Piper M-Class Owners & Pilots Association Magazine March/April 2024

engaged leaders - both professional staff and volunteers - serve its members. We stand on the shoulders of these giants in everything we are doing today and are striving to create in the future. One of these giants is Dianne White, who many of you know well. She served as Executive Director of the Association from early 2018 through mid-2022, and as our Magazine Editor prior to that. Recently, Dianne stepped in to serve PMOPA’s members once again, editing the November-December 2023 issue of PMOPA Magazine on very short notice after Jenna Reid left as Chief Operating Officer late last year. Dianne jumped into action, brought her passion for and deep knowledge of the PA-46 and our community, to bring to life our annual Safety edition, one of the most valued issues of the magazine annually. I greatly appreciate Dianne’s significant contributions and accomplishments that made our Association stron- ger and better during her tenure as Executive Director, and also her willingness to help out again on incredibly short notice. Dianne is a Lifetime Member of PMOPA and her continued passion for the PA-46 and this commu- nity is remarkable. Introducing Rob Finfrock, PMOPA Magazine Editor I am pleased to introduce one of the newest mem- bers of the PMOPA community, Rob Finfrock. Rob is no stranger to aviation journalism as he has been writing and editing for close to two decades, including key stories for Aviation International News, FLYING Magazine, the Citation Jet Pilots Association and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA.) Start- ing with this issue, Rob will add another feather to his cap, serving you as Editor of PMOPA Magazine. Rob is a sport pilot and is based in Albuquerque, NM. About flying, Rob says, “I love low-and-slow flying over the Land of Enchantment.” Rob is working closely with PMOPA’s Editorial Committee to plan and produce high-quality, engag- ing issues of the magazine, covering the topics most relevant to PMOPA’s members. Rob also has responsi- bility for PMOPA Direct email newsletters and will be assisting with website content and webinars. Your story ideas are most welcome. Rob can be reached via email at editor@pmopa.com. 8 P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 Helping Others in the Community One of the most enjoyable aspects of working for PMOPA has been meeting members at events, includ- ing AirVenture, the PMOPA Convention and PMOPA’s Regional Events. At every event, I have met members who not only love flying their planes (that’s expected) but who also love making a difference with their planes by sup- porting any one of a variety of charities. We are very for- tunate to have these capable aircraft for our use, and it is a rewarding experience to use them to make a difference in others’ lives. Pilots and aircraft owners often are first on the scene to provide humanitarian support following a natural disaster, such as a hurricane or earthquake. Flying charitable missions is also an excellent way to build time and proficiency. If you have not yet considered flying to support a charitable organization, you might consider looking into this. Below is a partial listing of organizations I recall hearing PMOPA members talk with me about how they use their PA-46 for the benefit of others. Do you have a special story to share from a humanitarian flight and/or an addition to this list you would encourage our community to support? Please let me know: mnichols@pmopa.com. Angel Flight Focus: Arranges medical and compassion flights for people in need. There are several Angel Flight organiza- tions across the U.S. Find the one in your area using the Angel Flight locator tool. https://www.angelflight.com/locator/ Challenge Air Focus: Inspires confidence in children with special needs through “Fly Days” where kids get to participate in aviation activities and fly as co-pilot. https://www.challengeair.com/ Corporate Angel Network Focus: Helps cancer patients access the best treatment centers in the United States by arranging free travel on corporate aircraft. https://www.corpangelnetwork.org/ Patient Airlift Services (PALS) Focus: Free medical and compassion flights for patients and veterans. https://palservices.org/ Pilots N Paws Focus: Arranges rescue flights, overnight foster care or shelter, and related activities for the rehoming of ani- mals using air transportation. https://www.pilotsnpaws.org/ Pilots to the Rescue Focus: Moves endangered animals at risk of being euthanized through volunteer pilot network. https://www.pilotstotherescue.org/ Veterans Airlift Command Focus: Provides transportation for wounded veterans and their families. Flights are offered across the United States for both medical and compassionate purposes. https://veteransairlift.org/ Interested in public benefit flying, but not sure which group is right for you? The Air Care Alliance repre- sents a nationwide network of volunteer pilot groups that deliver impactful and inspiring service through aviation. ACA encourages volunteerism among pilots, helps patients access the free air transportation they need, and ensures that charitable aviation remains a viable resource to those who need it most. With over 60 public flying organizations in their membership, it’s a great place to find one that would be a good fit for your interests, allowing you to make a difference in your community. https://www.aircarealliance.org/getting-assistance/ directory-of-groups/ PRESIDENT’S LETTER MCVINNIE RJ Tutt Initial / Recurrent Initial / Recurrent Flight Training Flight Training Malibu – Mirage – Matrix Meridian – JetPROP M350-M500-M600 Garmin G500/600 legacy & Txi Serving the West Coast Since 2000 Insurance Approved! RJ Tutt Aviation Stockton, CA (KSCK) 209-482-7433 rjtuttaviation@comcast.net www.rjtuttaviation.com P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 9 Welcome New PMOPA Members Jim Anseth Ken Ansin Daniel Archer Paul Bagley Jorgen Behrens israel Benedek Michael Benedetti Peter Bethke David Campbell Bryant Ferguson Rob Finfrock Edwin Foo Andrew Foster David Gallagher Rick Golicki Galen Hunt Jim Joyce Jordan Kirshenbaum Erich Knausenberger Mark Little Gerhard Mayr Troy Myers Kris Olsson Ronnie Parker David Patrick Ned Piccinini Jessica Power William Ritter Bernhard Schropp Ray Schuler Roger Shaw Bernd Sontheimer Keith Stephens John Tapper David Todd Billy Vaughn Jay Visconti David Wallace Eric Wilke Keegan Wilson Craig Adams Edward Angel Max Applegarth Jay Asdell Steve Austin Clipper Aviation Tom Ball Terrell Barden Brock Benjamin Dave Bennett Brian Bird Benedikt Blomberg Stephen Bobko-Hillenaar Michael Boyer Jon Bradford Tony Bright Mike Brubaker Rick Bryan Heather Cannon Joe Casey Manuel Casiano Robert Chester Jeff Collins Richard Columbia Robert Conboy Rick Converse Ed Cooper Kimberly Coryat Manuel David Malcolm Davison Ranferi Denova Philip DiTrolio Mark Donnelly Mark Doutt Todd Duellman Ronen Elefant Antonio Elias Allan Filgueiras Jack Finch Andrew Fleming Roger Florkiewicz Joseph Fluet John Foster Eugene Fraser Dr. Klaus Gerecht Paul Goracke S. John Granmayeh Larry Grant Carl Griffith Bradley Grimsley Darwin Haines Brandon Hansen John Hendrickson Shea Hensley Christopher Hess Jason Hills Paul Himes John Huss Wes Irish David Irvine Larry Jackson Christopher Jaggers Kevin Jennings Charles Jones Jim Kelly Chase Key Dr. Soeren Klein Friedrich Koester Edouard Kohler Chris Krein Sigi Kromer Donald Kukla Lester J. Kyle Jr Ben Lakin John Lankenau Greg LaPoint William (Bill) Laxson Robert Lee Brandon Lewis Neal Lintecum Jack Lohmann Bob Luhrs Kevin MacDonald Miro Majorek Edmund (Ned) Markey III Jeff McAllister Scott McKeever Carl McQuillen David McVinnie Michael Megler Kenneth Meyers Peter Milnes Angel Mulkay Mark Nielsen Keith Nord Ryan Oltman Tony Overfield Fernando PAEZ Jeffrey Plotka Frederick Poage Todd Raabe David Randall Tim Ray Paul Rekieta P. N. Risser Victor Rivas Karl Rogers Richard Rogers Joey Sager Sam Scheef Douglas Scheid Herbert Schiffer Jeff Schweitzer Brian Scott Derek Shires Dean Shults Tammie Jo Shults John Siner Scott Smith Andreas Sokhegyi Doug & Valerie Steen Jeffrey Storey Russ Stromberg Bill Sutherland Barry Taft Dennis Thakor Terry Theken Nicholas Theyer Carl Thompson Ed Trautman Mark van Berkel Matt Vitale Dan Vivoli David Ward Fred Weibel Johannes Weis Dianne White Joseph Witt Jim Yankaskas Chris Zhang Lifetime Members Thank you for your support of PMOPA and its mission of safety, advocacy & community. *As of Feb 29, 2024 10 P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 PMOPA Member Guide Piper M-Class Owners & Pilots Association www.pmopa.com PMOPA CEO Mike Nichols mnichols@pmopa.com The Piper M-Class Owners & Pilots Association (PMOPA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the interests and safety of owners and pilots worldwide who fly PA-46 deriva- tive (Malibu, Mirage, Meridian, JetPROP, Matrix, M350, M500 & M600) aircraft. PMOPA was founded in 1988, and now serves more than 1,300 members. PMOPA is not affiliated with the Piper Aircraft, Inc., or any other manu- facturer/vendor. Membership is available to any registered or prospective owner and/or operator of qualified aircraft or any qualifying individual involved with or providing a service for the PA-46 family of aircraft. Dues are $285 of which $60 is applied toward your subscription to PMOPA Magazine. Member-Only Benefits & Services NEW: PA-46 QUICK REFERENCE HANDBOOKS: A Quick Reference Handbook (QRH) contains procedures applicable for abnormal and emergency conditions in an easy-to-use format. The downloadable PDF applicable for your PA-46 is designed to be stored on your iPad and contains links to relevant reference locations. The information presented is based on the POH. PMOPA ONLINE FORUMS: One of the most active online forums in general aviation, the PMOPA forums has dozens of messages posted each day. It is the ideal place to discuss ownership, safety, operational and maintenance topics, absorb information or get any question answered. PMOPA LIBRARY: The PMOPA website has an in-depth library with a variety of maintenance instructions and best practice documents, checklists, POH’s and guides. In addition, there is training and safety content, Service Bul- letin information and back issues of PMOPA Magazine. New resources are continually added and updated. ANNUAL CONVENTION: Each year, PA-46 pilots and enthusi- asts gather for a multi-day event featuring seminars, vendor trade show and social activities. The convention is open to PMOPA members and nonmembers. PMOPA SAFETY & EDUCATION FOUNDATION: A 501(c)(3) charitable entity, the Foundation is an independent entity that is dedicated to engaging with PMOPA members to help them operate their PA-46 aircraft in the safest possible manner. The foundation’s sole purpose is to promote, support and fund safety initiatives, programming, resources and tools. In addi- tion, it may include direct vouchers to PMOPA members who attend qualifying training programs. GARMIN ONEPAK/PILOT DISCOUNT: A PMOPA-exclusive program. Members receive a 10% discount off of OnePak U.S. & Americas Standard + FlightCharts, and Garmin Pilot & Pilot U.S. Premium. JEPPESEN SUBSCRIPTION DISCOUNT: Members who own a PA-46 receive a 20% discount off annual data subscription and 50% off Trip Kits for electronic charts outside your stan- dard geographic region for 28 days. Also 10% off training and pilot supplies. To receive the discount, fill in your Jeppesen account number within your PMOPA account profile. FloFlight DISCOUNT: PMOPA Members receive 20% discount by using code PMOPA20. MYGOFLIGHT DISCOUNT: PMOPA Members receive 20% off all MYGOFLIGHT merchandise at mygoflight.com with code PMOPAMEMBER20. PMOPA Training Directory: PMOPA Vendor Members who have represented that they offer type-specific initial and recurrent PA-46 training with an insurance- approved syllabus. MARKETPLACE: Members and vendors can list aircraft, parts, services and other aviation related items for sale in this online listing service. PMOPA HOTLINE: Members have access to experts to answer questions regarding airframe/engine, avionics, legal issues and general membership. NEW HOTLINE TELEPHONE NUMBER: +1-202-908-4344 Extension numbers: 1 – PMOPA Member Services 2 – Mike Nichols, Chief Executive Officer 3 – Kevin Mead – Engine & Airframe Questions 4 – AME Dr. Tom Rosenthal – Medical Questions 5 – John Farrish – Legal Issues Regarding Aircraft Transactions 6 – Jerry H. Trachtman – All Other Legal Issues 12 P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 INTRODUCING Piper Aircraft kicked off 2024 with unveiling the ultimate expression so far of the storied PA-46 family: the M700 Fury, a name that belies the new model’s most significant change over the pre- vious M600. Powered by a 700-shaft horsepower Pratt & Whitney PT6A-52 engine, the M700 Fury boasts a maximum cruise speed of 301 KTAS, placing it as the second-fastest Piper airplane of all time behind the twin-turboprop Chey- enne 400LS. The Fury has a max range by Rob Finfrock Piper Unleashes New ‘Fury’ for PA-46 Line of 1,149 nautical miles at max cruise; at more typical speeds, the Fury can fly as far as 1,424 nm. The new, more powerful PT6 also improves takeoff performance, with max gross takeoff field length over a 50’ obstacle at sea level on a standard day reduced by 641’ over the M600 SLS, a 24 percent improvement. “That TOFL performance is also 1,198 ft. (38 percent) shorter than a competing single-engine jet,” Piper notes, in a not-so-subtle jab at the Cirrus SF50. According to Piper, the M700 Fury also outclimbs its immediate predeces- sor, reaching FL250 in just under 14 minutes, or 34 percent faster than the M600 SLS manages. It will also burn 25 percent less fuel doing so than an M600 (and nearly half the fuel needed by the SF50.) On arrival, the M700’s landing distance over a 50 ft. obstacle is 26 percent less than the M600 and nearly half that needed by compet- ing aircraft. “The M700 Fury is a beautifully effi- cient, cross-country thoroughbred that P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 13 gives our customers a performance- based flight experience with econom- ics never seen before,” said Piper Presi- dent and CEO John Calcagno during the model’s Feb. 9 unveiling. “We listened, and we delivered. The M700 Fury encompasses power, performance and the most advanced safety mea- sures available today and an overall value proposition that is extremely compelling to individuals and corpo- rate flight departments alike.” Airframe changes are relatively minor for the performance gains, with a redesigned, more efficient intake plenum, new engine mount assemblies and an improved exhaust stack design to maximize residual thrust. Piper maintained the M600’s maximum gross weight rating of 6,000 lbs, ensur- ing the new M700 Fury stays within the limits for pilots flying under BasicMed. The M700 Fury also retains the Garmin G3000 touchscreen avionics platform from the M600/SLS, along with the HALO Safety System with Garmin’s Autoland. The M700 Fury also comes with Garmin PlaneSync, enabling automatic downloads of updated flight charts and databases and allowing owners to sync their flight plan and performance data wire- lessly, and remotely check fuel quan- tity, aircraft location, oil temperature, battery voltage, current weather at the aircraft’s location and more through the Garmin Pilot app. Piper also took an updated approach to aesthetics, with six new interior schemes featuring new leathers and what the Vero Beach, FL manufacturer terms “aesthetically styled seats.” FAA certification for the M700 was announced in early March, with deliveries starting immedi- ately afterward. Approvals in Canada, Europe, the United Kingdom and Brazil are expected by summertime, with customer deliveries in those regions before the end of the year. Prices start at $4.1 million with a typically equipped example estimated at $4.3MM. Rob Finfrock is editor of PMOPA Magazine and a freelance avia- tion writer and podcaster. With close to 20 years of experience reporting on the issues important to general aviation pilots, Rob works with clients including Aviation In- ternational News, FLYING Magazine and the National Business Aviation Associa- tion (NBAA) in addition to PMOPA. Rob is a sport pilot and lives near Albuquer- que, NM. He may be reached at editor@ pmopa.com. 14 P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 by Valerie Steen Galveston Island: A Quick and Historic Weekend Trip TRAVEL Twenty-five years ago, on the day after I passed my private pilot check ride, I carefully planned a cross country trip from Houston to Galveston, TX. The 26 nautical miles seemed much farther back then, and the flight really did feel like a cross country journey. Today, Galveston still holds a special place in my heart and my logbook. Departing Ellington Field that day with my son in a C152, we flew past the Kemah bridge at Clear Lake, headed over Galveston Bay toward San Leon, past Texas City with its myriad refiner- ies and then crossed over I-45 to the West Bay. From miles away we saw the gleaming pyramids of Moody Gardens and came in low over the water to land at Scholes Field (GLS.) The ramp is huge, belying its his- tory of commercial airline service and WWII operations. There is plenty of hangar space available for transient aircraft too. In 1938 the airport was renamed Corrigan Field in honor of Galveston native, Douglas “Wrong Way” Corrigan. (If you have not read his story, it is really interesting and, in some ways, more amazing than Lindberg’s 1927 transatlantic flight.) By the 1950s the airport was known as Scholes Field after early Texas aviation pioneer Bob Scholes. Today, its official name is Scholes International Airport. If you would like a