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 After Rosemary arrived on the scene in 1999
we started thinking about getting a family airplane. We decided upon some criteria
for what we wanted: a four seat taildragger that was also inexpensive. There are
only a few planes that fit into this description - my favorite was the Piper Pacer.
We decided to set a goal of buying a Piper Pacer within the next five years.
Shortly before Ryan was born in
the summer of 2002 I started to scope out the ads in search for a Pacer. It didn't
look like we would be able to purchase one for another year or so but I figured it
wouldn't hurt to start looking. After Ryan was born I started doing some serious
research into Pacers. I found a converted Tri-Pacer in Trade-A-Plane that really
caught my interest. It had been restored in 1995 and, according to the pictures I
saw, was really beautiful, especially the paint job - cream and turquoise (turquoise
is my favorite color). This plane, however, was priced out of the range I was planning
on spending. I quietly put the spec sheet in my airplane folder and looked for a
less expensive airplane.
Owen and I went to look at a nice
Pacer near our home but it didn't seem like the perfect plane for us. We figure if
you are going to spend the money to buy a plane you have to love it, it has to really
hit you as the right one. We sat around that night with our friend Mike and talked
about buying a plane, the pros and cons of the one we saw, and looked at the specs
of several I had found on the Internet. On a whim I showed Owen the spec sheet of
the turquoise Pacer and said, "If I could buy any Pacer in the world, I would
buy this one." I gave Owen the spec sheet and expected him to laugh and tell
me I was crazy when he saw the price. Instead, he looked at it thoughtfully then
handed it back to me. "You could always give the guy a call and make him an
offer," he said. I looked at Owen in dismay and asked our friend Mike, "What
have you done with my husband?"
 The next morning
I called the owner of the beautiful airplane. He was nice. We had fun talking and,
well, everything felt right about this plane. Owen and I talked some more. I decided
to check into the plane through the Short Wing Piper Club
members who lived near the seller. Things checked out okay so Owen flew down to look
at it. He flew it and came home to report back to me on the details. Next, my friend
J.D. went down to check it out mechanically. He reported back saying it was an awfully
nice airplane and mechanically sound. Owen and I talked about finances. This Pacer
did cost a bit more than we wanted to spend but, we decided, we were willing to pay
a little more for a nice plane with a low time engine and a recent restoration.
On October 1st I called the seller
to negotiate a deal. On October 19th Owen flew down to Texas on a commercial flight
and prepared to fly our new Pacer home. He arrived home with it at 8:15 p.m. on October
21st. I ran outside, with Rosemary and Ryan in tow, to meet him and get my first
look at my new plane. She was more beautiful than in the pictures.
Now, we are busy flying our new
airplane. She flies wonderfully. We are flying as much as we can, going out for breakfast
or lunch, visiting friends and just flying around for fun. I am finding out a bit
about the history of our new plane. She was built in 1955, so has probably been through
a lot in her time. I have made contact with the man who rebuilt her, he did such
a wonderful restoration on N2544P that she won her class in Oshkosh in 1996 and has
won other awards at the Short Wing Piper Club convention and other places. If anyone
knows anything of her history, please let me know.
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