The announcement made during Sun’n’Fun

Lakeland, FL, USA – Tecnam and Nationwide Aviation, LLC are proud to announce an exciting new partnership, bringing cutting-edge multi-engine aircraft to its pilot training program. This strategic investment will enhance the training experience for students transitioning from single-engine to multi-engine aircraft, providing them with modern technology and advanced avionics to prepare for successful careers in aviation.

Nationwide Aviation has already received its first Tecnam P2006T and is eagerly awaiting the arrival of two more in the coming weeks. These acquisitions mark a significant step forward in ensuring students receive high-quality, real-world training in state-of-the-art aircraft.

“For over 13 years, Nationwide Aviation has been committed to providing top-tier flight training to aspiring pilots,” said Trevor Hall, CEO of Nationwide Aviation. “The addition of Tecnam’s P2006T aircraft to our fleet reflects our dedication to innovation, safety, and excellence in pilot education. With these aircraft, our students will benefit from advanced avionics and an unparalleled training experience.”

 Tecnam’s P2006T is renowned for its fuel efficiency, cutting-edge Garmin avionics packages, and intuitive transition for students progressing from single to multi-engine flying. The aircraft’s modern design, lightweight structure, and advanced safety features make it an ideal training tool for the next generation of aviators.
More info on the P2006T: https://tecnam.com/aircraft/p2006t/

“We are excited to collaborate with Nationwide Aviation to provide their students with the best in multi-engine flight training,” said Walter Da Costa, Chief Sales Officer at Tecnam. “The P2006T is designed to offer an exceptional training experience, ensuring pilots develop the skills and confidence needed for a successful aviation career. We look forward to seeing their students thrive with this advanced aircraft.”

With over 1,000 students trained in the past 13 years, Nationwide Aviation continues to lead in flight instruction, offering high-quality training programs tailored for hobbyists, career pilots, and aviation enthusiasts. This new partnership ensures that Nationwide Aviation remains at the forefront of pilot training, equipping students with the necessary skills and experience to thrive in the aviation industry.

About Nationwide Aviation Flight School
Founded in 2012, Nationwide Aviation has been a leader in pilot training for over 13 years, dedicated to cultivating skilled aviators across the country. We offer a comprehensive range of programs designed for hobbyists, full-time career students, and individuals seeking to change careers. Our experienced instructors provide personalized training that emphasizes safety, professionalism, and excellence. With a commitment to using the latest technology and aircraft, including advanced multi-engine planes, we prepare our students for successful careers in aviation. At Nationwide Aviation, we believe in inspiring the next generation of pilots and making aviation accessible to everyone. For more information, visit https://Flynationwide.net.

Tradition, innovation and vision. These factors are taking Tecnam to new horizons. Based on recent data and industry benchmarks, Tecnam offers the greenest training fleet in the world. Flight schools using Tecnam’s single and twin engine fleet can save up to 10 tonnes of CO₂ emissions for each student who completes a Commercial Pilot Licence – a 60% reduction compared to a fleet using 100LL fuel across 155 flight hours, including 30 hours in a twin (www.Tecnam.com/soar-greener).

The announcement made during Sun’n’Fun 2025

Lakeland, FL, USA – LifeStyle Aviation, a leading provider of modern aircraft solutions, is proud to announce its official appointment as an authorized Tecnam aircraft dealer for a major U.S. territory. This strategic partnership opens new opportunities for flight schools looking to expand and modernize their training fleets with Tecnam’s state-of-the-art aircraft, including the P-Mentor, P2006T, and P2010 models.

For 17 years, LifeStyle Aviation has been at the forefront of providing innovative aviation solutions, specializing in aircraft sales, training fleet solutions, and ownership programs. The partnership with Tecnam aligns naturally with LifeStyle Aviation’s commitment to advancing general aviation through modern designs, cutting-edge technology, and a strong focus on safety and efficiency. Together, both companies are dedicated to supporting flight schools in their growth and ensuring pilots are trained in the most advanced and fuel-efficient aircraft available today.

John Armstrong, Founder & CEO of LifeStyle Aviation, stated: “Our goal is to continue helping flight schools grow and modernize while bringing options to market that help move general aviation forward. We’re excited to build on our success and broaden options for flight schools with Tecnam’s flight school-friendly line of aircraft.”

