| DIAMOND DA 42-VI | Diamond’s DA42-VI is a futuristic ride B Y I A N J. T W O M B L Y PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE FIZER FORGET EVERYTHING YOU KNOW about operating an airplane. Forget about engine management, rough takeoffs and landings, inherent safety risks, and twin-engine operations—oh, and half of the performance charts. The swashbuckling image of the pilot barely surviving as he wrestles the airplane to the ground is gone. In its place is a smart, savvy cockpit manager who oversees complex systems with a few simple button pushes that take him anywhere he wants to go, in comfort and unique style. The new Diamond DA42-VI is on the leading edge of light airplane technology. www.aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 51http://www.aopa.org/pilot