“This valuable exemption allows operators of piston-powered airplanes, small airplanes and rotorcraft to realize the cost-sharing benefits outlined in Part 91 Subpart F, making more effective use of their aircraft,” said Doug Carr, NBAA’s senior vice president of safety, security, sustainability, and international affairs.

Subpart F of Part 91 was written into the regulations to accommodate the fractional-ownership business model pioneered by NetJets. NBAA said its members who operate small aircraft for business can “take advantage of the flexibility usually offered to operators of larger, turbine-powered aircraft.”

NBAA members must submit a letter of intent (LOI) to the public docket to use Exemption 7897M. The letter must include detailed information on the business entity and an attestation that the operator will adhere to the terms of the exemption.

Previously only available for aircraft of more than 12,500 pounds gross weight, the benefits of Subpart F include “alternative maintenance programs” and limited cost-reimbursement from passengers for certain flights.

“The cost-reimbursement options of Part 91 Subpart F are useful regarding transportation of a guest on a company aircraft, the use of the aircraft by employees of a subsidiary company and other common scenarios,” NBAA wrote. “Time-sharing, interchange, and joint-ownership agreements are also permitted under Part 91 Subpart F.”

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post NBAA Extends Part 91 Subpart F Benefits for Smaller Aircraft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

GAMA found that aircraft shipments rose across all segments compared to 2022, coming in at 3,050 airplanes and 962 helicopters delivered in 2023. The numbers represent year-on-year increases of 9 percent and 9.8 percent, respectively. Overall airplane billings for last year rose 2.2 percent to $23.4 billion while total helicopter billings increased 11.2 percent to $4.4 billion.

“For the first time in more than a decade, the general aviation manufacturing industry has eclipsed 4,000 aircraft delivered,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. “In addition to this strong showing, there are robust and growing order backlogs for all segments of aircraft. This is a testament to the resilience of our industry and the integral role that general and business aviation plays in our communities.”

Breaking down the numbers, piston airplane deliveries were up 11.8 percent from 1,505 in 2022 to 1,682 in 2023. Turboprop shipments also surged, hitting 638 delivered last year and improving 9.6 percent over the previous year. While business jet deliveries saw the least change, the segment still increased 2.5 percent with 730 delivered.

On the rotorcraft side, 209 piston helicopters shipped last year, up from 194 in 2022. Turbine helicopter deliveries jumped 10.4 percent. GAMA noted that fourth-quarter data from Leonardo Helicopters was not available when the report was published, so it excluded Leonardo’s Q4 2022 data from its comparison.

• READ MORE: GAMA Reports Year-Over-Year Increase in Aircraft Shipments In a ‘Governed’ Recovery

“While the deliveries from 2023 are very encouraging, our industry faces headwinds from ongoing supply chain issues, workforce shortages, uncertainty and unpredictability from global regulators, and shortsighted efforts aimed at curbing business and general aviation, particularly in Europe,” said Bunce. “As civil aviation’s innovation incubator, our entire GA industry is focused on new aircraft and technologies that will lead the way in safety and sustainability for the entire aviation sector. This progress is dependent on having effective, predictable, and accountable regulatory processes, and a supportive business environment.

“Therefore, it is crucial that the U.S. Congress passes a long-term FAA reauthorization bill, a fiscal year 2024 appropriations bill for the FAA, and a tax measure, which is pending, that promotes research and development.”

GAMA’s full report is available on its website.

The post GAMA: 2023 Aircraft Shipments Up Across All Segments appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

But as a sign of evolving times, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) aircraft shipment reports now collect electric aircraft under the single-engine piston heading. And in 2022, GAMA recorded a total of 1,366 singles delivered—piston and electric, with 17 of those the Pipistrel Velis Electro, under European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval as it awaits FAA validation. That’s better than last year’s 1,261 and 2020’s 1,164. Just 158 twins left the hangar in 2022—but that’s up from 148 in 2021 and even with the 157 delivered in 2020.

Sporty Singles

Diamond’s certification of the DA50 RG under FAA approval announced at EAA AirVenture on July 25 takes the lead on news for the sector. The DA50 RG, reviewed in the June 2023/Issue 938 edition of FLYING, steps into the spot once held by the Beechcraft Bonanza. It’s a speedy, high-performing retract with an advanced Continental engine design—this time the diesel CD-300 rather than the IO-550. And it can haul a lot of people and gear with relative comfort felt in the backseats—though the total seats number five instead of the Bo’s six. The modern powerplant can run on sustainable aviation fuel, and it retains the inherent slow-speed handling characteristics for which the Diamonds stay famous.

• READ MORE: We Fly: Diamond DA50 RG, the High-Performance Retract That Shines

That Bonanza remains in production—more than 75years later—though Textron Aviation saw just three of the G36 models delivered in 2022. Strength for the Wichita, Kansas-based OEM remains with its Cessna singles, the 172S Skyhawk, the 182T Skylane, and the Turbo 206 HD Stationair. Textron Aviation leveraged its position with flight school and aviation universities with 151 deliveries of the 172 to complement the 48 182s and 42 Stationairs.

