Category Archives: aviation industry

Wichita engineering, technology and aerospace job fair to feature several employers

May 16, 20136:37 a.m.

A Wichita Engineering, Technology and Aerospace job fair will be held Tuesday, May 21, at the Wichita Marriott hotel.

Candidates must be U.S. citizens and have at least two years experience in the engineering, technology or defense industry and a degree or certification or comparable military experience, organizers say.

Several employers will be present, including Cirrus Aircraft, Zodiac Seats, Belcan Advanced Engineering and Technology, Dynomax, Honda Aircraft Co., M-E-C Co., and Nustar Energy.

The job fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Those unable to attend can submit a resume to resume@expoexpertsllc.com with WI in the subject lin, organizers  say.

For more details and to find a list of jobs, go to www.expoexpertsllc.com.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under aircraft manufacturers, aviation industry | Comments

Spirit AeroSystems recognizes seven suppliers as “Platinum Suppliers”

May 15, 201310:02 a.m.

Quality, cost and on-time delivery counts.

Spirit AeroSystems recognized seven of its suppliers, including five in the Wichita area, as Platinum Suppliers of 2012.

The suppliers were selected based on their performance last year as it relates to quality, on-time delivery, commitment to cost reductions and willingness to partner with Spirit for overall improvement in value to the company, Spirit said.

“In today’s aerospace environment, it is increasingly important to seek suppliers that provide the best total value for cost, quality and delivery,” Rob Mattinson, Spirit vice president of corporate supply chain management and global strategy, said in a statement.

The suppliers honored include:

Dynamic NC, Udall

Globe Engineering Co., Wichita

Labinal Services, Wichita office

Logistics Resources, Wichita

ZTM, Wichita

All Metal Services, London

M. Torres, Pamplona, Spain

By Molly McMillin | Filed under aircraft manufacturers, aviation industry, Spirit AeroSystems | Comments

WSJ report: Boeing names 777X leaders, including Kansan Mike Carriker as chief pilot

May 14, 20136:14 a.m.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Boeing has selected key leaders to lead the development of its Boeing 777X,  an upgrade of its 777 jet.

Boeing has appointed a chief engineer and directors of finance, business operations, supplier management, human resources and leaders for its “integrated product teams,” the report said.

The company also appointed Kansan and Wichita State University graduate Mike Carriker as chief pilot.

Carriker most recently was chief pilot of Boeing’s 777 Dreamliner. He grew up in Baldwin City and is a WSU aeronautical engineering graduate.

The 777X program has not yet officially been launched. That will depend on firm contracts to buy the jet by airline customers.

 

By Molly McMillin | Filed under aircraft manufacturers, aviation industry, Boeing | Comments

Aviation industry analyst Richard Aboulafia to headline Tuesday’s Wichita Aero Club

May 13, 201311:09 a.m.

Teal Group aviation industry analyst Richard Aboulafia is heading to Wichita for the third time to address the Wichita Aero Club on Tuesday.

In a survey last year, members selected Aboulafia as their favorite speaker.

Aboulafia, vice president of analysis for the Teal Group, will share his insights into Wichita’s general aviation and commercial aviation industry and give his predictions for where the industries are headed.

He is often quoted by a variety of news outlets, including ABC, BBC, Bloomberg, Reuters, CBS, CNN, NBC, NPR and PBS.

Aboulafia’s visit is sponsored by Spirit AeroSystems.

The luncheon will be held at the Doubletree by Hilton Wichita Airport.

For reservations, call 316-681-4471 or go to www.wichitaaeroclub.org. The luncheons are $40 for non-members and $30 for members.

 

By Molly McMillin | Filed under aircraft manufacturers, associations, aviation industry | Comments

Cessna CEO: Despite reducing rates, Cessna light jet production to continue

April 25, 201311:16 a.m.

Cessna Aircraft CEO Scott Ernest reassured 400 Citation owners at a conference this week that, despite speculation, the company is not halting production on its jet products.

