Market Intelligence: -Training Aircraft Developments

Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech), a private research university, has become the first American University to own and fly an electric airplane – the Pipistrel Velis Electro!

The plane has not yet received certification in the US and so is flying as an experimental craft!

The first flight was 22 minutes, using about a third of the aircraft’s battery capacity and creating an operating cost of only $1.03.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is in the process of awarding Florida Tech an $85,000 contract to provide data from the first 50 flight hours of the Velis Electro.

Ivo Boscarol, CEO and founder of Pipistrel, said: “Pipistrel will continue to work with the FAA to identify paths to recognize the EASA type-certification in the USA, to allow for commercial operations and pilot training with the Velis Electro – which is already possible in all EASA member states and countries where EASA validations are enabled.”

For more information, kindly contact Florida Institute of Technology.

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US Flight School FlyGateway orders 20 Piper Pilot 100I Trainers

The order is said to augment the flight school’s current fleet of 30 aircraft. Out of the 20 ordered aircraft, 14 will be delivered by January 2021 while the remaining 6 will be delivered in the latter part of 2022.

The 2021 standard equipped list price of Piper Pilot 100I Trainer is $298,900.

For more information, kindly contact FlyGateway or Piper Aircraft.

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Reykjavik Flight Academy has entered into an agreement for the purchase of three all-electric eFlyer training aircraft!

Reykjavik Flight Academy has entered into an agreement for the purchase of three all-electric eFlyer training aircraft. With the purchase, the school breaks new ground in the history of flight instruction in Iceland, where for the first time students will be offered instruction on aircraft that run on electricity only. The introduction of the Bye Aerospace eFlyer into the flight school fleet is also an important milestone in decarbonization for Icelandic aviation and marks the beginning of a new and more environmentally friendly future in flight instruction.

The aircraft in question are manufactured in the United States by Bye Aerospace, Inc. and are of two types: on the one hand, two eFlyer 2, which is A two-seater primary training aircraft; and one eFlyer 4, a four-seater advanced training aircraft. In addition, an agreement is under negotiation for the option to purchase two additional eFlyer aircraft, which will be announced in the future.

Until now, the limited flight endurance of electric aircraft has been the main bottleneck in their uptake in the general aviation market. However, with recent advancements, Bye Aerospace has taken the lead in this market by ensuring 3 hours of flight endurance including reserves. This far exceeds the main competitors in the market, most of which are limited to only a single hour at the moment. The success of Bye Aerospace has received a great deal of attention and hundreds of orders for their aircraft. Depending upon the aircraft and certification completion, estimated delivery will be after two to three years, which is considered a short time in this new and exciting market.

The use of electric aircraft for training is a great advantage. Electric motors can deliver a relatively high power output and the eFlyer 2 will deliver 150HP / 110kW which is about 40-50% more than an equivalent class of combustion engine with no density altitude losses. The biggest difference is replacing fossil fuels with electricity, which results in significant savings in operating costs, estimated to be only about 1/5 of the operation cost of comparable conventional aircraft that use aviation gasoline fuels. The environmental impact is obviously very positive, as the carbon footprint of the new training aircraft will be negligible and the noise impact will be almost undetectable.

As a teaching tool, the eFlyer machines are at the forefront. They are equipped with the best available controls and advanced Garmin navigation equipment, but the most innovative feature is that the aircraft are equipped with parachutes attached to their fuselage. The covers can be released with one handle and they glide safely to the ground. This comes as standard equipment on these training aircraft and greatly increases student safety.

Hjörvar Hans Bragason, principal of Reykjavík Flight Academy:

“Investment in electric aircraft for training is a major step, both in the history of aviation in Iceland in general and as part of environmental initiatives that are currently taking place. With the new aircraft, Reykjavik Flight Academy will be a leader in it‘s field and will proudly be able to offer first-class equipment for training and instruction. Increased safety, lower costs and more environmentally friendly options will be a guiding principle in our service to the pilots of the future.”

George E. Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace:

“We are grateful to our partners at Reykjavik Flight Academy for their leadership in Iceland, and for recognizing the many important benefits of electric aviation. We look forward to many eFlyer deliveries of Reykjavik Flight Academy in the coming years.”

Source: See Bye Aerospace Press Release here.

For more information, kindly contact Bye Aerospace.

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Legend Airways announces Tecnam Fleet acquisition across 3 Models

TECNAM and Legends Airways today announced an aircraft purchase agreement for a fleet of 5 initial aircraft for the fixed-wing flight training school. The purchase consists of two (2) P2008 LSA, two (2) P2010 standard category 4 place and one (1) P2006T twin.

