Cessna/Textron Aviation News

Textron Aviation announced today that many Cessna piston-powered aircraft are now approved to utilize a more environmentally friendly aviation gasoline (AvGas). Owners and operators of Cessna 172 Skyhawk, 182 Skylane can utilize 91-octane unleaded (91UL), 94UL or 100VLL (very low lead) fuel in their aircraft wherever it is available. The 206 Turbo Stationair HD aircraft is approved for 100VLL. Unleaded and lower-leaded fuels burn cleaner than higher-leaded fuels currently used on most piston aircraft.

Derek Moore, regional sales director, Textron Aviation, knew he wanted to combine his marketing degree and passion for aviation when designing his career. When he stumbled upon his current role at Textron Aviation, it was a perfect fit. "What I love about my job is the people that I get to meet and the relationships that I get to build," he said. You can check out more of what he said below.

latest GEN 2 products being offered by Cessna.

It’s another busy day at the Textron Aviation service center in Sacramento, Calif. and Technical Service Manager (TSM) Nick Melchiori is running through his daily to-do list. It’s time for the monthly tool calibration, where he’ll test approximately 700 tools used by the facility’s technicians and mechanics every day. When a member of his maintenance crew expresses interest in taking on new responsibilities within the team, that’s when Melchiori knows he’s on the right track as a leader. “A technician may be good at a certain job and think they can’t branch out to do something else,” Melchiori said. “I want to give them the chance to step up and grow their skills.” As someone who began his Textron Aviation career as an apprentice, Melchiori recognizes the importance of empowering employees with the resources – and encouragement – to grow.

Textron Aviation announced today the return of the Cessna Turbo Skylane T182T to its legendary piston product lineup, updated with the latest avionics suite and interiors. The Turbo Skylane’s turbocharged engine delivers exceptional power, generating optimal climb rates and faster cruise speeds, as well as enhanced utility for operations from high-altitude airfields. Textron Aviation is taking orders for the Turbo Skylane with first deliveries to begin in early 2023. Textron Aviation announced today the return of the The Cessna Turbo Skylane is designed and manufactured by Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company. "The turbocharger adds another level of performance to an already exceptional aircraft," said Ron Draper, president & CEO, Textron Aviation. "The Cessna Skylane is a remarkably instinctive aircraft to operate, and the turbocharged engine provides even greater performance that enhances the overall flying experience. The Turbo Skylane represents our commitment to offering new and innovative solutions to our piston owners and operators, and we’re pleased to bring expanded capabilities to this segment of the market. And with all of the latest attributes, the Turbo Skylane truly is better than ever."

"The Cessna Skyhawk continues to be the Philippine Navy’s aircraft of choice for flight training," said Bob Gibbs, vice president, Special Mission Sales for Textron Aviation. "Customer faith in our legendary products and trust in our company and our team are at the core of our relationship with military training academies worldwide." With simple flight characteristics, great visibility and a sophisticated glass cockpit outfitted with GARMIN G1000 NXi avionics, the Cessna 172S Skyhawk piston boasts a slow landing speed and a lenient stall, ideally suited for student pilots. The Philippine Navy acquired the four aircraft via a Foreign Military Sale managed by the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). This sale contributes to U.S. security and foreign policy goals by building the Philippines’ maritime domain security capacity and deepening our overall strategic partnership with the Philippines. The four Cessna 172S Skyhawks join an existing fleet of Cessna 172 training aircraft with the Naval Air Wing at Sangley Point, Philippines.

Textron Aviation has made some upgrades to its Piston lineup. Beechcraft Baron, Beechcraft Bonanza and all Cessna piston aircraft will provide operators with more functionality and comfort. The new production Beechcraft Bonanza G36 will now offer a 155-pound increase to the maximum takeoff weight, giving the aircraft a maximum useful load of 1,213 pounds in its standard configuration with six seats. More on these upgrades at the link.

https://media.txtav.com/212963-textron-aviation-brings-new-upgrades-to-iconic-piston-product-lineup

Textron Aviation earlier this month announced it has entered into a purchase agreement with Exclusive Jets, LLC, operating as flyExclusive, for up to 30 Cessna Citation CJ3+ jets.

