Will Deliver More Than 100 Airplanes Over Eight Years

Piper has been awarded the contract for primary trainers for the University of North Dakota’s John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences and the UND Aerospace Foundation. Deliveries begin in the fourth quarter of 2016 and are expected to stretch out over eight years and could amount to more than 100 units. This order stands at being one of the largest trainer orders placed by a collegiate flight program within the last 8 years.

“This is an important order for the UND,” said Bruce Smith, dean of the Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences at the University of North Dakota (pictured, left). “We see Piper as an essential partner in producing the next generation of pilots. These state-or the art aircraft enables our students to become familiar with the most advanced systems in aviation trainers which will prepare them well to fill the growing demand for high-quality, professional pilots.”

The order is designed to replace the institution’s current fleet of single-engine aircraft with the Archer TX and its multi-engine Seminole fleet with new Seminoles. “The cost of operations, Piper’s overall commitment to training and the ease of maintainability were key factors in our decision process”, said Don Dubuque, UND Aerospace Fleet Manager.

“We have designed the Archer TX and Seminole to give students the most advanced platform and capabilities required for the next generation of aviators,” said Piper President and CEO Simon Caldecott (pictured, right). “For nearly 30 years UND has been ordering aircraft from Piper Aircraft and we are delighted that they continue to be committed to the Piper brand.”

As with most Piper Aircraft products, both the Archer and Seminoles are equipped with Garmin G1000 avionics, an all-glass cockpit and the perfect mixture of low workload and high technology. Each Piper trainer interior is designed for maximum comfort. Piper’s specially created flight school interior, designed to withstand the rigors of flight training, is standard equipment. Ergonomic seating keeps students and instructors relaxed, increasing their ability to focus on flight operations. The seats and sidewalls are hand crafted and fitted with heavy-duty vinyl and wear-resistant leather to maximize durability.

(Source: Piper news release. Staff image)

FMI: www.aero.und.edu, www.piper.com