Editor’s Note: AirlineGeeks is proud to present our ‘Livery of the Week’ series. Every Friday, a team member will share an airline livery, which can be from the past, present, or even a special scheme. Some airline liveries are works of art. The complexity associated with painting around critical flight components and the added weight requires outside-the-box thinking from designers. The average airliner can cost upwards of $200,000 to repaint, creating a separate aircraft repainting industry as a result.
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With the U.S. celebrating its 250th birthday during 2026, several carriers, such as American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, have taken the opportunity to celebrate the important anniversary with a special livery.
Massachusetts-based regional carrier Cape Air has followed this trend, painting one of its Cessna aircraft in a stars and stripes-themed livery commemorating this landmark milestone.
In partnership with America 250, the nonpartisan organization created by Congress to coordinate efforts to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a new livery depicting white stars on a blue background all around the cockpit and red and white stripes across the rest of the fuselage has been created for one of Cape Air’s aircraft.
The paint scheme was unveiled in July at the Maine Air Show at Brunswick Executive Airport in Brunswick, Maine.
“This aircraft is a celebration of one of the most important milestones in our nation’s history,” said Mike Migliore, president and CEO of Cape Air. “It brings the spirit of America250 to life in a way that is Cape Air. Every day, we connect communities across our network, and we are proud that this aircraft will help share the story of America’s 250th anniversary with the thousands of passengers who fly with us.”
A Nine-Seater Cessna
The aircraft painted in this unique color scheme created by the Scheme Designers is a Cessna 402c, callsign N6765T, operating from Cape Air’s base in Massachusetts, mainly feeding passengers from regional destinations in the Northeast into Boston Logan International Airport.
Built in 1981 and certified to operate in 1982, it was a privately-owned aircraft until it was purchased by Cape Air in 2009. It is capable of transporting up to nine passengers, one of which can actually sit next to the pilot. It is a turboprop aircraft powered by two Continental TSIO-520-VB engines, which for the occasion have been painted with stars and stripes and an inscription “America 250” in full red, white, and blue.
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