Best Glide Speed in a PA46
Let’s say you are climbing in your PA46. What airspeed will you use to climb? I bet the practical answer…
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Kingdom Air Corps 2021
It is September 2021 and I’m in Sutton, Alaska at Kingdom Air Corps (KAC) assisting them by administering checkrides. Basically,…
Podcast: Meridian vs. TBM
One of the most frequent questions that we’re asked by people who are in the market for a turbine-powered PA46…
Podcast: How similar is a Turbine Duke to a JetPROP?
Not many people have flown (or even seen) a Turbine Duke. It’s Rocket Engineering’s lesser known conversion STC, where they…
Kingdom Air Corps in 2020
I really like the Kingdom Air Corps in Sutton Alaska! There’s the bottom line forward. KAC is such a cool place. Here’s…
NFlightMic’s product is the best headset on the market
I’m a definite headset snob. There…it’s out there. Guilty as charged, but no apology offered. I’ll be a headset snob until…
Malibu vs. Cessna P210
The prototypical Malibu pilot steps up from a Saratoga, Cirrus, or a Cessna 210. All want more speed, most want pressurization,…
-34 Jetprop performance in cruise
I get a lot of questions from piston drivers about the true performance of the Jetprop. So, I made a…
Beechcraft King Air 200 vs. Mitsubishi MU2
Skyhawk vs Cherokee, Centurion vs Saratoga, Cub vs Champ, Citation vs BeechJet…there’s much passionate debate in the aviation world about…
Thinking of buying a Jetprop?
A phrase I heard many years ago, and believe to have a lot of truth is, “The piston PA-46 is…
Thinking of buying a Meridian?
The Meridian is Piper’s pinnacle of aircraft design and manufacturing. And, they have lots to be super-proud about. The Meridian…
Windshield Heat and the PA-46
I’ve been a part of many prebuy inspections on PA-46 aircraft lately, and it seems that the Windshield Heat is…
-21 Jetprop Conversion
Bottom line forward…I really like the -21 Jetprop Conversion! There are usually not very many of these conversions on the…
PA46 Buyer Questionnaire
This Questionnaire (either Buyer Questionaire-Turbine PA46 or Buyer Questionaire-Piston PA46) is what I use when a client collaborates with Casey Aviation for “Buyer…
M600 Initial thoughts
In a nutshell, I REALLY like the M600!! I think Piper hit an absolute home-run with this airplane and I…
Standby Electric Attitude Indicator…
Of all the safety devices that can be added to the PA-46, I think one of the more essential options…
Dual G500/750 Meridian
There’s a new wave of avionics available for the Meridian, and I’m beginning to see them appear on the market…
Dual G500/G750 Meridian
I’ve been doing a lot of work with PA46 clients lately in the purchase of P46T Turbines…I call this “Buyer-Agent”…
Piston-to-Turbine Transition Interview with Dave and Jene
Dave, Jene, and Brandon recently moved up from a Malibu to a JetPROP. We asked them about how the transition…
PA46 Newbie Advice
Since we started our podcast a few months back, I’ve gotten lots of emails from people who are just starting…
Kingdom Air Corps
I LOVE the Kingdom Air Corp! This is such a cool place! Here’s their webpage: https://www.kingdomaircorps.org Basically, the Kingdom Air…
Argentina King Air 350i Ferry Flight
I’m excited about this trip because I get to fly deep into South America. I’ve been to Columbia, and that…
Tahiti Ferry Flight
It seems I’ve been picked to fly some pretty incredible ferry flights lately. In the last 45 days I flew…
Podcast Episode 7: Air Force, FedEx, and Meridians with Kim Coryat
We recently had Kim Coryat come in for recurrent training in her Meridian and it didn’t take long to realize…
US to China Ferry Trip
Recently, I got the opportunity to fly in the right seat of a King Air 350 on the way from…
A Tailwheel Endorsement Will Make You a Better Pilot
On his way to the 2019 MMOPA Convention that’s going on as I type this, Rick Converse stopped at KJSO…
Casey Aviation Podcast – Episode 3
The Casey Aviation Podcast is now live on iTunes and Spotify! So instead of listening here, click one of the…
Casey Aviation Podcast – Episode 2
Thank you to everyone who reached out and gave positive feedback on the Casey Aviation Podcast! We’ve got a few…
Casey Aviation Podcast
I’ve been talking about starting a podcast on all things PA-46 for a good while now, and we’re finally making…
JetPROP freezing fuel?
