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The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) has placed an order for 15 new single-engine Cessnas from Textron Aviation, the company announced Monday.
The agreement, which includes a mix of seven Cessna Skyhawk 172s and eight Cessna Skylane 182s, is designed to modernize and strengthen the organization’s national mission capabilities.
Scheduled for delivery throughout 2026, the new airframes will join a fleet that already positions CAP as the world’s largest operator of Cessnas. The order comes after a string of recent deliveries for two additional Skylanes and a Turbo Stationair HD, increasing the organization’s Cessna count to more than 500.
“Civil Air Patrol’s missions demand aircraft that are reliable, versatile, and ready to perform in critical moments,” said Bob Gibbs, Textron Aviation’s vice president of special missions sales. “We’re honored that CAP continues to choose Cessna aircraft to support lifesaving operations across the country.”
CAP is a federally funded, nonprofit organization founded in 1941. Its mission is to incorporate the nation’s aviation resources for defense purposes and serve as the civilian auxiliary arm of the U.S. Air Force.
In 2025, CAP logged over 100,000 flight hours and executed more than 400 search-and-rescue missions. These efforts resulted in over 200 finds and saved at least 36 lives. In addition to conducting 90 percent of the inland search-and-rescue operations assigned by the Air Force, CAP also assists the military in humanitarian efforts at large events.
“These new aircraft strengthen our ability to respond quickly, train effectively, and support communities nationwide,” said Major General Regena Aye, CAP’s national commander and CEO.
CAP conducts operations in all 50 states and over 1,400 communities across the country, as well as Puerto Rico. While most members wear a uniform while performing their CAP duties, operations are conducted on a voluntary basis.
On top of the order announcement bolstering the CAP fleet, Textron welcomed U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) to its Kansas facility as the pair made a number of stops at top aviation companies across the state.