Walter Da Costa, Chief Sales Officer of Tecnam, added: “We are delighted to welcome LifeStyle Aviation to the Tecnam family as an official dealer. Their deep expertise in aircraft sales and fleet solutions makes them an ideal partner for expanding Tecnam’s presence in the U.S. market. This collaboration will help flight schools access the most innovative and efficient training aircraft, ensuring they stay ahead in an evolving aviation landscape.”

 This new partnership will provide flight schools across the region with access to Tecnam’s advanced training aircraft, supporting their expansion efforts and operational efficiency.

About LifeStyle Aviation
LifeStyle Aviation is a leading modern aircraft provider specializing in a curated selection of business jets, modern personal piston aircraft, and flight training fleet solutions. The company serves flight schools, private individuals, corporations, and aviation enthusiasts globally. LifeStyle Aviation stands out for its dedication to providing an extraordinary client experience, helping individuals and organizations navigate aircraft acquisition, financing, and shared ownership programs. Through the LifeStyle Aviation Network, the company has built a collaborative ecosystem of flight centers, affiliates, and partners to make flying more accessible and help training centers achieve their aviation goals.
www.lifestyleaviation.com

With this acquisition the French academy has a fleet of 24 Tecnam aircraft

BERLIN – Tecnam and Mermoz Academy announced today, during Pilot Expo Berlin, the signature of a contract for 10 Tecnam’s P-Mentor for its fleet expansion program. The aircraft will be used for both PPL – Private Pilot License – as well as the MPL – Multi Pilot License – courses. One of the reasons for this choice, beyond the great fuel consumption rates, is the lowest CO₂ emissions, that makes the P-Mentor the aircraft of choice for students and Flight Schools.

Tecnam Green Fleet.  Based on recent data and industry benchmarks, flight training schools operating Tecnam’s single and twin-engine fleets can save as much as 10 tons of CO2 emissions for every single student graduating with a Commercial Pilot License – a 60% reduction compared to legacy fleets using Avgas 100LL fuel. (Based on 155 flight training hours, including 30 hours on the twin.)

More info on Tecnam Green Aviation:    https://tecnam.com/soar-greener/

The P-Mentor is a two-seat single engine piston aircraft fully IFR – is compliant with the latest CS-23 EASA & FAA requirements, allowing PBN/RNAV/AFCS capabilities. The modern flight school have today one platform to train students from their first flight up to CPL- IR, including Variable Pitch Propeller, Simulated Retractable Landing Gear and UPRT.

The P-Mentor is designed to offer the best human machine interface resulting in the most effective VFR/IFR training while the generous fuel tank allows Flight Schools to fly all day long without refueling, no interruption is equal to improve operational value. Lowest cost of maintenance, lowest fuel consumption, and the greatest value for money, make this aircraft a unique profit opportunity for any Flight School.

More info on the P-Mentor:

https://tecnam.com/aircraft/pmentor

Stephane Larrieu, Mermoz Academy Managing Director said “We are proud to announce this purchase of 10 new P-Mentor to expand our fleet to 24 Tecnam. With this new acquisition we have today a harmonized fleet of Tecnam that allow us to offer a modern flight training, from PPL to IR ME. Rotax engines installed on our Tecnams are reliable and fuel efficient, which is and essential point in our development. Mermoz Academy ownes its own fleet and services them internally thanks to its Authorized Tecnam Service center.”

Walter Da Costa, Tecnam’s Chief Sales Officer said “We are so delighted of our continued partnership with Mermoz Academy and see its growth. Our P-Mentor is a unique solution in the market, ensuring reliability, costs control, smart training, low emissions. Together with Mermoz we proud to be innovating the flight training paradigm in France.” 

For more information about this News Release (photos, links, etc.) and News about Tecnam and its products please visit http://media.tecnam.com/

About MERMOZ ACADEMY

MERMOZ ACADEMY is a reference ATO in Europe since 1957, which operates a modern fleet of airplanes and the biggest Tecnam fleets in Europe. The academy trains 150 students a year on different bases South of France, (Nimes), near Paris (Tours), in the USA and Canada. Instructors are former Air Force pilots and Airliners pilots to offering students the highest industry’s standards training.
https://mermoz-academy.com/

For further details of the extensive range of Tecnam aircraft, please visit www.tecnam.com or contact Walter Da Costa, Tecnam Chief Sales Officer; tel +34 616 481143. email; w.dacosta@tecnamspain.es.

