Flying a Piper PA-28R Arrow into Pittsburgh International Airport

KPIT / PIT Β· Pittsburgh, United States

By Renzo, CPL

Field Elevation

1,203 ft

Aircraft Range

725 NM

Cruise Speed

140 kt

Runway Requirements

The Piper PA-28R Arrow is a single engine piston aircraft (MTOW 1,247 kg). At sea level under standard conditions, expect approximately 1,500 ft takeoff distance. With KPIT field elevation of 1,203 ft, density altitude penalty pushes that to roughly 1,717 ft (a 14% increase). Always cross-reference your specific aircraft POH performance charts and current weather for actual TOD/LDR.

  • β†’ Number of runways at KPIT: 4
  • β†’ Coordinates: 40.4915, -80.2329
  • β†’ No type rating required (single pilot)

Approach Considerations

  • β†’Approach plates: Reference current Jeppesen or FAA charts before each flight. ILS, RNAV (GPS), and visual approaches typically available depending on runway. Check NOTAMs for outages.
  • β†’Wake turbulence: Stay alert for wake turbulence from preceding heavy aircraft, especially at major airports like KPIT.

Common Considerations

Airport in hilly terrain with variable Appalachian weather and good commercial and GA facilities. For the Piper PA-28R Arrow, the most relevant factors are runway length sufficiency, density altitude impact at field elevation 1,203 ft, and traffic complexity at this multi-runway airport.

Fuel Availability

100LL avgas is typically available at KPIT via on-field FBOs. The Piper PA-28R Arrow burns approximately 8 gph at cruise β€” verify pricing through ForeFlight or AirNav before arrival.

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