Ferrari Formula 1 driver has enjoyed flying in his team’s Piaggio P.180 Avanti II so much over the past two years that he’s ordered one of his own.
The young Brazilian driver flew in to the Dubai Show yesterday to sign the sales contract with the appropriately-named Piero Ferrari, Piaggio Aero’s chairman, at the Mubadala Development Company’s chalet. Mubadala owns 35% of Piaggio and 5% of Ferrari.
Massa is an unashamed fan of the distinctive Avanti business aircraft. “It has an outstanding Italian style and is fascinating and luxurious,” he says. “Speed has always been my passion and I’m looking forward to flying in my new Ferrari of the sky.” And Piero Ferrari is a fan of Massa, saying he “splendidly represents the image of Piaggio Aero”.
The highly aerodynamic nine-passenger twin-turboprop Avanti II, has an unusual pusher-prop configuration and makes heavy use of composites. It has similar performance to a business jet – a 400kt cruising speed at 41,000ft and a range of 1,700 miles – but with 30% lower operating costs.
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Source: Flight Daily News
