With music from the movie “Top Gun” blaring and its president decked out in aviator sunglasses and an “OU Aviation” T-shirt, nine airplanes bought by the University of Oklahoma for its top-ranked School of Aviation flew into Max Westheimer Airport on Friday morning.

The addition of the new Piper single-engine airplanes increases OU’s capacity for flight training, with a fleet of 28 planes now available, OU President Joseph Harroz said during an unveiling ceremony as the planes flew overhead.

OU public relations officials wouldn’t allow reporters to ask questions of Harroz following the event, such as how much the university spent on the aircraft. But the university previously announced a three-year, $10 million plan to replace its current fleet, which is aging. The nine aircraft that arrived Friday were delayed — they were supposed to have arrived this past December.

OU’s School of Aviation, established in 1947, operates out of the university-owned airport. The school already has 15 Piper Warrior III aircraft, one Cessna 152 Aerobat plane, two Twin Engine Piper Seminole planes and one King Air C-90 B Turbo Prop plane. In 2022, Flying magazine credited OU as having the best aviation college nationwide.

Read the full story on the Oklahoman.com.