Bengaluru, India (PressExposure) June 26, 2010 -- The GA8-TC Airvan from GippsAero, one of Australia's most reputed aircraft producers and a part of Mahindra Aerospace, landed today in the Garden City.
The Airvan is on a multiple mission. Its Australian pilots, Ken Evers and Tim Pryse are being supported by its manufacturer, GippsAero to prove the ruggedness and reliability of the single engine plane while simultaneously raising USD 1 million for the noble cause of increasing awareness about malaria. Mahindra Aerospace also views this unique initiative as an opportunity to strengthen trade and economic ties between India and Australia.
The plane took off from Bendigo, Australia on May 8 and will cover a total distance of 28,190 nm (nautical miles) before returning to Bendigo in July, making it the first Australian designed and manufactured aircraft to circumnavigate the globe. From Australia, the Airvan crossed American Samoa, Kiribati, Hawaii and California, before landing in Arizona where Mahindra Engineering Services (MES), a part of Mahindra Systech, has recently opened an office to service its Aero Industry clients.
GippsAero, one of Australia's most reputed aircraft producers has a suite of similar products that cater to a range of general aviation requirements including crop dusting, disaster relief and cargo transport. The GA8 - TC and its stable mates carry FAR 23 certification which indicates the highest measure of safety allowing fare paying passengers to be ferried between small and remote airfields in full comfort and security. GippsAero's family of products includes planes in the range of 2 to 16 seaters. Mahindra Aerospace has also acquired aero component manufacturing capability and is in the final stages of selecting a location to host India's first private sector Aircraft OEM.
"It is a matter of pride for us that Mahindra is keenly evaluating the State of Karnataka for their proposed aerospace venture. We are delighted that Mahindra chose Bangalore as a destination for the historic landing of the Mahindra Gippsland G8 Airvan. On behalf of the citizens of Bengaluru, I would like to welcome Ken and Tim and wish them good luck for the rest of their journey" said Hon. Chief Secretary of Karnataka, Mr. S. V. Rangnath.
"It gives me great pride to see the GippsAero Airvan land in India in the course of this historic mission which I am sure will also help forge closer ties between India and Australia. With this flight, the Airvan has not only proved its airworthiness but Mahindra Aerospace has also left an indelible mark in the pages of aviation history," said Mr. Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Mahindra Group.
"Mahindra Aerospace is delighted to be a part of this unique Indo-Australian initiative. In fact, we have a budding but steadily growing association with the Australian continent which is a strategic part of our aerospace ambitions. I am delighted to see Ken and Tim land the Airvan in Bengaluru and wish them the best of luck for the rest of their flight," said Mr. Hemant Luthra, President, Mahindra Systech.
"We are thrilled to land in India and really appreciate the warm welcome we have received. Our mission is progressing well, in large part thanks to the Airvan which has proved itself as the ideal choice for a mission such as this. In fact, no other aircraft in its class can match the versatility, load carrying capacity or flight handling characteristics of the Airvan. The support extended to us by Mahindra has gone a long way in helping us fulfil our dream of circumnavigating the globe and we look forward to completing our mission," said pilots, Ken Evers and Tim Pryse.
"We are proud that Gippsland Aeronautics Australia is now a part of the Mahindra family. We compliment Gippsland for supporting such a worthy cause. Besides demonstrating the strength of the aircraft, Ken and Tim are a shining example of the pioneering and adventurous spirit of all Australians. By undertaking this endeavour they have made their countrymen proud and I look forward to seeing them land safely in Australia next month. I am sure this pioneering effort by Mahindra will contribute to further strengthening of the India-Australia trading relationship." said Mr. Peter Forby, Consul General and Trade Commissioner, Mumbai.
After taking off from Bengaluru, the aircraft will proceed to Vietnam, the Philippines and New Guinea before returning to Bendigo.
About Mahindra Systech
Mahindra Systech, a division of the USD 6.3 billion Mahindra Group, is a strategic 'Design to Delivery' supplier of comprehensive component products and engineering services with the distinction of being the 5th largest forging company in the world. Systech has state-of-the-art capabilities in significant processes such as forgings, castings, gears, stampings, steel, ferrites, contract sourcing, composites, engineering services and telematics, with an installed capacity exceeding half a million MT in its flagship business units. It has also recently forayed into the aerospace business to tap growth opportunities in India's defence and civil aerospace markets.
Systech partners with global OEMs and tier 1 suppliers such as the Fiat group, Eaton, International Truck, Larsen & Toubro, Ashok Leyland, Schneider Electric, Tata group, Valeo, General Motors Corporation, Audi, Daimler, Bentley, Renault, Hyundai, Volvo, Scania, Man, Maruti Suzuki and Suzlon across industries like automotive, electrical, medical equipment, power generation, railways, defence and aerospace.
About Mahindra Aerospace
Mahindra Aerospace is the aircraft and aero-structure manufacturing division of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. It is an AS9100 Rev.B certified design organization embodying decades of experience in global aerospace design and development programmes. The company combines this experience with its thorough knowledge of aerospace regulations and familiarity with operational environments to provide timely, accurate, cutting-edge technical products to customers. Mahindra Aerospace prides itself on offering a wide spectrum of services ranging from conceptual design through productionizing aerospace products, be they components, aero-structures or complete aircrafts.
About Mahindra Engineering Services
Mahindra Engineering Services (MES) is a leading engineering services provider to the global automotive, aerospace, and manufacturing industry. It is part of the US $ 7.1 billion Mahindra Group. MES is headquartered in Mumbai (India), with branch offices located in Pune (India), Bangalore (India), Ohio (USA), London (UK), and Boloqna (Italy). The company has successfully established a wide customer base in the global aero and auto industry.
About GippsAero
Gippsland Aeronautics (GA) was formed in 1984 by George Morgan and Peter Furlong and has designed various aircrafts suited to international standards. GA is based in Latrobe valley, Australia. It has IP/type certificate approvals for four aircraft and has successfully produced in excess of 200 aircrafts, which fly in 34 countries around the world, including USA, Australia, EU etc. GA is a reputed aircraft producer and is the only one of its kind in the state of Victoria, Australia. Its aircraft design meets the latest international safety standards.