Lucky Winner Will Take Home A C-177B In Early 2008

Well, it's that time again... After the Christmas rush, just when everyone's recovering from all the hustle and bustle, while the kids among us are finally relieved of all that stress waiting to open their gifts under the tree, AOPA piles it back on with its annual airplane sweepstakes. Once more, some 400,000 members of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) will sit and daydream for the next year of what it will be like to fly the airplane they're sure to win...

This year, AOPA plans to give away what it's calling "one of the classiest aircraft ever to come out of Wichita – a 1977 Cessna Cardinal 177B (illustration of type below)." The association says the sweepstakes plane will receive the kind of upgrades its members have come to expect as it's refurbished to pristine condition.

"We chose the Cardinal for the 2007 sweepstakes because it’s affordable and dependable," said Julie Boatman, technical editor of AOPA Pilot magazine and sweepstakes project manager. "It is also an excellent family aircraft, with a wide cabin, large doors, low entry points, a high wing so even children can see out of the back seat, and stable flying characteristics."

AOPA says the fixed-gear, four-seat Cessna 177B (shown below, in its original guise) is simple enough to be flown by pilots of all experience levels without the need for much transition training. According to a news release from the association, it's typical of what an AOPA member flies.

AOPA says much of the restoration work on this year's sweepstakes airplane will be done at one airport -- Griffin-Spaulding County Airport (6A2) in Griffin, GA south of Atlanta -- instead of several different airports across the country as in the past.

"In keeping with the 2007 sweepstakes theme of simplicity and functionality, we are having the engine overhaul, airframe work, and paint job all done at the Griffin-Spaulding Airport," said Boatman.

The Cardinal is currently at the airport being disassembled by a team of maintenance technicians from AirWrench, and led by independent mechanic Dan Rexroad, so the restoration work can begin.

"We’re going to completely disassemble the Cardinal to illustrate how an aircraft owner might address concerns about a 30-year-old airframe through corrosion control and mitigation and inspection," said Boatman.

AOPA says the Cessna 177 will first receive a factory-new Lycoming O-360-A1F6 engine with roller tappets installed by Don’s Dream Machines, followed by a paint scheme designed by Scheme Designers and applied by Advanced Aircraft Refinishers.

Once avionics installation begins, the Cardinal will receive a new panel of easy-to-use, highly-popular avionics, including a Garmin 430/530 Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)-capable Global Positioning System (GPS); Garmin GDL 90 datalink with automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) capability; L-3 Stormscope lightning detector; J.P. Instruments engine monitor; Bendix/King horizontal situation indicator (HSI); and S-TEC autopilot according to the release. Sarasota Avionics, of Sarasota, Florida, will lead the avionics installation, with Griffin-based Precision Avionics performing other aircraft electrical work.

AOPA also plans performance modifications, windshield/window replacement, and a new interior for the nifty Cessna.

As usual, throughout the year AOPA will fly the sweepstakes airplane to air shows across the country, including Sun-n-Fun, AOPA Fly-In, EAA AirVenture, and AOPA Expo where all its members (and prospective members) will ooh and aah over it.

Just so you know, if you're planning on joining AOPA because you think you have a chance to win the plane, don't bother... after all, I already know I'm gonna win it!

FMI: www.aopa.org