• READ MORE: We Fly: Cessna 206

Expect an enthusiastic response through the end of 2023 from Cirrus Aircraft to step up its bid to retain the top spot in overall piston delivery numbers. The Duluth, Minnesota-based OEM sent 100 SR20s, 159 SR22s, and 280 SR22Ts home with lucky pilots in 2022 for a total of 539 singles—in addition to the 90 SF50 Vision Jets it delivered. Cirrus has made incremental changes to the SR series for this year, including a bespoke model run celebrating its 9,000th SR delivery midyear. The real news will come as it continues to test a 100LL replacement in its big-bore Continentals. The OEM is working with General Aviation Modifications Inc. (GAMI) on its G100UL fuel in pursuit of a solution for the fleet as it faces the sunsetting of leaded fuel in the next several years. Every OEM running 200 hp or higher engines in its piston aircraft is in a similar position.

• READ MORE: The Big Reveal: Cirrus Shows Off the SR G7

Tecnam introduced its P2010 Gran Lusso single in 2022, aimed at the luxury four-seat market. It has resonated, as the company delivered 46 of the P2010 series last year. Other interesting piston singles run the gamut of missions—from aerobatics with the Extra NG and Gamebird GB1 (rumors of the GB2 remain unanswered) to backcountry utility with the CubCrafters XCub and NXCub and just plain nostalgic fun with the WACO YMF-5, profiled in our August 2023/Issue 940 of FLYING.

• READ MORE: We Fly: WACO YMF-5

Piper also continues strong sales, particularly of its PA-28 series and PA-44 Seminole into training fleets worldwide. With 146 of the Pilot 100i and Archer III sold in 2022, Piper has also recently signed deals for its diesel version of the Archer, the DX, to flight schools in India, where 100LL is scarce and expensive. Ron Gunnarson, vice president of sales and marketing for Piper Aircraft, said, “In 2022 we delivered 232 aircraft, 14 percent higher than what we did in 2021. That increase was realized in both primary segments—the trainer class and the M class.” Piper is “comfortable” delivering 180 to 200 training aircraft, Gunnarson said.

• READ MORE: Piper Lifts the Veil on the M700 Fury, Its Fastest Single Yet

Stepping Up to Twins

Also moving strongly into the training sector is Tecnam, which debuted its P-Mentor two-seat, single-engine trainer at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh this summer—and which we reviewed in FLYING’s July 2023/Issue 939 edition. While it awaits certification under the FAA, Tecnam continues to see success with its two piston twins—the Rotax-powered P2006T for flight schools and the Lycoming-powered P2012 Traveller for regional operators.

Piper’s Seminole meets the P2006T in the flight training world, with 21 of the light T-tail twins sent to training programs last year. But big questions remain for the future of Piper’s Seneca V and the Beech-craft G58 Baron—neither of which saw any deliveries in 2022.

What’s certain, though, is that you will see more of Diamond’s futuristic-looking twins, the DA42-IV and the DA62, whether you’re flying in North America or Europe. The DA42, which some organizations use for training, sold 45 units, while the more powerful cross-country DA62 delivered 53 units worldwide.

• READ MORE: We Fly: Diamond DA62

The post Piston Performers appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Rethought from the inside out, the G7 series—including the SR20, SR22, and SR22T—takes cues from the Vision Jet to simplify operation while incorporating added safety and luxury features. All three 2024 models have completed the FAA type certification process and are ready for delivery.

FLYING took an exclusive first series of flights with the striking new G7 in the SR22 version in early December for a We Fly pilot report that will debut in Issue 945/February 2024, reaching subscribers later this month. Till then, a quick reveal…

• WATCH: Cirrus Updates SR Series

Central to the updates is the reimagined Perspective Touch+ integrated flight deck with 12- or 14-inch high-resolution displays, and twin GTC touchscreen controllers, to mimic the functionality and redundancy available in the Vision Jet SF50. Engine start has transformed into a push-button interface, preserving the ability to check mags and set mixture while making the process feel similar to that of the SF50. The updated automated flight control system (AFCS) incorporates smart servos and includes an optional yaw damper. 

Updated synoptic pages and streamlined checklists aid the pilot in monitoring both systems and procedures throughout all phases of flight. And the Cirrus IQ app gives the pilot remote viewing and control of certain aircraft functions. Cirrus Global Connect delivers worldwide text messaging, telephone service, and global weather.

SUBSCRIBE: Get the We Fly Report in Issue 945

It’s telling that Cirrus Aircraft looked up the model line to its Vision Jet to drive out complexity from its core single-engine pistons, sending its engineers on a journey to find ways to make the SRs as straightforward to operate as the jet. While that sounds like a contradiction, perhaps, pilots like FLYING’s Dick Karl have opined about the complexity involved in stepping down from a light jet back into the high-performance piston world.  

To this end, Cirrus has introduced a new shallower menu structure in the touchscreen controllers, along with a scroll wheel for turning through the CAS-linked, on-screen checklists smoothly. Still on the ground, Taxiway Routing and a contextualized 3D Safe Taxi guide the pilot around complex airport layouts, decluttering and slewing the PFD imagery to match the airplane’s speed and position on the airport. In the air, the automatic fuel selection system automatically switches between fuel tanks every 5 gallons.

Additional Safety Features

Pilots will also find an improved flight control, incorporating a stick shaker function to piggyback on the other envelope protection features in the Perspective+ series, for enhanced low-speed situational awareness. Both the left and right controls vibrate to warn of an approaching stall condition.


Another new addition to envelope protection is flap airspeed protection. The system monitors airspeed to protect the pilot from accidentally deploying or retracting flaps when the aircraft is traveling too fast or too slow for the given flap configuration change. 

A Stylish and Functional New Interior

In addition to the magic up front, Cirrus also rethought the interior, taking a page from current luxury vehicles to incorporate a host of new features, including redesigned interior panels, dimmable task lights, and ambient accent lighting. 

More rugged cup holders, more pockets, and two center console compartments efficiently store your smartphone and other key things for better cockpit organization and accessibility. Powered headset jacks and lighted high-power USB-C outlets come positioned within easy reach of each seat. 


First SR20 G7 Customer

While only one new TRAC20 (SR20) G7 has been built, it’s already wearing its school colors—those of Western Michigan University College of Aviation in Battle Creek. The Broncos are longtime Cirrus flight training operators and will incorporate the new models into their aviation degree programs. The school will take delivery in the first quarter for integration into the flightline.

Pilots across the board can opt into several training options for the new Cirrus line, including the OEM’s recently released Private Pilot Program—taking a prospective pilot from first flight to certification in their new airplane.

“Our mission is to increase participation in aviation, so more people can benefit from the freedom, productivity, and joy it provides,” said Zean Nielsen, CEO of Cirrus Aircraft. “We have also developed a comprehensive ecosystem, providing global sales, flight training, maintenance, and support to ensure our owners have a seamless ownership experience. Our aircraft are truly designed with people in mind, and the new SR Series G7 is a testament to that philosophy. Our team and our aircraft provide a clear path to enter and advance within the personal aviation community by learning to fly and eventually transition to the Vision Jet with ease.” 

The post The Big Reveal: Cirrus Shows Off the SR G7 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

According to Dennis Webb, DeltaHawk director of marketing and certification, the new engine was approximately 15 years in development. 

“It seemed like a long time in the industry. ITt seemed even longer to us,” said Webb, noting that the Racine, Wisconsin-based company was determined to build an engine with the durability of a semitruck, and reliability worthy of the space program. “We chose to make it simple with direct drive rather than a gearbox. Simple is hard in engineering.”

According to the company, the 180 hp DHK180 burns jet fuel and is” the first of a family of engines to come from DeltaHawk and offers ease of operation, high fuel efficiency, reduced maintenance, and superior altitude performance compared to traditional aircraft piston engines.”

• READ MORE: DeltaHawk Gains Type Certification on Jet-Fueled Piston Powerplant

Company officials said the engine was designed to operate more cleanly and efficiently than those already on the market.

Chris Ruud, DeltaHawk CEO, pointed out the DHK180 is built from U.S.-made components. 

“It is 100 percent manufactured in the United States in Racine, Wisconsin,” said Ruud, who comes from an aviation family, and also noted that developments in engineering and technology have made the DHK180 possible. “Thirty to 50 years ago. this engine could not have been produced.”

During the press conference at AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, company officials explained that the engine is designed to operate on fuels other than 100LL and, as such, they have received “extraordinary interest in the new engine from a broad range of aircraft OEMs and experimental kit manufacturers, as well as individual pilots and commercial operators.”

Webb added that the DHK180 was also recently chosen by NASA for its Subsonic Single Aft Engine project, known as SUSAN. The DHK180 also has been selected by Ampaire for a hybrid proof-of-concept aircraft.

What Happens Next?

DeltaHawk is in the process of preparing for engine production and commercial sales. This includes performing more endurance testing and flight evaluations in multiple aircraft.

Webb said the company went beyond the FAA’s requirement for endurance testing for engine certification, and DeltaHawk has a factory warranty program that will cover 24 months or 2,000 hours, whichever comes first.

The new warranty can also be extended to 36 months or 2,400 hours if an operator agrees to provide timely engine-monitoring data and oil analysis—an industry-leading option, according to the company.

In addition, the company’s engine deliveries for both certified and experimental aircraft will include firewall-forward installation packages for specific aircraft. Packages for selected aircraft are now under development, and final pricing will be announced soon. The company is also actively seeking industry partners with engine installation STC experience to augment DeltaHawk’s capabilities.

Initial deliveries of customer engines are planned for the first half of 2024.

The post DeltaHawk DHK180 Engine Heads To Production appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

• READ MORE: Flying to Asheville? Here’s Where To Land

Local Favorite: HondaJet Elite S

Built just down Interstate 40 from Asheville in Greensboro, North Carolina, the HondaJet Elite S light jet combines unique design characteristics to achieve solid performance with a compelling ramp presence. The inaugural winner of FLYING’s Innovation Award in 2016, the original HondaJet has been improved since its first iteration with changes to the fuselage, and additions in range and useful load, along with updates to the flight deck.

With the capacity for one pilot plus five passengers, the HondaJet Elite S has a minimum takeoff distance of less than 3,500 feet. Powered by two GE Honda HF120 engines mounted over the wings, the Elite S can climb at more than 4,000 fpm—needed to make takeoff profiles out of KAVL—and speed away at up to 420 ktas.

• READ MORE: Explore the Eclectic Vibes of Asheville

Up front, the Garmin G3000 integrated avionics suite has been updated to enable more precise calculations with an updated graphics processor, and tools such as graphical weight and balance. In the back, Garmin’s Flight Stream 510 can be used to connect the aircraft’s audio system to an iPad, allowing for flight plan transfers and wireless database updates.

A Step Up: Phenom 100EV

The efficiency of operating a turboprop combined with the capability of a light jet, the Embraer Phenom 100EV represents a great next step for those who wish to keep flying single pilot yet reap the benefits of turbine equipment. Especially if you’re flying in from your home hangar more than 800 nm away—the Phenom 100EV makes a stylish way to land yourself at KAVL, with its maximum range of 1,178 nm.

And the Phenom 100EV is speedy too, with a MMO of 0.70 Mach or 406 ktas in maximum cruise. With a takeoff distance of 3,190 feet and a landing distance of 2,430 feet, it will make short work of the main airport at Asheville. Mounted in the back are two Pratt & Whitney PW617F1-E turbofan engines. On the flight deck is the Prodigy Touch avionics suite featuring Garmin touchscreens and other safety features.

Fuel-Flexible Friend: Tecnam P2010

One of the most modern yet approachable of the four-place, single-engine piston airplanes on the market, Tecnam’s P2010 comes with a series of engine choices so that you can find the one that best suits your mission.

For your flight into the Asheville area, you might go with the P2010 slung with a 180 hp Lycoming IO-360 engine. The P2010 will cruise along at a maximum speed of 137 ktas, and carry a useful load of 893 pounds. With the power back, you’ll sip 10 gph at 65 percent power.

The P2010 makes short work of your average GA strip with a landing distance of 1,709 feet and a takeoff distance of 1,952 feet. In the instrument panel, you’ll find the familiar Garmin G1000 NXi and the GFC 700 autopilot to help ease pilot workload. With a carbon-fiber construction, the ramp appeal of the P2010 pleases your aesthetic sense as well.

This article was first published in the 2022 Southeast Adventure Guide of FLYING Magazine.

The post Fly These Aircraft to Asheville appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In May 2020, Tecnam announced the pending certification of the update to the P2010 series, the P2010TDI. With a 170-hp Continental CD-170 engine up front, the version offers an option for pilots who want the ability to operate on diesel or Jet-A. At EAA AirVenture 2021, the company announced the availability of the four-seat, metal-and-carbon-fiber composite single. The 215-hp original P2010 runs on avgas and remains available, as well as the 180-hp powerplant that uses unleaded automotive fuel. Up front, the P2010 hosts a Garmin G1000 NXi integrated flight deck and a GFC 700 autopilot.

The diesel version burns an average of 5.2 gph according to the company, with a 1,000-nm range (with 63 gallons of usable fuel on board), at about 130 ktas. Continental has delivered more than 6,000 of the 170 hp engine, with more than 1.7 million hours logged in service.

Tecnam also announced the availability of its latest update to the P92 Echo, the MkII, with an increased useful load of 610 pounds in the new version—which was blessed under EASA regulations last fall.

The company featured a much-expanded presence at AirVenture, with a 12,000-sq-ft display area and new members of the team to promote sales and customer service in the US. Industry veteran David Copeland has been named Director of Sales, and Ben Coleman is the new chief operating officer.

The post Tecnam Introduces Two New Model Updates at EAA AirVenture appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

As I gently pulled open the Panthera’s gull-wing door and slipped into the front seat, I also realized that pilots who buy one of these won’t simply climb into the cockpit as much as they’ll wear the Panthera like a sort of superhero suit. It’s formfitting but with comfort like that of a well-designed sports car. Aircraft control is handled via dual control sticks between the pilot’s and front passenger’s knees.

The Panthera’s main doors are hinged at the top of a 6-inch-wide bar that runs fore to aft over the center of the 47-inch-wide cockpit. There’s a separate center-hinged door on the left side for rear-seat passengers. Gently pull down the doors, and the view becomes truly impressive—because other than the center post, all the pilot sees is the great outside, from straight ahead to nearly the tail feathers and even above. The nose is long when viewed through the raked windshield, which could be a problem for the most vertically challenged aviators to see over; the seats move very little fore and aft. Those seats are beautiful, though, with integrated headrests. The seats don’t recline, however, because they are already canted back.

The Panthera’s radical appearance certainly makes it look like a next-generation GA aircraft. Its smooth, sleek appearance seemed about as radical to me the day I first saw it as did a Cirrus SR20 15 years ago, when I compared it then with a Cessna 182. Kneel in front of the Panthera and it’s clear the fuselage is as clean a design as most pilots have ever experienced. There are no flap tracks hanging in the breeze from this airplane, and there’s not a gap seal anywhere in sight. Even the exhaust system has been specially tuned for maximum power and minimum noise.

Production Pantheras will be built to Part 23 standards that include an all-composite, mainly carbon-fiber structure—with very few access panels—covered in Kevlar for added passenger protection. The airframe is designed to be as maintenance-free as possible, with permanently lubricated push-rod tubes actuating the ailerons and elevators. The rudder is cable-operated and requires occasional lubrication. Currently powered by a 260 hp Lycoming IO-540-V4A5, Pipistrel says the Panthera will cruise at nearly 200 knots at 75 percent power, a few knots more than a late-model Mooney Ovation—and the Mooney uses a 300 hp engine. Standard on the Panthera is a specially designed German MT propeller. Panthera specs cite a range of 1,000 nm and a maximum certified ceiling of 25,000 feet. For readers doing their own research, there is an experimental version of the Panthera in Europe, but that model will not be available in the US.

The Panthera includes trailing-link landing gear created from titanium and includes 11 doors that seal out just about every possible performance-stealing air gap. The emergency gear extension sits between the two front seats under the center armrest.

The flaps are electric with just two operational settings: 15 and 45 degrees. Standard fuel capacity on the Panthera is 54 gallons. Optional tanks will add another 20 gallons per side, but that will cost about 240 pounds of the airplane’s significant 1,100-pound useful load. The Panthera weighs 2,900 pounds at gross, about the same as a Cirrus SR20 and a few hundred pounds less than a Mooney Ovation.

The panel includes a bevy of avionics that equip the Panthera for serious IFR flight (flight-into-known-icing capabilities are in the works). They include a Garmin G3X touchscreen primary flight display (a second G3X is an option), a touchscreen GTN 750 Com/Nav/IFR GPS, a GTN 650 second Nav/IFR GPS, and a two-axis GPS slaved digital autopilot. Mid-Continent Instruments’ Standby Attitude Module (SAM) provides backup airspeed, altimeter and attitude indications.

The Panthera’s standard equipment will include a GRS emergency parachute system that requires repacking every nine years, very similar to other airframe-chute-equipped aircraft. A big difference is this chute’s deployment speed—195 knots versus 140 knots on the Cirrus. Pipistrel believes its chute offers an additional selling point, according to Andrew Chan, co-founder of Right Rudder Aviation in Inverness, Florida. “The cost to repack a Cirrus aircraft chute is roughly $12,000,” he said. “The repack on the Panthera is expected to cost closer to $5,000 with a downtime of approximately two days.” Right Rudder is the sole Panthera dealer in the U.S.

A Little History Yields a Few Answers

Chan offered me some Panthera history before we launched from KUGN. Our demonstration airplane, N37RR, is the only assembled Panthera in the US as of press time. The Panthera has not yet been certified by either the European Union Aviation Safety Agency or the FAA. A target for that action is currently late 2022 or early 2023. But the genesis of the Panthera was actually in 2012. So, if the Panthera was first conceived nearly 10 years ago, the logical question is: Why is the airplane just now beginning to see daylight?

Chan said he hears that question quite often. Something that slowed the Panthera’s development was “a design change,” he said. “Pipistrel initially launched the Panthera with a Lycoming IO-390 normally aspirated powerplant but always wanted the aircraft available with two engines, the IO-390 and the more powerful IO-540.” Chan said the original design was to create the ultimate personal-aircraft brand with specific performance guidelines, such as a 1,000 nm range, an 1,100-pound useful load and a top speed of 200 knots—and all while burning 10 gallons per hour. “And they got really close,” he added. “So, it’s not quite 10 [but] 10.8 gph. It’s not quite 200 knots; it’s more like 185, but I think those are still very respectable numbers. The useful load is, in fact, 1,100 pounds, and the Panthera will fly [to its] 1,000 nautical mile range with the optional extended-range tanks.”

Another early requirement was for the engine to use automotive fuel because avgas is often tough to come by outside the US. Lycoming promised a supplemental type certificate for the IO-390 that never materialized, so Pipistrel decided to offer only the six-cylinder IO-540. Chan said: “The [normally aspirated] IO-540 produces 50 more horsepower [260 hp total] than the IO-390. When connected to the three-blade MT constant-speed designed specifically for this airplane, it drastically changed the rate of climb to a very respectable climb rate of 2,000 fpm on a cold day.” He says Pipistrel has also been planning for an electric version of the Panthera in the future. While an engine switch might not seem like a huge hurdle, the designers realized a new engine would require a new cowling in order to make sure the airplane’s performance did not suffer, especially from any cooling issues. The amount of time devoted to the redesign was worth the effort because, Chan said, it’s impossible to shock-cool the engine during a descent, a feat other manufacturers can’t match.

• CHECK OUT OTHER REVIEWS: Previous editions of “We Fly”

When comparing aircraft performance, the differences between individual powerplants are worth noting, and all vary by local conditions. The Panthera’s Lycoming delivers 260 hp, the Cirrus SR22 310 hp, and the late-model Mooney 300 hp. Panthera specs show a cruise speed of about 198 knots, while the SR22 cruises at about 183 knots and the Ovation at about 170 knots with variations for altitude and OAT. The Mooney and Panthera typically burn less than 14 gallons per hour—while the Cirrus is using closer to 18 gph.

While many pundits compare the Panthera to a Cirrus SR22, Tine (pronounced “Tea-neh”) Tomazic, one of the three Pipistrel R&D engineers in Slovenia behind the Panthera, says the airplane was never designed as a “Cirrus killer.” “It’s built for a different type of aviator. The Panthera was always aimed to fit somewhere between a Diamond DA40 and a Cirrus. A better comparison, by mission, might be to think of the Panthera as a modern-day Mooney. It doesn’t need to fly at extremely high altitudes to go fast. It’s not built for a truck driver who has a side stick in their hands and mostly flies on the autopilot. I heard someone call a Cirrus a dependable machine, like a Toyota Camry. But someone who really enjoys driving on a curvy road might want an Audi A6. We see the Panthera coexisting quite nicely alongside Cirrus but catering to pilots who really enjoy stick-and-rudder flying.”

But who is going to spend the money for a Panthera performance machine if they can’t have it for a few years? Chan said, “Some customers are already Cirrus owners who will keep their airplanes until their Panthera arrives.” So far, Pipistrel says it holds 150 Panthera orders.

Going Airborne

I was itching to feel how the Panthera performed. The day Andrew Chan and I flew, we were well under gross with about half fuel and just the two of us on board. The OAT was about minus 5 degrees Celsius under clear skies. Once the preflight was complete, I climbed aboard and gently pulled down the door. Chan reminded me again that unlike some airplanes, locking the Panthera’s door did not require slamming it into place. As I familiarized myself with the cockpit, there was no doubt this airplane comes with a sports-car-like interior environment. It’s a clean design with everything clearly laid out: landing-gear handle and lights above my right hand just beneath the glare shield, flaps farther right, and backup flight instruments in between with autopilot controls just beneath. All circuit breakers are positioned to the far right on the instrument panel and are easily visible. The large Garmin screens make information pretty easy to gather, assuming the pilot is familiar with the touchscreen system.

The Lycoming started after just a few spins of that big MT prop, and even with headsets on, the engine made a throaty sports-car sound. Once we were taxiing to Runway 22 at KUGN, I realized the cost of having that big overhead bar in the cockpit. The left-seat pilot’s view is blocked some as they execute a right turn, while someone taxiing from the right seat needs to be more cautious about left turns. Pilots with a little taildragger time should quickly feel at home looking over that long nose. I took me a bit to get used to the brakes with my feet firmly on the rudder pedals and using just the tips of my toes; though, I did find a sweet spot after a bit. The control stick makes a flight-control check simple. The stick also contains a top-hat trim button, an autopilot disconnect and a push-to-talk mic. After the first few minutes, there was no need to look down because it’s easy to simply feel the different shapes of the buttons.

At takeoff, the pilot must be ready to really steer the Panthera down the runway with the torque that the combination of the MT propeller and Lycoming engine delivers. It’s almost impossible not to feel when the Panthera is ready to fly, and once airborne with the gear up, the airplane began to show its colors. I trimmed for a 135-knot climb speed and quickly saw a 1,500 fpm climb as we headed west toward Fox Lake, a prominent landmark in northern Illinois. Climbing to 6,500 feet, I realized the Panthera required very little additional right rudder.

I waited to pull back the power at level off just to watch the acceleration. It was a cold day in December, but the indicated airspeed quickly rose into the yellow arc, which was my cue to haul back on the throttle. We settled on a less-spectacular 24 inches of manifold pressure that delivered 181 knots to see that promised 10.5-gallon-per-hour fuel burn. It didn’t take much additional power to see speeds above 190.

I never got around to trying the automation because someone was waiting back at Waukegan for the next demo, so I focused on air work. The Panthera is light on the controls, with almost an aerobatic feel. I could easily wrap it into a 45- to 50-degree bank to the left and one back to the right with ease. The visibility outside was at least 25 miles, while inside during the turns, it was easy to see the ground and back the other way toward the sky—and with the nearly wraparound windows, I could easily see behind us.