Capua, Italy June 22 – Italian premium aircraft manufacturer TECNAM has confirmed its participation in this year’s EAA Airventure in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The brand will showcase its fleet of ecofriendly aircraft, showcasing the most complete portfolio of solutions in terms of innovation, performance, efficiency and style ever to appear at AirVenture.

EAA Airventure Airshow participants will be able to experience TECNAM’s broad fleet of aircraft from the commercial aircraft led by the P2012 Traveller, to IFR four seat, the twin-engine P2006T and the class-leading, P2010 TDI as well as the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) P92MarkII, and P2008.

The P2010 Gran Lusso, will make its debut at AirVenture.  The Gran Lusso is a super luxury version with refined Italian leather upholstery, carbon fibre insets, an all-new center FADEC power quadrant that features a Standard FMS to accompany the Garmin NXI touch screen avionics suite.  The Gran Lusso features the Continental 170hp Turbo Charged CD-170 Jet/A fuel Power plant by Continental and incorporates improved cabin ergonomics for an unprecedented ultimate luxury flying experience.

According to latest GAMA Shipment Reporting, Tecnam is among the top 3 manufacturers for Piston Single and Twin-Engine aircraft deliveries worldwide. Contributing to this success is the the well-studied strategy of procurement and production that allows Tecnam to delivery to meet customer delivery requests. Supply chain disruption is minimized as the high percentage of materials are manufactured in-house.

Recent study shows that flight schools operating with TECNAM single and twin-engine fleet can reduce emissions by up to 60%: 10 tons of CO₂ for each student by the time they receive their Commercial Pilot License.

More info on Tecnam Sustainable Aviation

https://tecnam.com/tecnam-aircraft-fleet-reduces-flight-schools-co2-emissions-by-up-to-60/

The United States are a key market for Tecnam and sees today an expanding network of dealerships with the latest addition of California and Arizona. The Authorized Tecnam Sales Teams from Altisky, Cielo Blu, Flightline Group and Volare Aire will also be present at AirVenture.  These representatives round out Tecnam’s focus on Sales and Service Support throughout the US.

According to Managing Director Giovanni Pascale Langer, TECNAM’s leadership means also more accountability. “We are committed to be a referring point for private and flight school organizations, offering the most modern and green solutions”, said Pascale Langer.

TECNAM’s U.S. Director of Sales David Copeland added that the company is uniquely positioned to address the industry’s needs for innovative and more efficient solutions. “It is exciting to see how Tecnam is innovating the General Aviation landscape. We look forward to meeting our old and new friends at Oshkosh.

EAA Airventure Airshow participants can visit TECNAM’s display July 25 – 31, 2022

For further details of the extensive range of Tecnam aircraft, please visit www.tecnam.com or contact David Copeland; US Director of Sales. email; d.copeland@tecnam.com or 316-558-1901.

Friedrichshafen, Germany – Tecnam announced today the delivery during AERO 22 of the first aircraft that the Center Air Pilot ordered for a total of seven aircraft, five P-Mentors and two twin-engine P2006T MKII.

The choice of Center Air Pilot is not only a purchasing of new aircraft, it is joining a new philosophy in Flight Training. This fleet renewal will improve the quality of training while limiting its cost for students and better preserving the natural environment. Recent study shows that flight schools operating with TECNAM single and twin-engine fleet can reduce emissions by up to 60%: 10 tons of CO₂ for each student by the time they receive their Commercial Pilot License.

More info on Tecnam Sustainable Aviation
https://tecnam.com/tecnam-aircraft-fleet-reduces-flight-schools-co2-emissions-by-up-to-60/

The P-Mentor is the latest design from Tecnam: a IFR single engine two-seat, a simple and sustainable solution to guide student pilots from their first flight up to Instrument Rating, all in one two-seater single piston aircraft: IFR; PBN, RNAV; Variable Pitch, Autopilot, Simulated Retractable Gear Control; BRS.

The entire training syllabus with unprecedented fuel consumption and emissions, further enhancing the renowned profitability of Tecnam-made fleet.

For the first time ever, the extremely fuel efficient and low-emissions Rotax 912iSc becomes the earth of a full IFR-approved aircraft, coupled with an MT constant speed propeller.

More info on the P-Mentor:
https://tecnam.com/aircraft/pmentor

To complete the flight training offer with an integrated solution, Center Air coupled the Mentor with the famous Tecnam twin-engine. The P2006T offers unbeatable value and innovative design with a modern Garmin avionics suite, integrating all primary flight, navigation, communication and terrain data on two high-definition LCDs. The P2006T is also equipped with an S-Tec 55x high-performance, two-axis autopilot, with advanced features.

Fitted with two Rotax 912S3 engines, the Tecnam P2006T exhibits remarkable fuel savings and can be operated on AVGAS and MOGAS 95 octane fuel, leading to huge cost savings, offering the best training for Multi Engine, Variable Pitch and Retractable Landing Gear ratings.

More info on the P2006T:
https://tecnam.com/aircraft/P2006T/

“At Center Air Pilot Academy, we are constantly looking for solutions to develop and improve our flight training. Concerning our analysis for our next generation aircraft fleet, we have focused on safety, technology and environmental costs without compromising our high-quality flight training. The Tecnam aircraft far exceeded the competition in our analysis. The P2006T MKII and the P-Mentor, with their low fuel consumptions, will help us significantly in reducing our total carbon dioxide emission compared to our current fleet and comparable aircraft. With this fleet renewal our flight training continues to evolve and creates the best possible environment for our students, to commence world-class training becoming commercial airline pilots.” Said Simon Frost, Center Air Pilot Academy Co. Owner and CTKI.

“In Tecnam we don’t just produce and sell aircraft.  Center Pilot Air’ choice demonstrates that together we can shape the future of a new aviation training, safer, smarter, and sustainable.” says Tecnam’s Chief Sales Officer, Walter Da Costa.

About Center Air Pilot Academy;
Center Air Pilot Academy is a flight school with more than 30 years of experience in training EASA approved professional pilots. We attach great importance to provide a professional training environment with leading trends within education, technology and pedagogy.

Constant development in flight training are core competencies at CAPA. We are one of Scandinavia´s largest and leading flight school and the largest in Denmark. We are among other things proud of being the first flight academy in the world to implement MPL (multi-crew pilot license) and now the first flight academy to implement p-mentor in the training program.

https://centerair.dk/

Friedrichshafen, Germany – Bartolini Air, a group of EASA-certified aviation companies and Ryanair’s approved flight training partner, has acquired Tecnam P-Mentor aircraft for the “Ryanair Mentored Programme”. The acquisition followed the P-Mentor’s recent launch announcement introducing the model to Tecnam’s portfolio of premium aircraft.

Renowned for one of the world’s highest training standards, Ryanair relies on Bartolini Air’s fleet of “modern, brand-new aircraft” to guide their future pilots from zero to ATPL. The P-Mentor will support the Group’s integrated ab-initio courses and is bound to be a gamechanger, especially for Instrument Rating training, thanks to a modern Automatic Flight Control System, PBN/RNAV approval and full glass cockpit environment, combined with the fuel consumption of 14 liters per hour.
Latest EASA CS-23 Certification Requirements, operating cost and very low CO₂ emissions make the
P-Mentor unparalleled by any other competitor.

More info on the P-Mentor:
https://tecnam.com/aircraft/pmentor

According to Bartolini Air’s President Bartlomiej Walas, adding the P-Mentor to the Group’s fleet “will improve the quality of training while limiting its cost for students and better preserving the natural environment.”

“The similarity between the name of the aircraft and our flagship pilot course – the Ryanair Mentored Programme – is a pure coincidence, but a very fortunate one, because it is the P-Mentor that will allow future Ryanair pilots to benefit from top quality training at the lowest possible price,” said Walas.

Bartolini Air’s flight school has relied on Tecnam’s innovative aircraft for pilot training since 2010. The Group currently operates 14 Tecnam aircraft.

“This is not the first time that we have trusted Tecnam to implement innovative solutions in our pilot training,” said Walas. “I have no doubt that the arrival of the P-Mentor in our fleet will only confirm our ability to offer the highest quality training throughout the course in just one single aircraft!”

Ryanair’s Director of Sustainability, Thomas Fowler, said: “As Europe’s greenest major airline, Ryanair understands that aviation plays a pivotal role in tackling climate change and through our Pathway to Net Zero decarbonisation strategy, we continue to reduce our CO2 emissions and the impact of our operations on the environment.

We are delighted to see that our approved partner flight school, Bartolini Air, who trains our future Pilots on the Ryanair Mentored Programme, are investing in the newest generation aircraft P-Mentor from Tecnam which will have a hugely positive impact on the environment thanks to a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to current IFR training planes and a fuel consumption of 14 l h, which means a 50% reduction compared to standard training planes.”

Tecnam Aircraft’s Managing Director Giovanni Pascale Langer said:

“The P-Mentor has already generated great interest among forward-thinking flight training organizations like Bartolini Air who trust Tecnam design, fine flying qualities combined with state-of-art avionics and perhaps most of all, its impressive fuel consumption and CO₂ emission cuts. We see this as important steps not only for flight training centres, but in the future aviation industry across all its segments.”  

Recent study shows that flight schools operating with TECNAM single and twin-engine fleet can reduce emissions by up to 60%: 10 tons of CO₂ for each student by the time they receive their Commercial Pilot License.

More info on Tecnam Sustainable Aviation

https://tecnam.com/tecnam-aircraft-fleet-reduces-flight-schools-co2-emissions-by-up-to-60/

Capua, Italy March 29 – Italian premium aircraft manufacturer TECNAM has confirmed its participation in this year’s Sun n’ Fun Airshow in Lakeland, Florida. The brand will showcase its fleet of ecofriendly aircraft, showcasing the most complete portfolio of solutions in terms of innovation, performance, efficiency and style.

Sun n’ Fun Airshow participants will be able to explore TECNAM’s broad fleet of aircraft: from the commercial aircraft led by the P2012 Traveller, to IFR four seat, the twin engine P2006T and the class-leading, P2010 TDI as well as the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) P92mkII and P2008.

According to Managing Director Giovanni Pascale Langer, TECNAM’s sustainable programs have received great interest from the U.S. customers and media.

“We are leveraging cross-industry expertise via strategic partnerships to develop technologies that are not only sustainable, but also scalable and economically viable,” said Pascale Langer. “I look forward to sharing our progress and vision with Sun n’ Fun Airshow participants this year.”

TECNAM’s U.S. Director of Sales David Copeland added that the company is uniquely positioned to address the industry’s needs for innovative and more efficient solutions.

“From the growing concerns over fuel pricing to energy and fuel availability, economic value, new and fresh certifications, innovation, style and safety, TECNAM provides the most complete portfolio of solutions in the industry,” said Copeland. “This is a company with a rich, 74-year-long legacy and the vision and the vigor of a game-changing startup.”

Sun n’ Fun Airshow participants can visit TECNAM’s booth April 5-10.

This May, three pilots flew from Ft. Lauderdale, FL, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to introduce the first Tecnam P2012 Traveller to the Argentinian market.

Three pilots, five days, 5,000 miles.

Here is the diary of their journey.

Hop onboard!

Meet Your Pilots

Let us introduce you to your pilots: Matias Longhi, Stefano Iannone, Maximiliano Ruiz (left to right).

Our pilots have known each other and collaborated for years.

Maximiliano owns a Tecnam, the P92 to be exact, and has a lot of ferry experience.

Matias used to work for the Argentinian Air Force. Today, he is a renowned pilot and instructor, as well as a Tecnam connoisseur.

And, Stefano is the head of operations at Saetta Pampa and the chief pilot at Flex Fly SAS – read on to see learn how these two organizations made our upcoming adventure possible.

So, on this journey, we are in safe and friendly hands.

About Flex Fly SAS

A rapidly growing Argentine aviation company, Flex Fly is starting high-quality charter services from Buenos Aires. With a growing Tecnam fleet, the company plans to expand a new concept of charter services throughout the region.

