Diamond Twinstar
 

Hello All

Anybody know if there are any Diamond TwinStars in SA yet? Looking at trying to get trained on one!!

Cheers

Contact Frans Meyer at NAC Flight Training : FAGM (011) 345-2500. He flies one every so often.:)

Unusable in the Bush
 

Hey Astro,

I was bushpilot in Namibia for 2 years, and renew my JAR MEP on a DA 42 in Belgium.. have to accept this is a great plane to fly, great view, very nice in roll and very stable... not even mantioning that amaizing two Garmin G1000 efis television-looks-alike screen!!

Impossible to get lost!! impossible to F*** up an aproache!! a fantastic toy!

BUT, I have to say that plane is, on my opinion, not made for "wild Africa" at all. It s a all composite plane, with twin Diesel engine, one of these broke after only 700hrs of flight! what a pitty for such a revolution. Diesel engine is economic, but not ready obviousely.

Have difficult to imagine a small dude in his hangar trying to fix a fully automatic digital engine managing system...that..FADEC as we call it..

Really, that plane is, on MY opinion, great, easy, perfect for future A340-600 student pilot, or sunday pilots, but for the folks that want to fly old toys in "real african" situation, this is not made for them.

last exemple? the 2 engines have an autonomy of 30 minuts if the alternator goes mad! of course: diesel = no magnetos! 30 min in Belgium, UK, or USA is a way enought to find a alternate airport... try it in Congo, north west Namibia, center Kalahari..and you might have to run faster than lions, and improvise a waterhole with the help of bushmen...

Well, I might be wrong, but for me, that plane is really fantastic, but not really made for "wild africa"...

any comment?

If you keep it on tar, you should have no problems operating one anywhere in the world.