Massey University Orders 14 Aircraft

A new contract announced Monday marks an impressive "get" for Diamond Aircraft. The planemaker recently signed an agreement with New Zealand's Massey University for 14 aircraft for its School of Aviation.

The agreement is for two DA42 Twin Stars, and 12 DA40 Diamond Star aircraft. Massey is New Zealand's only university with an aviation school, and one of just a few worldwide to offer degrees in aviation with professional pilot training incorporated.

Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey says he is delighted with the purchase, which reflects a major commitment by the University to the school. "We're looking forward to great things in terms of the programs we can provide for aviation students both here and around the world," he said.

The aircraft will operate from the Milson Flight Systems Centre at Palmerston North Airport. Diamond expects the first four aircraft to be delivered by the end of May and the entire new fleet will be in place before the end of the year.

School General Manager Ashok Poduval says Massey will now be the first flight training organization in New Zealand with an entire fleet of training aircraft that have Garmin G1000 cockpit display systems.

"By the time our students are ready to join the airlines, most aircraft, including general aviation aircraft, will have glass cockpits with sophisticated automated navigation and flight management systems. We are modifying our training syllabus so that we can introduce the required competencies at an early stage," Poduval said. "Flying an aircraft today is not merely about 'stick and rudder' skills -- it is about managing a technologically-advanced machine. We are investing resources to keep our students ahead of the rest."

The aircraft will also be fitted with Spidertracks, a device developed with the aid of Massey University mechatronics graduate James McCarthy, that enables real-time tracking of the aircraft position from the flight operations center. The new aircraft will replace the school's current fleet of Piper Warrior single engine and Piper Seneca twin-engine aircraft.

FMI: www.diamondaircraft.com, http://aviation.massey.ac.nz/