Four-seat training and touring aircraft · Single-engine piston aircraft · production 1977–1994 · See its reach on the 3D globe
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A Piper Warrior II costs approximately $108k (€100k) to $129k (€120k) to buy at 1979 market values, and about $67k (€62k) a year to own flying 80 hours, roughly $841 (€779) per flight hour all-in. It seats 4, cruises at 118 kt (136 mph) and has a published range of 525 nm (972 km), needing about 1,608 ft (490 m) of runway. Figures are indicative planning estimates compiled 2026-07, not a quote for any specific airframe.
The PA-28-161 Warrior II is the low-wing counterpart to the 172 in a thousand training fleets: a stable, forgiving four-seater that is cheap to support and famously hard to hurt yourself in. It is a superb first owned aircraft for a cost-conscious pilot. The four seats come with the usual caveat, because full fuel and four adults with bags rarely add up, so it travels best with two or three aboard. Value now turns on refurbishment state, avionics and engine time rather than the year on the registration.
The Warrior II is a fixed-gear, low-wing PA-28 trainer with a Lycoming engine and semi-tapered wing. Its pilot's operating handbook is the source for the exact fuel, weight and operating limitations, and those figures should not be borrowed from an Archer or another Warrior generation. The type is best understood as a two-up training and local-touring platform with occasional rear-seat flexibility.
Limited payload and performance become visible when heat, altitude, passengers and fuel arrive together. Older examples need careful corrosion, fuel-system, engine, propeller, wiring, avionics and log review. A lower asking price is not an ownership advantage if it transfers deferred work, so the pre-buy and the competence of the local PA-28 shop matter more than a model-level comparison.
Budget-conscious buyers, flight schools and first-time owners who mostly fly two people locally and want the lowest-cost way into a PA-28.
Pilots who need real four-adult payload or faster cross-country cruise, or who want a high-wing Cessna's shade and downward view.
First-party reference values for this model. They are shown separately from PlaneFit planning estimates and do not enter Finder or cross-model rankings until each field is normalised across the catalogue.
| Maximum takeoff weight | 1,107 kg |
|---|---|
| Usable fuel | 182 L |
| Engine | Lycoming O-320-D2A or O-320-D3G, 160 hp |
Indicative planning data, compiled 2026-07. Verify against the AFM and records.
| Seats | 4 |
| Realistic payload with mission fuel | 811 lb (368 kg) |
| Published planning range | 525 nm (972 km) |
| Practical planning radius (4 people) | 352 nm (652 km) |
| Cruise speed | 118 kt (136 mph) |
| Runway need | ~1,608 ft (490 m) |
| Landing gear | Fixed tricycle |
| Pressurised | No |
| Fuel | Avgas 100LL |
| Fixed annual base | $13k (€12k) |
| Direct cost per flight hour | $130 (€120) |
Predictable and widely supported, but four adults with bags and meaningful fuel are rarely realistic.
Indicative cash costs at 1979 market values, before financing, depreciation and tax. The fixed base is the same whether the aircraft flies or not, so the effective hourly cost falls as utilisation rises.
| Annual use | Annual cash cost | Effective cost / h | Five-year cash outlay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 h / year | $62k (€58k) | $1,553 (€1,438) | $428k (€397k) |
| 80 h / year | $67k (€62k) | $841 (€779) | $454k (€421k) |
| 120 h / year | $72k (€67k) | $604 (€559) | $480k (€445k) |
| 180 h / year | $80k (€74k) | $446 (€413) | $519k (€481k) |
Every figure above is built from a $13k (€12k) fixed annual base, covering hangarage, insurance, scheduled maintenance reserves and recurring airworthiness costs, plus $130 (€120) per hour flown for fuel, reserves and consumables. It is a planning model for comparing aircraft and testing utilisation, not a maintenance programme quote, insurance quote or pre-buy assessment.
Older examples add calendar-driven maintenance: a 2011-built airframe is estimated at $29k (€27k) per year at 80 hours. Airframe and engine time, maintenance and damage history, avionics, equipment, geography and tax treatment move a real transaction further than the model year does, so price the aircraft in front of you, not the model. A cheaper example carrying deferred maintenance can be the more expensive aircraft once the first annual inspection is complete.
Piper Warrior II cost guide answers the same figures as standalone purchase and ownership questions, and the ownership cost calculator lets you replace these assumptions with your own hours and fixed costs.
Nothing beyond a pilot certificate for the category and class. With fixed tricycle gear and no endorsement requirement of its own, this is among the simplest certified aircraft to qualify in, which is a real part of why it is cheap to insure and easy to check out in.
US requirements under 14 CFR 61.31, stated for orientation and not as advice. PlaneFit is not an aviation authority or a training organisation. Other authorities set different rules, and the current regulation and your instructor are what govern.
An indicative 1979 market price for a Piper Warrior II is $108k (€100k) to $129k (€120k). This is a planning estimate normalised across the market, not a quote for a specific airframe. Condition, engine time remaining, avionics and damage history move the real number more than the model year does.
Flying 80 hours a year, a Piper Warrior II works out at roughly $67k (€62k) annually, which is about $841 (€779) per flight hour all-in once fixed costs are spread across those hours. The direct cost per hour alone, covering fuel, reserves and consumables, is about $130 (€120).
Published range is 525 nm (972 km). With 4 people aboard and realistic reserves, plan on a practical radius of about 352 nm rather than the brochure figure.
Plan on approximately 1,608 ft (490 m) for take-off. Check this against the actual runway, surface, slope, temperature and loading, all of which extend the requirement.
Direct comparisons against the models buyers most often weigh against this one.