Iranian president presents light plane to Turkmen president

ASHGABAT, July 27 (Itar-Tass) -- Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad presented a small one-engine two-seat plane of Iranian
production "Blue Bird" to Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov.
The plane was turned over as a gift to the Turkmen leader in March
when he took part in Nowruz (New Year) celebrations in Teheran. On
Wednesday the plane has been officially registered at Ashgabat airport.
The Iranian aircraft- building company Dorna began batch production
of "Blue Birds" in 2011. The plane is to undergo test trials in
Turkmenistan for purposes of patrolling motorways and border areas in
Turkmenistan, a Turkmen source told Itar-Tass. After the test flights
Turkmenistan might buy a whole batch of such planes.
The Iranian mass media put the cost of the plane at around 120, 000
dollars. Turkmenistan has no light planes in its aircraft fleet yet. Its
passenger aircraft numbers around 30 Boeings, and its helicopter fleet
consists mainly of Sikorsky and Eurocopter helicopters.
Last year Turkmenistan bought two Russian-made helicopters MI-17 1B
built in Kazan.