Belgian Trainer to Reinforce Fleet at Portuguese Flight School

Portuguese international flight school Pull Up Academy announced the selection of the Sonaca 200 for its newest trainer aircraft at the 5th Portugal Air Summit. 

The school selected the Sonaca 200 Pro, the highest trim level of the aircraft, including all-EFIS instrumentation provided by a Garmin G500 Txi, Gi 275, and other products from the Garmin portfolio. Powered by a Rotax 914F granting 115 hp through a three-bladed propeller, the aircraft is good for 7 hours of cruise flight between refuelings. Built by Sonaca's Aircraft subsidiary, the lightweight two-seater is well suited to be the airborne classroom. Incorporating all the elements of a trainer aircraft, being controllable, predictable aircraft, with consistent stall behavior and anti-spin design. 

On the school's new aircraft selection, João said: "Pull Up Academy aims to provide the most professional training to student pilots by preparing them for the complex environment that the air transport industry has become. The Sonaca 200 Trainer Pro, equipped with proven technologies and certified instruments, will allow our students to become familiar with the work of an airline pilot thanks to the use of avionics, the accuracy of the data and also by training on a powerful, reliable and trustworthy aircraft which has proven its efficiency in its training mission."

Pull Up Academy is a new addition to the area, flying out of the Bragança aerodrome, and holding classes in their new facilities at Brigantia EcoPark. The school is the work of founder João Roque, a former captain at TAP Airlines. After 30 years of experience, he has seen the need for increasing numbers of professional pilots, as retirements continue to loom over the industry through the 2020’s. Once active, the school is slated to forgo the piecemeal approach to classic flight training. Instead, students will undergo integrated coursework to gain their ATP license. With an initial investment of 2 million euros, facilities are growing steadily in preparation for the first courses expected to begin in 2022.

FMI: http://www.sonaca-aircraft.com/