Featuring Glass Panel, ADS-B Out As Standard, New Signature Paint Scheme

After unveiling the comprehensively remanufactured Ascend 172 light single engine aircraft at last year’s EAA AirVenture Fly-In and Convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Yingling Aviation has taken another significant step in narrowing the gap between new and renovated airplanes by incorporating a number of customer-inspired enhancements into the 2016 version of the airplane they are displaying at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016.

N26FP, outfitted with a Lycoming 180 horsepower O-360-A4M engine with 0 hours TSOH and a fully-overhauled Sensenich propeller, also features a Garmin G500 EFIS and a GTX 345 ADS-B Out and In transponder as part of an extensively upgraded avionics package that has earned it a prominent spot in the Garmin display located at Booth 322-328, 339-345.

“Through our continued collaboration with AOPA and some of the other pilot and ownership organizations, we have learned a great deal during the past year. We’ve had the opportunity to collect valuable input from customers and potential buyers on one hand and, from a hands-on perspective, we’ve also refined some of our refurbishment techniques and procedures,” noted Lynn Nichols, CEO at Yingling. “Demonstrating the Ascend 172 has also allowed us to gain some insights into what flight schools and flying clubs consider to be the most important systems and components they’re looking for in the aircraft they plan to acquire. That’s why we’ve configured this 2016 Ascend 172 the way we have—to more specifically and effectively meet their needs. And, we believe that we’re continuing to narrow the differences between the capabilities and configuration of the remanufactured and the new airplanes at the same time we’re creating a more significant gap between the costs of acquiring them.”

The remanufactured Ascend 172 that debuted at AirVenture Oshkosh 2015 was displayed by AOPA at its exhibit and subsequently toured the country, appearing at many of the organization’s events and fly-ins. Its distinctive solid yellow paint, specifically cited by AOPA President Mark Baker as a way to grab attention and “start a ramp conversation,” has given way to a more conventional—and attractive—Signature tri-color paint scheme on the 2016 display airplane.

“Needless to say, the new paint scheme and a number of touch and detail improvements that don’t show up to the casual observer are important, but probably the most notable and most often mentioned improvement we’ve incorporated this year is the addition of the Garmin panel so it only made sense to position it at their exhibit for maximum exposure,” Nichols commented. “That way, potential customers who are specifically looking at upgrading their avionics can get a good look at the well-designed and equipped glass panel of the Ascend 172 featuring the G500 EFIS and GTN 625 GPS.”

N26FP’s option list also includes:

• STC’d 180 HP Lycoming O-360-A4M (OH’d) engine
• Sensenich Prop “0” hours TSOH
• A second GNC 255 Nav/Comm
• GMA 350 Audio Panel with MKR GTX 345 ADS-B Out and In
• Davtron M800 Digital Clock
• Flight Instrument Backlighting
• USB Port
• LED NAV Lights
• LED Beacon Light
• Rosen Sunvisors
• Wheel Fairings

Yingling’s management team also announced that it will expand its marketing efforts by creating a dealer network for the Ascend 172 to “be closer and more responsive to potential customers who may have considered our single, midwestern location a potential impediment to getting their airplane remanufactured in a timely manner. But, we’re just wrapping up a five-year contract with FedEx that involved retrofitting 230 Cessna Caravans with Garmin G600s, removing anti-ice boots, and installing TKS ice protection systems. We’ve learned from that how to modify an aircraft multiple times, doing the same thing over and over again—knowing each aircraft is a little unique and different in terms of condition, so we know how to move the airplanes through the process.

“As the very first Cessna dealer, we have a long history of knowing the benefits and proper ways to utilize a network of experienced and motivated professionals who share our same knowledge, training and standards to multiply our effectiveness. We’ve decided to put that background and experience to good use—and to the benefit of our customer base. We have a lot of people who have expressed serious interest in the Ascend 172 as a training platform and a flying club aircraft, but they also talked about having some more localized support. We know how to address that. While we’re at Oshkosh, we’re going to meet with a number of very strong candidates, organizations with whom we’re very familiar and with whom we’ve done business for many years in order to create a dealer network that will be responsive, supportive and help generate business, as well,” Nichols explained.

“This program has added some dimension since it was announced last year,” he continued. “Our initial assumptions centered on holding costs at a specific level and we did a pretty good job at that. But, as we have discussed the various options and potential of remanufactured aircraft with active prospects we’ve also realized that the market is quite diverse. We’re very serious about helping more people learn how to fly or continue to fly rather than give up because it’s too expensive. It’s essential to the overall health and benefit of our industry. An obvious way to drive the cost of flying down is to provide a product at a reduced cost that almost equally matches a new aircraft, so that is what we’re trying to do. We really do think that the flying public will start to embrace this idea,” he said.

(Images provided with Yingling news release)

FMI: www.yinglingaviation.com