The French Connection

Elixir Aircraft, the LaRochelle France-based aviation concern founded in 2015 for purpose designing and producing “safer, more economical, more environmentally-friendly, and more versatile aircraft, announced on 20 June 2023 that Sierra Charlie Aviation—a Scottsdale Arizona-based Part 161 flight school with a faculty of over sixty instructors—has ordered upwards of one-hundred Elixir Part 23 aircraft and retained options on another fifty.

Elixir’s training aircraft will be integrated into Sierra Charlie’s popular Aviator Career Program—a flight training initiative predicated upon a structured syllabus adaptable to varying learning styles.

Sierra Charlie owner and probable namesake Scott Campbell stated: “Like Elixir Aircraft, we pride ourselves on innovation and safety and being ahead of the curve. This means providing our students with the best and safest tools out there to ensure the highest quality education and training. The fourth-generation Elixir is definitely one of these tools.”

Mr. Campbell added: “The simplicity yet strength of the airplane lie in the fact its components are built with OneShot technology. It’s a game changer. Less than one-thousand references in the whole plane and half-a-day one-hundred-hour maintenance checks means my Elixirs will be flying a lot. And my students already fly a lot!”

Elixir Aircraft CEO Leopold Leger remarked: “Speaking with Sierra Charlie, it’s clear both our businesses are focused on commercial and industrial development. We know the demand for the global aviation market, training aircraft, and pilot shortage. We aim to work together to do whatever we need to do to meet that demand.”

Elixir head of worldwide sales Mike Tonkin set forth: “Sierra Charlie’s order comes off the back of recent Elixir orders by several large flight-training organizations around the world, including the Airbus Flight Academy and the Mermoz Academy. There are more orders to come and our new 12,000-square-meter factory at La Rochelle airport and an assembly facility in Florida are key parts of this growth.”

Elixir Aircraft North America sales and business development director Dr. Scott Firsing asserted: “Knowing Scott [Campbell] and his team for years and their professionalism when it comes to flight training, we are thrilled about their large fleet order. It will have a positive impact on their students, but also help feed the U.S. part 121 and 135 operators. It’s full throttle for Elixir in America.”

The EASA CS-23 certified single-engine T-tail monoplane currently offered by Elixir is available in two iterations: a Rotax 912 iS-powered trainer, and a Rotax 915 iS-equipped traveler model. Both machines feature spin-resistant designs comprising variable main-wing angles of incidence which ensure the aircrafts’ wing-roots stall prior to their wing-tips—thereby affording Elixir pilots aileron authority even in conditions of aerodynamic stall.

Elixir further offer buyers explosion-resistant fuel tanks; reinforced oleo-pneumatic tricycle landing gear; double-slotted electric flaps; high-performance Beringer wheels fitted with hydraulic differential disc-brakes and armored hoses; flight-data recorders; and Garmin’s GI260 Angle of Attack (AoA) indicator and Smart Glide—a system intended to aids pilots in loss of engine power emergencies by automating tasks for purpose of reducing pilot workload. Specifically, Smart Glide recommends suitable landing airports within a distressed aircraft’s engine-out glide range—as estimated by GPS. Paired with avionics such as Garmin’s GTN Xi series and a compatible Garmin autopilot, Smart Glide automatically engages autopilot pitch control to maintain best glide speed while simultaneously navigating the aircraft to the selected emergency airport.

In the event of catastrophic emergency, Elixir aircraft are fitted with Ballistic Parachute Recovery Systems (BPRS) deployable up to the two models’ respective Vne speeds.

FMI: www.elixir-aircraft.com