University of Nebraska at Kearney Launches Loper Flight Academy with 7 Tecnam P-Mentors

Nebraska, USA – The University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) has formally launched its Loper Flight Academy at Kearney Regional Airport, moving from a contracted flight-training model to a university-operated academy built around seven leased Tecnam P-Mentor aircraft.

• UNK is leasing the aircraft; WingsLeasing confirmed on May 12, 2026 that it had signed a dry operating lease covering all seven P-Mentors for the university's flight training programme.
• UNK formally opened the academy on August 20, 2026 at Kearney Regional Airport. The academy is fully owned and operated by the university and operates within the Nebraska Safety Center, replacing UNK's previous reliance on a contracted flight school for aircraft and flight instructors.
• The academy will deliver both FAA Part 141 and Part 61 training. Part 141 activity supports UNK students completing the university's Professional Pilot degree pathway, while Part 61 training will also be available to community members pursuing pilot certificates outside the university programme.
• UNK expects the in-house model to provide greater control over flight-training costs. Under the previous arrangement, the university said prices increased in each of the previous four years and it was required to guarantee minimum monthly aircraft hours even when weather or maintenance reduced utilisation.
• Aviation Program Director Dan Smith told the local media that the new model is expected to reduce aircraft training costs by approximately $15 per flight hour, potentially saving a student around $3,180 across the Private Pilot, Instrument Rating and Commercial Pilot stages.
• The seven P-Mentors are two-seat, single-engine aircraft capable of IFR, PBN/RNAV and automated flight-control-system training. The type is powered by the 100 hp Rotax 912iSc3 and received FAA Part 23 type certification in May 2024.
• The in-house academy replaces a longer-running outsourced flight-training model. UNK announced in 2021 that it had signed a five-year agreement with American Flight Schools, which established Nebraska Flight School at Kearney Regional Airport to provide aircraft and instructors for university students.
• UNK's aviation programme currently serves approximately 80 students and offers bachelor's degree pathways with Professional Pilot and Aviation Management emphases.

Source: University of Nebraska at Kearney