Piper Meridian on single engine IMC
 

Hi.
Project is to operate the Piper 500 Meridian in EU according to the new CAT SET-IMC rules. Aircraft choice is due to cost analysis.
My airworthiness partners reports they couldn't get any reliability data to comply with regulation and seems the manufacturer is not answering at all.
Does any of you have any sort of experience on SET-IMC and specifically with Piper?
By the way: we don't have the plane yet, we'll eventually purchase once the puzzle is completed.
Thanks

I think you'll find the aircraft/engine combination is not yet approved for EASA commercial SET-OPS in IMC. Believe the only ones that are, are the Cessna Caravan, the Pilatus PC-XII and the TBM-700/800/850. Stand to be corrected on that though?

It's the combination of the PT6 engine and a specific airframe type that's relevant - the PT6 engine is well-proven and the mean time between in-flight failure stats tick the EASA boxes, but each new airframe/engine combination will have to be evaluated and accumulate a pile of hours before being approved for commercial SET-OPS in IMC (in Europe).

That's why something like the new Cessna Denali with both a new, unproven airframe and a new unproven engine, will have to accumulate years of experience and hours before likely to be approved for commercial use in Europe.

Hi. I think you're almost right. There's actually no data provided by Piper even if airframe installs a PT6 turbine.
I know for sure the Caravan and the PC12 are already in operations as data could be submitted to the approving authorities and are in accordance with 965/2012 requirements.
Hope to find a solution with Piper and PWC soon.
Regards

sellbydate is on the point. Piper is working on getting the M600 certified for SET-IMC, but its probably gonna be a while due to the low number of hours flown fleet wide.

Btw. The PC-12 is the only one that comes with all the requirements as standard.