Post by viscount on Apr 2, 2010 13:41:24 GMT 1
The Piaggio P.180 Avanti at Liverpool
With news (written in 2010) that we have a Bermudian registered Avanti based, and knowing that relatively few had been into Liverpool, an excuse to feature the distinctive Avanti. Since then this thread has been updated early 2015 early 2021 and again early 2023.
The unusual design has a number of innovate features: twin turboprop pusher engines, main wing behind the cabin, nose canards, laminar flow fuselage with a pressurised cabin for one or two crew and upto 9 passengers.
The prototype first flew on 23rd September 1986, with type certification 7th March 1990. The first 12 fuselages were built at Wichita, Kansas and assembled in Italy. However faced with financial problems the project stalled until Piero Ferrari became involved in 1998. The revivial in fortunes is clear, as by October 2005 the one hundreth aircraft was produced, with the 150th produced in May 2008.
An improved model, the Avanti II was certified November 2005 with uprated PT-6 turboprops, improving fuel economy and slightly increasing range along with a 'glass panel' cockpit. By 2014 production had reached around 234 aircraft and was switched to the Avanti EVO, with the prototype first flying in 2015. However in 2018 with around 15 produced Piaggio entered administration and production ceased, but with Government assistance in 2020 production could restart of both the Avanti EVO and a remotely controlled aircraft based on the Avanti airframe being ordered for the Italian Air Force.
1998
On Monday 25th May Tom Walkinshaw arrived on his futuristic Avanti N220TW for the British Touring Car Championships. The aircraft routed from Cannes to Oxford, at Liverpool for only 40 minutes, 1151 to 1231 hours. A first visit of type unseen by most Liverpool spotters, even though it was presumably a Bank Holiday Monday.
2002
The numbers of Avantis flying around Europe increased only slowly. A few years passed before the next visit of type.
On 12th December Avanti D-ITCN called, from and to Rotterdam, in the evening, 1856 until 2304 hours.
2003
From two visits in five years, to three Avantis on the apron together! On Wednesday 28th May, the Champions League Final at Old Trafford brought in a flood of fans by air into Manchester and Liverpool Airports. I-FXRA operating as 'FXR18A' from and to Albenga was at Liverpool longest, from 1418 until departure the following day at 0934; I-FXRE as 'FXR18E' from and to Genoa, 1526-2330 with I-FXRC as 'FXR18C' from and to Bologna, 1623-0030. All three parked on the GA apron while day-stopping at Liverpool. I-FXRC has a bright red cheatline and the Ferrari badge on the tail, the other two a blue cheatline. The colour scheme of all 3 can best be described as 'minimal'.
2004
Another Italian followed next. I-FXRF called on Wednesday 18th February in the early hours, 0408-0549, as 'ESX (Catfish) 999', on a medical flight, from Birminhgam to Belfast/Aldergrove. As the year progressed, D-IZZY called twice. On the evening of Wednesday 14th April, from Frankfurt to Geneva, 1936-2010, with another evening visit on 10th October, this time from Nice to Mainz, 1906-2007.
2005
A French registered Avanti was next, in the form of F-HALE on Tuesday 5th July, from and to Farnborough, 1128-1723. Later investigation found this to be the same airframe as I-FXRF a year and a half earlier. European military executive transports are far from common at Liverpool, an Italian Air Force P.180AM Avanti caused a stir on 19th September when it brought in the Italian Sports Minister for an EU Sport Minister's meeting in Liverpool. The Italian delegation returned home the following day in a Falcon 50. The Avanti was mm62202, calling 'India 2202', and arrived from Bergamo at 1204, departing for Pratica di Mare at 1413.
There was to be no visit by an Avanti during 2006.
2007
On Tuesday 6th February D-IIVA diverted into Liverpool due to poor weather at Manchester at 1213 from Mainz, leaving 1642 for Verona. The aircraft was back a month later, on Thursday 8th March, this time from Monchengladbach at 1938 hours and night stopped before departure to Cordoba at 1337 hours the next day. Towards the end of the year F-GPKN appeared on Thursday 18th November 1033-1540 as flight 'TSI12D1', leaving later as 'TSI112D2', operating from and to Avignon.
2008
Sole Avanti of the year was N174WA on Wednesday 5th November from Oxford at 1823, departing the following day at 1347 for Welshpool after a night stop.
2009
On Wednesday 6th May, in fairly inventive colour scheme (for an Avanti) D-IPPY called. From Milan to Biggin Hill, calling 'XGO4GP/4KB', on the ground at Liverpool 0932 until 1425. I would assume that aircraft 'dippy' and 'dizzy' belong to the same owner with a non-Teutonic sense of humour! Brittany Ferries' Avanti called on 30th June, F-HBAI from and to Morlaix, here 0841 until 1612 hours the following day, parked on the GA apron. Final Avanti of the year was I-FXRI on Thursday 17th December at 1645, departing the following day at 1757, from Bologna to Heathrow.
