Cirrus Aircraft has signed a contract that will see the manufacturer deliver 25 SR20s to the US Air Force Academy's Powered Flight Program.
Under the contract, the US Air Force Academy’s new SR20s will be designated as T-53A trainers and will feature a customised configuration.
Each aircraft delivered to the Air Force Academy will be equipped with the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS), airbag seatbelts, integrated fuselage roll cage, cuffed wing design, Cirrus Perspective by Garmin avionics and other active and passive safety systems and features that are standard on all Cirrus aircraft.
“We’ve been studying the replacement of our existing trainer fleet since 2010,” Lt. Colonel Brad Oliver with the academy’s 557th Flying Training Squadron, said. “The T-53A meets or exceeds all of our performance and operational criteria and is very well-suited to our mission. And, while we hope never to have need of it, our cadets and instructors will now have the option of pulling the ‘chute’ if it’s needed.”
Cirrus Vice President of Domestic Sales, Jon Dauplaise, said the order confirms the US Air Force’s confidence in Cirrus and is notable step forward in the company’s growth in the global training aircraft market.
“We’re honored to have been chosen by the Air Force Academy for its airmanship training requirements,” Dauplaise said. “The Academy’s Powered Flight Program gives its cadets tremendous inflight experience and is potentially the first step in an Air Force pilot career.
“We’re confident that the cadets and their instructors will benefit from the SR20’s latest-generation avionics, the largest and most comfortable cabin in this class of aircraft, docile handling, and intuitive control characteristics.
Deliveries are already under way and will continue through to 2012. The value of the purchase is approximately US$6.1 million and the new fleet of T-53A trainers will be based at the Academy’s Airfield (AFF) in Colorado.
The RAAF currently uses CT4 Airtrainers for ab-initio training.
CAPTION: Inside the cockpit of a USAF T-53A trainer, otherwise known as a customised SR20. (Cirrus)
In a surprise move, the USAF has gone with a fixed rather than a retractable landing gear aircraft as its new ab-initio trainer. (Cirrus)
