Selling my 1980 Piper PA‑32R‑301 Saratoga SP (tapered‑wing), N8096S. This is a solid, honest club six‑seat retract with a very fresh engine, good prop, solid IFR panel, and excellent maintenance history. It’s been hangared, flown regularly, and is ready to go to work for the next owner. Airframe & Engine 3,940 hours TTAF Lycoming IO‑540‑K1G5D – major overhaul by Watson Aero 10​/​2024 ~292 hours SMOH, currently within Watson’s 2‑year ​/​ 500‑hour overhaul warranty Latest compressions: 75​/​80, 77​/​80, 76​/​80, 77​/​80, 75​/​80, 78​/​80 Excellent oil consumption: about 1 quart every 18 hours Hartzell HC‑C3YR‑1RF 3‑blade prop – overhauled 05​/​2017, ~978 hours since OH Avionics & Systems Garmin GNS 430W (WAAS) Garmin GTX‑335 ADS‑B Out transponder Garmin FlightStream 210 (Bluetooth, wireless flight‑plan transfer) Century III autopilot with altitude hold (no GS coupling) G2 digital engine data monitor with detailed engine trend data Performance Typical cruise: 145–150 KTAS on 12–13 GPH, depending on altitude and how you run it UL 1384# (All seats installed), 1445# (Middle seats removed), 1462# (All rear seats removed). I have W&B for all configs. Great family​/​cargo hauler with comfort and capability Condition & History Interior: 5–6​/​10 – original​/​tired in spots but clean and fully usable Exterior: 7​/​10 – presentable paint, always hangared No damage history Complete logs from new, with detailed documentation of the Watson overhaul and recent accessory work This is a mechanically strong, IFR‑equipped Saratoga SP with a fresh, warrantied engine, good prop, modern engine monitoring, and a very honest maintenance story. It’s priced to reflect the engine​/​prop​/​avionics and clean history, with room for the next owner to upgrade cosmetics if desired. Serious private party inquiries only, please.

Home Airport(s)

Pensacola, FL (KPNS)

Manufacturer year

1980

Serial Number

32R-8013006

Registration Number

N8096S

Make/Model

PIPER SARATOGA SP

Airframe

3,940 hours TTAF

Engine Details (e.g. Total Engine Time; Suggested TBO; Hours Remaining)

Lycoming IO‑540‑K1G5D, 300 HP Major overhaul by Watson Aero - October 2024 ~292 hours SMOH Within Watson's 2‑year ​/​ 500‑hour overhaul warranty Latest compressions: 75​/​80, 77​/​80, 76​/​80, 77​/​80, 75​/​80, 78​/​80 Excellent oil consumption: approx. 1 quart every 18 hours Detailed overhaul and accessory documentation in logs

Propulsion

Hartzell HC‑C3YR‑1RF 3‑blade propeller Overhauled May 2017 ~978 hours since prop overhaul

Performance Specs

Typical cruise: 145-150 KTAS on 12-13 GPH at 65% LOP Excellent family​/​cargo hauler with true Saratoga comfort and capability

Avionics

Garmin GNS 430W (WAAS GPS​/​NAV​/​COM) Garmin GTX‑335 ADS‑B Out transponder Garmin FlightStream 210 (Bluetooth, wireless flight‑plan transfer) Century III autopilot with altitude hold (no glideslope coupling) G2 digital engine data monitor with detailed engine trend data Standard analog flight instruments (no glass)

Interior/Exterior; Additional Equipment

INTERIOR Approx. 5-6​/​10 Original​/​tired in spots but clean, complete, and fully usable club‑seat cabin EXTERIOR Approx. 7​/​10 White with stripes, presentable paint, always hangared

Maintenance Details

LOGS ​/​ HISTORY Complete logs from new No known damage history Impeccable engine and airframe recordkeeping, including Watson overhaul and recent accessory work Flown regularly, not a long‑term sit airplane This is a mechanically strong, IFR‑equipped Saratoga SP with a fresh, warrantied engine, mid‑time 3‑blade prop, modern engine monitoring, and a very honest maintenance story. It's priced to reflect the engine​/​prop​/​avionics and clean history, with room for the next owner to upgrade cosmetics if desired. Serious private‑party inquiries only, please. Contact for full specs, additional photos, and logbook scans.

