News

04/12/06 - Type Certification for G120A issued in Canada

Fleet of nine aerobatic trainers G 120A-C delivered to Canadian Customer on time.
 
Allied Wings took delivery in April 2006 of all nine airplanes ordered less than one year ago. The delivery of this new batch of aircraft with the sales designation G 120A-C was completed on time and to the satisfaction of the customer. In addition, Grob Aerospace - based in Mattsies near Munich - delivered an additional fuselage, including cockpit equipment. It is currently being converted into a G 120A-C flight simulator by Allied Wings team member, Atlantis Systems International located in Ontario, Canada.
 
The aircraft has been equipped to meet demanding Canadian Forces Air Force specifications. The cockpit instrumentation includes standard flight instruments and also 2 HSI's (Horizontal Situation Indicators), to operate under IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) conditions. The comfort of the pilots was also taken into consideration. To provide adequate warmth for the flight instructors and their student pilots from the freezing temperatures during the cold winters of Manitoba, additional cockpit heating was installed to keep the spacious cockpit of the G 120A-C at comfortable temperature levels. Air conditioning has also been provided for flying on hot summer days.
 
The primary reason for the Canadian decision for the Grob aircraft was the versatility of the G 120A-C. First flown in 1999, the aircraft is an excellent training platform for basic flight instruction, high-performance aerobatics, as well as for IFR training. It has been specially designed by Grob Aerospace for demanding basic and advanced flight training as well as for aerobatics. As a pilot screener it is a top-class trainer. It combines superb flight characteristics with the power potential of a 260-hp Lycoming engine. The G 120-A can thus be used for training tasks that previously required two different types of aircraft. As with all Grob planes, it is made entirely of carbon fiber composite which imparts to the G 120A high strength, long fuselage life and lightness of weight, combined with low fuel and maintenance costs.
 
Alongside design of the modifications and production, two different certification processes had to be completed. First, the type G120A needed to be certified by Transport Canada. Second, all customer specific modifications were first certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), in charge of the certification process since last year. Then, once certified by the EASA, the Canadian authorities were able to issue their their approval for the G 120A-C.
 
After final assembly, the aircraft had to pass the scrutiny of the customer pilots for Kelowna Flightcraft, at Grob's company airport. Additionally, they performed the acceptance flights together with the Grob test pilot. Once completed, the airplanes were shipped in containers to their final destination in Canada and reassembled where final acceptance by Allied Wings and military pilots was made.
 
The G 120A-C will be used for the screening process and primary flight instruction for all pilots of the Canadian Air Force. It is operated by Kelowna Flightcraft Ltd whichs leads the Allied Wings Consortium at the Canadian Wings aviation training centre in Southport, Manitoba.