Page 9 - Volume 17 Number 5

Going on to win five United States National Aerobatic Championships, he began airshow work, and is now on an extended leave of absence from Southwest to meet his demanding schedule, which finds him on the road 200 days a year. The Meridian has made a big difference in getting around to the sites.Making the 5,000-mile trip down to Peru proved once again the fortunate status of general aviation in the United States, Chambliss says. Outside of the U.S., weather reporting can be sketchy, there are hours-long procedural delays just getting in and out of airports for fuel stops (which can be 300 miles apart), and the general lack of activity at airports is a constant reminder of how easy domestic G.A. flying is. “We were at a military airfield in Lima for ten days,” Chambliss noted, “and, other than for ourselves, there were two civil airplanes in and out during all that time.”Spotlighting the M-Class TurbopropPiper’s Meridian is part of the company’s M-class of airplanes, composed of the non-pressurized Matrix and piston-powered Mirage, along with the Meridian. All are PA-46 derivatives, and each fits into a market niche. The Meridian is the most personal-sized factory-new turboprop on the market, and the most affordable to buy and own. Powered by a 500-shp PT6A-42A (a deratedMAY 2013TWIN & TURBINE • 7