The aircraft, also known as the E-freighter, was developed to replace the smaller and less efficient cargo carriers currently in use.

The FAA stamp follows the E-freighter certification by the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC) in July. The aircraft is expected to achieve European certification through the European Union Aviation Safety Agency later this year.

“FAA certification is an important milestone in our passenger-to-freighter conversion program,” Martyn Holmes, chief commercial officer for Embraer Commercial Aviation, said in a statement. “We are excited to enter this market, filling a gap that has evolved in the market to meet the growing demand globally for faster deliveries, not just to metro areas, but to all regions. With our E-Jet footprint across the U.S. and worldwide, we are offering optimum cargo solutions to our customers for this connected world.”

According to Embraer, E-Jets converted to freighters will have over 40 percent more volume capacity and three times the range of large cargo turboropers with up to 30 percent lower operating costs than larger narrow body jets already in use. The company states the maximum structural payload for the E190F is 13,500 kilograms, or 29,762 pounds.

Embraer established the E190F program in May 2022 with the mission of developing an aircraft to address the evolving needs of “e-commerce and modern trade, which require fast deliveries and decentralized operations driving the demand for faster delivery of shipments to regional markets.”

The E-freighter was first flown in April and made its first public appearance at the U.K.’s Farnborough Airshow in July.

Correction: This story was updated on October 16, 2024, to correct the maximum structural payload of the E190F.

The post FAA Certifies Embraer E190F appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The manufacturer of the popular training aircraft made it official Tuesday at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

During the announcement, which was made at the Diamond Aircraft booth, Lirio Liu, executive director of the FAA’s Aircraft Certification Service, handed the certificate to Diamond Aircraft’s management team.

“What an amazing day,” said Liqun (Frank) Zhang, CEO of Diamond Aircraft Group and Diamond Aircraft Austria. “Our revolutionary DA50 RG is getting overwhelmingly high praise from everyone that flies it. Its combination of cabin size, utility, performance, and efficiency, paired with environmentally friendly jet fuel engines, make it an ideal aircraft for the U.S. market.”

Zhang noted the DA50 will be a good addition to the existing Diamond used by so many flight schools around the world.

“We have been eagerly waiting for this next milestone and are extremely proud to be offering this great aircraft alongside our popular singles and twins,” said Zhang. “We’d also like to congratulate Continental Aerospace Technology on receiving FAA certification for the CD-300 jet fuel engine, powering our fantastic DA50 RG.”

According to Diamond Aircraft, there are already several orders for the DA50 on the books. The first DA50 was delivered Tuesday to Premier Aircraft Sales, a U.S. dealer of Diamond, and Jordan Cram accepted it on behalf of the company.

“The DA50 RG is a perfect match for sustainability, performance, and design requirements,” Cram said. “The excellent fuel economy combined with jet fuel made me feel better about carbon impact, and the balance of function and form is just unparalleled. We’re going to be up in the air a lot.”

Said Kevin Sheng, CEO of Diamond Aircraft Canada: “This is truly an amazing day. We are here to not only celebrate the Diamond DA50 RG receiving FAA certification but also the delivery to Mr. Cram. We are truly fortunate to be able to share this with all of our friends here at Oshkosh AirVenture 2023, and we are so proud that Mr. Cram has joined the Diamond Aircraft family. We know he will love the performance, comfort, economy, and safety that his new DA50 RG will provide.”

Since May, the DA50 RG has been touring the U.S. Pilots from all over the country have had the opportunity to experience the aircraft up close. The tour continues until the end of September.

The post Diamond Aircraft Receives FAA Certification for DA50 RG appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

To be clear, that statement applies to worst-case scenarios. About 90% of pilots leave their AME appointment with a medical certificate already in their hands. Many with significant but well- controlled medical conditions will wait less than three months for the FAA to make their decision.

Worst-case scenarios are ones with multiple conditions or ones associated with significant aviation safety concerns. Recent heart attacks, previous strokes, heart valve replacements, insulin-dependent diabetes, depression or anxiety treated with medication, other conditions of similar severity, or a combination of them will fall into that category.

Even with those conditions, the FAA will generally provide a decision in less than six to twelve months. It will not always be the decision pilots want, but with a few exceptions, those who wait longer are waiting for another reason.

What’s Behind the Horror Stories?

