CLEVELAND, Miss. — Delta State University dedicated a new agricultural aviation simulator Monday and named one of its training aircraft in honor of U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith.
Hyde-Smith joined university administrators, aviation faculty, students and industry representatives for ceremonies at Gibson-Gunn Hall and Delta State Flight Operations.
The new simulator is an Air Tractor 802 flight training device developed by CATI Training Systems specifically for Delta State’s Aerial Applicator Pilot Training Certification Program.
The fully immersive simulator is designed to give students ground-based experience before they advance to training in an actual aircraft. It was built around SGB Enterprises’ CAPTE-VCS single-seat platform and customized with input from equipment manufacturers, agricultural pilots and Delta State instructors.
The simulator replicates the cockpit of an Air Tractor 802 and includes a SATLOC Falcon and G4 guidance system with Transland application equipment. Its control-loading system is designed to mimic the aircraft’s handling characteristics, while its visual and audio systems recreate agricultural flight operations.
Instructors can also introduce equipment malfunctions, anomalies and troubleshooting scenarios that pilots could encounter during aerial application operations.
The simulator can be used for aircraft startup and shutdown procedures, ground and flight training tasks, precision application procedures and emergency response. It also allows students and working pilots to practice qualification, refresher and sustainment training in a controlled environment.
Dr. Joe Childs, dean of Delta State’s College of Aviation, said the simulator supports the university’s focus on safety and innovation in aviation education.
“Our mission at the College of Aviation is clear,” Childs said. “It is to provide innovative educational opportunities in aviation by shaping leaders for the future.”
Representatives from CATI Training Systems, FedEx, DRAFT and the agricultural aviation industry attended the dedication. Hyde-Smith also participated in a demonstration of the simulator.
Following the dedication, the group traveled to Delta State Flight Operations for a ceremony naming one of the university’s Cirrus TRAC 20 aircraft the Spirit of Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith.
Hyde-Smith said the university’s aviation program provides students with opportunities to pursue careers in the aviation industry.
“Credit to Delta State University for creating this program and taking it to the heights which you have taken it to,” Hyde-Smith said. “It is so rewarding to see young people with great careers, and it started right here in Cleveland, Mississippi.”
Delta State President Dan Ennis said Hyde-Smith has been a strong supporter of the university.
“There is nobody in Washington, D.C., who cares more for Delta State and has done more for Delta State on my watch than Senator Hyde-Smith,” Ennis said.
Delta State launched its aviation program in 1981 with 30 students enrolled during its first year. At the time, the university was the first and only institution in Mississippi to offer a bachelor’s degree in aviation.
