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. A traffic target can be out of view in certain positions, at around 2 oclock for the left-seater or 11 oclock for the right-seater. As the airplane has both a forward and main wing, the anti-icing system is slightly more complex than other types. Findings as to risk: Companies in trouble do this to avoid the panic of "furlough" status. As we tracked toward this point, Lorenzo handed me back control for the last approach. Technology and Comfort The airplane arrived at the destination airport about 10 minutes behind schedule. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information. The sharp sweepback of the horizontal stabilizer ensures the elevators cannot be aerodynamically blanked by the main wing during a stall and thus remain effective throughout, and the main wing, with its high aspect ratio, is positioned behind the rear pressure bulkhead so that the spar does not pass through the passenger cabin, giving an uninterrupted length of 14.93 ft. On Saturday, fractional provider Avantair grounded its entire fleet of about 60 Piaggio Avanti twin turboprops to conduct a comprehensive examination of all maintenance records and aircraft. According to industry sources, the action stemmed from an incident earlier this year in which an Avantair Avanti shed an elevator in flight. They are a public company and having your fleet grounded is a material issue yet they are not disclosing this issue as far as I can tell. We have graduates from Embry-Riddle, Purdue, UND, Parks College, etc., some of the most respected aviation schools in the world. @piaggiodriver, it's ok to be proud of working at a company but avantair treats its employees horribly. Comments since yesterday, Oct. 25, seem oblivious to the safety of flight issues. All this is combined with remarkable versatility, which makes the P180 Avanti II one of the most widely used aircraft in public services such as air ambulance and air rescue missions, law enforce-ment, and flight inspections that ensure the safety of people and property. pilot operation, so when a small amount of fogging briefly appeared on my (right) screen, the clear pattern would allow the left-seat pilot adequate visibility. I asked Grant to put the gear up on positive rate of climb, and soon thereafter I called for the flaps to be retracted. WebThats why the Piaggio Aero P180 Avanti II is a green aircraft. They caught a wing and oveturned, but everyone was safe. I still recall going into one of the back hangers and see MX personal taking parts off of other P180s and putting them on other P180s. Having briefly sampled the cruise characteristics, we discussed a simulated emergency descent to 15,000 feet for some medium-level handling. We maintained 250 knots toward the runway and then, with just over four miles to touchdown, Villi pulled the power levers to idle and climbed slightly to reduce speed, which bled off quickly. This is a place worth fighting for and we will hope for the best. The anhedral of the forward wing ensures there is no aerodynamic interference with the engine intakes and assists in stall handling. Well, pretty much all sold out. P180 Avanti Ice and Rain Protection. Last night, an FAA spokeswoman told me that Avantair still has its certificate. Piaggio P.180 AFM TC No. The cabin provides a comfortable and quiet ride for passengers. At FL380, you can expect 380 KTAS on 600 pounds per hour in an Avanti II. Again, to me, the control force on the rudder appears heavy, but effective, and the yaw is easily contained. Taking back control as we lined up, Villi held the brakes using the top of the toe pedals, advanced the power levers to 97.6 percent, and we accelerated briskly to 120 knots. But as soon as Lorenzo released the back pressure and added power, the aircraft recovered and we were flying at 140 knots. The surface, which like the tail has a considerable amount of anhedral, is ice-protected, as is the windshield, by electric heat. 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. Takeoff over 50-ft obstacle (sea level) / 3,262 ft We were light and it was slightly colder than standard, both of which help boost true airspeed numbers by at least a few knots. The forward wings are designed to stall first to assist in lowering the nose at the stall, and the ventral fins also add pitch down moment. But it didn't help in the fact VNR was born in the Decade from hell. At one point, Avantair had 57 P180s in its fleet. Now, on to the rumors about the FAA pulling Avantairs certificate. The effect is a view that changes substantially as you point the nose up or down in various phases of flight. Villi led the way, providing an excellent demonstration. They "couldnt" find a charter in time (by 2pm as I had to be back), so they put me on American Airlines. If required, the fully upholstered seat has a seatbelt and can be occupied for takeoff and landing. 