Piper Aircraft and Blue Line Aviation signed a long-term agreement March 28 at the Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo to replace the flight school’s entire fleet over the next four years with 115 single-engine Archer TXs and twin-engine Seminoles.
Blue Line Aviation specializes in Part 141 training, taking students from private pilot to multiengine instructor in six months. The school is based at Johnston Regional Airport in North Carolina and announced Tuesday that it will be opening a new location at Winter Haven Regional Airport in Florida. The new location is just 75 nautical miles away from Piper’s Vero Beach factory.
Adam Walters, president of Blue Line Aviation, said the school chose to partner with Piper because of the manufacturer’s reliability and diversity.
Piper Aircraft Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Customer Support Ron Gunnarson said that the company keeps $13 million to $15 million in spare parts on hand for its trainers for immediate shipping to keep flight school aircraft flying.