Skyhawk Is Notable Jaybird

Cessna Aircraft Company announced Thursday it has delivered the 7,500th single engine piston aircraft produced at the planemaker's Independence, KS facility. 

The aircraft is one of 11 Skyhawks being taken over the next 14 months by Northwestern Michigan College as it upgrades its training fleet. The order was placed through Cessna’s authorized sales representative, Suburban Aviation in Lambertville, MI.

"This milestone is significant as a tribute to the timelessness of the Skyhawk’s design, and to the consistent excellence of assembly that allows us to remain not just competitive, but an industry leader," said Rod Holter, general manager of Cessna’s Independence facility. "The 172 remains one of the world’s most popular training aircraft."

"We really enjoy the fact that we can celebrate this excellent product and the number of deliveries with Cessna. We are excited to be Cessna's 7,500th delivery," said Aaron Cook, director of aviation at Northwestern Michigan College.

"We considered six different aircraft models when we made the decision to upgrade our trainer fleet. We chose the Cessna Skyhawk because it is an excellent trainer. Its safety record, consistent parts availability and ease of maintenance also factored into our decision."

Northwestern Michigan College offers flight training to students as part of its degree programs, and it offers flight instruction for ratings and recurrency to non-students.

FMI: www.cessna.com, www.nmc.edu