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. As the pitch attitude approached 12 degrees nose up, the high-low aural stall warning kicked in and buffet was felt through the airframe. We were visual and over the sea, so Villi canceled IFR and we headed toward a VFR holding point called Cogleto on the coast to the north of us. As the flaps travel, there is a nose up pitch that is easily counteracted with slight forward pressure on the column and trim. No furloughs or termination?? We took up a westerly heading for our return to Villanova. A solid red strip on the airspeed indicator shows the low-speed portion of the flight envelope beginning at 119 knots. The lower section, containing two integral carpeted steps, is released by a handle on the left and lowered into position. The owners got into another Piaggio and flew again. WebPostaccident examination revealed both nose gear tires were deflated, and the right main tire had low air pressure. The contract includes ten strict orders with options for 40 more. One thats lacking is the single FMS. The pitch trim is activated by first pushing in the thumb hat control on the outboard horn of the control wheel and then moving the switch in the desired direction. The crew arrived at the intermediate airport and quickly boarded the two waiting passengers.Theydid not perform an adequate preflight inspection and departed about 5 minutes behind schedule. WebThe Piaggio P180 Avanti II twin-engine turboprop business aircraft is the successor to the P180 Avanti, of which more than 100 have been produced since its entry into service in I would have no problem putting my family on a flight with that Captain any day. Which also begs the question as to when I have to use these flight credits by. 36 dated 11 April 2019 to the P.180 Avanti Pilot's Operating Handbook and AFM (Report 6591). The unique rear mounted turboprop engines makes the Avanti instantly recognisable. Flying may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. 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. With mid-flaps selected, the indicator in the upper left side of my PFD and on the MFD turned amber, indicating a sequencing issue. Passenger oxygen deploys at 13,000 feet. If the fleet was grounded last saturday then why were pilots sent out assignments to fly? If range is the mission, getting the Avanti up to FL410 and cruising about 300 KTAS will yield a near-1,500 nautical mile range while still cruising as fast as the competition. At 73 inches across, the width allows for great shoulder room, easy entry though the airstair door and a very comfy hard-door lavatory. Avantair has been an excellent place for many of us former FAR 121 pilots, with a lifestyle good enough that many of us do not want or, There are 2 ex-Avantair pilots based in Colorado who left Avantair for obvious reasons. 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. Whatever the outcome, it was and is an honor and a blast to serve our Owners and work with my fellow VNR employees. The sense of deceleration is noticeable, and I quickly lowered pitch to five degrees nose down and accelerated toward the Vmo of 260 knots. The propellers sit in the exhaust of the two PT6A-66B engines and so do not need any further de-icing. Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association Find it free on the store, Powerplants / (2) 850-shp Pratt & Whitney Where the two designs are in accord is that they are both largely stall proof. Talking to the military controllers and using the callsign Checker 12, we were allowed to climb freely up to FL350 as long as we stayed inside military area D91, which is an approximately 15- by 20-mile box. The seats are finished in black leather with the owners initials embossed into the headrest and with a cabin height of 5.74 ft, it is comfortable to move around the full length. He then lowered the seat and sat down. In conclusion, I would like to thank our owners nice comments here, regarding our service and professionalism. FAA and NTSB reports are only the tip of the iceburg, just imagine what hasn't been reported or swepted under the rug. The biggest problem I had was in remembering that I wasnt flying a jet and that mounted 30 feet in back of me, completely out of sight, were two turboprop engines. Try using low-flow fixtures. Thanks for point that out. The Avanti II gets its best range figures, up around 1,500 nm, at higher altitudes and lower fuel burns, and Grant told me that the range is real, commenting that What's done in the dark always comes to light. Considering the shape of the nose in front of you, this is handy, because the runway stays in easy view the entire time. Shortly before departure, Villi advised me that the autopilot function of the APS-300 flight guidance system was not available. The original $5.00 stock traded at .11 cents today, a loss of 98% of its value. To avoid the possibility of the aircraft entering a deep stall, the horizontal tail is swept back to keep the elevators out of the turbulence produced by the main wing and thus maintain elevator authority. 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. My attempt to follow Villis lead to my right seat was not so graceful. The plan appeared to be working well until Genoa ATC advised of a 45-minute hold at GIKUT for an instrument approach. Piaggios P180 Avanti created quite a splash with its 1990 certification in the United States. It is not like we get copied on FAA directives to know they weren't being followed (which I still don't know to be the case, but it certainly makes sense), much less that they even existed. Of course we do. My big concern is that this is just a smoke screen for bigger financial issues and that my share is in jeopardy. If not, we hope that you find safe, efficient, and cost-effective travel options in the future. I wont get into the details of it here, but suffice it to say Grant was busy with taking notes as I flew the airplane. So we planned to visually line up with the runway on short final. On approach, however, the view is excellent. Ask yourself this: why would the company voluntarily ground the whole fleet to do audits/inspections all at the same time? Of course, with higher operating weights you wont be able to carry as much fuel or, hence, get as much range, though the truth is that most flights in a 400-knot airplane are less than 1,000 nm anyway, and