Lucky Winner Will Take Home A C-177B In Early 2008
Well, it's that time
again... After the Christmas rush, just when everyone's recovering
from all the hustle and bustle, while the kids among us are finally
relieved of all that stress waiting to open their gifts
under the tree, AOPA piles it back on with its annual airplane
sweepstakes. Once more, some 400,000 members of the Aircraft Owners
and Pilots Association (AOPA) will sit and daydream for the next
year of what it will be like to fly the airplane they're sure to
win...
This year, AOPA plans to give away what it's calling "one of the
classiest aircraft ever to come out of Wichita – a 1977
Cessna Cardinal 177B (illustration of type
below)." The association says the sweepstakes plane will
receive the kind of upgrades its members have come to expect as
it's refurbished to pristine condition.
"We chose the Cardinal for the 2007 sweepstakes because
it’s affordable and dependable," said Julie Boatman,
technical editor of AOPA Pilot magazine and sweepstakes project
manager. "It is also an excellent family aircraft, with a wide
cabin, large doors, low entry points, a high wing so even children
can see out of the back seat, and stable flying
characteristics."
AOPA says the fixed-gear, four-seat Cessna 177B (shown below, in
its original guise) is simple enough to be flown by pilots of
all experience levels without the need for much transition
training. According to a news release from the association, it's
typical of what an AOPA member flies.
AOPA says much of the restoration work on this year's
sweepstakes airplane will be done at one airport --
Griffin-Spaulding County Airport (6A2) in Griffin, GA south of
Atlanta -- instead of several different airports across the
country as in the past.
"In keeping with the 2007 sweepstakes theme of simplicity and
functionality, we are having the engine overhaul, airframe work,
and paint job all done at the Griffin-Spaulding Airport," said
Boatman.
The Cardinal is currently at the airport being disassembled by a
team of maintenance technicians from AirWrench, and led by
independent mechanic Dan Rexroad, so the restoration work can
begin.
"We’re going to completely disassemble the Cardinal to
illustrate how an aircraft owner might address concerns about a
30-year-old airframe through corrosion control and mitigation and
inspection," said Boatman.
AOPA says the Cessna 177 will first receive a factory-new
Lycoming O-360-A1F6 engine with roller tappets installed by
Don’s Dream Machines, followed by a paint scheme designed by
Scheme Designers and applied by Advanced Aircraft Refinishers.
Once avionics installation begins, the Cardinal will receive a
new panel of easy-to-use, highly-popular avionics, including a
Garmin 430/530 Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)-capable Global
Positioning System (GPS); Garmin GDL 90 datalink with automatic
dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) capability; L-3 Stormscope
lightning detector; J.P. Instruments engine monitor; Bendix/King
horizontal situation indicator (HSI); and S-TEC autopilot according
to the release. Sarasota Avionics, of Sarasota, Florida, will lead
the avionics installation, with Griffin-based Precision Avionics
performing other aircraft electrical work.
AOPA also plans performance modifications, windshield/window
replacement, and a new interior for the nifty Cessna.
As usual, throughout the year AOPA will fly the sweepstakes
airplane to air shows across the country, including Sun-n-Fun, AOPA
Fly-In, EAA AirVenture, and AOPA Expo where all its members (and
prospective members) will ooh and aah over it.
Just so you know, if you're planning on joining AOPA because you
think you have a chance to win the plane, don't bother... after
all, I already know I'm gonna win it!