Eclipse Aviation News
UND is part of the FAA’s General Aviation Center of Excellence, an organization created by the FAA to concentrate on the enhancement of aviation safety.
“The Eclipse 500 customer base is very diverse. From owner-pilots to professionals, we needed to create a program that would meet each pilot’s unique needs,” said Don Taylor, vice president of safety, training and flight operations for Eclipse Aviation. “UND is one of the most respected training organizations in the world. I am very impressed with their staff and confident they will provide professional assessment and supplemental education as needed to Eclipse 500 pilots.”
From an Albuquerque, New Mexico facility, which it plans to open next Fall, UND will provide Eclipse 500 training program participants with an independent, third party skill assessment. The assessment will be conducted to ensure that all pilots meet Eclipse’s high standards prior to starting the Eclipse 500 Type Rating Course.
If it is determined through this evaluation that supplemental training is required, UND will customize and execute a training program that prepares the pilot for the Type Rating Course.
“We are very happy to have been chosen to provide Eclipse and its customers with a comprehensive pilot assessment and supplemental training solution,” said Bruce Smith, president of UND Aerospace Foundation. “It was clear, even in our initial meetings, that Eclipse was dedicated to creating a world-class training program for its customers and their pilots. We are proud to be associated with an organization that views proper pilot training as one of its most important initiatives.”
About UND Aerospace
UND Aerospace, which includes the Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences at the University of North Dakota and the UND Aerospace Foundation (UNDAF), is an international leader in collegiate and contract aviation education and training services flying over 115,000 hour per year in over 120 aircraft. With more than 2,000 students from throughout the world, the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences is the second largest college at the University of North Dakota. The UND Aerospace training complex is the most technologically advanced environment for aerospace education, training and research in the world. For more information visit: http://www.und.edu.
Eclipse Aviation is in the business of designing, certifying and producing modern, affordable jet aircraft that will revolutionize the transportation market. The company is applying advanced electronics systems, manufacturing and business practices to produce aircraft that cost less than a quarter of today's small jet aircraft, will be significantly safer and easier to operate than those of today, and have the lowest cost of ownership ever achieved in a jet aircraft.
The goal of Eclipse is to bring the word "personal" into aviation, making it possible for commercial air passengers to move directly between cities on a quick, affordable and convenient basis. It will also allow pilot owners to enter the world of jet-powered aviation.