Alpi Aviation’s Rotax-powered Pioneer 800 Twin makes first flight

Twin engine light aircraft flying low with landing gear down over a hilly landscape

Alpi Aviation

Alpi Aviation’s Pioneer 800 Twin made its first flight on November 5, 2026. The four-seat aircraft is powered by two 160 hp Rotax 916 iS engines, each driving an MT propeller.

Alpi builds light aircraft in San Quirino, near Pordenone in northeastern Italy. The company built its first aircraft, the two-seat Pioneer 300, in 1999 and later expanded the line to include the four-seat, single-engine Pioneer 400.

Alpi showed the 800 Twin with its current engines at AERO Friedrichshafen in April 2026.

Alpi quotes a cruise speed of 200 knots at 15,000 feet and 75% power. It lists a maximum range of 1,150 nautical miles and useful load of 600 kilograms (1,323 pounds).

Gull-wing doors on either side provide access to the cabin, and the cockpit features a 12-inch Dynon SkyView HDX display.

The company previously announced a price of €350,000 when introducing the Pioneer 800.

Italy’s Tecnam also builds a four-seat Rotax twin, the P2006T NG, which uses two 100 hp engines and has a published maximum cruise speed of 148 knots. Diamond Aircraft quotes 175 knots at 75% power at 16,000 feet for its diesel-powered DA42-VI, compared with Alpi’s claimed 200 knots at the same power setting at 15,000 feet.

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