You do not have to look far to find a story on the internet about a pilot who waited years for a medical certificate only to give up and stop trying. Often those stories include a frustrating statement to the effect that, “I sent them everything they asked for, and they kept asking for more.”

There is truth behind those stories, but there are also misconceptions. Most of the misconceptions have to do with this: the doctors at the FAA’s Aeromedical Certification Division (AMCD) never actually see pilots in person. Instead, they rely on the notes provided by the pilots’ doctors to decide if they are safe to fly an airplane. When those notes are incomplete or contradict each other, AMCD reviewers need more information to make a decision. Similarly if one of those notes adds previously unknown, and concerning, information, they will want more information on that as well. 

From the time you start your MedXPress application and especially when providing medical records about complex medical conditions, it is up to you to make sure that your application tells a complete and consistent story. One of the best tools to do that is a good current detailed clinical progress note from your physician(s).

What is a Current Detailed Clinical Progress Note?

A clinical progress note is a note that every doctor should be trained to write. They might not immediately recognize what the FAA is asking for when you first discuss it with them. If the term “progress note” does not register, try asking for a “complete history and physical” or “SOAP note.” If that doesn’t work, RUN! Find another doctor! One who does not understand what those terms mean or is unwilling to provide a document that meets that standard can only delay your medical certificate application.

[Credit: Shutterstock]

For FAA purposes, the note must be signed by a board certified physician. There are many other highly skilled health care professionals who provide excellent care. You might see a physician associate or nurse practitioner who knows more about your healthcare than any physician. It does not matter. For FAA purposes the note must come from a physician.

The progress note should ideally exist as part of your medical record. It is different from an “After Visit Summary” or “Patient Summary” which you might also see in some online patient portals. Your doctor’s administrative staff should be able to help you locate it.

Elements of a Good Note

A progress note is what doctors use to communicate with each other about your care. Formatting varies somewhat, but in order to meet the FAA’s standard, it must include the following information:

• A history of the condition being treated
• All current medications and doses
• Whether or not you experience any medication side effects
• Physical exam findings
• Results of any tests performed to evaluate the condition
• Your specific diagnosis including something called an ICD-10 code
• A clear assessment regard the status of your condition and how it affects you
• A clear plan regarding how it is treated
• A clear statement about how your doctor plans to follow-up with you or monitor the condition

Letters from your doctor DO NOT replace progress notes. Letters that amplify information contained in your medical record may help to expedite your medical certification decision. The note your doctor provides is the only way that AMCD has to evaluate your medical issues. Missing information, inaccuracies, or ambiguity will generate questions.

Fine Print and Terminology

When it comes to FAA medical certification, the word “current” means within 90-days preceding your AME or any time after it. There are several exceptions to that rule-of-thumb that are clearly spelled out in the FAA’s Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners. Unless one of those exceptions applies to you, nothing prior to 90-days before your AME appointment will be considered in support of your medical certificate.

The term “detailed” is more subjective. Its inclusion in the FAA’s guidance mostly serves to emphasize that they actually want your doctor to document their considered opinion in a way that shows they spent some effort thinking about your particular situation. As one example, an assessment for high blood pressure that says “htn controlled with prescription medication” is not detailed.

A detailed assessment should look more like this: “43-year-old male with essential hypertension and no other modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. He takes 20mg of Lisinopril per day and his average blood pressure is 125/78. No concern for undiagnosed comorbid conditions or indication for work-up at this time. He should follow-up annually for routine monitoring.”   

The difference should be obvious. While obvious, the first one may be all the doctor cares about for their own reference, but the second one is vital to your certification.

Avoiding Certification Delays 

Progress notes that do not meet these standards slow things down. Visit summaries, notes by non-physicians, notes that lack sufficient detail, old notes, and letters provided in lieu of progress notes will all delay your application.

You can probably identify most deficiencies on your own. If you want to take the guesswork out of your FAA medical certification and avoid any unnecessary delays, visit our website and schedule a free consultation to find out more.  

The post Avoid Medical Certification Delays appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Joby’s JAS4-1 eVTOL is designed with a maximum takeoff weight of 4,800 pounds, capable of carrying four pilots and four passengers. It uses six tilting electric engines with 5-blade propellers attached to a conventional wing and V-tail. 

According to the FAA, the Joby Model JAS4-1 has the characteristics of both a helicopter and an airplane and will serve Part 91 and Part 135 operations. 

