Cessna sees its investment in the most advanced flight deck package to fly on a piston single paying long-term dividends in the region, particularly when its new entry-level jet enters service in a couple of years.
Cessna's new Citation Mustang will have the same all-new integrated glass cockpit which will debut on all Skylanes and Stationairs as a factory installed NAV III option from the second quarter of this year.
The Garmin 1000 avionics package integrates all primary flight, navigation, communication, terrain, traffic, weather and engine sensor data on two large 10.4in (260mm) glass, high resolution XGA technology display units. The Skylane and Stationair will maintain their traditional non-electric airspeed indicator, attitude gyro, altimeter and magnetic compass as standby backup systems.
Bill Harris, Cessna's director of international propeller aircraft sales, says: "We see good future growth in the regional training market and anticipate airlines will need more pilots as the region's aviation infrastructure develops.
Platform
"Our Cessna product line offers a good training platform as pilots can make a seamless transition from the single engine piston range to jet training on the Citation Mustang because of the avionics commonality."
Cessna's pedigree in pilot training was acknowledged by an industry accolade at the end of last year, which recognised the company's single engine aircraft as one of the 10 aircraft that have shaped modern aviation. Cessna has been teaching people to fly for more than 30 years through its network of Cessna Pilot Centers (CPC).
Sales in the region since the company last took part at Asian Aerospace include the first Cessna 206 Stationair to be sold to Beijing Sport
Aviation. The aircraft is being used for training and surveillance duties, and also for operation during the 2008 Olympics.
Two more 206s equipped with Garmin G1000 avionics will be delivered this year to A&P Light Aircraft Service (China) in Henan province - the first in the region.
Four Cessna Caravans were sold to China Northern Airlines, five Caravans to Shandong Airlines and the 1000th 208B Grand Caravan went to private operator Supap Puranitee, whose executive equipped aircraft is on display at the show, along with a Cessna 182 Skylane and the Citation X business jet.
Cessna finished strong on the business front last year, with deliveries of 57 Caravans and 588 single engine piston aircraft, as well as 197 Citations in an order book valued at $2.3 billion.
Source: Flight Daily News