crew car or rental it is a good idea to call the airport in advance. Otherwise, Uber/Lyft is read- ily available. However, there is so much to do within walking distance of the airport that you may decide the only transportation you need is your feet. For example, it’s only a few blocks to the Schlitterbahn water park, which opens on weekends beginning in mid-April. There’s not much traffic on the roads back in the Moody Gardens district and I always feel safe walking. Schlitterbahn is about three-tenths of a mile from the airport terminal, with the entrance to Moody Gardens a tenth farther. We aren’t talking about major hikes. Moody Gardens is a nonprofit edu- cational entertainment complex built in the 1980s by the Moody Foundation in their words “to benefit, in perpetu- ity, present and future generations of Texans.” The twelve-story green pyra- mid holds more than 10,000 marine animals including fish, sharks, seals and penguins from the world’s oceans. The adjacent rainforest pyramid stands ten stories high, housing more than 1,000 rare and exotic species of plants and animals. This is as close as you can get to being in an actual rainforest. We enjoy the walk through the pyramid starting at the bottom and slowly winding our P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 15 way up to the canopy section where there is an amazing butterfly exhibit. The unique walkways take you close to the free-roaming birds, sloths, white- faced saki monkeys and overlook the endangered giant Amazon River Otter exhibit. After walking the pyramids, you can take a break and sit down for a meal at the Garden Restaurant overlooking Offats Bayou. It is buffet- style and we have always found the food and service to be good. Moody Gardens is open year-round and a great place to take the family with plenty of activities to fill a long week- end getaway. Two miles from the airport termi- nal is Seawall Boulevard, which runs along the beach on top of the seawall giving a great view of the Gulf of Mexico. The seawall was built follow- ing the devastating tidal surge from the hurricane of 1900, which caused tremendous loss of life and destruction of property. More than 10,000 people died in the storm, the largest loss of life from a natural disaster in the United States. Today, the seawall is a favorite spot for tourists and locals alike with its wide promenade filled with walkers, joggers, skaters and the ever-present pedal cars in the summer. Steps are placed at intervals along the seawall to go down to the beach. In years past I would take my dogs out on the beach to run free in the winter when the temps were cool and the people were scarce. The traffic can get very heavy and slow on summer weekends and holidays but you can bail out of the traffic by turning off Seawall into one of the quaint Victorian neighbor- hoods with its pastel colors and ornate woodwork. It is hard to overstate the impor- tance of Galveston as a center of com- merce and banking for not only Texas, but the entire Southern United States. At one time Galveston had the highest per capita income of any city in the US with a telephone network, electric lighting and street cars in the 1880s. Following the hurricane of 1900, Thomas Edison sent a crew to take some of earliest motion pictures of the carnage of the storm; there were only four movie cameras on Earth in 1900! The East end of Galveston Island houses the historic downtown district known as the Strand. Many historic buildings from the city’s heyday have been preserved, with numerous shops, restaurants and venues to visit. The historic Tremont hotel goes back to 1839, during the Republic of Texas days. Sam Houston gave the final speech of his political career at the hotel, in which he warned Texas not to join the Confederacy. He was voted out shortly after the speech. The Strand district has two large events each year, beginning with Mar- di Gras. I’ve enjoyed taking my dogs (in costume of course) to take part in the Krewe of Barkus and Meoux Parade. Lots of fun to throw beads and doubloons in the parade. Anyone can sign up and the proceeds benefit the Galveston Humane Society. Galveston is also known for Dickens on the Strand, which fits perfectly with the Victorian era buildings. The streets will be filled with people in Victorian costume and if you are lucky (like I was one year) it will snow. There are many other events throughout the year, so it is best to check the web to 16 P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 Valerie Steen is an ATP rated pilot and CFI with over 500 hours in their -21 Malibu JetProp. She currently runs an avionics shop in the DFW area. see what is going on and whether you want a quiet weekend getaway or a boisterous festival. Also on the East end is the seaport of Galveston where you can visit the tall ship Elissa, an 1877 square-rigged iron barque and floating museum. Since we’re in Texas, there is also a museum dedicated to offshore drill- ing. The Ocean Star is a retired jack up drilling rig and museum showing the difficulties and complexities of drilling for oil in the Gulf. Next to the historic seaport is the cruise terminal served by the major cruise lines. We’ve flown the family to Galveston, parked the plane and hopped on to a week- long cruise. When flying to Galveston there can be low stratus and fog in the mornings, especially through the fall and into early spring. The fog will normally burn off by lunch time, so you may need to adjust your schedule. In the summer there are typically no weather problems unless there is a tropical storm or hurricane forming in the Gulf. When touring the island by air, contact the Scholes tower for flight following as there is a lot of traffic fol- lowing the coastline including banner tows, sightseeing flights and helicop- ter tours. Galveston is rich in history and a fun place to visit with lots of activities for people of all ages. P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 17 18 P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 Icy Confessions by Joe Casey SAFETY Confession is a holy sacrament in the Catholic faith. I remem- ber sitting in the confessional as an 8-year-old confessing boyhood sins that seem laughable today, but at the time they were life-and-death scenarios. I mean, does stealing bubble gum from the five-and-dime store and hitting your sister really require confession? Confession is also good for aviation soul. When it comes to icing, many could tell quite a story in the confes- sional, including me. Ice has humbled many and scared many; there are many in the PA-46 community who are icing novices, testing the limits of their first airplane certified for flight into known icing, or FIKI. Many confuse FIKI-certified with “it can handle any icing situation.” No, your PA-46 cannot handle any icing situation, and our community sadly proves that time and again. We have an airplane MINIMALLY certified to fly in icing conditions. Most of the PA-46s flying today were certified when the icing rules were far laxer than what is expected of an airplane today. All piston variants are underpowered in an icing scenario; JetProps have scarily small wing deice boots; and all non-M600 PA-46 ver- sions have the terrible problem of “ice bridging” on the tail surface. But the PA-46’s weakest link is not the airplane; it’s the person flying it. Most PA-46 pilots are non-profes- sional pilots who fly an average of 100 hours per year, and they see 1-2 icing encounters each year. Most are benign, tempting these pilots to venture farther down the dark wintry road. I’ll venture into the confessional and tell a pair of stories about when icing almost took me out of the sky. These stories have the common threads of get-home-it is, overconfidence or plain ole, “not knowing what I didn’t know.” You may see a bit of yourself. The Lure of Speed Story number one started in Auburn, IN and ended in Florida. The plan was to visit a business client and then fly down to Orlando and take the kids to Disney World. Between Indiana and Florida was a wide swath of very stable moist air, with a temperature inversion at about 5,000’ MSL. So, it was clear blue skies above 5,000’ and a soupy, moist and cold overcast layer below. The surface temperature was below freezing all the way to Georgia, and the temperatures above the inversion at 5,000’ MSL were well above freezing. However, there were also big head- winds from the southeast that gained P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 19 strength as I went up in altitude. Going lower to gain speed felt seductive. I started out at 10,000’ and then picked up about ten knots of groundspeed when I descended to 8,000’. Dropping down to 6,000ft picked up 10 more knots of groundspeed. As you can probably see coming, I decided to see how fast I could go at 4,000’. Within seconds of entering that soupy mess, with cruise power set and the additional speed of