For turbine operators in busy airspace, ATC may not allow climbs into the 30s or 40s for long, if at all. As an owner I would think twice about renewing my contract and go with a company who cares about its customers safety, including employees. I started looking at commercial flights, figuring SWA flies there and it would be inexpensive anyway. Villi led the way, providing an excellent demonstration. But it was not his fault that it. If this had happened at a big passenger airline, they would have been lauded for getting the aircraft to the runway. This airframe, T7-ASG, SN3007 was the first Avanti to be produced at the new manufacturing facility in Villanova DAlbenga, one year after production was moved from Genoa. It's because they MUST do it. This produced a rate of descent of just over 4,000 fpm, the maximum, as there are no flight spoilers and the gear limit is 180 knots. With the stick fully back, we reached 100 knots indicated but once again, as I released the back pressure and smoothly applied power, we recovered. I was offered a fairly large hourly credit for my cancellation, which makes sense from their perspective. Villi took control from me to give me a rest. Avantair has been a great lifeboat for many of us and, if it indeed does fail, we will grieve it. Almost immediately, Villi closed one power lever and we entered single-engine flight. I had a few seconds to get the feel of the Evo in the landing configuration before I was flaring for touchdown and gradually closing the power levers. Lastly, I suspect, and I may be mistaken, that it will turn out that there is nothing inherently wrong with the Piaggio. It was spot on. Viewing this report requires Adobe Reader be installed on your device. The company hopes to restart operations next week, but this is a serious problem. Piaggio is still making the follow-on Evowith winglets, composite propellers, and higher useful loadbut only six have been produced since 2015. Piaggios appearance at the Singapore Airshow in February lifted hopes somewhat that the design can survive. It just so happens to be one of the most unusual looking ones too. Which also begs the question as to when I have to use these flight credits by. The effect is a view that changes substantially as you point the nose up or down in various phases of flight. If materials were a conservative approach, configuration was not. Pilot Report: Piaggio Avanti Evo - Aviation International The trade off is the fact that the Avanti has jet-like runway performance limiting it to runways 5,000 feet or longer, generally, depending on weight and density altitude. Because there is no overhead panel, I had sufficient head room to allow me to clumsily maneuver myself into position. In fact, Avantair late last year took possession of the 100th Avanti delivered in the United States, which has been far and away the models best market. Again, to me, the control force on the rudder appears heavy, but effective, and the yaw is easily contained. Anyone have any or both of these checkists? Cabin dimensions are spacious compared to a Beechcraft King Air and more in line with a midsize jet. When the crew explained that MYF was below approach minimus due to the CAT B limitation, the owner used abusive language and accused them of lying. The use of alloys instead of composites was a purposeful choice for Piaggio Aero, which certified the airplane more than 20 years ago at a time when there were few successful composite models and sheet metal seemed to augur a shorter approval program than plastics did. Thanks for point that out. So we planned to visually line up with the runway on short final. Cash is cash, and paying another charter company would sink cash. Had this been a real emergency, flight deck oxygen masks are stowed outboard of each pilot seat, readily accessible. New eVTOL Aircraft Set to Co-exist Alongside Helicopters, Safran Signals 'War for Talent' within Civil Engine Aftermarket, Newly Certified HAL 228 Variant Attracts Indian Lessor, Vision Systems Brings Dimmable-window Solutions to Heli-Expo, Cessna Citation II: The 'Family Truckster', Training Providers Gear Up for AAM Market, A modest proposal to boost general aviation, FAA Should Use Its Nuclear Option To Save Americas Airports, Analyzing the GAMA 1Q10 aircraft delivery numbers, Mid-Year Aerospace & Air Transport Report. We exited left at the end, and Lorenzo cleaned the aircraft up as I got my last chance to handle the Avanti Evo while we taxied back toward the ramp. Though the very basic levers dont look as though they have reverse capability, they do, though it requires a healthy lift on the levers to get them back over the gate to provide propeller braking to slow things down on the ramp and taxiways. Likewise, when its time to take off, the pilot needs to set power carefully. Fastest Turboprop Only records that are readily Again, the landing flare was very slight, and on touchdown, Lorenzo took control, selected beta on the props and we smoothly decelerated with plenty of runway remaining. I have only been an owner for a short time but the flights I have taken have been flawless;The pilots seemed happy and very professional. My attempt to follow Villis lead to my right seat was not so graceful. But, I'm sure that you could have done much better. Weather its a Normal procedures or abbreviated checklist, Ill take them. Having briefly sampled the cruise characteristics, we discussed a simulated emergency descent to 15,000 feet for some medium-level handling. After wed checked figures at 380, we headed down briefly to FL 320 on the way back to Dallas. WebP180 Avanti General Description. 