Tecnam to Pursue FAA Part 23 Certification for P2008JC NG Trainer; Giovanni Pascale Langer Named CEO
Why It MattersA European trainer already certified under CS Part 23 now heads for FAA approval, which would open the U.S. flight-school segment to another fuel-injected, glass-cockpit two-seater.
What happened
Tecnam has announced that it will pursue FAA Part 23 certification for a next-generation version of its light sport P2008, designated the P2008JC NG, aimed at the U.S. flight training market. The Italian manufacturer already holds CS Part 23 certification on the model. The trainer will be powered by the fuel-injected 100 hp Rotax 912 iS and can be operated under both day and night VFR. The original light sport P2008 is offered with a choice of the Rotax 912 iS, the 912 ULS or the Rotax 914 Turbo.
The two-seat P2008JC NG has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,499 pounds and a useful load of 529 pounds. It features a two-screen Garmin G3X avionics installation with ADS-B In/Out for traffic information. Reported performance includes a takeoff distance of 1,280 feet and a landing distance of 1,257 feet, both over a 50-ft obstacle, and a range of 800 nm. Tecnam's own specification sheet lists the landing distance as 1,247 feet.
Separately, Tecnam announced that former managing director Giovanni Pascale Langer has become CEO. His father, Paolo Pascale Langer, moves to the role of president and will work with Giovanni and Tecnam's leadership team. Giovanni began at Tecnam as an apprentice assembler on the production line and worked his way up through most of the company's departments.
Industry impact & what to watch
Light trainers sold to U.S. flight schools generally need FAA-recognised certification before schools can use them for primary instruction, so moving the P2008JC NG from CS Part 23 to FAA Part 23 is the step that turns a European-certified design into a product American schools can actually buy. The configuration Tecnam describes, a fuel-injected Rotax engine paired with a two-screen Garmin G3X panel and ADS-B In/Out, matches the direction trainer fleets have been moving in, with modern engines and glass panels replacing older equipment.
The leadership change sits alongside this programme. The company stays in family hands, with the founder's son now CEO and his father as president, and the new CEO's route up from the production line through most departments points to an operations-first background at the helm while the FAA certification effort proceeds.
The next dated milestone is FAA acceptance of the Part 23 certification basis and the programme timeline, which Tecnam has not yet given; schools planning fleet purchases will want that schedule before committing.
