Piper Cheyenne

Two families share the name: the smaller PA-31T Cheyenne I and II, built on the pressurised Navajo, and the larger PA-42 Cheyenne III and IIIA with a stretched fuselage and a T-tail. All figures quoted refer to the Cheyenne IIIA, with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-61 engines of 720 shp, up to 565 km/h and usually six seats.

A long but low cabin

The PA-42 cabin is about 5.54 m long, 1.31 m high and 1.24 m wide. You walk bent over, but seated there is good legroom, more than in the shorter Cheyenne II. The usual layout is four club seats and two more further back, and pressurisation means no oxygen masks up to the ceiling of 10,668 m.

There is no galley and no flight attendant, so catering means cold dishes and drinks. With a propeller on each wing the cabin is louder than in a jet. The crew is one or two pilots, depending on the operator.

Two baggage areas, about 1.64 m³

Bags go into a nose compartment loaded from outside and a space at the back of the cabin. With a full cabin, weight becomes the limit before volume, and the operator then carries less fuel.

What to expect:

• Four people with weekend bags: no problem
• Six people with suitcases: give sizes and weights in the request
• Skis and golf bags: we check with the operator whether they fit in that particular aircraft

Engines, speed and runways

The Cheyenne IIIA weighs up to 5,080 kg at take-off. The maximum range applies with full tanks and almost no payload; with all seats taken and IFR reserves about 1,400 km remain, enough for every leg in the table.

Versions you may be offered:

Sion with 2,000 m and Cannes-Mandelieu with 1,539 m are easy, and Samedan with 1,799 m works for a crew trained for the mountain approach, though at about 1,700 m elevation on a warm day the load may be cut. Saint-Tropez La Môle (1,071 m) is too short, and the 537 m sloped Courchevel altiport needs a special qualification and a different aircraft.

Flying an old twin turboprop in Europe

Routes from European hubs

Thirty-two one-way legs from all thirteen hubs, from Munich - Samedan at 248 km to London Farnborough - Nice at 1,037 km, all without a fuel stop. Prices are for the whole aircraft with crew, without airport fees and passenger taxes.

Up to two hours: where an old turboprop makes sense

Two to three hours: still non-stop with six

• London Farnborough - Nice (2:34 h) and Amsterdam - Nice (2:27 h) are non-stop with six on board, but a light jet is about 40 minutes quicker.
• London - Palma at 1,332 km is close to the range with every seat taken; with three or four people it is usually fine.
• Rome from London, Greece from Paris or the Canary Islands from anywhere in the north usually need a fuel stop, so a King Air 350 or a jet suits better.

The calculator gives an indicative price for the Cheyenne and similar twin turboprops on any route you choose.

What a Piper Cheyenne charter costs

The indicative rate starts at EUR 2,000 per flight hour for the whole aircraft with crew and fuel. On a short leg the price is well above the rate multiplied by the flight time: London Farnborough - Jersey takes 1:00 h and starts at EUR 6,500, because the operator adds a minimum charge and the flights between the aircraft's base and your airports.

On longer legs the fixed part matters less. Paris Le Bourget - Nice (1:53 h) starts at EUR 8,000, Geneva - Palma (2:05 h) at EUR 8,500 and London Farnborough - Nice (2:34 h) at EUR 9,500. The price stays the same for two or six passengers.

The quote covers the whole aircraft; shared between passengers, Paris Le Bourget - Geneva comes to:

How to pay less

• Return the same day when the duty time allows: no pilot hotel and no second positioning.
• Ask for several turboprop types at once, since at this size the distance from the aircraft's base often decides the price more than the model.
• Give a departure window of a few hours, so the operator can link your flight with another trip.
• For a stay of several days, compare two one-way quotes with a quote where the aircraft waits.

Empty Legs: rare on this type

With so few aircraft in European charter, Empty Legs on a Cheyenne come up only now and then, usually when the aircraft returns to base after a one-way trip. Such a leg can cost 30-60% less than a normal charter, but these are examples: the date and route are fixed, and the operator may cancel it if the aircraft gets a full booking.

Send your route and a date window to empty-legs@jets.flights or through the Empty Legs page, and we include other turboprops in the search.

Cheyenne, King Air or PC-12

These types are easier to find in Europe, and most have a higher cabin.

What to include in your request

For a quote we need:

• route, date and preferred departure time
• number of passengers and baggage, ideally with weights
• skis, golf bags or a pet
• whether a toilet on board is a must

If no Cheyenne is free, we send an offer for a similar turboprop straight away. We always try to give you both options, but each case depends on the operator's availability and contract.

Questions about the Piper Cheyenne

• • How much does a Cheyenne cost from Paris to Geneva?

  • From EUR 7,000 for the whole aircraft one way, with a flight time of 1:19 h according to the table. Paris to Nice starts at EUR 8,000. Airport fees and passenger taxes are added in the quote.

• • What makes up the price?

  • Flight time at the hourly rate, positioning from the aircraft's base, pilot costs on overnight trips, airport and handling fees, passenger taxes, catering and winter de-icing.

• • Why does a one-hour flight cost more than the hourly rate?

  • Because of the minimum charge and positioning. Munich to Samedan takes 1:00 h and starts at EUR 6,500, while London Farnborough to Nice (2:34 h) starts at EUR 9,500, so the gap narrows on longer legs.

• • How can I fly more cheaply?

  • Return the same day, let us quote other turboprops based closer to you and keep the departure time flexible.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the Cheyenne?

  • Rarely, as few aircraft fly in Europe. When one matches your route, it can be 30-60% cheaper, but the date is fixed and the leg can be cancelled.

• • How many people can fly?

  • Up to nine in some aircraft, usually six. With six there is room for suitcases, with every seat taken only for light bags.

• • Is there a toilet on board?

  • It depends on the layout of the aircraft, and we state it in the offer. If you need one, we check before sending prices.

• • How far can it fly without a stop?

  • About 1,400 km with every seat taken and IFR reserves, so London Farnborough to Nice (1,037 km) is non-stop. For London to Rome the operator usually plans a fuel stop.

• • Is such an old aircraft safe?

  • Age does not decide safety when the aircraft passes the required maintenance and the operator holds an AOC, which we check before every offer. The difference shows mostly in the cabin fittings.

• • Can we bring a dog?

  • Yes, in the cabin once the operator has approved it, with a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport.