NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University aviation students will be the first in America to fly the most advanced training airplanes available in the country.
The university acquiring the Tecnam P-Mentor two-seat trainer airplane puts the SFA Lumberjacks flight program at the top of industry standards to prepare graduates for what they will use in the field, according to a news release from SFA.
A Tecnam Aircraft is an Italian aircraft manufacturer and the oldest manufacturer worldwide. Its P-Mentors provide state-of-the-art training for flight schools that is affordable to maintain and these models less fuel than other training planes, the statement read.
“Tecnam has been flying the airframe around the world for a couple of years now, and I was able to fly one out of Brazil to test it,” said Jack Gainer, chief instructor pilot for SFA’s aviation sciences program. “The P-Mentors that we received are even more advanced than that aircraft, and we are the first ones in the nation to have them. Not only are we the first to fly them in the United States, but they arrived in our SFA purple colors.”
Gainer added SFA graduates will get high-tech experience and be more notable among employers when searching for a career. SFA aviation sciences program is made possible through a partnership with HCH Aviation, a specialized aviation training school.
“The delivery of the P-Mentor caps off our conversion of our fleet to an all-inclusive Tecnam Flight Program,” Kristen Conklin, HCH Aviation president and a 2009 SFA graduate, said in a Tecnam news release. “The innovation, low operational cost and aerodynamics of this platform are perfect for our students and our operations. This combined with the reliability of Tecnam Aircraft’s products made it a very easy decision to choose the P-Mentor.”
Josi Oujesky, a first-year aviation sciences major from Pearland, is the first student to transition from the aviation program's previous Tecnam Sierra plane to the P-Mentor.
Gainer said in the news release that Oujesky had a great time with the P-Mentor and she was able to tell a difference from their previous planes immediately.
“She said the P-Mentor felt very different and that the plane is more stable,” Gainer said. “It’s designed that way, with much more control and incredible aerodynamic technicalities. It’s just a really enjoyable airplane for students.”
Four P-Mentors arrived at the start of June, while an additional three will come in before the fall semester. Two more planes should come in the following spring. According to SFA, many Lumberjacks will be get to fly the P-Mentors as soon as their first week in the aviation program.
“Having students fly as soon as we can has always been one of our personal goals, because a lot of universities don’t have students fly at all for their first year,” Gainer said. “We vow to our students to have them airborne within their first two weeks, if not the first week.”