Pipistrel Voyager To Train Next Generation of Pilots

Textron’s Pipistrel introduced the Voyager training airplane today at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. The two-seat Voyager—base price €240,000 ($274,000)—is designed to meet the FAA’s MOSAIC performance-based certification regulations.

Resembling the Pipistrel Alpha trainer, a light-sport-aircraft design that is limited to a 1,320-pound mtow and 120-knot top speed, the all-composite Voyager will have an mtow of 1,389 pounds and a useful load of 552 pounds. Powered by a 100-hp Rotax 912 ULS piston engine, the Voyager can fly 740 nm with IFR reserves and can be used for instrument training, including in instrument meteorological conditions. Pipistrel will obtain spin certification so flight instructor candidates can obtain the required spin training.

Like other Pipistrel models, the Voyager is equipped with a ballistic parachute. Avionics are Garmin’s new Axis touchscreen display system with a three-axis GFC 500 autopilot featuring a level button and electronic stability and protection, a GI 275 backup instrument, and a haptic stall-warning system. The Voyager has two wing fuel tanks, instead of the single fuselage fuel tank in the Alpha, and thus is equipped with a fuel selector to switch between tanks. Moving the fuel to the wings also allowed Pipistrel to add a baggage compartment with an external access door.

Epic Flight Academy is the launch customer for the Voyager and has placed orders for up to 50 of them. Once deliveries begin, the company plans to deploy Voyagers at each of its 12 locations.

“MOSAIC represents a fundamental shift in how aircraft are developed and brought to market, and the Voyager is leading the way in both these innovations and in access,” said Textron Aviation senior v-p of engineering Chris Hearne. “It enables more capable aircraft, faster introduction of new technology, and greater flexibility in how aircraft are used across training and operations. Because these standards are performance-based and grounded in proven safety data, they allow innovation to move at a pace that better reflects today’s technology while maintaining the high bar the industry expects.”