Cessna 172 Skyhawk. Photo: Textron Aviation.
The University of Dubuque’s aviation department has signed a new multi-year agreement with Textron Aviation to purchase new flight training aircraft solely from Textron through 2026 in an effort to modernize its fleet of training aircraft. Under the new agreement, the university’s new fleet of Cessna Skyhawk 172s will be equipped with the next-generation Garmin G1000 NXi integrated flight deck.
To launch the new relationship, the university has placed an initial order of 11 Skyhawk aircraft and will begin taking delivery in the third quarter.
Steven Accinelli, director of aviation programs at the University of Dubuque, says the purchase will complete Dubuque’s transition to a fleet of 23 aircraft that are equipped with Jan. 1, 2020 Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) mandate compliant avionics technology.