August 3, 2007

 

Safety Session scheduled for Monday, August 6 at 7 PM; Refurbished Cessna will be on public display on Tuesday, August 7

 

Wichita, KS—Yingling Aviation will be the “nest” for a very unique Cardinal on Monday and Tuesday, August 6 and 7, 2007 when the 1977 Cessna that’s being refurbished by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) for its annual membership sweepstakes makes a stop at Mid-Continent Airport.  The visit will coincide with an AOPA Safety Seminar on “Regulations: What Every Pilot Should Know” that will also be hosted by Yingling on Monday evening, August 6, from 7-9 PM.  The sweepstakes airplane will be on display at both the seminar and in Yingling’s Hangar 3 on Tuesday morning.

The free Safety Seminar will provide answers to commonly asked regulatory questions and offer insights on the real-world intersection of rules, common sense, and safety. It’s designed to help pilots stay up-to-date on regulatory changes, important rules that don’t always show up in the FAR/AIM, and learn simple methods for reading-and understanding-complex regulations. It also features a question and answer session with an AOPA Legal Services Plan attorney.

The “Catch-A-Cardinal” sweepstakes airplane drew large crowds at last week’s Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  The distinctively-painted Cardinal is stopping in Wichita on its way to Vantage Plane Plastics and Aerodesigns in Alva, Oklahoma, where its interior will be updated.  It already has a new engine, new avionics, speed modifications and a paint scheme that features a large Cardinal logo on the tail, which prompted lots of interest from St. Louis baseball, Arizona pro football, and Louisville and Illinois State college athletics fans during AirVenture.

Flown by AOPA PILOT magazine contributor Julie Boatman, the “Catch-A-Cardinal” sweepstakes airplane was built at Cessna’s Pawnee Division in Wichita 30 years ago.  Upon arrival on Monday, it will be displayed at the Cessna plant at Mid-Continent Airport so that Cessna employees can have a chance to see it prior to being hangared for the evening at Yingling Aviation.  It will be display in Yingling’s Hangar 3 on Tuesday morning.

Every year, AOPA acquires a pre-owned airplane and completely refurbishes it for use as a prize in its annual membership sweepstakes.  If they renew their memberships or join the organization for the first time between January 1 and December 31, 2007, AOPA members will be entered in the sweepstakes for a chance to win the aircraft.   The winner, who must be a pilot in order to qualify, will be selected in February of next year.  The meticulously refurbished Cardinal is valued at approximately $105,000.

Additional information on both the seminar and the sweepstakes can be obtained by visiting AOPA’s internet site at www.aopa.org.

 

About Yingling

 

Yingling Aviation, Inc. has been affiliated with Cessna Aircraft Company longer than any other fixed base operation, having been named the first Cessna dealer more than 60 years ago.  With more than 80 employees dedicated to serving customers, an award-winning service operation, Cessna Pilot Center flight training, a spacious pilot’s lounge, and an outstanding selection of equipment, specialty items, and gifts at its Aviator’s Attic, Yingling can provide exceptional hospitality and service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Yingling is also the largest Cessna parts supplier in the world, offering fast worldwide delivery and competitive pricing, with A.O.G. orders received before 11:30 AM shipped the same day.   Yingling Aviation can be reached by calling (316) 943-3246 or on the web at yinglingaviation.com.