Is it Christmas in August?

It sure feels like it at SunWest as we welcome a new plane to our fleet.

A strapping low-wing aircraft with a brand-new engine, N4308M is the newest addition to our group of birds. She's a PA-28-161; a Piper Warrior II. 08M's interior is neat and clean, and her panel boasts several updated instruments.

Front and center sits a certified Garmin 375 GPS with ADSB in and out and active traffic. Look to the right and you'll find the Aera 760, which is a stand-alone back-up GPS that displays not only traffic and weather, but an artificial horizon and approach plates to boot. (You can check out her panel here.) When you see her on the field, don't be shy; take a peek inside! N4308 is here and ready for action.

The Warrior isn't the only new thing that flew into SunWest recently, though. We've welcomed a new Chief Instructor as well: Scott Settle.

Scott has been flying since he was two months old. The son of a general aviation pilot, Scott was introduced to a Cessna 172 before he could walk, or even talk. But he didn't cling to the idea of piloting as you might think — it took Scott over thirty years to navigate back to flying.

Before his final arrival at SunWest, Scott became a professor, and later department chair, at a southern California college. He helped students of all ages master complicated and abstract processes over the course of a decade. A native of the Central Coast, Scott returned to the area in 2016 after his stint down south and jump-started his flying career. His love for aviation coupled with his enthusiasm for teaching makes Scott the perfect addition to our flight school.

Welcome home, Scott!