Piper has now put all such ghosts to rest with the signature upgrade of the rebranded fleet: Electronic Stability Protection (ESP). The revolutionary M350 features an automated system for detecting if the pilot is unresponsive due to hypoxia at high altitudes, and safely guides the aircraft to flight at a lower altitude. Hypoxia is another safety issue facing pilots in this class of aircraft, believed to have had a role in several recent fatal accidents of high performance singles in the U.S. Activated by a button in a thumb-size hollow on the left side of the throttle, once airborne, it sets the flight director’s command bar in a seven-degree pitch up attitude, the desired climb angle for either takeoff or going around on a missed approach. The headroom was the only disappointment–even for my quite average 5’9″ frame, my headset just touched the cabin roof. Not so the M350, which looked solid and robust. Oh, I apparently also had a pulse of 69 beats per minute. The next notable item is the wing. This award-winning, 480-page hardcover textbook is extensively updated with the latest METAR, TAF and Graphic Weather Products from AC00-45E, Aviation Weather Services. The PA-46 line of aircraft, as of 2015, is now referred to as the Piper M-Class. Your email address will not be published. To my eye, it was swoopy and attractive on the ramp; not a trivial impression for what is almost entirely an owner-flown design. We obtained a clearance for a round-robin flight to Kingston, Ont. The M350 is priced at $1.15 million, in comparison to the standard Piper Mirage which currently sells for $1.1 million. When pressed, it engages the flight director and autopilot, and restores the aircraft to straight and level flight. And the engine (especially the turbochargers) are working hard five miles up … En route back to Ottawa, I took the opportunity to sample the M350’s handling qualities. In April of this year, Piper announced that its PA46 line of cabin-class singles would henceforth be referred to as the M-Class. Introduced in 2015 by Piper Aircraft, the M350 comes to the market with a 350-hp Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A engine capable of 213 knots max cruise and a range of 1,343. The M350 is the latest development of what was originally Piper’s popular PA-46 Malibu; a design introduced in 1983 which ushered in the age of the cabin-class single. The concept for the turboprop-powered Meridian was introduced in 1997, featuring a 500 HP Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A turboprop engine. It leads the piston pack with an impressive 213 ktas cruising speed, as well as the ability to cruise up to 25,000 ft in pressurized comfort. An Aspen EFD1000 standby instrument has replaced electromechanical backup gauges and wet compass, unifying the appearance of the panel, and more importantly, easing pilot workload in the event backup instruments are needed, as the data presentation is basically the same as on the Garmin screens. I was pleasantly surprised by the fit and finish of the airplane, perhaps having been biased by so many forlorn old Piper trainers that I’ve seen parked behind flying clubs. I found configuration changes transparent, requiring only small trim corrections. Just turn it on before takeoff and input the elevation of your destination airport, and the system pressurizes and depressurizes the cabin en route automatically. Before departure, we’d engaged the new Coupled Go-Around function. Research, Compare & Buy a new Piper M350 with air.one | Buy Smarter, Fly Higher | Access wholesale aircraft prices with air.one! And pattern speeds are just a little higher than in today’s high performance singles: 110 kts. Piper Aircraft no longer refers to their top-of-the-line aircraft with the names Malibu, Malibu Mirage or Malibu Meridian. The new family of airplanes gives Piper customers a clear path to more performance and capabilities. The Electronic Stability Protection system provides additional flight envelope protection from roll upsets while hand-flying by automatically engaging servos to input corrective forces should the pilot encroach upon safe limits. Piper Aircraft has introduced the M350, its newest top-of-the-line M-Class single-engine, piston, cabin class, pressurized aircraft with the latest in Garmin avionics. We also had weather and traffic displays that put our mission capability somewhere in the airline category. Gordon Ramsay, Piper program manager at Columbia Air Service, a Piper distributor at Connecticut’s Groton-New London Airport (GON) in the U.S., invited AOPA UK to fly the M350 (and the M500) with him and experience the enhancements firsthand. Simultaneously, the US airframer has revamped and renamed its Mirage piston single, the M350. Heres the breakdown. He is a graduate of the U.S. If you’re a pilot “on the go,” Piper Aircraft’s M350 pressurized piston-powered single-engine airplane may be a solution. Asking $859K More Info. Nonetheless, traffic was using Rwy 24 rather than Rwy 33. The addition of ESP and the other improvements introduced this year give pilots additional reasons to step up to the M Class. A small storage compartment in the under-wing radome and another in the tail provide convenient externally-accessible storage for light items. Hatcher