Today’s Top Pick is a 2005 Piper PA-46-500TP Malibu Meridian.

For many owners of high-performance piston singles, it is only a matter of time before pressurized turboprops begin tempting them toward higher speeds and cruising altitudes. While climbing to the flight levels in a piston airplane can seem like a chore—if you can get there at all—turboprops are designed for the thin-air environment.

Piper’s Malibu Meridian and its successors have been in production for more than 20 years, leaving a range of aircraft on the market with ages, equipment, and prices to match a range of budgets. Compared with other turboprop singles, the Piper has the reputation as a straightforward turbine machine that is easy to live with.

This Malibu Meridian has 3,602 hours on the airframe and 2,625 on the engine since overhaul in June 2013. The panel features Avidyne FlightMax Entegra PFDs and E5000 MFD, Dual Garmin GTN 650 GPS/Nav/Coms, PS Engineering PMA6000BT audio panel, GTX 330 and GTX 345 ADS-B transponders, and  WX500 Stormscope.

Piston-single pilots seeking the additional speed, climb rate, and load-carrying capacity of a turboprop should consider stepping up to this 2005 Piper PA-46-500TP Malibu Meridian, which is available for $995,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: The Piper Meridian M500 Really Arrives
• FLYING Magazine: G1000 Is a ‘New Brain’ for Piper PA-46 Meridian
• FLYING Magazine: Living With the Piper Meridian
• Plane & Pilot: Piper M600 “Super Meridian”Earns FAA Certification
• Plane & Pilot: Piper Meridian: Everyman‘s Turbine
• The Aviation Consumer: Moving on Up: Your First Turbine

The post This 2005 Piper PA-46-500TP Malibu Meridian Is an Approachable Turboprop and an ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Piper said the M700’s maximum cruise speed of 301 ktas marks it as the fastest single-engine aircraft in the company’s history of more than 87 years. The cabin-class airplane, revealed last month, is powered by a 700 hp Pratt & Whitney PT6A-52 engine and has a range of 1,424 nm. The aircraft also is equipped with the latest version of the Garmin G3000 avionics suite that includes the Emergency Autoland feature as part of Piper’s HALO safety system.

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

“We are thrilled to announce the U.S. certification of the Piper M700 Fury by the FAA just a month after its announcement,” said John Calcagno, president and CEO of Piper Aircraft. “And there’s more to come. The Fury is just the first step in a new generation of our M-Class product line, so watch this space, as Piper’s M-Class will be expanding both above and below what we currently offer today.”

Performance is a key selling point for the M700. Piper said the new airplane can take off and clear a 50-foot obstacle in 1,994 feet, which is a 24 percent improvement over the M600SLS that it replaces. The company also said the M700’s climb rate of 2,048 fpm is 32 percent faster than that of the M600. 

Piper said it expects to complete international validations of the M700 for Canada, Europe, the UK, and Brazil during the second half of this year. The company said it plans to begin delivering the aircraft to customers in those markets before year’s end.

The post Piper Announces FAA Type Certification for M700 Fury 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.

In 2022, a total of 505 single-engine turboprops (SETs) were delivered, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), besting the 2021 and 2020 totals of 455 and 381, respectively. That’s a healthy market that should continue, even as pressure from the war in Ukraine continues in Europe with aftershocks globally. On the multiengine side, a total of 77 units went out the door in 2022, up from 72 in 2021, and 62 in 2020.

Single-Engine

FLYING Editors’ Choice Award winner for Aircraft in 2023, Daher’s Kodiak 900, leads the group in combining utility with efficiency. Though FAA certification was announced in summer 2022—and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval in April—deliveries were just beginning in earnest as we went to press. “The difficulty that our aviation industry [is] having these days is to manage the supply chain,” said Nicolas Chabbert, senior vice president of Daher’s aircraft division, at EAA AirVenture this summer. “We are working with great partners…but all the suppliers are needed to complete an aircraft, and this is still a problem. So the Kodiak 900 deliveries have just started, and we intend to have eight deliveries of the Kodiak 900 this year, and next year, it’s going to be 50 percent of the output, so 15 aircraft.”

• READ MORE: We Fly: Daher Kodiak 900

Daher fielded not one but two new turboprops in 2022—and while the Kodiak 900 looks very different on the outside from its predecessor (the 100 Series III), the other, the TBM 960, shows its significant evolution on the inside. The business end of it, the Pratt & Whitney PT6E-66XT turboprop, is on full display, but the brains, the Garmin GDL 60, only gained full signoff in July, though it had been in place on the 960 since its debut in March last year. Daher also continues to expand roles for its Kodiak 100 Series III—on tricycle gear or floats—in multimission and public service roles.