the descent, the airspeed began to decay as I accumu- lated ice on the airframe. I added power and still the air- speed slowed. I ended up at 110KIAS at 4,000’ with full power applied. I climbed at what was probably only 100 fpm, begging the ice to fall off the air- plane. All of my icing equipment was deployed, but it could not keep the ice from accumulating faster than I could get it off the airplane. My upbringing reminded me this was probably a good time to pray, as I had exhausted all other options. All I could do is hope I could reach the clear skies less than a thousand feet above. Ambient light brightened as I neared the top of the clouds, but the worst icing was also at the top. I kept climb- ing, barely. The airspeed was holding at 110KIAS, and the engine was raging at 42”MP and 2500RPM. Then I hit the inversion layer. The temperature increased by at least 10 degrees Celsius and the ice flew off. The airplane surged in flight; the acceleration was so brisk it pushed us back in our seats. The rate of climb surged too. We were going to be OK. I remember my hand shaking uncontrollably as I tried to manage the touchscreen Garmin 750. Anxiety had taken over. The freezing temperatures went all the way to the ground. Had I not been able to climb, we’d have expe- rienced a slow descent at full power into the terrain below. Many PA-46s have crashed in scenarios similar to mine. A soupy temperature inversion and associated advection fog coupled with a pilot’s lack of understanding of airframe icing is usually all that is required. Always remember, the piston PA- 46s are seriously underpowered when ladened with ice. An ice-ladened piston PA-46 will have trouble maintaining the minimum icing speed of 130KIAS unless in a descent. Pilots, beware. Talking Yourself Into Stupidity My second story was early in my PA-46 experience, with only about 50 hours in type, but I had thousands of hours otherwise, mostly in Army helicopters and powerful airliners. I was returning to Texas from a four- day January business trip and I looked forward to sleeping in my own bed and seeing my family. However, a layer of cold air was settled near the surface all over East Texas. I landed in Louisiana to refuel and check weather and discovered freezing rain was forecast over the region. It was about 4 pm, with less than an hour of sunlight remaining in January at that latitude. I knew how freezing rain develops, and I understood it was a problem only when flying in the cold air. Plus, I was late returning home, and if I didn’t leave now I would probably have wait another 2-3 days because of the persistent wintry weather in East Texas. That was unacceptable. And so, I began to talk myself into all the reasons the freezing rain prob- ably wasn’t that bad, how I was in a FIKI airplane and how I had all the gusto, charisma, and pocketful of aviation credentials to push those nasty rain drops away from my path. Bottom line, I was blind to my avia- tion training and ready to get home. I was going to fly that flight whether it made sense or not. I just needed to talk myself into some stupidity. I thought I was bulletproof. I jumped in that Mirage and climbed up to the warm, cloudy air for the short one-hour flight 20 P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 to my home airport, Cherokee County Airport (JSO.) The low setting sun was not vis- ible on this dark evening. It was dark before I crossed the Sabine River into Texas. I could see the lights below over Louisiana, but ground-hugging clouds began to turn the streetlights into hazy glows before disappearing entirely as I flew westward. It was super-dark and I was an idiot with no alternate plans. There wasn’t another airplane in the sky. You know you’re an idiot when you’re the only airplane on frequency across two states. I flew the GPS to Runway 14 at JSO and entered the clouds. I could see the rain in strobe effect like I was in a Star Wars movie, but I was not in an X-Wing Fighter. I was in an under- powered Mirage. As I came down, the wings looked really nice and clean, but I decided to blow the boots anyway. What happened next scared me to death. The boots shattered a layer of clear ice built up on the wings, but they didn’t get it off completely. All the icing systems were ON, and I only had a 2,000’ thickness of clouds, maybe 90 seconds in the ice until I landed. I blew the boots incessantly and decided to not touch the flaps. I landed without further trouble, but with about fifteen knots of addi- tional speed. I parked in front of my hangar with the exterior lights illumi- nating the airplane. Upon shutdown the ice on the airplane was much more prominent. At least two inches coated the propeller nosecone. All the antennas were covered; in fact, every exposed and unprotected part of the airplane was covered in clear ice, most of it two inches deep. The landing gear was completely iced. The elevator horn was iced. The engine intake was complete- ly covered. There was so much ice, I had to have been at the edge of the stall upon land- ing. That’s only a guess, because the stall warning will not give an accurate indication of a stall when ice is on the wings. I was a test pilot that night, a foolish and arrogant test pilot. I realized I had narrowly escaped a truly dangerous situation. I was going to sleep in my bed that night, but I risked it all to get that sleep. Despite being in my own bed, I did not sleep well that night. I showed photos I’d taken of the ice to a couple of people, who gasped at my stupidity. So, I did what any weak- minded, overly arrogant and foolish pilot would do: I deleted the evidence. Out of sight, out of mind. I wish I had those pictures today because a picture is worth a thousand words. The moral to the story? Never, and I mean never, fly into freezing precipita- tion. If there is freezing precipitation forecast at your departure airport or your destination airport, it is a no-fly condition. No airplane, not even the airliners, cargo-haulers, or military airplanes fly into freezing precipita- tion. No airplanes, none, are certified to fly into freezing precipitation. When I see the potential for ice in my future, I now tend to make deci- sions to skirt, avoid or defend myself early and often. I don’t play with it. The better pilot is the one who has no harrowing stories to tell, but one who still flies often. It is possible to fly a lot, to use the airplane frequently, and still avoid the dangers that ice presents. Decide today that you will be that pilot. Joe Casey Joe Casey is a DPE (Designated Pilot Examiner) and CFII who owns Casey Aviation, an insurance- approved trainer of initial and recurrent training in the PA4 market. Joe has over 18,000 hours of flight time, more than half of that flying and instructing in various PA-46 models. Joe lives in Lufkin, TX and is married to Deanna Casey, also a PA-46 CFI. Joe previously served five years on the PMOPA Board of Directors and was Safety Committee Chairman from 2018-2022. He presently serves PMOPA as a member of the PMOPA Advisory Committee that is planning the MSIP (M-Class Standardization Instructor Program.) 22 P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 It’s No Mirage! PMOPA Members Enjoy Cayman Islands Trip COMMUNITY In early February, 18 aircraft flown by PMOPA members gathered in Marathon, FL (MTH) to embark on a three-day getaway to the Cayman Islands. To say “a good time was had by all” is an understatement! In fact, even ATC was in a good mood. “I would just like to say to your group firstly a warm welcome to the Cayman Islands,” wrote Alastair Bird, ATC manager with the Cayman Islands Airports Authority. “I was upstairs for the majority of the arrivals and want to just pass on a thank you to those who flew in and made the arrival flow very smooth,” despite a stubborn cloud layer over the VFR arrival route. The clouds fortunately lifted for the remainder of the trip. Upon the group’s arrival to the Grand Cayman Marriott Resort, “we met for a rum punch reception in the lobby and took two busses to a lovely outdoor dinner at the Seaharvest restaurant, with an excellent mix of seafood and Indian cuisine,” recounted PMOPA member John Walters. During their stay, PMOPA members enjoyed activities ranging from explor- ing Cayman Crystal Caves to swim- ming with stingrays, along with shop- ping, good food and great camaraderie. Here are some scenes from the first PMOPA member gathering of 2024 and check out https://www.mmopa.com/ fly-out-events for information on upcoming trips and events! P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 23 24 P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 25 26 P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 28 P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 Does a man with two watches really know what time it is?” That old question does not hold true for a pilot with two available weather displays – ADS-B and XM – which I think gives you a chance for better decision making. ADS-B (for automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast) includes Flight Information Service Broadcast (FIS-B) weather transmitted to the cockpit by ground-based towers. XM Weather is broadcast by satellite to Sirius receivers like my aircraft’s Garmin GDL-69 receiver and is subscription-based, with several option levels. As far as pricing, ADS-B requires no subscription; you just need the equipment to be able to receive it in your aircraft. I have a Garmin 375 that I connect to Foreflight, which works great for ADS-B weather. My annual XM subscription is the full deal I believe, and it cost $719.88 as of 2023’s bill. Once again, you need the hardware (GDL 69 in my case) and a device to display it on (MX200 for me.) My goal is not to sway your choice of paying for inflight weather or going free. As PIC, we make hundreds of decisions on every flight and all should be with safety and your personal minimums in mind. Here is an example from a trip to Disney World in my aircraft N363MM. This trip I was trying to make it to Disney World so we could eat supper with my grandkids and Mickey. Every flight, whether for business or pleasure, involves some pressure to arrive on time at your destination, but sometimes mother nature has other plans. ADS-B vs XM Weather: Who is the Clear Winner? by Monty Chicola WEATHER I left my home base of Alexandria, LA (AEX) for our first stop in Pensacola, FL (PNS) to check the weather and take a break before heading on to Kissimmee (ISM). Weather in Pensacola went down to 500 OVC on that approach, which is fun when you are expecting it. I am not a G1000 guy, but I do have a pair of GI275s with a Garmin 530 and now a GNX375, along with the MX200 for weather and charts. Here is my instrumentation: Not just a question guaranteed to start an argument between pilots, the answer has a lot to do with what you fly, where you fly and your wallet. P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 29 In the above photo, you can see the view on top at 13,000'. Checking the METAR for Pensacola on XM Weather and ADS-B, we could see the forecast for 500’ overcast on the approach. I love the performance you can get on the iPad over the MX200, but it’s what I had before ADS-B. Both display the same METAR information (below.) As you can see in the images to the right, it looked like we should expect 500' with a few buildups like the outside view shows. It gives me the warm fuzzies when our eyes actually sync with the weather equipment. You can see where the overcast layer ends, with 500’ scud over Pensacola. We shot the ILS and landed uneventfully. 30 P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 NOW FOR LEG 2. With a large line of showers displayed off to my right (south), I decided to get full fuel and go around the bad stuff. This was my flight plan on ADS-B on my iPad (right.) As you can tell, my initial plan was to go around the weather. However, I didn’t really think through, that the storm was moving toward my turn to the south. This is how XM Weather painted the same storms off my right wing. As you can tell I always see XM painting a stronger storm than ADS-B, probably due to the lightning strikes. The ride was actually pretty smooth. You can see my attempt to ‘cut the corner’ a bit to avoid the buildup coming ahead, to go to the right of it. Following the turn toward Ocala, I opted to go through the light rain and around the storms, which were now to my left. That involved strategic plotting to stay away from the most serious stuff, which is where the ability to compare ADS-B and XM Weather helps to make more informed decisions. (For those wondering, my 1989 Mirage does not have onboard radar.) It was raining, as both weather sources indicated, with more storms off to the left. We expected these conditions and it was safe to continue on to ISM. Storm activity was growing around us, but the ride was still good. Once I could see through this gap it was really an easy hop the rest of the way. Also, there was no ice in this weather. Ice changes everything. I always avoid ice. The ability to see cell movement is very important, and here I could see they were now moving right-to-left, so I wanted to “cheat” to the right. In my experience, one key difference is that XM shows greater intensities than ADS-B and I prefer seeing the worst case picture. XM also has lower latency. Like I said, XM made it seem a little more dramatic than it really was. I shot the gap and descended for ISM. Once I dropped below the clouds, I landed on a dry runway. The line crew told me to hurry up since there was rain coming. I’ve talked a lot about XM so far, but ADS-B offers its advantages as well. You can quickly scroll through airports and review area conditions by clicking on METARS, which helps so much with strategic planning and determining alternates and options. I’ll keep paying the $700 for XM, Advantages of ADS-B and XM These are the biggest advantages I’ve found be- tween ADS-B and XM Weather. XM Advantages 1. Accuracy a. Flying from green to yellow, rain intensity in- creases when the display indicates it should. 2. Lightning Strikes a. XM seems to show where the most intense lightning strikes are at. 3. Cloud Reporting a. Cloud tops and sky coverage information is very accurate. 4. Winds Aloft a. Almost exactly what my airplane is at when I get to that altitude. 5. Latency a. XM seems to refresh regularly, and you can quickly tell storm movement. ADS-B Advantages 1. Cost a. You still need some type of hardware in the plane but no subscription fee. 2. Map Panning Speed a. Using your finger to fly out and in an area is a great advantage. 3. Ease of use when selecting different airports to see METARs a. A great help when seeking an alternate. 4. Works super with ForeFlight a. Very nice combination with ForeFlight to show sky coverages, instant M colors, etc. 5. A Side Benefit a. You also get traffic data with ADS-B P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 31 32 P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 though, just because I really think that it’s more accurate. Every flight, every time is always made up of decisions followed by decisions. I prefer to ‘stack the deck’ wherever possible, so I really like the idea of having both weather options to compare each against the other. I appreciate it enough that it’s worth about $700.00 a year. Monty Chicola is a gradu- ate of Northwestern State University in Louisiana with a degree in Computer Sci- ence, and is the founder and owner of Real Vision Software, Inc. A pilot since 1982, Monty has flown his Mirage for nearly 20 years, “some for business but mostly for pleasure now,” with a passion for “taking N363MM anywhere on a Friday afternoon with my girlfriend, Mckenzy, family and grandkids.” He serves on several boards, from IBM to universities, and is a member of the PMOPA Editorial Committee. P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 33 34 P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 In the training world, I’ve come across many pilots who don’t trust the “new” glass cockpits and even more pilots that don’t trust the “old steam gauges,” but no one can argue that situational awareness, single pilot operations, and cockpit resource man- agement were vastly improved with the advent of better displays and better autopilots, making general aviation much safer overall. But, there’s a catch. A few years ago, the (non-PA-46) aircraft my husband, Joe, and I fly had a complete panel update. We replaced a mix-match of original 1961 equip- ment and previous owner upgrades, with a new, clean panel consisting of a Garmin G3X Touch, a GTN 650, and a GFC 500 autopilot. It was beautiful and it has served us well in our specific mission needs. Owning an older airframe, we also encountered a few “gremlins” that weren’t necessarily airworthiness issues but persisted over a long period of time. Because of the length of time between when these anomalies would occur, we adapted our checklists and by Deanna Casey When Technology “Helps” procedures from what we would nor- mally do in that aircraft. We also fly a non-FIKI aircraft, so flight into known icing was never going to be an issue in the southeast- ern US, where temperatures never reach below freezing extremes for long periods of time. We are flying a non-turbocharged, normally aspirated piston engine, which means we are rarely flying above 8,000 feet. We are professional pilots and flight instruc- tors who fly almost daily and have tens of thousands of hours between the two of us. Dangerous Justifications I just gave you a laundry list of rea- sons I used to justify a bad habit that formed as we chased down a pitot heat circuit breaker that kept popping when certain electrical load conditions were met. So, I stopped using pitot heat. We simply didn’t need it in the