In October, Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) announced a $60 million upfront equity investment in Joby to provide a ‘multi-year, multi-market commercial and operational partnership’ between the two. Pending certification, Joby would provide a premium home-to-airport shuttle service for Delta’s customers in select launch markets. Delta also said it would expand the investment to as much as $200 million, pending certain performance milestones by Joby.

• READ MORE: Delta, Joby Aviation Partner to Launch Home-to-Airport eVTOL Shuttle

The document has a 30-day comment period for public and industry stakeholders. The FAA said it invited interested people to partake in developing the proper airworthiness criteria for the Joby Model JAS4-1 powered lift by sending written comments, data, or views. 

“The most helpful comments, reference a specific portion of the airworthiness criteria, explain the reason for a recommended change, and include supporting data,” the agency said.

The update comes at an essential time for Joby, who last week said it was delaying the commercial service launch of its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) services until 2025, in part, because of regulatory hurdles.

• READ MORE: Joby Aviation: No Type Certification Delays Expected from FAA’s Modified Approach

Joby CEO JoeBen Bevirt told his company’s investors on an earnings call that the company was waiting on the FAA to publish special federal aviation regulations (SFARs), which are necessary in order for eVTOL companies to have a clear pathway to certification.

The post FAA Reveals Airworthiness Criteria for Joby’s JAS4-1 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The report, published Thursday by Aviation Week, suggests Calhoun may be willing to play a high stakes game of chicken with Congress over whether to offer deadline relief for the aircraft formerly known as the 737 Max 10. 

“The [737-10] is a little bit of an all-or-nothing,” Calhoun told Aviation Week. “This is a risk I’m willing to take. If I lose the fight, I lose the fight.”

Boeing did not immediately respond to FLYING’s request for comment.

Calhoun’s comments are just the latest episode in the saga of the Boeing 737 Max Program, which combined elements of an existing aircraft design with new, more fuel efficient LEAP-1B CFM International engines. Without providing pilot training, Boeing included a new maneuvering characteristics augmentation system (MCAS) in the airplane’s flight controls to compensate for the aerodynamic characteristics of the new engines. Accidents involving 737 Max 8 variants in Ethiopia and Indonesia killed 346 passengers and crew.

Shortly afterward, the airplanes were grounded worldwide for nearly two years until the MCAS could be updated and the airplanes recertified. An agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve a criminal charge related to allegations of conspiring to defraud the FAA resulted in Boeing agreeing to pay more than $2.5 billion in penalties, compensation, and a fund for victims’ families. 

“If you go through the things we’ve been through, the debts that we’ve had to accumulate, our ability to respond, or willingness to see things through even a world without the -10 is not that threatening,” Calhoun told Aviation Week.

Boeing would cancel 737-10 before updating flight crew alerting to meet current rules, as year-end deadline would require for all newly certified air transports, CEO Dave Calhoun tells @aviationweek. “If I lose the fight, I lose the fight.” More ()https://t.co/6HbWcz9S6b

— Sean Broderick (@AvWeekSean) July 7, 2022

“This must be either a desperately incompetent form of bluffing, or he really just wants to destroy the company,” veteran aviation industry analyst Richard Aboulafia told FLYING on Thursday. “I’m not sure what a third explanation would be. I mean, this is a vitally important variant.”

If Boeing fails to receive FAA certification for the new aircraft by the deadline, it would be required to redesign the flight deck to include a new alerting system which would differ from Boeing’s other 737 Max variants—the 737-7, 737-8, and 737-9. Along with additional costs for development and testing, the move would very likely require pilot training to use the new system. 

In 2020, Congress passed legislation giving Boeing two years to obtain FAA type certification unless it follows with new flight-crew alerting system requirements. A more rigorous FAA certification process is one reason why meeting the deadline has become a challenge. 

Technical Advisory Boards

The FAA continues to make moves aimed at strengthening oversight of new aircraft designs. In February, the agency announced it would expand its use of independent technical advisory boards (TAB) in the certification process for commercial airliners, smaller aircraft, helicopters, and drones. TABs were formed for the recertification of the 737 Max and for Boeing’s new 777X widebody airliner which is under development. 

Stiff Competition

The 737-10—the largest variant of the 737 Max family—seats up to 230 passengers and competes with the Airbus A321neo, which entered service with Virgin America in 2017.

