Wednesday, December 17 marks the 105th anniversary of the first-powered flight.
The famous flight by Orville and Wilbur Wright lasted 12 seconds, but it changed the world. It also inspired others who went on to make great contributions in aviation, like Wichita’s Clyde Cessna, Walter Beech and Bill Lear.
Cessna is paying tribute to the anniversary and to the Wright brothers.
“We’d be remiss if we did not pay tribute to Orville and Wilbur,” Cessna chairman and chief executive Jack Pelton said in a statement. “Not only did their 12-second flight … transform the world by giving us the power of controlled flight, but their application of scientific methodology displayed the passion needed to make the most of flight as a tool.”
Clyde Cessna taught himself to fly a few years after the Wright’s flight. Since Cessna formed the company in 1927, it has produced almost 200,000 aircraft.
“General aviation — business aviation — will continue to play a vital role in rebuilding the global economy by enhancing productivity — by continuing to shrink the world,” he said. General aviation makes possible scores of medical, agriculture, utility and community service activities across the globe.
Want to get a feel of what it’s like to pilot a snazzy Citation Mustang business jet? Know someone who would?
FlightSafety International’s Cessna Learning Center is offering a holiday package that includes a brief overview of the Cessna Citation Mustang light jet followed by a one-hour session in a full-motion Mustang flight simulator. You’re at the controls, guided by an instructor. No pilot’s license required.
In a session a few weeks ago, we simulated taking off and landing at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport. You really feel like you’re doing the flying. Vegas anyone?
The holiday package costs $400. Times are available from December 29th to January 2. For information, call Catherine Kreitler at 316-220-3100.
By Randy Groom, founder Groom Aviation
All “Corporate Jets” are not the same
By now, most everyone is aware that the government hastily included a prohibition against corporate jets in their proposed bailout of the auto industry. Unfortunately, the term “corporate jet” has come to stand for irresponsible extravagance in the eyes of many Americans, most notably our lawmakers. This rather dim view of an industry critical to Wichita gives us all more concern on top of all of the other uncertainties we are dealing with.
While I am certainly not here to defend the business practices of the “Big Three,” this sort of broad brush prohibition is a frightening intervention of government telling business how to operate. It’s really pretty simple. All successful businesses must have the freedom to choose the most efficient practices in the conduct of their enterprises. I can assure you that having the CEO’s of these mammoth corporations drive to Washington was not the most efficient use of their time, particularly in this time of crisis.
I would be quick to say that given the perilous state of these companies, flying the absolutely largest corporate aircraft with their respective high operating costs is not the most efficient either. At these times, these leaders should consider flying in much less expensive small corporate jets like the Cessna Citation CJ-2’s or Beech Premier or even the venerable Beech King Air turboprops. All of these aircraft would provide fast, safe, and secure transportation at a fraction of the cost of their current flight departments. But the bottom line is to be responsive to the needs of this crisis and the long term best interest of their stockholders these leaders need access to the efficiency and productivity provided by General Aviation. To deny them that operating freedom is the economic equivalent of telling them to go back to using typewriters.
Randy Groom
