Courtesy of Central Texas College
During a recent meeting of the Central Texas College (CTC) Board of Trustees, members unanimously approved the purchase of three new airplanes for the school’s Aviation Science department. Abe Molina, CTC department chairperson – Aviation Science, said the school will now bolster its current fleet of planes with the addition of three Vulcanair V1.0 planes from Ameravia, Inc. to be used for student training and flight competitions. The new aircrafts, which are scheduled for delivery in September this year, are being purchased at a cost of $389,000 each for a total cost of $1,167,000.
“We are retiring some older planes in our current fleet and the new Vulcanairs will further enhance our ability to provide the best possible flight training for our students,” said Molina. “Each plane is equipped with the latest high-tech avionics which means our students will have the most up-to-date flight instruments to learn their craft and enhance career opportunities in the flight industry.”
The Vulcanair V1.0 is a single-engine piston, high-wing aircraft. It powered by the 180 hp Lycoming IO-360-M1A with a constant speed propeller. The aircraft cabin is extremely functional with four seats and three doors and a luggage capacity of 88 pounds in a separate and dedicated compartment. “The airplane will allow instructors have a second student on board to observe flight training from the rear seat,” said Molina. “The V1.0 also has better performance and can carry more weight than our previous primary trainer.”
The aircraft cockpit has been designed to keep all the controls, switches and circuit breakers in an ergonomic position for the pilot and its shape has been designed to facilitate flight training. It is also equipped with a Garmin instrument panel and autopilot that will better prepare CTC students for their professional pilot careers.
CTC’s aviation program has turned out many pilots who are now flying for major airlines, private companies and other businesses. "We appreciate our board of trustees and their purchase approval. These new planes will provide our students the best training possible with the latest technology so they can continue to compete for jobs with the utmost training under their belts."