• READ MORE: We Flew on Delta Air Lines’ New Airbus A321neo

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, which just began commercial service with A321neos last May, is reportedly close to a deal with Boeing to buy up to 130 737-10 jets, according to The Air Current, quoting unnamed sources. Boeing already has orders for more than 600 737-10s from 18 customers including United Airlines, according to Aviation Week. 

Abandoning the 737-10 might increase resources that could be directed at developing a new clean-sheet Boeing airliner. The 737-10 “is Boeing’s only hope for competing with the A321neo unless they launch a completely new jet,” said Aboulafia, a managing director at AeroDynamic Advisory. Another potential ripple effect of Boeing walking away: The reduced competition for Airbus might trigger a price hike for the A321neo. It will be interesting to observe how Calhoun’s bold strategy might affect the price of Boeing’s stock.

‘Could They Get a Waiver?’

With all the money, jobs, and investments at stake, Calhoun’s apparent willingness to abandon the 737-10 raises pressure on Congress to give Boeing relief from the deadline. “Could they get a waiver? Probably not. But it’s possible,” Aboulafia said. Theoretically, Boeing could present lawmakers with an alternative that allows for a new flight crew alerting system, followed by a retrofit.

The powerful chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon), has already said he is against such a move. DeFazio is planning to retire from Congress next year. 

“DeFazio has made it very clear the answer is ‘no,’” said Aboulafia. “Getting past that—the optics aren’t great. The FAA is under the gun. They know that. Congress is kind of under the gun. Everyone’s under the gun.”

Calhoun told Aviation Week that Boeing makes a strong justification for certificating the 737-10 without an enhanced crew-alerting system.

“We’ll make that case to all parties, and I believe the outcome is going to be favorable and that we’re going to have a [737-10] flying out there, regardless of timing,” Calhoun told the online magazine. “I don’t expect [to cancel the program], and I don’t want anybody to think that. It’s just a risk.”

Les Abend, a retired, 34-year veteran pilot with American Airlines, offered a view from the flight deck. 

“The fundamental stretching of the original 1964 design 50 feet longer requires at least the current iteration of the now-infamous MCAS system,” Abend said. “How much further can you stretch an old design and call it the same model airplane? When the flight characteristics created by the stretched airplane have to be compensated for by new technology, isn’t it time for a clean sheet prototype?” 

Abend suggested an outside-the-box alternative, pointing out that the 737-10 is only 12 feet shorter than a Boeing 757-200. “Why not re-establish that fuselage production, add LEAP engines, and update the cockpit? The Boeing 747SP was the shorter, successful variation of the 747.”

He added, “Setting aside the myriad of economic consequences in scrapping certification for the 737-10, perhaps the Max taught us all a simple lesson. Safety first.”

The post Report: Boeing CEO Isn’t Ruling Out Canceling 737-10 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The California-based eVTOL developer announced Friday it has received approval from the FAA of its first systems review and compliance review.

The approvals provide Joby with a thumbs up from regulators regarding Joby’s “development approach, preliminary production design, and defined path toward certification,” the company said in a statement. 

• READ MORE: Joby Claims Fastest Flight Yet of eVTOL Aircraft

Systems involved in the FAA review included controls for flight, propulsion, and battery management. The compliance review assessed how Joby is developing and verifying its aerospace-grade software and airborne electronic hardware. 

Joby is among a handful of eVTOL developers currently test-flying full-sized prototypes of small, electric aircraft that can takeoff and land vertically and fly horizontally. The company has been flying full-sized prototypes since 2017 and completed more than 1,000 test flights of its five-seat, tilt-rotor aircraft. Joby’s eVTOL is expected to enter service in 2024. 

“The safety of modern aircraft owe much to rigorous, well-defined and repeatable development and verification processes,” said Joby’s development assurance lead Tom Ferrell in a statement. “Successfully completing our first system review and compliance review demonstrates that Joby’s engineering practices are maturing to a level where they can be applied for the most demanding safety-critical development while producing all the required certification data to prove our design to one of the world’s toughest and most respected regulators.

“We will now proceed to the second round of reviews, which focus on the outputs of Joby’s development process, including validation of certification requirements, design capture, and implementation of that design in both hardware and software,” Ferrell said.

The announcement comes days after Joby announced it had finished its initial series of FAA conformity tests. The tests are designed to confirm the strength of the composite materials that are used to construct the aircraft’s aerostructure. 

