VH-YKB

VH-YKB is a Diamond Twin Star, a twin-engine piston aircraft operated by PEGASUS AIR SERVICES PTY LTD. SkyMeter has tracked 330 flights totalling 350 hours of airtime via ADS-B. The most frequent segment is YSBK to YSBK. Service window in our records spans 335 days. Of those flights, 52 (15.8%) carry at least one detected incident: a go-around, unstable approach, stall warning, or runway excursion. The Diamond Twin Star has a 44 ft wingspan, a maximum takeoff weight of 3,935 lb.

About the Diamond Twin Star

The Diamond DA42 Twin Star stands out as the world's first diesel-powered twin-engine aircraft certified for commercial operations, entering service in 2004 from Austrian manufacturer Diamond Aircraft. Powered by two Austro Engine AE300 turbodiesels (themselves derived from Mercedes automotive blocks), the DA42 burns Jet-A fuel rather than avgas, delivering remarkable efficiency and range that redefined light twin economics. Its composite airframe, T-tail configuration, and modern glass cockpit made it an immediate favorite for flight training institutions seeking a sophisticated multi-engine platform with jet-fuel logistics and operating costs roughly 40 percent lower than legacy piston twins.

The Twin Star's performance envelope reflects its training mission: a maximum cruise speed around 190 knots, service ceiling of 18,000 feet, and single-engine ceiling of 14,000 feet provide genuine multi-engine capability while remaining docile enough for ab-initio students. The aircraft's low stall speeds (59 knots landing configuration, 67 knots clean) and benign handling characteristics make it forgiving during the critical engine-out training scenarios that define the multi-engine rating syllabus. Diamond's decision to use pusher propellers and mount the engines on pylons above the wing improves both aerodynamics and cabin noise levels compared to conventional twins.

Beyond training, the DA42 found roles in aerial surveillance, pipeline patrol, and light charter work where its 1,200-nautical-mile range and diesel reliability proved advantageous. The type's safety record benefits from its composite structure (which absorbs impact energy better than aluminum) and full-airframe parachute system available as an option on later variants. Universities and flight academies worldwide adopted the DA42 as their primary multi-engine trainer, valuing both its modern avionics suite and the cost predictability of diesel maintenance intervals that stretch to 2,400 hours between overhauls.

SkyMeter has tracked flights across airframes and operators, with the largest observed operator.