The Vero Beach, Florida-based company announced the order during EAA AirVenture this week in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

“We are looking forward to expanding our fleet partnership with a premier flight school such as Sierra Charlie Aviation,” said Ron Gunnarson, vice president of marketing, sales and customer support for Piper Aircraft. “Piper trainers are known for their reliability and ease of use, and we are honored Sierra Charlie has chosen Piper to help elevate their program to new heights. We are excited to officially welcome them into the Piper Flight School Alliance.”

The Archer TX is set up for training, with a Garmin G1000 NXi glass cockpit and a G5 standby display. Its standard interior is designed to withstand the stress and strain of flight instruction and factory air conditioning is an option. Piper said the aircraft, powered by a 180 hp Lycoming IO-360, cruises at 128 knots at 75 percent power.

“This strategic move marks an exciting chapter in our company’s growth, enabling us to deliver even greater value and exceptional flight training for our students and instructors,” said Scott Campbell, owner of Sierra Charlie Aviation. “The addition of these 50 Piper Archers allows us to offer increased availability, flexibility, and efficiency, ensuring that we continue to set the standard for excellence in flight training.”

Sierra Charlie Aviation, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, currently operates a twin-engine Piper Seminole, which is on display at the Piper Booth in Oshkosh, the company said, adding that the new Archers “will support the substantial growth the company plans to see over the coming years.”

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Elixir Aircraft, based in La Rochelle, has posted a sales streak for the training version of its aircraft, with a deal closed on more than 100 units—50 on option—with Sierra Charlie Aviation in Scottsdale, Arizona. The agreement caps a growing order book for the OEM as it brings three versions of its single-engine airplane to market. 

Most of the models—intended for flight training—feature the 100 hp Rotax 912iS powerplant with a full-glass cockpit. Sierra Charlie Aviation plans to integrate the airplanes into its Aviation Career Program, an ab initio course focused on identifying varying learning styles and steering those pilot applicants towards success.

“Like Elixir Aircraft, we pride ourselves on innovation and safety, and being ahead of the curve,” said Scott Campbell, owner of Sierra Charlie. “This means providing our students with the best and safest tools out there to ensure the highest quality education and training. The fourth-generation Elixir is definitely one of these tools. The simplicity, yet strength of the airplane, like the components built with the OneShot technology, is a game changer. Less than 1,000 references [parts count] in the whole plane and half-a-day, 100-hour maintenance checks means my Elixirs will be flying a lot. And my students already fly a lot!”

Arthur Leopold Leger, CEO of Elixir Aircraft, said: “Speaking with Sierra Charlie, it’s clear both our businesses are focused on commercial and industrial development. We know the demand for the global aviation market, training aircraft and pilot shortage. We aim to work together to do whatever we need to do to meet that demand.”

• READ MORE: Elixir Aircraft Signs Mermoz Academy Order, Plans Sarasota Assembly in Florida

Elixir delivered five of its 912iS versions in 2022 for a total of 10 made so far. The company was founded in 2015 by a trio of engineers who sought to reduce costs in flight training by lowering parts count and increasing efficiency in training aircraft. The first model achieved initial European Union Aviation Safety Agency CS 23 type certification in 2020, with FAA validation pending in the U.S.

The order caps a week in which Elixir also posted orders for four airplanes into Luxembourg to Ald Lux, an aircraft leasing company, and a letter of intent for 10 airplanes to the International Aviation Academy of New Zealand, based in Christchurch.

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