The post FAA Approves Joby Aviation Initial Systems and Compliance Reviews appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Getting a commercial certificate is particularly fun if you’ve been practicing instrument flying. It’s great to be oriented outside the airplane again. The commercial training takes you back to the joys of basic airmanship with a series of visual flight maneuvers designed to help you demonstrate your skill at handling the airplane.

With your commercial—and improved flying skills—you will get deep satisfaction and pride from every movement of the airplane. Your enhanced planning, coordination and timing will allow you to put the airplane where you want it smoothly and gracefully, as well as give your passengers confidence that their pilot is the obvious master of the aircraft.

And who knows? You may decide you do, indeed, want to make a living at one of those jobs where the pilot is being compensated—jobs such as conducting sightseeing flights, being a corporate or agricultural pilot, and banner towing, pipeline patrol or traffic reporting.

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post Is a Commercial Pilot Certificate Worth the Effort? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Epic Aircraft CEO Doug King said, “We are also seeing benefits from the Hartzell 5-blade including improved speed, climb, range, payload and takeoff performance.” He added that the aircraft has been delivering quieter operations both inside and outside the cabin. The company said in news release, “The Hartzell 5-blade propeller provides stronger, composite resin-injected blades that allow for a thinner, wider airfoil which optimizes flight performance, offering faster takeoff acceleration and enhanced speed, versatility and comfort.

“Epic Aircraft received FAA TC for its original E1000 model in November 2019. Powered by the Pratt & Whitney 1,200-horsepower PT6A-67A engine, the all-carbon fiber single-engine turboprop delivers cruise speeds over 333 knots, climbs at 4,000 feet per minute, and operates up to 34,000 feet, with a maximum payload over 2,200 pounds and a full fuel payload of 1,100 pounds.”

The original Epic E1000 received Flying’s 2020 Innovation Award, which recognizes the most innovative product to have reached the general aviation market in the previous year. Flying will present the award to Epic Aircraft at EAA AirVenture on July 26 in a special ceremony, after being delayed a year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Customer deliveries begin in July, based on the GX price of $3.85 million.

The post Epic Aircraft’s E1000 GX Earns Its FAA Type Certificate appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Three major themes took center stage on February 19, 2020, at the annual meeting of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Leaders from OEMs and a broad range of associations and industry executives met for GAMA’s release of its 2019 sales report—but the increase in shipments and billings for the year across most sectors was only half of the story.

Total deliveries across all segments reached a value of $26.8 billion, up from $24.3 billion in 2018. Piston and turbine segments showed increases, while the turboprop and helicopter segments were down overall. Once GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce walked the room through the key figures from the report, he moved on to reflecting on the past year, and illuminating the cooperative efforts of the industry in several critical areas important to preserving general aviation’s future.

“All of us in this room—we all played a role in meeting the ADS-B mandate,” said Bunce. “It was a joint effort with our partners in the FAA …manufacturers, customers, AEA… and just like Y2K, the world didn’t stop when we hit 1 January,” noting the continued work required in Europe and other parts of the world to reap the clear safety benefits offered by the service. As a result of the mandate, the Aircraft Electronics Association reported strong growth in the avionics market—growth it hopes to continue beyond the ADS-B milestone.

The first of the themes Bunce highlighted was GA’s economic impact, including workforce development, and Bunce credited the efforts of the various associations in attendance with working together to encourage the industry’s importance within the US economy. Beyond the numbers, Bunce talked about the projects GAMA and others are working on to put stories out there to reach the general public with aviation’s critical impact. A study by PricewatershouseCoopers was commissioned by a consortium of associations, including AEA, AOPA, EAA, GAMA, HAI, NATA, and NBAA, to use in this mission.

Next, the long-term effects of the Boeing 737 Max crisis show potentially severe—and in fact devastating—impact on aircraft certification programs across general aviation. In a panel of OEM leaders, also including Brad Mottier from GE Aviation, Michael Amalfitano from Embraer, David Coleal from Bombardier, and David van den Langenbergh of Luxaviation, Textron Aviation’s president and CEO Ron Draper outlined specifically how the manufacturer has developed its ODA program in close concert with its FAA counterparts—and Bunce presented a diagram he uses for crafting talking points with members of Congress to explain the complexity of the process. Bunce reported on how the general media has oversimplified the certification issue, and the GA industry stands to lose not only a good partnership with the FAA, but indeed its very ability to produce new aircraft as a result of potentially rolling back current certification programs.

