Anyone have any experience with these? We are supposed to be getting one. Are they nice? What kind of interiors, panels, and avionics are they using? Are they truly as good as new?
Are those the Afghan 172s that got saved from the crusher?
To the best of my knowledge, "The Factory" does not refurbish C172s, however CAP has a great program to "Zero Time" our existing fleet of 172s, 182s, and 206s. The aircraft are given new engines, new paint and interiors, and new avionics (G500 and Garmin WAAS stack). Autopilot, if previously installed, is overhauled. I'm pretty sure aircraft selected for refurb have less than 3000hrs on the airframe. The results look great. They fly just fine.
Good as new? That's subjective. New 172s have G1000 stacks and a G700 autopilot.
Thanks for the answer. Any idea who actually does the work and how long these "warmed over" planes can be serviceable?
Sorry if I sound dissapointed, but that's NOT how this was represented to us.
These planes will probably outlast your time in CAP.
Plus it sounds about as close to "factory new" as you can get with out new aluminum.
Quote from: 41839j on April 02, 2016, 03:45:30 PM
Thanks for the answer. Any idea who actually does the work and how long these "warmed over" planes can be serviceable?
Sorry if I sound dissapointed, but that's NOT how this was represented to us.
Don't be disappointed. The Aircraft look great, fly just as good as any "new" aircraft, and have a life span of many more years. The useful life of a Cessna is somewhere around 20,000 hours. At 200 hours per year, the average Cessna will last 100 years. I don't think we will have a problem. Also, understand we buy about 10-12 new aircraft every year. The age of our fleet is not an issue, neither is the age of any of our aircraft. I'd rather be concerned with the continued proficiency of our pilots.....
So I can expect a Garmin G500 with a 430 or so, no autopilot and a standard cloth interior? That is typical?
Check out AOPA's online article on the subject. They have some great pics.
Are you referring to the article from 2011 or 2012? That's about all I could find and it was very short on details. It looked like steam guages and an Aspen.
That still the case?
Here's the link... Pic is of a C182, however 172's get the same treatment. The 650s are now being used instead of 430Ws.
https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2014/October/31/CAP-extends-fleet-life-10-years&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwj0s_LepPLLAhWG4CYKHXLFAJEQFggFMAA&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNHadysGV4ruVXPloghVqf-yk7dacg (https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2014/October/31/CAP-extends-fleet-life-10-years&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwj0s_LepPLLAhWG4CYKHXLFAJEQFggFMAA&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNHadysGV4ruVXPloghVqf-yk7dacg)
Here's an Iraqi AF Cessna. Might be one of these.
Here's the article that mentions the 6 Afghan 182s that were going to be destroyed:
http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2015/May/11/Civil-Air-Patrol-buys-gas-engine-Cessna-182s (http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2015/May/11/Civil-Air-Patrol-buys-gas-engine-Cessna-182s)
Thanks all. I guess it doesn't really matter anyway. We had an older plane that had bad paint, a horrible interior, and 20 year old avionics.
When it came due for overhaul, CAP just put it up for auction.
I'm not sure that we will even get a refurbished one as promised. They just assigned another older plane to us that's kind of long in the tooth.
Thanks anyway.
Quote from: 41839j on April 03, 2016, 07:58:11 PM
Thanks all. I guess it doesn't really matter anyway. We had an older plane that had bad paint, a horrible interior, and 20 year old avionics.
When it came due for overhaul, CAP just put it up for auction.
I'm not sure that we will even get a refurbished one as promised. They just assigned another older plane to us that's kind of long in the tooth.
Thanks anyway.
Who made the promise?
About the only people who could make that promise and have some chance of keeping it are the Wing Commander and the Wing Aircraft Manager.
Squadron commander after multiple discussions with Wing, but it doesn't matter at this point.
It is what it is.
1. Has the refurb'd aircraft arrived yet?
2. Do you have need of an aircraft for your unit?
3. Could this be a temporary measure to keep your unit flying until the refurb arrives? Especially if the unit that had the "long in the tooth" aircraft wasn't flying it enough.
Some wings (maybe yours, maybe not) rotate aircraft around on a regular basis. Mine does. Every 60-70 days, we get a different plane.
My unit is about to swap out our round-dial C182 for one of the G1000 birds. We knew it was coming, so the squadron ops officer and the check pilot have been working on G1000 ground training to get anybody not glass-qualified up to speed on the switchology and such prior to its arrival. Once its here, they'll do any Form 5 rides necessary and then start flying the (wheel) pants off of it.
we're small enough, we can do that regularly and do so on a pretty consistent basis. The plane, while in our care, isn't OUR plane. Its the Wing's plane that we have to work to maintain use of. (and we do)