Malibu Aerospace

06/05/2026

When your PA-46 comes in for an annual inspection, a lot of people touch it. Technicians inspect systems, document findings, and perform repairs. But at the end of that process, one person is responsible for reviewing everything and signing the aircraft back to airworthy status.
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That person is the IA — the holder of an FAA Inspection Authorization.
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An IA isn't just an A&P with extra paperwork. It's a certification that requires years of documented maintenance experience, a demonstrated understanding of regulations and inspection procedures, and a willingness to personally stand behind the work. When an IA signs an annual, they're telling the FAA — and you — that the aircraft has been inspected to standard and is safe to fly.
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At Malibu Aerospace, our Chief Inspector is Josh Shea. 28 years in aviation, starting with the US Army. That responsibility belongs largely to him — and that's the standard behind every annual we complete.
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Ready to schedule your annual? Link in bio or call 877.662.5428.

06/05/2026

✈️ Meridian, M500, and M600 Owners: Are You Taking Advantage of This Pratt & Whitney Program?

If your aircraft is equipped with a Honeywell Fuel Control Unit (FCU), Pratt & Whitney is currently offering a campaign through April 1, 2027, to help cover the cost of the FCU upgrade outlined in Service Bulletin (SB) 3482 when completed in conjunction with an engine overhaul or Midlife Bearing Replacement.

SB 3482 introduces several important enhancements, including:

✔️ An extended fuel enrichment schedule that provides greater acceleration margin at low power settings
✔️ Optimized P2 sensing or***ce sizing in the bypass valve cover
✔️ Increased maximum Manual Override (MOR) fuel flow to better meet operational requirements

These improvements help enhance engine performance, reliability, and overall aircraft safety.

If youe FCU is approaching overhaul or a Midlife Bearing Replacement, now may be an excellent time to evaluate whether this upgrade is right for your aircraft.

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06/04/2026

Meet Josh Shea — Chief Inspector, A&P/IA.
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Josh started in aviation as a US Army Black Hawk Crew Chief in 1997. He's been building on that foundation ever since — private pilot in 2005, A&P in 2008, IA in 2011. 28 years of hands-on experience.
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Today his signature goes on your annual inspection. That means something.
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Youth hockey coach. Bow hunter. The person your PA-46 wants in charge of inspections.
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06/03/2026

Twenty-seven years in aviation teaches you a few things that no textbook covers.
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It teaches you that the PA-46 has a personality — that each variant behaves a little differently, that the same squawk can mean different things depending on the aircraft's history and how it's been operated. It teaches you to listen to an owner's description of their airplane before you've even looked at a logbook, because the way they talk about it tells you a lot.
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It teaches you that the most expensive maintenance decision is usually the one that gets delayed. That a well-planned annual costs less than a reactive repair. That an owner who understands what's happening to their aircraft is an owner who makes better decisions — for themselves and for the airplane.
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And it teaches you that the PA-46 community is a small one. Reputation travels. So does trust.
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At Malibu Aerospace, we've been building that trust for a long time. We don't take it lightly.
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What's the most important thing you've learned about owning and operating a PA-46?

06/02/2026

First up in our June team series: Doug Hiltz, VP & General Manager.
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27 years in aviation. Commercial pilot. A&P cert. UND aviation grad. Former maintenance planner at Mesaba Airlines and Upper Midwest Sales Manager at Boeing/Aviall.
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Doug has flown and maintained every variant of the PA-46 — and today he personally guides Malibu clients through their annual maintenance planning.
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When you call Malibu Aerospace, there's a good chance you're talking to him!
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06/02/2026

You've heard a lot from us about our aircraft, our products, and our process. This month, we want to introduce you to the people behind all of it.
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The Malibu Aerospace team spans nearly five decades of aviation experience at one end — and brand new A&P graduates finding their footing at the other. It includes US Army veterans, Air Force veterans, commercial pilots, engineers, welders, accountants, parts managers, and customer service professionals. People who came to aviation through military service, through family, through detours that took them halfway around the world.
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What they have in common is this: they show up every day to work on this special aircraft, for clients who trust them with something they care deeply about. And they take that seriously!
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All month we'll be introducing the people who make Malibu Aerospace what it is. We think you'll enjoy getting to know them!

05/29/2026

Summer is peak flying season for most PA-46 owners. It's also when a maintenance delay hurts the most.
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The owners who get through summer with the least friction are almost always the ones who scheduled their annual or modification in the spring — before the demand picks up, before the schedule fills in, and before the flying they've been looking forward to gets pushed back by a squawk that could have been addressed months earlier.
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If you're thinking about an annual inspection, an STC modification, a pre-buy on a new aircraft, or anything else related to your PA-46 — now is the right time to have that conversation. Not because of urgency, but because preparation is always cheaper than reaction.
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We'd love to hear what your aircraft needs this summer. Give us a call at 877.662.5428, or link in bio to schedule.

05/27/2026

Integrity is easy to talk about. The real test is what happens when it costs something.
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It costs something when an inspection reveals a problem the owner wasn't expecting — and you have to deliver that news clearly, without softening it in a way that obscures what needs to happen next.
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It costs something when the right recommendation is more expensive than the owner hoped — and you make it anyway, because the alternative is a less reliable aircraft flying people who are trusting it with their lives.
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It costs something when you're not sure about something — and instead of proceeding, you stop, say so, and find out before you sign off.
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These are the moments that define what 'doing what is right' actually means at Malibu Aerospace. Not the easy ones — the hard ones. The ones where the right answer and the convenient answer aren't the same.
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That's the standard our clients deserve. And it's the one we hold ourselves to, on every aircraft, every time.

05/26/2026

Price just reduced on this Awesome Meridian. https://www.controller.com/listing/for-sale/244100727/2008-piper-meridian-turboprop-aircraft

2008 PIPER MERIDIAN For Sale in Minneapolis, Minnesota at Controller.com. This beautiful 2008 Meridian has had its standby instruments upgraded to a more reliable Mid-Continent Sam in 2022. It also the factory GNS 430 GPS' replaced with upgraded touchscreen GTN's GPS. The interior was refurbished in...

05/25/2026

In aviation maintenance, there's a meaningful difference between fixing something and engineering a solution to it.
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A repair gets the aircraft airworthy. An engineered solution gets it airworthy in a way that's been properly analyzed, designed, tested, and approved — so that the fix is as sound as the original structure it's restoring.
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The distinction matters most in structural work. When a PA-46 comes to us with a cracked wing rib, we don't reach for the nearest accepted practice and move on. We design a repair specific to that aircraft, that failure mode, and that structural context — and we gain FAA approval for it. That's not bureaucracy. That's engineering discipline.
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It's the same discipline that goes into every STC we develop. We listen to the problem, research the root cause, design a solution, test it under real-world conditions, and deliver something that's been properly approved.
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That process takes longer than a workaround. It's also the reason our solutions hold up.
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What's the difference between a quick fix and a proper solution in your field?