• READ MORE: We Fly: Daher TBM 960

The Piper M Class continues to perform well in the market, according to Ron Gunnarson, vice president of sales and marketing for Piper Aircraft. Gunnarson noted strong continued sales of the M500 and M600/SLS Halo introduced in late 2019 with Garmin’s Autoland on board—though he too called out the ongoing supply chain issues. “We remain in a ‘pull’ market—probably the strongest market that any of us have ever seen, including those who have been here for 30 or more years,” said Gunnarson at AirVenture. “It’s not pulling as hard as it was a year ago, but it was unsustainable. It was collapsing our traditional supply chain. It was pulling on the resources of every OEM and every major supplier.”

• READ MORE: We Fly: Piper M600/SLS Halo

Still, the push to get aircraft into customers’ hands continues. Epic Aircraft fielded the update to its certified SET, the E1000 GX, in fall 2021, and in 2022 it delivered 16 of the fast turboprop to customers. So far in the first quarter of 2023, it only shipped two units, hampered by those same supply chain constraints. Pilatus Aircraft also remains sold out into 2025 on its longevous PC-12 NGX.

• READ MORE: We Fly: Epic Aircraft E1000 GX

Sustainable aviation fuel plays a critical part in the strength of the single-engine turboprop (SET) market, as it identifies a near-term path toward net-zero emissions for these airframes, though it is hardly as easy to implement as it seems on paper. Nicholas Kanellias, vice president of general aviation for Pratt& Whitney Canada, said in a press conference at AirVenture: “We’re focusing on the future. We realize that we need to be able to optimize the engine, but [SAF] has to also be accessible for the customer base that we’ve got.”

Greater operational efficiency is also made possible by advancements in the turboprop engine that powers most SETs, the Pratt & Whitney PT6 series. Now in its “E” versions—as in the PT6E-67XP on the PC-12NGX—the powerplant is integrated with the airframe through the engine and propeller electronic control system, which streams data usable by both the pilot, Pratt & Whitney, and the airframe OEM. “[Pilots] can monitor whatever parameters they need to in order to fly the aircraft, while we monitor over 100 parameters for the engine,” said Kanellias. That greater data transparency is likely to advance turboprops toward reducing emissions as much as the net gain currently seen in using 30 percent SAF from varying sources—and in distribution worldwide that is uneven at best until better standards have been set.

Multiengine

Textron Aviation advanced the multiengine turboprop (MET) game on its own in 2021 and 2022 with the debuts of the next generation Beechcraft King Air 260 and 360/360ER to replace the 200 and 350, respectively, as well as the short-haul mount, the Cessna SkyCourier.

• READ MORE: We Fly: Beechcraft King Air 360

The King Air 260 marked a total of 35 deliveries in 2022 to best slightly the 360/ER’s total of 34 units. The SkyCourier saw six deliveries to launch customer FedEx, beginning in May 2022—but it also notched its first airline customer, Aerus, a new regional airline in Mexico, which will operate the company’s Cessna Grand Caravan EX as well.

The post Turboprops: Power Up appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Daher’s position demonstrates well the state of the global aerospace market.

“We are in a paradox situation—some are happy; some are not happy,” said Patrick Daher, board chair for the Daher group, in kicking off the company’s performance review for 2023 in Paris on February 7. “We are feeling the impact of the international situation, and then we are still recovering from COVID, but the COVID crisis is over for us…But some international threats—for example the war in Ukraine and the Middle East, the future elections, the situation in China—all these events have created a political instability that is really worrying for the future.”

Yet industry events such as the 2023 Paris Air Show indicate where the future lies—with caution as to the expense of making change. “As chairman [of] the Salon de Bourget in 2023 and chairman of Daher…I have the chance to see that energy transition is coming with a really high price,” said Daher. “Speaking about industry, we have really good news in terms of an increase in production.”

In 2023, Daher recorded strong deliveries of both its TBM and Kodiak series turboprops, with a total of 56 TBMs and 18 Kodiaks, for a total of 76 units. In addition, it counts more than 100 turboprops in its order book, taking it well into 2025.

