Buying a Piper Cherokee 235 Sight Unseen and Flying It 2,000 Miles In 2 Days!

We bought the cheapest Piper Cherokee 235 in the world! We bought this plane sight unseen cheap, and proceed to fly it 2,000 miles in 2 days all around the western USA. In my opinion this is the best single engine piston airplane for under $75,000. The useful load is insanely high, it is simple to fly, it has tons of power from the Lycoming O-540, and it cruises pretty fast! All way going well until we ran into our first problem landing in Utah... What do you all think of the raw polished aluminum? Should we do any mods?
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PLEASE NOTE: We are aviation enthusiasts. These videos are for entertainment purposes only. We are NOT qualified to give flying instruction. All of our videos, including this one, have been significantly edited down from the original full length raw footage. Many radio calls, checklist steps, and other procedures have been omitted to keep the videos a reasonable viewing length. Please speak to a CFI with any flying questions you may have.

[@JRGarage]

Silver bullet 310 or Tin Can 235?!? What do you all think of the polished aluminum? Do you have any 235 experience? I you all enjoyed this one. Part 2 coming soon along with the other plane reveal 🙌

[@calebalsford9797]

Am a fan of the polished look lads 👌 Something a bit different sets it apart from the others in the fleet ✈️

[@dagger4146]

Polished for sure. Hershey bars rule !

[@ELZCGIJoe]

Tin Can 235, keep it polished metal with maybe blue accents. It's a classic airplane and the polished metal gives it that classic look. You don't want another white plane do you? :)

[@LCRider13]

The 235 was my first airplane. Got my private pilot and instrument rating in it back in 1998. Never should have sold it.

[@JohnMphs]

I'm going to miss the Silver Bullet 310.

[@eeyore.official]

The Cherokee 235 has always been my favorite GA bird, and I agree, it's criminally underrated. The newer 235s with the constant speed props are great too, but there's something about these original 235's that is so captivating. Would love to be able to own one one day!

[@JRAviation]

Yes the newer 235s have even more capability, and they can still be had for not much! Cherokee 235s rock!!

[@jeffreyhughes7107]

The blue dye will sometimes cause the strainer to stick open. Just dabbing the dye out with a rag will fix the problem. - Cherokee owner

[@aaronbrown6266]

Great to see 8694W again. I got my high performance endorsement in her at KCHD on Halloween 2021! I understand there is quite the story of how she ended up in Chino. Would love to hear about it someday. Enjoy!

[@JRAviation]

Wow, you've flown it! Did you know the owner, or was it available for rental?

[@aaronbrown6266]

@@JRAviation I met the owner once, but my CFI knew him pretty well. That's how I ended up flying it.

[@alecw4646]

Got my private at KCHD!

[@yamilcabrera2111]

Without being there and knowing for sure, The fuel leak is related to the fuel sump check valve that costs $15 and you need two quick fingers or ideally two people to unscrew and replace but many times if you push it consistently it may release dirt that can cause the leak. We replace one almost yearly on our warrior.

[@Finder245]

I was thinking the same, but from my experince with the tapered wing PA28s, the leak is in the wrong spot. It should be leaking on the wheel.

[@curtcoltharp3719]

I owned a 1964 235 and it, overall was best plane I ever flew. Mine carried 84 gallons and I could carry 4 adults and fly 150 mph. I also had the fixed pitch prop and per book, it flew faster than the constant speed variant. In my opinion, the 235 beats the heck out of a 182 Cessna and for way less money. Mine had the motor gas STC that made the 13 gallon per hour burn more manageable. I also had a nice set of radios. Initially, it took a lot of cranking to start until I read the published start procedure calling for rotating engine with switch off and then I think you switched it to one mag for start and then both when it fired up. Fuel management was more detailed with 4 tanks and on long trips, I ran tips first 15 minutes each side and each one to edge of starvation. You had to watch the fuel pressure gage closely to avoid running out which I occasionally did if I got distracted. I wish I still had mine.

[@billcarrier9622]

I love the Cherokee 235 and there is a STC to convert the fixed pitch model that you have to a constant speed prop in order to get faster cruise speed and better climb performance. The amount of useful load that the Cherokee 235 has is phenomenal. And what other aircraft has 1000lbs of useful load while only burning 12.5 gallons per hour? Well, the answer is no other GA plane does.

