USA's Central Washington University Highlights 2026 Training Infrastructure Including 19 Aircraft and 6 Flight Simulators

Washington, USA – Central Washington University (CWU) Aviation has detailed a training fleet of 19 aircraft and six flight simulators supporting its Professional Pilot programme at Bowers Field in Ellensburg.

• CWU's 19-aircraft training fleet comprises:
  • 14 Piper PA-28-181 Archers, including three Technically Advanced Aircraft.
  • Two Piper PA-44-180 Seminoles.
  • One Piper PA-28R-201 Arrow.
  • One Piper PA-28-151 Warrior.
  • One Cessna 172R.
• CWU states that it operates six flight simulators. Four are Frasca Reconfigurable Training Devices configured to replicate the Piper PA-28-181 Archer with Garmin G1000 NXi avionics, allowing students to practise procedures on a cockpit environment aligned with the university's principal single-engine training aircraft.
• The four Frasca devices are incorporated into CWU's FAA Part 141 training. They include Piper Archer-style controls, licensed G1000 NXi software and the ability to vary location, weather and aircraft performance.
• The university had announced in November 2025 that two new multi-engine flight simulators had been ordered with funding from the Washington State Legislature and were expected by the end of that fall quarter. CWU's current six-device total indicates simulator capacity has expanded from the four Frasca Archer devices.
• Flight operations are conducted from CWU's Flight Training Center at Bowers Field in Ellensburg, while simulators are housed in the nearby Aviation Training Center. Academic aviation instruction is also delivered at Black Hall on the main university campus.
• CWU's Professional Pilot programme covers Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot, Multi-Engine and Certified Flight Instructor training. Graduates meeting the FAA-approved curriculum requirements can qualify for Restricted Airline Transport Pilot eligibility at 1,000 flight hours rather than the 1,500 hours required for an unrestricted ATP pathway.
• Demand for the programme has exceeded available training places. CWU's current application information states that more than 300 candidates applied for 65 Professional Pilot places in the previous admissions cycle.
• CWU reported 76 new Professional Pilot students during its fall 2025 intake, taking total Professional Pilot enrolment to approximately 200, while overall Aviation Department enrolment exceeded 400 students when Aviation Management students were included.
• The university is also planning additional infrastructure at Bowers Field. A 2025 capital-project procurement document states that CWU was storing its 19 aircraft across four hangars and planned to add three more aircraft, while a new aviation facility is intended to consolidate flight-training, instructional and operational functions.

Source: Central Washington University