READ MORE: Daher Delivers 100th TBM 960

An Industry Overview

At the same time, major Daher client and partner Airbus has never manufactured so many aircraft—a record number went out the door in December, as Daher noted in the report. That is in spite of the constant pressures brought on by inflation, provisioning difficulties, recruitment challenges, rise in wages, and lowering margins. Collectively these have led to soft pricing models that have persisted through the past couple of years.

“We have forgotten how to deal with such problems of inflation that we experienced 20 years ago,” said Daher. “It was really hard to find raw materials, and this was linked to geopolitical problems, [such] as the war in Ukraine. We were missing material. This lack of raw materials is linked to the mismanagement of the supply chain—the suppliers failed to ship what we needed to manufacture our aircraft—and to produce what our clients asked us to do.”

Another problem Daher noted has been the lack of employee candidates. “It is not easy to recruit the right profiles…The COVID crisis changed behaviors in terms of wages and employees, so it is really hard for us to hire and find talents.” This has driven companies like Daher to invest heavily in training—because like never before they have had to recruit from outside the aviation industry.

“All these factors in 2023—after COVID, we were expecting 2021 and 2022 to be difficult—but these problems arrived in 2023,” Daher said. “All of these factors resulted in our weakened profitability. We need to consider the energy transition and the decrease in carbon intensity…2023 highlighted the emergency but also the [convergence], vis-à-vis the problem of decarbonization.”

The Daher group considers government support crucial—specifically CORAC, the French council for civil aviation research—and 300 million euros per year have been earmarked by CORAC to help fund the energy transition. “Aviation industry, all research efforts, have converged, because in the past each company focused on a specific research field, but right now there is a really clear target: low-carbon, low-emission aircraft,” Daher said.

Eco-Pulse Update

For the French OEM, the convergence flies today via its hybrid-electric Eco-Pulse technology demonstrator, which uses a TBM airframe, electric motors and powertrain components form Saran, and electric power storage by Airbus in a distributed lift model (simply put) to test various components and how they interact in actual flight operations. The Eco-Pulse retains a Pratt & Whitney PT6A turboprop engine, but in December made its first flight segments completely powered by the six electric motors.

“It is a major step towards decarbonization,” said Daher. “Because high voltage electricity can be a good solution…we are continuing with some hybrid tests. This is the first step…People thought I was crazy [last year] when I spoke about this target [to have a marketable product by 2027], but we are headed in that direction.” It will be a TBM or Kodiak because those are the models Daher has in its portfolio, but the company has yet to determine which will be chosen and exactly what that will look like.

FLYING asked if the OEM could share any feedback—including any performance data, if possible—from those first flights. Christophe Robin, vice president of engineering for Daher’s aircraft division, provided this insight: “EcoPulse is a technology demonstrator, therefore, aircraft performance is not the goal. The EcoPulse configuration has been chosen with the strategy of increasing the level of complexity in hybridization to develop a ‘maturity picture’ for all of the technologies involved—including examining side effects such as weight penalties, as well as issues induced by HIRF (high-intensity radiated field) and lightning.”

READ MORE: We Fly: Daher TBM 960

Log’in, Shap’in, Fly’in

To support innovation efforts, Daher launched its second tech center, Log’in, in Toulouse, also geared toward decarbonization. “Out of 7 million tonnes [of carbon emissions] we realized that a big quantity is related to our clients, and we want to work on these figures [as well] in order to work on decarbonization,” said Daher.

Fly’in will be the third tech center Daher launches, in Tarbes, focused on aircraft development, “stepping up” in both technology and the drive towards net-zero emissions.

FLYING also asked Daher to expand on the current projects that have already been realized from the new technology centers and Eco-Pulse. Robin shared a portion of what the group has learned thus far, and what it expects to benefit from. 

“In addition to the aspects of EcoPulse that are linked to aircraft hybridization, another important focus is demonstrating the application of advanced composites on aircraft,” said Robin. “Under the guidance of Daher’s research and technology teams, EcoPulse is using composites for the aircraft’s winglets, engine pylons, Karman and battery fairings, as well as the air inlet—which were produced primarily with an infusion-based carbon/cork micro-sandwich. A goal of EcoPulse is to make it possible to evolve the performance and feasibility of integrating these technologies on secondary parts/components of Daher-built aircraft, while developing rapid prototyping skills used within the aviation framework.”

This is complementary to other developments underway at Daher—including projects in cooperation with partners such as CORAC (the French Council for Civil Aeronautical Research).

