Piper PA46 Malibu nonstop flight from Massachusetts to Florida, with low instrument approach.

[@1compaqedr8]

Thanks for listing the performance, fuel, and load data.

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

You are welcome!

[@saulcuellar2743]

Beautiful Malibu, amazing video, thanks for sharing

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

Thank you!

[@DonAv8s]

Nice flight and video. Great ADM concerning the “Shark Route”.

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

Thanks. A lot of people don't think about how hard it would be to survive ditching off shore in the winter.

[@DonAv8s]

@@lakefrontaviation3444 Right! They think water is softer than rock, but evening flying across the bay to Nantucket in the winter has be thinking about diligence during the crossing. Safe flying!

[@Joe-uo9wv]

Thanks for the ride, enjoyed it.

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@gilt8112]

Excellent video. Thank you so much.

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

You are welcome!

[@kevin1873]

That was pretty cool. Thanks for the upload.

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

Thank you.

[@malibujack4852]

Nice video. Like you, I love my 1985 Malibu with a 550C conversion. One recommendation I might make is that I wouldn’t put in full flaps on an aN approach until you have the runway in sight. I would just put in the second set and hold until you see the runway and then decide if you want/need the rest. If you had to go missed, having full flaps is major drag. Also, you made a good choice on the alternate air door; once in alternate, never put it back to primary until on the ground. If there were any ice on the intake it will sandblast your turbos. Cheers.

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

Thank you for your kind comments. You are right that when to use full flaps always has to be thought about.

[@PilotDave85]

Great advice

[@JD.stinson108]

Excellent video

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

Thanks!

[@Planeviz]

Thanks for posting. Nice airplane and nice approach.

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

Thank you!

[@utoothheartyeight]

My favorite prop plane. I couldn't get enough of it. Flew it in BEH, TEB, and SJC areas. However, I did have to close fellow instructor fiends die in separate airborne accidents. Both heater fires, One in BEH and the other in LA Area.

[@pilotgirl5953]

Very nice video! Nice PA-46!!

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

Thanks!

[@jonnyayala95]

Awesome video.

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

Thanks!

[@_S_Aydin_]

Super cool thank you.

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

thanks

[@TIO540S1]

Nice video! I’m amazed at 201 KTAS on 15 g.p.h. My Saratoga burned 18 g.p.h. at 170 KTAS.

[@markspitzer174]

It's probably a result of the differences in the wing, plus the ability to fly at FL250. (The Malibu has a 43 ft wingspan.)

[@almarasco8088]

Great video

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

Thanks!

[@bryanward4942]

Enjoyed the video and I really enjoy your book!

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

Thank you, especially for the nice comment that you like my book!

[@RyanRoberts15]

Not everyday you get a J route in a piston. Nice vid!

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

Thanks!

[@mentises]

Great video. Thanks! How long did this flight take you?

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

A bit less than 6.5 hrs.

[@mmichaeldonavon]

Flew into KTIX many times in my little Experimental Amateur Built. N-6395T

[@floobblitz]

I’d like to discuss transition training with you. I have many questions. I’m based at KFIT.

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

ok, my email is on the www.lakefrontaviation.com web site.

[@rogersmart1766]

Ok and they are a goood item to have at times. You want to keep that turbocharger “warm” amd don’t “shock the engine”

[@skipstraut9719]

Great Video ! What was your total time in the air?

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

Thanks. The flight was 6.3 hrs.

[@jackhazan680]

Just watched you video very nice, great job! I was wondering how long was that non-stop flight and how many NM was that trip? Also, how far of a range would you be able to achieve if with full fuel and full passengers.? Tks

