Air Plains Services to Feature New Avionics Lines at AOPA Fly-In in San Marcos

Air Plains Services, a world leader in general aviation engine and avionics upgrades, will feature its newest avionics packages as well as its industry leading line of Cessna engine upgrade STCs at the AOPA Fly-In in San Marcos, Texas, May 29-30.

“We’ve added new lines of avionics components in the past year as well as new parts and services we are eager to share with customers in San Marcos,” said Katie Church, head of marketing for Air Plains. “We are very excited to showcase our new online store. The design makes it easy for people to see at a glance our FAA PMA parts, along with a photo and a list of approved models, making it easy for customers to make a decision while purchasing replacement parts.”

The company will have a flight line exhibit featuring two aircraft: a Cessna 180XP with a 300 hp upgrade, a new custom instrument panel, and a new composite propeller that is expected to gain STC approval in the near future (watch for more news soon); and a Cessna 182XP, also featuring a 300 hp upgrade along with a tip-to-tail refurbishment that was managed by Air Plains Services.

The 182XP on display, N182AP, was a milestone aircraft for Air Plains as its 500th 300 hp XP upgrade. The complete story of the project written by owner Mike McRobert was featured in a three-part series in Cessna Flyer in 2018.

In the past year, Air Plains added Dynon, Guardian and BendixKing (including TruTrak) avionics to its array of avionics suppliers including Avidyne, Genesys, Appareo, L3 and Aspen, giving Air Plains advisors even more options to pair with a customer’s unique requirements.

Air Plains recently gained Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) from the Federal Aviation Administration to manufacture new replacement airboxes for a variety of Cessna 180, 182 and 188 aircraft. The airbox, Part Number APS0750144-33, is certified for use on Cessna 180s produced since 1960 (C thru K), Cessna 182s produced from 1959 thru 1986 (B thru R), and Cessna 188s produced from 1966 thru 1975 (thru B).

Earlier this month, Air Plains launched an online store for many of its STC and PMA parts including the new PMA certified airboxes. The store is at https://shopairplains.com/.

Air Plains is well-known for its popular 180, 260 and 300 horsepower engine upgrades for Cessna 172, 180 and 182 aircraft which can be installed by Air Plains or shipped worldwide.

The XP line of upgrades consists of a 300 hp upgrade for Cessna 182 H through R model aircraft, a 300 hp upgrade for Cessna 180s, a 300 hp upgrade for Cessna retractable gear models R182, and two 180 hp upgrades for a large number of Cessna 172 models. The company also offers STCs for a 260 hp upgrade for Cessna 182 S and T model aircraft and a 260 hp upgrade for Cessna RG182.

Leave a Reply