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A 3.6 million euro Diamond cluster for CTC

CTC Aviation recently took delivery of 8 brand new DA-42 Diamond Twinstars at their Crew Training Centres in Bournemouth and Hamilton (New Zealand) to expand the existing fleet of DA-20, Piper Seminole, and Duchess aircraft operated by the company to train pilots on the CTC Wings sponsored cadet programme. This new fleet represents an investment by CTC of some 3.6 million Euros.

To support the increased training activity required to meet CTC’s Wings partner airline requirements, CTC have also installed two DA-42 type-specific simulators at the Bournemouth and Hamilton Crew Training Centres. CTC’s CEO, Chris Clarke commented – “The delivery of the new fleet of DA-42 aircraft is an exciting time for the company and puts us at the forefront of aviation training allowing us to enhance the future prospects of our Wings graduates to become successful airline pilots. Quite apart from the obvious economies of the aircrafts’ diesel engines, the impressive Garmin flight instrument and navigation system means that it is ideally suited to accommodate the special training needs of the MPL – a revolutionary new licence which CTC fully supports and which the company is working hard to introduce at the earliest opportunity”

The only new light twin aircraft to be developed in the last 20 years, the DA-42 incorporates the latest technology in avionics, engine and airframe design. The world’s first diesel powered twin offers excellent value and real performance benefits. The Diamond DA-42 is a major step forward in training equipment, uniquely able to prepare CTC Wings cadets for a modern airliner flight deck. The aircraft are already being used for training and both cadets and instructors are already identifying its specific training benefits.

Currently 10 new Wings cadets start their training each month and over the next year CTC plans a further increase to 12 per month in order to satisfy the on-going demand from CTC’s UK airline clients. To support this increase in training activity, CTC is constructing a NZ$5 million accommodation campus close to the Hamilton Crew Training Centre. The first cadets will move into the new facility in July 2006.