Cessna To Support CAP's Life-Saving Mission

Cessna Aircraft Company presented the keys of five new 182T Skylanes to the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) during a ceremony conducted in Independence, Kansas, on November 18, 2003. The CAP placed their order earlier in 2003 for a total of 21 Skylanes and will take delivery of 15 of their new Cessnas in 2003, and the remaining six in early 2004. CAP Colonel Rex Glasgow, North Central Region Commander, accepted the keys from Cessna's Chairman, Russ Meyer.

"The Civil Air Patrol and Cessna have an important partnership," said Colonel (Ret.) Al Allenback, CAP's Executive Director, during Tuesday's ceremony. "In 2003, the Civil Air Patrol saved 140 lives, and 92% of those saves were made possible by CAP volunteers flying aircraft built by Cessna."

The CAP operates the largest Cessna fleet in the world. Currently, 510 of the 543 aircraft in the CAP register are Cessna airplanes. Since the restart of Cessna single engine piston aircraft production in 1996, the CAP has taken delivery of 50 new Cessnas. The 2003 and 2004 Skylanes will join CAP's fleet in vital search and rescue, disaster relief, counter-drug and homeland security missions.

CAP's Director of Operations John Salvador said, "The 182s offer increased weight carrying ability, larger cabin size, and better performance in higher density altitudes that make it a more capable aircraft for our increasing homeland security missions. The Skylane's improved performance characteristics provide a wider safety margin for our pilots."

The CAP was founded in December 1941 and chartered by Congress in 1946 to provide emergency services, cadet training and aerospace education. The non-profit organization performs 95% of the continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center.

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