was my adult supervision in the right seat. Quick flight from Shelby County, AL (KEET) to Cobb County, GA (KRYY) in th Piper M350. Thanks to the turbocharger, one can expect the M350 to maintain its climb performance to nearly cruise altitude. One of the strengths of the PA-46 line is the choice it affords pilots in the performance and price they’re comfortable stepping up to. Cabin access is quite dignified for a light airplane, with entry via a two-part clamshell door and stairs. (Cockpit oxygen masks are stowed beneath the co-pilot’s seat.) MTOW. The cabin enhancements complement changing ownership demographics. Features Over 500 full-colour illustrations and photographs. Specifications for the 2017 Piper M350. Also an aviation enthusiast, his spare time activities include displaying vintage airplanes and flying his RV-6 kitplane. Chasing the Shot: Skies’ Photo Contest Bonus Issue. 2015 | 712 hours | Ontario, OR. It seems a bit odd to stick one’s index finger into a socket in the panel, but you’ll feel the firm grip of the oximeter’s alligator jaws, and see your blood oxygenation level and heart rate displayed on the MFD. If you’re transitioning from a less powerful platform, Ramsay recommends starting the takeoff by holding the brakes and powering up to 2000 rpm before starting the roll while continuing to advance the throttle, with rotation at 75 to 80 kts. At our operating weight, the low-speed audio warning activated at 63 KIAS, with only a small and easily corrected left wing drop at 59 KIAS. Performance remains the same in the 350 as the Mirage. Yet Piper prospered with the Malibu because of its capabilities and luxury. Switches for the electrical system and engine are on an overhead panel, another sign of having stepped up. As Ramsay put it, “If you can’t get over it, under it, or around it in this airplane, you shouldn’t be flying.” And now we had protection from loss of control. Engaging the Coupled Go-Around feature on the ground preset the flight director for a wings-level, seven degree pitch attitude. Plymouth Municipal’s ASOS automated weather was reporting winds from 310 at 14, peak gusts to 18. The aircraft, he reports, “seals the envelope with ESP.” This updated cabin-class single enhances safety in style. The M500 does not yet include the emergency descent mode, but Piper officials say that is in development. Hatcher recommended a 120 KIAS cruise-climb airspeed, which resulted in just over a 1,000 feet per minute rate of climb. Fully tested to be microwave and dishwasher safe. Gone is the perfectly capable Garmin G1000 system that graces the panel of the current turbine-powered M500 models and its piston sibling, the M350. Piper M350. (PYM) via Martha’s Vineyard VOR (MVY), and programmed the flight plan into the G1000 using the GCU 476 keypad on the pedestal. Adding two pilots, one human and some gear brought the zero fuel weight to 3,730 pounds. The autopilot leveled us at 13,500 – no need to climb to the 25,000 service ceiling to confirm the top cruise speed of 213 KTAS. Piper has been upgrading the M-Class cabins in recent years, and recently hired Blokx Design, a consumer products design consultancy, to redesign cabin elements such as arm rests, cup holders and stowable table, creating a more integrated and aesthetically pleasing appearance. While the Matrix would retain its name, the Mirage was becoming the M350 (for its 350-HP engine) and the Meridian was now the M500. Be the first to know. This large mug features a wrap round image of the J-3 Piper cub. A further neat Garmin innovation is the big, blue “LVL” (level) button on the instrument panel, which serves as a sort of panic button to quickly return the aircraft to a wings-level attitude with zero vertical speed. Reassuring. Sitting relatively high off the ground, its long wings uncluttered by engine cowls, the PA-46 has always had a sleek, eye-grabbing ramp presence, and the small, horn-like exhaust stacks poking from the cowl of turbine-powered PA-46s add a brawny swagger to its visual appeal. Price $1,047,000 Contact Cody Ramsey at 928-775-3832 Get Insurance Operating Costs Apply for Financing involves aircraft moving passengers or cargo. Returning to Ottawa it was quickly time for descent, which is usually a limitation of turbocharged aircraft, as power reductions need to be performed very slowly to avoid shock-cooling the expensive parts. With the prop spinning and avionics running, the air conditioning is typically the first system engaged, a welcome piece of standard equipment on an ISA plus 11C day like this one. Get Notified. We planned to fly to Plymouth, Mass. With most advanced safety features, along with a number of additional significant product improvements, the M350 has the most advanced cockpit of any cabin class, six-place aircraft available on the market. This introduction mirrors the recent upgrade and rebranding of its Meridian turbopr ... By Carmelo Turdo After a cold start to spring, the last few weeks in April have offered improved flying weather and more opportunities to view Midwest Aviation in action. narrow-body plus regionals. Beyond beefier landing gear and wings, and the three-bladed prop and LED lights, little has changed over the years on the Mirage/M350 airframe. According to the company, “It