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Mike Busch |
Cessna
Vice Chairman Gary Hay seemed upbeat Friday morning as he told a gathering of journalists
at EAA Headquarters that business is very good, and that the growing demand for general
aviation airplanes seems to be benefiting Cessna more than others. Part of this is due to
Cessna's return to building single-engine piston airplanes. With all five announced
single-engine models - 172, 172SP, 182, 206, T206 - all in full-scale production, Cessna
has in just over a year established a 64% market share in new single-engine sales
worldwide.
"It wasn't easy, because we started with a group of
inexperienced team members down in Independence, and we started out in an all new facility
as well," said Hay, "and to be completely candid, some of our early units were
not up to our standard of quality and service bulletins were…too many. We had to
correct a lot of issues." Hay added that the problems had been corrected and the
quality of Cessna singles coming off the line "is now right where it ought to
be." He also said that single-engine production rates were up to the point that a new
Skyhawk could be ordered for "near-term availability," while a new Skylane
ordered today could be delivered in the fourth quarter of this year. There remains a
significant backlog of Skyhawk SP models, which has proven so popular that Hay predicted
that the 180-hp version would soon account for the lion's share of 172 production. First
customer deliveries of the 206 Stationair and and T206 Turbo Stationair are scheduled for
November and December, respectively.
Pat Boyarski, General
Manager of Cessna's Single Engine Division, noted that in the year since Oshkosh '97, more
than 625 single-engine airplanes were delivered by Cessna's Independence single-engine
assembly facility, and employment had grown to the full staffing level of about 850.
Production of both the Skyhawk and Skylane is at full planned rate. Meanwhile, the first
206 and T206 aircraft have come off the end of the Independence production line, moved
through the paint shop, and are now being fitted with interiors prior to beginning flight
test. Boyarski said that Cessna has four 206 and T206 aircraft dedicated to certification
work, including one being used by AlliedSignal 
for autopilot certification, and said that
"certification is on track and on schedule to support deliveries of the Stationair in
November and the Turbo Stationair in December." Boyarski
indicated that university aviation programs represented a significant part of the demand
for new Skyhawks. He announced that Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which last year
committed to purchase 300 aircraft over 12 years, had doubled its originally planned
Skyhawk deliveries for 1998, resulting in a total of 46 Skyhawks to be delivered this
year. Western Michigan University has taken delivery of 19 Skyhawks, and Le Tourneau
University in Longview, Texas, took delivery of five new Skyhawks a few weeks ago. 1998
fleet sales also included 20 new Skyhawks delivered to the Civil Air Patrol for deployment
in CAP wings across the country.
...While Cessna Pilot Center Programs Are Ready For Prime Time
Cessna VP-Marketing Phil
Michel provided an update on Cessna's complete makeover of their Cessna Pilot Center
flight school program. He started by reviewing industry efforts through the GA Team 2000
initiative to persuade more people to learn to fly, and said that the effort is clearly
starting to pay off. Last year, FAA figures showed student starts up by 8.3% last year,
and thus far this year they are running ahead of last year's turnaround figures. New
private pilot certificates for the first six months of 1998 are up 40%, and instrument
ratings are up 80%, which Michel characterized as "really encouraging news."
Michel then introduced
Cessna's new Computer Based Instruction private pilot groundschool program, developed for
the Cessna Pilot Center program by King Schools. With Martha King manning the computer
keyboard and mouse, Michel walked the group through a few lessons from the CBI course,
showing off its interactive multimedia capabilities and how much fun it is compared to a
traditional classroom setting. The course material was clearly developed with a lot of
cleverness and humor. The new CPC Private Pilot Student Kit course includes over 24 hours
of video clips (mostly in 5-minute segments), 467 interactive questions, two practice
exams, and three programmed quizzes. Although there is a textbook included in the kit,
Michel said it was "not only possible but entirely practical for the first time ever
to become a safe, accomplished pilot entirely through computer ground instruction...the
student would never have to crack a book."
The new CPC program also includes a comprehensive "course management module"
that permits the flight school to track the progress of each student. Michel emphasized
that the CBI course is complete, and that the first students are already in training using
the new technology. "We've only just begun the process of introducing this new
program to Cessna Pilot Centers around the country, but their reaction and the reaction of
the new students has been just fantastic," said Michel. "It's not often that we
get to be part of any genuine breakthrough in any field of endeavor, but we truly believe
that you've just seen the future of flight training, and it's here today," he
concluded.
...And Reporters Get A Glimpse Into Cessna's Future
In the Q&A session that followed, Gary Hay said that Cessna was following various
R&D initiatives by various powerplant manufacturers (not just Lycoming) with great
interest, and believed that there was significant opportunities for breakthrough advances
in the next few years. Hay specifically mentioned Diesel engines, single-lever engine controls, and a
new 1,200-pound-thrust turbofan engine being developed by Williams that
would be suitable for a 6,000 to 7,000 pound aircraft. Asked about additional
single-engine piston models, Hay said that the R182 (retractable gear) was being seriously
considered and that market research showed an "obvious demand" for such an
aircraft. "No plans at the present time, but we're looking at it," Hay added. In
response to a question about follow-on CBI course materials, Hay said that an Instrument
Rating course was the next project that Cessna would be asking King Schools to develop. He
also indicated that Cessna was very close to announcing a "shared ownership"
program for new Cessna singles where two to six individuals would jointly purchase a new
aircraft. Finally, one journalist asked Hay about possibility of Cessna resuming
production of the 210. "There are lots of 210s out there right now," responded
Hay, chuckling. "Are there gonna be more?" the questioner persisted.
"That's a good question," parried Hay, "we'll reserve that one for Oshkosh
next year."
“SP”ecial Day for Cessna
He
has 155.6 hours in his logbook and by next week, will have a new Cessna 172 SP in his
hangar. Family practice doc Paul Hankerson and wife Denise took possession of the keys to
the very first SP Friday at Oshkosh. Cessna Single-Engine Division General Manager Pat
Boyarksi and Suburban Aviation President Tom Trumbull did the honors and stood smilingly
by. Unfortunately the good doctor will have to cool his heels a bit longer—the plane is
Cessna’s Oshkosh display model and will be delivered to Hanerson’s Okemos,
Michigan, home after the show is over.
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