Purdue University’s Department of Aviation Technology recently purchased 16 SR20s from Cirrus Aircraft. The 600 students currently enrolled in the Purdue program will use the new Cirrus fleet daily to obtain hands-on flying experience, earn a private pilot certificate, instrument rating and ultimately a commercial type rating.
“The collaboration between Purdue University and Cirrus Aircraft launches a new era of next-generation collegiate aviation education. In approving the acquisition, University Trustees and officials noted the necessity for Purdue to maintain a globally preeminent aviation technology program” said Dr. Brent Bowen, professor and head of the Department of Aviation Technology at Purdue University. “Our investment in Cirrus and the resulting technologies will provide us with data acquisition and flight training capability never before possible and allow us to advance aviation education to a new level.”
Each SR20 is equipped with the Cirrus Perspective by Garmin avionics platform, Alaka’i Technologies data recorders and Garmin GDL-90 receivers to support ongoing research projects. The first Cirrus SR20 deliveries will take place at Purdue in March with the last of the 16 aircraft scheduled to arrive on campus in July, replacing the university’s current fleet of Piper Warriors.
For more information: CirrusAircraft.com or Purdue.edu.