About Aerotec

With more than 100 Tecnam aircraft distributed in South America, the Mendoza-based company is teaming up with Flex Fly to increase Tecnam’s presence and bring the P2012 advantages to the whole region.

About Saetta Pampa

Saetta Pampa is an Argentine air services company based in Buenos Aires. The company offers tailor-made services for the private sector, spanning from the delivery of private and corporate aircraft to administration services and pilot training. Tecnam is Saetta Pampa’s preferred brand of choice.

Meet Your Aircraft: The P2012 Traveller

To prepare for this trans-American journey, our pilots gather in Capua, Italy – Tecnam’s headquarters (HQ).

Tecnam’s Chief Sales Officer Walter Da Costa gives them a tour of the facilities, introducing them to the engineers and test pilots.

Shortly after, the orientation begins. Our pilots receive a formal introduction to the P2012 Traveller.

Welcome to the P2012 Traveller – twin engine, 11-seater.

P2012 Traveller is perhaps best known for its versatility. The model has five configurations and can easily transform from airline to cargo, air ambulance, parachute jumping and other purposes, making it popular among private and corporate owners alike.

These configurations take minutes to apply – a feature that will come in handy on our trans-American journey. But, more on that later.

Twin powered by Lycoming piston engines and with all-weather certification, this aircraft was designed to transport passengers and cargo with maximum efficiency and safety.

750 horsepower, 359 km/h maximum cruise, 1,760 km maximum range; let’s put P2012 Traveller to the test.

More about Tecnam P2012 Traveller →

Day 1: The Sun Is Kind As We Take off for the Bahamas & the Dominican Republic

Across the pond, in sunny Florida, our journey officially begins.

Having met with Tecnam’s Managing Director Giovanni Pascale Langer, the crew gathers, ready for an adventure.

Our first day has us visit the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic, so much to look forward to!

Find Florida dealers and service centers →

With an ocean of tropical bliss ahead us, we decide to savor every moment. And it’s easy to do so.

The weather conditions are ideal from the get-go.

The runway is open and inviting. We slide across the smooth concrete and glide up into the air effortlessly.

Leaving Florida, we are left in awe. As the engine purrs and the city glistens below us, we all realize the enormity of the adventure ahead of us.

5,000 miles. It finally starts to sink in.

Before long, we are flying over the Bahamas’ turquoise waters and scattered islands.

After a brief stop in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, we head to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. This is our last destination today.

We arrive in the late afternoon at El Higuero International Airport.

Day 2: Buckle Your Seatbelts! We Glide through IFR Conditions On Our Way to Guyana

Today, our goal is to reach Georgetown, Guyana, via the British Virgin Islands and Grenada.

We fuel up at the Maurice Bishop International Airport in Grenada.

As we ascend from Grenada, our luck with the weather takes a turn.

The clouds thicken. Our visibility diminishes by the second. The storm is brewing.

Monitoring the weather radar and relying on our steady Garmin GFC 700 autopilot, we are able to avoid the rain patches and emerge from the cloud cluster into the clear before any real trouble hits.

It takes a team effort, but we fly through the IFR conditions smoothly.

Our Garmin G1000Nxi flight deck, along with the RNAV procedure, guides safely to Guyana.

As we emerge from the cluster of heavy clouds lined with that jarring white light, the sun starts to set.

Colors quite down and burst into the calm blues, purples and soft yellows.

Every mile is a new experience. From the rush of pulling through a potential storm to the serenity of the sunset above the clouds, we often find ourselves in complete silence, eyes peeled to the windows.

The engine buzz is all the music we need.

Nightfall.

Georgetown lights up below us.

We land our P2012 into the Eugene F. Correia International Airport.

Day 3: We Are Stranded in the Middle of the Amazon! P2012 Traveller Converts Into a Sleeper

Today, our goal is to reach São Paulo, Brazil, by 12pm.

It is a 2,200 mile journey so we need an early start: 4am, to be precise.

As arduous as you may find waking up before dawn, it pays off pretty quickly.

Nothing beats flying through the calm of the early morning.

We enjoy clear skies for a short stretch before our dashboard signals more rain clouds on our way to the first stop-over in Boa Vista.

We arrive at 9am.

It is raining heavily at this point so our plan is to fuel up quickly and press on, but bureaucracy will not be rushed today.

