Piper Aircraft has delivered the first of up to three Seminoles to United Aviate Academy, marking the school’s formal entry into the Piper Flight School Alliance. The agreement, announced earlier this year, includes three multi-engine trainers with options for additional aircraft. Piper says the airplanes will support Aviate’s expanding multi-engine curriculum at Phoenix Goodyear Airport.
In a post on social media, the company said it was “thrilled” to welcome the academy to the alliance with the arrival of the first aircraft.
United Aviate Academy opened in 2022 and has since grown into one of the country’s largest ab initio programs, graduating more than 300 pilots and logging 57,000 flight hours over the past year. The school’s fleet has expanded steadily as well and includes Cirrus and Diamond aircraft. United says the academy remains central to its long-term hiring strategy as the carrier works to build a steady pipeline of new pilots by the end of the decade.
The program has also faced challenges. Former students filed suit this year alleging overenrollment and limited access to aircraft and instructors.
Piper Vice President Ron Gunnarson called the delivery agreement “a proud moment” in the company’s release announcing the deal earlier this year. UAA CEO Michael Hales said the aircraft is “the gold-standard of multi-engine flight training” and well suited to support the academy’s next phase of growth.
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