Piper Aircraft

(function(d, s, id) { if (d.getElementById(id)) return; var js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = ‘//cdn4.wibbitz.com/static.js’; d.getElementsByTagName(‘body’)[0].appendChild(js); }(document, ‘script’, ‘wibbitz-static-embed’)); Flying recently had the chance to fly Piper’s new version of the Meridian turboprop, the M600, over Vero Beach, Florida. Featuring a clean-sheet wing and interior, power, range and payload improvements over previous PA-46s, […]

They say that when one door closes, another opens. The trick is to stop looking at the closed door long enough to see which door is ajar. For Piper, the closed door was the abortive Altaire single-engine jet, an airplane many likened to a mini DC-10 with its Williams turbofan engine integrated weirdly into the […]

I had just landed at Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport and was on a quick break in the middle of a busy workday, with just enough time between flights to grab a salad for lunch and check my email. As soon as I turned on my phone, I saw the message from Roy, lead mechanic at Aero […]

Piper’s M500 received approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), clearing the way for the 500-shp Meridian to enter into service on the European register. “EASA certification is an important milestone allowing us to kick off a major sales campaign to bring the M500 to the European market,” said Simon Caldecott, president and CEO […]

Piper Aircraft delivered the first M600 single-engine turboprop yesterday, handing over the keys to the airplane to its new owners a day after Flying had a chance to put the model through its paces, which was closely followed by the FAA’s final validation flight before signing off on the production certificate. The first M600, painted […]

Piper’s M600 single-engine turboprop achieved FAA type certification last week, adding a new model to the Vero Beach, Florida, manufacturer’s lineup that features more power and improved avionics. The $2.853 million M600 features the same Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-42A engine as the Piper M500, but power has been boosted from 500 to 600 shp, […]

Severe weather proved hazardous Tuesday in Vero Beach, Florida, home of Piper Aircraft and FlightSafety Academy. Strong winds flipped a single-engine airplane at nearby Treasure Coast International Airport, and the city recorded a record rainfall of 11.22 inches, causing massive flooding and damage to homes and other property. The previous rainfall record was 8.82 inches, […]

It’s a basic fact of aviation: Airplanes love to be flown. When they sit, bad things happen. Engines corrode, critters set up residence and basic maintenance gets neglected until the airplane finally flies, at which point expensive stuff breaks. Hourly costs skyrocket, and the crestfallen owner flies even less. When I bought my 1953 Piper […]

Piper Aircraft continues to find success in the flight training market, the most recent evidence coming today at Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland, Florida, with the announcement that UND Aerospace has placed an order for 112 piston singles and twins. The deal, which includes a mix of Piper Archers and Seminoles, calls for deliveries to […]

On May 1, she will turn 70 years old and, I am not exaggerating, she is just as beautiful today as she was on the day I first met her. That was 50 years ago, and I swear she has changed very little. Boy, do I wish I could say the same for me! What can I […]