Cessna To Deliver 72 More Of The Popular Trainers

Cessna Aircraft Company told ANN Tuesday it will deliver 72 new Cessna 172 Skyhawks this year to the Civil Aviation Flying University of China (CAFUC) for use as primary pilot trainers. This sale follows delivery of 42 Skyhawks to CAFUC in 2006.

All 72 aircraft under current contract will have the Garmin G1000 "glass" avionics suite, representing the latest in training technology. The government-owned CAFUC is the country's largest flight training center, accounting for about 90 percent of the pilots produced in China. The school also operates six Citation CJ1 jets.

"Like so many other flight schools around the world, the CAFUC is installing as its training foundation an aircraft that is easy to fly, reliable, and has a reputation for dependability," said John Doman, Cessna vice president of propeller aircraft sales. "With the Skyhawk's excellent flying characteristics and the G1000's advanced functionality, the CAFUC is getting one of the best primary flight trainers in the world."   

The ubiquitous C172 is arguably the world's most popular training aircraft with over 35,000 built and sold since its introduction in 1956.

In terms of unit sales, Cessna is the largest manufacturer of general aviation aircraft in the world. The company delivered 1,239 single-engine piston, turboprop and turbofan aircraft in 2006, generating $4.2 billion in sales.

Of those deliveries, 865 were single-engine piston aircraft. Cessna customers in China can take advantage of company field service engineers in Shanghai, as well as two company authorized service centers in Anyang and Beijing.

FMI: www.cessna.com