normal course of our flying. Before you start saying to yourself, “that doesn’t apply to me,” know that a full 1/3 of the clients I train in the PA-46 each year tell me they don’t turn on pitot heat as a pre-takeoff item in all conditions. I’m here to tell you, you should. Every flight, every condition, every time. It became so important that Piper eventually gave us a caution annunciator or CAS message in the airframe to let us know when the heat was not on. On this day, Joe was in Atlanta for a simulator training event at Flight Safety and, to avoid flying an airline back to Texas, he asked me to come pick him up in our aircraft. I hap- pily obliged (who doesn’t love a good excuse to go fly?) but upon arrival we realized there was no headset for him. We could not find one readily available to borrow or buy on short notice, so we opted to fly home without one for him. I took the pilot seat and Joe opted to sit in the back and stretch out. The first 2.5 hours were uneventful. The VFR weather turned marginal and threatened to become IMC before SAFETY PHOTO COURTESY OF GARMIN P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 35 long. We were on an IFR flight plan at 6000 feet in above-freezing tem- peratures, with icing reports above us at 10,000 feet. Our pitot heat issue had also finally been resolved a week or two prior to this flight; however, I had developed a yearlong habit of not turning it on in that aircraft, so as to avoid a complete electrical blackout in IMC when the wrong combination of switches was used. As we encountered visible moisture in the form of a low stratus layer, I began watching the obvious spots for signs of airframe ice formation as we were now only 2C above freezing, as indicated by the OAT probe. Joe was enjoying a nap by this time. I had adapted my scan to move between the instruments, the airframe and my yoke-mounted phone running ForeFlight. At about the same time I looked down at my phone, the ice found me before I found it… on the pitot tube under the wing, outside my scanning visibility. No problem. Airplanes continue to fly just fine in level flight without an airspeed indicator… right? Well, in the “old school, steam gauges” or with an older autopilot that does not have envelope protections, the answer is yes. In a newer glass cockpit, however – complete with the latest and great- est, envelope-protected autopilot tied to the information it receives from the fancy, glass PFD – not so much. When “New” Causes Issues Here’s what happened to the best of my recollection of this heart racing, adrenaline pumping, less-than-one- minute event. At about the same time I looked down at ForeFlight to check the upcoming weather and PIREPs for the last segment of our trip, the pitot tube accumulated some ice in exactly the wrong spot. As the airspeed tape started dropping rapidly to 0 KIAS, the GFC 500 autopilot did exactly what it was designed to do…it pitched down 20 degrees to prevent me from stalling. Let me say that again. 20 degrees nose down. Keep in mind, we were plugging along for hours at a stabilized cruise airspeed and max available manifold pressure, in IMC. Like other pre-M600 PA-46s, our aircraft requires you to pull power prior to commencing a descent so as to not overspeed the airframe. When it abruptly pitched nose down, my head quickly raised to see the airspeed roll- ing back to zero. With that one cue, I knew imme- diately what had happened. I flipped the pitot heat switch with one hand at the same time I went for the throttle with the other. I didn’t know how fast I was going, but I knew 20 degrees pitch down at full throttle was going to overspeed that plane quickly if not remedied at once. After flipping on the pitot heat, my hand went to the autopilot disconnect switch on the yoke so I could override the “correction” and return us to level flight. I disconnected the autopilot and started easing out of the descent, still IMC and very aware of putting too much of a load on the wings at an unknown speed. That’s when the autopilot did what it was also programmed to do. It engaged itself automatically to “save” me from continuing to “stall,” and pitched me back down. It was then I realized I had to hold the disconnect switch through- out the recovery process to keep the autopilot from engaging due to the under-speed envelope protection. By the time I recovered to a level flight attitude and began a climb back up to our assigned altitude, we had lost 800 feet of altitude and still not seen anything but the inside of a cloud. The airspeed came back to life as the pitot heat did its job and we leveled off at our starting, assigned altitude less than a minute after the original nose over event. Oddly enough, ATC never said a word and, within a couple minutes of leveling back off, they handed us off to the next controller. Know who else didn’t say a word? Remember, Joe was napping in the back without a headset. As we were in the nose-over descent and I was trying to recover the aircraft, I remember 36 P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 looking over my shoulder at my calm, but wide eyed and silent, passenger trying to make sense of his rude awak- ening without the benefit of instru- ments in front of him or a headset on to speak. I think I yelled something to the effect of “pitot ice, it’s fine!” over the roar of the engine and wind noise generated by our speeding, rapidly descending aircraft that most assur- edly, negative-G floated him off his seat as a wake-up call. He nodded and quite helplessly watched from the rear seat as I recovered the aircraft. Once we were on the ground, we talked over what happened and pulled the ForeFlight and FlightAware track logs to try to interpolate from their GPS based reported speeds just how fast we got in the descent and whether the airspeed had exceeded Vne. We decided it did not exceed any limita- tions, but we had our mechanic give it a good look afterwards anyway. This tale holds many lessons to be learned, but my biggest takeaways are: • Pitot heat is a runway item every single flight in every single aircraft. You lose nothing by turning it on even if you don’t think it will be needed. • Know how your systems work and how they work together, especially when they are tied to single point information sources, like a pitot tube. The ADC interpreted what the pitot tube pressure was telling it, the PFD reflected the airspeed dropping, and the autopilot responded, as designed, to bad information to prevent a stall that was not happening. While there is nothing a pilot can do about some chains of events, you can mitigate the accumulating effects by know- ing your systems and how they’re working together. • Technology, even the “envelope protection” systems, can fail you if they get bad information. Do not be overly reliant on your autopilot, SmartGlide, the blue LVL button, etc. to get you out of a situation. • Know how to fly your aircraft and how to recover from an unusual attitude with a partial panel. If it’s been a while since you’ve done unusual attitude recoveries or par- tial panel flying, ask your recurrent instructor to review them with you. • Emergencies don’t always happen in VMC. From start to finish, this one was in the clouds with no out- side reference to what was happen- ing. A view outside the windshield is worth a thousand glances at the panel, but you don’t always get it. • Invest in yourself as a pilot. Get the extra training, go for the next certificate level or add-on rating, pay for the instructor who can help you learn your aircraft and your avionics, and glean what you can from others’ misfortunes and expe- riences. It’s cliche, but true, “a good pilot is always learning.” • Last, but not least… trust the pilot in the front if you choose to sit in the back seat. Deanna Casey is a Gold Seal CFI/ CFII/MEI with a Bachelor of Avia- tion Management from Auburn Uni- versity and Master of Aeronauti- cal Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Her ca- reer path spans more than 8,000 flight hours so far, taking her from being a flight instructor at Auburn University, through a brief stint as a pre-9/11 airline First Officer, then into the cor- porate aviation world. She has flown and instructed in more than 50 distinct aircraft types and instructs in all PA-46 piston & turbine variants. She and her husband, Joe Casey, operate Casey Aviation. PERFORMANCE, SAFETY, EFFICIENCY TURBINE COMPRESSOR WASH KIT Featured in May/June 2018 MMOPA magazine. PERFORMANCE, SAFETY, EFFICIENCY Featured in May/June 2018 Our single and dual tank options offer various capacities for portability and convenience. Systems starting at $1895. PA46 STC UPGRADES • L46 Ultra High Intensity LED Taxi Lighting • Malibu & Mirage M-1 Cooling Modifi cation • Malibu M-5 STC (TSIO 550 engine, prop, cooling mod) • Cockpit Seat Extension (Pre-2004 Aircraft Only) • Cracked Wing Rib Repair Design & Approval Piper