Hawker Pacific has delivered six of the seven new Diamond aircraft it has under order to the University of NSW.
Hawker signed the deal with UNSW Aviation, the aviation department of UNSW, in January, with the full agreement covering seven new Diamond aircraft and worth close to US$3 million.
The first six Diamond DA40CS single engine four seater aircraft were delivered in mid-March, in line with the scheduled delivery timeframe. The final Diamond, a twin engine DA42L360, is expected to be delivired in the second quarter of this year. The aircraft will be based at the UNSW Aviation Flying Operations Unit at Bankstown Airport and used for pilot training.
“The University selected the Diamond DA40 and DA42L360 for its demanding aviation training program quite simply because they were identified as the best aircraft for the job,” Hawker Pacific’s Senior Vice President, Aircraft Sales & Flight Services Group, Tony Jones, said. “They are modern, well equipped and represent a great training aircraft package.”
“The aim of the UNSW Aviation Flying Operations Unit is to provide our students with one of the world’s best training environments,” Professor Jason Middleton, Head of the Department of Aviation at UNSW, added. “We believe the selection of these aeroplanes is consistent with this aim and are confident our students and instructors will appreciate the performance, safety and design features they offer.”
The agreement between Hawker Pacific and the UNSW also covers maintenance duties for all seven aircraft for a period of five years.
With a base price of around US$260,000, the Diamond DA40 is an outstanding low entry-level state of the art aircraft for flying school operators. It is extremely well equipped, carries leading edge technology and offers a high level of the economy, safety and performance.
The DA40 is powered by the Lycoming IO-360-M1A Avgas engine, and the UNSW DA42L360 will be the first of the highly anticipated Avgas-powered Diamond Twins to arrive in the country. For more information on the Diamond DA40 see our flight test here.