Piper Aztec vs Piper PA-34 Seneca

Side-by-side specs, range, and operating costs.

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Dimensions & configuration

Representative planforms, drawn to shared scale.

Piper Aztec
37 ft × 31 ft ⭥ 10 ft
2× Piston Retractable Unpressurized
Piper PA-34 Seneca
39 ft × 29 ft ⭥ 10 ft
2× Piston Retractable Unpressurized

Flight Profile

Service ceiling, range, and climb rate.

Tap legend to isolate

Arc represents the climb-cruise-descent profile based on published service ceiling and range. Climb rate annotated on ascent. FL180 (18,000 ft) shown for reference.

Mission Performance

Stall, approach, cruise, range, ceiling and climb: best values are at the top.

Mission performance specifications
Specification Piper AztecPiper PA-34 Seneca
Stall speed 64 kt67 kt
Approach speed 91 kt90 kt
Cruise speed 172 kt200 kt
Range 915 nm828 nm
Service ceiling 19800 ft25000 ft
Rate of climb 1490 fpm1550 fpm
Fuel burn 27.4 gph24.0 gph

Each axis is scaled independently across the compared aircraft and printed in its own units; every vertex sits at the published figure. Higher is better on all axes: Stall, Approach and Fuel Burn are inverted (lower = higher). A missing figure breaks the line at that axis.

Fuel Burn & Range

Range, endurance, and what the fuel costs by the hour.

Piper Aztec Avgas
27.4 gph
Baseline
915 nm range 6.3 nm/gal 144 gal usable $178 fuel/hr 5h 15m endurance
Piper Aztec: 27.4 gph at cruise, 915 nautical mile published range, 5 hour 15 minute endurance, 6.3 nautical miles per gallon.
Piper PA-34 Seneca Avgas
24.0 gph
Baseline
828 nm range 8.3 nm/gal 122 gal usable $156 fuel/hr 5h 04m endurance
Piper PA-34 Seneca: 24.0 gph at cruise, 828 nautical mile published range, 5 hour 4 minute endurance, 8.3 nautical miles per gallon.
Avgas range each cell = 1 hr of cruise · width scales with speed tank-dry · at this cruise burn

Bars show published still-air range: select a cell to view cruise-hours and fuel usage. Endurance is full tank at the displayed cruise burn rate; the extra is reserve and economy margin. Estimates only. Always verify against the POH.

Runway Performance

Density altitude adjusted estimates

Outside Air Temp
0°F57°F115°F
Field Elevation
SL4,0008,000 ft

Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle

Landing ground roll

Density Altitude

Monte cristo

Base distance DA penalty
Scale: 6,000 ft

FAA 10%/1,000 ft DA rule of thumb (FAA-H-8083-25B). Turboprops and jets are less sensitive in practice. Always verify against the POH.

Estimated Operating Costs

Hourly direct and annual fixed costs

Scale:
Piper Aztec Avgas
$265 /hr
Baseline
Piper Aztec: $265 per flight hour — fuel $178, maintenance and reserve $87.
Piper PA-34 Seneca Avgas
$385 /hr
Baseline
Piper PA-34 Seneca: $385 per flight hour — fuel $156, maintenance and reserve $229.
Piper Aztec Piston
$10,185 /yr Baseline
Piper Aztec: $10,185 per year — insurance withheld, hangar $7,685, annual inspection $2,500.
Piper PA-34 Seneca Piston
$21,000 /yr Baseline
Piper PA-34 Seneca: $21,000 per year — insurance $8,500, hangar $6,000, annual inspection $6,500.

Estimates only. Hourly direct operating cost, based on fuel price and reserves; Annual fixed costs (insurance, hangar, and inspection). Costs vary by location, pilot profile, and market conditions. See individual aircraft pages for source notes.

Capability & limits

Payload vs useful load limit

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Piper Aztec Piston
6 / 6 seats 144 gal / 144 gal fuel 1,294 lbs wet payload 2,158 lbs useful 5,200 lbs MTOW
Piper PA-34 Seneca Piston
6 / 6 seats 122 gal / 122 gal fuel 605 lbs wet payload 1,337 lbs useful 4,750 lbs MTOW

Shows selected occupants against full fuel, within the aircraft's useful-load limit. Fuel weight at 6.7 lb/gal jet-A, 6.0 lb/gal avgas; pax and luggage are 190 + 30 . Change payload weights in global settings.

Payload-Range Map

Origin: · two fingers to move map

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