PA46 Specialists • Annual Maintenance • Pre-Buy Inspections 877.662.5428 www.malibuaerospace.com 2180 Oklahoma Ave. NE Minneapolis, MN 55449 Anoka County Airport (KANE) info@malibuaerospace.com 38 P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 Member Benefit: Reduced Pricing for AirSync UPDATES PMOPA members can now take advantage of a $50 price reduction on their initial purchase of AirSync’s flight data monitoring (FDM) hardware for use in participating in the association’s FDM program. “As a leading provider of aviation data solutions, AirSync is excited to team up with PMOPA and Fuzion Safety to further enhance safety measures in the aviation industry,” said AirSync Director Jason Harris. “AirSync’s reliable delivery of flight data continues to set industry standards, providing operators with essential tools to enhance safety and operational efficiency.” PA-46 operators may use AirSync’s system to upload their flight data to Fuzion Safety or another company providing FDM services. Sharing this anonymized data with PMOPA helps the association identify potential safety issues before they become a problem - which, in turn, advances PMOPA’s efforts to reduce the likelihood of future accidents and incidents. Additionally, by analyzing their own flight data, pilots can identify ways to operate their aircraft more efficiently, which can result in cost savings. To receive the $50 discount off your initial AirSync hardware purchase, use the code PMOPA50. An annual subscription is required. A portion of costs you incur may be eligible for reimbursement through a stipend program created by the PMOPA Safety & Education Foundation. PMOPA does not charge any fees or receive any payment for your participation in this program. 40 P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 EAST COAST REGIONAL RECAP PMOPA members recently gathered in Vero Beach, FL for a sold-out 2024 East Coast Regional Event. Fifty-five registered attendees joined Piper Air- craft team members and other guests March 8-9 for com- munity and education over Spring Break in Florida. Sun Aviation, a Piper-approved Service Center, welcomed PMOPA members with priority and professional service. Attendees enjoyed an in-depth look at PA-46 and PA-28 pro- duction, including the chance to watch serial numbers 4-7 of the new M700 Fury start down the line! That evening, attendees enjoyed comfortably warm tem- peratures, low humidity, great conversation, delicious food and drinks, and a backdrop of new production M350, M500, and M600 aircraft at an evening reception hosted by Piper. Sold-Out Piper Homecoming In Ver o Beach PMOPA greatly appreciates Piper rolling out the red carpet for this event! On Saturday, the group gathered at the Hampton Inn & Suites Vero Beach Downtown for educational presentations covering a broad range of relevant and timely topics, includ- ing the newest avionics options, aviation taxation, effectively handling “nightmares” (emergencies), stall/spin prevention and travel to the Bahamas. Piper executives also joined the program to share an informative and very positive update about the state of the company and detail the distinguishing factors of the M700 Fury. Piper also agreed to participate in a PMOPA webinar this Summer to introduce the M700 Fury specifications to an even broader audience, perhaps before EAA’s AirVenture. P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 41 Next in the Regional Event Line-up - PMOPA’s West Coast Regional Event - October 18, 2024 This Regional Event will have a different format and structure and will, by necessity of the venue, be limited in size to just 12 participants. PMOPA members will have an exclusive high altitude chamber hypoxia course offered at the Del E. Webb facility in Mesa, AZ. This full one-day course encompasses an aviation physi- ology ground lesson and chamber flight to 25,000’ to dem- onstrate hypoxia at altitude, followed by night hypoxia and visual acuity demonstrations at 18,000’ and then a rapid decompression. Upon successful completion, all participants will receive a certificate of completion and/or training transcript (upon request.) The training is WINGS credit eligible. To attend, all participants must be in good health and bring an FAA first, second or third class medical certificate to training; BasicMeds are not accepted. 44 P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 Master Aviator Program Quick Reference Guide Ending PA-46 Accidents The Master Aviator Program is a safety initiative that addresses key areas of flight operation that directly contribute to increased safety of the PA-46 pilot. It provides a path forward for training beyond the insurance-required annual recurrent event. Developed through accident analysis and collaboration of the PMOPA Safety Committee, the program honors those pilots who elect to participate and rewards those who progress through the three levels: Aviator, Senior Aviator and Master Aviator. Members will be awarded their “Wings” during ceremonies of the PMOPA Convention. Areas of Emphasis 1. Pilot Flight Experience – Many pilots in the PA-46 community are not flying often enough. Those pilots that average more than 100 hours in the previous year tend to perform well at training events. There appears to be an exponential decrease in piloting performance for those pilots that average less than 100 hours per year, and a minimal increase in performance for those pilots that fly more than 100 hours per year. PMOPA encourages pilots to fly more than 100 hours per year. 2. Awareness and understanding of the stall/spin accident – A stall/ spin accident in a PA-46 always results in a fatality. Oftentimes the stall/spin accident is precipitated by other factors in flight (engine loss of power, autopilot mishandling, icing conditions, skidding turn, etc.), but the end result is always a fatal stall/spin if the pilot mishandles the situation, especially from low altitude. The instructors seek to increase the understanding of the stall/spin accident and also provide a greater understanding of the proper recovery from a stall/spin situation. 3. Flight operations in the runway environment – There are far too many accidents in and around the runway, oftentimes during the takeoff or landing phase of flight. These accidents are rarely fatal, often costly, and entirely preventable. They include nose gear collapses, brake failures, crosswind landing mishaps, tire failures, and poor flight technique (improper/poor rudder control and/or drift from centerline) near the runway. Deadline for 2024 Applications: August 15, 2024 SAFETY For more information on the Master Aviator Program, go to: https://www.pmopa.com/master-aviator-program P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 45 Master Aviator Requirements Aviator Senior Aviator Master Aviator Master Aviator Retention Insurance- Approved Training Complete initial training program At least one recurrent event At least 2 recurrent events in the last 2 years. Continued annual recurrent PA-46 Flight Experience 100 hours 200 hours 300 hours 100/hours per year *Mid-Year Supplemental Training Mid-Year Training Event Upset/Recovery (Stall-spin) Training Tailwheel Endorsement Additional training event (new rating, license, course, etc.) Progression Completed Aviator requirements Completed Senior Aviator requirements Convention Attendance PMOPA Convention attendance required within the last 3 years Attendance encouraged Accident/Incident History No accidents/incidents or infractions within the last 3 years. * Mid-Year Supplemental Training will greatly increase the knowledge and skills of PA-46 pilots, especially pilots new to the PA-46. PMOPA strongly encourages pilots to attend Mid-year training provided by approved vendors. Ideally this training will occur within 4-8 months after initial or annual recurrent training. A Mid-Year training event must be approved by the Safety Committee. 46 P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 Ad Index ADVERTISING DIRECTOR • JENNA REID Phone: 816-699-8634 • Jenna.Reid@vpdcs.com Airfleet Capital .......................................................... 35 AOPA Finance ............................................................ 20 AssuredPartners Aerospace Insurance ........................ 17 Audio Authority ......................................................... 36 CIES Corporation ....................................................... 19 Collins Aerospace ...................................................... 47 Columbia Air Services Inc. .......................................... 39 Corporate Angel Network .......................................... 42 Cutter Aviation.......................................................... 11 Des Moines Flying Services ........................................ 33 Factory Direct Models ............................................... 16 Flightline Group Inc. ..................................................... 