The Civil Air Patrol: The Largest Government Customer for Lycoming Engines

The world's largest fleet of single-engine Cessna piston-powered monoplanes belongs to the official auxiliary branch of the U.S. Air Force — the Civil Air Patrol, or CAP. The CAP has been around for a long time, saving thousands of lives as the premier SAR organization in North America. The CAP does not generally conduct rescues itself, but instead serves as an aerial asset to provide surveillance capabilities to other organizations. 

With a fleet of over 500 aircraft, fleet maintenance is a significant issue. Given the protracted lead times of Lycoming engines (averaging 12-24 months), it is important to stay ahead of the curve for engine procurement. Here’s how Greenwood Aerospace helps you do just that.  

A Brief History of the Civil Air Patrol

The history of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) begins in the late 1930s with aviation advocate Gill Robb Wilson, who believed that general aviation could support U.S. military operations. With the help of New York Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia, Administrative Order 9 established the Civil Air Patrol fleet the first week of December 1941, just days before the U.S. entered World War II.

During World War II, the Civil Air Patrol fleet played a significant role by using civilian aviation resources for non-combat activities like:

  • Anti-submarine patrols
  • Border patrols
  • Courier services

The coastal patrol was the most important, with 24 million miles and 173 enemy U-boats spotted.

With the passage of the National Security Act of 1947, the Civil Air Patrol fleet became the official civilian auxiliary of the newly created United States Air Force (USAF). According to the charter, the Civil Air Patrol would no longer participate in direct combat and only serve humanitarian purposes.

Throughout its history, the Civil Air Patrol fleet has been involved in many missions, including:

  • Disaster relief
  • Search and rescue
  • Aerospace education.

Since 1948, the Civil Air Patrol has been closely tied to the United States Air Force. The history of the Civil Air Patrol fleet is one of evolution from a wartime auxiliary to a critical organization supporting the USAF, making contributions to the nation’s emergency services, aerospace education, and cadet programs.

Overview of the Civil Air Patrol’s Aircraft Fleet

As mentioned earlier in the article, the CAP operates the largest fleet of single-engine Cessnas worldwide, comprising approximately 560 aircraft. The most common models used are the Cessna 172 Skyhawk and Cessna 182 Skylane. These four-seat, hi-wing monoplanes have proven themselves countless times over the decades. 

The Cessna Skyhawk is the most-produced airplane in history, with over 40,000 units produced, many of which are still in operation. The Skyhawk is reliable and inexpensive, making it a great option for SAR missions conducted by the CAP. 

With that said, the Skyhawk is not realistic for hauling four full-grown adults, plus fuel, and bags. This is even more true when operating at high altitudes or in mountainous regions. Cessna 182s are a much better choice, as they are equipped with a variable-pitch propeller and a 230-hp Lycoming IO-540-AB1A5 engine. With around 23,000 Skylanes produced over the years, they are a proven aircraft, and the majority of CAP airplanes are Skylanes, with 310 Skylanes in service nationwide. 

They are also a popular bush plane, so their ruggedness and durability is well known.  

To a lesser extent, the CAP operates the Cessna 206 Stationair, which is powered by the Lycoming IO-540-AC1A5 engine. This six-seater is powerful and fast, but it exceeds the needs of many CAP units for SAR missions. According to the CAP Capabilities handbook, it represents a minority of the fleet, with only 22 total units. 

Finally, the GippsAero Gippsland GA-8, which the CAP owns and operates, has sixteen examples nationwide. The GA-8 seats eight and uses the powerful Lycoming IO-540-K1A5, a 300-hp engine, paired with a 2-bladed Hartzell F8475R constant-speed propeller. 


The U.S. Government’s Lycoming-Powered Aircraft Fleet

Why Lycoming Engines Power the CAP Fleet

Lycoming engines don’t just power the CAP fleet; Lycoming engines power about 70% of the worldwide trainer aircraft fleet, and nearly half of piston-engined aircraft. They are the single largest producer of piston aircraft engines in the world and also power piston-powered helicopters, such as the Robinson R22 and R44, as well as the Schweizer 300. 

Lycoming engines have been the standard production aircraft engine for all new Cessna single-engine pistons for several decades, too, making them not only a proven choice but the only choice. 

This is not a bad thing; it streamlines Lycoming OEM parts procurement for the CAP because of parts commonality. The Cessna 182, 206, and GA-8 all use versions of the IO-540, which share the bulk of common parts among different sub-models.
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Why It Is Important to Order a Lycoming Engine Before You Need It

Procurement and Supply Chain for Lycoming Engines

Government agencies have a few options for engine procurement when either the engine is due for overhaul or replacement, or succumbs to a major malfunction or failure. 

The simplest way to source engines is to work with Greenwood Aerospace. We have partnered with Lycoming to source both brand-new and factory remanufactured engines for qualified government agencies. We can also procure and provide most OEM Lycoming factory parts for your fleet, so even if you are far from an overhaul or engine replacement, you can still work with us to source your parts. 


Maximize Your Savings with GSA Advantage: Key Features & Benefits

Greenwood Aerospace: Supporting the CAP Mission

Greenwood Aerospace has long supported the CAP mission and is an authorized distributor of Lycoming Engines to provide simple and direct access to many of their most popular engines through our procurement process. 

Greenwood Aerospace is registered in the System for Award Management (SAM), which allows contracting officers to identify us as eligible to receive HUBZone contracts.

Greenwood Aerospace is U.S. Department of State ITAR-registered, allowing us to partner with large defense contractors on various military initiatives for exporting ITAR-controlled items.

  • UEI: KVSUYYSJS174
  • DUNS: 604006874
  • Cage Code: 2Y735
  • ITAR DDTC Export Compliant
  • AS9120B QMS Certified
  • NAICS: 488190, 336413, 332722, 336411, 336413, 481212, 532411

We have worked with many major federal agencies and most military branches at one time or another, so you can trust our track record of excellence. 
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Greenwood Aerospace’s Aircraft Engine Procurement Services

Parting Thoughts

Greenwood Aerospace is your trusted procurement partner with over four decades of experience in government procurement. We also offer contracting, logistics, warehousing, and are your MIL-SPEC packaging expert. 

Whatever your needs are in procuring Lycoming engines and OEM parts, we’ve got you covered. Call our staff of procurement professionals for a full breakdown of what we have available and pricing. Check out our contact page, or you can even start an online quote request!