July 21, 2015

Ascend172-Yingling
For Release: July 20, 2015

Yingling Aviation Announces Affordable, Transformed Ascend 172

Comprehensive remanufacture makes the Cessna single the logical choice for flight schools, flying clubs and individual pilots

Wichita, KS—Yingling Aviation has announced it will produce the Ascend 172, an extensively updated Cessna 172 geared toward buyers interested in a comprehensively remanufactured 172 with new analog flight instruments and digital engine gauges that is affordably priced for individuals, flight schools and flying clubs.  The Ascend 172 unveiled by Yingling, at AOPA’s booth at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA’s) AirVenture 2015 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin is a factory-built Model 172 that has undergone a comprehensive, multi-step process of restoration at Yingling, located in Wichita, Kansas.  It will be available at an initial basic list price of $159,900.  A selection of optional equipment will also be available.

The Ascend 172 addresses the challenges to the general aviation industry contributing to the dwindling pilot population, the growing number of outdated, aging aircraft, and the rising cost of new aircraft purchase options.

“Selected as the very first Cessna authorized sales and service dealer in 1946, Yingling is renowned throughout the industry for its exceptional service and support of legacy Cessnas. Yingling has been a provider of solutions in general aviation for a long time, and we’ve been the world’s leading source for Cessna parts for decades.  The company has developed countless repair schemes and maintenance programs that are used all over, often by collaborating with Cessna’s product support teams who are located right across the runway from us, so our corporate culture is one that identifies challenges and develops responses to them.  At Yingling, we know we have the capabilities, the craftsmanship, the capacity, and the commitment to address issues, so we’re taking this initiative,” noted Lynn Nichols, CEO of Yingling Aviation.

“We’re delighted to have the Ascend 172 on display at our booth because it represents an exciting new option for flying clubs, flight schools or pilots who want a fun, easy to fly, and affordable option for aircraft ownership,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “This airplane furthers the concept of AOPA’s ‘Reimagined Aircraft’ program designed to make the most of the existing aircraft fleet while making general aviation accessible to more people.”

Familiar to tens of thousands of current and aspiring pilots, the Cessna 172 is, in fact, the most prolifically produced airplane in history.  More than 43,000 have come off the production line since the model was introduced in 1956.  Yingling’s decision to remanufacture 172s is consistent with AOPA’s ”Reimagined Aircraft” concept because the airplanes are dependable, simple to maintain, inexpensive to operate, widely available, familiar and fun to fly.

Each Ascend 172 will be delivered to the original Purchaser with a 1-year or 200 tach hour warranty (whichever occurs first) on the workmanship and hardware.  These warranties will apply as long as the aircraft is repaired at a Yingling Aviation Authorized Service Facility.  Yingling will also extend to the Purchaser any applicable product warranties provided by manufacturers or suppliers of applicable component parts installed on the aircraft.

The Ascend 172 remanufacture is far more than some new paint and radios.  It’s a comprehensive and rigorous process that includes extensive disassembly, inspections, replacement of old parts with new ones, overhauls (including the engine, propeller and landing gear), renovations and updates that amount to a virtual transformation.  Yingling follows a proven and well-defined system for identifying and acquiring suitable aircraft for inclusion in the Ascend 172 program. These airplanes are thoroughly inspected for structural integrity and stripped to the bare metal to eliminate the possibility of corrosion prior to being refinished and repainted.  All new digital gauges, radio, navigation systems and analog flight instruments are part of an interior upgrade that also features restyled seats, glare shield and side panels, headliner, carpet and center console.  Two new exterior appearance packages and a distinctive signature paint scheme set the Ascend 172 apart from other aircraft on the ramp.

A full summary of the Ascend 172’s standard features and available options offers dramatic evidence that Yingling’s restoration process is second only to the original assembly of the airplane when it comes to inspecting and addressing the fit and functionality of its systems and components. Standard on the Ascend 172:

COCKPIT & CABIN

A complete interior revitalization, including:

  • Restyled seats, glareshield and side panels.
  • New headliner, carpet and center console, new hardware.
  • Inspect seat frames, front seat rollers, adjustment mechanism, and seat tracks – rebuild or replace parts as needed.
  • All flight instruments replaced with new.
  • All new digital engine instruments.
  • Remove old avionics and install new Com, Intercom, and Transponder.
  • All instrument and sub-panels replaced with new custom fit “metal’ panels.
  • New Pitot-Static and Instrument air lines.
  • All new circuit breakers, wiring, and switches
  • New Wet Compass
  • Loose equipment replaced with new (POH, Checklist, Fuel Sampler, etc.)

