By Michelle Adserias
It can be challenging to find a well-maintained, personal aircraft for a good value. But, as Mike Hohertz discovered, finding one to accommodate his family of six was even more challenging. That’s why he was thankful when he found his 1978 PA-32RT-300T, the Piper Turbo Lance.
How It All Started
Mike’s interest in flying began in a rather unconventional way. In March of 2020, when COVID brought the world to a practical standstill, many people were discussing ways to keep their minds active to ward off those unhealthy feelings of isolation and confinement.
“To keep busy, I started watching an aviation lecture series from a company called The Great Courses (I highly recommend it), and by the third episode of the series I was searching for flight schools near me,” Mike explained. He was able to work from home during the day, then sneak in a lesson or two each week, in the early evening, at West Houston Airport.
“Without exaggeration, my first 8-10 flight lessons, I thought I had made a huge mistake. I kept asking myself, ‘What was I thinking? I don’t have any business trying to do this!’” That didn’t stop Mike. He stood up to his misgivings. Passion, bordering on obsession, quickly replaced any fears or hesitation he was feeling.
Once he was committed to becoming a pilot, Mike began searching Trade-A-Plane and Controller for a family-friendly airplane. Because of the search parameters he entered, the T-tail Piper Lance was the plane that most frequently popped up. They were priced a bit lower because of the reduced elevator authority associated with the aircraft’s design. Mike quickly discovered flying a T-tail didn’t present any safety concerns. Pilots either loved or hated them because they handled differently. This freed him to buy N30190 when it popped up for sale.
A Great Buy
Mike’s Piper Turbo Lance II was flown regularly and carefully maintained until 2021. In fact, because it had resided at the same airport most of its life, many of the logbook entries were made by the same maintenance team. “You can almost read logbooks like a story, and the reader starts to see bare minimums being done over time, or the reader sees that the owner was willing to put the money into the plane to keep it in the best condition possible.”
From 2021 to 2024, it sat in the hangar. When Mike purchased it, the paint job, exterior, and seats were all in above average condition, though the carpet and seat belts were worn out and needed replacement. The engine was also in good condition with great compression and 750 hours on it since it was overhauled.
The avionics, which were mostly legacy, needed to be upgraded. The airplanes used in his flight school had G1000’s in them. Mike never worked with round dials, gyros or vacuum pumps. So, he had the LORAN, ADF and DME systems removed, as well as the GNS430. The avionics shop was fairly certain it was the first one they had ever installed, back in 2000.
These older systems were replaced with the following:
- Dual G5s with GAD 13
- GTN 750
- GMA 35C
- GNC355 GPS/COM
- GTX345R ADSB
- GFS500 3 Servo autopilot
- EDM 930
- Flight Stream 510
- Mountain High portable oxygen tanks
Research Diligently
One word of advice from our pilot to others undertaking a panel restoration. “You can never be too prepared for a huge undertaking like this. I’ve studied all the avionics, watched countless hours of instructional videos, and read articles about combining all the best options. I really wanted to feel informed about each component going into the plane. So, my advice is to do a lot of homework before the panel gets cracked open.”
Mike relied heavily on General Avionics at West Houston Airport to source everything and he is very pleased with the outcome, particularly the autopilot’s “wings level” feature and precision approaches. With all these upgrades, Mike now has peace of mind. He has done everything in his power to ensure his family’s safety in every phase of flight, from takeoff to landing.
The Mission: Family Fun
Having a Turbo Lance breaks the mission for N30190 wide open. Being able to cruise in the higher altitudes will make some of the longer trips Mike and his family hope to make more doable. Mike and his wife, Victoria, grew up in Colorado Springs and they look forward to flying there for visits more often. Most of the time, however, they go on ventures closer to home.
They have family members in other parts of Texas they also enjoy visiting. Of course, the kids enjoy weekend trips to Sea World and Six Flags in San Antonio and anticipate more short trips to places like Big Bend National Park and New Orleans. And the family airplane will take on a new mission this fall when Alex begins his freshman year at the University of Texas at Austin.
What really brings the family together is soccer. They are huge Houston Dynamo fans! Having this aircraft will allow them to follow the Dynamo to Austin, Dallas, Denver, and points beyond. They may even venture to the World Cup tournament when it comes to the United States next summer. I think the Hohertz family would say that having two wings is even better than having four wheels.