Memorial Day in the U.S. traditionally kicks off summer activities, including Textron Aviation’s robust annual summer internship program. Last week, interns from around the country met for orientation as they embarked on a new career at Textron Aviation. Between the organized college and high school programs, the company is hosting nearly 500 interns for two months of learning across all business areas. Ron Draper, president & CEO, greeted the group with a dive into Textron Aviation’s history and product strategy and shared that one of his top priorities is creating a great culture. He shared two simple but effective guiding principles when asked for career advice: get along with people and work hard.

Over 800 Special Olympics athletes and their coaches arrived safely and efficiently in Orlando for the 2022 USA Games thanks to Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker customers. "We do this for the athletes," said Ron Draper, president & CEO, Textron Aviation. "It's special to provide them air transportation here – it's really special to see the high fives and smiles." A Special Olympics Airlift aircraft took off or landed approximately every two minutes during the event to transport athletes and their coaches to the games.

On Friday, October 7, nearly 300 students and a few dozen educators from multiple middle and high schools visited Textron Aviation’s headquarters in Wichita, Kansas, to celebrate National Manufacturing Day. Throughout the day, students learned about engineering, supply chain, fabrication, tooling, automation, assembly and much more — straight from the expert employees who design and deliver the best aviation experience every day.

Today, flyExclusive, announced it has entered into a purchase agreement with Textron Aviation for up to 14 additional Cessna Citation business jets. flyExclusive will purchase eight Cessna Citation XLS Gen2 aircraft to be delivered in 2024, and up to six Citation Longitudes, with initial deliveries of the first two Longitudes in 2025.

Textron Aviation welcomes Brett Pierson to the role of senior vice president, Defense & Special Missions, which includes serving as president & CEO of Textron Aviation Defense LLC. Pierson has flown more than 80 types of aircraft, and holds type ratings for the Citation Longitude, Citation M2 Gen2, Citation CJ3+, Citation CJ4 Gen2 and the Beechcraft King Air. He is also qualified in the Textron Scorpion, the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II, Beechcraft AT-6 Wolverine and the Cessna and Beechcraft piston fleet.

Textron Aviation announced during the National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) that it has entered into a purchase agreement with Fly Alliance for up to 20 Cessna Citation business jets, four firm with options for 16 additional aircraft. Fly Alliance will use the aircraft for its luxury private jet charter operations and expects to take delivery of the first aircraft, an XLS Gen2, in 2023. Below is a look at how the aircraft will look in Fly Alliances's colours.

Ampaire signed a LOI for Conecta Grand Caravans upgrade to Ampaire Eco Caravans. The core of the Eco Caravan is the AMP-H570 hybrid-electric powertrain and battery pack. The regional airline is a subsidiary of Azul, Brazil’s largest airline by passenger volume, departures and cities served. The Azul Conecta order follows the first flight of the Eco Caravan in November 2022 and the announcement days later of a $9 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy to help Ampaire advance systems so that they are ready for FAA certification and series production.

100th Cessna Citation Longitude delivered to customer. “We are very proud of the entry into service of this aircraft. It hit the field with incredible reliability numbers and acceptance in the marketplace,” said Textron Aviation president and CEO Ron Draper. “We clearly have great reliability numbers, great performance, and low operating costs...and some of our larger customers like NetJets continue to talk about the performance and the technology included in this product.”

Textron Aviation recently announced an agreement with BAA Training for the purchase of 48 Cessna Skyhawk aircraft, expected to be delivered in 2026. The deal, inked at the Dubai Airshow, substantially expands BAA Training's existing fleet, offering increased capacity for students, streamlining the flight training process and ensuring an overall enhanced student experience. Textron Aviation announced an agreement with BAA Training for the purchase of 48 Cessna Skyhawk aircraft, expected to be delivered in 2026. The deal, inked at the Dubai Airshow, substantially expands BAA Training's existing fleet, offering increased capacity for students, streamlining the flight training process and ensuring an overall enhanced student experience. "For over six decades, the Cessna Skyhawk has inspired the next generation of pilots and served as the world's leading flight trainer," said Chris Crow, vice president of Piston Sales. "We are delighted to continue the relationship with BAA Training to provide their students access to the most produced single-engine aircraft globally."