The Fleet of Purdue University

Out of the some 40,000 students that are enrolled at Purdue University, very few know about the array of aircraft that the university owns and allows its students to use in the Flight Program. The aircraft range from single engine piston powered planes, to turbine engine business jets and turboprops. Only with the staff, teachers, and students combined can Purdue’s fleet be maintained and used in an educational manner that allows pilots to fly professionally for their career.

When students begin their flight training at Purdue, the first airplane they train in is the Piper PA 28-162 Warrior. The Warrior features a low wing design and a Lycoming O-320-A2B flat four piston engine driving a two blade fixed pitch propeller. Its maximum speed is 126 knots and seats up to four people. Generally students use the Warrior for their Private and Commercial Certificates.

During their sophomore year, the students are introduced to the high performance Piper Arrow for their instrument training. The specs of an Arrow include a retractable landing gear, fuel injected four cylinder engine with a constant speed propeller, and two radios and navigation systems that are needed for instrument training.

When it comes time for students to do their multiengine training, they use the university’s Piper PA-34 Seneca’s. The Seneca seats six passengers and has a maximum cruising speed of 180 knots. The airplane can climb up to altitudes of 25,000 feet and contains two 220 horsepower Teledyne Continental L/TSIO-360-RB turbocharged, intercooled fuel injected engines.

As students reach their senior year it is time to get them prepared for the airlines, and there are very few airplanes better to do that in than the Beechcraft King Air. The King Air has two turboprop engines that produce 1050 horsepower each. The aircraft cruises at 312 knots and can reach a ceiling of 34,000 feet. It usually seats 11 passengers and has a maximum range of 1800 nautical miles.

Purdue also specially reserves one airplane for students who display excellent academic performance during their first three years of college. If chosen, the students are able to fly in right seat of the Beech Jet. This business jet gives students the full experience of what it is like to fly for an airline and enables them to learn firsthand how to fly a jet aircraft. Only the top 10 students in each class are selected to pilot the Beech Jet in the right seat per semester.