The seemingly insatiable appetite for pilot training continues to grow unabated, as Textron Aviation announced today (Nov. 22) it recently signed an agreement with Lithuania-based Baltic Air Academy (dba BAA Training) for 48 Cessna 172 Skyhawks. The piston trainers are to be delivered in 2026. BAA Training is a member of the Avia Solutions Group, which has close to 100 locations and production facilities worldwide, according to the Textron announcement.
Marijus Ravoitis, BAA Training CEO, said his company “has set an ambitious milestone to achieve a capacity of 500 to 1,000 students per year,” which would require a significant expansion of the training fleet, he said. “We are glad to finalize this order as the addition of 48 Cessna Skyhawks will bolster our resources, enabling us to accommodate the growing demand for training and further solidify our position in the industry.”
Chris Crow, Textron Aviation VP of piston sales, said, “We are delighted to continue the relationship with BAA Training to provide their students access to the most produced single-engine aircraft globally.”
“most produced single-engine aircraft…” = We are still milking a 70 year-old design.
Great! You’ll be able to build a better version for cheaper – they’ll sell like hotcakes and you’ll be wealthy beyond your dreams.
I think these companies are overly conservative. I would sprinkle my fleet with some LSAs.
Years ago a competitor tried to get me into his 172 glass cockpit. For the price of what I could rent the 182 RG steam Guage.
I chose the 182.
Sveikiname!
How many Lufthansa pilots will fly a single engine piston aircraft?
Build a small twin jet trainer and teach them IFR procedures from the very beginning. Focus on teaching the very thing they will do and teach it exceedingly well. They don’t need to know about fuel injection or adverse yaw or p-factor. Concentrate on what’s important because training is what will have to stand in place of experience.
Indeed.
I disagree. Knowing the basics and fundamentals is crucial for safety and understanding the principles of flight.
You cannot be a flight instructor….even the smallest jet is way more complex then a c172, and i don’t think many teenagers/early 20 somethings have the drive, or money, to invest in learning that. Maybe we just use simulators and their first real flight in a real plane in hard IMC will be with paying pax…. No way illusions could throw a wrench into that.
How about we make these planes more affordable and accessible? Theres a 172 with an auto engine conversion thats around 20$ an hour. Read up on that.
Maybe 10 (or more) years from now there will be a lot of (cheaper) planes for sale below the crazy prices we’re seeing now, adjusted for inflation, of course. As the need for pilot training is less. I just saw a 60 year old 152 advertised for 45k. Crazy! (She was purty, though! 🤣)