-country trips together. They often fly somewhere to see a friend. Even if they only have an hour or two to spend together, John and Tiffany feel the trip is worthwhile.
One of their most memorable flights is the very first one they took together after John completed his PPC. They took a short tour over the Texas hill country, which Tiffany really enjoyed. John appreciates how supportive she has been and continues to be as he pursued his dream.
“I am extremely blessed to have her and it really meant a lot to me to have her as my first passenger.”
More recently, when the weather was cooperative, John and his son flew to the Bass Pro Shops pyramid in Memphis, Tennessee — something his son had wanted to do for a long time. They spent the night at the pyramid and enjoyed the opportunity to have some time together.
John concluded, “It’s the flights like that, that make it all worth it for me!”
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