This kind of acquisition is what Tecnam calls “Fleet Solution”, where a Flight School can offer different models to cover all the flight training requirements, from initial training to Complex (Multi engine, Variable Pitch Propeller and Retractable Landing Gear). With incredibly low operating costs, and competitive rates for students, the school has Tecnam as a single source for all needs. The Tecnam platforms for training is based on very modern aircraft models, that exceed a very strict and high level certification process, that, 1950’s design aircraft on the training market cannot meet.

Legends will be utilizing the high wing P2008 LSA for initial through IFR introduction training equipped with the Garmin G3X dual screen system, and Garmin GTN 650. Students will then move to the FAA standard Category P2010 4 place single engine with G1000 NXi and GFC 700 autopilot for completion of IFR, Commercial and CFI Certificates. Finally, students will fly the P2006T light twin with Garmin G1000 NXi to complete their Multi-Commercial and Multi-Engine Instructor Certificates.

“As flight training continues to evolve in the modern age, it is crucial that flight academies progress with the times. That is why Legends Airways is partnering with Tecnam, who shares these beliefs in producing safe, sleek, and innovative aircraft that exemplify what it means to “Learn to Fly” in the 21st century. We look forward to integrating Tecnams technologically advanced fleet into our academy and providing our students with safety-orientated and world-class training.”  – Justin Dal Colletto, Flight School Director at Legends Airways.

“Tecnam aircraft being selected by Legends as their next generation training fleet is a high honor. The Tecnam fleet solution offers easy transition to more complex aircraft while leveraging an LSA, a Rotax powered twin and US based AOG support to keep the acquisition and operational costs down. This will allow Legends to continue to provide a safe and cost attainable pathway for students,” said David Copeland, Director for Tecnam in North America.

“We are delighted at Legends Airways choice for their fixed wing fleet. Our expanded commitment and direct factory involvement to the US market is showing the results we have forecast. We care a lot for our North American customers and training organizations, we are proud to be a partner on their path to success. With the widest line of aircraft in our portfolio, post-sales support and services, Tecnam is not only providing aircraft but a solid Fleet Solution,” said Walter Da Costa, Chief Sales Officer.

Source: See Tecnam Press Release here.

For more information, kindly contact Tecnam Aircraft.

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Ameri commences importation of Blackshape’s new Gabriél training aircraft

Blackshape’s new Gabriél is now being imported by Ameri, the Official and Exclusive Dealer for Blackshape Aircraft in the United States of America. 

In a published article by AOPA on the 26th of July quoted as follows “Blackshape and Ameri Aircraft worked together to import the airplane and begin FAA approval. Belviso said all the FAA flight tests are complete and the documents are with the agency for review. Meanwhile, the company has also applied for IFR certification and approval for use in the aerobatic category.”

Further, quoting from the same source, “Luciano Belviso, CEO of Blackshape Aircraft, said the Gabriél was designed following the success of the Prime model, which debuted a decade ago in Italy as a light sport aircraft. From that experience, the company decided to begin work on a larger, certified airplane. The Gabriél was approved by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. Three of them have been in use as trainers in the Air France and KLM ab initio pilot training programs. There are about a dozen flying worldwide.”

For more information, kindly contact Ameri.

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Flexjet Accelerates Jet Deliveries as Demand Rises

Fractional ownership provider Flexjet is accelerating aircraft deliveries and hiring another 200 pilots to fly them as the industry experiences an “unprecedented rise” in demand, CEO Michael Silvestro told AIN. But while such demand has posed problems for some competitors, he said, it hasn’t interfered with Flexjet’s ability to sell shares and jet cards and arrange leases for its fleet of Phenom 300 light jets.

“Over the past year and a half, we acquired new clients who had previously never flown privately,” Silvestro noted. “That increase in business includes fractional, lease, and jet cards across all of our aircraft types. [It’s] not limited to light jets.”

A proactive approach to maintaining service levels has mitigated any service disruptions from the demand increase, Silvestro noted. While focusing on fractional sales as Flexjet’s core business, the company said it has remained mindful of the importance of jet cards to its total operation. “In this way, we can continually ensure that supply matches demand,” Silvestro said. He added that companies with a “disproportionate number” of jet cards rolled into their core business of fractional ownership shares make it “much harder to withstand moments like this when they unfold.”

Source: AIN

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