News
Island Air donates Piper Aztec aircraft to Centennial College
April 11, 2008 , Toronto - Island Air, a long-time air charter company
established at Toronto Island Airport, has donated a twin-engine Piper
Aztec to Centennial College in Scarborough.
April 11, 2008 By Carey Fredericks
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| From left: Island Air President and CEO Mel Tarsitano hands the key to the Piper Aztec PA-23-250 to Centennial College program coordinator Jamie Milks while Peter Woodall, acting dean of Centennial's School of Transportation, looks on. |
The six-passenger propeller-driven aircraft is being retired after more than 30 years in service, and will enjoy a second life as a valuable teaching tool for Centennial’s aviation technicians who study aircraft maintenance and avionics.
“It’s a very significant donation to Centennial’s School of Transportation in that the piston engines on this Piper are still very common in the industry and provide a great opportunity for our students to work on a popular model,” said program coordinator Jamie Milks, who facilitated the donation of the Piper.
Centennial students were responsible for disassembling the aircraft and preparing it to be trucked to Scarborough. Once there, students will put it back together in the college hangar, where it will join Centennial’s fleet of 10 training aircraft.
Mel Tarsitano, president and CEO of Island Air Flight School & Charters, said his 16-year-old company thrives on a highly skilled workforce – which is why he wanted to donate the Aztec to Centennial College.
“I want the students to work on a plane like the ones they will see in the workforce,” said Tarsitano, as he exchanged the aircraft’s key and journey log for a new watch from the college. Centennial will also be furnishing Island Air with a tax receipt for the valuable donation.
