Posh New Airplane Aids Flight Training at Gastonia Airport

There's a swanky new way to experience the majesty of flying these days in Gaston County.

The newest member of the air fleet at the city-owned Gastonia Municipal Airport is a 2020 model Cessna 172S Skyhawk, equipped with the newest avionics and electronics for flight management. One could describe it as a Cadillac of the sky.

But with a list price of $441,000, equating it to a Lamborghini or a Rolls Royce might be more fitting. And officials believe it will not only provide better experiences during "discovery flights" for the public, but also entice more people to enroll in the local flight school and consider a high-demand career in aviation.

"This new airplane has things lots of current airliners don't even have," said Jon Boyd, the director of the airport and the business development manager for the New York-based Academy of Aviation. "It's truly amazing."

The Academy of Aviation won the contract from the city to operate and manage the airport in 2018. One of the many things the company implemented was to make the local facility into an approved Cessna Aircraft Flight Training Pilot Center — one of only about 50 in the United States.

The Cessna Aircraft Co. recently developed the Top Hawk Program, which awards a new Skyhawk to only four of those flight schools based on the quality and skill of their training. Each winning school receives one of the posh, state-of-the-art planes at no cost for six months for use in training and promotion.

"The award is shared by all three Academy of Aviation locations," said Boyd, adding that the other two are in New York state. "But it was spearheaded by Gastonia."

The new aircraft has therefore cost the city nothing. But it will continue to pay dividends for the local community into the future. At the end of the six months, the Academy of Aviation will have the option of purchasing the airplane at a significant discount, and Boyd said there's no question they will take advantage of that.

"It's great at showing professionalism," he said. "There's nothing like having a customer come in and see and smell the newness of an airplane."

The pilot school in Gastonia started out with one airplane and now has seven, along with an ultramodern flight simulator that plays a huge role in some of the more advanced training offered there. But the Cessna Skyhawk is already standing out.

"It has electronics that are so advanced these days," said Boyd. "This is a small airplane that has the ability to right itself if you get into an unusual situation that conflicts with its ability to fly. It can put you on autopilot and get you straight and level."

The Gastonia flight school currently has about 40 full-time "career" students, and another 30 or so "enthusiasts" who have taken various numbers of lessons. The academy's importance has been bolstered by a severe shortage of pilots around the world, which has prompted a lot of brainstorming about how to get more men and women qualified to commandeer aircraft.

"The airlines and the military today are so in need of pilots," said Boyd. "They need them terribly."

Completing the school in Gastonia can cost upward of $85,000. But someone who makes time to do it and excels can get through the full program in nine months to a year, at which time they can begin working for an airline. The Academy of Aviation's accreditation also makes it possible for students to secure low-interest loans for tuition.

"My personal approach and the company's approach is that we strongly believe this will be the busiest location we have," Boyd said of the Gastonia school. "This is a great place to produce the professionals the industry needs."

———

Visit Gaston Gazette, Gastonia, N.C. at www.gastongazette.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.