Although I only have a tenth of the hours of some that I know, I can get you a little closer to the thousand years you desire. 38 years since solo in a four year old PA38. Still pinch myself regularly on my way to "work".
G-EORG visited our field last summer, still in her late nineties BA ethnic paint.
We have a beautiful and extremely well equipped 1979 example on our fleet. I think of her as a nod to George.