Pascal Laguerre, chief technology officer for Daher, provided significant insight beyond the Eco-Pulse demonstrator. “Taking a wider view for activities outside the framework of EcoPulse, Daher devotes a significant part of its overall R&D budget to thermoplastics,” said Laguerre. “This material is particularly promising in the world of aerostructures for future applications on production aircraft. It lends itself more easily to the automation of production (issue of throughput), and it is recyclable, repairable and weldable. Its mechanical properties make it possible to use less material and, overall, make structures lighter—all of which are key qualities with a view toward reducing carbon emissions. This is focused on accelerating the development of real applications in the future for the benefit of its customers, including [several more widely focused] projects.”

For example, as part of CORAC, Daher leads the largest French research project on thermoplastics in current execution, called TRAMPOLINE 2 (TheRmoplAstic coMPosites for hOrizontaL tail plaNE), as well as utilizing induction welding instead of riveting—with a weight savings of 15 percent.

Also, the investment has already borne fruit in components that will be found on the company’s current TBM product lines.

“After more than three years of R&D work, Daher succeeded in manufacturing rudder pedals in recycled high-performance thermoplastic composites from production scraps to equip the TBM, which have been certified for flight on production TBMs,” said Laguerre. “In addition to being lightweight, thermoplastics have low thermal conduction, as well as equal or better physicochemical and mechanical properties: It’s a win-win for Daher customers. And beyond the environmental benefits, the cost of these parts is significantly reduced compared to metal machining.

“In addition, Daher has obtained the first results of an R&D project called CARAC TP, carried out in collaboration with a set of academic laboratories competent in composite materials. The objective [is] to identify and characterize the thermoplastic composites best suited to aeronautical applications and compare them to thermoset materials. The project makes it possible to study materials in depth through multiple tests that go beyond the scope of qualification programs carried out in the industry: impact resistance, fire resistance, environmental aging (ozone, UV, fluids), impact of manufacturing processes on physicochemical properties, material performance, etc.”

Daher looks also outside its walls to new small businesses to help drive this innovation charge. Encouragingly, more than 300 aerospace-relevant startups took part in the Paris Air Show.

“We had 25 of these startups at the Daher stand at Le Bourget,” said Daher, noting that the company looks forward to engaging with these innovators, perhaps through acquisition or collaboration, on various projects.

WATCH: We Fly the Kodiak 900, Ready for Grand Adventures

The Takeoff 2027 Strategy

Daher reported a strengthening bottom line but noted there is room for improvement. At the press conference, Daher CEO Didier Kayat indicated the belief that Daher would become profitable based on its strategic realignment to better serve four sectors: aircraft, industry, industrial services, and logistics. The company also plans a transformation of the organizational structure by 2025, to help align and draw down any existing silos between the business functions.

To this end, Daher made a quartet of additions to its executive committee in the later part of 2023. On October 1, Alain-Jory Barthe joined Daher’s Industry division as senior vice president. Then, on January 1, Cédric Eloy became the head of the Industrial Services division as senior vice president of manufacturing services, and Julie de Cevins became the group’s chief sustainability officer—a key appointment, given the group’s charge to attain net-zero goals by 2050. Finally, on February 1, Aymeric Daher became senior vice president of the Logistics division.

Daher is adapting its organization to support the four business units, with the following actions:

• To create a managerial culture that is based in what it calls the “Daher Leadership Model”—effectively empowering a cadre of 1,500 leaders within the company to act with an entrepreneurial spirit
• To anticipate challenges and innovate toward decarbonisation solutions, with Eco-Pulse among other projects
• To support the acquisitions needed for growth across the four sectors.

Acquisitions have already borne fruit for the company, including the Stuart, Florida, facility.

“The acquisition of AAA strengthened the Industrial Services division, for example,” Daher said. “We are now the leader of industrial services…We can support aircraft manufacturers in peak periods.”

If Daher can make its way through the concurrent challenges of acquisition-driven growth, corporate restructuring, price pressures, and order fulfillment, its plan for the years ahead puts it on track to form part of the global solution to decarbonization—as well as providing the aircraft the customer demands for the future.

The post Daher’s Decarbonization Plans Drive Towards Hybrid-Electric Aircraft, Composites appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Business jet traffic rose by 9 percent from the last week of 2023 to the first week of 2024, however, the recent results were 3 percent lower than in the same period a year ago. Turboprop traffic in the first week was slightly lower than a year earlier—about 0.1 percent. Combined Part 135 and Part 91 operations were 2 percent lower than a year ago. Meanwhile, scheduled airline traffic rose 12 percent from the first week of 2023, while cargo traffic decreased by 9 percent.

