Market Intelligence: Indian Subcontinent

Capua, Italy – Training aircraft manufacturer Tecnam announced today that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded full Type Certificate to the P-MENTOR with the number A00067IB for Part 23 of the FAA Regulations.

Tecnam is now on track to begin deliveries to flight schools across the United States, starting with the first (20) to HCH Aviation in partnership with Stephen F. Austin State University in Austin, Texas, followed by Kilo Charlie Aviation in New Century, Kansas and EpicSky Flight Academy in Des Moines, Iowa.

About the P-Mentor
The P-Mentor is a two-seat aircraft, powered by the Rotax 912isC3, featuring the Garmin G3X IFR touch screen suite with PBN/RNAV/AFCS capabilities, compliant with the latest CS-23 EASA & FAA amendments. The Mentor is a turnkey solution for many flight schools to train students from their first flight up to their CPL-IR on a single platform. With a variable pitch propeller, a simulated retractable landing gear and an optional ballistic parachute, the P-Mentor has everything flight schools are looking for in today’s market. The P-Mentor is designed to offer the best human-machine interface, resulting in the most effective and efficient VFR/IFR training. The generous fuel capacity will allow flight schools to fly all day without refueling, which improves operational value. The P-Mentor’s fuel consumption is just 3.70 US Gal/h (14 lt/h) contributing to a very low cost of operations averaging $65 per hour.

The P-Mentor allows complete PPL, IR and UPRT training, with approved PBN/RNAV as well as AFCS: the entire training syllabus with unprecedented fuel consumption and emissions, further enhancing the renowned profitability of Tecnam-made fleet.

The entry into service of the P-MENTOR two-seater IFR training aircraft has been eagerly awaited by a large number of flight schools who have been demanding a replacement for the many hundreds of “legacy” FAR23/CS23 IFR training aircraft currently in service around the world. This aircraft will open up many profitable opportunities within the flight training market and revolutionize the training paradigm.

With the P-Mentor, Tecnam is once again confirming its leadership in flight training while innovating the market and raising the standards. This important certification milestone will create and secure new and significant revenue streams for Tecnam, built on a foundation of over 75 years of aircraft manufacturing.

To date, more than a hundred P-Mentors have been delivered in (18) countries around the world, proving that this platform fits different business plans in different weather environments. Flight schools are changing the composition of their fleet, using the P-Mentor for initial and IFR training and the P2006T for multi-engine training.

Tecnam’s Managing Director, Giovanni Pascale Langer says: “The FAA certification of the P-MENTOR is another significant milestone for the Tecnam team. We look forward to working with all US flight schools to improve the quality of training and help them keep hourly rates low.”

The Tecnam fleet is perfect for the today modern school as their aircraft offer the best efficiency, performance and value while meeting the latest certification standards with a unique feature as ‘the greenest fleet on the market. Efficiency that also means very low CO2 emissions. Recent study shows that flight schools operating with TECNAM single and twin-engine fleet can reduce emissions by up to 60%: 10 tons of CO2 for each student by the time they receive their Commercial Pilot License.

About TECNAM; “Quality Aircraft since 1948”
Tecnam is an Italian aircraft manufacturer and one of the world’s leading piston aircraft manufacturers. Founded in 1948 by brothers Luigi and Giovanni Pascale, the company is headquartered in Capua, Italy, and operates two subsidiaries in Sebring, Florida, USA, and Brisbane, Australia, to serve and support the needs of local Tecnam owners and operators. Tecnam designs and manufactures a wide range of aircraft for personal use, commercial operations, business travel, flight training, surveillance, law enforcement and other specialised applications.

Source: Tecnam