Piper Aircraft recently delivered a new series of small planes to its launch customer, American Flyers, in Fort Worth, Texas, according to a news release.
Piper’s Pilot 100, recently certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, is the newest addition to Piper’s trainer-class line. The new aircraft was first announced at the 2019 Sun’ n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida.
“We are excited to add the Pilot 100 series to our training product line at a price point that provides optimal economics for all operators,” Piper President and CEO Simon Caldecott said in a statement. “During these uncertain times, our team has continued to remain focused and has worked diligently to bring to market an aggressively-priced, proven trainer that offers the advanced systems and performance that flight schools and airline programs of all sizes desire.”
American Flyers, a flight-training facility, will obtain eight of the Pilot aircraft before the end of the year, Piper officials said. The five model series includes the Pilot 100i, Archer TX, Archer DX, Arrow and Seminole.
Piper officials said the five-model series allows the company to provide the widest range of training products of any aircraft manufacturer. Officials said the new, robust trainer is priced under $300,000 and is IFR equipped with digital autopilot.
“The Piper Pilot 100i is the perfect mix of simplicity and technology. The G3X avionics suite is the only glass platform that allows for toggling between round dial and tape displays in a touchscreen format. This outperformed the G1000 suite on so many levels and was the primary reason we selected the Pilot 100i,” American Flyers’ National Chief Pilot Steven Daun said in a statement.
American Flyers, established in 1939, has six locations in the U.S. and has trained more flight instructors than any other flight school in the world, officials said. The company, known for its training style and success, was one of few civilian flights schools that trained military pilots during World War II.
