Pilots working for the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have now flown the Leonardo Helicopters AW609 tiltrotor, matching their counterparts from the US regulator.
It is the first time EASA employees have piloted the tiltrotor, says Leonardo Helicopters.
Taking place at the manufacturer’s headquarters in Cascina Costa, Italy on 16-17 March, the familiarisation activities are a crucial step on the road to European certification for the platform.
Crews from the Federal Aviation Administration – the lead certification agency — wrapped up their pre-type inspection authorisation flight tests on 22 February.
Earlier this month, Leonardo Helicopters said it expected to receive US validation for the AW609 next year.
Dominic Perry is deputy editor of Flight International but also contributes extensively to flightglobal.com. Although specialising in the coverage of the helicopter industry, he has written on most topics in aerospace – be they commercial, defence or business aviation. In addition, there has been an increasing focus on the decarbonisation of the industry and zero-emission flight initiatives.View full Profile
