Here’s a super idea that was presented to me by Tim (anonymous) to cheaply and accurately identify important circuit breakers in your PA-46. Certain circuit breakers need identification since they are the ones that are critical to flight. Here’s a few that I’d label in a PA-46: HYD PUMP: If you have a landing gear…
Are you one of those guys that thinks windshield heat is not an “airworthy item” on a PA-46? I’m in agreement that 99.9% of the time the windshield heat is not needed, but when that 0.01% flight happens, you want it to work! I had a recent flight which highlighted this need. I owe a…
I recently spent some time at Midwest Malibu, a premier maintenance facility in Hutchinson, KS and had a good conversation with the owner, Tony. When I get to hang around the top-knotch facilities of the PA-46 community (like Midwest Malibu), I usually go into “receive mode”, trying to learn as much as possible. He had a…
As the days become cooler and shorter, every PA-46 pilot must begin to mentally prepare for the inevitable icing potential. The most prolific icing question I receive during training events about icing is. “When would you turn it on?” The answer is…it depends on the airframe, engine type, and which icing switch begin discussed. So,…
I found another cool add-on to a PA-46 in Paul’s really nice Mirage. He figured out how to install LED lights in the interior of his airplane. It looks really cool, works really well, and was easy to install. You can order these bulbs here for about $6/each at: Newark Electronics; Daylight # 586-2406-105; Newark Part#…
This story is written by an anonymous Jetprop owner who unintentionally damaged his engine. Both of us are hopeful we will be able to educate pilots so they can avoid this expensive mistake. Here’s the story… While not a true “pro-pilot”, I do take my aviation experience seriously. I’ve steadily moved up in airplanes over…
I see lots of different fuel caps on the PA-46 fleet. Here’s a good discussion of a few of the offerings on the market and a couple of good ideas related to their use. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfBl5dQ_bgY&feature=youtu.be
Here’s a great idea born by Dr. Larry Chambles and illustrated by Dr. Tom Thomason. We made this video during M-Class Spring 2014. Thanks Tom!
It’s the day before Christmas Eve and I got the assignment to move a Matrix from Texas to Philadelphia, PA. My non-refundable airline ticket home from Philadelphia is already purchased, scheduled to depart at 8:20am on Christmas Eve. So I’m super-interested in getting to Philly as quickly as possible to ensure no SNAFU’s preclude me…
As a pilot of a 1989 Piper Malibu Mirage, I get to fly all over our great country and have experienced many interesting non-scheduled “events” while flying. On a recent trip from Central Florida to South Carolina, I had one of those events. It was a pleasant day for flying, aside from the routine incessant…