with a thousand-mile range as the target, you can liberally load the P.180. To date, of the aircraft in the fleet that have been inspected, there have been no compliance or airworthiness issues. Of course I didn't totally learn my lesson as now I might be stuck with an Avantair share! At that level we were seeing 380 knots or Mach 0.664 on 600 pounds of jet-A per hour, not per side but total. Maybe if they remove your management and replace them with people who have a decent education to run a business and a training department that trains it's pilots to succeed by helping them understand their job to proficiency. Thanks guys, It has delivered nearly 200. Once level, we were rewarded with what was nearly the top speed of the P.180, which was consistently 395 knots bumping up to that magical 400-knot figure on a couple of occasions, those figures at around 800 pounds per hour total. With a top speed of 400 knots (Avanti II/Evo), these airplanes cruise as much as 100 knots faster than traditional turboprops. It is, instead, a forward wing. As an owner I would think twice about renewing my contract and go with a company who cares about its customers safety, including employees. To remain within our area of operation I was required to roll on 60 degrees of bank, which again demonstrated the airplanes maneuverability. Piaggios appearance at the Singapore Airshow in February lifted hopes somewhat that the design can survive. I love the Piaggio and Avantair has always been great to work with, but now I am concerned about my share and their financial situation. I hope the problems get resolved quickly and I look forward to future flights. 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. Grant handled the radio tuning. So to Don, you dont happen to live in Vegas do you? If materials were a conservative approach, configuration was not. But with a main cabin height of 69 inches, its easy to move about. On Saturday, fractional provider Avantair grounded its entire fleet of about 60 Piaggio Avanti twin turboprops to conduct a comprehensive examination of all Unlike what I think of as a canard, in the Avanti the elevator is back on the tail and the ailerons are on the trailing edge of the wing, along with some very serious flaps, which are designed to deploy slowly so as not to cause a dramatic pitch change they succeed at that, by the way. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. When the crew tried to explain that MYF was below approach minimus due to the CAT B limitation, the owner used abusive language and accused them of lying. 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. His record is pristine and out of Vegas, PS Albany has treated him so bad. Taxi steering was selected on the column switch, and the airplane moved easily at our ramp weight of 10,800 pounds. Gulfstream Aerospace Celebrates 25 G700 Speed Records, A New Pilot Gets an Accelerated Course in Flying, Your Ideal Aircraft Might Be the One That's Easy To Fly, FAA Documentation Concerns Halt Boeing 787 Deliveries, Piper Reports 15 Percent Rise in Aircraft Deliveries, Cessna Citation Special Olympics Airlift Set to Take Off, Photos: Arizona Storm Destroys Dozens of Airplanes. pilots. 2023 Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Air Force looks toward automation with Reliable Robotics, Boeing, NASA to develop sustainable airliner. Yes, the Captain was terminated and we lost a good pilot. Everyone at the company expects to be unemployed very soon. I was offered a fairly large hourly credit for my cancellation, which makes sense from their perspective. Acceleration feels fast, but steering through the rudders is positive and smooth, though it requires an easy touch to avoid darting about. The one posted under SEC filings on www.avantair.com shows a sentence between the last and next to last sentences that is missing from your release. Its a hard transition for a pilot coming back to PT6s after having flown modern fadec turbofans from Williams and, yes, from Pratt & Whitney. Like the wing, the gear is set very far back, which explains why the pull to rotate is so pronounced in the P.180. One smart thing I did do was I bought my share as a resale thru a vendor and paid a whole lot less then I would have if I bought straight from Avantair. The external baggage area is not pressurized. RMR, if you are in Vegas, have you looked at AirSprint as an alternative? The airplane has been constantly improved over the past decade, with new interiors, higher max takeoff weight, higher Vmo and avionics upgrades galore. #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. That all changed in 2003 when Avantair put the design thoroughly on the map in the United States as a successful fractional-ownership provider of Avantis. Villi selected the Rockwell Collins RTA-800 weather radar on his nav display via the display control panel down the side of the PFD, to monitor a cell just inland. Its also placed very far back on the fuselage, which allows a few important design features. Lorenzo recycled the flaps back up and when he recycled them down, the indicator glowed green. As we approached this, Lorenzo increased the back pressure and stopped trimming at 1.5 times the stall speed. source: He sighted the runway at 50 ft above the missed approach point. Willing to purchase them from you. But the action quickly becomes second nature, and an aural pip sounds in the headset to confirm pitch trim movement. This story is already out of date, as of today, 10/25/12, the entire is fleet is grounded for the foreseeable future. The Avanti EVO is the fastest turboprop available currently. The main wing of the