Cessna announces 2017 university partners for its third annual Top Hawk program

Cessna Aircraft Company, a subsidiary of Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today announced it has selected the following university partners for the 2017 Top Hawk program: Eastern Kentucky University, The Ohio State University, Auburn University, Southern Illinois University Carbondale and Louisiana Tech University. Each university will take delivery of a new, custom branded Cessna Skyhawk 172 aircraft in early 2017 to support flight training, recruiting efforts and promotional activities at their respective universities throughout the year.

“Each year, the Top Hawk program continues to expand its reach and we are excited to grow the program with five university partners in 2017,” said Doug May, vice president, Piston Aircraft. “These universities are renowned for their innovative aviation programs and we are confident they will represent the Top Hawk program and Cessna brand very well as we work together to provide students state-of-the art resources and empower them to choose a rewarding career in aviation.”

Textron Aviation continues to partner with top aviation programs for collaboration and to support the advancement of general aviation and the modernization of aircraft training fleets. These partnerships with universities, training organizations and flight schools throughout the world continue to support the next generation of aviators and the Top Hawk program plays a vital role in this strategy.

In addition to the aircraft, the top students from each of the five universities will be chosen for a Textron Aviation summer internship. These students will receive valuable exposure beyond flight training to include real world experience from various corporate departments such as sales, marketing, flight operations, integrated supply chain and engineering to promote a career in aviation.

Garmin and Bose will also be sponsoring the Top Hawk program again this year by providing several of their industry-leading products. Garmin will provide a G1000 database subscription, GDL39 ADS-B receiver, Garmin Pilot subscription and Garmin VIRB XE HD action camera, and Bose will provide its A20 Aviation Headset for each Top Hawk aircraft.

About the Cessna Skyhawk 172

The Skyhawk is the world standard for pilot training and is renowned for offering the best combination of modern features, including the Garmin G1000 avionics system and proven dependability. The aircraft’s high-wing design enables superior flying characteristics ideally suited for pilot training. More Skyhawks have been delivered to customers around the world than any other type of aircraft, with more than 43,000 in service since 1955.

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2017 Top Hawk universities