Piper parties on 75th birthday

Piper Aircraft Inc. will celebrate the company’s and the Piper Cub’s 75th anniversary during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2012, July 23-29.

In addition to a vintage Cub, which launched the company in 1937, Piper expects to display the single-engine turboprop Meridian, pressurized single-engine Mirage and the unpressurized Matrix, which form the M-Class lineup. Piper will also have an interior mockup of the Meridian on display and another turboprop Piper Meridian at NBAA’s booth (#465) at EAA. The company will show a multi-engine Piper Seneca and several Piper Seminole twin-engine trainers.

To commemorate the 75th Diamond Anniversary of the company and the plane that made it famous, Piper is celebrating its history all year long. A number of events have already occurred, and festivities are planned for the remainder of the year.

Hundreds of Piper Cubs are expected to turn the EAA AirVenture 2012 Oshkosh flightline into a “field of yellow” as aviation celebrates the iconic aircraft’s 75th anniversary. Piper Cub owners will participate in the fly in and be an integral part of the celebration.

Additionally, a Piper J-3 Cub will be awarded to a lucky winner as the grand prize in the 2012 EAA “Win the Cub” Aircraft Sweepstakes. The EAA Sweepstakes, one of the longest running airplane giveaways in the world, annually supports EAA’s aviation education programs. In a change from past years, EAA Sweepstakes entry forms will be available throughout EAA AirVenture 2012. All prizes will be awarded to winners in random drawings at the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh on Sept. 10, 2012.

Activities planned during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2012 include:

• Friday, July 20: Cubs 2 Osh Staging at Hartford Municipal Airport (HXF)
• Saturday, July 21: Cubs 2 Osh Staging at Hartford Municipal Airport (HXF); Dinner sponsored by Piper
• Sunday, July 22: Cubs 2 Osh: As many as 200 Piper Cubs will arrive in Oshkosh en masse before EAA AirVenture 2012.
• Tuesday, July 24: Cub Day at EAA: Anniversary Cake 2 p.m. at Piper Tent at AirVenture
• Wednesday, July 25: Theatre in The Woods With Piper family and Piper President/CEO Simon Caldecott
• Thursday, July 26: Piper Aircraft book signing By Roger Peperell, Piper Historian
• Friday, July 27: Malibu/Mirage Owners & Pilots Association (MMOPA) Gathering

Piper will end the year of celebration in November with a factory fly-in and party at its Vero Beach, Florida, manufacturing facility and global headquarters. There will be a BBQ lunch, factory tours and vendor exhibits to commemorate 75 years of aviation history for Piper and the famous Piper Cub.

For more information: Piper.com

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