• READ MORE: WingX Reports Bizjet Activity Continues To Decline

“Global business aviation activity has started the new year slightly behind comparable 2023, which itself was a rebound on locked-down January 2022. The U.S. leisure market appears to be relatively weaker during the recent holiday period,” said Richard Koe, managing director at WingX. “In Europe, the U.K. and France markets were well back on last year, but this was offset overall by strong activity in Turkey and Spain.”

In North America, business jet traffic rose by 7 percent compared with the final week of 2023 but declined by 5 percent year on year. Over the last four weeks, business jet activity is trending 3 percent lower than a year ago. Among the jet categories, super midsize and ultralong-range jets began the year 2 percent ahead year on year while super light and very light jets declined more than 10 percent, WingX said.

Looking at the U.S. business jet market reveals a clear spike in demand on January 2 due to travelers returning from holiday destinations. Traffic at the top airports reflected this notable increase with second-ranked Palm Beach (KPBI) in Florida handling just seven fewer flights than top-ranked Teterboro (KTEB) in Jersey. Miami-Opa Locka (KOPF) and Naples (KPAF) in Florida, and Van Nuys (KVNY) in California round out the top five U.S. business jet airports.

WingX said Florida is “easily the busiest U.S. bizjet state so far this month,” and New York is the top destination for those flying from Florida airports. The Embraer Phenom 300 logged the most flights out of Florida airports, while the Challenger 300 and 350 series flew the most hours.

In Europe, business jet activity increased 3 percent year on year. France surpassed 1,000 business jet flights in the first week of 2024, making it the top market, though activity was 3 percent below last year. The second-ranked U.K.’s activity fell 6 percent year on year, while business jet activity in Spain rose 26 percent.

In Asia, business jet activity declined 2 percent from a year ago, while activity rose 2 percent in the Middle East year on year. Demand for business jets has been strong in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar at the start of the year, with an increase in traffic from a year ago, while activity in Israel in the first quarter is down 32 percent year on year.

The post Global Business Aviation Starts 2024 with Year-on-Year Drop in Activity appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 2006 SOCATA TBM 850.

Many pilots will tell you how much they love their aircraft and that they were meant to be together. But when a fast, pressurized, and beautiful TBM 850 taxis by on the ramp, some will instantly want to put their old machine out to pasture.

This model appeared on the market around the same time people were buzzing about the pending arrival of the very light jets, or VLJs, that were set to shake up general aviation and change the way large swaths of the population traveled. Quite a few folks who flew the TBM 850 questioned whether anyone really needed a VLJ when this turboprop could cruise at more than 300 ktas. This and subsequent TBM models stand alone in their combination of performance, comfort, efficiency, and great looks.

This 2006 TBM 850 has 1,780 hours since new on the airframe, Pratt & Whitney PT6A-66D engine, and four-blade propeller. The updated panel includes the Garmin G600 TXi avionics package with dual PFD/MFD displays, GSU 75 ADAHRS and engine indication system, GMA 35c remote audio panel, GI 275 electronic standby, dual GTN 750 Nav/Com/GPS, GSB 15 USB charger, GTS 825 traffic advisory, GWX 75 weather radar, GFC 600 autopilot, and dual GTX 335DR/ GTX 345DR transponder. The aircraft received new paint in 2021.

Pilots looking for a single that is fast enough to keep its owner from envying small jets and comfortable enough to put smiles on the faces of family, friends, and business associates should look into this 2006 TBM 850, which is available for $1,975,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: TBM 850: A Jet With a Prop
• FLYING Magazine: TBM 850: Cargo Hauler?
• FLYING Magazine: TBM 850 Elite Goes All Glass
• Plane & Pilot: DAHER-SOCATA Delivers 40 TBM 850s In 2013
• Plane & Pilot: TBM 850 Scorching The Airways With Style
• Plane & Pilot: Hartzell‘s Composite 5-Blade Swept Prop For TBM 700/850 Recording Brisk Retrofit Sales
• AVweb: Daher Delivers Its 1,100th TBM-Series Turboprop Single To U.S. Pilot-Owner

The post This 2006 SOCATA TBM 850 Is a Handsome, Airway-Prowling ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

They represent some of our most precious resources in aviation, and a collection of more than 11,000 volunteers coordinated by the RAF have helped maintain them and promote them to the flying community.

