Aircraft To Be Equipped With Advanced SAR Gear

Cessna announced Thursday at AOPA Expo 2007 the planemaker's Independence, KS facility recently delivered the 100th C182 Skylane to Wichita-based Yingling Aviation for modification for duty with the Civil Air Patrol.

Yingling will outfit the G1000-equipped Skylane with special avionics equipment for CAP duty. The independent Cessna authorized service station holds the STC for CAP-specific mods.

The aircraft was delivered at the end of September. Yingling will complete the modifications that provide search-and-rescue equipment and dual audio panels with the ability to have multiple, simultaneous communications between the pilot, mission specialist, observer and agencies on the ground. These modifications allow CAP to take an increased role in support of national security and disaster relief operations.

The Skylane is scheduled for delivery to CAP in November, according to Cessna.

Operating as an auxiliary of the US Air Force, CAP is a low-cost airborne asset that local, state and federal agencies can deploy quickly and effectively in times of emergency.  CAP operates over 500 Cessna aircraft -- qualifying them as the largest Cessna fleet operator in the world.

Yingling designed and received the STC from the FAA in 2003 for the special mission equipment package. With assistance from Cessna and Garmin, Yingling updated the STC in 2004 to work with the Garmin G1000 avionics suite.

Cessna has scheduled 25 additional Skylanes this year for the CAP modification.

FMI: www.cessna.com, www.cap.gov, www.yinglingaviation.com