Embry-Riddle Refreshes Fleet with Diamond Twin-Engine DA42-VI Aircraft
Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach, Fla., campus has begun to receive 10 Diamond Twin Star DA42-VI aircraft to replace the current fleet of Diamond DA42-L aircraft used by the school for multiengine flight training over the last six years. The all-carbon composite DA42-VI is powered by Austro jet-fuel piston engines that will burn 40 percent less fuel and generate more than $3 million in fuel savings over the next eight years compared to conventional powered twins. The plane is also notable for superior safety and performance.
“The completely modernized aerodynamics, airframe, jet-fuel engines, glass cockpit and air conditioning appeal to the students, while the low noise signature and eco-friendly design and functionality are important not only to the university but our local community,” said Ken Byrnes, chair of the Flight Department at the Daytona Beach Campus.
Paul Cairns, assistant chief flight instructor at the campus, added, “The advanced technology in the DA42-VI translates into fewer controls in the cockpit and a shorter check list. It feels like flying a jet, but in some ways it’s almost as easy as operating a car.”
After the new aircraft undergo Embry-Riddle maintenance checks and FAA inspections, it’s estimated that all student pilots will be flying the DA42-VI by mid-August. In addition, the Advanced Flight Simulation Center on the campus will convert its current DA42 flight-training devices to match the new aircraft.
The Flight Department at Embry-Riddle’s Prescott, Ariz., campus will begin the process of reviewing its need for a twin-engine trainer in 2017 as the current fleet of Diamond Twin Star DA42-NG aircraft reach the end of their existing lease period. “Of course, with the Daytona Beach Flight Department selection of the Diamond DA42-VI, we’ll give strong consideration to fleet compatibility across the university and will work closely with Daytona to leverage their experiences with their new fleet of Diamonds,” said Jerry Kidrick, chair of the Prescott Campus Flight Department.