Avidyne Avionics Selected By Western Michigan University
College Of Aviation
Avidyne has announced that Western
Michigan University (WMU) has selected Avidyne's Entegra Release 9
Integrated Flight Deck avionics system for WMUs fleet of Cirrus
SR20 aircraft. The upgrades will be performed by Brown Aviation
Lease.
Through Brown's Operating Lease Solution, WMU's fleet of 26
Cirrus aircraft will be outfitted with Entegra Release 9,
comprising dual high-resolution IFD5000 Integrated Flight Displays,
WAAS-capable FMS900w Flight Management Systems (FMS), 16-watt
all-digital VHF radios, and MLB700 SIRIUS/XM for broadcast datalink
weather.
"We have been flying with Avidyne's Entegra systems on our fleet
of Cirrus aircraft for the past five years and we really appreciate
the ease of use and safety the system provides," said Captain David
Powell, Dean of the WMU's College of Aviation. "When it came time
to upgrade our fleet, we looked at all our options, and we found
that Avidyne's Entegra Release 9 Integrated Flight Deck System is
simply the best one on the market. We are fully committed to
Avidyne, and Release 9's fantastic FMS capabilities make it
especially valuable for training tomorrow's corporate and air
transport pilots."
"WMU has one of the nation's premier aviation schools and we are
delighted to continue our relationship as their avionics provider
of choice," said Dan Schwinn, Avidyne's President and CEO. "Entegra
Release 9, which is designed to make single-pilot IFR flying safer
and easier, also makes a terrific training platform for the next
generation of professional pilots."
"We are excited to be partnered with WMU and Avidyne to deliver
the Entegra Release 9 upgrade program," said Jason Griswold,
Managing Director of Brown Aviation Lease. "This partnership fits
perfectly with our overall strategy of enabling top-tier University
and independent flight schools and fleet operators to have access
to state-of-the-art aircraft and avionics systems, improving the
overall performance, safety and utility of their fleets, and
optimizing their ability to attract new students while preserving
their operating capital."
According to WMU's Powell, while the University is using general
aviation aircraft to train future commercial pilots, his college's
goal is to ensure students make a quick and seamless transition to
the more complex electronic navigation and communication equipment
that are standard in aircraft operated by commercial air
carriers.
"We try to equip our general aviation Cirrus fleet so that they
are configured as much as possible like the commercial cockpits our
students will use in the future as professional carrier pilots,"
Powell says. "Avidyne's suite puts our students as close as the
marketplace allows. It features the kind of keyboard display unit
and nomenclature used in the airline industry. Our students go on
and report back to us that they are far ahead of other new hires
when it's time for them to make the transition to transport
category aircraft. They feel right at home in the commercial
environment."