There’re lots of reason to love the JetPROP conversion, but one of the best is the fact that it retains…
In The Hangar-DPE Interview
I was recently asked to conduct an interview Dan Millican and Christy Wong with In The Hangar. I was blown…
PC12 from Italy to USA ferry flight
Every now and then you meet someone interesting that challenges your perspective. Such was the case recently with Darrell Freeman,…
Operational Costs of the PA46
What does it cost to own a PA46/P46T? This questions is easily in the “top 5 questions” I get…
JetPROP from USA to England
I’ve been around N14EF for quite some time, having been part of the acquisition/sale of this fine airplane for the…
M600 Purchase Decisions
I recently had the pleasure to working from “initial thought thru training” with Jason, a client that purchased an M600.…
Continental 520 with a 2-blade prop
Do lower numbers really mean a lesser product? Is an iPhone 6 really better than an iPhone 5? Is a…
North Pacific Ferry Flight
I was excited about this one…I’ve flown the NAT (North Atlantic) to Europe and beyond many times, but I’ve never…
Shock Cooling in a PA46
We’ve all heard it said…”reduce the throttle by no more than 1-inch every minutes to ensure you don’t shock-cool your…
Flying a pre-WWII biplane…
There’s something special about flying a Biplane. It is a catalyst for all the aviation sensory perceptions…a smorgasbord for everything…
Fargo to India (almost) Ferry flight
I’m super-excited about this ferry flight! Not only do I get to fly a great airplane (King Air 200), but…
An Existential Threat…
One of my good customers, Dave Boyle, had an unusual occurrence recently, and I thought it might help the PA46…
Jetprop: Switzerland to USA Ferry Flight
Tom Thomason learned of Elie Vannier’s VERY nice Jetprop (N43CH) that was for sale, and promptly began a pursuit to…
UflyMike Harmony Headset
I’m a “headset snob”. There…it’s out. Guilty as charged. I have used all of the various headsets in the aviation…
SL 1204 and the PA46 Windshield
You know the old joke…”What’s the landing light used for in a single-engine airplane with an engine failure at night?” …
Texting while taxiing…
Need I even print a word? Is there anything that needs to be added to make this any clearer? Bottom…
Royal Turbine Duke
I recently had the opportunity to be a part of the sale (and training) of a BE60T Royal Turbine, or…
Intercoolers on a piston PA46
One of the really cool aspects of my work is the ability to work alongside the super-neat people that own/operate…
Fuel exhaustion engine failure in a Continental PA46
As most know, I love the Continental-Powered Malibu, but today I had my first true engine failure in a Malibu…
Go-Around in a PA46…
Of all the aviation maneuvers I see during Refresher Training, the one that is butchered the most is the Go-Around…
GarKenyon vs. Parker-Hannifin Hydraulics
I get lots of questions about the differences in the two hydraulic systems on the early Continental-powered Malibu’s, so it…
Airport skateboard (It’s very Unique…)
I’ve found a very Yuneec way of getting around an airport! Brint is a PA46 pilot that I recently trained…
SLD Icing demonstration
I’ve studied SLD (Super-cooled Large Droplet) Icing on aircraft, but the study always left me with more questions than answers. I simply…
Avoiding a Hot Start…
Let there be no doubt about it…the greatest danger that faces your PT6 engine (and consequently, your wallet size) is…
Jetprop Heat Exchanger Bypass System
After recently delivering a Mirage to be converted, I toured the Jetprop factory at Rocket Engineering in Spokane, WA. It’s…
Pilot Bunk Room
I’ve got a Pilot Bunk Room that I allow PA-46 pilots to use when they come to train. Here’s a…
London to Texas
I got to fly a King Air from Bournemouth, England to Texas in May of 2015. I was impressed to…
Depressurization in the Flight Levels in a PA-46
You are flying along in the Flight Levels enjoying the cool, smooth air, when all of the sudden a loud…
Windshield Heat Damage
The PA-46 windshield has received lots of justifiable negative press lately. It’s super-expensive to replace ($35k+ installed) and many in…
Aerox Oxygen for Pilots
John Mariani bird-dogged this Oxygen system to me. I think it’s really good and perfect for the PA-46. I’m not…
Piper Factory Tour
Tom and I arrived for M-Class VRB 2015 earlier than needed, so we did what any other “drinking the Koolaid”…
Turbine-stupid
When PA-46 piston drivers asks me about the operational costs of a turbine PA-46, I tell them the cost associated…
Circuit Breaker Collars
Here’s a super idea that was presented to me by Tim (anonymous) to cheaply and accurately identify important circuit breakers…
Windshield Heat…required?