Entrants into the market followed mostly traditional platforms, but Bunce also highlighted the development of electrically powered aircraft, and other innovative solutions to sustainability—a third big theme of the meeting. “It is going to change our world, and it’s going to happen faster than we realize,” said Bunce, talking about the development of electric aircraft and other projects using alternative fuels and propulsion. “There are a lot of naysayers out there, that are policy wonks and everything, but I’m telling you that if you go out there and see the money that’s flowing into this industry right now,” the picture is clear. Sustainability also brought forth passionate commentary from the panel of OEM leaders. Coleal, president of aviation for Bombardier, and Amalfitano, president and CEO of Embraer Executive Jets, each highlighted their company’s efforts to promote sustainable aviation fuels and materials. Coleal pointed out that SAFs are a drop-in replacement for jet-A, already ASTM compliant— and Amalfitano noted the “tree of life” approach that Embraer now takes to producing aircraft components, each with a sustainability objective in mind.

For a closer look at the numbers, see the full report. Piston shipments marked a significant increase, up 16.4%, with billings up by 20.2%. Bunce said, “This is the largest number we’ve had shipped since 2008, and the reason for the growth is from the training market.” We’ve seen more than 250,000 piston aircraft shipped in the 50 years of GAMA’s existence. The North American market posts the biggest share, with growth in Asia to reflect the demand for pilot training in that region.

Turboprop airplane shipments were down, relative to 2018, with 525 turboprop-powered airplanes shipped. Bunce noted that the turboprop segment has been the most stable slice of the market over the past ten years, moving between roughly 450 and 600 shipments per annum.

Business jet shipments showed a healthy upward trend as well, marking a 15.1% increase over the 2018 numbers. Again, the jet numbers hit their highest mark since 2009—notable as the 2008 to 2009 period demonstrated the end of good times in the market. At 16.7% billings showed slightly less than the 2014-2015 timeframe, as reflected in the larger number of midsized and large business jets delivered in the previous years as a percentage of the total.

In specific releases from OEMs, Embraer announced its Phenom 300 and Phenom 300E were the most delivered light jets in the world in 2019, with 51 deliveries. It’s the eighth consecutive year that Phenom 300 has achieved this status, with more than 530 deliveries since December 2009.

HondaJet was the most-delivered very light jet with 36 total during the year. Honda Aircraft Company president and CEO Michimasa Fujino said, “We are continuously improving our efficiency, overall performance, and cabin comfort in order to be at the forefront of transformative technology that proves the value of very light jets for efficient travel to all types of users.”

The post GAMA Shows GA Shipments, Billings Up for 2019 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Stans, Switzerland-based Pilatus Aircraft has become the first business jet manufacturer to achieve something many expected would be impossible—certification for rough field operations—for its PC-24 Super Versatile Jet. Since 2018, the bizjet has been certified to land on dry sand and gravel, but complete rough field certification allows the PC-24 to land on additional surfaces, such as grass, wet earth and snow.

The certification, along with the airplane’s short-field performance capabilities, allows the PC-24 to land on nearly twice as many airports around the world compared with competing bizjets, Pilatus says.

“Our PC-24 has proven that it is capable of flying the full range of missions for which it was developed,” said Pilatus chairman Oscar J. Schwenk. “The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia and operators in North America or Africa already use rough-field runways on a regular basis, proving just how unique the PC-24 is—that sort of capability is only available with the Pilatus Super Versatile Jet.”

With such an international client base, the company used runways around the world to test its flagship. Flight testing on grass was conducted in Goodwood and Duxford, England; Kunovice, Czech Republic; and Poitiers, France. Wet dirt testing was done in Woodbridge, England, while snow-covered gravel surfaces were tested in Kuujjuaq, Canada.

In addition to this unique certification, the PC-24 allows for single-pilot operations. Powered by two Williams FJ44-4A engines, the PC-24 climbs as high as 45,000 feet, flies as far as 2,000 nm and maintains a wide speed envelope from 82 knots to Mach 0.74. Learn more about the PC-24 here Pilatus also produces the PC-12 NGX, the Porter PC-6 and a variety of high-performance military trainers, all single-engine turboprops.

The post Pilatus Finalizes Rough Field Certification for PC-24 Bizjet appeared first on FLYING Magazine.