Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has agreed to purchase of at least 60 Cessna Skyhawk trainers. The flight training school has reportedly purchased more than 75 aircraft from Textron Aviation since 2014. (Photo courtesy of Textron Aviation.)


Textron Aviation, owner of the Cessna, Beechcraft, and Hawker aircraft brands, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University have a more than two-decade relationship. Since 2014 alone, Embry-Riddle has purchased more than 75 aircraft from Textron Aviation, the majority them Cessna Skyhawk piston trainers.


In late July, the companies built on their relationship by announcing a Memorandum of Understanding in which Embry-Riddle has agreed to purchase at least 60 more Cessna aircraft through 2022 with options for more. The companies inked the deal at the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) AirVenture 2019 event that took place in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in late July.


The Trainer Of Choice

Embry-Riddle’s roots date back to 1925 when John Paul Riddle and T. Higbee Embry formed the Embry-Riddle Company to provide flight training. Today, the university has residential campuses located in Daytona Beach, Florida, and Prescott, Arizona, and also provides various online educational programs. Both campuses are equipped with fleets of Cessna Skyhawks, which will be replenished by this latest deal, Textron says.


Textron claims that with more than 44,000 Skyhawks entered into service, more Skyhawks have been delivered to customers than any other type of aircraft. Ron Draper, Textron Aviation CEO and president, says Embry-Riddle making the Skyhawk its long-time trainer of choice is a continued testament to the aircraft’s status as the most popular single-engine aircraft ever built. Embry-Riddle President Dr. P. Barry Butler says the university chose the Skyhawk following an “exhaustive evaluation” by a team of university experts that was rigorously focused on aviation safety.


Textron Aviation, maker of the Cessna Skyhawk single-engine piston aircraft, has a more than 20-year relationship with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which has purchased dozens of Cessna trainer aircraft from Textron over the years. (Photo courtesy of Textron Aviation.)


The Skyhawk Soars

While Cessna offers the Skyhawk in a standard four-passenger configuration, the Skyhawk trainer configuration includes three seats. Designed for instructors, students, and observers, the aircraft measures 27.2 feet (8.3 meters) long, provides a maximum cruise speed of 124 ktas and a maximum range of 640 nautical miles (1,185 kilometers), is equipped with Garmin G1000 NXi avionics, and is powered by a Lycoming IO-360-L2A engine rated for 180 horsepower.


You’ll find a wide selection of new and used Cessna aircraft for sale every day on Controller.com, including scores of new and used Cessna single-engine piston planes for sale.

Source: Textron Aviation



Posted On: 7/31/2019 11:04:17 AM