2010
A new chapter in the Avanti story at Liverpool sees one of the type becoming a resident. Bermudian registered VQ-BHO (which is C/no. 1156 and formerly D-IPIA) arrived at Liverpool on Thurs 20th May. Although theoretically 'based' at Liverpool VQ-BHO, just stayed for several days. For the second Avanti of the year we waited until 6th September with a visit by Avanti II PH-HRK of Solid Air. The same aircraft returned on Friday 17th September. After several visits in September by Solid Air, next Avanti was a revisit (after a gap of three and a half years) by D-IIVA on Wednesday 20th October arriving 1745 with passengers. Next day, Thursday 21st VQ-BHO appeared briefly at Liverpool for just 7 minutes in the morning routing Manchester to Lugano. It returned Friday 22nd Lugano to Manchester, late afternoon, this time spending just 9 minutes on the ground.
2011
First Avanti II of the year was I-FXRH on Tuesday 4th January from Genoa and outbound to Caen. Used call-sign FXR18H and at Liverpool 1945 until 1615 the following day. Solid Air entered bankruptcy mid 2011, so would no longer be the be the source of Avanti or Citation visits. indeed Avanti visits during 2011 were few and far between, as the next was not until 10th November, with a first visit by N79CN of Valentair Ltd.
2012
Just like the previous year, 2012 had an Italian Avanti visit during January - I-FXRG on 28th. On Sunday 13th May D-IVIN called. The slow pace of Avanti visits continues, it not being until Friday 14th September that Sun Air of Denmark (SUS) brought OY-TLP to LJLA. OY-TLP has been to Liverpool before, but as F-HALE and earlier still as I-FXRF!
2013
During 2013 just three visits and all three featured three different Avanti aircraft first visiting JLA. First came a new Foxair (FXA) aircraft I-FXRK on Saturday 16th March during the afternoon from Albenga to Ancona. This was followed on the afternoon/early evening of Sunday 25th August by Jet Netherland's (JNL) PH-DLN the visit very likely connected to the Creamfields Music Event, routing in from Biggin Hill and out to Amsterdam. On Tuesday 12th November another afternoon visit, this time by OK-PIA (ECC) from Coventry to Biggin Hill.
2014
First Avanti of 2014 was a re-visit by OK-PIA on Thursday 6th March. Later in the year re-visits by D-IVIN of AirGo Flugservice GmbH (XGO) on Saturday 5th July f&t Nice and again on Saturday 8th November f&t Le Bourget. 2014 was a low point in terms of Avanti visits in the Twenty-Tens, the rate of visiting aircraft increasing as the years move on.
2015
The first Avanti of 2015 was a re-visit by AirGo's D-IZZY on Tuesday 3rd March Paris/Le Bourget to Dublin. The following two visits were also re-visits, first by JetNetherland's PH-HRK on Monday 29th June f&t Rotterdam and then N79CN on Wednesday 30th September and night stopped, f&t Sion with fans for a European match at Anfield. Finally a first visit by I-FRXJ of Foxair f&t Nice on Thursday 17th December and night stopped.
2016
The number of visits per year is rising slowly, in 2016 reaching 7 visits by 6 different aircraft, of which 2 were new to Liverpool. First of year was one of the aircraft that had not been here before, Lux Aviation's LX-SUN on Thursday 29th January, routing Amsterdam-Rotterdam. Next in was a return, after six years of VQ-BHO on Thursday 23rd February f&t Manchester for a spot of training and was back likely for the same reason on Friday 2nd September. PH-HRK of JetNetherlands called again in the late evening of Sunday 31st July, Amsterdam-Rotterdam. On the Manx register was M-ONTE on Monday 10th October and night stopped, routing Cardiff-East Midlands. AirGo's D-IVIN a few days later on Wednesday 12th October also night stopped routing Prestwick to Paris/Le Bourget. Finally in 2016 came F-HBAI on Tuesday 22nd November and night stopped routing from Newcastle to Newquay.
2017
Slight drop in the number of visits to 5 during 2017, but 4 of the 5 different aircraft were new ones to Liverpool. Bulgarian operator Aviostart appeared first on Tuesday 4th April with LZ-ASO f&t Paris/Le Bourget. On Easter Sunday, 16th April HB-LTZ arrived from Oxford and departed the following day for Lugano. Very late at night on Thursday 11th May Lyonnair's F-HIMA arrived from Birmingham and left in the early hours of the following day to Lyon/Bron. A now moderately familiar PH-HRK called again on Thursday 18th May and night stopped, routing Coventry to Enschede. The fifth and final Avanti of the year was another French one, F-HOIE on Monday 12th June at lunch-time, f&t Paris/Le Bourget. There then followed a 10 month gap in Avantis visiting John Lennon Airport.
