172SP sold to Sporty's for Sweepstakes is 150,000th single engine piston delivery

Cessna Aircraft Company has delivered its 150,000th single engine aircraft, an 172S Skyhawk SP, at AirVenture 2004. The customer, Hal Shevers' Sporty's Pilot Shop, took delivery at Cessna's display area.

The 150,000th Cessna aircraft will be Sporty's 2004 Super Sweepstakes Grand Prize, and is valued at over $200,000. The winner of the aircraft won't have to pay taxes on that much, however, because the aircraft will be used for a year by Sporty's employees, who are expected to put some 600 hours of flight time and depreciation on the aircraft prior to delivering it to its lucky winner.

"This is a great day for Cessna and the general aviation industry," said Cessna's President and CEO, Jack Pelton. "From day one, Cessna has set out to teach the world how to fly. We have challenged ourselves to design and manufacture airplanes that meet customer's needs. Our customers are the most important part of our business, and we refuse to give them anything other than industry leading products with renowned quality, superior performance and incomparable safety records."

Pelton added that "it is appropriate that a 172 Skyhawk is Cessna's 150,000th single engine piston airplane. Not only is the 172 the world's best selling airplane, it is a timeless classic that has proven itself to be the world's safest and most reliable. The 36,000-plus aircraft in the 172 fleet have earned this impressive status by accumulating millions of flight hours while being flown in nearly every scenario imaginable."

CEO Jack Pelton also announced that the 172 model will now be offered with a Nav 3 package option, the Garmin G1000 EFIS system. Two versions will be offered, one standard, one for training. The 172SP with the Nav 3 option will cost $229,750. However, a training version, the 172R Skyhawk GA, will be offered with the Nav 3 option including the Garmin G1000, but without an autopilot or real time weather upling. This version of the 172 will have a list price of $199,750, representing a savings of exactly $30,000.

FMI: www.cessna.com, www.sportys.com