Shrine Patrol Cessna 210 Turbo Centurion

Additional Information:

The Cessna 210 Centurion is a six-seat, high-performance, retractable-gear, single-engine, and high-wing general-aviation light aircraft produced by Cessna and first flown in January of 1957. The early Cessna 210 (210 and 210A) had four seats with a Continental IO-470 engine of 260 hp and was essentially a Cessna 182B with an added a retractable landing gear, swept tail, and a new wing and was made until 1986.

In 1970, the 210K became the first full six-seat model which was achieved by replacing the flat leaf springs used for the retractable main landing gear struts (undercarriage) with tapered tubular steel struts of greater length. This allowed the tires to be nested farther to the rear of the fuselage, making room for the full-sized rear seats. The Centurion II was an option introduced in 1970 with improved avionics, and was available in both normally aspirated and turbocharged versions.

The Shrine Air Patrol was formed as a unit of the Ballut Abyad Shrine Temple in Albuquerque, New Mexico in the early 1960’s. The members of the Air Patrol had to be in good standing with the Shrine, be a licensed aircraft pilot, and own or have access to an airplane. During the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s the Ballut Abyad Shrine Air Patrol was the largest in the United States with a total of eighteen active members. The Shrine Air Patrol flew patients and family members to and from Shriner Hospitals using a variety of aircraft including the Cessna 210 Turbo Centurion beginning in 1966.

GALLERY: