Yes... 2011 Has Not Been A Good Year For Aviation, But Piaggio Is Making The Best Of It

No one has to tell you that the 2010-2011 timeframe has been tough on those of us in aviation. Its been a tough few years to sell airplanes... and even tougher on those attempting to show the public the true value of business aviation. Be that as it may, there are a few bright spots here and there.

And one of those bright spots surrounds none other than one of the curviest birds in all of BizAv... the speedy Piaggio P.180 Avanti twin turbine pusher. The good news surrounding the Avanti is the fact that sales improved significantly over the 2010 season, and that Piaggio is well on the way to getting quite a bit of new manufacturing capacity online -- and will be ready to build as many as 50 birds a year when economic circumstances let folks let loose of their piggy banks.

But its the folks with the tight piggy bank that stand to benefit the most from the charms of P.180, as the aircraft boasts 33% lower operating costs and 40% less fuel use than most business jets. Even more compelling, the Avanti uses 25% less fuel use than the most efficient twin turboprops, and emits some 40% fewer carbon emissions.

FMI: www.piaggioaero.com/, www.eaa.org, www.aero-tv.net, www.youtube.com/aerotvnetwork, http://twitter.com/AeroNews