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By: MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer
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Posted: Thursday, October 30, 2008 2:36 pm
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TMP Photo by Kelly Hite. Gov. Phil Bredesen flew one of three planes from Nashville to the Murfreesboro Municipal Airport with MTSU Sydney McPhee as a passenger Thursday Oct. 30. Bredesen announced the arrival of eight new Diamond DA40 planes.
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MTSU Aerospace students will be prepared for the “cockpits of the future” with the edition of eight new state-of-the-art airplanes to its training fleet, Gov. Phil Bredesen said today.
Bredesen was on hand to celebrate the arrival of eight new Diamond DA40 planes with state-of-the-art autopilot features and synthetic vision technology.
An FAA-certified private pilot since the late 1960s, Bredesen flew one of three planes from Nashville to the Murfreesboro Municipal Airport with MTSU Sydney McPhee as a passenger.
“It’s a great training tool for future students to enter the workforce having these kinds of skills and a leg up in the aviation industry,” Bredesen said.
MTSU now sports the largest and most technologically advanced fleet of training airplanes in the nation, said Wayne Dornan, chair of the aerospace department.
The governor also praised MTSU for its self-funding approach to the aerospace department that allows students access to advanced technology during tough economic times. The $365,000 planes were purchased with no state money.
“The revenue we generate from our flight training department will enable us to purchase the latest technology in aircraft and simulation, which has a direct benefit on our students,” Dornan said.
The university also purchased 25 new planes at the start of the semester at a cost of $4.8 million, which were also paid for with revenue from the flight training school.
The acquisition of the new planes ensures MTSU students get the most advanced training possible before graduation, McPhee said.
“The airplanes we are showcasing represent our continued commitment to ensure that the students in this unique program have access to the very best educational equipment that will prepare them for the professional success,” McPhee said.
With the addition of the Diamond planes, MTSU’s training fleet now has more advanced technology have most commercial airline fleets, McPhee said.
“The display would make anyone think they could land a plane,” he added.
Bredesen said MTSU has done an excellent job keeping up with the rapidly changing marketplace and have provided students with the experience needed to enter the aviation industry.
Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com.
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