2018
In a near repeat of 2016 with the annual statistics noted at 7 visits by 6 different aircraft, however with the difference that in 2018 3, rather than 2, of the aircraft were on their first visit to John Lennon Airport. It has been 5 years since the Italians last appeared, they were back in 2018 with re-visits by Foxair's I-FXRH on Saturday 7th April and night stopped, operating from and to Manchester, where therw was a lack of apron space space during the redevelopment of terminal gates. This was followed on Tuesday 24th April by I-FXRK again night-stopping, operating f&t Florence with FC Roma fans for a European game at Anfield. Between those two visits came a first visit by F-HGOD, in and out in the early hours of Tuesday 24th April routing from Paris/Le Bourget to Liege. During June came a first visit by Northside Aviation's M-PIRE on Wednesday 13th f&t Exeter and a re-visit by Scotia Aviation's M-ONTE, f&t Exeter. A third Manx registered Avanti in the form of Greensill Capital's M-GFGC first visited on Sunday 29th July, calling twice, first routing Gloucester-Paris/Le Bourget and then in reverse.
2019
Remarkably, after the flurry of activity between April and July in 2018, it would be very nearly a year before the next Avanti called. Though the second half of the year went on to record 9 visits by 4 different aircraft, unfortunately all of them having been to Liverpool before. M-GFGC called 6 times, Friday 19th July Ostrava-Oxford; Thursday 3rd October Southend-Birmingham in the early hours; Thursday 17th October and night stopped, Biggin Hill-Newcastle and reverse routing afternoon Friday 18th October; Friday 29th November Luton-Biggin Hill in early morning and finally Monday 2nd December Madrid to Bucharest. AirGo brought in D-IZZY again on Saturday 31st August from Dublin to Nice; while F-HOIE called in the early hours of Sunday 8th September routing Paris/Le Bourget to Dublin and finally M-ONTE on Thursday 19th December from Dundee and out to Perth.
2020
A leap in the annual number of visits recorded with 18 recorded in 2020, a few more than during the previous two years combined - and this in a year when the Covid pandemic restricted travel greatly. However the 18 visits only involved 4 different aircraft and only 2 of those new to Liverpool. Three aircraft contributed most to the number of visits, with Greensill's M-GFGC leading the field with 10 visits noted in February, March and December, sometimes staying for a couple of days. The other previous caller being AirGo Aviation's D-IPPY - back after a break of 11 years. It called on Monday 10th February f&t Biggin Hill; Wednesday 5th August Nice-Farnborough and again Wednesday 18th November from Paris/Le Bourget in the early hours, but not departing until Monday 30th when it left for Rotterdam. New to Liverpool were GFG Aviation's M-ETAL which called on Wednesday 5th, Thursday 6th, Tuesday 11th February and Wednesday 12th August and another AirGo aircraft D-INKY on Sunday 13th September and night stopped, routing Madrid to East Midlands.
2021
The year started well with activity by Greensill Capital's M-GFGC twice on Sunday 3rd, Wednesday 6th and finally Fri 8th. However when Greensill Capital declared insolvency and ceased trading Monday 8th March, although their Gulfstream 650 M-SOZO was in the hangar at Liverpool Airport, it would be the last we would see of their pair of Avantis. How wrong we were as after the Gulfstream left on 1st April, Greensill's other Avanti, M-GCAP made a first visit to Liverpool, arriving on Tuesday 13th April from Moenchengladbach, with M-GFGC following from Southend on Thursday 15th into the hangar space vacated by the Gulfstream. Then on Wednesday 28th April AirGo called again using D-IPPY - so for only the second time there were 3 Avantis on the ground at JLA at the same time, albeit that two were hidden away secure in one of the main apron hangars, unlike 2003 when all three were parked out on the GA apron. The former Greensill Avantis were at Liverpool, tucked away in one of the main apron hangars for several months, M-GFGC eventually departing for Bournemouth on 6th August and M-GCAP departing for Luxembourg on 30th September.
Later in the year there was a further flurry of Avanti movements, with 9H-CAP of Av8jet Charter calling during the evening of Sunday 7th November, followed by 2-COOL which called twice, a few days apart. Firstly during the evening of Sunday 21st November from Cannes and on to Dundee, then on Tuesday 23rd in late afternoon from Gloucester and on to Farnborough.
