Today’s Top AircraftForSale.com Pick: 2006 Piper PA-46-500TP Malibu Meridian

When pilots start searching for extra performance, this turboprop single could be the next stop.

2006 Piper PA-46-500TP Malibu Meridian [Courtesy: Aircraft For Sale]

Each day, the team at Aircraft For Sale picks an aircraft that catches our attention—either because it is unique, a good deal, or has other interesting qualities. You can read Aircraft For Sale: Today’s Top Pick at FLYINGMag.com daily. 

If it seems like pilots are always looking for more speed, that is because it is true much of the time. After training hour after hour at 90 to 100 ktas in a Cessna 172, Piper PA-28, or other trainer, we move as quickly as possible to high-performance airplanes that pick up the pace significantly while also upgrading comfort and equipment. But what comes next?

When your four-seat piston retract starts to feel sluggish—and it will—you might want to consider a turboprop single like this Piper PA-46-500TP Malibu Meridian. Fast, roomy, and pressurized, this six-seater is like an airborne, three-row, luxury SUV that will haul your family and luggage in its beautifully appointed cabin while never subjecting you to highway traffic.

This Meridian is ready to go with a fresh annual in July and 1,751 hours on its Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A engine and a reversible Hartzell four-blade propeller. Inside is a modern IFR panel with an Avidyne FlightMax Entegra display system with primary flight displays for pilot and copilot and a center-mounted EX-5000 multifunction display.

A long list of additional equipment includes dual Garmin GTN650 GPS/nav/coms, Garmin GMA-340 audio panel, RDR-2000 weather radar, WX-500 Stormscope, XM Weather, BendixKing KMH820 multihazard awareness unit, TCAS active traffic system, and an S-Tec Magic 1500 3-Axis flight control system, including flight director, VOR/LOC/GS coupling, and yaw damper.

If you are ready to start burning jet-A, climbing briskly into the flight levels, and ditching the oxygen cannulas, take a look at this sleek turbine available for $1,280,000 on Aircraft For Sale. You can arrange financing of the airplane through FLYING Financial Group. For more information, email info@flyingfinancial.com. 

Jonathan Welsh is a private pilot who worked as a reporter, editor and columnist with the Wall Street Journal for 21 years, mostly covering the auto industry. His passion for aviation began in childhood with balsa-wood gliders his aunt would buy for him at the corner store. Follow Jonathan on Twitter @JonathanWelsh4

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