US Civil Air Patrol orders 19 new Cessna turboprop aicraft.

The aircraft, produced at Textron Aviation’s manufacturing facility in Independence, Kansas, are scheduled to be delivered throughout the second half of 2016, replacing older models in CAP’s fleet. CAP flies more than 98,500 hours annually in support of search-and-rescue operations, disaster relief, homeland security and flight training.

With its ability to get in and out of small airstrips and its reliable performance, the single-engine Cessna Skylane is a versatile aircraft with impressive capability. The Skylane features the Garmin G1000 avionics package that is easy to use and offers increased situational awareness in the busy cockpit environment.

The recently enhanced single-engine Cessna Turbo Stationair HD features a gross weight increase of 189 pounds, which allows operators to take advantage of the added payload to complete each mission with dependability, even in rugged or remote landing conditions. The Turbo Stationair HD is perfect for hauling military or medical equipment or evacuating the wounded or ill. Its turbocharged Textron Lycoming TIO-540-AJ1A engine produces 310 horsepower and the cockpit features Garmin G1000 avionics.

The Civil Air Patrol is an auxiliary of the Air Force that uses its fleet of 550 aircraft, most of which are Cessna Skylane and Cessna Skyhawk aircraft, to support search-and-rescue, disaster relief and to promote aviation to the next generation of pilots. CAP flies 90 percent of inland search-and-rescue missions tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center every year and saves on average 78 people a year. CAP also fosters aviation enthusiasm in young people by providing powered and glider orientation flights and flight training scholarships for cadets.