Purdue News
Purdue News
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September 17, 1999
Flight simulators land in new homeWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue University's Department of Aviation Technology will dedicate another new learning facility at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 25.It is the Holleman-Niswonger Simulator Center at the Purdue Airport, and it now houses the department's two 727 flight simulators and six Frasca flight training devices. Earlier this month, the School of Technology dedicated a full-function Boeing 737 aircraft donated by United Airlines. That plane will be used as an on-the-ground laboratory. The $1.5 million simulator building features 9,000 square feet of usable space including pre- and post-flight briefing rooms. As many as 250 students will use the facility each semester. "Flight simulators have very specific environmental and power requirements," explained department head Mike Kroes. "This new building allows for that, and also puts all of our flight training devices in a central location." Previously, the school's simulators were in three different buildings at the airport. "Because the simulators were scattered all over the place, we had to split our academic and maintenance staffs between them," Kroes said. "These machines are challenging to keep certified as it is, and we weren't making the job any easier by having to float maintenance staff between three different locations." Later this semester, the department plans to add a Dornier 328 flight simulator to the fleet, which will allow students to experience the cockpit conditions of a medium-sized plane commonly used by regional airlines. The new simulator will feature the latest in electronic flight information systems, often referred to as "glass-cockpit" technology. The Holleman-Niswonger Simulator Center is named for Purdue aviation faculty member Charles F. Holleman and aviation technology alumnus Scott M. Niswonger, who donated the funds for the building. Niswonger is the chairman and chief executive officer of Landair Corp. and Forward Air Corp. of Greeneville, Tenn. Both men are scheduled to participate in the dedication, along with Don Gentry, dean of the School of Technology, and Purdue President Steven C. Beering. Tours of the new building will be available after the brief dedication ceremony.
Source: Michael Kroes, (765) 494-9957; mjkroes@tech.purdue.edu Writer: Sharon Bowker, (765) 494-9723; sharon_bowker@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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