Flight training specialist ATP isn’t listening to the doom and gloom about the sad state of general aviation shipments and billings for the first three quarters of 2010. It just ordered six new Piper Seminole light twins, which, when delivered before year end, will increase the school’s fleet of Seminoles to 87 nationwide, complemented by 50 Cessna 172 Skyhawks, five Diamond DA40s and a Cessna CitationJet. The Seminole is powered by two 180-hp Lycoming IO-360-A1H6 piston engines. The value of the half-dozen-aircraft order is announced as $3.9 million. They will be incorporated into ATP’s Pilot Operations degree program, recently launched in cooperation with Mountain State University. The program, said ATP Vice President of Flight Operations Jim Koziarski, is the first to directly integrate online coursework with a standardized flight training curriculum. The program is designed for future professional pilots and directly addresses recent moves to require an ATP rating for all airline flight crewmembers. Under the ATP/Mountain State syllabus, students will have logged more than 100 hours of multi-engine flight experience in an “airline-style environment.”
ATP to Add Six Piper Seminoles
Key Takeaways:
- Flight training specialist ATP ordered six new Piper Seminoles, valued at $3.9 million, bringing its fleet of Seminoles to 87 and demonstrating confidence despite general aviation market downturns.
- The new aircraft will be integrated into ATP's recently launched "Pilot Operations degree program," a collaboration with Mountain State University.
- This innovative program is the first to directly combine online coursework with a standardized flight training curriculum, preparing future professional pilots by providing over 100 hours of multi-engine experience in an "airline-style environment" to meet upcoming ATP rating requirements.
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