Gov. Sam Brownback has declared May “Aviation Appreciation Month” in Kansas.
The state’s general aviation industry generates more than $7 billion in economic impact a year, largely attributable to the presence of major planemakers Cessna Aircraft, Hawker Beechcraft and Bombardier’s Learjet plant.
The Alliance for Aviation Across America says it applauds Brownback for recognizing the value of the industry in Kansas and around the country.
Boeing broke ground today on a new facility it will lease in Oklahoma City to house the B-1 bomber program and the C-130 avionics modernization program, which are moving from California to Oklahoma.
The facility will be six stories and 320,000 square feet.
“Today’s groundbreaking was born out of our need to be competitive, to affordably deliver these programs for our customers and enable future growth, and to continue to serve the warfighters we ar e so honored to support,” Dennis Muilenburg, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, said in a statement.
Joining Muilenburg at the ground-breaking were U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, Councilman Patrick Ryan, Richard Tanenbaum, building developer for Gardner Tanenbaum Holdings, and Mike Emmelhainz, Boeing Oklahoma City site director.
Wells Aircraft at the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport, is hosting an open house today to recognize its designation as the newest Cirrus Trainer Center for the Kansas and Missouri region.
The open house is hosted by Cirrus Aircraft. It runs from 3 to 8 p.m.
Boeing Wichita was awarded an $8.1 million contract from the Department of Defense for 30 removable storage devices for test and development on B-52 aircraft. So far, $2.5 million has been obligated.
The contract is to support combat network communications technology on B-52 aircraft. The work will be done in Wichita.
Rockwell Collins‘ board of directors has elected Spirit AeroSystems CEO Jeff Turner to its board.
Turner also serves on the board of directors of Intrust Financial Corp.
Rockwell Collins is a provider of flight deck avionics, cabin electronics, mission communications, information management, and simulation and training.
Brazil-based Embraer delivered 20 commercial aircraft and eight business jets during the first three months of the year.
On March 31, the company had an order backlog of $16 billion, an increase of $400 million over its backlog on Dec. 31.
In February, Embraer’s Legacy 650 business jet was certified in the U.S., and the company began operations at its new industrial plant in Melbourne, Fla., where it will deliver Phenom jets to the North American market.
The first group of 787 pilots began training today.
All Nippon Airways, the launch customer for Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, has started training 10 pilots to fly the airplane.
The first training program for the ANA pilots will be completed May 17. Eighty ANA pilots are scheduled for training this year.
The airline has 50 787s on order. The first plane is scheduled for delivery in the third quarter of this year.
Boeing has received the qualifications for its 787 simulators and flight training devices for its five 787 training campuses around the world, the company said.
Retired State Sen. Rip Gooch will speak at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Kansas Aviation Museum about his experiences.
Gooch grew up on a Tennessee farm, the grandson of freed slaves and the son of field hands. He overcame economic and cultural barriers to become an aircraft pilot, owner of a million-dollar business and a politician.
Gooch’s lecture is at 2 p.m. He will have copies of his book “Black Horizons: One Aviator’s Experience in the Post-Tuskegee Era” available for sale.
Hawker Beechcraft says it’s accelerating its certification of the 400XPR development program by adding a second aircraft to the test program.
The aircraft will be used primarily to develop and certify various avionics upgrade options. It also will allow the company to engineer the upgrades at the same time it works on engine integration, the company said.
The Hawker 400XPR is a four-phase program that improves the Hawker 400XP’s engine, wing, avionics and systems reliability. The package, announced in October, is expected to be available next year.
