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Owner’s
Corner
Soaring Up to the Turboprop
Gavin Kim of Denver, Colo- rado, has owned a 2008 Piper Meridian since Novem-
ber 2021. With little but complimentary things to say so far about owning the 850 horsepower turboprop, he pro- vided an overview of what he feels is one of its most defining attributes.
“I think the Meridian fits a very unique sweet spot and niche. The way you fly the aircraft at 10,000 feet, it still flies like a piston in the sense that the indicated airspeed at lower altitudes is fairly consistent with a high-power piston. The shown indicated airspeed will be around 170 knots, for example. But the interesting thing is that the higher you go, it still will maintain that same indicated airspeed.”
He continued, “The reason I find that so compelling is the higher you go, all that incremental power you get from the turbine compensates for
altitude. The aircraft may indicate 150 knots, but at 27,000 or 28,000 feet, you’re flying at 300 miles an hour true airspeed. It’s a very benign aircraft in that regard. You’re so much more ef- ficient high up. And keep in mind the fuel flow, which is not crazy, consider- ing how fast you are moving along.”
This speed has been important for Kim, who lives a fast-paced life on the ground and in the air. In his free time, he enjoys skiing, fly fishing and restor- ing classic cars – in addition to his long- standing career in the technology in- dustry. He is the Chief Strategy Officer for DigitalReef, a software company focused on building advertising and consumer audience technology for mo- bile devices and connected television. Previously Kim served in varying senior leadership-level positions at Microsoft, Samsung and Imagination Unwired (which he founded).
September 2022 / TWIN & TURBINE • 27