Dubai, 30 May 2022 (Leonardo)

Sheikha Mozah Bint Marwan Al Maktoum has become the first woman to pilot Leonardo’s AW609, the world’s first tiltrotor aimed at the civil market.

Test flight of rotary wing aircraft took place on May 10. Sheikha Mozah’s visited Leonardo’s  helicopter headquarters in Philadelphia where she piloted the AW609 tiltrotor, setting a new and important milestone for female pilots in civil aviation.

The AW609 is one of the most significant technological innovations in the civil aviation landscape, melding the helicopter’s operational versatility (taking off and landing vertically) and the airplane’s performance advantages (pressurized cabin, speed, altitude and endurance abilities), opening new and exciting possibilities for passenger transport and public service.

The AW609 tiltrotor can take off and land vertically and hover like a helicopter, and fly offering passengers the comfort of a turboprop airplane.

Leonardo's aircraft is able to operate different kind of missions, including VIP transport, emergency medical service, search and rescue, and government applications.

AW609 can fly at a speed of more than 500 km/h with a range of almost 1,400 km, which can reach 2,000 with auxiliary tanks.

Sheikha Mozah said that This is not just a personal milestone but an opportunity to shatter another glass ceiling for women. I always push myself beyond my limits to prove that if I can do it, it is also within the reach of anyone else who is determined enough to try.

Mozah is also rated to fly the AS 135 and the Boeing 777.