79 dated 17 Of course we do. Please contact me at the e-mail address below if you are interested. Companies in trouble do this to avoid the panic of "furlough" status. Today's grounding is the 4th time in 2 weeks they have grounded the fleet, but the previous times they had slowly returned airplanes to service. There is a lot owners don't know and it is shocking. and as I was to taxi, Villi handed over control and released the parking brake by pulling and turning the T handle by his right knee. P180 Avanti Hydraulic. So to Don, you dont happen to live in Vegas do you? Have been looking everywhere for these. WebSECTION A: GENERAL, P.180 Avanti Type Design A.I. My friend, the Captain, requested the FO remain with the passengers, who continued their verbal tirade as the Captain DID complete a postflight, although abbreviated under duress. Avantis are certified to fly as high as Flight Level 410 and maintain a low 6,600-foot cabin altitude at that level. The difference between the two, they say, is that the forward wing, while a lifting surface, is not a controllable one. They are completely disconnected from operations and maintenance and some in the operation would argue 'reality' should be added to that list. Taxi steering was selected on the column switch, and the airplane moved easily at our ramp weight of 10,800 pounds. Max cruise speed / 400 KTAS In fact, Avantair hired and added airplanes during the Great Recession. Piaggio P.180 Avanti: Owner/operator: Avantair Inc: Registration: N146SL: MSN: The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by: The twin-engine airplane departed 23 minutes behind schedule to pick up passengers at an intermediate airport. So I took them up on their offer to find me a charter flight. Piaggios appearance at the Singapore Airshow in February lifted hopes somewhat that the design can survive. Your management sucks! We know this is an extremely difficult period for our loyal employees and frustrating to our devoted owners, said Mr. Santo. Well, pretty much all sold out. I love the plane and at first the service was fine. The surface, which like the tail has a considerable amount of anhedral, is ice-protected, as is the windshield, by electric heat. I kept on the controls through a number of heading changes much up into the midteens before switching on the autopilot. Avantair loves the use of an ops check where the the crew tries to recreate the issue once and the maintenance department ignores it even after repeat issues with that same problem day after day. Fortunately that was in 2007 and we sold it right before the crash. We are enhancing our maintenance and operational infrastructure so that it surpasses every standard that applies to the aircraft we fly. The armrests, supplied for both pilots, helped prevent overcontrolling. As far as the crew that experienced the elevator loss, now you will hear the rest of the story.. Due to low ceilings at the destination airport, the crew diverted to the alternate, SAN. You can get a good 2003 model with the increased weights that make it an Avanti II for $5.3. I think that it should be obvious to everyone here that comments by Mandarin Jet and a few others should be taken with a grain of salt. My husband works for Avant and is currently wondering what's happening as well P180 Avanti Oxygen System. His record is pristine and out of Vegas, PS Albany has treated him so bad. On the Avanti, each unique characteristic of the aircraft is firmly rooted in function. First, with a far aft wing the engines two Pratt & Whitney PT6s in a pusher configuration can be mounted very far aft as well, which helps keep the interior noise low. In rapid-fire Italian, the controller told Villi we could have an approach to Runway 10 if we kept the speed up to fit in with airliner traffic. The trade off is the fact that the Avanti has jet-like runway performance limiting it to runways 5,000 feet or longer, generally, depending on weight and density altitude. We leveled off at FL350 19 minutes after takeoff, I left the torque at 75 percent, and allowed the Avanti to accelerate to Mach 0.64 with an indicated airspeed of 216 knots and a TAS of 373 knots. On approach, however, the view is excellent. Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association Find it free on the store, Powerplants / (2) 850-shp Pratt & Whitney Yes, the Captain was terminated and we lost a good pilot. For the past week, we have been undertaking extensive inspections of our fleet and our operating procedures. Design priorities of speed and efficiency often dont make for an easy-to-fly or easy-to-maintain airplane and the P180 reflects this. I am disappointed that there has been no communication out to the owners about this grounding and if you go to their website it doesn't mention anything and it looks like business as usual. They have made a challenging job fun and did their best to service our Owners and fellow employees. Could it happen to anyone else? I was pleasantly surprised at how nicely the Avanti II handles. And of course the obvious, why do they wait until I book a flight before telling me they are grounded (of course I know the answer to this, but wow, if I had just known, I could have made other plans a bit more easily). While it seems as though it might make sense to always fly at between 370 and 410, its just not possible many times. The second engine was started and after-start checks completed. @piaggiodriver, it's ok to be proud of working at a company but avantair treats its employees horribly. WebYou may request that records be sent to you (or your designee) by email, fax, or U.S. mail. I love the Piaggio and up until last week my five years worth of experience was great. An FAA spokeswoman told me that the grounding was not initiated by the agency, so Im not sure where you got this information. As with many airfields in this part of the world, terrain is a complicating factor. This extensive review underscores our commitment to safety and is necessary as we introduce higher levels of standards and accountability across all of our operations, said Avantair CEO Steven Santo. Length / 47 ft 3 in Access to the cabin is straightforward, the upper two-thirds of the door on the port side, just behind the flight deck, opens toward the nose of the aircraft, and a gust lock keeps it flush to the side of the fuselage. Piaggio P.180 AFM TC No. Both flights continued to their destinations without further incident. The main wing leading edges are deiced by hot bleed air from the P3 compressor stage, the forward wing is electrically heated via elements in the leading edge. In the end, the Avanti IIs configuration allows it to achieve light jet speeds in the same way as light jets do, by using a very small, highly loaded wing to go with a good dose of power. There are ten wholly owned Avanti EVOs in operation worldwide, according to JETNET. Like the wing, the gear is set very far back, which explains why the pull to rotate is so pronounced in the P.180. Piaggio received the first major order for the Piaggio P180 Avanti EVO from a Hong Kong-based investment company and Bravia Capital advisor in July 2014, for up to 50 Piaggio P180 Avanti EVO aircraft. The pilots asked ATC for the runway favoring winds and were told "any"runway available. Furthermore, the required pilot aircraft walkaround or preflight check of the P180 at San Diego before departure to Nevada, could not have missed the absent elevator that had fallen off before arrival, if in fact the preflight had been accomplished at all. I flew a new Avanti II out of Denton, Texas, home of Avanti completions in North America, with Piaggio Americas Grant Spigener. During this exercise, Villi described the ice detection and anti-ice system, controlled on a switch panel directly beneath the central MFD. The Avanti II, as I said, handles nicely, and this comes in handy in the pattern, where hand-flying is far easier than it is with most jets. As a public company they should be reporting this as a material issue but they appear to be dodging this issue. Its a great formula. The professional pilots at Avantair greatly appreciate our owners support and contribution to our careers and livelihoods. In reality, the P.180 is a fast, sophisticated, high-flying airplane that requires the same kinds of skills and training as any single-pilot business jet. He said the airplane was slightly right of the runway centerline and that there was a right crosswind. Let me be clear here and confirm that they are just rumors. On first glimpse, the cabin interior is impressive, with a two-place bench seat opposite the door, a single sideways-facing seat on the same side as the door and four club-arranged seats leading to a full privacy toilet. Like the Starship, the Piaggio Avanti features a canard and rear-mounted engines. But the Avanti is made mostly of aluminum, not composites. It weighs thousands of pounds less than the Starship and is about 60 m.p.h. faster. ^ Martin, Ed (29 October 1989). Did the Captain make a huge mistake doing a fast post flight after a butt-chewing from an owner? Interestingly, the windscreen de-fog system is set up for single- The engines have pneumatic boots on the intake combining with an engine particle deviator door to avoid ice entering the engine core and a warm bleed air supply to the engine oil cooler intake. But with a main cabin height of 69 inches, its easy to move about. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. I'm a fractional owner and the first I heard about this fleet grounding was 11pm last night when I got an email from owner services saying my flights for this morning at 9am and return tomorrow were cancelled. This press release was issued by Avantair late last night: AVANTAIR UPDATE ON VOLUNTARY STAND-DOWN OF OPERATIONS. Arriving at the FBO there, the crew were shocked to find the owner and his colleague outside the FBO, on the ramp, unsupervised, waiting for the aircraft to arrive. Piaggios P180 Avanti created quite a splash with its 1990 certification in the United States. A flight credit has very little value unless and until we fly again. I didnt alter it in any way I just cut and pasted what they sent me. I call it a three-surface design, with forward wing, main wing and tail. I would especially reach out to Mr. Norris and others and hope that we will be able to serve you again in the future. Passenger oxygen deploys at 13,000 feet. These actions are part of an overall strategic enhancement of the companys maintenance and operations, designed to raise Avantair to the highest levels of standards and safety.. It was fast-paced fun, and once again I had to remind myself that there were props somewhere back there, especially when I noticed our initial rate of climb was pushing 3,000 fpm. This, along with the airplanes great cabin and operating economies, has made the Avanti II the airplane that has helped create the remarkable success of charter and fractional operator Avantair, which operates 57 Avantis. This kind of range makes the P.180 a great bet as a regional airplane or one thats based in the Midwest. My friend, the Captain, requested the FO remain with the passengers, who continued their verbal tirade as the Captain DID complete a postflight, although abbreviated under duress. No sooner had we done this, when Villi took control, performed an airshow-style liftoff, and turned to clear the runway for the next aircraft. #OTD in 2017: Director of Maintenance Pleads Guilty To Obstructing an #NTSB Air Accident Investigation.https://t.co/P84ir4v0L5 #flightsafety #aviationsafety #aviationmaintenance pic.twitter.com/fA2oHltndZ, This information is added by users of ASN. As the factory-authorized training provider for these aircraft, we have created in-depth, type-specific programs to ensure that pilots and technicians are equipped with the latest in safety training. Its also remarkably wide for an airplane of its size. I found a new job about 4 weeks later! In other words two failures and occured. Inside, the cabin is conversationally quiet since the propellers are way behind the cabin. Along with the wings, the engine inlets and wing leading edge are deiced by bleed air; the tail does without, as do the props, which are heated directly by the engine exhaust blowing over them. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2018-07-18/pilot-report-piaggio-avanti-evo, Copyright 2023 AIN Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. I HOPE they make it but I'm already making plans for other options. Piaggio P.180 Avanti II: N141JT: Private: 0: Georgetown, TX: sub: 09-JUN-2018: Piaggio P.180 Avanti II: N977RS: private : 0: Tivat Airport (TIV/LYTV) w/o: 03-JAN-2019: Piaggio P.180 Avanti: N990RS: Rainbow Sandals Retail Inc. 0: 20 nm W of Kelowna, BC: Frequent heading changes are required to stay in the area and this allowed me to quickly get a feel for the Avanti. PT6A-66(B) Mr. Sabatini previously was the top career official at the FAA. He's been flying for 10 years and is available for piaggio owners FlightAware General. 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Mr. Norris and others and hope that we will be able to serve you again in the.! Pounds less than the Starship, the control force on the rudder heavy. ( 29 October 1989 ) System, controlled on a switch panel directly beneath the central MFD the pilot to... Making plans for other options asked ATC for the past week, but effective, and paying another charter would! Ii for $ 5.3 please contact me at the Singapore Airshow in February lifted hopes somewhat the! Fly as high as flight Level 410 and maintain a low 6,600-foot cabin altitude at that Level pilots... May request that records be sent to you ( or your designee by! Selected on the column switch, and higher useful loadbut only six have been lauded for getting the aircraft piaggio avanti safety record. Was issued by Avantair late last night: Avantair UPDATE on VOLUNTARY STAND-DOWN of operations have been extensive... The United States and paying another charter company would sink cash a conservative approach however... 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