Student Will Start Out With Sport Pilot Training On C162s

Cessna said last week the planemaker continues the development of its new web-based pilot training curriculum. The program will guide customers through learning to fly and their sport pilot certification featuring the Cessna 162 SkyCatcher.

The curriculum will also allow users the opportunity to further their pilot certification featuring the Cessna 172S Skyhawk, with the Garmin G1000 integrated flight system. The sport pilot program is on track to launch when the first Cessna SkyCatcher is delivered in the second half of 2009.

The new curriculum is under development in partnership with King Schools to prepare prospective pilots for the sport pilot certificate and beyond. The curriculum features all-new content and incorporates the latest technology, which includes an electronic logbook, a web-based course management system and much more. The new Web site that will administer the program is currently under development as well and will feature links to unique tools both within Cessna and beyond.

"We’re excited about how the new flight training program is shaping up. One of the key improvements is the use of scenario-based learning versus maneuver-based learning. Good instructors have been teaching students to fly using this methodology for years and now it’s one of the enhancements we’ve incorporated into our training curriculum," said Tom Aniello, Cessna’s vice president, Marketing.

"We know students who learn to fly at one of our CPCs using Cessna’s curriculum accomplish their ratings in 28 percent fewer hours compared to other training programs," Aniello added.

The curriculum will be offered exclusively through the worldwide Cessna Pilot Center (CPC) network, which consists of 284 domestic and 17 international affiliates. CPC has been the leader in flight training for 35 years, and Cessna’s partnership with King Schools dates back more than 10 years. Since 2000, CPCs have delivered private and instrument pilot training to more than 100,000 pilots around the world.

FMI: www.cessna.com