airplane is very small (172.2 square feet, slightly less than a Cessna 210s) and very highly loaded. The folks behind Piaggio have long claimed that the Avanti is exceptionally quiet inside, throwing out a 68 dBA number that never seemed credible. While canard configurations like the Beechcraft Starship were gaining a lot of attention back then, the exotic Avanti begged to be even more different with its three-lifting-surface arrangement versus the canards tail-forward setup. Design priorities of speed and efficiency often dont make for an easy-to-fly or easy-to-maintain airplane and the P180 reflects this. The other huge advantage of the configuration is that it opens up the fuselage, allowing a cabin that is closer to that of midsize jets than light jets. I suspect, that they may be going over all documents now for a variety of reasons. Furloughs.too bad. 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. Avanti II appeared for the 2006 model year with higher thermodynamically rated engines. At 10:21:49, there was 1000 feet of vertical separation and 0.9 nautical miles of lateral separation between the two aircraft. 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. Space laundry washing throughout the week. 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. I for one an very hopeful this whole episode will be behind us soon and that the company becomes gets stronger. We climbed out steeply at a pitch angle of around 10 degrees with mid-flaps, which gives 13 degrees on the forward wing and 10 degrees and 20 degrees on the outboard and inboard main wing flaps, respectively. I used the Rockwell Collins CDU-3000 to make inputs to the FMS as I programmed an ILS approach with a transition at position GIKUT and engaged NAV for Villi. They have made a challenging job fun and did their best to service our Owners and fellow employees. The professional pilots at Avantair greatly appreciate our owners support and contribution to our careers and livelihoods. P180 Avanti Hydraulic. P180 Avanti Oxygen System. With our new processes and procedures, Avantair will satisfy the heightened requirements governing the largest aircraft types in our industry. Interestingly, the windscreen de-fog system is set up for single- With all of these maitenence issues and issues regarding fudging pilot hours so they would be legal is scary. Villi started the starboard Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66B as I settled in and set up my voice recording device and GoPro camera connected via a splitter cable to my headset. For Genoa this means an ILS approach onto Runway 28, and if the wind is from the east, as it was for our flight, a circling approach. Answer that yourself, but I'm sure that Mandarin would never miss such a thing with yelling passengers, taxiing aircraft, moving tugs, stress, noise, etc.. The difference between the two, they say, is that the forward wing, while a lifting surface, is not a controllable one. P180 Avanti Pressurization System. As we climbed, the Vmo of 260 knots was displayed at the top of the speed tape on the PFD and the climb speed was maintained at 160 knots, reducing by one knot for every 1,000 feet above FL300. In other words two failures and occured. Villi and I then headed to Genoa for some instrument approaches. They are understandably bitter and we don't blame them.). 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. The trim control on the rear of the center console is in the shape of a pear drop, and initially I was not certain whether the tail of the pear indicates the direction of trim; or if its the circular top. Piaggio can do it, too. Villi switched on the V-bar flight directors on the PFD of the Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 flight instruments, selected flight level change (FLC), and synchronized the heading with a button push on the FGP on the glareshield. 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. Seats / up to 11 Unfortunately, ill-fated business and maintenance practices eventually led to its bankruptcy in 2013. We are not infallible, and mistakes have definitely been made, but we do not deserve the acrid bile from those on this board who have obvious agendas and would celebrate our downfall. Yes, it does have three lifting surfaces, a T-tail and two pusher propellers but its how they are put together that is the important thing. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2012-10-23/avantair-grounds-entire-fleet-safety-checks, It was ground the fleet for inspection or get shutdown my the FAA. Thank you! And while I have spoken mainly about our pilots, I would like to commend my fellow employees, especially maintenance, in the other departments. If Avantair doesn't do this, FAA will shut them down. It was spot on. 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. We are grateful for their understanding and patience as we work through this important process. The price of the latest Piaggio P180 Avanti EVO is US $ 7.7 Million. Then, Cessna built a tougher Citation which you see today - more ready for fractional use. I was told my aircraft was on extended maintenance (whatever that meant, now I know). Vref lists the value of a 1990 P180 at $846,600 ranging up to $6.1 million for a 2019 Avanti Evo. In simpler terms, that means the engines maintain their 850 shaft horsepower to a higher altitude thereby increasing true airspeed of the airplane through the thinner air. Copyright 2023 Flying Media. We rotated at 105 knots, which is pretty darned fast for a turboprop, using about half of the available 7,000 feet at KDTO.

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