Lycoming Engines has donated eight engines and engine stands to the Plattsburgh Aeronautical Institute in northern New York, to give the school’s students hands-on piston engine experience during their training.
Dennis Racine, Lycoming’s director of marketing and customer leadership, explained: “The future of our industry rests with the next generation of aviators and technicians. The Plattsburgh Aviation Institute is providing valuable training to students in the Northeast and Canada, and we are excited to partner with them in that effort. Training technical people to maintain the products we produce is crucial to the long-term success of Lycoming engines.”
In addition to the engines and stands, Lycoming ensured that the students also had the necessary instructional aids, including manuals and DVDs on Lycoming products. Instructors can obtain documentation for specialized Lycoming training, as well, Racine said.
Plattsburgh Aeronautical Institute instructors also will be able to visit Lycoming’s training facility at Penn College, an affiliate of Penn State University, for comprehensive four-day, hands-on, refresher courses on Lycoming’s current production engines, he added.
“Lycoming’s generosity is helping us provide a better program to our students, while also giving them practical experience with the industry’s most recognizable piston engines,” commented James McCartney, Plattsburgh Aeronautical Institute’s project coordinator.
Lycoming piston engines power more than half of the world’s fixed- and rotary-wing general aviation fleet, according to Racine.