[@JRAviation]

Almost 1000 pound payload on this one! You’re right, not much else competes with it. A constant speed prop would be sweet.

[@AmericanPiddler]

Only downside to the 235 is space in the cabin! I fly a 6/300 with the same useful load! Excellent choice!

[@ericsd55]

Glad so see someone on the YTs showing how to calculate fuel burn like a old fashioned (normal) pilot.

[@joeglennaz]

The 235 is a great airplane. I flew it out of Scottsdale for a long time with the valley flying club that was in the late 90s. That thing is a beast I could take it fully loaded in the summertime to Flagstaff or Sedona and it would just jump off the ground.

[@JRAviation]

Exactly!

[@kidzpod]

Owned a 65 235 for 5yrs. One of the best 4 seaters out there! Run your tips for 1hr - makes it easy to remember. Headwinds will kill it though lol love those planes!

[@beacher425]

Remember with the 4 tanks…. Fill the tips, drain the mains. When refueling, fill the tips first and when flying, use the mains first. I was told it has to do with the twisting force on the wing spar particularly if flying heavy. But check the manual.

[@tiaandewitt9559]

I did my ppl training on a 235 and still own it, my instructor always thought me to fly the tips first because in the event of a spin the centrifugal force can give you a hard time getting out of the spin. But this is just what I was thought;)

[@jerryn5527]

Used to own one in South Africa and you could load it up and if the doors would close it would fly, on the way back from a trip to Namibia we lost the motor and had to land on a farm road, much excitement for the locals and a farmer towed us back to his farm, had to get the engine replaced as the magneto drive shaft sheared and engine was close to time out, they upgraded engine to 250HP and performance was amazing, I sold it and went on to the 300 which was also a great aircraft

[@JustaPilot1]

Fun fact, all single-engine prop GA aircraft have the engine angled to the right except the Meyers 200. The straight engine in that one means a well developed right leg.

[@ruten45]

Tip tanks plus full load will give you 7 hours total flying time. The Lycoming engine is the best. Fix the leak and go fly. Mine averaged 12 gph until I added the boots and speed kit that gave me an extra 5 to 10 knots in trim. Great airplane and wish I had never sold mine ! Always hangared

[@ChristopherYounger]

I purchased a 1965 PA-28-235 with the cosntant speed propr a year ago. Great little plane and especially easy to transition from a Cessna 172. I base out of the airport just south of Chino, Corona Muni (KAJO). Chino does have some great planes. My aircraft came with fuel leak as well. :) Fortunately mine was the quick drain--a $15 fix! Good luck on the 235, it's a great plane. :)

[@Xanthira222]

One very cool thing about the Cherokee 235. is due to the Lycoming O-540's low compression cylinders you can actually safely run ethanol free mogas. Running ethanol free mogas (which in many areas is over $2 cheaper/gal) you can actually get the fuel cost per hour under that of a Cherokee 180. Pretty cool!

[@Acc0rd79]

That plane in the back 22R is a Beechcraft Sierra, just like mine!! So fun as there aren't tons of them around. Solid planes with so much room and 2 doors!

[@Adventdraconis]

Just bought a C model Sierra back in November. Love it so far!

[@mustardseedsociety]

I think you made an excellent choice. {I'm assuming you have a Dakota} For one, the Piper Dakota was actually one of the PA28 series that was exempt from the wing spar AD in 2020 because the actual wing spar is thicker than on the lessor powered models of PA28. The only negative, is there is no BRS mod available for the Dakota like there is on a Cessna 182. Any C-182 built after 1964 can have a BRS installed if the owner wants it. On the Dakota or any Piper for that matter, no BRS mod is available.

[@alrad5686]

Nice looking plane, and reasonable on the fuel consumption. Hopefully the issue is not too serious. Looking forward to the next video to see what else you bought. I like the polished look, but know it takes far more effort to keep it looking great, over a paint job. Stay safe guys!

[@AllBikesGreatAndSmall]

This channel is so good. I really enjoy the content. Ignore any negativity, you guys are going to be very successful.

[@djwilliams4714]

Owen does a great job at flying... it must be amazing to fly towards a runway at night, then have to turn that sharp and line up center of the runway! Excellent job Sir!

[@fisherh9111]

Hard to believe that's a plane from the 60s. It looks fantastic. Better than a lot of the new stuff imho!

