Start here
A few places to begin, from the aircraft’s story to the people who fly it.
Meet the aircraft
The A109 originated with Agusta in Italy and continued through AgustaWestland into Leonardo. Its streamlined cabin, four-bladed main rotor and retractable undercarriage suited executive transport as well as emergency-service and other utility work. Later developments changed engines, cabin details and avionics. The AW109SP represented by X-Trident is a particular modern version, with its own engine-management and automatic flight-control systems.
Aircraft background
Wikipedia contributors · Read more ↗Comparing the new Grand with the aircraft already at work
Amadeus had spent years operating A109s when he and Peter Barnes collected a new Grand from the Milan factory. His work ranged from charter to filming the Fastnet yacht race, making aircraft availability and practical cabin details as relevant as speed. The Grand’s larger windows and passenger space were welcome changes. He was also willing to describe frustrations.
Business Air News · September 2009. RotorMotion operator-pilot comparing its A109S Grand with earlier A109s and the Power; equipment observations concern that fleet.
Business Air News · Read more ↗The digital cockpit includes both flight and mission displays
The developer lists dual engine and radio units, four EFIS displays and a mission screen with digital map and forward-camera functions. Instrument panels also have popup views. Obstacle information requires an appropriate user-supplied database; the page identifies examples for the UK and New York.
AW109 SP 2.0 · X-Plane 12
X-Trident / X-Plane.org store · Read more ↗Into the cockpit
YouTube HeliSim - Helicopter Simulations
[REAL PILOT] Start-up Tutorial AW109SP by X-trident for X-plane (ENG)
A startup walkthrough by HeliSim for the Grand New simulator model.
X-Trident AW109SP; X-Plane 11/12
Watch on YouTube ↗Preview images are served by AirframeDB. Videos open on YouTube only when you choose to watch.
Meet AgustaWestland AW109
The A109 originated with Agusta in Italy and continued through AgustaWestland into Leonardo. Its streamlined cabin, four-bladed main rotor and retractable undercarriage suited executive transport as well as emergency-service and other utility work.
Later developments changed engines, cabin details and avionics. The AW109SP represented by X-Trident is a particular modern version, with its own engine-management and automatic flight-control systems. The photographs include earlier A109 variants, with their model captions retained.
AgustaWestland AW109
AgustaWestland → · Explore the family →
AgustaWestland AW109
Wikipedia contributors · AgustaWestland AW109 ↗X-Trident · X-Plane 12 →Aircraft type designators
Use the code for the model you are flying. The linked authority lists the applicable aircraft.
History & design
Camera work and charter help establish the A109 in Britain
Castle Air’s history describes moving from JetRangers to its first A109 in 1984 as its work expanded. Filming, charter, training and aircraft sales later became connected parts of the business.
Vertical · Behind the scenes with Castle Air ↗Operator history reported in 2018
The Grand serves a network of destinations
Palmer’s 2013 account places the A109S in a business spread across British racing circuits. Its larger cabin and faster journeys influenced his move from the Twin Squirrel.
Business Air News · MSV enjoys the Grand upgrade for circuit travel ↗One owner’s aircraft transition
Development milestones
First flight: 4 August 1971 ( 1971-08-04 )
Wikipedia contributors · AgustaWestland AW109 ↗AgustaWestland AW109 · family/variant named by the source · Wikipedia revision 1367311414
Pilot accounts
Comparing the new Grand with the aircraft already at work
Amadeus had spent years operating A109s when he and Peter Barnes collected a new Grand from the Milan factory. His work ranged from charter to filming the Fastnet yacht race, making aircraft availability and practical cabin details as relevant as speed. The Grand’s larger windows and passenger space were welcome changes.
He was also willing to describe frustrations. Baggage space and door hardware drew criticism, while his comparison of the aircraft’s navigation equipment was especially pointed. The older Power’s installation required awkward input and limited stored waypoints; the Grand’s Garmin equipment felt a substantial improvement.
Business Air News · September 2009. RotorMotion operator-pilot comparing its A109S Grand with earlier A109s and the Power; equipment observations concern that fleet.
Read the full account · Business Air News ↗An early air-ambulance mission changes a pilot’s judgment
McClendon took over an air-ambulance programme while it was still using an A109A supplied by a charter company. The medical equipment, crew and fuel already made loading a difficult concern. On an early mission, the patient proved much heavier than the estimate the helicopter crew had received before departing.
He recalls accepting the patient and making a frightening departure, then questioning his own decision afterward. The experience led him to think about communication with ground crews and the pressure a medical emergency places on a pilot. His later account emphasises speaking up when the requested task exceeds the aircraft’s limits and finding another workable arrangement.
Vertical · December 2024. Retrospective account of UCLA MedStar work beginning in 1985 with an earlier A109A, not the later Grand or AW109SP.
Read the full account · Vertical ↗Using a helicopter to stay close to a business
Palmer’s Grand helped him visit several racing circuits over a weekend. He would arrive, assess the crowd, meet competitors and organisers, and even check the food before moving on. The aircraft’s speed made those visits practical, but predictable journey times and the enjoyment of flying mattered to him too.
At first he worried that the cockpit would isolate him from passengers compared with his previous Twin Squirrel. In use, he came to appreciate the separation when navigating and speaking to controllers around busy southern England. After about two hundred hours in six months, he remained pleased with the change and attentive to maintenance.
Business Air News · August 2013. Owner-pilot of A109S Grand G-MSVI, visiting MotorSport Vision’s UK racing circuits after years with an AS355N.
Read the full account · Business Air News ↗In your simulator
Systems, equipment and documentation for each developer’s aircraft.
