Agreement with Piper Aircraft will bolster Liberty’s fleet

As part of a new long-term agreement with Piper Aircraft, Liberty University School of Aeronautics recently added a new Piper Arrow pilot training aircraft to its fleet.

“Liberty University School of Aeronautics is excited to accept delivery of a new Piper Arrow into our rapidly growing fleet,” said retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. David Young, dean of the School of Aeronautics and president of the Lynchburg, Va., fixed-base operator Freedom Aviation. “Piper trainers have become a mainstay in Liberty’s aeronautics curriculum and have played a large role in the growing of Liberty University’s program from four students to more than 800 in the past 11 years. Liberty’s continued plans for growth will further necessitate additional fleet expansion, and the school is looking forward to making many of those additions Piper products.”

Piper President and CEO Simon Caldecott said Liberty’s program displays excellence and a commitment to meeting the needs of its students.

“Liberty continues to add new programs and FAA certifications, providing excellent training and opportunities for new pilots and aircraft mechanics entering careers in missionary, military, or commercial aviation,” he said.

“We are delighted with Liberty’s continued confidence in our training airplanes,” Caldecott added. “Our Piper Arrow is the complex training aircraft of choice for the school because of its reliability and the smooth transition it provides for students advancing into twin-engine Piper Seminoles, which are used at Liberty exclusively for multi-engine training.”

The Piper Arrow is the preferred aircraft for Liberty’s Air Race Classic team, the “Liberty Belles,” which competed in the annual cross-country race last summer. The team earned ninth place in a competitive field of 42 teams (only 33 were able to finish) and won the Piper Award for being the fastest Piper aircraft to finish.

Liberty plans to replace and expand its fleet of Piper Arrows and twin-engine Piper Seminoles. Liberty’s fleet also includes Cessna aircraft.

• Liberty’s School of Aeronautics is currently the largest faith-based university aviation program in the country. The school offers a variety of online and residential programs, including a bachelor’s degree with concentrations in military aviation, missionary aviation, commercial/corporate aviation, and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), as well as flight attendant training and aircraft mechanic certifications.