Monthly Archives: September 2010

Hawker Beechcraft workers to hold prayer vigil for jobs

Sept. 30, 201011:57 a.m.

Some Hawker Beechcraft workers will host a prayer vigil Saturday to pray for the ongoing negotiations and that their work will stay in Wichita.

“We’re asking God to intercede that we won’t lose our jobs,” said employee Robert Robinson, an organizer.

The company and the Machinists union are in negotiations as officials seek to lower costs.  Members are scheduled to vote Oct. 9 on whether to accept a new contract.

Hawker Beechcraft offiicials are also considering whether to move work to other sites inside and outside the U.S. Louisiana has recently tripled its offer for work to come to its state, a union official said.

The prayer vigil will be held 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the Morningstar Community Church at 11010 E. Kellogg. It is open to the public.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments

Harrison Ford chosen as 2010 Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy recipient

Sept. 30, 201011:22 a.m.

We all know Harrison Ford from his on-screen achievements such as Han Solo in Star Wars and the title character in Indiana Jones. And some of us around Wichita have run into him at local restaurants when he comes in for recurrent flight training.  (I met  him one year during the National Business Aviation Association’s convention where he was an advocate for the Special Olympics Airlift.)

Now, Ford, an avid pilot, is being honored for his long-standing advocacy of the aviation industry. The National Aeronautic Association selected Harrison as the recipient of its 2010 Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy.

Ford’s list of contributions to the aviation community is long. He  served five years as chairman of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s “Young Eagles” program, which gives introductory flights to children as a way to introduce them to flying.

He loaded up his Cessna Caravan with medical supplies and personnel and flew it to Haiti after the earthquake.

He helped educate the public about the benefits of aviation through the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s “General Aviation Serves America” program.

And he supported search and rescue units in Wyoming, personally piloting missions into remote areas.

“All of us at NAA are very grateful for the work that Mr. Ford has done to advance the cause of aviation and aerospace in our nation,” NAA president and CEO Jonathan Gaffney said in a statement.

The trophy will be presented in Washington in December.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under associations | Comments Off

New nonprofit group to offer business aircraft support during emergencies

Sept. 30, 201010:57 a.m.

Whenever there’s a disaster, such as Hurricane Katrina or the earthquake in Haiti, business jet owners come forward to help fly people and supplies to help.

Now, business aviation professionals, including Janet Bressler, with AOPA Insurance in Wichita, have founded Sky Hope Network as a way to help with emergency support. They will use their contacts and resources to locate flights for people in need, the group’s founders said.

The Georgetown, Texas-based nonprofit will coordinate relief flights using business aircraft during small- and large-scale disasters, coordinate flight requests in urgent or emergency situations, and offer emergency assistance for people in the business aircraft community.

The group is asking the business aviation community to donate flights, funds and time.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments Off

Bombardier to launch new Global business jet family

Sept. 30, 201010:41 a.m.

Bombardier Aerospace‘s  is expanding its family of Global business jets. The board of directors has given the official go-ahead, the company said.

Bombardier will build upon its existing Global 5000 and Global Express XRS large business jets.

Details will be released Oct. 18 at next month’s National Business Aviation Association convention and exhibition in Atlanta.

The time is right to move forward with an extended Global family of aircraft, Guy Hachey, Bombardier Aerospace president and chief operating officer said in a statement.

“Our commitment to offer innovative new products goes beyond being the industry leader,” Hachey said. “Bombardier has a solid product development strategy that combines advanced technologies with environmental responsibility. Our intention is to grow our leadership position.”

The news want not unexpected, said RBC Capital analyst Rob Stallard, because demand for large business jets continues to improve. While demand for small-to-light business jets were hard hit in the recession and are struggling to rebound, larger business jets have been less affected.

“With the worst of the economic recession behind us, demand for business jet orders should grow as corporate profitability improves,” Stallard said in a research report.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under Bombardier Learjet | Comments Off

Hawker Beechcraft to add to aircraft family

Sept. 29, 201010:25 a.m.

Hawker Beechcraft plans to announce some product advancements “and even some new additions to its family,” at a news conference at the National Business Aviation Association annual conference in Atlanta next month.

The show, the fourth-largest trade show in the U.S., runs Oct. 19 – 21, and draws thousands of attendees.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments

AirTran to add routes to its system

Sept. 29, 201010:02 a.m.

AirTran Airways says its adding new flights to popular leisure destinations from selected cities.

