Textron Aviation receives order for 15 Skyhawks from ATP Flight School

Textron Aviation Inc., announced recently that ATP Flight School has ordered 15 Cessna Skyhawk 172 aircraft. With the addition of these aircraft, the school’s training fleet will grow to include nearly 130 Skyhawks.

“We’re thrilled that ATP has chosen the Skyhawk time and time again to train its new pilots,” said Doug May, vice president, Piston Aircraft. “To meet the growing demand for pilots, flight schools need a proven, robust training platform, and that is exactly what the Skyhawk provides. We look forward to continuing to support training programs like ATP and the next generation of pilots.”

Deliveries of the new Skyhawks, integrated with next-generation Garmin G1000 NXi avionics, will begin in the third quarter. ATP’s order supplements its 2016 purchase of 15 similarly equipped Skyhawks.

“With demand for airline pilots reaching unprecedented levels, increasing training capacity is vital to ensure a stable pipeline of pilots to the nation’s regional airlines,” said Justin Dennis, vice president, ATP Flight School. “The Skyhawk offers time-tested dispatch reliability. These new aircraft will provide Airline Career Pilot Program students with the platform they need for successful, efficient airline career training.”

Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.