In 1982, the Center for Aerospace Sciences was established as a result of the growth of UND’s atmospheric research and aviation education programs.Having broken the sound barrier in the Concorde (as a passenger) and having flown as a crop-duster to help pay for college, Odegard was no stranger to the varied envelopes of flight.In July 2016 a fifth building, Robin Hall opened to accommodate the school's growing research and teaching enterprise in unmanned aerial systems.The building houses classrooms, a portion of faculty offices for the Department of Aviation, the main office of the School of Aerospace Sciences, a full-motion spatial disorientation simulator, an altitude chamber (used to teach flight students about the effects of high altitude on the human body, especially hypoxia), as well as other specialized laboratories.The Grand Forks International Airport campus consists of the dispatch office where students request aircraft and are assigned to practice areas.[6] UND currently operates a fleet of 123 aircraft including 100 airplanes, 7 helicopters, and 9 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV's).The majority of these aircraft are based at Grand Forks International Airport with the remainder located at the two satellite campuses in the United States.[7] The fleet is primarily made up of 93 Piper Archer equipped with the Garmin G1000 NXi glass cockpit avionics suite.UND Aerospace took delivery of its first Skyhawk, tail number N511ND, in 2008 as a replacement of the earlier Piper PA-28 Warrior III fleet.[8] Having updated avionics allows student to train from Private pilot, Instrument, Commercial, CFI and CFII in the same airframe.On March 28, 2008, UND Aerospace took delivery of a new Cessna Citation Mustang business jet, but sold it in order to purchase a second King Air[11] The school also was given a Piper PA-12 Supercruiser that was overhauled to provide students another aircraft to practice tailwheel landings.NIFA is a professional organization that provides a forum of competition and learning for aviation students from colleges all around the United States.In the fall of each year, UND Flying Team students participate in the Region V Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON).Within Region V, the UND Flying Team consistently dominates the total School Ranking Overall calculated from the 13 various categories in which competition points are awarded.
The first UND Piper Archer produced. UND has a fleet order of 112 aircraft, which includes both Piper Archers and Piper Seminoles.
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