Midwest Plane Jane: Classic 1960 Cessna 172 Takes to the Sky Again After Restoration, Part 1 - Look at Her Now

By Carmelo Turdo

A classic 1960 Cessna 172A Skyhawk recently took to the skies again at the culmination of a new restoration program conducted in the heart of the Midwest. The product of a cooperative effort between Ambassador Certification and Consulting Services of Lee's Summit, MO and Big River Aviation located at St. Louis Downtown Airport, the aircraft has become the first "Plane Jane" success story. The early model Skyhawk, shown below, was recently transformed into a beautiful and smooth flying aircraft following a thorough inspection, repair and customization process that has become the model for another restoration already in progress. She was delivered to her new owner, Mr. Griffith Pickett, during a flight from St. Louis to Lee's Summit, MO Municipal Airport January 24th.

The Aero Experience was pleased to accompany Big River Aviation Owner, Paul Voorhees, on the delivery flight as depicted here in Part 1 of this series. We will continue the story of the restoration and "Plane Jane" process in future posts. We thank Paul Voorhees of Big River Aviation, Michael Jobe of Ambassador Certification and Consulting Services, owner Griffith Pickett and Janet Pickett for their hospitality and assistance in our coverage of this story.