Orders Rolling in for Cessna’s LSA

As this issue went to press, Cessna was single-handedly attempting to prove that economies of scale are alive and well in aviation. Only a few weeks after the manufacturer announced it would become the first major U.S. manufacturer to produce and sell a light sport aircraft (LSA) for the flight-training market, the company unveiled the two-seat, 100-hp SkyCatcher at EAA’s
AirVenture. Within two days the company said it had received more than 400 orders, more than all the jets it will produce the entire year. Cessna estimates the aircraft has the ability to reduce flight training costs by a third.