Members enjoy four days of knowledge, growth, fun and friendship. Following a record-breaking 2018 convention at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, MMOPA was faced with organizing a convention in only eight months and in a different season of the year. The result, however, was a world-class event that exceeded expectations held at a world-class resort…. Read More…
Posts from September, 2019
Meet Mr. Malibu
Larry Grant bought the very first production Malibu. And he’s still flying it today. In early 2018, I was cleaning out years of documents from file cabinets in my Kansas City based office. Among them were original brochures from years of Piper production aircraft with an emphasis on Malibus, Mirages and Meridians. Being a packrat… Read More…
Blunder into Thunder
As seasonal hazards go, avoiding thunderstorms makes the first page of our risk avoidance playbook this time of year. Thunderstorms in the free MMOPA Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT) app earned the highest risk number in the app at “8.” It’s safe to say the hazard is well-known. Growing up, most of us learned quickly… Read More…
Ice Advice
When using the icing prediction tools, here’s you need to know when planning a flight in or near possible icing conditions. On January 18, 2011, the Forecast Icing Potential (FIP) underwent a transformation to become the Forecast Icing Product. Found on the Aviation Weather Center Web site (aviationweather.gov), this next generation of FIP is following… Read More…
PA46 Safety By the Numbers
A 10-year review: getting Safer & But Room For Improvement “We learn through our experiences” or better still, the experiences of others. I’ve avoided the word “mistakes” because we also learn through good experiences. The information presented here is collected from the FAA and other public sources. Keep in mind that a lot of events… Read More…
Managing Your Mx: ADs & SBs
What is required and what is the smart thing to do. At the annual inspection or at a pre-purchase inspection is when many owners find out the current status of the airworthiness directives and service bulletins that apply to their PA46. Some sellers advertised their aircraft as having full compliance only to be very disappointed… Read More…
Flaps: Myths, Facts and What You Should Know About This Lift-Producing Device
I find lots of confusion in the PA46 world concerning flaps. When should they be deployed? When should they not be deployed? Are there rules that must be followed concerning the flaps? It’s a broad discussion, and there is rarely a one-size-fits-all answer to the use of flaps. There are lots of variables in the… Read More…
Operating Practices
Why OPs, rather than standardized operating procedures, are what PA46 community needs. There’s been lots of talk in the last few years in the PA46 world about “Standardized Operating Procedures” (SOPs). Many who know me know that I’m not a fan of “standardized operating procedures” in a PA46, at least not as that phrase is… Read More…
Creating a Culture of Safety – A Fighter Pilot’s Perspective
As a new (or even an experienced pilot), it is critical to your success and safety that you know your aircraft, your tactics and yourself. To know your airplane: a pilot must intimately comprehend the forces acting on the aircraft, the systems (normal operation, failures and emergency procedures), and the limitations placed on the engine… Read More…