Melbourne Flight Training is expanding its aircraft fleet with the purchase of 31 Tecnam Aircraft as part of the school’s continued growth.
Twenty Tecnam P-Mentors, eight P2010 (with 180 hp powerplants), and three P2006Ts are among the school’s new fleet of airplanes announced during Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida, last week. While the P2006T was on hand during the show, the rest of the aircraft will be delivered in 2024.
In a press release, Melbourne Flight Training said the acquisition will “enhance the quality of flight training programs, reduce costs for student customers, and provide a range of training options to meet the needs of the student body.”
Located on Florida’s Space Coast, Melbourne Flight Training was founded in 2016 by Derek Fallon and his wife, Kristina. The school provides flight instruction to recreational and professional pilot students, including an accelerated Career Aviator Pathway (CAP) program, multiengine training, and advanced training up to airline transport pilot (ATP) certifications. It currently operates a fleet of training aircraft, including Cirrus SR20 and SR22 models, Cessna 172s, and the Beechcraft 76 Duchess.
“Melbourne Flight Training is thrilled to announce our acquisition of a new Tecnam Aircraft training fleet, marking a new chapter in our commitment to providing exceptional flight training experiences,” said Fallon. “With the addition of these state-of-the-art aircraft, we’re excited to continue empowering our students to soar to new heights with confidence and skill. We are elated to be joining the Tecnam family and look forward to our partnership as we commit to training new professional flight students enrolled in our Career Aviator Pathway program.”
Manufactured in Italy, Tecnam’s fleet of high- and low-wing trainers offer Garmin glass avionics and low emissions. According to Tecnam, flight schools utilizing its aircraft can save as much as 10 tons of CO2 emissions for every student who graduates with a commercial certificate—a 60 percent reduction compared to competitors. Additionally, its P-Mentor model has an airframe Ballistic Recovery System—offering an extra layer of safety for learners.
“We are very excited about this fantastic partnership with Melbourne Flight Academy,” said Walter da Costa, Tecnam’s chief sales officer. “Our fleet solution is unique in the market, ensuring reliability, cost control, smart training, and low emissions. Together with Melbourne Flight Academy, we are proud to innovate the flight training paradigm in the USA.”
This year’s Sun ‘n Fun has proven to be a huge success for Tecnam as the manufacturer also received an order for 15 P-Mentor models from HCH Aviation, which has a partnership with Stephen F. Austin State University. The P-Mentors will join the school’s fleet of twin-engine P2006Ts.
HCH Aviation president Kristen Conklin said, “Tecnam has been a wonderful partner in assisting our team in our aircraft needs. The Tecnam aircraft are superior aircraft to serve our rapidly growing collegiate flight program, the most modern tool for our students to proceed easily with their professional pilot career.”
In addition to the HCH Aviation order, Kenai Aviation—a family-run airline and charter company based in Alaska took delivery of a Tecnam P2012 Traveller during the airshow.
