Further to comments made by Kuiken chief pilot Hank Kraak last month, criticising the cockpit size of the P180, Rudy Stroink and Bert van Gelder, ceo and corporate pilot for TCN Property Projects respectively, have struck back in defence of the aircraft.

Van Gelder said: “We know Mr Kraak and physically he represents less than 75 percent of our body volume. We’ve never had any problem getting in and out of the cockpit. As a matter of fact, we are very comfortable in the kitchen of the Piaggio.

“We would also like to point Mr Kraak to the lever to the side of the chairs which can easy lift the chair to the most comfortable position. For instance, when the height of the pilot is insufficient to look over the instrumental panel.

“We have done thorough analyses of the plane and compared it to all other available models in the market. Our passengers have made the final decision in favour of the Piaggio. Speed, economy, size, comfort, noise level and last but not least the strong client-friendly support of Piaggio made the difference.

“There are many good arguments for single engine planes or less innovative designs, but in the end it is not the pilot, but the passengers who need to feel safe and comfortable.”

In the original article, Kraak had said: “It’s a very nice, fast aircraft but the price is very high for a new P180. The cabin is comparable to the Bravo but the cockpit is problematic for the pilot because it’s difficult to get into.

With respect to the PC-12, he'd said: “I think if the single-engine IFR is approved in Europe that Pilatus will actually have problems meeting demand for the new aircraft.

“There’s a great market here in Europe. I’ve made a couple of demo flights with it in the past and it is a tremendous aircraft. But with Piaggio, I'm not sure if they'll make it. I don’t think there’ll be a market in Europe for the P180.”

TCN Property Projects is a European real estate developer with offices in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. Both van Gelder and Stroink are rated for the Piaggio.