Best Cleveland Aircraft: Piper Meridian

A More Advanced Offspring

The Piper Meridian is an offshoot of the PA-46 Malibu, originally a piston engine. This jet, the first turbo prop in the Malibu family, is equipped with a Pratt & Whitney PT6-42A engine, giving it a maximum range of 1,223 miles at a speed of up to 293 mph. To accommodate the turboprop engine, the Piper Meridian was given larger wings and tail surface.

The Piper Meridian includes a few amenities, such as a coffee pot, headsets, an ice bin, leather seats and power outlets.

Continuously Upgraded

When the Piper Meridian was first launched in 2000, it had a questionable takeoff weight. Starting in 2003, the turboprop jet was modified with improved gross weight thanks to the addition of vortex generators.

The Piper Meridian initially came with MAGIC avionics and a Meggitt S-Tex 550 autopilot. Three years later, the jet shipped with the MAGIC 1500 autopilot. Starting in 2006 onwards, the Piper Meridian came equipped with Avidyne's Entegra.

Constant upgrades make the Piper Meridian a great choice for GiveJet charters to and from Cleveland.