Are you one of those guys that thinks windshield heat is not an “airworthy item” on a PA-46? I’m in…
Under-Wing skin cracks on a PA-46
I recently spent some time at Midwest Malibu, a premier maintenance facility in Hutchinson, KS and had a good conversation…
When to turn on Icing the PA-46
As the days become cooler and shorter, every PA-46 pilot must begin to mentally prepare for the inevitable icing potential.…
Breathing…it’s the difference in engine performance
The PT6 engine that’s found on the Jetprop and Meridian is designated a -21, -34,-35, or a -42A. The Continental…
Too hot turbo charger…
During M-Class KSEE (July 2014), we found a turbo charger on a Mirage that showed signs of being too hot. On…
LED Interior lights in a PA-46
I found another cool add-on to a PA-46 in Paul’s really nice Mirage. He figured out how to install LED…
How to unintentionally spend $200K with a PA-46
This story is written by an anonymous Jetprop owner who unintentionally damaged his engine. Both of us are hopeful we…
PA-46 Fuel Cap Discussion
I see lots of different fuel caps on the PA-46 fleet. Here’s a good discussion of a few of the…
No-Boot Matrix?
When Scott arrived at M-Class earlier this month, his airplane drew lots of attention. Although undoubtedly a PA-46, his Matrix…
Stall Warning Cover
Here’s a great idea born by Dr. Larry Chambles and illustrated by Dr. Tom Thomason. We made this video during…
Jetprop: FOD or something else?
I recently had the pleasure of helping a customer buy a Jetprop. We found a fabulous mid-90’s model with a…
IPad Mini in a PA-46
I love having an IPad Mini in a PA-46. Here’s a really simple way to add an IPad Mini to…
Is pressurization a big deal? A Matrix revisited…
It’s the day before Christmas Eve and I got the assignment to move a Matrix from Texas to Philadelphia, PA. …
Another Muscat to Fargo ferry flight…
I’m excited about this trip for many reasons, but mostly because I am in a frame of mind that is…
Got a $250k or $600k aviation budget?
