Ron and Linda Staley in front of the L-39
Photos courtesy of Mark Kolanowski unless otherwise noted
What I’ve learned in aviation is to never say never. A friend has started pushing me to get typed in his C550 Citation. Why not? Let the aviation journey continue!”
For decades, Ron Staley was professionally focused on restoring historic buildings. As a construction manager, he has worked on well-known structures from the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., a handful of state capitols, and Ernest Hemingway’s house in Havana, Cuba. Aviation has served both as a way to get to many of these unique job sites, as well as a fun weekend activity shared with like-minded individuals.
“I don’t know if anybody has a typical journey, but I didn’t start flying until my kids went off to college. I had always worked on street rods and motorcycles in my free time, and kind of figured after doing so many of those that you have done it all. So, I was looking for something new,” he said.
What I’ve learned in aviation is to never say never. A friend has started pushing me to get typed in his C550 Citation. Why not? Let the aviation journey continue!”
“One of the mason contractors I worked with was a pilot, and we would actually fly in his T-6 Texan to see some project sites. He said I should become a pilot, and after a while, I agreed. I mean, I loved the history of the planes, and flying was a lot of fun!”
Renting a Cessna 172 quickly turned into owning a Cessna 182 and getting an instrument rating. And with an eye towards detail and distinct, handmade treasures, it’s no wonder that Staley’s interest in preserving the past has worked its way into his aviation hobby as well.
“One day, my friend [who got me into aviation] called, and at this time he was flying an L-39, and probably had six different airplanes in his hangar. He said, ‘I inadvertently bought a second L-29 on eBay.’ Now, how many people do that?” Staley questioned, noting there was much more to the story.
“Anyhow, he didn’t get in trouble with his wife for buying the second L-29 because he told her that he bought it so that I could learn how to fly a jet. That’s how I got into flying jet warbirds, and it was a great introduction. The L-29 is a very simple airplane to fly.”
After a few years, the Czechoslovakian-built military jet left the hangar, and Staley was itching to conquer his next aviation challenge. At this time, he had his own T-6 and decided to purchase an L-39 Albatros, which, after a lot of hard work, won an award for being the best of its kind at EAA AirVenture in 2011.
“This jet was definitely my favorite, and I kept it for fifteen years. With over 550 hours in type, leading formation flights at airshows and into AirVenture was the ultimate challenge. Just last year, I thought I did everything that I wanted with it and, with retirement pending, didn’t really want to be spending $2,000 for fuel every time I went out to have a good time. I made the decision to let it go. My aviation journey changed over time, and this was just another step as I had already let the T-6 go for a T-34 Mentor a few years earlier.”
He still owns the T-34, as well as a share of a TT-1 Super Pinto. Warbirds are fun for formation flying with others, but Staley knew that the empty spot in his hangar would be best served if filled by a more practical aircraft.
“Probably about ten years ago, I bought a Cessna 414A. All our family lived in Michigan at the time, so it was a great airplane to take them skiing or on summer trips around the state. But then my daughter’s family moved to California, which is a bit of a long haul for that airplane,” he said.
“That’s when we bought into the turboprop world with the 2005 Piper Meridian that I own now. It’s so smooth to fly and has very nice systems. I absolutely love it. The climbing power and reliability of the turbine were a big positive to my wife, Linda. For me, the ease of operation, never having to worry about cylinder head temperatures in a climb or shock cooling in a descent, is a dream compared to the Cessna twin.”
While taking the whole family along happens occasionally, more frequently it’s just Staley and his wife on the plane. He really wanted a faster single-engine turboprop, but after some thought decided that the slightly smaller, Vero Beach-made turboprop would be the best fit for his mission.
“I really would have liked to have a TBM, not that I necessarily needed it from a mission profile standpoint. Most of the TBM owners I talked to started in Meridians and noted that you are going to spend twice as much as you would in a Meridian. Your operating costs, maintenance costs, and overall investment are twice as much,” he recalled, advising that he also considered both Piper Cheyenne II and Cessna Conquest II’s but didn’t find any good options at the time,” he said.
“You can always have more speed, more capacity, and a bigger airplane, but the Meridian fits the bill really well. I can get three and a half hour legs out of it, which is plenty long enough and covers some distance. What I really like about the airplane is that I easily push 260 to 270 knots up at 27,000 or 28,000 feet, with me and a passenger on board, with full fuel. I am going a little higher than the 414, and this gets us over a lot of inclement weather, and the systems allow you to do it very safely.”
A little over a year into Meridian ownership, Staley thinks about fuel management a little differently than many other general aviation pilots. Having become accustomed to burning 160 gallons an hour in the L-39, the 40 gallons an hour he budgets in the Meridian is comparatively light. The cabin-class turboprop does cruise about 70 knots slower and can’t go upside down or pull six G’s, though. The upside-down and g-limitations are much appreciated by his wife and other passengers who appreciate a straight and level flight.
Meeting with fellow aviation enthusiasts at Oshkosh remained beneficial when Staley began transitioning to Meridian ownership. He also mentioned that the Piper M-Class Owners & Pilots Association (PMOPA) is an invaluable resource for those considering moving into any of the PA-46 models. The group hosts several events throughout the year and curates safety, ownership, and extensive training resources that are readily available to its members.
Initial transition and recurrent training were provided by Live Pilot Training, located near Des Moines, Iowa, which came to Michigan. They conducted training from Staley’s hangar at Livingston County Airport (KOZW).
“The Pratt & Whitney turboprop operation was a transition from the Cessna piston twin engines and even considerably different from the 1970’s L-39 turbine engine. The four-day initial training dove deep into powerplant and airframe systems. Then several days were spent in the air, building muscle memory with operational, environmental, and emergency exercises. The autopilot operation is a key part of the PA-46-500TP, and the initial training emphasized its capability,” he noted.
“I am a big believer in recurrent training and recently went out to Des Moines to remember what was forgotten from initial, reinforce good operations, and continue to build comfort in the aircraft.”
Staley has been pleased with his Meridian so far overall. The 20-year-old electronics may be a target for a future upgrade, though, as they have taken the plane out of service a couple of times.
“My Meridian has the original Avidyne panels in it, driven now by Garmin 650s instead of the 430s,” he said. “There is a Honeywell computer that networks information up to the Avidyne that was partially fried. That took a while to figure out. Then the MFD went out. In a perfect world, it would be nice to just switch it all over to a fully Garmin panel, as I had in my 414. There are a lot of benefits to it, but I just haven’t decided if I want to put another hundred thousand dollars towards the plane and have it down for four months. Flying is a lot more fun than watching the plane sit in a shop!”
The Meridian had a busy winter, taking Staley and his wife to see family in Arizona, California, and Texas. Summer calls for a trip to Maine to go whale watching. And when asked about what may come further in the future, Staley has decided that he’s keeping his options open.
“What I’ve learned in aviation is to never say never. A friend has started pushing me to get typed in his C550 Citation. Why not? Let the aviation journey continue!”