“Let me be clear,” Ernest said in a statement reiterating his remarks. “We are not halting production; we are simply reducing our production levels to meet current demand.”

Last week, Scott Donnelly, CEO of Textron, Cessna’s parent company, told analysts that Cessna is cutting production this year because of weak demand in its light jet products despite traditional leading economic indicators, such as corporate profits, looking better.

Cessna expects to deliver fewer jets this year than it did in 2012.

The challenge in reducing production schedules, Donnelly told analysts, is material that is already in-house.

“Clearly, one of the things that we’ll do as we go through the production change, is we’ll build things out to logical points in their build cycle so those aircraft are sort of in an appropriate stage of work-in-progress before we shut down various portions of the production line,” Donnelly said in the conference call with analysts. “That just means we’re going to have inventory, clearly, that’s going to roll over to the end of year as opposed to going out in sold aircraft.”

Cessna remains committed to Citation jet products, especially in the light jet segment, Ernest said in the statement.

“Citations lead the light jet segment and Cessna is fully committed to our current products in that category,” he said. “From the Citation Mustang up through the CJ4 and beyond, customers who turn to Cessna for aircraft solutions will continue to find a trusted partner who is focused on delivering reliable performance day in and day out

The company announced voluntary buyouts of salaried positions earlier this month to reduce costs.

It told employees last week that details about production cuts and workforce adjustments would be forthcoming.

 

By Molly McMillin | Filed under aircraft manufacturers, aviation industry, Cessna | Comments

Beechcraft Corp. CEO to speak at Wichita Aero Club

April 11, 20137:12 a.m.

Bill Boisture, Beechcraft Corp.’s CEO, will be the keynote speaker at the Wichita Aero Club’s luncheon April 22.

The company, formerly Hawker Beechcraft, emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February and reorganized as the new Beechcraft Corp.

Boisture will talk about the reorganized company’s plans and goals, said Wichita Aero Club president Dave Franson.

“Many of us are anxious to see what’s on the horizon,” Franson said in a statement. “There’s no better person to tell us than the company’s chief executive.”

Before coming to Beechcraft, Boisture was president of Intrepid Aviation and a senior advisor to The Carlyle Group.

He also has served as president of NetJets, Gulfstream Aerospace and British Aerospace Corporate Jets and as chairman and CEO of Butler Aviation.

Boisture was a fighter pilot in the Air Force. He holds a bachelor’s in engineering from the Air Force Academy and a master’s in business administration from the University of New Haven.

The luncheon will be held at noon at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel at the Wichita Mid-Continent Airport.

Tickets are $30 for members and $40 for nonmembers.

For reservations, go to www.wichitaaeroclub.org or call 316-641-5962.

 

By Molly McMillin | Filed under aircraft manufacturers, associations, aviation industry, Hawker Beechcraft | Comments

Virgin America, JetBlue and AirTran best airline performers, new ranking shows

April 8, 201310:14 a.m.

Virgin America was ranked the top performing airline for 2012, followed by JetBlue and AirTran Airways, according to the 23rd annual Airline Quality Rating of the nation’s 14 airlines.

Virgin America was new to this year’s rankings.

The three lowest-rating airlines for 2012 were SkWest, ExpressJet and United Airlines, which ranked last.

American Eagle Airlines improved the most, moving from 15th place in 2011 to 11th place in 2012.

The annual rankings are co-authored by Wichita State University associate professor of marketing Dean Headley and Purdue University professor Brent Bowen.

Airlines are rated on on-time performance, denied boardings, mishandled baggage and consumer complaints from data obtained from the Department of Transportation.

Performance by the airlines last year was the second highest in the 23 years of research compiled by Headley and Bowen.

“Passengers are experiencing better performance by the airlines, although it might cost more to fly,” the authors said in a statement.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under airlines, airports, aviation industry | Comments

Boeing praises suppliers on its 737 as it delivers 7,500th jet

March 26, 201311:33 a.m.

