RedHawk Aero, a subsidiary of Redbird Flight Simulations, reports that Cochise College in Douglas, Arizona, has ordered six RedHawk aircraft. Students enrolled in the upcoming fall semester will use the new RedHawk aircraft while training for Private Pilot, Instrument and Commercial Pilot Certification in Cochise College’s professional pilot program.
“The selection of RedHawk aircraft for our training fleet, offers us flexibility and cost savings,” said Belinda Burnett, director of aviation programs and Chief Flight Instructor for Cochise College. “With a field elevation of more than 4,000 feet, performance is vital to us. In our test flights, the RedHawk demonstrated improved climb performance to our existing fleet while burning less than 5 gallons per hour.”
Redbird began development on the RedHawk project in 2012 with a goal of creating a standardized training aircraft that is affordable, operationally economical and technologically advanced, according to company officials. The result is a remanufactured Cessna 172, equipped with a Jet-A burning, FADEC managed Continental engine, and advanced avionics.
“The combination of the Continental CD-135 twin-turbo diesel engine, and a new three-bladed, composite Hartzell propeller offers outstanding performance at a fraction of the hourly cost of a traditional Cessna 172,” explains RedHawk VP of Operations Darren Bien. “The addition of state-of-the-art Garmin avionics offers student pilots hands-on experience with modern glass-panel systems without sacrificing the training benefits inherent with traditional steam gauges, making the RedHawk the perfect training airplane.”
Cochise College’s new airplanes will join a fleet of six other RedHawks currently operating in training programs around the country.