Cessna announces new seating configuration for Skyhawk

Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today the option to order a new Skyhawk with the Crew/Cockpit Resource Management (CRM) training seat. A Skyhawk with the CRM configuration is on display at Cessna's exhibit at the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Fla.

The CRM training seat is a single, forward facing seat positioned aft and center of the pilot and co-pilot seats.

"This new seat configuration option for the Skyhawk was designed with airline training schools and university flight programs in mind," said John Doman, vice president of Worldwide Propeller Aircraft Sales. "Moving the second student forward and to the center of the aircraft increases his or her visibility of the flight deck and allows the student to be more involved in the flight as a crew member versus a passenger."

Additional benefits to the CRM training seat are a 27-pound useful payload increase, expanded utility category envelope and possible lower insurance costs.

The Skyhawk has become the best-selling, most-flown airplane in the world with more than 43,000 delivered.