Piper Aircraft, Inc. delivered the first of 100 new Piper Aircraft trainers to the University of North Dakota John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, which placed the unprecedented order for 80 Archer TXs and 20 Piper Seminoles in April of this year.
“The first delivery to the University of North Dakota is part of the school’s fleet replacement strategy and cements the 30-year relationship between Piper and one of the top aviation schools in the country,” said Piper Aircraft CEO Simon Caldecott. “The Archer TX will replace aging single-engine aircraft currently in use as well as the multi-engine Piper Seminoles. Both the Archer TX and Seminole have been designed to give students everything they need to meet the demands of today’s commercial and corporate aviation environment.”
“This milestone marks the beginning of a transformation for the University of North Dakota training,” said Paul Lindseth, Dean of the Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences at the University of North Dakota. “We are rejuvenating our fleet with the rugged Archer TX and Seminole in order to provide our students with the latest, state-of-the-art trainers in the business.”
The Archer TXs for UND will feature the fuel injected Lycoming IO-360-B4A engine. This engine, which was certified this year for installation on the Archer TX, maintains the 180 HP power for the four-seat, single-engine trainer. The advanced Garmin G1000 Avionics Suite is standard in all Piper aircraft preparing new pilots for the cockpit of the future. 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.
