Plan To Bring Sales, Flight Training To Purdue Research Park Aerospace District

Purdue Aviation LLC, Purdue Research Foundation and Tecnam US Inc. have announced a partnership that will support a U.S.-based sales, maintenance and training center in the Purdue Research Park Aerospace District in West Lafayette, IN.

“There is a tremendous challenge of pilot scarcity in U.S. aviation. One of our most important endeavors is to train and certify future pilots in an industry that is ever-changing and growing with new technologies and systems,” said Scott Niswonger, a Purdue distinguished alumnus, principal owner of Landair Corp., chairman emeritus of Forward Air and chairman of the Purdue Aviation LLC Board of Directors. “Together Purdue University, Purdue Aviation, Purdue Research Foundation and Tecnam have laid a strong foundation to provide future and current pilots with the necessary equipment and technology to help them achieve their goals and further advance air travel around the globe.”

The agreement includes a sales center focused on Tecnam' certified aircraft fleet including the twin engine P2006T, the single four-seats P2010, flight school integration, flight training and maintenance services.

The P2006T is a twin-engine certified technologically advanced aircraft with fully retractable landing gear and engines that can run very economically on a total of 10 gallons an hour of unleaded fuel as well as 100LL.

The state of the art P2010 is now the most advanced and modern single engine trainer aircraft in the marketplace. This is a single-engine  four-seat aircraft with composite fuselage, powered by a Lycoming IO-360-M1A and Garmin avionics.

“We are delighted to begin this partnership with Tecnam,” said Dan Hasler, president of the Purdue Research Foundation. “We believe the Tecnam product line to be a game changer in the aviation industry, and we anticipate that this agreement will lead to other opportunities for future collaborations between Tecnam and the Purdue Research Park Aerospace District.”

The 980-acre Purdue Research Park Aerospace District was established in 2015 near the Purdue University Airport. The park’s first partner is Rolls-Royce, which will house a research and development group in a 55,000-square-foot facility that is slated to open in the fall.

“Purdue has a rich history in aviation and strong capabilities in aeronautics, engineering, flight training and technology. Coupled with exceptional airport facilities, Purdue is a great place for us to supply and service the U.S. market,” said Paolo Pascale, CEO of Tecnam. “We are impressed with Purdue’s aerospace district and the future possibilities in research, development and manufacturing.”

“Tecnam, like Purdue, has a long history in aviation,” said Jeff Pittard, president of Purdue Aviation. “The addition of Tecnam's P2006T twin engine retractable gear plane is one we are proud to represent, service, lease and use for flight training.”

(Images provided with Tecnam news release)

FMI: www.tecnam.com