Pioneer 300 / 300 Griffon

The Pioneer 300 is Alpi Aviation's touring low-wing aircraft and the Pioneer 300 Griffon its comfort version: the same wood-and-composite airframe, but with a wider and taller cabin offering generous shoulder and head room, electrically adjustable seats, sound-proofed interior, enlarged baggage compartment and a new-generation cockpit. Both series share DAeC type certificate 66187, which has permitted 600 kg since issue 1 dated 10 September 2021 (currently issue 3 of 25 July 2023, adding the 912 iS and further propellers) – with fixed as well as retractable gear. Because the data sheet covers both without a technical split, this page treats the base 300 (listed at times as "300FG" with fixed gear) and the Griffon together.

The data sheet distinguishes two wings: series S with 7.54 m span and 10.0 m² area, and series N with 8.15 m and 10.9 m². Approved engines are the Rotax 912 ULS/ULS2, the fuel-injected 912 iS/iSc Sport (both 73.5 kW) and the turbocharged Rotax 915 iS3 A with 104 kW – the 915 only in combination with the short wing and retractable gear. Listings such as "Pioneer 300 GRIFFON 912iS", "Pioneer 300 Griffon (600KG)" or "Pioneer 300FG" reflect exactly this spread of configurations. Note that the data sheet rules out uprating existing registrations: the 600 kg limit applies only to aircraft newly certified to this standard.

Performance sits at the top end of touring ultralights. The German type supporter quotes 250 km/h cruise at 75 %, about 14 l/h, roughly 1,200 km range, a 13:1 glide ratio and 1,300 ft/min climb; a sales listing on the manufacturer's profile at the AvPay marketplace differentiates 1,300 ft/min at 525 kg versus 1,100 ft/min at 600 kg and gives take-off runs of 140 m at 525 kg and 190 m at 600 kg (not verified against the data sheet). For the Rotax 915 iS the same listing quotes 315 km/h top speed and a 23,000 ft service ceiling, whereas the German type supporter states 5,000 m/16,500 ft and data sheet 66187 fixes no service ceiling at all. The data sheet permits up to 320 km/h VNE on the short wing, while the type supporter publishes a more conservative 280 km/h – a discrepancy to settle against the individual aircraft's data sheet and flight manual.

Strengths are high cruise speed at modest fuel burn, 226 litres of baggage volume, up to 140 litres of fuel per the data sheet in the equipment option with 2 × 54 l wing tanks plus a 32 l fuselage tank (basic installation 2 × 40 l), the roomier Griffon cabin and low noise levels (59.5 to 67.0 dB(A) depending on engine and propeller, against a 70.0 dB(A) limit); the manufacturer's data sheet figure for maximum endurance is 5.5 hours with the 2 × 54 l wing tanks. Weaknesses: wood-composite construction needs a dry hangar and careful inspection, retractable gear adds maintenance and insurance risk, seat load remains capped at 110 kg per seat, and no empty weight is fixed in the data sheet – real useful load only appears in each aircraft's weighing report.

The 300 family suits pilots who genuinely use their ultralight for travel: cross-Europe legs, two people with luggage, high speed at manageable consumption. The Griffon adds cabin comfort, the fixed-gear base 300 keeps the mechanics simpler; anyone flying mostly circuits is better served by the Pioneer 200 or the Kite. The price statistics at the top of this page are calculated live from the active offers.