Piper PA-44 Seminole

What Is the Piper PA-44 Seminole?

The Piper PA-44 Seminole is a four-seat, low-wing light twin built mainly to teach multi-engine flying. It has retractable landing gear, a T-tail and two 180 hp Lycoming piston engines.

Piper has built it since the 1979 model year, with two gaps in production. Wikipedia counts 926 built up to 2019, and AOPA says flight schools are its biggest-volume buyers.

The full specification table for the aircraft is on this page. The sections below cover how the Seminole came about, how it changed and what its numbers mean in practice.

How the Seminole Was Developed

Piper started work in 1974 on a cheaper replacement for the PA-39 Twin Comanche. The first design was an Arrow-based fuselage with a T-tail and 160 hp counter-rotating engines, according to Piper Flyer.

The project moved to Vero Beach, Florida, in 1975 and was renamed “Light Twin,” and the engines grew to 180 hp. Wikipedia dates the first prototype flight to 1976.

The EASA type certificate data sheet gives the FAA design certification date as March 10, 1978. The first production aircraft flew in May 1978, and deliveries began that July at a base price of $73,900.

AOPA notes that the fuselage and wings are nearly identical to the Arrow’s, which is why some pilots call the Seminole the “Twin Arrow.”

Why the Seminole’s Engines Turn in Opposite Directions

The Seminole’s engines are counter-rotating. In the EASA data sheet, the left engine is a standard Lycoming O-360 and the right engine is an LO-360, which turns the other way.

That layout removes the “critical engine,” the one whose failure is hardest for a pilot to handle. Because the propeller effects are mirror images, neither engine is more critical than the other.

The type certificate sets the minimum control speed (VMC) at 56 KIAS. A flight-school systems packet from Middle Georgia State University gives the best single-engine rate-of-climb speed (VYSE) as 88 KIAS, marked by a blue line on the airspeed indicator.

Single-engine performance is modest, as on any light piston twin. Wikipedia’s specification block lists a single-engine service ceiling of 4,100 ft (1,200 m), which is why multi-engine courses spend so much time on engine-failure procedures.

Seminole Models and Production Runs

The First Run, 1979 to 1982

Wikipedia puts the first run at 1979 to 1982, with 361 Seminoles and 87 Turbo Seminoles built. Piper Flyer says the normally aspirated model stopped a year earlier, so sources differ slightly on the end date.

Early aircraft used the Lycoming O-360-E1A6D engine, paired with the LO-360-E1A6D on the right.

The Turbo Seminole

The PA-44-180T Turbo Seminole was certified on November 29, 1979, with turbocharged TO-360-E1A6D engines. Wikipedia lists its takeoff weight at 3,925 lb (1,780 kg), while landing weight stayed at 3,800 lb.

Piper Flyer says Turbo deliveries began in April 1980.

The Restart in 1989 and the Return in 1995

Demand from flight schools led Piper to restart the normally aspirated model in 1989. It used 180 hp O-360-A1H6 engines and a new metal instrument panel, and Wikipedia says Piper then stopped again in 1990 after 29 more aircraft, citing the company’s financial problems.

Production resumed in 1995 and has continued since. Piper’s current Seminole uses the fuel-injected Lycoming IO-360-B1G6, and Piper lists a Hartzell two-blade, constant-speed, fully feathering propeller on each engine.

The Seminole DX Diesel

Piper announced the Seminole DX at EAA AirVenture in July 2025. It swaps the Lycoming engines for DeltaHawk DHK4A180 diesels rated at 180 hp.

Piper claims 35 percent lower fuel burn, a 32 percent higher single-engine climb rate and a 70 percent higher single-engine absolute ceiling. It describes these as preliminary figures.

Skyborne Airline Academy placed the first U.S. order, for five aircraft, in September 2025.

In July 2025, AOPA reported that Piper planned a factory option from the 2027 model year, depending on FAA certification. As of October 2026, none of the sources reviewed reported that approval.

Seminole Cockpit and Avionics

The EASA data sheet lists three factory avionics options over the years: the Avidyne Entegra system, the Garmin G1000 and the Garmin GFC 700 autopilot.

A new Seminole comes with the Garmin G1000 NXi. Piper’s spec sheet lists a 10.4-inch primary flight display, a 10.4-inch multifunction display, a GMA 1360 audio panel, a GTX 345R transponder and a Garmin G5 standby instrument.

The GFC 700 autopilot is an option. Piper also offers synthetic vision, terrain awareness and a traffic advisory system as extras.

Piper Seminole Specs Explained

A few figures in the panel need context, because the same number is printed differently from one source to the next.

