Apex Flight Academy in Taiwan has signed a contract for a Tecnam P2012 in a purpose-built skydiving configuration.

In 2019 the P2012 Traveller commuter airliner began commercial operations and was quickly followed by air ambulance, combi and cargo variants. Tecnam then revealed in summer 2020 the P2012 Sentinel special mission platform. Winter 2020 has brought the sixth variant to the P2012 and a new option for jump operators.

The P2012 jump ship will provide benefits for the operator, the jumper and the ‘diver driver'. For the operator there are low operating costs for a twin and mid-size load factors with good time to climb. The jumpers can make use of a large and a fuselage that will accommodate launching chunks and easy access for tandems. Jump pilots get full FADEC piston engines for no-hassle engine management, easy hot engine starts and less CG worries as jumpers bomb the door.

This new configuration will also enhance the P2012 Sentinel SMP mission capabilities, providing to governments and militaries a low acquisition and operating cost jumping platform as a primary or secondary tasking.

Wilson Chien Yu Kao, CEO of Apex, says: “We are pleased to announce the acquisition of P2012 with the parachuting capability. This will allow us to develop a new market in an effective and efficient manner in the general aviation space in Taiwan, as the P2012 is the most modern, safe and compliant aircraft we can currently find in the market for our needs, especially with its twin engine design, which gives our customers and aviation authorities greater peace of mind. We believe the P2012 Traveller in both passenger and SMP versions will allow us to expand into another market that has been long under served.”

Tecnam MD Giovanni Pascale adds: “We are delighted to further expand the already wide offerings of the P2012 aircraft series with the introduction of our skydiving variant. Whether it will be used for fun jumpers, tandems or operational missions on the Sentinel, all Tecnam customers will benefit from the unrivalled efficiency and safety of the P2012 common platform.”