Italian manufacturer Tecnam today announced that Royal Aero Club of WA (RACWA) has selected P-Mentors as part of a fleet revitalisation program.
Two of the Rotax-powered, two-seat IFR trainers are expected to be delivered to the Jandakot base in July, and have been added via a long-term cross-hire agreement.
“Since its launch in 2022, the P-Mentor has, for good reason, been a huge seller," said Tecnam Global Sales and Marketing Director Walter De Costa.
"Flight schools can conduct ab initio, private, commercial, and instrument training all in the one aircraft, while enjoying exceptionally low operating costs.
"We are delighted that RACWA chose Tecnam, this is the second leading flight school in Australia to choose the P-Mentor, and more will surely follow.”
“RACWA is going through an exciting period of fleet renewal and having an efficient, contemporary and sophisticated aircraft such as the Tecnam P-Mentor is a welcome addition to our fleet," said RACWA CEO Alan Wilson.
"The P-Mentor will complement our flying program for students and members alike and is directly aligned with our journey of lessening our carbon footprint.
"We were impressed by the support we received from Tecnam and the strong local teams’ expertise in parts and technical support.”
Michael Loccisano, CEO of local agent Hallmarc Aviation, believes the P-Mentor is an obvious choice for training schools looking to modernise their fleets.
"From the moment Tecnam announced the FAA / EASA IFR-certified P-Mentor, we knew it would be the perfect replacement for aging legacy training fleets in Australia," Loccisano said.
"No other certified training aircraft can match its technological advancement, low acquisition costs, low operation cost; safety features, ease of flight, attractive design, short order-to-delivery times, and local support.
"The ability for students to seamlessly step up through the Tecnam fleet–all the way to an 11-seat commuter airliner–is a major advantage for flight schools, and their students with a commercial or airline career in mind.”
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 and FAA amendments.