VERO BEACH — Piper Aircraft, Inc. has won a juicy contract from the University of North Dakota’s John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences and the UND Aerospace Foundation to deliver what could amount to more than 100 trainer aircraft during the next eight years.
The deliveries begin in the fourth quarter of 2016 and are expected to last for more than eight years. The order is one of the biggest trainer orders placed by a collegiate flight program within the last eight years, Piper said Tuesday.
“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.
“We see Piper as an essential partner in producing the next generation of pilots. These state-of-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,” Smith said in the prepared statement.
The order with Piper Aircraft will 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.
Piper Chief Executive Simon Caldecott weighed in with this prepared statement: “We have designed the Archer TX and Seminole to give students the most advanced platform and capabilities required for the next generation of aviators. 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.”