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

The distance along the cleared route was about 1015 nm (including the instrument approach). I logged 6.5 hrs, so the time in flight was probably a little over 6 hrs. One of the great things about the Malibu is that there is a lot of flexibility with loading. We can take a lot of fuel and a few passengers, or more passengers and less fuel. Full fuel is 140 gal, and that weighs 840 lbs. The useful load is 1280 lbs, so that leaves 440 lbs for pilot and passengers. That would allow two 170 lb adults and one 100 lb child, or whatever combo adds up to 440 lbs. With full fuel (140 gal), the Malibu becomes basically a two-person airplane. If I recall right, we landed with about 40 gal, so we had a lot of reserve fuel for this trip. (Fred and I together weigh less than 440 lbs, so we were below max gross weight for this trip.) Looking at loading from the "full passenger" side, if we had 6 adults on board with an average weight of 170 lbs, that would be 1020 lbs and would leave only 260 lbs for fuel, or about 43 gal. If we set aside 16 gal for reserve, that leaves 27 gal for a flight of about one and one half hours, or about 250 miles. When my 3 kids were young, my wife and I used to fly with them from Mansfield MA to Sarasota FL, with one fuel stop in Virginia. As I recall, to stay below max gross weight, we could not depart with full fuel.

[@jackhazan680]

@@lakefrontaviation3444 Wow! thank you so much for the clarity and the detailed information. Very helpful! I am a low time 200hrs private pilot looking for a single engine that could perform a long haul such as your trip but I would like to use up all 6 seats and I was hoping the Malibu would do the trick. I guess I need to reevaluate my options but I really love your plane and enjoyed the video! Tks again.

[@CapnCody1622]

@@jackhazan680 Hi Jack, I’m kind of in the same boat as you. Just wondering if you ever found a good 6-seater that can make fully loaded long haul trips.

[@jackhazan680]

@@CapnCody1622 Unfortunately I have not 🤷🏼‍♂️...

[@CapnCody1622]

@@jackhazan680 Ahh man. To me the Malibu is perfect except for the range with a good sized load.

[@flyhigh5056]

nice

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

Thanks!

[@rogersmart1766]

Don’t you have speed brakes ? (For your descent )

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

No speed brakes on the original Malibu. I think they can be added with an STC, but N9109M did not have them.

[@gotstars]

those egts looked hot i dont fly a turbo but stuff melts

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

Good observation! The temps on the JPI are degrees F. The exhaust is inconel, a high temp alloy that melts at around 2500 F. Piper set the redline for the turbine inlet temp at 1750 F and we were running around 1650 F. That's typical in these planes.

[@ParadigmUnkn0wn]

13:47 - "All we gotta do is hold the nose off, and everything is good, right?" **proceeds to bounce nose off ground** 13:54 - "Nose is still off the ground" **it's not**

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

It is hard when editing the video to get the front and side cameras sync'd. If I recall right, the audio was captured by the side camera, so the audio may not line up timewise with the front cam. The flying was fine, the editing has some minor flaws.

[@ericduberman4758]

Full flaps at FAF? Never been taught that. Lots of drag at missed

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

The video is highly edited to cut it down to 15 min, and it inadvertently makes it look like full flaps were deployed at Tunpey. Full flaps actually were set at 1,000 ft AGL, not at Tunpey, but the quiet stretches of the flight were edited out.

[@leeoldershaw956]

Partial flaps until minimums or runway in sight comes from old procedures of piston engined aircraft. Turbine aircraft generally set landing flaps at the final approach fix. Rode through very very low approach at Newark one night and they didn't get the landing flaps down all the way before we touched down. That was in a turboprop Electra L188 which even though a turbine used approach flaps until runway in sight. I think the ceiling was about 50 ft. It's best to get configuration changes out of the way early so you're in trim for the hard part.

[@lostcreek163]

Duh, Autopilot approach?

[@lakefrontaviation3444]

We can hand fly if we have to, but it's safer to use the automation, which let's us focus on the critical issues: executing the procedure correctly, proper configuration, is our speed correct, minimums, missed approach, etc.

[@lostcreek163]

@@lakefrontaviation3444 I guess my next question would be what would you do if required to hand fly an approach with inop autopilot? I hope you work on your instrument proficiency!

[@sheldonholy5047]

@@lostcreek163 automation is there to be used. It improves safety. No one needs to prove anything by hand flying every approach to minimums and it doesn't mean you aren't proficient in hand flying.

[@lostcreek163]

@@sheldonholy5047 Really