leads the piston pack with an impressive 213 ktas cruising speed, as well as the ability to cruise up to 25,000 ft in pressurized comfort. USP makes the function possible, ensuring that should the pilot forget to add power on the missed, instead of pitching up into a stall, the nose will drop to maintain airspeed and provide time for recovery. The program topic, "7 Deadly Sins of Aviation, was presented by FAA Safety Team (FAAST) Program Manager Phil Dixon. The controls were pleasant, responsive and tight, and would present no undue challenges for a minimally experienced pilot. As it happened, their arrival for our flight proved a good test of the airplane, as the Ottawa airport was under a blanket of fog. shy of the 4,340-lb. The Piper M350 is the only current production pressurized piston-engine aircraft available today. We’d be above the bumps by the time we turned back to the mainland from Martha’s Vineyard. The fuel gauges indicated 76 gallons, or about two-thirds fuel quantity, bringing the gross takeoff weight to 4,186 pounds. The exterior lights are all light emitting diodes (LED) for improved service life. “It trumps the parachute,” Capua added, in reference to the ballistic recovery chute in the competing Cirrus. With flaps (ten degrees), pitch, and rudder trim set we took the active. Over subsequent years Piper built out its PA-46 “M-Class” line, first transforming the Malibu into the Mirage with a 350-hp Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A turbocharged engine in 1988, then creating the flagship 500-shp PT-6A turboprop-powered Meridian a decade later, and finally the entry level, non-pressurized Matrix in 2007. visit website . USB charging ports in the cabin and cockpit have also been added to the updated models. With the two of us and 85 gallons of fuel onboard, we were about 300 lbs. Yet with the M350 you don’t always have to climb up in the first place, unlike the turbine-powered M500 and the forthcoming M600, where it almost always makes sense to fly at FL280 or 290 for fuel efficiency, regardless of the winds. Commencing the missed approach is typically a high-workload moment requiring disengagement of the autopilot, but the M350’s Coupled Go-Around Mode made it push-button simple. Owing to the pressurization, air conditioning is standard equipment. Introduced in 1982 with a 310-hp Continental motor, the Piper Malibu created the modern cabin-class single. Not so the M350, which looked solid and robust. Standard equipment in the M350 includes synthetic vision and a yaw damper. Each OEM tweaks the system for their own aircraft. Estimated reading time 10 minutes, 24 seconds. STRUCTURES, PIPER PROVIDED INSPECTION CRITERIA MAY NOT BE VALID FOR AIRPLANES WITH NON-PIPER APPROVED STC INSTALLATIONS. The M350 has multiple lines of defense. Piper intended the option primarily as a conduit for getting in-flight weather in areas without access to U.S.-based services such as XM, but has found 90 percent of all buyers want the Iridium system, primarily for telephone and text communication. Mobility is a highly prized commodity for some busy people, both in business and in leisure. union news and lots more. The 96-nm journey would give us time to perform some maneuvers and check out the ESP en route. The comprehensive safety features in the M350 go a long way to matching the aircraft to its target demographic. Piper M600 Engine Piper M600 is powered by the Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A-42A engines, which produce 600 hp of power. Taxiing at 1000 rpm develops enough momentum to steer without differential braking, though the pedals take some muscling. On such a day, in such a machine, you want to keep flying as long and far as you can. Check out our schools channel also if you're Assuming maximum takeoff weight, the published takeoff distance over a 50-foot obstacle was a respectable 2,090 feet. Aircraft owner-pilots rarely fly as much as they would like, and maintaining proficiency is often a challenge. The cockpit environment in cruise left little to be desired. Hatcher mentioned that a seat modification kit is available to allow up to three more inches of headroom, if one desires. I just monitored our progress through the synthetic vision system, and was left to manage configuration and power. The one big question we had was, would the FAA sign off on it? Piper’s M600 is ideal for an owner pilot transitioning out of a piston-engine-powered aircraft or for a corporate flight department needing short-hop or short-field supplemental lift. Sales of Piper's Archer TX helped boost the manufacture's sales in 2018. The co-owners hired a ferry pilot to deliver the aircraft overseas to the UK with one of them on board. It includes self-test multi-choice questions and answers. Piper isn’t the only OEM offering stability protection through a Garmin (or other) interface. Meanwhile the integrated pressurization system – yes, the Garmin runs that, too - simplifies regulating cabin altitude. The new Ms also offer a GSR-56 Global Satellite Datalink Iridium Satellite Transceiver. USP and Overspeed Protection both react to pitch and airspeed. on the downwind, 100 on base and 90 on final, coming over the fence at 85 kts. Aviation Unlimited, Piper’s Canadian sales distributor, brought a