Instead of waiting in the hallways for our papers to clear, we decide to make the most of our stopover. For us, this is lunch with the view of the Brazilian Air Force Embraer Super Tucano.

By 3pm, we are finally ready for take off.

Hours behind schedule, we make our way to Itaituba.

As the sun starts to meet the horizon, we are informed that Itaituba is not available for night operations. In other words: we cannot land there. And it’s nearly nightfall.

So we decide to fly to the nearby Santarem.

We reach Santarem at 7:30pm, after nightfall.

We cannot find an airport in its vicinity that is open at night.

The moment you realize that you are stranded in the middle of the Amazon with no place to “park” or sleep, it doesn’t sound fun. This is our second hurdle today and we are tired.

As we turn to the back of our aircraft, we remember how easy it is to unhook and move the seats. The Traveller was made for this! We can clear the space in minutes, pull out our sleeping bags and turn this night from a nuisance into a story for the grandkids.

It is decided: we are sleeping in the aircraft tonight.

The more sensible among us stay within our spacious P2012 sleeper, while the daredevils station themselves outside the aircraft unfazed by the bugs, bats and beyond.

Day 4: Greet the Sunrise As We Land in Redenção, Brazil

The alarm clock goes off before 2:30am.

We need an early start to reach Redenção on time.

Without a paved runway, we taxi over the bumpy soil. We only need a little over 500m, that is 1800ft, of a clear pathway for take off run.

Groggy, we fly a few hours in the dead of night. The shapes below us slowly emerge as colors turn from black to blue.

Then the first light of day parts the sky with a thin line. Soon we are immersed in gold and orange hues.

It is 06:30am and we have arrived at our destination.

After a quick refueling stop, we continue to Anápolis in the State of Goiás, a small city near the Brazilian capital Brasilia.

This is another short stopover before we get to our last destination for the day: Bravo Aviation in São Paulo.

We reach Bravo Aviation’s HQ at 3pm and are greeted by the classic Water Arch – a ceremonial airplane shower, so to speak.

We are here to present P2012 to the Brazilian market. Our event attracts journalists, photographers and special guests.

From a night in the jungle to this suit-and-tie event, it feels like this aircraft has contained more events in four days than most of us have experienced in four months.

Day 5: The Italian Ambassador to Uruguay Takes Our Aircraft for a Spin

Time to say “adeus” to Brazil and head over to Uruguay.

The fifth day begins with another hint of the IFR conditions ahead of us.

And sure enough, after three hours of steady rain, we reach Florianopolis, our last stop in Brazil.

The next stretch is the longest of this journey.

We fly five hours to Punta del Este, Uruguay.

Some context: The P2012 Traveller was built for shorter routes, coast-to-island for instance, so we weren’t sure how comfortable a five-hour trip would be.

Suffice to say, it was a breeze! Between the ideal weather conditions, comfortable seats and large windows perfectly angled to each of our stations, we are reminded of the impeccable quality of this aircraft.

Every inch was carefully thought through.

As they say, Tecnam aircraft is, after all, the epitome of the Italian style.

In Uruguay, we land at our dealers’ HQ, Infinitum Aviation.

They host another round of presentations for the much-anticipated P2012 Traveller which even attracts the presence of the Italian Ambassador to Uruguay Giovanni Battista Iannuzzi.

Sig. Iannuzzi, a pilot himself, decides to test our aircraft and takes us for a sky tour of the shoreline.

We hear tales of the German sunken ship Admiral Graf Spee, but waters are too cloudy today to be able to spot it. Still, our spirits are up as our guests delight in this aircraft and we with Uruguay’s landscape.

Touchdown: Buenos Aires Welcomes Its First P2012 Traveller

Five days and 5,000 miles later, we bring the P2012 Traveller to its new home: San Fernando in the province of Buenos Aires.

Our friends and family gather at Aerotec, Tecnam’s authorized dealer in Argentina, to welcome us.

Florida to Argentina, airports to rainforest, and through sunshine and storms, this airplane has shown its power and its comfort.

Featured in Aerotec S.A.’s showroom, the P2012 Traveller is now available to the Argentinian market.

Contact Argentina dealership →

Find a dealer near you →

Contact Tecnam’s sales office →