Compare simulator versions →X-Plane 12AW109 SP 2.0
X-Trident · Released
AW109 SP 2.0
X-Trident · Released
X-Plane 12AW109
X-Rotors · Released
AW109
X-Rotors · Released
Aircraft specifications
Published figures for the named real-aircraft variant. Simulator equipment and performance can differ.
| Specification | Published value |
|---|---|
| Length | 11.448 m (37 ft 7 in) fuselage |
| Height | 3.50 m (11 ft 6 in) |
| Empty weight | 1,590 kg (3,505 lb) |
| Max takeoff weight | 2,850 kg (6,283 lb) |
| Powerplant | 2 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206C Turboshaft engine, 418 kW (560 hp) each |
| Main rotor diameter | 11.00 m (36 ft 1 in) |
| Maximum speed | 311 km/h (193 mph, 168 kn) |
| Cruise speed | 285 km/h (177 mph, 154 kn) |
| Rate of climb | 9.8 m/s (1,930 ft/min) |
Manuals & resources
Find your next read
Choose a topic for a short introduction and a link to the original source. Simulator references identify the developer and edition they cover.
Simulator documentation
The digital cockpit includes both flight and mission displaysAW109 SP 2.0 · X-Trident · X-Plane 12
The developer lists dual engine and radio units, four EFIS displays and a mission screen with digital map and forward-camera functions. Instrument panels also have popup views. Obstacle information requires an appropriate user-supplied database; the page identifies examples for the UK and New York.
X-Trident AW109SP 2.0 · gathered product feature list
X-Trident / X-Plane.org store · Read the source ↗Configuration extends to cockpit lighting and accessoriesAW109 SP 2.0 · X-Trident · X-Plane 12
Accessories can vary by livery, including antennas, camera and step. Console, pedestal and overhead lighting have separate controls, as do the exterior lights. The weather-radar add-on is a separate download for Windows and Linux.
X-Trident AW109SP 2.0 · gathered product feature list
X-Trident / X-Plane.org store · Read the source ↗Four-axis automation and twin-engine managementAW109 SP 2.0 · X-Trident · X-Plane 12
X-Trident's AW109SP 2.0 documentation lists SAS, attitude and upper autopilot modes, together with automatic hover and take-off functions. FADEC and engine load-sharing are part of the twin-engine model. The developer documents flight-model differences between X-Plane 11 and 12.
AW109SP2.0 XP11/XP12 · Autopilot; Flight model
X-Trident / X-Plane.org store · Read the source ↗Pilot account
Comparing the new Grand with the aircraft already at workBusiness Air News · September 2009. RotorMotion operator-pilot comparing its A109S Grand with earlier A109s and the Power; equipment observations concern that fleet.
Amadeus had spent years operating A109s when he and Peter Barnes collected a new Grand from the Milan factory. His work ranged from charter to filming the Fastnet yacht race, making aircraft availability and practical cabin details as relevant as speed. The Grand’s larger windows and passenger space were welcome changes. He was also willing to describe frustrations. Baggage space and door hardware drew criticism, while his comparison of the aircraft’s navigation equipment was especially pointed.
Philip Louis Amadeus
Business Air News · Read the source ↗An early air-ambulance mission changes a pilot’s judgmentVertical · December 2024. Retrospective account of UCLA MedStar work beginning in 1985 with an earlier A109A, not the later Grand or AW109SP.
McClendon took over an air-ambulance programme while it was still using an A109A supplied by a charter company. The medical equipment, crew and fuel already made loading a difficult concern. On an early mission, the patient proved much heavier than the estimate the helicopter crew had received before departing. He recalls accepting the patient and making a frightening departure, then questioning his own decision afterward.
Woody McClendon
Vertical · Read the source ↗Developer documentation
AW109 — product listingAW109 · X-Plane 12
Product listing captured 2026-09-30; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue
www.x-rotors.com · Read the source ↗Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.
Manual
X-Plane aircraft and avionics manualsLaminar ResearchAircraft background
AgustaWestland AW109Wikipedia contributors · Research background · Wikipedia revision 1367311414 · retrieved 2026-09-12 Behind the scenes with Castle AirVertical · Jon Duke · 4 May 2018Resource
AW109 SP 2.0X-Trident / X-Plane.org storeType designator
ICAO Doc 8643 — aircraft type designatorsInternational Civil Aviation Organization · Public search data retrieved 2026-09-14; authority update 2026-09-03Product
AW109 1.11 for X-Plane 12 – X-Rotorswww.x-rotors.com · Product listing captured 2026-09-30; edition scope from the reviewed catalogueBuilt-in force-feedback profiles
Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.
Catalogue programme-20261022-v1 · 3 profile choices
X-Rotors AW109 Power Elite E (XP12)
X-Rotors · Free and Pro · Revision 3 · Inherited starting point
X-Plane 12
X-Rotors AW109 Power Elite E (XP12): Configured cyclic centering is nominal; neither the four-blade rotor nor the aircraft's retractable gear establishes a cyclic force schedule.
X-Trident AW109SP
X-Trident · Free and Pro · Revision 2 · Inherited starting point
X-Plane 12
X-Trident AW109SP: Configured cyclic centering is nominal; neither the four-blade rotor nor the aircraft's retractable gear establishes a cyclic force schedule.
AgustaWestland AW109
Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Partial review
X-Plane 12
AgustaWestland AW109: Configured cyclic centering is nominal; neither the four-blade rotor nor the aircraft's retractable gear establishes a cyclic force schedule.
Discuss this aircraft (0)
Questions, observations and useful sources from the community.
No published discussions yet. Bring a question or share a useful source.
Open aircraft discussions →Content expanded · What’s new
Something missing or a source that needs attention?
Suggest a correction ↗