Before I knew it, Chan said it was time to head back to Waukegan. That’s when I learned an important lesson every Panthera pilot will need to embed in their mind early on. The Panthera has no speed brakes, so descending and slowing need to be planned in advance. Because I didn’t need to worry about shock-cooling that big Lycoming, Chan suggested I first advance the propeller to a high rpm and then pull back on the throttle. It still took time to slow the airplane because the gear-extension and flap speeds are quite low—106 knots to be exact. Pilots will need to plan far ahead, especially if they’re inbound on an instrument approach. Once established on downwind at 90, I added flaps until turning final when I slowed to 80 knots. As I approached the runway, I continued slowing, crossing the end at about 75, about the same speeds used in the Cirrus. My only Panthera landing was smooth—thanks in part to that trailing-link gear.

The Panthera is an exciting airplane for the serious pilot who wants to feel what they’re flying, as Tomazic says. The purchase of a Pipistrel Panthera requires access to an app that coverts euros to dollars because the European currency is primary for all transactions. A deposit will set a pilot back 50,000 euros, or roughly $58,800 at press time. That deposit is fully refundable until about six months before the aircraft is delivered from Pipistrel’s factory in Italy, not far from the primary engineering facility in Slovenia. The latest price on a basic Panthera is about $700,000. Options include extended-range tanks, oxygen, air conditioning, FIKI deice and upgraded stitching on the seats. Choosing all these options will bring the price closer to $900,000.

And the Panthera still needs to earn its EASA and FAA certification, but for those with the patience to wait—wow, what a performer this airplane will be.

Pipistrel Panthera Specifications

Training in Type

As the only Panthera dealer in the US, Right Rudder Aviation has a unique role with the Panthera. Not only are they responsible for selling the aircraft, but RRA is also responsible for all pilot training and maintenance at the moment. Understanding the ups and downs other companies faced when introducing a new aircraft, Chan says Pipistrel thought long and hard about what it would require before pilots were let loose with this cat.

What makes or breaks an aircraft launch is how the marketplace sees it. What stood out to the Pipistrel folks, Chan says, was that “Cirrus could have done better on training” when it launched the SR20 and SR22 series. The Cirrus accident record early on was not pretty. Chan says: “Our roots come from the flight training industry [at RRA]. When we have a client training with us…we want them to go home to their family at the end of the day. So, safety is super, super key for all of our students—but also for the success of the aircraft ultimately.” Pipistrel has taken the unusual step of requiring an extensive transition-training commitment from everyone who signs a purchase contract.

“It’s a two-week, 25-flight-hour, in-depth program akin to a type rating,” Chan says. “We believe that will help ensure the success of the airplane. It runs…eight hours a day and includes lots of classroom time and lots of hands-on time with the aircraft.” Chan says with a clientele of high-net-worth individuals, he expected pushback such as: “Hey, why do I need to do that?” But Pipistrel is taking a hard stand on training. “If someone says, ‘I already know everything, I don’t need any additional training,’ we tell them thanks, but they’re not a client for the Panthera.” Except for the room and board near the Inverness training facility, the cost is included with the purchase.

As for the curriculum, Chan says the FAA dictates the required pilot skills through the airman certification standards. “But people who train beyond the minimums will improve their efficiency.” He says the price of not teaching beyond the minimums is much greater than two weeks of training. The classroom portion will dive deeply into aircraft systems as well as the intricacies of the Panthera’s sophisticated avionics. “Pilots typically use 25 percent of what the avionics system can display. Because we’re also a maintenance organization, we’ll open up the airplane to show owners what is connected to what.” Though the Panthera is not certified for spins, RRA intends to take new pilots through upset-prevention-and-recovery training in a different aircraft. Chan also says, “Insurance underwriters are exceptionally excited about [our training program] because they believe it will help reduce accidents and incidents.”

This story appeared in the June/July 2021 issue of Flying Magazine

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In April 2020, the world was fully starting to feel the effects of the exploding COVID-19 pandemic, with lockdowns around the globe causing both the airline industry and business aviation to abruptly come to a halt. For the preowned business aircraft market, that meant listings skyrocketed while closed transactions all but evaporated.

A new report recently released by the International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA) shows that one year later—with vaccinations increasing and countries re-opening—IADA member dealers and brokers doubled the number of closed deals in April 2021 with 106 closings, compared to 53 the previous year. Acquisition agreements for business aircraft grew from 27 to 57 month-over-month, while aircraft under contract increased from 60 to 115.

Another important metric to show the aviation industry as a whole is returning to pre-pandemic levels is the number of preowned aircraft deals that fell apart, as shown by IADA data. In April 2020, 31 deals went sideways and were not completed, but one year later, that number was cut by more than half, to just 12 deals that evaporated. Prices in 2021 also remain strong, with 36 deals showing lower prices in April 2020 compared to just three deals that had the aircraft’s price reduced in April 2021.

