Twenty Tecnam P-Mentors, eight P2010 (with 180 hp powerplants), and three P2006Ts are among the school’s new fleet of airplanes announced during Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida, last week. While the P2006T was on hand during the show, the rest of the aircraft will be delivered in 2024.

In a press release, Melbourne Flight Training said the acquisition will “enhance the quality of flight training programs, reduce costs for student customers, and provide a range of training options to meet the needs of the student body.” 

Located on Florida’s Space Coast, Melbourne Flight Training was founded in 2016 by Derek Fallon and his wife, Kristina. The school provides flight instruction to recreational and professional pilot students, including an accelerated Career Aviator Pathway (CAP) program, multiengine training, and advanced training up to airline transport pilot (ATP) certifications. It currently operates a fleet of training aircraft, including Cirrus SR20 and SR22 models, Cessna 172s, and the Beechcraft 76 Duchess.

• READ MORE: Kenai Aviation Adds Tecnam P2012 to Alaskan Fleet

“Melbourne Flight Training is thrilled to announce our acquisition of a new Tecnam Aircraft training fleet, marking a new chapter in our commitment to providing exceptional flight training experiences,” said Fallon. “With the addition of these state-of-the-art aircraft, we’re excited to continue empowering our students to soar to new heights with confidence and skill. We are elated to be joining the Tecnam family and look forward to our partnership as we commit to training new professional flight students enrolled in our Career Aviator Pathway program.”

Manufactured in Italy, Tecnam’s fleet of high- and low-wing trainers offer Garmin glass avionics and low emissions. According to Tecnam, flight schools utilizing its aircraft can save as much as 10 tons of CO2 emissions for every student who graduates with a commercial certificate—a 60 percent reduction compared to competitors. Additionally, its P-Mentor model has an airframe Ballistic Recovery System—offering an extra layer of safety for learners.

“We are very excited about this fantastic partnership with Melbourne Flight Academy,” said Walter da Costa, Tecnam’s chief sales officer. “Our fleet solution is unique in the market, ensuring reliability, cost control, smart training, and low emissions. Together with Melbourne Flight Academy, we are proud to innovate the flight training paradigm in the USA.”

This year’s Sun ‘n Fun has proven to be a huge success for Tecnam as the manufacturer also received an order for 15 P-Mentor models from HCH Aviation, which has a partnership with Stephen F. Austin State University. The P-Mentors will join the school’s fleet of twin-engine P2006Ts.

HCH Aviation president Kristen Conklin said, “Tecnam has been a wonderful partner in assisting our team in our aircraft needs. The Tecnam aircraft are superior aircraft to serve our rapidly growing collegiate flight program, the most modern tool for our students to proceed easily with their professional pilot career.”

In addition to the HCH Aviation order, Kenai Aviation—a family-run airline and charter company based in Alaska took delivery of a Tecnam P2012 Traveller during the airshow.

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Mermoz Academy, founded by former Air France pilots, focuses on airline pilot training. The school has locations in Paris and Tours, France, as well as one location in San Diego, California. The school has a fleet of Tecnam aircraft ranging from Tecnam P2010 and P2006T. 

The Tecnam twin is popular with flight schools seeking an economical multiengine training aircraft. The P2006T MKII is equipped with two Rotax 912S3 engines, and can be operated on avgas or mogas 95 octane fuel. 

• READ MORE: Multiple European Flight Schools Select Tecnam P-Mentor During AERO 22

The cockpit features a modern Garmin avionics suite, integrating all primary flight, navigation, communication and terrain data on two high-definition LCDs. The aircraft is also equipped with an S-Tec 55X high-performance, two-axis autopilot.

“Mermoz Academy’s mission is to go above accepted standards to guide our trainees towards excellence and employment through experience sharing and partnerships, taking the environment into account,” says Stéphane Larrieu, deputy CEO of Mermoz Academy.

“We are delighted to be partnering together to fulfill all the needs of a modern flight academy,” says Tecnam’s chief sales officer, Walter Da Costa. “The relationship with Mermoz is now consolidated. Mermoz is the proof of how to be a leading academy and they can rely on Tecnam support for all future developments.”

Tecnam Aerial Survey Platform

Flight schools aren’t the only entities to take advantage of Tecnam designs. Swiss Flight Services took delivery Thursday of a Tecnam P2012 Special Mission Sentinel to its fleet of aerial surveillance aircraft. The Sentinel is a more utilitarian variation of Tecnam’s P2012 twin-engine design. 

Swiss Flight Services is one of the major aerial survey operators in Europe. The Sentinel has an increased payload capability, a wide range of sensors, and a cabin that can hold up to five crewmembers when both hatches are operational. 

Tecnam notes the P2012 Sentinel is designed for versatility, to accommodate a full payload striking a balance between payload and aircraft endurance, both necessities in the aerial survey industry.

“We have chosen the P2012 Sentinel because of its versatility and especially its multiple projects profiles capability,” says Samy Dadoucha, general manager of SFS Aviation.

“The P2012 design fits perfectly to the special mission market, where operators benefit from the high payload and great mission flexibility, while being supported by the all-weather capabilities and low operating costs offered by the Sentinel series aircraft. We are delighted to have SFS among our valuable special mission customers,” says Francesco Sferra, Tecnam P2012 sales and business development manager.

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