See if this sounds familiar…you are a married man with a family that either loves to travel or has need…
Top 17 reasons to buy/upgrade to a JetProp
I absolutely LOVE the JetProp and think it is one of the best airplane conversions. It makes a great airplane…
Dirt Daubers
As I advanced the throttles on the mighty King Air, the airplane surged forward in a familiar manner. I was…
Ryne’s Ferry Flight from Oman to the USA
Ryne is a CFII/MEI that flies King Air’s, Malibu’s, and a whole bunch of other airplanes. As my right-hand man,…
Dr. Coats’ last flight…
Dr. David Coats was a dear friend who was a true aviation aficionado and a fixture at the Cherokee County…
Hypoxic math…
There’s 6 of us guys (and a few ladies) standing before a 185 lb bar (with weights) awaiting the “3-2-1-GO!!”…
Luxembourg to Fargo with Tom Thomason
From fellow pilot, Tom Thomason: I’ve wanted to fly myself cross the North Atlantic for more than 20 years (or…
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Fargo, ND
This trip started out badly as I tried to jam too much into one day. I accepted a flight for…
Things To Know About Purchasing An Airplane
Let’s assume that you’ve decided that aviation is in your future. The thought of going fast, maximizing your time, and…
“Mea Culpa…”
From Joe…Staton West is an Instructor Pilot, Instrument Flight Examiner, and Pilot-in-Command in the US Army in both fixed and…
Muscat, Oman to Fargo, ND ferry flight via the North Atlantic
Here’s a link to the route with lots of pics…the written story is below… I’m always excited any time I…
Spouse orientation flights…
I heard a common comment before each of my flights this week – “You sure are a brave guy! Are…
Going at it alone…and going to the Convention…
For my first years of flying PA-46’s I “did it alone”…meaning that I pretty much read the manual, flew once…
Auto-towing a Glider
Launching a glider is normally accomplished through one of three methods: Aero-tow, Winch-tow, or Auto-tow. I’ve done all three, and…
An Aviation Perspective…from Staton West…
From Staton West: US Army PIC, Instructor Pilot, Instrument Flight Examiner, and good friend of anyone who loves aviation: I recall,…
Altitude Chamber at the FAA in OKC
I finally got to do something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time…fly the altitude chamber. My pilot…
Italy to Texas via the North Atlantic
For some reason the flight over to Italy on the airliner affected me physiologically much more than normal. The Jet-lag…
The first Auto-tow of a glider at KJSO…
The Schwiezer glider has arrived and anticipation mounted as everyone at KJSO wondered how the auto-tow method of launching a…
The glider has arrived!
I love all sorts of flying and fell in love with glider flying during my yearly military reserve travels to…
Is “VFR flight following” better?
Ever had one of those IFR flights where ATC vectored you all over in complex airspace, wouldn’t let you climb…
Soloing for the first time (again)…
It’s the “Guest Blog” at Casey Aviation featuring “Notso”, an officer/pilot and brand new Commercial Glider Pilot. From Notso…So there…
110v Air conditioner
I’ve been doing a lot of PA-46 recurrent and initial training lately at KJSO, and with the Texas temperatures, there’s…
Barbados to the US in a Cessna 421
Ahh…the Caribbean…a lovely locale. Beautiful beaches, blue-green water, and cool music…what’s not to love? I got to spend a few…
Veteran Airlift Command mission
Much of a pilot’s life is spent sitting around an airport waiting for passengers, weather, or, if things are really…
Spot Tracker
I’ve grown to love this little device. In the US, a flight can be tracked easily via www.flightaware.com, but in…
Thinking of buying a Matrix?
If you’ve read my stuff on this website thus far, you know I’m a huge fan of the PA-46 airframe.…
Garmin 496
I’ve grown to love this tool. There are lots of GPS’s that can be bought nowadays, but here’s why I…
Headset discussion…
If I had to rank changes to aviation that have occurred over the last 10 years and then pick the…
Controlling energy while engine-out
As a guy who has lost all engine power in flight and survived to tell the story (read this story),…
A pleasant experience with the FAA…
When I think of the FAA, I think of a guy meeting me at the airplane with a ball cap…
Mali Africa to US Ferry flight via the North Atlantic
I got to fly a King Air 200T from Mali, Africa to the US. See the route of my flight…
On runway centerline?
I’ve had the experience of flying in some really wide cockpits, meaning that the pilot and copilot’s seats were far…
No-Go parameters and the Decision Making Process
I’m now home after a flight home (JSO) from Wichita Falls, TX (SPS). Here’s the story behind the dust storm…
Anatomy of an accident that didn’t happen…
Here I sit at the Wichita Falls TX airport (SPS) looking at a brownish-reddish sky on what would otherwise be…
Are the buzzards flying?
