Piper Meridians Eligible For Upgrade To FAA-Certified Garmin G1000 NXi Flight Deck

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Piper Aircraft has received FAA certification to upgrade existing Meridian aircraft equipped with the Garmin G1000 flight deck to the newer G1000 NXi flight deck.

Piper Aircraft announced in mid-August that the Federal Aviation Administration has certified existing Piper Meridians equipped with a Garmin G1000 flight deck for an upgrade to the G1000 NXi flight deck. Now available through select Garmin dealers, the upgrade includes such enhancements as SurfaceWatch, visual approaches, and geographical map overlay within the horizontal situation indicator (HSI). Piper introduced the Meridian around 2000 with a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A engine. In 2015, it rebranded the single-engine turboprop as the M500, which it still produces along with the M350 and M600/SLS business models.

Minimal Downtime

Piper Aircraft President and CEO Simon Caldecott says that in addition to the additional abilities it offers, the G1000 NXi upgrade will bring owners and operators faster processing power that helps support quicker rendering of maps and smoother panning on displays. Carl Wolf, Garmin vice president of aviation sales and marketing, says flying behind the integrated flight deck, pilots will “immediately notice its smooth and responsive display and appreciate the latest, innovative features—they’ll wonder how they flew without the G1000 NXi.”

Piper says upgrading to the G1000 NXi will require minimal aircraft downtime for owners. The upgrade will also cause minimal panel distribution, as the upgrade uses the same display footprint and connectors, meaning no modifications are needed. G1000 NXi components carry a two-year warranty. Those interested in upgrading are asked to contact Garmin for more details.

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Source: Piper Aircraft