Utah Valley University Turns Over Its Diamond Fleet

The School of Aviation Sciences at Utah Valley University resumed flight operations recently at its base in Provo, Utah—just in time to welcome new aircraft to its mixed Diamond and Piper fleet. The university had used two different airplanes for initial private pilot and instrument rating instruction—the DA20 C1 and the DA40. To streamline operations, the school will move to the DA40 XLT, in a move prompted by the need to replace the aging DA20s. A total of nine DA40 XLTs have been painted in the new UVU livery.

“When the DA20 C1 fleet needed replacing, the DA40 XLT was the obvious choice,” said Alan Dennis, chief flight instructor for UVU. “Having a single aircraft type for each VFR and IFR training [segment] will make it easier for our maintenance department to control fleet availability. It also curbs the learning curve when our students progress from private pilot to instrument training.”

Dan Sutliff, UVU faculty lead for flight training, said, “Operating all four-place aircraft allows for student observers to go along on almost any flight, giving them the opportunity to learn by watching another student and instructor, without any pressure on them to perform.”

Across the Atlantic, airBaltic Training took delivery of its eighth Diamond aircraft—a DA40 NG. The aviation training organization now operates seven DA40 NG for its single-engine program, one DA42-VI for its multi-engine program, and one convertible DA40/DA42 FNPT II (flight navigation procedures trainer) from Diamond Aircraft. The ATO is based in Riga, Latvia, and was established in 2010—training about 3,000 professional pilots thus far.