The professional pilot aviation program will unveil 17 new aircraft with a community celebration on Saturday, Sept. 30. The event will include live music, a paper airplane contest and many giveaways including flight simulation experiences and flyovers of the homecoming football game.
The new aircraft will bring needed updates to the program with better technology and safety features. The fleet will feature 10 new Cirrus SR20 G6 airplanes and seven new helicopters which will be outfitted with shiny red paint and the SUU logo.
David Dyches, the executive director of the professional pilot aviation program, said these aircraft will increase the value of the aviation students’ education.
“This group of newly purchased fixed- and rotor-wing aircraft will help us accomplish our core values of safety first, quality instruction, and training in advanced and relevant aircraft,” he said. “Both the Cirrus and Robinson aircrafts prepare students to seamlessly progress from flight training to employer operated aircraft.”
The airplanes will have the latest technology in safety and mechanics. Each plane will have a parachute for emergencies that can be activated by a lever. The plane will then gently float to the ground, sparing the aircraft and its passengers of any harm. The mechanics will feature synthetic vision, which is a basic image of the plane’s surroundings with flying prompts.
Joseph Quilter, assistant chief flight instructor, was involved in the decision making process of selecting these airplanes. He spoke about the synthetic vision feature in a previous interview.
“With this, it’s almost impossible (to get lost,)” Quilter said. “You load up the procedures and it has little boxes in the sky that you fly through. It’s connect the dots: very, very easy once you learn how to use all the different systems.”
The Red Sky Rally will start at 5 p.m. followed by a ribbon cutting at 5:30. During this time, attendees can enter the drawings for the simulation experiences and flyovers as well as complete various activities to receive an SUU balsa wood airplane kit. The drawings will take place at 6:30 and the concert will start at 8:30.
The live music will be provided by Van Lady Love from Provo. They have opened for bands including Train and Blink-182. While the event is free and open to the community, only students will be permitted to the concert with a valid student ID.
Story By
Jenna Chapman
accent@suunews.com
Photo Courtesy Of
SUU Marketing Communication
SUU Aviation
Office of Community & Academic Enrichment
