Operating Practices (OP’s) are recommended because they have proven to be successful under most circumstances with a normally operating PA46. OP’s provide a repeatable flow for a pilot in a critical phase of flight, creating a repeatable “normal observation”. Thus, when a deviation from “normal” occurs, the deviation becomes obvious and the pilot can make corrections.
Certain situations could exist that would make it prudent for a pilot to deviate from the OP’s detailed below. Some of those circumstances are: icing conditions present or icing on the airframe, strong crosswinds, turbulence, excessively short or excessively long runways, a glide slope that is significantly different than 3 degrees, strong headwinds on approach, and an emergency/abnormal situation. Good pilot decision-making is required in any flight regime to ensure the safety of the flight. In all scenarios, adherence to the FAR’s (Federal Aviation Regulations) is mandatory and information in the POH (Pilot Operating handbook) supersedes any practices outlined in the PDFs below.
Operating Practices – Traffic Pattern Piston PA46
Operating Practices – Traffic Pattern Turbine P46T
Operating Practices – Vector Approach Piston PA46
Operating Practices – Vector Approach Meridian/JetPROP/M500
Operating Practices – Vector Approach M600