Piper Aircraft Enters the LSA Market With the PiperSport

Photo Credit: Piper Aircraft

Piper Aircraft, Inc. recently announced details and unveiled its all-new PiperSport, underscoring its foray into the Light Sport Aviation segment. Piper President & CEO Kevin J. Gould made the announcement during a news conference at the Sebring U.S Sport Aviation Expo 2010.

Photo Credit: Piper Aircraft

“With the PiperSport,” Gould said, “Piper is entering what is undeniably one of the most exciting market segments in general aviation. This burgeoning segment is becoming vital to our industry and playing an ever-increasing role in developing general aviation’s next generation of pilots. The PiperSport is an amazing entry-level aircraft that will bring new customers into Piper and lead the way for those customers to step up into more sophisticated and higher performance aircraft within our line over time. Moreover, as the only aircraft manufacturer to have models in every market segment, Piper continues to expand its business model to ensure that we are in tune with the times and that we meet the needs of our customers at every level.”

Photo Credit: Piper Aircraft

Source: Piper Aircraft

Embraer Delivers 244 Jets in 2009 - Surpasses 2009 Goal

Embraer reports it delivered 91 jets to the airline, executive and defense markets during the fourth quarter of 2009, totaling 244 airplanes for the year.

According to Embraer, the company delivered 23 E-Jets and three ERJ 145 jets to the airline market; six Legacy 600 super midsize jets, 52 Phenom 100 entry level jets, two Lineage 1000 ultra-large jets, and the first Phenom 300 light jet to the executive jets market; and one ERJ 135 jet, two Phenom 100 jets, and one EMBRAER 190 jet to the defense market.

Source: Embraer

The SubSonex Jet Brings Do-It-Yourself Jet Travel to Your Garage

The year 2010 is here, and we still don't have flying cars or jetpacks as pulp science fiction novels predicted. While the personal jet pack is not consumer ready, the personal jet might be.

Photo Credit: Sonex

According to Wired.com Autopia blog, The SubSonex is designed to be a modestly priced (as in $60,000 modest) private jet that fits in your garage.

Don't expect luxury jet comfort for that price, you have to put it together yourself and it only flies one person. The story reports that SubSonex has only done ground tests, but is expected to hit a cruising speed at over 240 mph and climb to 2,000 feet.

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Source: Autopia and Sonex

Piper Aircraft Selects Aviall Services To Distribute Parts

Piper Aircraft today announced the selection of Aviall Services, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company, to be its global parts distributor, providing supply chain support for the company’s global dealer network and individual customers.

“One of Piper’s primary goals is to enhance every facet of our customer service experience,” said Piper President & CEO Kevin J. Gould. “Aviall’s extensive experience and excellent reputation in parts management and distribution will give our customers world-class service that is fundamental to the total Piper experience.” Aviall Services any is a leading solutions provider of aftermarket supply chain management services for the aerospace, defense and marine industries.

Source: Piper Aircraft

Cessna Delivers First Skycatcher

Photo Credit: Cessna

Cessna Aircraft Company has delivered its first Model 162 Skycatcher Light Sport Aircraft during a ceremony at Yingling Aircraft in Wichita, Kansas. Yingling is one of three U.S. re-assembly facilities for the Skycatcher. As previously announced, Rose Pelton, wife of Cessna Chairman, President and CEO Jack J. Pelton, received the first Skycatcher.

Cessna, in association with King Schools, has also developed a new Web-based training system for sport and private pilot certificates that will be available through the Cessna Pilot Center network of flight schools.

Cessna launched its Skycatcher program at AirVenture Oshkosh in 2007 and has since amassed more than 1,000 orders.

Source: Cessna

Gulfstream G250 Completes First Flight

Gulfstream Aerospace recently announced that its newest business jet, the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G250, has successfully completed its first flight.

Photo Credit: Gulfstream

The aircraft was flown to 32,000 feet and achieved a maximum speed of 253 knots. Pilot Shapira commented that the flight was “extremely smooth with no issues.” IAI’s Flight Telemetry System enabled IAI and Gulfstream flight-test engineers on the ground to monitor the G250 aircraft systems in real time during the flight, as well as record the data from the first flight test point. “The G250 performed extremely well, just as we expected,” said Pres Henne, senior vice president, Programs, Engineering and Test, Gulfstream. “We’re looking forward to 2011 when we’ll begin delivering this aircraft to the customers who had tremendous input in its design.”

Source: Gulfstream

Cessna Delivers 300th Citation X

Cessna Aircraft Company has delivered the 300th Citation X to its authorized sales representative, Jetalliance, based in Vienna, Austria. The Citation X will be operated from Vienna by an unnamed retail customer. Jetalliance is Cessna’s authorized sales representative for Russia and Eastern Europe.

Photo Credit: Cessna

“The Citation X continues to be a popular aircraft all over the world, including Europe. The exceptional speed, reliability, and cabin comfort offered by the Citation X have contributed to its great success,” said Trevor Esling, Cessna’s vice president, International Sales. The Citation X is the world's fastest non-military aircraft with a top speed of .92 Mach, just under the speed of sound. Since launch, Cessna has delivered more than 45 Citation Xs to the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, and Africa).

Photo Credit: Cessna

The Citation X is the top of Cessna's line of light and mid-size business jets and was announced at the 1990 National Business Aviation Association annual meeting and convention. The first Citation X was delivered to golf legend and long-time Cessna customer, Arnold Palmer, in 1996.

Source: Cessna