Tecnam announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded a full Type Certificate to the P-MENTOR with the number A00067IB for Part 23 of the FAA Regulations. The aircraft manufacturer is now on track to begin deliveries to flight schools across the United States, starting with the first (20) to HCH Aviation in partnership with Stephen F. Austin State University in Austin, Texas, followed by Kilo Charlie Aviation in New Century, Kansas and EpicSky Flight Academy in Des Moines, Iowa.
The P-Mentor is a two-seat aircraft, powered by the Rotax 912isC3, featuring the Garmin G3X IFR touch screen suite with PBN/RNAV/AFCS capabilities, compliant with the latest CS-23 EASA & FAA amendments. The Mentor is a turnkey solution for many flight schools to train students from their first flight up to their CPL-IR on a single platform. With a variable pitch propeller, a simulated retractable landing gear and an optional ballistic parachute, the P-Mentor has everything flight schools are looking for in today’s market. The P-Mentor is designed to offer the best human-machine interface, resulting in the most effective and efficient VFR/IFR training. The generous fuel capacity will allow flight schools to fly all day without refuelling, which improves operational value. The P-Mentor’s fuel consumption is just 3.70 US Gal/h (14 lt/h) contributing to a very low cost of operations averaging $65 per hour.
The P-Mentor allows complete PPL, IR and UPRT training, with approved PBN/RNAV as well as AFCS: the entire training syllabus with unprecedented fuel consumption and emissions, further enhancing the renowned profitability of the Tecnam-made fleet. The entry into service of the P-MENTOR two-seater IFR training aircraft has been eagerly awaited by a large number of flight schools who have been demanding a replacement for the many hundreds of “legacy” FAR23/CS23 IFR training aircraft currently in service around the world. This aircraft will open up many profitable opportunities within the flight training market and revolutionize the training paradigm. Source: ‘Tecnam‘.