Buzzards are some of the most interesting and most observed animals in the U.S. They are found in all 48…
A horse and rider…
A horse and rider…it is a beautiful metaphor for many situations in life. When I think of a horse and…
Dr. Malcolm Perry…hidden gem of Jacksonville
Jacksonville, TX (my hometown) is an interesting place. Although apparently a “normal” East Texas town providing a “normal” lifestyle to…
Atlantic Crossing – Iceland to France…
We departed Keflavik in the morning with only a 20 knot wind, which seemed like nothing after the 50 knots…
Atlantic flight…Narsarsuaq to Iceland…
(Continuing post on Atlantic flight…) The departure from Narsarsuaq exemplified the power reserve of the King Air C90. We climbed…
Atlantic Crossing – Narsarsuaq, Greenland
(continued from Atlantic Crossing…) At 7am we were eating breakfast at the hotel restaurant in Goose Bay, Canada and then were…
Atlantic Crossing…how it got started…
One day at my home airport, the Cherokee County Airport (KJSO) in Jacksonville, TX, a King Air flew in and…
Margrit Waltz…Ferry Pilot Extraordinaire…
I had the pleasure of flying across the North Atlantic with Margrit Waltz in mid-October 2011. I’d read about her…
True cruise performance numbers…
Are the book numbers right for a Malibu? So many aircraft manufacturers these days make claims of performance capabilities that…
Reconditioning the boots…
Ever noticed that your car looks a lot better after the tires have been “armor-all’ed”. You can wash, wax, and…
Cage and paint the breakers…
Some items on the Malibu are simply more important than others. I know, I know…I’ll hear from all the “pinky…
An extra flashlight…required equipment…
There are a few items that every pilot should consider mandatory for every flight, items that are not required by…
Opening the door with passengers…
The Malibu is a pressurized airplane, and any pressurization system is only as strong as the weakest link. The weakest…
Standing on the tail…
A real threat to the health of your Malibu is the potential to miss-load the airplane while on the ground. …
Spoiler switch position…
The PA-46 has super-long wings that are perfect for high altitude performance, but they also come with the penalty of…
The Texas drought and aviation…
2011 is going to remembered as the year of a really severe drought. This has been a punishing summer for…
Pressurized brakes…
I am totally pissed! I did it again! It was not even 3 years ago that I landed a Piper…
Moms and their kids…
A nice lady at my church recently pulled me aside to tell me that she and a few of her…
IPad and apps…
I’m a little late getting the IPad, but I recently bought one and let me assure you that it is…
Tomato Drop…
I live in Jacksonville, TX, the “Tomato Capitol of the World”. We have the historic Tomato Bowl Football Stadium, the…
Thinking of buying a Mirage?
My first entrance into the PA-46 world was with a 1989 Mirage. I developed a love affair with the airplane…
Retinal stabilization…
Maintaining your position in relation to the center of the earth is something we all take for granted each day…
Formal training…go for the rating…
I get to go to Oahu, Hawaii each year for about a month duration because my military unit is located…
Grounding the hand…
Try taking a pen, stand up next to a table, and write your name in cursive as neatly as possible…
Exhaust leaks…
On a really clear, perfect day for flying without a cloud in the sky, I had a flight from Cherokee…
Yuko and Hana Hou Air…
One of my favorite airports in the world is Dillingham Field (HDH) on the North Shore of Oahu. One of…
Wave lift on Oahu…
All of the glider flying I have been doing lately has been done with use of orographic lifting which is…
3 green in frigid temps…
Each year, when I go from a warm climate to a cold climate in the Malibu, especially when the temperatures…
Landing pitch and power…
When flying at different regimes of flight, there should be certain flight controls that control certain aspects of flying. For…
Every landing is a crosswind landing…
On final approach to a runway, from whenever the approach is initiated to about 100′ AGL, the aircraft should be…
Pulling the trigger on landing…
Being in the military in a Special Operations Forces (SOF) unit, I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of…
Elmer Udd…40,000+ hour Patriarch…
Only a few times in a lifetime do you meet someone at a special place and a special time that…
Thinking of buying an 84-88 Malibu?
Ahhhh…the beloved Malibu…truly one of the finest breeds of airplanes in the world for GA cross-country flying. There really is…
Oil changes and oil analysis…
Concerning oil changes…I have mine changed every 30 hours whether it is a Continental or a Lycoming engine. As a…
Malibu Engine Seizure…
February 15th was just like most days for me in terms of flying and flight preparations. I made the final…