Category Archives: Beechcraft Corp.

Beechcraft appoints new regional sales director for Sub-Saharan Africa

May 21, 201310:43 a.m.

Beechcraft Corp. has appointed a regional sales director for Beechcraft products in Sub-Saharan Africa, Kingsley Okoli, the company announced.

South Africa continues to be one of the largest growth markets in the world, Scott Plumb, Beechcraft vice president of sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said in a statement.

The business aviation fleet in the region has grown by more than 20 percent in the past 10 years, Plumb said.

“Having Kingsley stationed in South Africa will provide further impetus to strong Beechcraft sales in the region,” he said.

Okoli spent 13 years in the U.S. Air Force that included work involving the West Africa region and the Nigerian Air Force. He was an F-16 crew chief and later a fighter squadron logistics readiness officer, according to information from the company.

He has experience with Department of Defense acquisition program management, business development and operational management in foreign military sales and foreign military financing.

He most recently served as a senior program analyst for IMSolutions.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under aircraft manufacturers, Beechcraft Corp. | 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, Beechcraft Corp. | Comments

Air Force light air support contract now expected next week

Feb. 22, 20139:43 a.m.

An Air Force decision on who will be awarded a light air support contract is now expected sometime next week, Beechcraft spokeswoman Nicole Alexander said.

The company had expected a decision on Friday, but has been told there has been a slight delay.

The contract for 20 aircraft for the Afghan air force is expected to total about $350 million.

There are two bidders. Wichita-based Beechcraft Corp., formerly Hawker Beechcraft, has proposed its AT-6 attack aircraft, a version of its T-6 trainer, for the project. Sierra Nevada Corp., meanwhile, has partnered with Brazil-based Embraer to offer its Super Tucano.

The planes are to provide the Afghan National Army Air Corp. with a fixed-wing strike capability. They are to be delivered over five years.

The effort to secure a contract has taken nearly three years and has been fraught with delays and legal challenges.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under aviation industry, Beechcraft Corp., Defense, general aviation | Comments

Beechcraft to showcase military products at defense exposition

Feb. 21, 20136:07 a.m.

Beechcraft Corp., formerly Hawker Beechcraft, is showcasing its military products at the Air Force Association’s annual Air Warfare Symposium and Technology Exposition this week in Orlando, Fla.

The company, which emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Tuesday, is highlighting its T-6, AT-6 and King Air 350 ER ISR airplanes at the event.

The exposition, which highlights aerospace technology and education, runs Wednesday through Friday.

With Beechcraft’s reorganization, the Air Force can be assured of a financially sound, stable partner, the company said in a statement.

“We know that it is important for our military partners around the world to do business with solid partners,” Russ Bartlett, president of Beechcraft’s defense business, said in a statement. The company is pleased to enter this year’s exposition as a stronger, more agile company, he said.

 

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

Wichita aviation on display at Aero India

Feb. 6, 201310:51 a.m.

Wichita planemakers are showcasing aircraft in India this week at the Aero India biennial aerospace show, which runs Wednesday through Sunday.

Hawker Beechcraft is displaying its Beechcraft King Air 350i turboprop, while Cessna Aircraft is showcasing its Caravan turboprop and Citation jets.

“India is expected to be amongst the world’s fastest growing economies in 2013 and stands to benefit hugely from a national expansion of business aviation, both for domestic and international travel,” Bill Harris, Cessna vice president of sales in Asia and the Asia Pacific, said in a statement. “Cessna is optimistic that legislative and regulatory reforms this year will remove several barriers to India’s aircraft market development.”

One of India’s pressing needs is to improve its intra-state air links, Harris said.

Hawker Beechcraft director of sales in India Todd Hattaway said the company sees a growing demand for its aircraft used in special mission applications throughout the country.

More than 20 King Airs are registered to state or federal government organizations in India, the company said. The majority provide VIP transportation for interstate and cross-country travel.

Eighty-two percent of new turboprop business aircraft delivered in India from 2002 to 2011 were King Air products; 83 percent of the total fleet of registered business turboprops in the country are King Airs, the company said.

Bombardier Aerospace is also in India with its Challenger 605 and Global 6000 jets.

