I have had a passion for aviation since I was a kid. I loved mili­tary aircraft and always made models.

Dana Burns was introduced to general aviation in 1979 when his father purchased a brand-new Piper Archer II and later upgraded to an Arrow. That sparked a decades-long passion for aviation and an affinity for the Piper.

Chad West’s most recent plane purchase, a 1985 Dakota, is his dream come true. He’s been a pilot since 2003 and has flown and owned a number of planes, but he favors Pipers, especially the Dakot

“If you’re going to do it, do it right, even if you have to wait a couple years until it’s financially feasible,” Fischer said. “Otherwise, you’re going to be paying twice to open things back up again.”