A Stripped-down Skyhawk designed to offer cheaper training
Jill W. Tallman has posted about Sporty’s new 172LITE program over on the AOPA website. From the article:
A refurbished Cessna 172 that will offer more cost-effective flight training is at the heart of the Cessna 172LITE project, announced Dec. 17 by Sporty’s.
“Sporty’s is acquiring 172s and equipping them with basic flight instruments along with significant interior and exterior enhancements,” according to a press release. The first one is on the line at Sporty’s Flight Academy at Clermont County Airport, Batavia, Ohio. It rents for $99 per hour.
With avionics limited to a communications radio and a transponder, the Cessna 172LITE is intended to be a simple mission trainer that will not overwhelm new students with “dozens of switches, buttons, and knobs providing access to unneeded information.” At the same time, the airplane has been given a new metal panel with new, durable switches, as well as new paint—“for that attractive first impression,” Sporty’s said.
From Sporty’s website:
The Airframe
- 1976 Cessna 172N
- Airframe inspected and repaired as needed
- Any corrosion addressed
- Control cables inspected and adjusted
- Windows Replaced
- Modern LED lighting installed
- Fresh Paint and Striping
The Interior
- Rear seat removed increasing useful load and cargo area
- Remaining seats refurbished and recovered
- Side panels recovered with approved materials
- Plastic interior trim replaced or repaired as needed
- Carpeting replaced with approved vinyl floor covering
The Instrument Panel
- Plastic panel removed
- New metal panel installed
- Simple communications radio and transponder installed
- Robust modern switches installed
The Engine
- Original Lycoming O-320-H2AD engine removed
- Overhauled Lycoming O-320-D2J engine installed per STC
- New accessories, cooling baffles and seals installed
- Overhauled propeller installed
The Result
- The 172LITE has the appearance and ramp appeal of a new airplane
- Simple “six-pack” instrument panel allows CFI to introduce gauges individually
- Student learns to fly rather than manage avionics systems with imbedded menus
- Proven simple systems results in reduced and easier maintenance
- $99 per hour rental rate makes flying 53% more fun than $153
You can find out more about the 172LITE program on the Sporty’s website HERE.
You can read the rest of the AOPA article on their website HERE.