Grob 120TP Glass Cockpit Certified

Grob 120TP Glass Cockpit Certified

The European Aviation Safety Agency has certified the glass cockpit version of the Grob Aircraft G120TP turboprop trainer (Type Certificate Data Sheet EASA.A.565 Issue 2 includes major change optional change note OÄM 565-17).  The addition of the glass cockpit also results in an additional Special Condition onto the CS-23 Amendment 1 based Type Certification Basis (namely CRI B-52 Human Factors – Integrated Avionics Systems).

For more insight into the G120TP see this video, introduced by test pilot Pete Collins:

See also this earlier Flight International report.

One nation now expected to introduced the G120TP is the UK.

UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) prime contractor is Ascent Flight Training (a Lockheed Martin / Babcock joint venture), who were selected at the UK Ministry of Defence’s Training Service Partner in 2008.  Ascent recently confirmed that the preferred bidder for aircraft provision and through life support (until 2033) for the fixed wing element of UKMFTS is Affinity (an Elbit / KBR joint venture).  That programme will consist of:

• Elementary Flying Training at RAF Barkston Heath & RAF Cranwell on the Grob 120TP (replacing Grob 115E Tutors)
• Multi-Engine Training at RAF Cranwell on the Embraer Phenom 100 (replacing Beechcraft King Air 200s)
• Basic Flying Training at RAF Valley on the Beechcraft T-6C (replacing Shorts Tucanos)

UPDATE 2 February 2016: UKMFTS Fixed Wing Aircraft Service Provision Contract Awarded

UPDATE 25 May 2016: The first two of six G120TPs have been delivered to CAE for their contract to train US Army Beechcraft C-12 pilots at Dothan Regional Airport, Alabama.  One reason for their selection is they can conduct upset prevention training (the former contract, held by Flight Safety Inc, used a mix of non-aerobatic Cessna 182s supplemented by aerobatic Zlin 242L Gurus) rior to the transition to glass-cockpit C-12s.

UPDATE 28 June 2016: See also this article by Dave Unwin: Flight Test: Grob G120TP – The twenty first century trainer

UPDATE 19 July 2016: It is reported that the Grob production line is producing 36 G120TPs per annum, with an order backlog to the end of 2018.  However, Grob say the tooling is in place to double the rate if extra staff are recruited.  The first two examples for UKMFTS are in production and due for delivery in September/October 2016.

UPDATE 19 September 2016: Grob / Affinity release photos of G120TPs in UK military colours:

UPDATE 19 April 2018: The first student training has commenced at RAF Cranwell.

Aerossurance is an Aberdeen based aviation consultancy.  For expert advice on aircraft design and selection, air safety, military type certification, MRCOA/Leaflet B-40/civil oversight and aircraft service contracting, contact: enquiries@aerossurance.com

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