FIREWALL FORWARD

  • Complete engine overhaul and dyno-tested.
  • Complete propeller overhaul, paint, and balance.
  • Engine truss, NDI tested and rebuilt as needed.
  • All new engine accessories (starter, alternator, vacuum pump, regulator).
  • All new Engine mounts.
  • Muffler and tail pipe replaced with new.
  • All engine control cables replaced with new.
  • All engine baffling replaced with new.
  • Engine cowlings rebuilt and installed with new shock mounts & hardware.
  • All wiring replaced with new.

FUSELAGE

  • Main and nose landing gear removed, cleaned,  NDI inspected, and rebuilt.
  • All new brakes and brake hoses.
  • New tires & tubes.
  • New fuel tank gaskets
  • New windshield
  • All cabin and door windows replaced with new.
  • All door seals replaced with new.
  • All new fluid hoses, air hoses, and filters.
  • All new control cable pulleys
  • All control cables completely inspected & replaced as needed.
  • All flight controls rebuilt as needed.
  • All control surface attach hardware replaced with new.
  • Wing, horizontal, and vertical tips replaced with new.
  • All new wiring and antennas.
  • Completely stripped to bare metal and paint entire airplane with Ascend paint scheme.

STANDARD AVIONICS EQUIPMENT

  • New TSO’d flight Instruments
  • Garmin GTR-225 Com
  • Garmin GTX 327 Transponder
  • PS Engineering PM3000 Intercom
  • Aerospace Logic Digital Engine Instruments – TSO’d & STC’d
  • SIRS Navigator Wet Compass
  • All NEW Metal Custom Fit Instrument Panel

 AVAILABLE OPTIONS

Avionics and Navigation Equipment:

  • ADS-B • XM Weather
  • AREA 560 Portable GPS
  • VOR (upgrade from GTR-225 Com to GNC-255A Nav/Com)
  • GPS (upgrade from GTR-225 Com to GTN-635 GPS/Com)
  • VOR & GPS (upgrade from GTR-225 Com to
  • GTN-650 GPS/NAV/Com)
  • Flight Instrument Backlighting
  • Digital Clock/OAT
  • Analog Clock
  • Audio Marker
  • USB Port

INTERIOR

  • Leather Wrapped Control Wheels
  • Leather seats w/double stitching
  • Dual Air Vents (Door pillar)
  • Rosen Sun Visors

 GENERAL

  • Wheel Fairings
  • Control Cables
  • LED NAV Lights
  • EGT/CHT
  • Yellow Paint
  • 1-Year, 200 hour Warranty

About Yingling

Yingling is an FAA and EASA Approved Part 145 repair station. It is a factory authorized service provider for Avidyne, Bendix/King, Garmin, Universal, Honeywell, NAT, PS Engineering, Rockwell Collins, Sandel and Genesys Aerosystems avionics and operates a McCauley, MT Propeller and Sensenich factory authorized propeller service center, as well. The facility also offers one of the country’s most popular pilot shops, the Aviator’s Attic, a source for just about everything a pilot needs, including aviation-related gifts, training manuals, books, handheld avionics, and apparel and is home to a Subway Cafe, too.

Yingling Aviation was approved by Cessna Aircraft Company as its first official service and parts facility during its initial year in business, 1946.  Its approximately 100 Wichita-based employees are dedicated to serving customers. At its growing location on Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (KICT) in Wichita, Kansas, for nearly seven decades it has also maintained a position as the dominant Cessna parts supplier.  In addition to the newly announced authorized services for the Beechcraft piston propeller products, Yingling also offers comprehensive support to the full range of new and legacy Cessna aircraft, offering the experience and professionalism of top-notch FlightSafety trained technicians, aided by quick access to additional expertise and resources of nearby factory personnel, and familiarity with local vendors. Providing a full range of airframe, engine, propeller, avionics, parts, interiors, aircraft acquisition and sales, and management services, Yingling Aviation can be reached by calling (316) 943-3246.

AV Web News Article, “VLOG: What Yingling’s Ascend 172 May Mean to the Market”