Join FLYING’s editor-in-chief Julie Boatman as she flies in with a work crew in a Daher Kodiak 100 to experience the camaraderie and satisfaction that participating in such an important effort can bring.

Look for the full story in our feature in the latest issue of FLYING, Issue 944 for December 2023/January 2024. Subscribers will receive it in their mailbox or inbox soon.

The post We Fly: The RAF at 20 Years Into Moose Creek appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Total billings are on track to surpass 2022 as well, with $14.478 billion in airplane billings through the third quarter, and $2.695 billion in helicopter billings thus far. Totals through Q3 2022 were $14.117 billion and $2.557 billion, respectively.

• READ MORE: Aircraft Deliveries Up in Q3 Across All Segments

Positive upticks in each segment point to the resilience of the OEMs involved, in spite of lingering supply chain and workforce issues, and the compounding global instability wrought by conflict in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. With the recent appointment of a permanent FAA administrator, the industry looks to achieve better results in aircraft certification and other processes requiring agency collaboration and approval.

“General aviation is the planet’s aerospace technology incubator that drives safety and sustainability benefits to our transportation systems and economies,” said Pete Bunce, GAMA president and CEO, in a statement. “We are laser focused on safety, technology, and sustainability initiatives to maintain and expand our industry’s steadfast growth into the future. To achieve this, it is imperative that there is stability within our industry’s regulatory bodies, and having a new permanent leader at the top of the FAA is a great start. It is also essential that Congress act now to pass an FAA reauthorization bill that provides the new administrator and agency with the necessary direction and tools to strengthen and enhance the aviation system.”

Piston, Turboprop Market Strength

Drivers in the change clearly come from the lighter end of the GA space, with the increase in piston and turboprop shipments for the nine-month period coming in at 11.9 and 14.6 percent, respectively. The major piston OEMs—including Cirrus, Diamond, Piper, Tecnam, and Textron Aviation—are all on track with higher overall deliveries through the third quarter over 2022 totals, with Cirrus marking the largest gains.

On the turboprop side, Epic is still working to improve its production rate, matching last year’s year-to-date Q3 numbers with 10 deliveries thus far. Pilatus has seen the largest gain with 66 units through Q3 versus 47 over the same period, though Daher, Piper, and Textron Aviation have also posted higher numbers against 2022.

Jets Hang On

With a modest increase of 2 percent, the business jet segment has held its own, but marginally. Delays in the certification of the Dassault Falcon 6X, which finally crossed the finish line over the summer, and the Gulfstream G700—which still has not yet secured its FAA TC—provide some clues. Honda Aircraft Company has also come in below last year’s rate, with 12 delivered through Q3 as opposed to 13 through the same period last year of the HA-420. However, Embraer has pushed ahead, with 66 deliveries on the books of the Phenom 100 and 300 series, and Praetor 500/600s.

Nine-Month Aircraft Shipment and Billing (Q1 through Q3)

The post GAMA Numbers Show Continuing Health of General Aviation Market appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

MT said one of its goals in designing and manufacturing the propeller, called the MTV-4-1, is to help keep the vintage aircraft flying as airworthy parts for the original propellers are “becoming increasingly difficult” to find.

• READ MORE: Pilatus PC-12 Aircraft Meet European Noise Regs with 7-Blade Prop

The new propeller looks like the original, with a similar blade shape, but the blades are made of a natural composite and certified and tested for an unlimited lifespan, according to MT. The F-82 used for testing has helped demonstrate the propellers’ capabilities this year while flying to airshows across the U.S. The composite warbird propellers are moving through the FAA certification process.

MT is a renowned manufacturer of a range of composite propellers, including hydraulically controlled models with two to seven blades designed for engines of up to 5,000 hp and electrically controlled props with two to four blades for engines up to 350 hp. The company also makes two-blade, fixed-pitch propellers.

• READ MORE: MT Flight-Tests Propeller With 11 Blades On A Piper Cheyenne

MT said its props—30 models in all—are designed for traditional piston- and turbine-powered aircraft, ranging from motor gliders to regional airliners. They are also made for airships, hovercraft, and for use in wind tunnels.

MT holds more than 220 supplemental type certificates (STCs) and is an OEM supplier for more than 90 percent of the European aircraft industry and about 30 percent of the U.S. aircraft industry. The company said it has more than 28,000 propeller systems delivered, with more than 100,000 installations in service.

The post MT-Propeller Builds Composite Warbird Props for North American P-51, F-82 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.