Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief at AIN Media Group, has been flying since 1975 and writing about aviation since 1978 and now has the best job in the world, running editorial operations for Aviation International News, Business Jet Traveler, and FutureFlight.aero. In addition to working as an A&amp;P mechanic on everything from Piper Cubs to turboprops, Matt taught flying at his father’s flight school in Plymouth, Mass., in the early 1980s, flew for an aircraft owner/pilot, and for two summer seasons hunted swordfish near the George’s Banks off the East Coast from a Piper Super Cub. An ATP certificated fixed-wing pilot and CFII and commercial helicopter pilot, Matt is type-rated in the Citation 500 and Gulfstream V/550. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Matt and his team cover the entire aviation scene including business aircraft, helicopters, avionics, safety, manufacturing, charter, fractionals, technology, air transport, advanced air mobility, defense, and other subjects of interest to AIN, BJT, and FutureFlight readers.

Editor-in-Chief

Matt Thurber

The Series 400 Twin Otter on display in the Viking Air outdoor exhibit (OE26) is here at the Farnborough Airshow for a very special reason. Tomorrow morning Viking Air plans is holding a ceremony tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. at the Farnborough Airshow to celebrate the delivery of this and another aircraft, with their brightly colored liveries, two Series 400 Twin Otters to Air Seychelles. The brightly colored Twin Otter on the Viking outdoor exhibit (OE26) is manufacturer’s serial no. 898, and recent Series 400 Twin Otter deliveries have seen the 50th new example Series 400 delivered since Viking Air returned the utility twin turboprop back into production.


The 50th new Twin Otter was recently delivered to Malaysia Airlines subsidiary MASwings, a subsidiary Malaysia Airlines, which has an order for six and has thus far received fivewas the recipient of the 50th new Twin Otter; it has now taken delivery of five of its order for six. Other recent deliveries include three aircraft of an order for five for to Global Aerospace Logistics of Abu Dhabi; Moscow-based Vityaz Avia with four of a totalan order of 11 in a mix of configurations (including landplane, amphibious floats and wheels/skis) to Moscow-based Vityaz Avia; two deliveries in 2014 for the Peruvian air force, which now operates seven Series 400s; and a third Twin Otter delivered to the Vietnam navy, which has an order for six in amphibious configuration with standard passenger, VIP and utility seating convertible interiors.


In the UK, Montrose Global signed a purchase proposal for five Series 400s. Montrose plans to offer the Twin Otters to airlines in a variety of configurations on an operating lease basis. Deliveries are planned to begin in 2015next year.


“Market acceptance for the aircraft has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Viking director of sales Richard Libby–“with worldwide demand bolstering Viking’s production backlog, now stretching into 2016.”


Training the Pilots


To help train the growing cadre of Twin Otter pilots, Pacific Sky Aviation and Viking Air contracted with Textron’s newly formed TRU Simulation + Training to build a Level D, full-flight simulator for the Twin Otter. The simulator will be the first to feature a seaplane configuration, according to Pacific Sky, and will be available for pilot training in 2016.


The simulator will be housed at Pacific Sky’s new training facility, being built next to the Viking Air headquarters in Victoria, British Columbia.C. (Canada). TRU Simulation is a combination of two simulator companies purchased by Textron–Mechtronix (which is building the Twin Otter simulator) and Opinicus–and includes part of Textron’s AAI Logistics &amp; Technical Services.


Simulator features of the Twin Otter simulator will include the ability to practice takeoffs, landings and docking operations in various sea states and water conditions. To make water operations more realistic, the visual system will incorporate additional projection devices so pilots can view water conditions prior to landing and also look backwards from the cockpit during docking.


“This simulator will break new ground in the industry as it will extend this advanced technology into a seaplane training application, something that has never been done before,” according to Pacific Sky CEO Michael Coughlin.


Here at Farnborough, Viking Air also announced the appointment of Bob Crowe Aircraft Sales, based at Cranfield Airport north of London, as the exclusive UK sales representative for the Twin Otter Series 400 and Guardian 400. The sales company has extensive experience with the Twin Otter as well as special missions aircraft and government procurement expertise, according to Viking.

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