[@JRAviation]

Don't make 'em like they used to!

[@i.r.wayright1457]

Ah, you are in my wheel house now. That fuel leak can be one of four things. A cracked vent hose, a bad fuel quantity sender gasket, a failure in the sealer at a seam or rivets. Either way, if it only leaks when full, you are going to be pulling the tank loose and sliding it forward. The fuel will need to be drained since you need to take the fuel delivery line off to remove the tank. Better hope the mounting screws come loose as they are special structural screws and in two different lengths. So what was the simple fix? 🔨

[@JRAviation]

Wow, you know your stuff! I'm pretty sure it was just some sealer at the seam. They said it was a minor little fix.

[@i.r.wayright1457]

@@JRAviation Just remember that a fuel leak in a wing is very dangerous. One literally blew a Cessna 340 out of the air.

[@ruten45]

Best Piper PA-28-235 ever made in the world. Loved mine N15410 1973 model and the best workhorse ever.

[@imnotgogoing332]

based in chino too, will go see it soon

[@bobmcgehee1749]

O-540’s are almost bulletproof if you take care of them. Mine has over 800hrs on and still runs perfectly. I just clean the plugs and change the oil.

[@markmcriley2558]

Why is it not more popular? Yes it’s faster. Yes it’s got more load capacity. But, yes, it burns more fuel. Yes, it has higher insurance. Not many people need the difference in speed and load that the 235 offers over the 180. There is a very real break point where a plane doesn’t justify the jump in price/insurance/fuel burn. Everything in aviation is a compromise. The jump from the 180 to the 235 is one of those.

[@fanelli57]

And the good thing is, no Cirrus BS. No Parachute etc.

[@kevintaylor791]

235s are great, but If I recall, the 235 burns about 2 GPH more than a 180. So this is my best guess: The schools want the low power Cherokees because they are more profitable to operate. This means you, as a private buyer, are in direct competition with every Mom 'n Pop flight school and flying club, along with other private buyers. This increases the demand on the low power Cherokee, but not the 235.

[@JRAviation]

I see what that point of view, but at he same time you can pull the power back on a 235 to match 180 fuel flows and speeds nearly. The extra power gives you so much more capability while flying.

[@travishouse8833]

If you have the power and you’re paying by the hour, you use every bit of it

[@gorgly123]

Also, it is considered "High Performance". Probably not a good training airplane for a flight school. Insurance is probably a lot more for student pilots.

[@kevintaylor791]

@@JRAviation I agree, but think about any biz that does wet rate rentals... it's a wet rate... are you REALLY going to pull that power back? In the immortal words of a Comanche owner I once knew "I don't pay those ponies to loiter"

[@kevintaylor791]

@@gorgly123 Good point. Thanks.

[@RusscanFLY]

Wait, I see the Pittsburgh Steelers shirt point go PGH! Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Taylor , Alderdice, high school! Go Steelers!

[@JRAviation]

Half our family it’s from Pittsburg! Go Steelers!

[@danielterry382]

Yes, the reason people do not jump on the Piper 235 is that they are prone to Fuel leaks !

[@4life409]

Sure Guz (Chino Aviation) took care of you. I am based out of KCNO, great airport to do some filming with all the warbirds etc flying around almost every day.

[@lanceg.8458]

That's what I fly. We have a 1976 Pathfinder but it's basically the same ship. Love the power but they are a bit thirsty lol... Fun fact: Same wings and tail as the Cherokee 6, only the fuselage is different on the 6. That's why the useful load is high.. We just did a new engine. Had 2500 hours on the old engine which was running fine but leaked oil out of every seam...

[@evmotorsports]

great buy , Quit advertising I want to buy one soon ,your going to make the prices go up!!! scooter kicks butt , but unless your flying a 235 or larger 82+ lbs each is a little heavy for most light singles , at least a pair together in the baggage compartment.

[@andrewtrovao2397]

You got it right this time, the video is really fun.

[@av8rKCM]

Was it truly a fuel leak? Every Piper I’ve flown, if you overfill it, you’ll get pouring/drips from the fuel vent.

[@moseskelly2886]

Jeffery this sounds like a whole lot of dedication, motivation, commitment, devotion, and hard work. In the end everything will be worth it I'm sure of it.

