PIPER TO EQUIP CAPT PROGRAM
WITH NEW FLEET OF PIPER SEMINOLES

Sale of 12 Piper Seminoles Equipped
with Cutting-Edge Technology

LAKELAND, Fla., Sun ’n Fun, April 17, 2007 — Piper Aircraft Inc. today announced the sale of 12 Piper Seminoles, fully equipped with the most advanced technology available in a twin-engine trainer, to CAPT, LLC – a division of Flight Training Services International – to expand its fleet of instructional airplanes.

CAPT’s new fleet will give its students hands-on experience with state-of-the-art systems, including full-glass panel cockpit displays similar to those found in commercial aviation, coupled with one of aviation’s most reliable and performance-driven aircraft: the twin-engine Piper Seminole.

“We are proud that the CAPT Program has selected the Piper Seminole as its exclusive twin-engine trainer,” said James K. Bass, President and CEO of Piper Aircraft. “CAPT’s acquisition of these advanced trainers shows the school’s dedication to providing its students with the unique combination of reliability and advanced technology that the Seminole delivers.”

Shawn Raker, President and CEO of FTSI, which owns the CAPT Program, said the school’s mission is to provide students with flight instruction and the vital tools pilots need to work and prosper in the demanding world of commercial aviation.

“We selected the Piper Seminole because it provided us with a tried-and-true airframe combined with one of the most advanced training cockpits available,” Raker said. “As equipped, these aircraft give our instructors and students a combination of features not available in any other twin-engine trainer. From advanced glass avionics, traffic, weather and autopilot, to the ability to record actual flight performance both inside and outside the airframe, these Piper Seminoles are unequaled.”

The CAPT Program offers a full-immersion approach that trains individuals with no flight experience to the highest standards of the commercial airline industry. CAPT uses the latest technology to deliver airline-specific training, including in-flight video cameras, self-reflecting journaling used to foster development of aeronautical decision making and curriculum built on a foundation of crew concepts and crew resource management.

CAPT took possession of its first Piper Seminole here today, and will complete delivery of the remaining aircraft over the next year. The purchase places CAPT among the first flight schools nationwide to offer its student pilots experience with such advanced technology in a twin-engine configuration.

The Piper Seminole is the only twin-engine trainer to offer the Avidyne Entegra system.
Designed and manufactured by the Avidyne Corporation of Lincoln, Mass., the Entegra system consists of systems more commonly found on corporate and commercial jet aircraft. Entegra centers on two 10.4-inch diagonal, high-resolution, sunlight-readable displays, including an EXP5000 primary flight display (PFD) with integrated solid-state air data and attitude/heading reference system (ADAHRS), autopilot integration – to include mode annunciators, altitude pre-selector and flight director – and primary engine instruments. The EX5000 multi-function display (MFD) provides a full-featured moving map with overlays from Avidyne’s MultiLink™ system.

The Piper Seminoles purchased by the CAPT Program also include the EMax™ Engine and Datalink Weather systems, which enable electronic management and tracking of maintenance issues and engine parameters. EMax provides fuel totalizer capability and a lean assist function, which takes the guesswork out of fuel management. Moreover, the EMax system shows fuel remaining and computes nautical miles-per-gallon, fuel-to-waypoint, and fuel-to-destination on the MFD.

The Entegra system also displays and monitors cylinder head temperatures (CHT), exhaust gas temperature (EGT), oil temperature, outside air temperature (OAT), and electrical bus voltages. With EMax, all four-exhaust gas temperatures are monitored, and the system provides data-logging capability of critical engine performance parameters, which are downloadable via the MFD data port into a standard spreadsheet format for easy analysis.

Avidyne’s exclusive MultiLink technology integrates Avidyne’s two-way, route-specific Narrowcast Datalink system with XM WX broadband satellite download of weather conditions from across the continental United States. XM WX Satellite Weather™ includes full-color NEXRAD, graphical and textual METARs, TAFs, AIRMETs, SIGMETs, TFRs, winds aloft, and lightning strike data displayed on the EX5000 multi-function display MFD. MultiLink also provides access to Avidyne’s FlightCenter suite of datalink services, including flight tracking and two-way air-to-ground messaging.

The CAPT Program Seminoles will also feature a tail-and-cockpit mounted digital camera system, giving instructors and students the ability to review previous flight training maneuvers and associated performance. Moreover, Avidyne’s TAS600 Traffic Advisory System provides unparalleled safety by adding affordable, high-performance active-surveillance traffic detection to the flight decks of the Piper Seminoles going to the CAPT Program.

For more than 30 years, the Seminole has been a benchmark for reliability and value. As one of the world’s premier multi-engine, advanced trainers, the Seminole has stood the test of time, making it an aircraft that flight schools, leading universities and major commercial airlines rely on to train their pilots.

With its twin 180 hp engines, the Seminole is known for delivering high performance functionality. At the same time, its simplicity, stability and safety have made it a low-maintenance, high-value mainstay of training programs everywhere. With the introduction of the Avidyne Entegra system, the Seminole now provides an extra level of safety and functionality, as well as the advanced technology necessary to equip pilots with state-of-the-art education and training for business, commercial and personal aviation. In the Seminole, these capabilities complement power that delivers more than 168 knots cruising speed, 15,000-foot service ceiling, 770 nautical mile range and useful load of 1197 lbs.

“With these new Piper Seminoles,” said Robert A. Kromer, Piper’s Vice President of Sales, “the CAPT Program is able to integrate an excellent combination of value and performance into its fleet. The Piper Seminole combines cutting-edge technology with a superbly reliable and capable airplane. The result is an unequaled level of capability and expertise for students through all stages of their education."

CAPT, LLC, is located in Palm Coast, Fla., at the Flagler County Airport (X47).

Piper Aircraft, Inc. is headquartered in Vero Beach, Fla. Piper’s rich legacy is born of 70 years of unparalleled history, with more than 144,000 aircraft brought to market and more than 160 models certified. Approximately 90,000 of those aircraft are still flying and being serviced and supported on every continent by Piper’s 65 service centers, 40 dealers and 2,500 field personnel.

Back to News