By Jim Curns
Photos courtesy of AeroCreeper
While at Oshkosh this year, I took a few breaks from working the booth to go see what the other vendors had to offer. I didn’t have much on this year’s shopping list, so a splurge item was possible. I do enjoy finding presents for my Cherokee 180.
I found myself at the booth of AeroCreeper, a manufacturer of adjustable height creepers for use in maintaining your aircraft. I have long used creepers from your typical auto store and always sort of hated them. The wheels got stuck, my neck got sore, and sometimes, like under a tail surface, the height was just plain wrong. The idea of a creeper with adjustable height did appeal greatly, but the price of $529 or $698 for a deluxe model made me think twice at first.
My second thought though was, “Hey, I’m getting older and still want to do a lot of the things I can’t do without a good creeper that adjusts: cleaning, annuals, or even just resting my eyes.” My credit card came out with the words, “I’ll take it.” I got the deluxe.
The key advantage is the way you can tilt the backrest and seat together quickly and easily for different heights. I’ve found it advantageous when working under my Piper wing. Because the wing slopes up, the AeroCreeper gives me the ability to adjust the backrest so that I am the same distance from the wing anywhere along it. This leads to less fatigue in completing tasks: cleaning, waxing, painting, repairing, ceramic coating, and/or inspecting.
To change the height, get off the creeper and lift the back to the desired height. It clicks into a notch when released and stays there. To lower, lift the back and seat together and it slides back down. Super simple.
I used it during my recent annual and will be using it even more, as we found a bit of corrosion on the belly. I wonder if we had missed that on an earlier inspection because my old creeper was so awful to use.
My A&P/IA also liked the adjustable height creeper and found it quite handy. We do the annuals together as I always like to understand more about my plane and he appreciates my help.
If you find your body and knees are in great shape and your wallet is empty, you might wait on this. If you are like me though, the knees and neck appreciate the purchase and make your life more pleasant. Get the right creeper for your needs.
ABOUT AEROCREEPER
AeroCreeper started as a father-and-son engineering team looking for a better way for pilots and aircraft mechanics to work under planes. The result is a tool that makes under-aircraft work easier.
Today they manufacture adjustable-height creepers—a compact wheeled stool/chair that raises or lowers so you can work comfortably under airplanes, cars, trucks, boats, tractors, or other large equipment.
What makes the AeroCreeper special are 10 height positions (about 5.25″ to 20.75″), helping users reach landing gear and undercarriages without straining back or neck.
In 2025, AeroCreeper earned a SEMA Show Media’s Choice award, and it was featured in ABC’s Tim Allen sitcom Shifting Gears, on October 1.
Built from heavy-duty steel, it supports up to 350 lbs and comes ready to use. Accessories are available (replacement seats, caster-guards).
For contact or ordering info:
Address: 2709 Mule Ranch Cir
Corinne, UT 84307, USA
Website: aerocreeper.com
Phone: 435-744-1019
Email: Sales@aerocreeper.com
Jim Curns has been around airplanes since the mid-1960s. After starting a business and a family, he learned to fly. He has owned ultralight, experimental, Cessna, and Piper aircraft.