Boeing is praising the role its suppliers play in the production of its popular 737 single-aisle jetliner, as it celebrates delivery of its 7,500th plane.

The Next Generation 737 contains about 400,000 parts per airplane built by 325 suppliers in 30 countries.

U.S. suppliers come from 41 states and Puerto Rico.

That includes the 737′s largest supplier, Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita. Spirit builds the plane’s fuselage, pylons and thrust reversers.

It also builds wing components at its Tulsa facility.

Spirit ships the fuselages by rail to Renton, Wash., for completion.

“The success of the 737 shows what is possible when we partner with the world’s best aerospace companies,” Kent Fisher, Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president and general manager, said in a statement. “Our long-term competitiveness in the marketplace depends on a continued focus on quality, reliability and affordability.”

Boeing has projected demand for single-aisle airplanes over the next 20 years to total 23,240 jets valued at $2 trillion.

The company is increasing 737 production rates from 38 planes a month to 42 a month in the first half of 2014.

The 7,500th 737 to come off of the production line was delivered to Malindo Air in Malaysia.

Since its introduction, the company has taken orders for more than 10,500 737s from 265 customers.

A 737 takes off or lands every two seconds, according to Boeing.

In 2017, Boeing will begin deliveries of the 737 MAX, with new engines and more fuel efficiency.

 

By Molly McMillin | Filed under aviation industry, Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems, suppliers | Comments

NTSB to hold forum and hearing on 787 battery investigation

March 7, 201311:08 a.m.

The National Transportation Safety Board plans to hold a forum and hearing in April related to the investigation into a battery fire on a Japan Airlines’ Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Boston.

“With the grounding of the 787 fleet, concurrent international incident investigations, redesign and re-certification activities taking place simultaneously, it is essential to provide the aviation community, policy makers and the public with the factual information we are developing,” NTSB chairman Deborah Hersman said in a statement.

The forum, to be held in mid-April, will explore lithium-ion battery technology and transportation safety, the NTSB said. The hearing, to be held later in April, will focus on the design and certification of the 787 battery system.

The information will help the NTSB and the transportation community understand the risks and benefits of lithium batteries.

It also will help the understanding of how manufacturers and regulators evaluate the safety of the new technology, the agency said.

The NTSB released an interm report Thursday along with 499 pages of data related to the investigation.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under aircraft manufacturers, aviation industry, Aviation industry suppliers, Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems | Comments

Cessna: First Corvalis TTx production flight test a success

March 7, 20136:43 a.m.

Cessna Aircraft announced that the company completed the first production flight of its TTx, formerly called the Corvalis TTx, on Saturday.

The company is in the midst of dropping the Corvalis name, a Cessna spokesman said.

The single-engine composite airplane took off from Cessna’s Independence facility.

The pilot took the airplane to 17,000 feet and to a speed of 245 mph.

“The TTx performed exceptionally well,” Brian Steele, Cessna’s business leader for the airplane, said in a statement.”The TTx is a nimble, top of the line airplane. It’s the world’s fastest fixed gear, single engine piston aircraft in production.”

Cessna announced last year that it had begun production of the TTx, an upgraded Corvalis TT.

During its development, test pilots made 275 flights and logged 339 hours in the air, Cessna said.

The plane can reach a top speed of 270 mph and has an operating ceiling of 25,000 feet. It can cross the country with one stop.

Cessna halted production of the carbon-fiber composite Corvalis, formerly called the Columbia, in late 2010 after problems were found at the company’s Chihuahua, Mexico, facility, which builds the fuselage components and wings.

The entire environmental system in Mexico, key to working with composite materials, had to be redone.

Now, the humidity, air pressure and temperature are controlled through use of a continuous monitoring system, company officials have said.

Assembly of the upgraded Corvalis – the $734,000 Corvalis TTx – restarted in October.

 

 

 

By Molly McMillin | Filed under aircraft manufacturers, aviation industry, Cessna, general aviation | Comments