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Piper Aircraft has certified the 1,000th Seminole (PA-44-181). The milestone aircraft is currently on display at the annual Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo and will join Piper's demonstration fleet.
The PA-44, named the Piper Seminole, was first granted FAA type approval on 10 March 1978 with the first delivery taking place in July 1978. Today the Seminole is known as a leading twin-engine trainer and features fuel injected engines and advanced Garmin G1000 NXi avionics.
“The Seminole provides the ideal student learning environment, reliability and ultimate flight school profitability,” remarks Piper's VP of sales and marketing Ron Gunnarson. “Crossing the 1,000th aircraft threshold is a testament to the aircraft's robust design and popularity in meeting the best flight schools' demands of low life cycle costs and high dispatch rates. The Seminole is part of Piper's complete line up of training products, which offers a wide range of capabilities, allowing flight schools to find the perfect fit for their training business needs.”
Piper has also sold an M600/SLS during Sun 'n Fun. Flightline Group, the Piper dealer partner for the southeast region of the US, sold the aircraft to a Florida-based customer.
“This sale, during the first trade event since the beginning of the pandemic, highlights the continued demand for the M600/SLS with Halo Safety System and Garmin Autoland,” Gunnarson comments “Operationally, nothing matches the worry-free safety capability, cross continent performance and economics found in the SLS. We have been delighted with the robust interest in our products during Sun 'n Fun and congratulate our dealer partner, Flightline Group, on the sale.”
Flightline VP of sales Jonathan Lones adds: “Building on our dealership's success of selling nine M600/SLS aircraft in 2020, we are pleased to see the model's continued strength in the marketplace this year. Customer response has been nothing short of phenomenal. Piper hit a home run with the SLS and its revolutionary HALO Safety System featuring Garmin Autoland.”
