Faber, LLC: Knowledge is Good

In 1978, the movie “Animal House” launched decades of raucous fraternity behavior across the U.S. Set in 1962, the movie depicted a couple of freshmen at Faber College, a fictional institution represented by the actual University of Oregon campus for filming. The beginning sequence of the film follows dorm roommates Larry Kroger and Kent Dorfman across Faber’s landscaped lawns and beautiful buildings while the two discuss the advantages (and disadvantages) of rushing various fraternities on campus, namely Omega Theta Pi (the Omegas) and Delta Tau Chi (the Deltas). As Larry
and Kent deliberate along their evening stroll, they pass the statue of Emil Faber,
the man who, according to the movie, founded the college in 1904. Beneath Faber’s likeness on the statue, the camera focuses and zooms in on the college founder’s painfully banal and stupidly funny quote, “Knowledge is good.”

Fast forward to 1988, I was pledging the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity at Florida Tech after completing the college’s “Contact” summer program, in which freshly minted high school graduates like me, and maybe a couple of late career shifters, eagerly soaked up as much aviation knowledge as possible toward earning a private pilot license. That September in Florida brought a host of new characters into this Texan’s life, many of whom have had a lasting effect. Two of those were a motley pair of nor’easters, one from Vermont and the other from Long Island, New York.

Dan Fargnoli and Jim Berry (you can’t make those names up) were a year or two ahead of me, and they made it clear to everyone that they were going to be the greatest aviators on the planet. Fargnoli, a fullback type with an easy belly-laugh always on the ready, made sure you knew you were his friend, but with the understanding that he gave the B.S., he didn’t take it. Jim Berry – if there was anyone who personified the Goose character from the original “Top Gun” movie, it was Jim, even down to the mustache. These guys were always up for fun, whether it was in the air or, often, the “Animal House” variety. They probably didn’t know it, but I looked up to them immensely. I still do. When you combine the first few letters of Dan and Jim’s last names, you get the name Faber. Although this Faber actually means something real.

Following graduation, the two friends migrated north to fly for Larry’s Flying Service in Fairbanks, Alaska. The aircraft of choice at Larry’s? Piper’s PA-31 Navajo. After thousands of hours above dangerous terrain in unpredictable weather, a pilot gains an appreciation for an airframe that does its job well in the most challenging conditions. It was no different for Dan and Jim. The PA-31 platform made an indelible impression on these young pilots’ minds. And as you’ll soon see, that impression brought them back again to the familiar cabin-class twin.

I hadn’t seen Dan and Jim for probably 20 or 30 years, but after one of our other fraternity brothers, whom we call Zippy, group-texted us about meeting at Oshkosh last year, we took him up on the idea. We decided to convene at Zippy’s Scamp RV at Wittman Regional’s South 40 on Tuesday evening during AirVenture. It was immediately comfortable and fun with the assembled crew.

After reminiscing over the evening’s BBQ and beer, we needed to rest up for the next day. Zippy was staying with his Scamp on the South 40, so I solicited a ride to Appleton with my long-lost brothers. Fargnoli and Berry, busting chops as always, made it clear that I was a serious roadblock to their evening relaxation, even though I was staying only a mile or so from their hotel in Appleton. It was just like old times. During the 30-minute ride north, we spoke about the pair’s plans for their Piper Navajo (yep, that same airframe from their Alaskan adventures). They had flown up from their home in Florida with Dan’s daughter, Caitlyn, in the left seat. She’s a private pilot who is contemplating where to go to college. Will she follow in her dad’s footsteps, attending his alma mater, or will she choose a different, possibly non-aviation, route? Whichever educational route she chooses, the Navajo will accomplish Fargnoli’s and Berry’s needs to provide speedy, cabin-class transportation, and possibly more.

Their current PA-31 is not just any run-of-the-mill Navajo. Its caretakers through the years have made this Piper faster, more efficient, and objectively safer. Back in 1969, it came off the Piper Aircraft assembly line. Piper used manufacturing facilities in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, and Lakeland, Florida, for the PA-31 at the time. Its airworthiness records show that its first certificate was issued in January 1970.

