For small flight schools, even those with a dozen airplanes, the cost of airframes is a big economic driver. But for the mega schools like Embry Riddle and the University of North Dakota, price isn’t a deal breaker. Maintenance cost and dispatch reliability loom large because the schools fly thousands of hours.
Given that aerodiesels burn three gallons an hour less than Lycomings, the potential savings alone ought to make diesels an easy sell, right? Not necessarily. Both schools told us theyve examined the potential of diesel-powered aircraft, but thus far havent been impressed enough to convert their existing fleet or order new J-TA Skyhawks from Cessna.