Purdue Purchases 16 SR20s

http://news.cirrusaircraft.com/post...FT-FOR-DEPARTMENT-OF-AVIATION-TECHNOLOGY.aspx

Meanwhile I continue to see more and more Western Sr20s coming up on their lease.

I'm pretty sure Western is keeping most of the SR-20s.

Whats a Commercial type rating? Or did they mean Commercial Certificate?

The Cirrus isn't really a great airplane to train on. They are very prone to tail strikes with the low gear, and the flight stick isn't all that great, it's a plane made to be flown on auto-pilot.

It's also ridiculously frikkin expensive for a trainer.

Its not any more than a brand new DA-40, and really isn't that much more than a Cessna 172. Just a sad reality of how expensive brand new airplanes are.

Base 172 265,500

Base Cirrus 279,900

Guess I will go with my Hometown aircraft manufacturer that offers a modern aircraft for 14,400 more

Really, I didn't know Cessna was still producing the 172R. If you really wanted to compare it, use the 172SP, which is basically what everyone buy's, and it pushes the scale right at $297,000.

Either way these price tags for primary trainers are getting ridiculous.
I am a big fan of the O-200.
Things will snap back to it, I can feel it.

Rotax 912 my friend, Rotax 912. Everything the O-200 is, but at a much lighter weight.

And an extra 3000 rpm's for things to go bad!!!

And two carbs to sync, a radiator, gearbox, dry sump oil and some issues due to 100LL. Oh wait, O-200's dont like 100 lots o lead either...

I have flown behind a 912 and liked it.

The cool news is Continental has redone the O-200, now the O-200-D among other things this one is actually meant for 100LL....bout time.

We're keeping them, and going up the Avidyne R9
http://aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=fd4faeca-c843-41fd-a55b-0d0c8335a9c2&

That must be an interesting system to fly with. It seems like Western is moving towards the UND/ERAU model of training students for the airlines, rather than simply to be professional aviators. It's changed a lot since I started there back in 2005.

I stand corrected.

Nobody is going to mention this.........?

I was wondering when I would get to the first post about that large purchase.

Western will be keeping the Cirrus SR-20 fleet, though reduced to 25 rather than 30, and is currently in the process of upgrading to the Avidyne Release 9. As of this post 4 are sitting completed in our hangars and 3 are at the avionics shop.

I think Western's philosophy is still to train professional aviators. The reality is that most any mid to large size corporate flight department and certainly nearly all 121 passenger carriers are flying integrated glass cockpits. It only makes sense that we train the same systems that will be used as a student's career progresses. This is not to start an argument on glass vs. round dial in primary training. Just simply stating that the industry norm is glass so we might as well do as the industry does if our students are to be the most proficient when entering the job market.

Purdue or WMU is really getting a Phenom? Thats AWESOME!

Purdue is supposed to get it delivered this fall.........