Transaction volume by IADA members reflects the overall health of the used aircraft market, because IADA-accredited dealers buy and sell more aircraft by dollar volume than the rest of the world’s dealers combined, according to the association. IADA began tracking preowned sales metrics for business aircraft in April 2020 monthly as a result of the volatile market conditions caused by the pandemic.

IADA was formed in 1991 as The National Aircraft Resale Association (NARA), when eight of the country’s leading aircraft dealers created the organization to assure that both buyers and sellers of preowned aircraft adhere to the highest standards of ethics, standards, and trust, the company said. Now, IADA reports member dealers in more than 100 countries worldwide are responsible for 40 percent of the world’s preowned sales, according to AMSTAT’s transaction database, averaging more than 700 transactions and $6 billion in volume per year.

The public search portal maintained by IADA is an online marketplace with an average of 500 listings providing business jet buyers with a way to identify, locate and purchase preowned aircraft from IADA member dealers and brokers that have been vetted by the association for membership. Along with nearly every make and model of business jet and turboprop aircraft, the aircraft exchange also lists a large number of piston aircraft and helicopters.

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The ultimate goal? An unleaded drop-in replacement for 100LL, the avgas we use to power a large percentage of the general aviation fleet—and particularly one that serves the roughly one-third of piston airplanes that require at least 100 octane fuel.

However, achieving that goal has been elusive, based in part on three factors. First, a new fuel would require new infrastructure at thousands of airports in the US alone, at a cost that few municipalities or private owners are willing to stomach. Second, new fuel requires new FAA certification in the engines and airframes through which it flows—another time and money problem for a wide-ranging fleet. Third, the use of auto fuel straight from the road transportation system introduces the problem of ethanol content, which wreaks havoc on aircraft fuel systems.

The “Options for Reducing Lead Emissions from Piston-Engine Aircraft” report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine—specifically the Committee on Lead Emissions from Piston-Powered General Aviation Aircraft—has been released, giving several alternatives for near- and mid-term mitigation on lead emissions, but no immediate—or easy—solutions. The committee was comprised of scientists and academic experts—including a number of certificated pilots—and reviewed by industry leaders prior to publication on January 12, 2021.

“Studies indicate that the exhaust from engine run-ups can create geographic areas with higher lead concentrations, such as when situated to combine with exhaust from aircraft taking off at full power,” as noted in the report. “However, the magnitude, frequency, and dispersion of these concentrations and their proximity to people are airport-and context-specific, depending on factors such as the level of traffic activity, meteorological and topographical conditions, and the location and orientation of runways and areas where pilots perform their pre-takeoff checks in relation to buildings and people. Hence, to assess whether changing the location of run-up areas will achieve appreciable benefits in mitigating hot spots for ambient lead concentrations requires detailed information on specific conditions at individual airports, and particularly those that have moderate to high traffic activity, which number in the hundreds or more.”

Because general aviation serves several critical functions in the nation’s transportation system and overall economy, the committee recommends proceeding with any changes with caution. “A multi-pathway approach that pursues lead emission and exposure reductions is needed in which the development of a drop-in fuel proceeds as a part of broader mitigation pathway focused on the development and deployment of lead-free fuels and new propulsion technologies, in combination with mitigation pathways focused on airport operations and practices and on existing fuels and aircraft,” said the report.

Of particular interest to pilots is the recommendation to alter operating procedures—specifically in the location and duration of before-takeoff run-up procedures to reduce the impact of exhaust emissions during high-power ground operations—and careful fuel handling to reduce contact with leaded avgas during refueling. “The outcomes envisioned from these recommendations will result from increasing awareness by the many individuals needed to effect change in everyday operations,” said the report. “Pilots and aircraft owners, airport managers and personnel, and aircraft technicians would understand the hazards created by leaded avgas to themselves and the local community, and would follow best practices for containment during refueling, locating and timing engine run-ups, proper disposal of inspected fuel samples, and exposure protections. Airports would purposefully move pre-takeoff run-up areas to reduce the proximity of lead concentration hotspots to people where airport location, traffic activity levels and exhaust interactions warrant such a response.”

A second near- to mid-term mitigation—an increase in the availability of alternative types of unleaded avgas that already exist—would likely require congressional involvement. For example, incentives would be provided for pilots to use the alternative fuel, and for small airports to add the required storage and delivery equipment. This may result in up to 20 percent lower lead emissions, if the change was made to the existing 100VLL (for “very low lead”) fuel—and up to 40 percent if combined with the use of UL94 fuel in lower-performance aircraft.

But what about the move towards completely unleaded fuel for the whole fleet? “A clear goal should be established that all newly certified gasoline-powered aircraft after a certain point in time (e.g., within 10 years) are approved to operate with at least one ASTM-specified unleaded fuel,” the report suggests. This would continue the work begun in 2013 by the Piston Aviation Fuels Initiative, a collaborative effort between the FAA and the general aviation industry. The full report may be downloaded here.

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