Diamond’s Third D–JET Takes To The Skies
April 14, 2008 – Diamond Aircraft Industries announced Tuesday its D-JET serial number 003 completed its first flight, marking another important milestone in the company’s D-JET program. The aircraft departed from Diamond Aircraft’s London, Ontario facility for a successful one hour and 25 minute flight with Chief Test Pilot Daniel Ribeiro at the controls. Dan is a former ATP customer who came to ATP in Jacksonville, FL to get his FAA Airline Transport Pilot Certificate.
D-JET 003’s initial test program will focus on performance and handling quality refinement, similar to the mission of previous Diamond D–JET flight test aircraft, but will additionally be used to further develop key systems, including avionics, fuel, autopilot, and anti–ice. Later this year S/N 003 will be retrofit with the Williams International FJ33–19 engine, to begin testing with the production configuration power plant.
Operating efficiencies of the D–JET will allow ATP to increase the amount of jet experience, highly valued by the regional airlines, provided to Airline Career Pilot Program students. ATP has always differentiated itself from other flight schools by flying mostly multi-engine aircraft. The D–JET will further differentiate ATP with the addition of jet aircraft to the training fleet.
