Opens Maintenance and Service Facility to Support Cessna’s Manufacturing Site

Yingling Aviation has opened a full maintenance and service facility in a leased 10,000 square foot hangar at the Independence Municipal Airport in Independence, Kansas adjacent to Cessna Aircraft Company’s manufacturing site at the southeastern Kansas location. The newly established Yingling site is a Cessna Authorized Service Facility and will provide full service and warranty support for Cessna single engine aircraft including the Skyhawk, Skylane, Stationair, and Corvalis models that are built in the Cessna factory, which has been producing aircraft since it opened in Independence on July 3, 1996.

Yingling and the City of Independence have made significant investments in the leased World War II vintage hangar, installing new lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, tooling and equipment and renovating existing maintenance and office space. Established as a maintenance and repair operation (MRO) on the airport, the facility currently employs half dozen with that number potentially growing to 15-30 as activity levels increase.

“The proximity between Yingling and Cessna has always been a positive factor in the relationship between the two companies and it has been especially true in recent years in Wichita,” noted Lynn Nichols, Yingling’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We have been able to complement and provide supplemental services that have assisted the factory in Wichita in meeting the needs of customers in areas such as parts distribution, the Oasis Caravan interior program, technical product support, aircraft modifications and SkyCatcher assembly. When it became obvious that there was  an opportunity to play a similar role in Independence and establish a facility that could, at the same time, provide a new Cessna service alternative for aircraft operators in the four state area of Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma, we knew this initiative had merit,” he added. Moreover, we have chosen Mr. Greg Olson as our new service manager to lead our efforts in Independence. Greg was formerly with Cessna in Independence, so he knows what needs to be accomplished, and he and his family are citizens of the community, which makes for an even better fit.”

“This new service facility will not only be performing typical maintenance and warranty work on Cessna single engine aircraft, it will keep us from having to interrupt production to install optional equipment like air conditioning systems,” said Terry Clark, Vice President & General Manager of Cessna’s Independence plant. “Having an authorized Cessna service presence on the field will provide an immediate resource for us and Cessna customers. Previously we had to allocate line personnel to perform those installations, which disrupts the flow of aircraft production and is  inefficient. Now, those aircraft will be moved to Yingling where the modifications will be completed. Yingling’s presence on the Independence Airport is a tremendous asset for the community as well as Cessna,” he added.

Gregg Olson

Gregg Olson has been tapped as Service Manager at the new facility. Olson most recently served as a Flight Mechanic at the Cessna Independence Plant, having held that post since 2005. Gregg is a licensed A & P mechanic with an Inspection Authorization and holds a Certified Flight Instructor’s certificate, as well. Prior to joining Cessna, Olson was the Chief Mechanic and a Flight Instructor at Glacier Aviation in Olympia, Washington. He previously served as the Chief Mechanic at American Flyers in California, as well.

FMI: www.yinglingaviation.com