Wichita, KS—July, 2006—Yingling Aviation is used to being first. It was the very first dealer authorized by Cessna Aircraft Company in 1946. It was the first Cessna affiliate to be designated a Conquest dealer when Cessna introduced its first turboprop in 1977. And, it was the first and only operation chosen by Cessna to install the Oasis business interior in the company’s latest turboprop model, the Caravan. But, the senior management team at the Wichita Mid Continent Airport-based operation would also be the first to tell you that past accomplishments—even six decades worth—don’t guarantee future successes. “That takes a solid business plan and a capable team to execute it; that’s what we’ve put together at Yingling over the past six years,” noted Yingling President and Chief Executive Officer Lynn Nichols.
“We are focusing on expanding and enhancing our core businesses—Service, Maintenance, Completions, Charter and Aircraft Sales—as we go forward,” Nichols explains. “In each of these key areas, we’ve already made significant strides. Our goal is to be ‘agile’ when it comes to responding to our customers, highly-regarded when it comes to our workmanship, and extremely competitive when it comes to pricing and value added. We’re striving to build upon our base of loyal customers,” he said.
“We’ve made specific changes in a number of areas since 2000,” Nichols points out. “For example, we’ve become the source for completion of the Oasis interiors on Cessna Caravans. We’ve honed that capability by doing more than 51 aircraft since 2003, and we recently completed a 16,000 square foot hangar addition specifically to accommodate and grow our completions business. It allows us to expand our completion offerings beyond the Caravan to other models, as well.
“In the area of service, we are taking steps to retain our status as the number one Cessna parts supplier in the world. We’re adding on-line order and payment capabilities for service parts customers. This has been facilitated by an enhanced ability to track Cessna parts inventories in real time and respond quickly and accurately to orders on the web. We also have the flexibility to add a second shift when necessary to meet demands or expedite response to our service customers,” he noted.
“We have earned designations as authorized Honeywell and Rockwell-Collins dealerships in order to better serve our growing customer base and allow them to have a single source for their total aircraft maintenance and service requirements—including avionics. We are an authorized facility for FAR Part 25 maintenance and we’re focusing on expanding our capabilities to meet the needs of ‘legacy’ Citation owners, especially 500 series airplanes including the Ultra and Encore models. That’s in addition to our traditional role as a major service provider for Cessna’s single engine and twin engine models, including the Model 441 Conquest turboprops. We recently received an STC for an RVSM installation for the Conquest and have already completed our first airplane,” Nichols stated.
“We are also exploring additional areas of our business for further opportunities. We revived our aircraft sales department earlier this year and we continue to offer professional assistance in the acquisition and disposition of aircraft, as well. We offer experienced and knowledgeable aircraft sales and marketing expertise and will continue to leverage those capabilities to help customers find creative ways to meet their aircraft needs,” he emphasized.
Yingling is a full-service fixed base operation providing 24 hour line services at Mid-Continent Airport (ICT) in Wichita, KS. A Cessna affiliate and authorized service station for 60 years, Yingling is the largest Cessna parts supplier in the world. By leveraging its proximity to the factory, Yingling offers fast worldwide delivery and competitive pricing, with A.O.G. orders received before 11:30 AM shipped the same day. Yingling’s FAA/JAA-certified aircraft maintenance department performs annuals, repairs, servicing and pre-purchase evaluation for all aircraft, specializing in turbine and twin inspections.
A Cessna Pilot Center with a full fleet of aircraft and state of the art computer-based instruction for primary, instrument and advance ratings, Yingling has rental aircraft available to qualified pilots and offers professional sales representation for buyers and sellers of pre-owned aircraft. Yingling is an authorized partner for most major brands of avionics, offering instrument and autopilot upgrades, installations, repairs and panel reconfigurations.
With more than 40 employees dedicated to serving customers, a spacious pilot’s lounge, and an outstanding selection of equipment, specialty items, and gifts at its Aviator’s Attic, Yingling can provide exceptional hospitality and service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.