USA’s University Flight-Training Program Expands in 2026 with New Residence Buildings and Aviation Center Including Simulator Facility

Arizona, USA – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), home to the nation’s largest undergraduate Aeronautical Science (Professional Pilot) programme, is expanding its Prescott campus infrastructure with two major projects: the new T3 Residence Halls and the Strategic Academic Flight Education (S.A.F.E.) Building. Long-time construction partner Sundt is delivering both developments, which are designed to support ERAU’s growing student population and its intensive pilot-training operations, including more than 100 aircraft and 100,000 annual flight hours.

• The T3 Residence Halls will add 166,306 sq ft of student housing capacity, accommodating 300 residents across two new buildings. The halls include ground-floor office and classroom space, with upper floors featuring four-bed, four-bath suites equipped with full kitchens, laundry, and communal living areas.
• Site preparation required relocating over 30,000 cubic yards of soil and navigating utility-location challenges common to long-developed campuses. Construction teams also implemented safety precautions due to the site’s proximity to the university softball field—humorously described by crews as “foul-ball territory.”
• The S.A.F.E. Building, located at Prescott Regional Airport, will serve as a consolidated hub for instruction, flight preparation, simulation, and aircraft maintenance. The 19,713-sq-ft facility includes classrooms, two-aircraft hangar space, debrief rooms, TSA security, panoramic runway-facing windows, and multiple high-fidelity flight simulators.
• Unique engineering solutions were required to support four dynamic simulators—each weighing 3,200 lbs static and producing up to 5,600 lbs of compression force—installed on the second floor above the hangar. Specialised steel reinforcement was incorporated to meet the load and movement requirements.
• ERAU requested exterior-mounted cameras so parents can view aircraft takeoffs and landings, enhancing engagement with the university’s high-tempo flight-training environment.

Statements

• Fadi Farah, Project Manager, Sundt: “Normally, flight simulators are installed on the first floor with a thick, reinforced concrete pad… In this case, the simulators are on the second floor. The structural steel is specially designed to support the weight and movement of all four dynamic simulators.”
• Shawn Blubaum, Project Executive, Sundt: “Embry-Riddle is a worldwide leader in aviation, and Sundt is extremely proud to have the opportunity to build our third and fourth projects for the University. The core values, mission, and vision of Embry-Riddle are perfectly aligned with Sundt’s.”

Source: Sundt / ERAU