2022
On Monday 31st January 2022 9H-CAP returned in mid-evening, from Rotterdam to Biggin Hill. Mid afternoon of Sunday 29th May M-ETAI arrived from Le Touquet and onwards to Gloucester. Confusingly this aircraft had just been minimally re-registered from M-ETAL, the marks worn when the aircraft visited four times in 2020! In June two Oyon Air aircraft visited for the first time, with F-HROI during the evening of Thursday 2nd June, in from Lyon/Bron and out to Paris/Le Bourget and F-HANE during the morning of Tuesday 22nd June in from Paris/Le Bourget and out to Chambery. Both these Oyon Air aircraft had visited while on the Italian register some years before.
Correct up to the end of February 2023.
Never a particularly common type, it has taken many years to slowly reach around the 250 built mark. It seems remarkable that it is for a span of 25 years that the type has been visiting Liverpool. Long may this distinctive shape (and sound) continue to call at JLA.
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Usual rider that while I am certain that every aircraft that visited in each year is covered, not every visit by each aircraft may been located in the records. Thanks to NWAN paper magazine & website monthly logs, also Silverback for additional info PM'ed to me. Over now to forum members to illustrate.
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In summary: (revised, updated and checked February 2023)
Aircraft registrations visiting:
2-COOL
9H-CAP
D-IIVA, D-INKY, D-IPPY, D-ITCN, D-IVIN, D-IZZY
F-GPKN, F-HALE, F-HANE, F-HBAI, F-HGOD, F-HIMA, F-HOIE, F-HROI
HB-LTZ
I-FXRA, I-FXRC, I-FXRE, I-FXRF, I-FXRG, I-FXRH, I-FXRI, I-FRXJ, I-FXRK, mm62202
LX-SUN
LZ-ASO
M-ETAI, M-ETAL, M-GCAP, M-GFGC, M-ONTE, M-PIRE
N79CN, N174WA, N220TW
OK-PIA
OY-TLP
PH-DLN, PH-HRK
VQ-BHO
At the end of 2009, a total of 14 registrations of 4 nationalities on 13 different aircraft.
Making by March 2014 a total of 30 registrations of 8 nationalities on 24 aircraft seen at Liverpool.
By March 2022 this had risen to 43 registrations on 14 national registers on 37 different aircraft seen at JLA.
By construction number (& info about which aircraft have visited under more than one registration identity):
C/no Regn Mark Visited Liverpool
1013 I-FXRA 2003
1018 N220TW 1998
1020 D-ITCN 2002
1034 D-IZZY 2004, 2015, 2019
1042 M-PIRE 2018
1045 I-FXRC 2003
1049 I-FXRE 2003
1058 mm62202 2005
1060 I-FXRF 2004 & as F-HALE 2005 & as OY-TLP 2012
1061 N79CN 2011, 2015
1074 N174WA 2008
1089 LX-SUN 2016
1105 HB-LTZ 2017
1110 F-HBAI 2009, 2016
1112 I-FXRG 2012
1120 PH-HRK 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017
1123 F-GPKN II 2007
1125 D-IIVA 2007, 2010
1133 OK-PIA II 2013, 2014
1138 F-HIMA II 2017
1149 2-COOL II 2021
1153 F-HGOD II 2018 & as 9H-CAP 2021
1156 VQ-BHO II 2010, 2016
1159 D-IVIN II 2012, 2014, 2016
1162 D-INKY II 2020
1172 D-IPPY II 2009, 2020, 2021
1175 PH-DLN II 2013
1176 M-ONTE II 2016, 2019
1177 I-FXRH II 2011, 2018 & as F-HANE 2022
1178 I-FXRJ II 2015
1185 LZ-ASO II 2017
1189 I-FXRI II 2009 & as F-HROI 2022
1194 M-ETAL II 2020 & as M-ETAI 2022
1213 I-FXRK II 2013, 2018
1222 M-GCAP II 2021
1225 F-HOIE II 2017, 2019
1231 M-GFGC II 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
Finally as some operators use call-signs: XGO AirGo Flugservice GmbH "Pastis", TSI, FXR Foxair "Wildfox", ESX, JNR Jet Netherlands, LXA Luxair, OYO Oyon Air, VSA Aviostart, AJO Av8jet Aviation.
I don't know if anyone else has found the same, but in my opinion the futuristic looking Avanti is not particularly photogenic. I am unhappy with all my shots of Avantis taken so far, it just doesn't seem to look right no matter what the angle it is viewed at on the ground. It also is a distinctively noisy aircraft and hard to miss when flying over. In an age when increasingly aircraft designs seem to come out of the same mold, the Avanti rather breaks the rules!