Range is the biggest example. Piper’s spec sheet gives 700 nm (810 mi, 1,300 km), while Piper’s model page prints 940 nm. Wikipedia lists 915 nmi, but at 55 percent power, a slow economy setting, so the longer numbers are not normal cruise range.

The speeds are easier. Piper’s top cruise figure is 162 kt (186 mph, 300 km/h), the same as the cruise speed at 75 percent power in Wikipedia and AOPA. Some references print 168 kt as the top speed, and the never-exceed speed, 202 KIAS, is a structural limit, not a speed to fly.

Weight limits what the Seminole can carry. The panel’s payload row of 1,200 lb (550 kg) is Piper’s standard useful load, and it includes fuel.

The tanks hold 110 gal in total, of which 108 gal are usable. That much avgas weighs roughly 650 lb at about 6 lb per gallon, which leaves about 540 lb for people and bags.

Takeoff distance is 2,200 ft (670 m) and landing distance is 1,490 ft (450 m), both measured over a 50 ft obstacle. Other references print shorter figures, so check the handbook for your weight and conditions.

The ceiling of 15,000 ft (4,600 m) is for both engines running. Wikipedia lists 17,100 ft, and neither Piper’s spec sheet nor its model page publishes one.

The approach speed in the panel is the normal-landing approach speed from the Middle Georgia State packet. The stall speed with flaps down is lower, at 55 KIAS.

Who Flies the Seminole?

AOPA’s fact sheet says major aviation schools top the Seminole’s list of big-volume customers, and Wikipedia adds that it is also used by charter companies and private owners.

The University of North Dakota agreed in July 2025 to buy up to 188 Archer TX and Seminole aircraft, worth about $155 million. AOPA reported that deliveries start in 2027, and that Piper shipped 26 Seminoles in 2024, per GAMA.

AOPA also reported that United Aviate Academy will buy three Seminoles. Wikipedia lists the Peruvian Air Force as a military operator.

Seminole vs Other Light Twins

The Piper Seneca is the usual step up from the same maker, with six seats and 220 hp engines. The Diamond DA42 Twin Star is another light twin used for multi-engine training, and it runs on diesel.

The Seminole’s draw for a school is simplicity. AOPA calls Seminoles “one of the tamest, friendliest light twins ever built,” and notes that the flaps are mechanical, worked by a floor-mounted hand lever.

For other twins that fly faster, see our list of the fastest twin piston aircraft.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of engine does the Piper Seminole have?

Current Seminoles use two fuel-injected Lycoming IO-360-B1G6 engines of 180 hp each, according to Piper. Earlier aircraft used the carbureted O-360-E1A6D and, from 1989, the O-360-A1H6, and the right-hand engine is a reverse-rotating LO-360 version.

Which twin engine plane is considered the best?

There is no single best light twin, because it depends on the job. For multi-engine training, the Seminole is a long-standing choice for flight schools, while the Seneca offers more power and seats for owners.

How much does a Piper Seminole cost?

Piper’s published spec sheet carries no price. An older Piper Flyer article gives a base price of $663,500 for a G1000 Seminole, and AOPA’s fact sheet lists $758,000 as the new price with no year given. Dealers quote current prices, which vary with options.

What is the cruise speed of the Piper PA-44-180 Seminole?

Piper’s top cruise figure is 162 kt (186 mph, 300 km/h). Wikipedia gives the same 162 kt for cruise at 75 percent power, with a top speed of 168 kt.

How far can the Seminole fly?

Piper’s spec sheet gives 700 nm (810 mi, 1,300 km), though Piper’s model page prints 940 nm. Thrust Flight puts average fuel consumption at 20.4 US gal an hour, so with 108 gal usable, endurance in normal cruise is a little over five hours before reserves.

Why does the Seminole have counter-rotating engines?

The opposite-turning propellers remove the critical engine, so neither engine is harder to lose than the other. Wikipedia says this improves controllability if an engine fails or is shut down.

What does PA-44-180 mean?

PA-44 is Piper’s model number for the Seminole, and 180 refers to the 180 hp of each engine. The Turbo Seminole is the PA-44-180T.

How many Piper Seminoles have been built?

Wikipedia counts 926 up to 2019. Production continues, and AOPA reports that Piper shipped 26 in 2024.

Is the Piper Seminole still in production?

Yes. Piper restarted production in 1995 and still builds the Seminole, and it is developing a diesel Seminole DX that is waiting on FAA certification.

Where can I find the Piper Seminole POH?

The EASA data sheet lists the approved pilot’s operating handbook reports by serial number. Report VB-1616 covers serial numbers 4496001 and up, and VB-2307 covers aircraft with the factory Garmin G1000. Always use the handbook that matches your aircraft’s serial number.