[@chrisw9629]

I spent a lot of time in a 1964 235. My dad had one for years when i was a kid. Great airplane. The fuel sumps were always a little tricky. Had more problems with 100LL. Gotta jimmy them a bit sometimes haha. His had an auto gas STC which we preferred. The 100LL liked to foul the plugs every now and then. He used to joke and say the only way you could overload it was if you were hauling suitcases full of lead 😂 Yeah itll haul mad weight but still make sure to always do your weight and balance calcs. I think a lot of people steer clear of them because the 12-15 gph fuel burn lol Have fun be safe!

[@OlivierPaardekooper-yp2wt]

I really like your videos and feel a lot of joy watching them thank you

[@JRAviation]

Glad you like them!

[@haggeoromero]

It’s great to see young men doing great things like this, keep it going.

[@JD96893]

Looks pretty nice! Not the biggest fan of that particular Cherokee though, I mean they are supposed to be affordable and are for the most part. But the IO-540 is way overkill for what is a trainer and it sucks a good bit more fuel.

[@planeflyer21]

Nice score! How about getting a ride-a-long in the Draken in the background? That would be super cool!

[@blackrifle6736]

*Great idea however that one's been parked at least since 2018...*

[@davidklassen2805]

I own a Cherokee 180. Bought it super cheap and using it for flight training. Main reason I didn’t go for a 235 was they were a little more expensive at the time. I didn’t need the extra useful load and the 180 burns significantly less fuel. And still has about 1100 lbs useful load. Cruising at 9,500 i burn 6.5-7 gph

[@wstubbs8556]

Those K-155's are more reliable than the TV stuff.

[@adriennefoley2906]

Great to see Christian 👍🏻 you guys are so cool

[@stang10189]

I start my classes for my ppl this week. I can't wait. It's been a long-time goal, and im finally doing it.

[@JRAviation]

Awesome, congratulations!

[@arcanace_]

I just had my first lesson four days ago, starting about the same time! Good luck :)

[@davidduganne5939]

Polished aluminum is a lot of work to keep it looking nice, but your plane is lighter, without overall base coat, or a constant speed prop. The fixed pitch model probably has lighter stab/pitch forces, too. Overall a good solid airplane, especially in the summer at higher elevation airports.

[@chrisanderson2311]

I bid against you on this plane until the very end ha. I ended up getting a really good deal on a Cherokee 180. I’m based at KOGD so you flew it through where it’s home almost was.

[@fisherh9111]

with that kind of useful load I could image they were used for carrying all sorts of high value "things"...

[@mikaeleriksson1958]

Go back and get that Saab 35 Draken ( Dragon) in the background!!😍

[@747driver3]

Good luck with that new wing AD

[@philipwilson4671]

What in the world is that in the background at 2:03?!? it looks like a Saab 35 Draken, but with a different canopy. Wow that's incredible. My GF and I commented that the interior looked like a pimp's from the 70's. Throw a feather in the visor and you are good to go. :-)

[@mikev9471]

Enjoy the piper. It’s a great simple airplane. I have a 180. The useful load in my piper is perfect for me. I can put 740lbs of people and cargo into my airplane with full fuel at 50 gal. Very easy to fly. I came from flying cessnas

[@fudogwhisperer3590]

Yea, probably the extra maintenance cost and the increased fuel burn makes the 180 a better choice.

[@edwardstephens247]

I love your new plane!

[@JustaPilot1]

Chino Airport has some damn cool planes there.

[@jonclassical2024]

She is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!! I have a friend who as a Globe GC 1 Swift....almost 20 years older than your Piper.

[@h7qvi]

Scooters are subject to harsh vibrations that are hard on the batteries. A Li-Ion battery fire would be bad. Better to use sodium ion batteries (they're all non-flammable afaik)

[@randymcmeekin1955]

Love this channel. Great video!

[@joeglennaz]

The one I flew definitely had a variable pitch prop

[@LeppAviation]

The Tin Can saga 😤

[@bertengineer]

I just realized the cherokee 180 you have on trade a plane pic is KAY's FLYWITHKAY Cherokee 180

[@KutWrite]

Pretty cool. What app do you use for that calculator? It's very legible to my older eyes. Thanks.

[@JRAviation]

It’s just the native app built-in to all iPhones.

[@KutWrite]

@@JRAviation OK thanks for the quick reply! Can't wait to see what "other Piper" you bought... a Malibu is my guess.

