Thu, Jul 07, 2011
U.S. Air Force Academy Selects The Airplane For Airmanship
Training Program
Cirrus Aircraft confirmed on Tuesday that its SR20 aircraft has
been selected for the U.S. Air Force Academy's Powered Flight
Program, and that fulfilling the new fleet order is already
underway. The Air Force Academy will receive 25 SR20 aircraft
– designated as T-53A trainers in the customized
configuration – starting this summer and continuing through
2012.
"We're honored to have been chosen by the Air Force Academy for
its airmanship training requirements," said Jon Dauplaise, Cirrus
Vice President of Domestic Sales. "The Academy's Powered Flight
Program gives its cadets tremendous inflight experience and is
potentially the first step in an Air Force pilot career. We're
confident that the cadets and their instructors will benefit from
the SR20's latest-generation avionics, the largest and most
comfortable cabin in this class of aircraft, docile handling,
intuitive control characteristics and, perhaps most importantly,
from the most advanced aviation safety features available today."
Dauplaise added: "This fleet of new aircraft confirms the
U.S. Air Force's confidence in Cirrus and is another notable step
forward in the growth of our global training aircraft efforts."
"We've been studying the replacement of our existing trainer
fleet since 2010," said Lt. Colonel Brad Oliver with the academy's
557th Flying Training Squadron. "The T-53A meets or exceeds all of
our performance and operational criteria and is very well-suited to
our mission. And, while we hope never to have need of it, our
cadets and instructors will now have the option of 'pulling the
'chute' if it's needed."
Each aircraft delivered to the Air Force Academy will be
equipped with the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS), airbag
seatbelts, integrated fuselage roll cage, cuffed wing design,
Cirrus Perspective by Garmin avionics and more active and passive
safety systems and features that are standard equipment on all
Cirrus aircraft.
The value of the purchase is approximately $6.1 million and the
new fleet of T-53A trainers will be based at the Academy's Airfield
(AFF) in Colorado Springs, CO.
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