The Cabri G2 is Certified by the FAA

Following its best year of operation ever, and opening an even more promising year 2015, Helicopteres Guimbal has just received the final certification of the Cabri G2 helicopter from the FAA. This success is the result of a smooth 16-month cooperation with the different specialists of the Federal Agency, including Operations, Flight tests and Documentation.

According to Bruno Guimbal, HG president & CEO, “the FAA certification opens one of the largest markets in the world, at the moment when our helicopter has proved itself the most efficient and safest piston helicopter for professional training, light aerial work and personal use. Two Cabri G2 have been already delivered in the USA, 10 are in order, and we enjoy a tremendous interest now from many potential customers”.

According to Olivier Gamard, head of Guimbal certification & airworthiness, “The process with the FAA was straightforward and raised no technical issues. The EASA certification is a perfect base for FAA validation due to similar requirements and reciprocal agreements, but different experiences and different compliance methods made some work necessary. The FAA also requested to carry out again some flight testing in order to confirm the remarkable flight characteristics of the Cabri G2”.

The Cabri G2 is now certified and flying in two-third of the world, including all Europe, New-Zealand, Australia, China, Hong-Kong, Vietnam, South Africa, the USA and affiliated countries.

The 100th Cabri G2 is now in the final assembly line in Aix-en-Provence. The whole fleet has logged approximately 50.000 flight hours with no injury, and the first helicopters have now flown about 4.200 hours and counting.

In 2014 Helicopteres Guimbal produced 27 helicopters for 9.2 M€, an increase of 62% over 2013, with a similar profit around 8%. The staff grew from 36 to 70 in this period of time. 63 firm orders were signed and the production is reaching one per week.

Expected growth in 2015 is again above 60%.