The University Will Be Receiving Four New Piper Pilot 100i Aircraft

On August 12, Piper Aircraft announced its recent delivery of four P100i aircraft to the Florida Institute of Technology. This is the second installment this year, bringing the university’s total fleet to 8 aircraft.

Florida Tech is a private university in Melbourne, Florida. It has four academic colleges: Engineering & Sciences, Aeronautics, Psychology & Liberal Arts, and Business. A total of 3,374 undergraduate students are enrolled, with around half being in the Engineering & Sciences department. FIT Aviation is based out of Melbourne International Airport (KMLB) and is FAA-approved for Part 141 training. They house a fleet of nearly fifty aircraft, including Archers, Seminoles, Warriors, and now the Pilot 100i.

The Pilot 100i is a part of Piper Aircraft’s training class. This class also includes three earlier models, the Archer TX, Archer DX, and Seminole. These aircraft have become increasingly popular, especially in Part 141 schools, as a more modern alternative to the classic C172. The P100i features a low-wing, tricycle landing gear design with all Garmin avionics, including the G3X touch PFD/MFD and G5 standby display. It has several safety tools on board -- SafeTaxi, Synthetic Vision, and FliteCharts/Jeppesen Chartview.

Marc Ouellet, Piper’s VP of Engineering and Manufacturing, explains that “it’s an honor to continue supplying planes to our long-term Flight School Alliance member, Florida Tech. Their program is one of the best, and we know from firsthand experience as we have multiple Florida Tech graduates working at the Piper factory.”

Following the P100i aircraft delivery, Florida Tech hosted a celebration at its flight school. It was attended by Piper's executive leadership and sales team, along with university alumni currently working with Piper. This allowed the designers of the P100i to see them in action at an institution they know and love.

“It’s a high-flying example of the power of a Florida Tech education in action,” Florida Tech President Dr. John Nicklow said.

FMI: www.fitaviation.com, www.piper.com