One of the plane’s previous owners opted for the renowned Colemill Panther STC (supplemental type certificate) modifications. The Colemill Enterprises STCs were acquired by Mike Jones after Colemill went out of business following the Tennessee flooding in 2010. The Mike Jones Aircraft website now claims that the Panther conversion “improves the performance and safety significantly. Installation of 350-horsepower turbo-charged engines and 4-blade “Q-Tip” propellers optimize the power/weight ratio of the small-body Navajo. The result is superior performance.” Mike Jones says that the converted aircraft will achieve 2,000 feet per minute at sea level and gross weight, while single-engine climb at gross weight will be around 400 feet per minute. The site also states that maximum airspeed increases to 275 MPH at 15,000 feet (compared to 261 MPH for non-conversion models). Dan Fargnoli’s figures are a little more generous than the book, although when he captured his own numbers, he was around 1,000 pounds lighter than gross. At the end of October 2025, Dan flew the plane at around 5,500 pounds and saw a 2,100 feet per minute climb at best rate of climb speed. Best angle got him 2,400 feet per minute. He accomplishes a normal climb at 115 knots and gets 1,600 feet per minute, keeping everything nice and cool in the Florida heat. With one engine out, Dan gets 900 feet per minute at 105 knots (again, at 5,500 pounds). At 10,500 feet, 24 inches manifold pressure, and 2,300 RPM, Dan’s Navajo cruises along at 192 KTAS, which equates to around 221 MPH. The full Panther conversion includes: Lycoming TIO-540-J2B turbocharged engines, winglets, dual-drive magnetos (this airplane adds the Slickstart magneto boosters, too), 4-blade Hartzell Q-Tips, new spinners, and finally, new vacuum pumps, lord mounts, and fuel and oil hoses. For low-speed performance, BLR vortex generators were added along each wing.

A few other significant modifications have been made to Dan and Jim’s Navajo. ARC (arcmods.com) provides an STC to remove the inner main landing gear doors. The kit installs an aerodynamic faring in the inner door’s place, which enables landing gear retraction and extension faster with fewer moving parts and at a higher airspeed. Vle is increased to 153 KIAS. All this benefit comes with the added peace of mind of an extended gear-retraction inspection interval, from 100 hours to 200 hours.

A Nayak Aviation Corp. nacelle fuel system adds 15 gallons of fuel capacity per side. Keith Products air conditioning system (Faber operates out of Melbourne, Florida) keeps things nice and cool in the heat and humidity. A quick-release nose gear link relieves hassle on the ground. Aerospace Logic instruments update the panel from 1960s-era steam gauges. Finally, CiES digital fuel senders allow much more accurate fuel measurement with a modern digital indicator in the cockpit.

As the reader may imagine, all those airframe updates without touching the avionics would be a huge let-down. So, let’s dig into the wonders up front on this Navajo’s panel.

• G600 TXi Touchscreen
• Flight Display
• GTN750xi GPS/NAV/COMM/MFD
• GNC225A NAV/COMM
• GMA340 Audio with 6-place
• intercom
• GTX330ES Transponder
• with ADSB-Out
• GDL69A Satellite Data Link
• Receiver
• GWX70 Radar
• Garmin EIS digital engine
• information with dedicated
• display
• GCU485 remote G600 controller
• Copilot’s Aspen EFD1000 pro
• PFD/MFD combo
• Mid Continent MD302 SAM
• Electric International OAT/Timer

It’s exciting that an airplane that rolled off the assembly line just a couple of months after I was born can be well-maintained and upgraded through the years and be just as viable a transportation machine as it was when it first received its airworthiness certificate. I asked Dan if he and Jim wanted to do more with the Navajo than just flying back and forth from Florida to Oshkosh or visiting Caitlyn in college. He said that they have lots of aspirations for the plane. “From instruction to possibly charter and maybe even cargo, there is a lot we can and want to do with the airplane,” explained Fargnoli.

Dan’s career takes him all over the world in an intercontinental business jet. Jim is one of the most senior international captains at a major airline. With their careers and schedules solidly stable, they have the opportunity to utilize their Panther Navajo to the greatest extent possible. So, it will be fun to check back in to see what all they have been accomplishing and what they may have in store for the big PA-31.

We laugh about the crazy antics of our college days, but we all agree that safety of flight and making pilots more proficient are goals we can be proud of. If those are ways Dan and Jim can use the Navajo to create a safer aviation environment, they’d be happy. Unlike our fictional friends at Faber College, Faber LLC intends to promote aviation and provide excellent transportation opportunities in Florida and across the country. There’s not a lot these PA-31 veterans can learn about their aircraft, but they can certainly provide their insights to others. Because, of course, knowledge is good.