Piper PA-12 — Airworthiness Directives & records checklist

1,216 Piper PA-12s are on the U.S. registry. Here’s what a records review covers for one — the Airworthiness Directives that apply, the known trouble spots, and the checklist a buyer or owner should hold every logbook against.

Registered
1,216
Applicable ADs
7
Recurring
0
Serial-conditional
14

Airworthiness Directives that apply to the Piper PA-12

  • one-time
    AD 78-10-03 — Airworthiness Directives; Piper Models J-3, J-4, J-5, PA-11, PA-12, PA-14, PA-16, PA-18, PA-20 and PA-22 Aircraft · 1978-01-01
  • one-time
    AD 76-06-06 — Airworthiness Directives; REGULATORY TEXT: 76-06-06 PIPER AIRCRAFT CORPORATION: Amendment 39-2547. Applies to Piper Model PA-12 airplanes certificated in al · 1976-01-01
  • one-time
    AD 74-17-04 — Airworthiness Directives; Piper Models PA-12, PA-14, PA-15, PA-16, PA-17, PA-20, and PA-22 Airplanes · 1974-01-01
  • one-time
    AD 68-05-01 — Airworthiness Directives; Piper Models J3, J4, J5, PA-11, PA-12, PA-14, PA-15, PA-16, PA-17, PA-18, PA-19, PA-20, PA-22, and PA-24 Type Airplanes · 1968-01-01
  • one-time
    AD 50-05-01 — Airworthiness Directives; Piper Models All J3C, PA-11, and PA-12 Aircraft · 1950-01-01
  • one-time
    AD 48-14-01 — Airworthiness Directives; Piper Model PA-12 Aircraft · 1948-01-01
  • one-time
    AD 46-37-01 — Airworthiness Directives; Bulletin No. 89 dated July 11, 1946, covers this same subject.) FOOTER: Piper Aircraft Inc. PA-12 PA-12S J3C-65S J3C-65 (Army L-4; · 1946-01-01

This is the applicability list. Which of these are complied with, their computed next-due dates, and the 14 serial/mod-conditional ADs that actually apply to your aircraft come from its digitized logbooks — that’s the verified report.

Known trouble spots on the PA-12

Propeller blade / hub AD & overhaul currencymedium

Many Hartzell and McCauley constant-speed props carry blade-shank or hub ADs plus a calendar/hours overhaul interval; blade corrosion and hub grease leaks are common findings. Confirm the prop AD status and last overhaul against the interval.

The records checklist for a Piper PA-12

Airworthiness Directives
Every applicable AD matched to compliance evidence, with recurring next-due dates.
Annual / 100-hr inspections
A continuous, signed inspection history (14 CFR 91.409) with no gaps.
Service bulletins & letters
Mandatory and recommended SBs/SLs, complied or noted.
Life-limited parts
Airworthiness-limitations items tracked against their limits.
Form 337s / major alterations
Field approvals and STCs on file and reconciled.
Equipment inspections
ELT (91.207), transponder (91.413), altimeter/pitot-static (91.411).
Damage & accident history
NTSB and repair-major records for this exact tail.
Logbook continuity
Unbroken records — the gaps are where value and airworthiness hide.
Run a verified records report on your PA-12

Enter a tail number and Tailplate reads its logbooks against this list — every AD matched to compliance evidence, next-due dates computed, damage history pulled, and a records-adjusted value.

Look up a tail number →or see the free AD list
Related Piper models

Applicability is derived from the FAA directive corpus and the aircraft’s type certificate; it is advisory and not a legal airworthiness determination. Compliance is established only from an aircraft’s actual records.