Wings, Wheels and Water

Textron Aviation announces enhanced flight deck features!

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News Release
 

Media Contact
Jessica Solis
+1.316.517.5124
jsolis@txtav.com
txtav.com

Textron Aviation announces enhanced flight deck features coming to Cessna and Beechcraft piston lineup

WICHITA, Kan. (Jan. 11, 2018) – Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today announced enhanced flight deck capabilities for new production Cessna and Beechcraft piston platforms. The features include new standard and optional equipment as part of Garmin’s G1000 NXi next-generation integrated flight deck, which provides pilots with enhanced control and connectivity in the cockpit.

“Today, new and experienced pilots alike continue to rely on our renowned Cessna and Beechcraft pistons to experience the joy of flight firsthand,” said Christopher Crow, vice president, Piston Sales. “We’re thrilled to once again elevate the capabilities of these aircraft and connect the next generation of aviators with the latest technology and equipment needed to fly with added confidence, ease and control.”

New equipment includes the latest Garmin GMA 1360 audio panel with enhanced audio capabilities and Bluetooth audio link to pair portable electronic devices to the flight deck.

Other equipment includes the GFC 700 Autopilot with Enhanced Automatic Flight Control System (E-AFCS), now standard on 2019 production Cessna Skylane, Cessna Turbo Stationair HD, Beechcraft Bonanza G36 and Beechcraft Baron G58 pistons, and optional on the Cessna Skyhawk. With E-AFCS, pilots benefit from a lineup of automated features designed to help maintain an optimal flight envelope, while enhancing situational awareness. The added features include Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP) with auto-level functionality, Underspeed Protection (USP) and Coupled Go-Around.

Factory-new Baron G58 aircraft are also equipped with Garmin’s new GWX 75 Doppler weather radar, which provides pilots with onboard weather information, and allows operators to customize the weather picture on each individual display in the cockpit. When used with optional turbulence detection and ground suppression technology, the radar enables Baron pilots to more easily navigate around challenging weather.

Other optional features for all Cessna and Beechcraft pistons include Garmin GSR 56 Iridium satellite receiver, which provides near worldwide access to downlink weather services and allows pilots to make voice calls and send text messages. A subscription service is available through Garmin and can be customized based on need.

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About Textron Aviation Inc.

Textron Aviation Inc. is the leading general aviation authority and home to the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands, which account for more than half of all general aviation aircraft flying. The Textron Aviation brands represent unrivaled innovation, performance and leadership in the industry, and offer an unmatched value proposition rooted in the total ownership experience. Leveraging unparalleled speed-to-market, Textron Aviation provides the most versatile and comprehensive business and general aviation product portfolio in the world through five principal lines of business: business jets, general aviation and special mission turboprop aircraft, high performance piston aircraft, military trainer and defense aircraft and a complete global customer service organization. Textron Aviation has delivered more than 250,000 aircraft in over 143 countries. Its broad range of products include such best-selling aircraft as Citation business jets, King Air and Caravan turboprops and T-6 military trainer aircraft, all of which are backed by the industry’s most capable global service network. For more information, visit www.txtav.com

About Textron Inc.

Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Textron Off Road, Arctic Cat, Textron Systems, and TRU Simulation + Training. For more information, visit: www.textron.com

Certain statements in this press release may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update them. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Cox Pitts Special 50th Anniversary Edition

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Cox Pitts Special 50th Anniversary Edition control line aircraft.

Cox Pitts

I have had this aircraft on a shelf for years. I have never opened it up or taken it out of the box. Think it may be time to start cleaning up and sell off some of my aircraft models.

I remember a red Cox Pitts model that didn’t fair as well when we were actually flying control line as kids. Actually most of my control line aircraft ended up badly. I was never that good at control line flying.

Now remote control… I was better at that.

EXPERIMENTAL CATEGORY AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT TOTALS CONTINUE FALLING TREND

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EXPERIMENTAL CATEGORY AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT TOTALS CONTINUE FALLING TREND

EAA safety efforts contribute to steady decline while flight hours increase

EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — (December 26, 2018) — Fatal accidents in experimental category aircraft, including amateur-built aircraft, continued their decline during the Federal Aviation Administration’s 2018 fiscal year that ended September 30, falling to historic lows.

For the 12-month period from October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2018, fatal accident totals for the experimental category overall, including amateur-built aircraft, racing aircraft, those used for exhibit only, research-and-development, and some types of light-sport aircraft, dropped for the fourth straight year. Total fatal accidents fell two percent, to 44, during the 12-month measurement period ending September 30, 2018. The final figures are nearly 14 percent below the FAA’s “not-to-exceed” goal of 51 fatal accidents for that period.

This continues an improving trend of lower fatal accident totals, even with increasing flight hour totals according to FAA data. Since 2015, the FAA has set successfully lower not-to-exceed targets for experimental category aircraft, from 64 in 2015 to 51 this past fiscal year.

“The FAA has challenged our community by lowering the not-to-exceed goal by nearly 20 percent since 2015, but we have met and surpassed that goal. These are historic lows for fatal accident in amateur-built and experimental category aircraft,” said Sean Elliott, vice president of Advocacy and Safety for the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). “In addition, the FAA in 2010 challenged the aviation community to reduce the accident rate by 10 percent over the next decade. We are proud to say through a focus on safety, that goal was reached in just eight years, two years earlier than anticipated.”

Elliott noted that the overall fatal accident numbers remain much lower than other recreational pursuits, such as paddle sports, skiing and snowboarding, and driving all-terrain vehicles. 

EAA has worked closely with the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board on recommendations to reduce fatal accidents, including through participation in the FAA General Aviation Joint Steering Committee that EAA co-chairs. The EAA focus has also included the newly released EAA Flight Test Manual for amateur-built aircraft; the Founder’s Innovation Prize competition that seeks innovations to reduce loss-of-control accidents in amateur-built aircraft; and use of an additional safety pilot during initial flight testing in amateur-built aircraft.

“These efforts build upon EAA’s longstanding Technical Counselor and Flight Advisor programs, and additional safety materials in EAA’s flagship Sport Aviation magazine,” Elliott said. “Further reducing the accident totals is a continuing challenge, but one that is foremost as part of EAA’s mission to grow participation in aviation.”

About EAA

EAA embodies the spirit of aviation through the world’s most engaged community of aviation enthusiasts. EAA’s 219,000 members and 900 local chapters enjoy the fun and camaraderie of sharing their passion for flying, building and restoring recreational aircraft. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322) or go to www.eaa.org. For continual news updates, connect with www.twitter.com/EAA.

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