brand new demonstrator aircraft, registration C-GBTB, to Ottawa on a sunny autumn day. To my eye, it was swoopy and attractive on the ramp; not a trivial impression for what is almost entirely an owner-flown design.The pre-flight inspection revealed an airplane that was thoroughly modern and well-conceived. Mobility problem solved. Nosewheel steering was a bit stiff, with light centering forces, but I quickly made friends with it. This software is intended for all pilots who are contemplating taking an FAA Practical Oral Test (more commonly known as a "checkride" ). In a little less than three years since the model’s introduction, Piper Aircraft has delivered 99 … The system can be manually overridden by overpowering the resistive force, and the ESP, USP and overspeed protection can also be disconnected, for training, for example, through the Garmin Aux page. Under my noise cancelling headset, the big Lycoming purred contentedly. It’s the definitive answer to concerns that flight proficiency experts, insurance companies and pilots have long raised about the challenges of transitioning to higher performance platforms, issues the original PA-46 helped spotlight. Options include four- to six-place designs, piston and turboprop models, high- and low-wings, with fixed and retractable undercarriage. The earlier fog had cleared, and we departed Ottawa’s Runway 07 under a clear blue sky with light winds. The PIPER M350 has a 2,900' balanced field length and 3,300' landing distance. Also there's great articles about Scattered cumulus to the north stopped at the shoreline, and climbing eastbound over Long Island Sound the air was smooth. We dialed a descent rate of 160 kts. Most importantly, Coupled Go-Around enables the M350 to fly a missed approach procedure without resetting the autopilot. 2015 PIPER M350 $859,000 Get Financing as low as $3,944.87 a month* Reg# N545RS TT: 422; 2015 Piper PA 46-350P - 422 TTAF/Eng/Prop, Excellent 2015 P&I. Robert Erdos is a contributing editor for Skies magazine. Email us or call us today at 1.309.346.3348 Site Sponsor. The M350 is a light airplane, but it’s also a serious travelling machine. Here’s where things get easier for transitioning pilots: Its high wing loading and impressive rudder authority make crosswind landings less challenging in the M350 than in many of the four-place aircraft that buyers may be coming from. Set your current location to find local services & contents. If no pilot interactions are detected in these circumstances, the system engages Automatic Descent Mode, descending the aircraft to an altitude allowing recovery from hypoxia. There is a section on Helicopter Icing that is featured in the Flight Performance Examination. TAS crept past 180 kts. We set cruise power of 30 inches and 2400 rpm, and leaned to about 21.5 gph. Inside, interior enhancements are more noticeable. Likewise, the generous undercarriage and approach flap (10 degrees) extension speed of 165 KIAS help the M350 to slow down when the airport appears. JAMES WYNBRANDT was invited by a Piper dealer to fly the manufacturer’s new PA-46 M350 for AO&P. Colourful and detailed wrap around images. This is a very comprehensive man ... John Farley's name will already be well-known to many pilots through his writing, teaching and speaking. On Airsoc we focus on I would. The break ups were attributed largely to pilot error, and subsequent PA-46 models exhibited no such accident patterns. With gear and flaps up and climb power of 35 inches and 2500 rpm, the VSI tape bobbed around a positive 750 fpm and airspeed at 115 kts., while the Lycoming chugged some 35 gph. Externally, the M500 and the Meridian are identical, distinguishable from piston-powered PA-46s by the extensions at the leading edge of the wing roots (for more fuel capacity); the 37-percent larger empennage; and vortex generators on the win… Armed with the G1000’s impressive capabilities, weather radar and certification for flight into known icing, the result is a virtually “go anywhere any time” airplane for pilots on the go. The Concorde RG24-10 series aircraft battery is a general aviation battery designed for a two battery, two bus, two alternator generator system to satisfy the requirement for a secondary system to support FADEC and or Glass Panel installations. The M350, M500 and the newest M600 make up the entire M-Class line. The M350 also has a Hypoxia Recognition System, activated when the autopilot is engaged should the cabin altitude rises above 14,900 ft., as would happen in the event of depressurization. Piper’s new M350 fares well against the competition, occupying its unique niche as the only pressurized six-place single-engine piston aircraft. Piper M-Class. The M350 can maintain sea level cabin pressure to 12,000 feet. These are the only batterie ... Commercial aviation refers to that part of civil aviation that And in the same year Piper went to electric flaps. Powered by a 40 hp (30kW) engine, in 1938 it sold for just over $1,000. • SurfaceWatch • 110 volt AC Power Outlet (cabin and cockpit) • Enhanced AFCS Enablement (includes ESP) The aircraft has a maximum operating altitude of 25,000', a normal cruise speed of 201 KTS/231 MPH, and a 470 NM/541 SM seats-full range. 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