WELLINGTON, Kansas — Air Plains Services, which specializes in engine performance and airframe upgrades, now has more to offer the Cessna legacy fleet.

Repair after repair to the airbox is costly and prolongs unplanned aircraft down time. The price for a new airbox is thousands of dollars, which leaves Cessna 172, 180 and 182 owners with no option but to patch, repair and move on.

That’s wher Air Plains comes into the picture, presenting two options:

Send in the existing airbox and Air Plains will repair to like new condition and document the work performed with an 8130. Turnaround time is about three to four days after the box is received.

Or customers can purchase one that is already repaired in exchange for the removed core.

The price is the same for either option, company officials note.

“To keep operational costs down for the end user is a priority. With safety as a factor the airbox should not be overlooked just because of the replacement cost,” says Mike Kelley, Air Plains’ president and owner.