National Training Aircraft Symposium Next Week

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will convene a National Training Aircraft Symposium March 21-24 in the College of Aviation on its Daytona Beach campus. The event will bring together the customers and suppliers of training airplanes, avionics, simulators, and support equipment to review the new training tools and define modifications that suit each education and training provider.

The rapid introduction of glass cockpits in general-aviation airplanes is forcing universities, colleges, and airport fixed-base operations (FBOs) to reexamine the equipment they use to prepare pilots for employment with airlines, business aviation, and the anticipated very-light-jet air taxi environment.

"Universities, colleges, and FBOs can and should have a voice in defining the airplanes, simulation, and support equipment for educating pilots," said Tim Brady, dean of the university's College of Aviation, which is hosting the event. "Together we can envision the ideal suite of equipment, and individually we can define how to migrate from our current inventory toward that ideal."

The symposium will culminate in a one-day bazaar where potential customers and major suppliers of new and retrofit equipment can interact to discuss issues and solutions.

(ANN will be in Daytona Beach for the symposium -- expect real-time updates throughout the day on Monday. --ed.)

FMI: www.erau.edu