Rom-Ciampino (LIRA) - Aéroport International Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées

[hasegawa]

I am currently busy getting to know the Piaggio P. 180 “Avanti II.” It has fascinated me ever since I bought it. For me, it will become what Black Square's Beechcraft “Starship I” should have been... an unusual but practical aircraft for everyday use and an eye-catcher far removed from the Boeing-Airbus monotony. But the Starship wasn't really suitable for everyday use in the real world either, but rather an exotic collector's item.
The “Avanti II” from Italian aircraft manufacturer Piaggio is different. Behind its interesting aerodynamics and futuristic appearance lies an aircraft that also has nothing to hide in terms of performance and efficiency. A certified ceiling of 41,000 ft, a range of up to 2,600 km, and a maximum speed of 732 km/h for a turboprop... That's impressive. I have been conservative so far, flying it to an altitude of 39,000 ft and, without trying to be fast, 331 kts over ground makes 613 km/h cruising speed. It's almost ideal for my flights in Europe. The Cirrus “Vision Jet” simply had too “short legs.”

[jankees]

fast maybe, but not the prettiest bird in the sky..

[hasegawa]

Well, we won't argue about that, but “Avanti” is the name given to it by the manufacturer. I think it looks a bit like a hammerhead shark. The appearance takes some getting used to, but I like it the way it is and I've seen too many Beechcraft Kingairs... and find them boring.

[Charl]

That's a very handsome livery GIGI is wearing, goes some way to mitigate the fish+moustache look