What business are you in? That's what I want to be doing after I retire from my current career!

Beautiful plane, Enjoy it.

If I could have anything I wanted, I'd want my "full fuel payload" to be just enough for me and a small flight bag. Why should the fuel tanks be any smaller than that?

Agree. What's full fuel range and what's payload? What would range be with 800 pound pay load?

Full fuel range with IFR reserves is about 800NM, no wind. The tanks hold 170 gallons. With fuel fuel you get about 550 pounds of payload to be legal. If you want 800 pounds then leave off 250 pounds of fuel, about an hours worth, or 550NM, with IFR reserves again, no wind. I like 250 pounds of reserves. YMMV.

Thanks, that's very helpful. There certainly are times I have a small load and would like to be able to extend range, but I also have the plane full on several trips a year. In my plane, really can't carry more fuel when just carting a few folks.

How did you get it to go 1300 miles ? Must have had quite a tailwind. I have heard that 1000nm is stretching it.

Boise -> KABQ -> KDAL

Lunch was great in ABQ at Cervantes.

Congratulations! We moved from a really nice A36 a year ago to a 2005 Meridian and it has exceeded my expectations. On any trip of over 300 nautical the economics are very similar and the mill running in circles just hums along! I'm still 300 hrs til my next oil change!
I was really skeptical about Meridians due to experience in old Pipers but the Meridian is really a nice machine and so far has been nearly perfect for our usual mission which is flights with 2 to 4 people going less than 400 miles.

I am still feeling the burn from the green chile stew...

Hey guys, how has your Meridian experience been? My uncle's contemplating a move from his A36 (based at KSUA) into one.

Operating costs meeting expectations? I've heard great things about them especially when the mission calls for ~400-700nm trips.

It has been a wonderful plane for me and I came out of a B36TC. Real world 800NM, no wind with ample IFR reserve, all day. You can get 1000NM as advertised but need a bit of a tail wind to do it. I figure my fuel cost breaks even on 600nm trips versus my Bo, which burned 18GPH. I burn 38gph in the Meridian in cruise but I'm 262kts true and Jet-A is cheaper. The plane is like a mini-airliner. I couldn't be happier. Sure I would like a bit more range on occasion but it fits 90% of my missions. You won't find a more economical turbo-prop, IMHO.

Beautiful bird and panel.
I like how it fits your mission to a t.
Is on our short list as well.

This, I'm more and more convinced that GA is turning (and potentially being saved/helped) by business people/businesses using 'inexpensive' airplanes like yours to travel around the country effectively. The Meridian cruises at the same speed as the PC12, has the same capabilities (sans range and head) and is the best buy on the market today.

It's what I would have without my crew........I'd just install a pee tube :-)

It has been a wonderful plane for me and I came out of a B36TC. Real world 800NM, no wind with ample IFR reserve, all day. You can get 1000NM as advertised but need a bit of a tail wind to do it. I figure my fuel cost breaks even on 600nm trips versus my Bo, which burned 18GPH. I burn 38gph in the Meridian in cruise but I'm 262kts true and Jet-A is cheaper. The plane is like a mini-airliner. I couldn't be happier. Sure I would like a bit more range on occasion but it fits 90% of my missions. You won't find a more economical turbo-prop, IMHO.

Well when you decide to downsize, you are in luck as I think all PA46's, certainly all the newer ones have a relief tube on the spar panel. Has a nice long hose, to reach those in front or back with a pretty wide mouth. Can be a little disconcerting pointing the little fella towards something that has 5.5 PSI of suction though, but it really does work

I forgot the travel johns one day, and one of my kids had great delight in knowing that he painted the whole of Phoenix while traveling 5 miles a minute.