Delaware State University will soon begin replacing its aging fleet of Piper PA-28 trainers with 10 new Vulcanair single engine V1.0s, according to a statement from the university. The school inked the deal with Ameravia, Inc., Vulcanair’s U.S. distributor and said deliveries are expected to begin before the end of this year and continue into 2019.
Additionally, beginning in 2019 and continuing thru 2027, the Dover-based university intends to purchase at least one additional V1.0 aircraft each year (for a total of up to 20 airplanes), to accommodate expansion of the school’s professional pilot program. The aircraft are expected to become the workhorses of the fleet allowing students to train on the latest all glass avionics’ cockpit technology.
Lt. Col. (Ret.) Michael Hales, DSU Director of Aviation Programs said, “The price of the V1.0 was one obvious reason to change our fleet, but it also came down to the logic of the package Ameravia created. Their parts logistics package, putting spare parts in our hangar on consignment until needed, will help keep our planes in the air. The choice of the G500 avionics is cost effective, but still includes everything we need, while a flight data recorder that downloads flight and engine data through the cloud should work well for our instructors, students and maintenance staff.”
The Vulcanair V1.0 is a four-seat, FAA-certified aircraft that uses a Garmin avionics package, with ADS-B In and Out, weather and traffic displays. Powered by a Lycoming IO-360 180HP engine using either a fixed pitch or constant speed propeller, the aircraft is at least $100,000 cheaper than its two nearest competitors, the university said.
