Planespotta

Rumor has it 2 Warriors and 1-2 Arrows will be kept, along with the Seminoles. The fleet will probably be all SR-20s, according to the professors I've talked to.
The university is actually footing a ton of money for this new project to help keep it affordable . . . flight expenses will be higher, of course, but not nearly as much as you would think. The first airplanes will be delivered by the beginning of this spring semester.
Meanwhile, we're having a good time betting that at least one chute will get deployed during the first week of next year's fall semester

HPNPilot1200

I heard the same thing. They are keeping the Arrows for the complex requirement until the regs change (if they do). The university shelled out an extra 1 to 2 million dollars to make the fleet upgrade happen.

Ewfflyer

I just talked with JPY yesterday, as I had a brief stop on a trip I was on and had to check out the new building.

He's very excited about what they are doing. Another thing the Cirrus aircraft are giving them is downloadable flight data that they are going to have. Good or bad, I don't know about that just yet.

Also, they are going to unload all the turbines eventually. Not sure how they'll phase them completely out. Potentially keeping one Be20 for research if they can budget it. They are only looking at one Phenom in the foreseable future, which is going to be tough IMO to keep going at the pace the TFO was going with 3 airplanes. Guess time will tell on that. They also want to do as they did with the Be20's and get each student appx 10hrs in type, as well as around 30-40hrs left seat simulator time towards the type-rating.

I asked him if they were intending on doing Type-ratings for non-students, and right now their budget is allowing to not depend on that scenario, but it's not necessarily something they are ruling out in the future. Wonder if they'll offer Alumni discounts

The 727-100 sim will be the first to go when they are able to get the Phenom sim. Potentially other future items are a CRJ700 sim and Static demonstrator.

A lot of changes going on over there. Not sure I'm in agreement with a lot of them, but nothing I can do but hope for the best out of the students and the program.

BoilerUP

Static demonstrator? Of what, a CRJ like the current 727 & 737?

I'm still waiting for the Dornier 328 and 737NG sims, so I won't be holding my breath for any CRJ sim

HPNPilot1200

I heard from BW that the CRJ sim was ordered about 2 weeks ago, with the earliest expected delivery date of Feb 7, 2010.

BoilerUP

Everybody knows Bernie is full of crap, though

HPNPilot1200

And he thinks everyone else is too!

IFly86N

Yeah, agree. Bernie is full of it (most of the time), but he can sure host one heck of a party at his house!

Anyhoo, ran into TQC a month ago over at Hanger 5. He didn't say much about the new fleet, but was disappointed that the BE20s might be eliminated.

We all know he loves the Beechjet and the King Airs. I Don't blame him.

(Current BE20 PIC myself. Thanks to TQC, DAP and all.)

bernouli

Surely, he/she will be insurable.......

BANYO4

The King Air is a wonderful aircraft. I currently fly a C90 that use to be one of Purdue's. The owner is Alumni and I fly it into LAF from time to time. The people at the FBO rember it. When the current owner aquired the aircraft he did not know right away that the aircraft was an old Purdue ship as the tail number has changed since then. I don't remember what the tail was before now, but this is my first KA PIC job and I still enjoy and look forward to the flying. I have been in the plane for 2 years now. I can imagine how a student would have felt in it also.