7 Garmin ..................................................................... 27 Ice Shield/SMR Technologies ....................................... 43 Legacy Flight Training ...........................Inside Front Cover Lighthawk ................................................................. 38 Malibu Aerospace ...................................................... 37 McVinnie Aviation ...................................................... 16 Paul Bowen Photography............................................ 32 Pilatus ..........................................................Back Cover Pilots N Paws ........................................................... 46 Piper Aircraft Inc....................................................... 21 R.C. Avionics ............................................................. 13 RJ Tutt Aviation .......................................................... 8 Skytech Inc. .........................................Inside Back Cover Spitzer, Mark ............................................................ 38 Veterans Airlift Command .......................................... 26 Pilots N Paws® is an online meeting place for pilots and other volunteers who help to transport rescue animals by air. The mission of the site is to provide a user- friendly communication venue between those that rescue, shelter, and foster animals; and pilots and plane owners willing to assist with the transportation of these animals. A general aviation transport requires just one pilot volunteer and is far more efficient and dependable than time-consuming ground transportation for these animals who are often in danger of euthanization. Volunteer pilots retain complete authority of their planning and flights, and can give as much or as little time as they like. Flights are tax deductible 501c3. SIMPLE AS 1-2-3 No bothersome paperwork required! If you love to fly, and you love animals, please join us now! It’s easy, it’s fun, and it’s extremely rewarding. Joining is easy and takes just a minute of your time. 1. Go to www.pilotsnpaws.org and register 2. Post your information and read other posts 3. Wait for contacts /make contact with others www.pilotsnpaws.org Pilots N Paws® ® TO ADVERTISE IN PMOPA MAGAZINE CONTACT: J E N N A R E I D , A D V E R T I S I N G D I R E C T O R J E N N A . R E I D @ V P D C S . C O M 8 1 6 - 6 9 9 - 8 6 3 4 48 P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 1. Coast Aircraft Services San Deigo, CA Tel: 858-436-4556 2. Loyd’s Aircraft Maintenance, Inc. Bakersfield, CA Tel: 661-393-1588 3. Mather Aviation Van Nuys, CA Tel: 818-782-7473 4. Mather Aviation Rancho Cordova, CA Tel: 916-364-4711 5. Mangon Aircraft, Inc. Petaluma, CA Tel: 707-765-1848 6. Martin Aviation Santa Ana, CA Tel: 714-210-2945 7. Cutter Piper Sales - PHX 802 E. Old Tower Road Phoenix, AZ 85034-6000 8. Western Aircraft Inc. Boise, ID Tel: 208-338-1800 9. Des Moines Flying Ser- vice, Inc. Des Moines, IA Tel: 515-256-5300 10. Tri-State Aero, Inc. Evansville, IN Tel: 812-426-1221 11. Muncie Aviation Company Muncie, IN Tel: 800-289-7141 12. Kansas City Aviation Center Olathe, KS Tel :800-720-5222 13. Executive Air Transport, Inc. Muskegon, MI Tel: 888-844-2359 14. Arapahoe Aero Englewood, CO Tel: 303-799-8386 Domestic Service Centers Northwest Southwest Midwest Southeast Northeast 22. Flightline Group, Inc. Tallahassee, FL Tel: 850-574-4444 23. DLK Aviation Kennesaw, GA Tel: 770-427-4954 24. Victory Lane Aviation, LLC Concord, NC Tel: 704-784-0297 25. Sun Aviation, Inc. Vero Beach, FL Tel: 772-562-9257 26. Skytech, Inc. Rock Hill, SC Tel: 803-366-5108 27. Daytona Aircraft Services, Inc Daytona Beach, FL Tel: 386-255-2049 28. Advanced Aircraft Center Miami, FL Tel: 305-259-8291 15. Shoreline Aviation, Inc. Marshfield, MA Tel: 781-834-4928 16. Tiffin Aire Tiffin, OH Tel: 419-447-4263 17. Skytech, Inc. Westminster, MD Tel: 410-574-4144 18. Texas Piper North, Inc. Addison, TX Tel: 800-288-8375 19. Texas Piper South, Inc. San Antonio, TX Tel: 210-340-6780 20. Abilene Aero, Inc. Lubbock, TX Tel: 806-747-5101 21. Naples Air Center Naples, FL Tel: 800-226-4000 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 16 18 19 20 21 22 23 25 26 17 27 28 7 15 14 24 P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 49 International Service Centers IAE Ltd. Hangar 2 Cranfield Airfield Bedford MK43 0JR United Kingdom Tel: +44-123-4750661 MCA Aviation Ltd. Business Aviation Centre Hangar 603, Aviation Park North East Bournemouth International Airport Dorset, BH23 6NE England - United Kingdom Tel: +44 (1202) 571711 British European Aviation Limited Wycombe Air Park Marlow Buckinghamshire SL7 3DP United Kingdom Tel: +44-1789-470476 RGV Aviation Ltd. Gloucester Airport Hangar SE40 Cheltenham GL51 6SP United Kingdom Tel: +44-145-2855501 Piper Generalvertretung Deutsch- land AG Flughafen Kassel Calden D 34379 Germany Tel: +49-5674-70452 ARLT Aircraft Services Flugplatz, Halle 4 Worms, DE-67547 Germany Tel: +49-624-1-23373 Piloten Service, Robert Rieger GmbH Flugplatz Wallmuehle Atting D-94348 Germany Tel: +49-942-9716 Piloten Service, Robert Rieger GmbH 94474 Vilshofen, Flugplatz 2 Germany Tel: +49-854-18974 Piper Maintenance GmbH Flughafen Kassel Calden 34379 Germany Tel: +49-567-470480 Röder Präzision Am Flugplatz Egelsbach, D 63329 Germany Tel: +49-610-34002670 Spessart Air Service Center Flugplatz Aschaffenburg Großostheim D-63672 Germany Tel: +49-602-66066 Wilhelm Tank GmbH Flugplatz Mariensiel- Wilhelmshaven Sande D-26452 Germany Tel: +49-442-1201010 JB Investments Ltd U1. Redutowa 10 Warszawa 01-103 Poland Tel: +48-227-369919 OK Aviation Sales, s.r.o. Airport Příbram Drasov 201 261 01 Příbram Czech Republic Tel: +42-31-8690644 Sim-Aviation 2nd Otdelenie s/za “Solnechniy” 16 350012, Krasnodar, Russia Tel: +78-61-2222200 Cirrus d.o.o. Tragovina, Prozvodnja Tkaiska 12 SLO-3000 Celje Slovenia Tel: +38-63-4286230 UNI-FLY Odense Airport Hangar 37 Odense DK-5270 Denmark Tel: +45-6595-55044 European Aircraft Sales ApS GI. Skolevej 26 5642 Morud Denmark Tel: +45-4016-5401 Air Service Vamdrup Flyplassveien 25 N-3514 Honefoss Norway (Norge) Tel: +47-21-999-708 Fanmei Aviation Ind. Group Ltd. 5 Wang Chong Street Yongchang Township Beichuan Qiang Sinchuan, China Tel: +86-138-8028-3396 Porta Air Service GmbH & Co. KG Flughafen 9 Porta Westfalica D 32457 Germany Tel: +49-573-176730 Wings Over Asia 66 Seletar Aerospace View WOA Aviation Hangar-66, #03-01 Singapore 797509 Tel: +65-6659-6225 Aero Facility Co., LTD Shimbashi Plaza Bldg. 15F 4-9-1 Shimbashi, Minato-ku Tokyo 105-0004 Japan Tel: +81-3-5402-6884 RUAG Schweiz AG Aeroporto Cantonale di Locarmo Gordola CH-6596 Switzerland Tel: +41-91-7453388 RUAG Schweiz AG RUAG Aviation via Aeropuerto 12 CH-6596 Gordola Switzerland Tel: +41-91-735-2940 AAC Austrian Aircraft Corp. Flugplatz Vosleau Osterreichische-A-2540 Austria Tel: +43-225-2790894 AAC Austrian Aircraft Corp. Flughafen Graz A-8073 Feldkirchen Austria Tel: +43-316-296149 AAC Austrian Aircraft Corp. Flughafen Linz, Hoersching Osterreich A-4063 Austria Tel: +43-722-164532 Airflite 26 Newton Road Perth Airport Western Australia 6105 Tel: +61-8-9478-9088 National Airways Corporation Gate C, Hangar No. 104C Lanseria Airport, Lanseria, 1748 South Africa Tel: +27-11-267-5000 Global Aviation SA Civil Aviation Airport of Pachi, Megara Megara, 19100 Greece Tel: +30-22960-81154 Aviation Unlimited Toronto Buttonville Airport 2833 16th Avenue, Box 101 Markham, Ontario L3R0P8 Tel: 905-477-4655 Mustang Maintenance & Repair 216 Avro Lane Calgary, Alberta, T3Z3S5 Tel: 403-286-1129 Prairie Flying Service, Ltd. Suite 200-3035 Tutor Drive Regina, Saskatchewan S4W 1B5 Tel: 306-569-3700 Handfield Aviation, Inc. 4920 Route De L’Aeroport St. Hubert, QC J3Y8Y9 Tel: 450-676-6299 J.P.Martins Aviacao Ltda. Av. Olavo Fontoura, 780 Campo de Marte CEP 02012-021 Sao Paulo-SP-Brazil Tel: +55-11-3538-2555 Hangar Uno, S.A. Aeropuerto Internacional San Fernando 1646 San Fernando Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel: +54-11-4714-8100 Durandal International S.A. Luis De La Torre 1004 Montevideo 11300 Uruguay Tel: +598-2709-7267 Aeroneed/Nimbus Av. Alcalde Fernando Castillo Velasco 7941, La Reina Region Metroploitano, Santiago Chile Tel: +56-9-8828-1994 Seijiro Yazawa Iwai Aviation S.A. Edificio No. 126 Pan America Corporate Center Edificio Aggreko, Planta Baja Panama Pacifico Republica de Panama Tel: +1 (305) 458-1671 Talento Technico En Aviacion Juan Salvador Agraz 65 Colonia Santa Fe Cuajimalpa Piso 12 Mexico D.F. 5348 Tel: 555-662-3100 International Aviation Support B.V. De Zanden 113 7395 PG Tegue, The Netherlands Tel: +31 (0) 55-323-1967 Visit our online store for the latest PMOPA apparel! Mens Apparel Options Ladies Apparel Options *production time runs 2 - 3 weeks https://stores.inksoft.com/pmopa/shop/home P M O P A M A G A Z I N E M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 3