 

 

By Molly McMillin | Filed under aircraft manufacturers, aviation industry, Beechcraft Corp., Bombardier Learjet, Cessna, general aviation | Comments

Hawker Beechcraft appoints Ted Farid head of Asia-Pacific sales

Feb. 6, 201310:35 a.m.

Hawker Beechcraft Corp. has appointed aviation veteran Ted Farid as vice president of sales for the Asia-Pacific region, which includes North and South Asia and India.

Farid joined the company in 1996 and most recently served as senior vice president for international sales and new business development.

He also has held leadership positions in international sales and marketing at Bombardier Learjet and Cessna Aircraft Co.

Farid holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Northrop Institute of Technology in Inglewood, Calif., and is a private pilot.

 

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

Hawker Beechcraft runs King Air promotion as it prepares to emerge from bankruptcy

Jan. 16, 201310:14 a.m.

Hawker Beechcraft wants to gain momentum for 2013 as it prepares to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy a smaller, restructured company, it said.

Customers who buy and take delivery of a King Air 250 or King Air 350i by Feb. 28 will receive credit for a Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics upgrade at no cost, the company said in a press release.

The primary and multi-function touch-screen flight displays come with synthetic vision and a graphical flight management system.

Hawker Beechcraft filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 3.

It plans to emerge from the restructuring a smaller company focused on King Air and Beechcraft products and its military and aftermarket business.

A hearing seeking confirmation from the bankruptcy judge of the company’s restructuring plan is scheduled for Jan. 31.

Hawker Beechcraft is planning to emerge from bankruptcy in the second half of February.

 

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Hawker Beechcraft to start rolling furloughs for 240 employees

Jan. 10, 201311:22 a.m.

Hawker Beechcraft plans to put into place rolling furloughs for about 240 employees working on T-6 and AT-6 production, the company said.

Hawker Beechcraft Defense Company continues to build and deliver T-6 military trainers to the U.S. government as part of the Joint Primary Aircraft Training Systems contract, it said.

It’s currently in negotiations with the government for the next lot of airplanes.

“To allow this negotiation process to be completed and synchronize output to customer demand, the company is initiating a rolling furlough on its T-6/AT-6 production line in Wichita. They will be scheduled throughout the year and include approximately 240 hourly employees,” Hawker Beechcraft spokeswoman Nicole Alexander said in an e-mail.

The schedule is still being determined, Alexander said.

 

 

By Molly McMillin | Filed under aircraft manufacturers, aviation industry, Beechcraft Corp. | Comments Off

Results mixed for a key indicator of business jet sales

Nov. 28, 20126:12 a.m.

The North American market for business jets is improving, although weakness remains in some key indicators of new business jet sales, according to a new report by UBS Investment Research.

“We continue to believe that the largest bizjet market, North America, is improving, driven by replacement demand postponed during the downturn,” according to the report by UBS analyst David Strauss.

Business jet cycles – takeoffs and landings – were 2 percent higher in October than a year ago and better than in September, which experienced a decline, the report said.

Strauss estimates that cycles are up 24 percent from early 2009, which was the trough, although they’re still down 18 percent from a peak in mid-2007.

Among the six major business jet manufacturers, Dassault was the only one to see cycle improvement in October. Bombardier, Cessna Aircraft, Hawker Beechcraft and Embraer saw declines, while Gulfstream cycles were relatively flat, the report said.

Takeoffs and landings of long-range aircraft dropped 3 percent in October, while short- and mid-range aircraft cycles were down 2 percent each.

Analysts, manufacturers and others watch a variety of indicators, which include the number of takeoffs and landings, to predict demand for business jets.

 

By Molly McMillin | Filed under aircraft manufacturers, aviation industry, Beechcraft Corp., Bombardier Learjet, Cessna, general aviation | Comments Off

Hawker Beechcraft appoints new senior vice president of special missions

Oct. 10, 20126:47 a.m.

Dan Keady, former Hawker Beechraft vice president of international sales for China, Asia Pacific and India, is the new senior vice president of special missions for Hawker.

In his role, Keady is responsible for the continued development and expansion of the company’s special mission business.

He joined the company in 1996 as sales director of international jet special missions and has taken on inreasingly more responsibility since, the company said.

 

 

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