N — 4770A

A 1956 Tri-Pacer,
ready for backcountry and beyond.

Outstanding In Type, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2015. Featured by AOPA, Hodinkee, and Backcountry Pilot.
Year
1956
Total Time
4,344 hr
SMOH
1,100 hr
Price
$105,000
About

The airplane.

N4770A is a 1956 Piper PA-22-150 Tri-Pacer. It received the Outstanding In Type award for the PA-22 class at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2015 and has been hangared since.

Recovered in 2014. Backcountry equipment package. No damage history. Full logbooks since new.

The airplane has flown from Chicago to Key West and from Montana to McCall, Idaho — full Yeti coolers, Pelican cases of camera gear, and cooking kit shuttled to Johnson Creek at gross weight, then emptied and run with two hours of fuel into Wilson Bar next to the Super Cubs. Everything modified about it serves that mission.

Specifications

The numbers.

Airframe

Year
1956
Make / Model
Piper PA-22-150 Tri-Pacer
Gear
Tricycle
Total Time
4,344 hr
Flown
~150 hr / year
Fabric
Recovered 2014
Hangar
Always hangared
Damage
None — full logs from new

Engine

Engine
Lycoming O-320, 150 hp
SMOH
1,100 hr
Compressions
78/80 on all four cylinders
Propeller
56" climb pitch, fixed

Weights

Empty
1,093 lb
Gross
2,000 lb
Useful
907 lb

Avionics

Panel
Day VFR
Comm
Garmin GTR 225
Transponder
Garmin GTX 327
ADS-B Out
Garmin GDL 82 — compliant
Intercom
SAP 400
Engine Monitor
Electronics International EGT / CHT

Condition

Interior
8 / 10
Exterior
8 / 10
Annual
Completing June 2026

Award

Honor
Outstanding In Type, PA-22
Event
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2015
Reference
Vintage Airplane, Vol. 43 No. 5
Modifications & STCs

Set up for backcountry.

01
Desser 8.50 smoothie tires
STC
02
Vortex generators
Micro Aerodynamics · STC SA00097SE
03
Stewart's Tips extended wingtips
Stewart's · STC SA01863SE
04
Boosted brakes
Steve's Aircraft · STC SA01516SE
05
Gascolator
Steve's Air · STC SA01016SE
06
Rudder trim
Steve's Aircraft · STC SA00851SE
07
Skylight
Steve's Aircraft · STC SA3518NM
08
Airwolf remote oil filter
Airwolf · STC SA002NY
09
56-pitch propeller
—
As featured by

AOPA, Hodinkee, Backcountry Pilot, and EAA.

AOPA feature thumbnail
AOPA

Backcountry landings.

N4770A featured in the AOPA online video series.

Watch on YouTube
Hodinkee feature thumbnail
Hodinkee

The photographer's airplane.

Hodinkee profiled N4770A as a working aerial photography platform.

Watch on YouTube
Backcountry Pilot

Six Questions — Pilot Spotlight

Editor Zane Jacobson interviews the photographer-pilot behind N4770A. Published May 29, 2019.

Read the feature
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

Outstanding In Type — PA-22 Tri-Pacer, 2015

Recognized in the official Vintage Awards listing in Vintage Airplane, Vol. 43 No. 5 (Sept/Oct 2015).

View the magazine PDF
Logbooks & Documents

By request.

Digitized logbooks, weight & balance, and STC paperwork are shared with serious buyers on request. Pre-buy welcomed at any A&P of the buyer's choosing.

Use the contact form below to request the documentation package.

Condition

What's in the airframe and engine.

No damage history. Always hangared since recover in 2014. Full logbooks since new. Annual completing June 2026. Day VFR panel.

Engine has been flown an average of 150 hours per year. Compressions and engine health are fantastic. 1,100 hr SMOH on the Lycoming O-320.

Pre-buy at any A&P of the buyer's choosing — recommended, encouraged, supported.

Inquire

Reach out about N4770A.

Send a note. Pre-buy and logbook review welcomed.

Thank you. The note's in. You'll hear back same day.