Aircraft Model Overview (Reference only)

The Piper PA-32R-301 Saratoga SP is a six-seat, single-engine retractable-gear low-wing aircraft produced by Piper Aircraft Corporation in Vero Beach, Florida, from 1980 through 2009. The Saratoga SP represents the naturally aspirated retractable-gear variant of the PA-32 family — the evolved successor to the PA-32R Lance that replaced Piper's earlier Cherokee Six and Lance lineup with a more refined, aerodynamically updated airframe incorporating the semi-tapered wing introduced across Piper's PA-28 and PA-32 lines in the mid-1970s. The 1980 model year is the first year of Saratoga production, inheriting the proven PA-32R Lance's mechanical specification while carrying the new Saratoga nameplate that would define the PA-32R family through nearly three decades of continuous production. Power is provided by a Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 fuel-injected horizontally-opposed six-cylinder engine producing 300 horsepower at 2,700 RPM, driving a two-blade Hartzell constant-speed propeller. The fuel-injected IO-540 delivers consistent power across the altitude and attitude range without carb ice susceptibility, and the 300 HP output gives the Saratoga SP a meaningful performance advantage over the 260 HP Cherokee Six and a solid useful load capability for six-place operations. Lycoming IO-540 overhaul and parts support is universally available across the certified maintenance network, and the engine's well-established operating characteristics are known to virtually every certificated A&P in North America. Fuel burn at 75% cruise power is typically 14 to 15 USG per hour. The PA-32R-301 airframe introduces the semi-tapered wing that replaced the constant-chord Hershey bar planform of the original PA-32-260 Cherokee Six — the same tapered wing Piper adopted across the PA-28 Warrior and Archer simultaneously. The tapered wing improves aerodynamic efficiency, reduces cruise drag, and delivers better roll harmonics than the earlier constant-chord configuration, contributing to the Saratoga's improved cruise performance over the Cherokee Six. Hydraulically-actuated retractable tricycle gear is standard, providing the speed advantage of a clean airframe over the fixed-gear PA-32-300 while adding the maintenance and system management considerations appropriate to a retractable landing gear system. The airstair door on the left aft fuselage enables self-contained boarding and deplaning without ground support equipment. The six-seat cabin is the Saratoga SP's defining attribute and the core of its market proposition — one of the most spacious, practical, and accessible six-place single-engine retractable cabins in the certified piston market. The PA-32 fuselage accommodates six adults across three rows in genuine comfort: a forward two-seat side-by-side pilot and co-pilot position, a mid-cabin bench, and an aft bench — with cabin width, headroom, and legroom that compare favorably with light twin alternatives at a fraction of the operating cost. The 1980 panel carries the standard Piper analog avionics suite of the era; most surviving Saratoga SPs have received successive avionics updates over their operational lives, and modern glass panel upgrades are well-established in the fleet. The Saratoga SP handles with the stable, confidence-inspiring character appropriate to its six-seat utility role — heavier and more deliberate than the lighter PA-28 Warrior or Archer, with well-damped control responses that suit IFR cross-country operations and encourage consistent technique. The IO-540's substantial torque requires active rudder coordination during power changes, and the retractable gear system demands the discipline appropriate to any retractable-gear aircraft. Weight-and-balance management with a full complement of six passengers and fuel is a genuine operational discipline that pilots transitioning from four-seat singles must develop deliberately before operating the Saratoga at full capacity. In the current used market the 1980 Piper PA-32R-301 Saratoga SP is a well-established and broadly understood platform — one of the most capable and practical naturally aspirated six-seat single-engine retractables available at its price point. The type's long production run through 2009 means excellent parts availability and broad A&P familiarity, and the Piper Owner Society provides active type-specific support. As a 1980 first-year Saratoga, buyers should note the Lance-to-Saratoga transition context and verify logbook documentation against either nameplate as appropriate. IO-540 engine and propeller status, gear system condition, and avionics currency are the primary pre-purchase evaluation priorities.