Galvin Flying Services, Inc., at King County International Airport /Boeing Field (BFI) in Seattle, has taken delivery of the nation’s first Diamond DA42 Twin Star G1000 flight training device.
“The FTD is the transition between our G1000 ground school and actual experience in the aircraft,” says Jeremy Wilson, a Galvin spokesman.
One of the benefits of using the FTD is financial. “It’s a less expensive way to train,” Wilson says. “You also have the advantage of being able to replicate certain training scenarios over and over again until you develop proficiency.”
The FTD has wraparound screens on which terrain and sky conditions are projected. The control feedback is realistic and can be altered through programming. The FTD can be configured as a single engine aircraft (by securing the power levers together) or as a multiengine trainer. Pilots can use it to perfect their G1000 skills or to learn the Diamond DA42 Twin Star airframe.
As this issue of General Aviation News was going to press, Galvin was awaiting delivery of a Diamond Twin Star. The Twin Star is a four-place retractable twin powered by Thielert Centurion 1.7 diesel engines.