Press Release - GippsAero

Press ReleaseFor Immediate PublicationGippsAero Turbocharged GA-8 Airvan at AOPA Aviation Summit 2010Long Beach Airport CA USA November 11 th 2010:Australian aircraft manufacturer, GippsAero Pty Ltd, the aircraft division of Mahindra Aerospace PrivateLimited, today unveiled the first example of the turbocharged Airvan GA8 TC-320, to be seen in theUSA., GippsAero received type certification for the turbocharged variant of their versatile eight seatutility aircraft from the FAA in July. The type was initially certificated by the Australian Civil AviationAuthority (CASA) in February 2009 and has now received certification from both the US FederalAviation Authority (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).GippsAero reports that the Turbocharged Airvan has been selling well despite the global financial crisis,with 16 examples of the type now in service in a wide variety of roles. To further demonstrate theversatility and capability of the type, the turbocharged Airvan recently completed an Around the WorldFlight to celebrate the centenary years of powered flight in Australia and to raise funds for Malariaawareness.The GA8-TC 320 is powered by a turbocharged Lycoming TIO-540-AH1A rated to 320 horsepower at40 inches of manifold pressure at 2500 rpm from sea level to 5000 feet. Above 5000 feet, the TIO-540-AH1A is rated to maintain 300 horsepower at 38 inches of manifold pressure at 2500 rpm. The GA8-TC320 features a Hartzell 80 inch (2032 mm) diameter, scimitar design three blade propeller. Theturbocharged engine enhances the performance of the already extremely versatile Airvan with improvedclimbing and high altitude performance with a very low noise footprint.The type is proving popular with existing Airvan fleet owners. The Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAFInternational Asia-Pacific) has added four turbocharged Airvans to their 14 strong Airvan fleet forservice in the rugged highlands of Papua New Guinea and two examples have been added to theAirvan Freighter fleet of Air Freight Solutions of Bathurst New South Wales. On the other side of theAustralian continent, tourist operator Alligator Airways of Kununura, Western Australia, has replaced itsentire Airvan fleet with five brand new copies of the turbocharged variant. Across the Tasman Sea,long-term Airvan operator Air Safaris, a tour operator based in New Zealand’s majestic Southern Alpshas added a turbocharged Airvan to bring their Airvan fleet to four and another GA8 TC-320 wasrecently delivered to a skydiving operator in France.GippsAero delivered its first production GA8 Airvan in December 2000 and was awarded an FAA typecertificate in 2003 followed by EASA certification in 2005. No less than 156 Airvans have beenmanufactured at the company’s Latrobe Regional Airport base at Traralgon in the State of Victoria inSouth Eastern Australia. Close to one hundred Airvans have been exported, including sixteen for theUSAF Auxiliary, the Civil Air Patrol, for use in Homeland Security and search and rescue missions.Worldwide, the Airvan is operated for a diverse range of uses including humanitarian aid, passengerand freight hauling, sightseeing, surveillance and bush fire reconnaissance missions.The Airvan features a large cabin, an impressive payload and very docile handling characteristics. TheAirvan is certificated to FAR 23 at Amendment 55, which means that the Airvan incorporates safetyfeatures not seen in aircraft designed to earlier standards. Airvan operating costs are very low due tothe use of simple, robust, systems with easy access, resulting in low maintenance requirements.The new GA8-TC 320 is a significant addition to GippsAero product line. Not content to rest on theirlaurels GippsAero has further projects in the pipe line including a new 10 seat entry level turbo proputility aircraft, the GA10, and plans to bring the GA18, a sixteen passenger twin turboprop engine basedon the GAF N24A, to manufacture.

Gippsland Aeronautics (GA) was formed in 1984 by George Morgan and Peter Furlong and hasdesigned various aircraft suited to international standards. It was acquired by the Mahindra Group in2009. GA is based in Latrobe valley, Australia. It has IP/type certificate approvals for four aircraft andhas successfully produced in excess of 200 aircraft, 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 thestate of Victoria, Australia. Its aircraft design meets the latest international safety standards.GippsAero was purchased by Mahindra Aerospace in July 2010, as part of a multi-million dollarinvestment in the Aerospace Industry. Mahindra Aerospace is the aircraft and aero-structuremanufacturing division of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. It is an AS9100 Rev.B certified design organizationembodying decades of experience in global aerospace design and development programs. Thecompany combines this experience with its thorough knowledge of aerospace regulations andfamiliarity with operational environments to provide timely, accurate, cutting-edge technical products tocustomers. Mahindra Aerospace prides itself on offering a wide spectrum of services ranging fromconceptual design through to production of aerospace products, be they components, aero-structuresor complete aircraft.“We welcome Mahindra’s commitment to GippsAero. We already produce aircraft in the range of two totwenty seaters in over 30 countries across the globe and I am sure our association with Mahindra willtake the company to even greater heights. We look forward to the beginning of a new chapter in ourhistory,” said Mr. George Morgan, Director, Gippsland Aeronautics.“We are delighted to be a part of the Mahindra family and share in the company’s vision of evolving intoa global aerospace OEM. GippsAero’s strong intellectual property and technological innovationcombined with Mahindra’s brand name and global reach will ensure that together we become a force toreckon with in the aviation sphere,” said Mr. Terry Miles, CEO, Gippsland Aeronautics.“Mahindra Aerospace is committed to consolidating and expanding GippsAero’s business in Australiaand overseas. The Airvan has already proved its airworthiness and is in great demand amongstinternational customers. Our future plans with GippsAero include producing two new aircraft – a tenseater and an eighteen seater to cater to this growing market,” said Mr. Arvind Mehra, ExecutiveDirector and CEO, Mahindra Aerospace Private Limited.For further information about GippsAero or the GA8 Airvan please contact:Mr. John WillisCommunications OfficerGippsAero Pty LtdPO Box 881MORWELL VIC 3840Phone: (+61) 3 5172 1200E: jwillis@gippsaero.com.auFor further information about the Mahindra Group please contact:Ms. Roma BalwaniSenior Vice President, Head of Corporate CommunicationsMahindra & Mahindra Ltd.Mumbai, IndiaPhone: (+91-22) 2490 1441Email: balwani.roma@mahindra.com