[@BRC332]

All I fly is C172 and PA28. Next time you do a 2k mile trip, can I come and fly you? And build hours?

[@rustyheckler8766]

Looks like you guys found a great trainer.

[@HoonaticRacing]

“They are not paying us” they just gave you $5000 worth of scooters 🤣🤣🤣

[@rnordquest]

And they have the same display as the Lectric e-bikes which are some of the least expensive ones out there.

[@adampencharz]

Why wait for the fuel pressure to drop? Why not do 1hr and then change? Fill it up when you land, see what you’ve burned? Seems less risky?

[@curtcoltharp3719]

The 235’s do have a complicated fuel system. If you fly it enough, sooner or later, you’ll run out and get an adrenaline hit. I did that once with passengers and got quite a reaction. Did it more than once with just me.

[@vsznry]

Im at SNA, how do i ride in one of your planes?

[@thedagger2657]

It’s beautiful you need a glass panel for sure

[@adamdobrzanski6631]

They def bought a Piper Malibu

[@BRC332]

The fuel sump prob wasn’t closed tightly enough. Did you even try??

[@user-od9iz9cv1w]

Love the comment, "oh no, we can't take our new Piper. We'll have to fly our private jet back to Arizona!" What happened with the leak in Utah?

[@boeingav8tr525]

saw that one for sale on FB.. Yep, it was a good deal

[@treyphillippi9486]

235’s are definitely under-appreciated but people avoid them because of the added fuel burn and possible overhaul cost for the limited gain on performance. Payload is the biggest plus, but cabin size is no bigger and more comfortable so its cheaper and easier to go to a 180 horse.

[@607aviation]

Beautiful bird! Love to see it

[@brycewolff6295]

Wow what a Beauty lads.

[@BarryBenson-z2o]

Were you successful in bringing the paint back to life on the 601 or does the airplane need to be repainted? Thanks.

[@JRAviation]

You’ll see next video:) The paint was saved

[@greg552]

please tell us you had the fuel truck pump that tank out!!!

[@patrickscott9494]

Owned one the fuel valve can be cleaned easily and stopped the dripping. Should have called a person familiar with the plane. Great plane. 235s.

[@pokerdotjearsy]

cool music at 19min! great video

[@JRAviation]

Thanks for the visit

[@andrewtrovao2397]

Haha ha! the most fun trip so far.

[@jhaedtler]

The most accurate fuel gage is the clock!

[@erikwills1068]

You need a Piper Lance! I’d live to see you review one

[@kerolosisfat4198]

The silver color looks kinda sick

[@BaconTtavel]

Did you try the bar of soap trick on the fuel leak?

[@gorgly123]

Called it.

[@royshroud9536]

What type of battery is in the scooter? If a lithium battery aren’t there very specific regulations especially wrt packaging for throwing lithium batteries into the baggage compartment of an aircraft!

[@gregorymaupin6388]

Greatest year of all just saying

[@neilshrekpurves4521]

And I thought that " torque offset" was a standard in all propeller driven planes, but I'm a layman, so maybe I have always had it wrong 😊

[@JRAviation]

I think to some degree, but this one is a big degree!

[@mikimikemike1]

great show

[@philmil99]

Beautiful bird!

[@JRAviation]

It really is!

[@josephcovino9697]

What was leaking on the 235 in Salt Lake #"??? What did he see when he took the cowl off ? Was it oil spray on that tube and firewall from the oil cooler there mounted on the back of the engine ??? Anybody please.

[@douglasphillips1203]

Those geese were just telling you how much they liked the plane! *caution wing wash*

[@RusscanFLY]

I dig it! I’ve got one coming soon!!!

[@jackshittle]

Did you see a formation of flying saucers ovr Mt. Ranier like Kenneth Arnold saw?

[@carmentate37]

Please don't paint over the polished aluminum! I love the look and if it was polished and paint stripes redone, it would look so awesome! How much did you pay for the 235? Cost to get it in the air? I really enjoyed the experimental plane that you bought on auction and the explanation of the cost to get it operational. I'm a student pilot, at 61, and these videos give me an idea of if I should purchase or join a flight club. Thanks!

[@edelstahl_blackbird]

Beautiful airplane, Cherokees are a real workhorse, but did anyone notice that there is a J35 Draken in front the Cherokee?!

[@JRAviation]

I was wondering what that was!

[@adamross6499]

Your a good pilot