Capua, Italy-based Tecnam announced today (May 8) it has received FAA full Part 23 type certification for its P-Mentor trainer. U.S. deliveries will start imminently, with the first 20 of the Rotax 912isC3-powered piston singles going to HCH Aviation, in partnership with Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. Additional deliveries are on track for Kilo Charlie Aviation, New Century, Kansas, and EpicSky Flight Academy, Des Moines, Iowa.
Tecnam calls its P-Mentor a “turnkey solution” for flight training providers, starting with ab initio and carrying through to instrument and commercial ratings. The P-Mentor incorporates Garmin’s G3X IFR touchscreen avionics “compliant with the latest CS-23 EASA and FAA amendments,” according to Tecnam. The two-place trainer also uses a variable-pitch propeller and has a “simulated” retractable landing gear system. A ballistic recovery parachute is optional.
The Rotax’s 3.7 gallons-per-hour fuel consumption contributes to the P-Mentor’s low operating costs, estimated at $65 per hour. Its 37-gallon fuel capacity enables the trainer to “fly all day without refueling,” Tecnam said.
