Piper Aircraft Pa-15

Single Piston

The Piper PA-15 Vagabond was a no-frills, two-seat trainer built between 1948 and 1950 as Piper's economy answer to post-war flying clubs and budget-conscious private pilots. Powered by a modest 65-horsepower Lycoming O-145 engine, the Vagabond seated pilot and passenger in tandem under a fabric-covered fuselage and featured a distinctive side-by-side door arrangement that made entry easier than many taildraggers of the era. With a maximum takeoff weight of just 1,500 pounds and a cruise speed around 90 knots, it was never fast, but it was affordable and forgiving, qualities that made it popular with flight schools and weekend flyers in the immediate postwar boom. Piper built approximately 387 Vagabonds before discontinuing the model in favor of the more refined PA-17 Vagabond Trainer, which added a second door and minor improvements. Today the PA-15 is a sought-after vintage type among tailwheel enthusiasts, prized for its simplicity, low operating costs, and classic tube-and-fabric construction. The UK registrations in the sample data reflect a small but active community of owners who maintain these 75-year-old aircraft in airworthy condition, often for recreational flying and vintage rallies. SkyMeter has tracked 12 flights across 4 airframes and 2 operators, with ELLISON BEN L the largest observed operator.