Aviation Academy Austria has signed an agreement to acquire a new Diamond Aircraft DA42 NG FNPT II for its training base in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. The acquisition will replace the existing Diamond Aircraft simulator that AAA, Austria's largest flight school, has owned and successfully operated for more than 15 years.

“Aviation Academy Austria looks forward to the latest addition to our fleet, a new DA42 simulator from Diamond Aircraft,” says Oliver Karall, CEO of Aviation Academy Austria. “We've been delighted with the quality and reliability of our current Diamond Aircraft simulator, which has been an integral part of our flight training programme since 2008. The new simulator will allow us to upgrade our training as we continue to prepare pilots for their future careers with major airlines and beyond.”

Diamond Aircraft simulators precisely mirror Diamond Aircraft's DA40 and DA42 models, both of which are flown extensively by flight schools worldwide. The simulators are constructed of original aircraft parts to achieve a high-fidelity cockpit experience, including instrument panels fitted with original Garmin G1000 NXi avionics and standby instruments.

“AAA's acquisition of a new Diamond sim represents a significant milestone in our partnership, and we're excited to help ensure its pilot training remains equipped with cutting-edge capabilities in the years to come,” notes Jane Wang, director of sales, marketing and flight ops at Diamond Aircraft Austria. “The new simulator and its immersive environment will give AAA's trainee pilots the skill and confidence to safely fly their Diamond aircraft as they progress from ab-initio through IFR, commercial or multi-engine training.”

Diamond Aircraft and AAA signed the contract for the new simulator at 2024 edition of the European Air Training Symposium (EATS) in Cascais, Portugal. AAA's current Diamond simulator, which still has many years of operational lifetime, has been purchased by a third party.