The PA-31-310, with 310-HP Lycoming TIO-540 engines, is popular among private owners but second in production volume to the Chieftain.

The Piper Navajo occupies a unique niche among piston twins: it has found a substantial market in the commuter airline business while retaining an appeal for owners who want to fly themselves in relative comfort and luxury. Cessna’s 402 is another such twin but you don’t find many of those in private ownership.

The PA-31 was produced in a half-dozen variants spanning two fuselage sizes over a 17-year production run beginning in 1967 and ending in 1984. All told, just over 1500 were built, the lion’s share of them the long-fuselage Chieftain version. Many of these have found their way to Europe and the Pacific, where they are valued as commuter…