Goodbye N98776

Cessna 172 N98776 has completed its service to South Dakota Wing, Civil Air Patrol, with capstone flights that included a high-profile flood photography mission and orientation flights for members of CAP’s “Cadet” youth program.

The aircraft, known informally as 776, was manufactured in 1988, and served in Iowa Wing until 2008, when it moved to South Dakota Wing. It will soon be listed for sale after serving Civil Air Patrol for 36 years.

“776 will be missed as a pilot favorite to fly, but it will be a good aircraft for a lucky buyer,” said Lt. Col Justin Johnson, CAP’s aircraft maintenance officer in South Dakota. “The reason for selling her is due to her age and cost to maintain compared to new airplanes that fulfill our mission needs. This is what led CAP national headquarters to make the retirement decision. At this point, we are awaiting word on a replacement airplane that will fulfill our mission needs moving forward.”

776’s final operational mission, on June 25, was an important flood photography mission, performed for the South Dakota Office of Emergency Management. The airplane’s final CAP flights were orientation flights for members of CAP’s “Cadet” youth program on June 29. Six CAP cadets received their first orientation flights, which cadets are eligible to receive as they progress through airman and NCO ranks. Johnson flew the final 776 sortie for CAP with two cadets on their first orientation flight.

“We will miss N98776,” said Lt. Col Mike Cassidy, CAP’s director of operations in South Dakota. “The aircraft has been a workhorse for South Dakota in all of Civil Air Patrol’s different missions but especially for cadet orientation flights and cadet pilot training. It was very appropriate that its last flight was a cadet orientation flight just a few days after flying disaster relief airborne photography missions.”

The airplane will have custom CAP equipment and insignia removed before sale, returning to it civilian aircraft status, but preserving its patriotic red, white and blue color scheme. Johnson will work with CAP’s sale broker to show 776 to prospective buyers. Funds from the sale will return to the national CAP aircraft fund to support purchase of new aircraft suited to CAP’s national, state and local missions. The equipment removed will be used to replace older equipment in other CAP airplanes. Civil Air Patrol owns the largest fleet of single-engine aircraft in the world, currently at 560.