Piper Cheyenne 2

Twin Piston· 111 globally registered

The Piper PA-42 Cheyenne III represents the pinnacle of Piper's pressurized turboprop twin line, introduced in 1979 as a step-up from the earlier Cheyenne II. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-41 engines producing 720 shaft horsepower each, the Cheyenne III offered owner-pilots and small charter operators a genuine cabin-class experience with stand-up headroom, club seating for six to eight passengers, and a private aft lavatory, capabilities previously reserved for much larger aircraft. The IIIA variant, which appeared in 1983, added a distinctive T-tail and stretched fuselage, improving stability and cabin volume while maintaining the type's reputation for solid high-altitude performance with a service ceiling of 29,000 feet and cruise speeds around 300 knots. What distinguished the Cheyenne III in its era was its positioning as a serious business tool that could be flown single-pilot under Part 91, yet offered near-turbofan comfort and range (roughly 1,400 nautical miles with reserves). The aircraft found favor with corporate flight departments, air ambulance operators, and cargo feeders who needed pressurization, known-icing capability, and the ability to operate from shorter runways than competing jets. Production ended in 1993 after approximately 180 Cheyenne IIIs and IIIAs were built, but the type remains active in charter, medevac, and owner-flown roles across the Americas and beyond. SkyMeter has tracked 86 flights across 34 airframes and 20 operators, with Great Lakes Gliding Corporation the largest observed operator.