Sightings: Piaggio P180 in St. Louis

By Carmelo Turdo

A rare treat arrived at St. Louis Downtown Airport - a 2005 Piaggio Aero P180 Avanti II owned by Avantair of Clearwater, Florida.  The Italian-made turboprop business aircraft offers sterling jet-like performance at 40% lower operating costs.  The aircraft cruises at up to 402kts. at 38,000 feet, making it also an ideal platform for special mission duties with armed forces and government agencies.  The Collins integrated digital cockpit avionics suite provides for single-pilot IFR capability.   The design lives up to the Piaggio Aero motto, "Fly Different."

For more information on the Avanti II, please visit http://www.piaggioaero.com/#/en/products/p180-avanti-ii/overview.