Piper Brings Powerful Single-Engine Aircraft Line to NBAA

VERO BEACH, Fla., Oct. 5, 2010 – Piper Aircraft Inc. will display the broadest and strongest single-engine product line in the aviation industry at the National Business Aviation Association’s 63rd Annual Meeting and Convention Scheduled Oct. 19-21 in Atlanta, Ga.

"We are pleased to bring our strong single-engine aircraft to NBAA, because in these tough economic times every airplane in Piper's broad product line is a cost effective alternative to higher priced twins," said Piper CEO Geoffrey Berger.

Piper will bring a mockup of its new single-engine PiperJet business aircraft featuring a larger and improved cabin and sporting a new name that will be announced on the first day of the industry’s leading business aviation event. In addition, the company will display its M-Class single-engine turboprop and piston-powered aircraft.

The company will have both the PiperJet and Meridian mockups on display in the Georgia World Congress Center. Also on static display at Atlanta’s DeKalb Peachtree Airport will be the Piper Meridian, Piper Mirage and Piper Matrix.

PiperJet

The PiperJet is Piper Aircraft’s comfortable and efficient single-engine entry in the very light jet market. It offers comfortable seating for up to seven individuals in an expanded and commodious cabin. The company will provide a PiperJet program update for prospects, customers and the media at NBAA 10 a.m. Oct. 19 in the Piper booth #1247.

Piper Meridian

The Piper Meridian, the most cost effective turboprop in its class, is a single-engine pressurized turboprop, powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A engine generating 500 shp and featuring six passenger seats with club seating. It flies at 260 ktas max cruise with a 1,000 nautical mile range.

Piper Mirage

The Piper Mirage is a single-engine piston-powered pressurized aircraft powered by a Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A engine producing 350hp. It offers six seats and club seating with a 213 ktas max cruise and a 1,343 nm range at long-range cruise. The Mirage is the only single-engine, cabin class, pressurized, piston aircraft on the market today.

Piper Matrix

The Piper Matrix is a single-engine aircraft powered by Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A piston engine producing 350hp. It has six seats and club seating with a 213 ktas max cruise and a range of 1,343 nm at long range cruise. The Matrix is the ideal step-up aircraft for customers seeking a cabin class, piston powered aircraft.

Several Piper executives will represent the company at the NBAA meeting, including:

Geoffrey Berger, Chief Executive Officer

Geoffrey Berger joined Piper as interim Chief Executive Officer and was appointed to the Board of Directors in July 2010. He is also Managing Director of Imprimis, a corporate finance and investment management firm located in Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, and is General Manager of Imprimis (B) Sdn Bhd. In 2009, Imprimis and the Ministry of Finance of Brunei acquired Piper, undertaking a long-term strategic commitment to drive Piper’s global expansion and support its development of key new products.

Randy Groom, Executive Vice President

Randy Groom joined Piper Aircraft in June 2010 as Executive Vice President, after serving as founder and president of Groom Aviation. Groom’s extensive experience includes senior executive positions with Hawker Beechcraft Corp. (formerly Raytheon Aircraft Company), where he held positions of increasing responsibility, including President of Global Customer Service and Support and President of Beechcraft.