N497DS

1978 Piper PA-28-161

Fixed-wing, single engine · serial 28-7816567

Valid registration

Registered with the FAA until Jan 31, 2028.

Registered owner

Delaware State University

Owner type: Government
Address: 1200 N Dupont Hwy, Dover, DE 19901
Also named: Airway Science Dept
Fleet: 19 aircraft registered to this owner

Aircraft

Make and model: Piper PA-28-161
Year built: 1978
Serial number: 28-7816567
Type: Fixed-wing, single engine · Land
Engines: 1 × Piston · Lycoming 0-320 SERIES · 180 hp
Seats: 4
Weight class: Up to 12,499 lb
Certification: Type certificated · Standard airworthiness (issued Apr 17, 1978)
Mode S code: A62A75 (the transponder's ICAO address, used by ADS-B flight trackers)
Registered since: Aug 30, 2001 · last FAA action Apr 14, 2023

What a Piper Cherokee looks likePhoto of a Piper Cherokee, not this aircraft: Mike Burdett, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Check the official record

This page mirrors the FAA's public registry file dated Oct 30, 2026. The FAA's own N-number inquiry is the official record, with the full owner address and documents.

Where is it now?

The registry doesn't show where an aircraft is flying. Flight trackers do, by tail number or Mode S code A62A75: FlightAware or ADS-B Exchange. Some owners block tracking through the FAA's privacy programs.

Something wrong?

Owners update their registration with the FAA Aircraft Registry; changes appear here the day after the FAA publishes them. Email admin@whoownsthisplane.com about how this site shows a record.