All Hail The Aero-Heroes of 2010!

Final Compilations by ANN Editor-In-Chief/Trouble-Maker, Jim Campbell

It is both the most "fun," and most difficult, task facing the ANN staff at the end of every year -- determining who, or what, did the most to promote the cause of aviation in the past 365 days... while also chastising those people or entities that did all they could to undermine the many successes the aviation/aerospace community has managed to accomplish.
 
Thankfully, 2010 was a year in which we saw the best and brightest among us step forward and work tirelessly on behalf of us all. No doubt about it... the challenges we faced in 2010 were numerous, and ongoing... so was the quality of expertise and passion brought to our defense by those who heroically demonstrated to the world the very best side of aviation... via their deeds, words and actions.
 
It is ANN's honor to recognize persons/organizations or groups that qualify as our Aero-Heroes for 2010...  in something of an informal order -- Saving the 'best' for last. Let us know what you think of our selections... whom YOU would have liked be included or omitted from such a list. In the meantime, we thank the folks who made this year's list. Thank you, folks... we really needed you this year, and you didn't let us down.

ANN will list our Top Ten choices over the next few day's, but in order to kick off the New Year right, let's enjoy another selection from our Heroes List for 2010...

Aero-Hero: Diamond Aircraft

The beginning of the second decade of this millennium will not go down as a favorite among devotees of all things aeronautical. For companies already struggling to stay alive, 2009-2010 was a bad time... and often signaled their end. For the more healthy companies, it was a time when everyone went into survival mode no matter how well they had done previously. 

The last few years would have been bad enough for Diamond Aircraft, or any other company for that matter, without the monumental obstacles placed before it by the puzzling and nearly catastrophic situation that developed around the Thielert diesel engine program and its eventual bankruptcy. No company wants to lose a valuable supplier, especially when that supplier builds the pivotal powerplant for your vehicle -- and most especially when it involves vehicles uniquely designed for a novel type of propulsion. That's when you know you have a real problem.

The Diamond DA20

For most companies, that would have been it... toast, dead, tango-uniform, buh-bye! But not Diamond... they not only developed their own diesel engine system to replace the disgraced Thielert, but re-certified their twin-engine DA-42 for the Lycoming 360 series engines in the interim, while ALSO completing the design of the Austro diesel and the eventual re-certification of the DA-42... again... with their own diesel powerplant. Like I said, for most companies, such circumstances would have killed them off. But Diamond survived and brought forth two new airplanes despite it all. Best of all, they were two of the nicest flying twins we've flown in the last decade... and that's saying a lot.

The Diamond DA40

In the meantime, they work toward the arduous completion of what is now the only entry-level/small single-engine jet program (notwithstanding the PiperJet program, which is a larger class of aircraft) in actual, real-live, no-fooling, development (all others having fallen by the wayside or lost any credibility or pretense of credibility at this point), and fully expect to have a very cost-effective small jet platform available for the market about the time the pundits expect the economy to thaw. The D-Jet program is a difficult one and it's been kicking their butts for a few years... but like all things Diamond, they will finish it, they will make it right, and when it finally starts to show up in hangars all over the world, it will have a unique market niche all to itself. Amazing.

The Diamond DA42

Oh yeah, let's not forget that the Diamond continues to build DA20 and DA40s with a fair degree of regularity for this down market, that both these airplanes have compiled one of the most enviable safety records for ANY GA single, and that service and support for these aircraft has kept up a good rep while a few of their competitors seem to have forgotten the meaning of the words. Yeah, that too.

The Diamond D-Jet

I don't doubt that Diamond has suffered mightily these last few years (heck, I know it for a fact... but haven't we all?) and I don't doubt that its probably been the most difficult time in their history, but we have a strong suspicion that one of the true survivors of this economic miasma will not only be Diamond Aircraft, but that there is a strong possibility that this company will emerge as one of the strongest of the GA survivors. For that, they have our respect and our admiration... and our recommendation as a company that deserves your attention when you buy your next airplane. And folks, as 2011 gets going in earnest, that says a lot.

FMI: www.diamondair.com