The news comes two days after discount-carrier Southwest Airlines announced it was buying AirTran.

AirTran said today that it will start service between Tampa, Fla. and Key West, Fla., Milwaukee and Phoenix, Akron, Ohio and Orlando, Fla., Milwaukee and Tampa and San Juan and Baltimore/Washington.

Depending on the route, the new service rolls out December through April.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under airlines | Comments Off

Preparing to fly with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds

Sept. 23, 20102:42 p.m.

If I’m a little water-logged today, I apologize.

I’m drinking water until I’m “silly,” preparing for a media flight tomorrow with the amazing aerial demonstration team the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. (I’m pinching myself on that one!)

The Thunderbirds are performing Saturday and Sunday at McConnell Air Force Base’s open house and air show. They’ll perform at 3 p.m each day.

It’s a thrill to have been selected. And I can’t wait until tomorrow. But it also means drinking lots of water today. Hydration combats motion sickness, and that should start 24 hours before the flight.

“Drink water until you’re silly and then drink another bottle,” the planners said. “This step is the key.”

Hey, you don’t have to tell me twice. While it doesn’t take water to make me a little silly, I’m drinking like a sailor on a 24-hour leave.

Capt. Kristen Hubbard, who has logged more than 950 hours of flight time in the F-16, is the pilot tomorrow.

Before the flight, I’ll  meet with the Thunderbirds’ “life support” team to get fitted with a flight suit, G-suit and boots. A flight surgeon will listen to my lungs and heart to make sure I’m physically fit to fly. Then I’ll meet Capt. Hubbard, who will talk me through the maneuvers we’ll be doing on the flight.

The flight is scheduled for 2:00, weather permitting. It should be the ride of a lifetime!

By Molly McMillin | Filed under aviation industry, general aviation | Comments

McConnell Air Show’s aerial teams have Wichita connections

Sept. 23, 20101:59 p.m.

When you turn out for this weekend’s air show at McConnell Air Force Base, some native Wichitans will have a hand in the aerial demonstrations.

Native Wichitan and renowned pilot Clay Lacy will be in Wichita this weekend to perform aerobatics.  He’ll be flying in a smoke-equipped 1966 Learjet 24. The plane was built at Learjet in Wichita.

It’s the only business aircraft that will be performing aerobatic maneuvers at the show.

Lacy is founder and CEO of Clay Lacy Aviation, a Los Angeles-based air charter operation. Lacy has more than 50,000 flight hours, including flying for United Airlines and flying charter, performing stunts at air shows and filming flights for air-to-air scenes in movies, such as “Top Gun.”

A Wichita-built Twin Beech will also perform aerobatics with smoke at the show.

The U.S. Air Force’s Thunderbirds arrival into town for the show is also a homecoming for one of its team members. The Thunderbirds will perform Saturday and Sunday.

Cameron Camacho is a noncommissioned officer, who joined the Thunderbirds in August working in communications.  Camacho grew up in Haysville and attended Bishop Carroll High School.

Hope you can come out.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under aviation industry, general aviation | Comments

Machinists at Hawker Beechcraft to vote on contract Oct. 9

Sept. 21, 201010:18 a.m.

Machinists union  members at Hawker Beechcraft Corp. will vote on the company’s  contract offer on Oct. 9 at the Sam Fulco Pavilion at the Kansas Coliseum, the union said.

The company will present the union with its final offer sometime before the vote. Machinists District 70 official Steve Rooney said it’s too soon to know which day they’ll receive the offer or what it will include.

A lot is at stake. “HBC has made clear that the future footprint of Hawker Beechcraft in Wichita will depend on the outcome of the vote,” the union said in a letter to members.

“There isn’t much information to give to you right now, as we don’t have the full and final offer yet,” the union said.

The vote will be a simple yes-or-no vote, the union said. If the contract is accepted by 50 percent plus one, the new contract will replace the current one. If rejected, workers will continue to work under the current contract until next year.

Members won’t be able to vote to strike, because the membership can’t strike until the current contract expires.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under Beechcraft Corp. | Comments

Cessna Aircraft sustains hail damage

Sept. 16, 20105:40 p.m.

The storm that hit Wichita Wednesday evening damaged some roofs and car windshields at Cessna Aircraft Co.

Some of the offices were damaged by water, a spokesman said. And two airplanes were damaged by hail.

The storm also damaged the nearby terminal building at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport. It hurt the roof, ceiling and skylights in the concourse and ticket areas.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under Cessna, Uncategorized | Comments