Piper Aircraft are celebrating the delivery of its 100th Pilot 100i trainer to Paragon Flight Training in Florida, USA.
The Piper Pilot 100i was introduced in 2019 as the latest variant of the ubiquitous Piper PA-28, now in production for over sixty years.
Piper say that the 100i was designed with direct input from flight instructors and students, with an interior is simple yet functional to withstand the rigors of flight training. It utilises the PA-28-181 airframe with a third observer seat and a 180 HP Lycoming fuel injected engine. Garmin G3X touch avionics suite, complete with a G5 standby display, GFC 500 autopilot, and Electronic Stability Protection, are fitted as standard.
“Since our first delivery in 2020, the Pilot 100i has allowed for factory-new, reliable, and cost effective aircraft to be in the hands of more flight schools and students than ever before,” said Ron Gunnarson, Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Customer Support at Piper Aircraft. “Its impressive standard equipment list and competitive price point places it in a class of its own in a market that truly needs it.”
Paragon Flight Training, located at Page Field in Ft. Myers, Florida, took delivery of Pilot 100i S/N #100 at the end of December 2022. The aircraft is the 10th Pilot 100i delivered to Paragon in 2022, with more to follow this year. Additionally, Paragon added a factory-new Piper Seminole to their growing fleet at the end of 2022.
“Our partnership with Piper, which solidified in early 2022, marked a milestone in the history of Paragon Flight. For our flight academy to now have the 100th Pilot 100i—the gold standard in quality flight training—as part of our growing fleet is both an honor and a reflection of our investment in the best training products available for developing the next generation of commercial pilots,” Paragon Flight Training President Chris Schoensee said.
Pilot 100i deliveries will resume in 2023 with serial number 103. Piper Aircraft continues to expand production in response to what it says is increased demand from flight schools across the country.