Cessna says it plans to add eight flight simulators to its expanding partnership with FlightSafety International.
The Wichita-based manufacturer, which announced sales at EBACE last month for two Citation Xs, one Citation CJ1, one Caravan, and one 206 Turbo Stationair, says it needs to add simulators as the new products reach the customer delivery phase.
Cessna and FlightSafety currently offer Citation and Caravan customers flight training on 44 training devices. Of these, 20 are certified by the US Federal Aviation Authority to Level "D," the highest designation for realism in flight replication. Since January 2003, Cessna and FlightSafety have added four new Level "D" simulators.
Chad Martin, Cessna's manager of training, says: "One of our goals is to provide customers with the ability to train in a certified flight simulator at the time their aircraft is delivered. With new products like the Citation Sovereign, this means we are working on simulator certification simultaneously with aircraft certification.
"Historically, we have certified flight simulators several months after the delivery of a brand-new product. With the Citation Sovereign, we expect to have it in operation before the delivery of the first airframe."
Cessna's FlightSafety partnership began in 1980. Since then, it has provided more than 100,000 pilots and maintenance technician courses for Citations and Caravans.
Agreement
Cessna and FlightSafety signed a new 15-year agreement in April 2002 that continues Cessna's recognition of FlightSafety as the official factory-authorised training organisation for all Citations and Caravans.
Cessna is not exhibiting at Le Bourget this year, having preferred to focus its European marketing activities on Geneva last month.
Speaking after EBACE, Roger Whyte, Cessna's senior vice president of Sales and Marketing gave his assessment of the market: "Although we are in the midst of a sluggish economy, operators realise that aircraft are a necessity for business because they help increase productivity.
"As the market improves, we expect more companies and individuals to take advantage of general aviation's many benefits."
Source: Flight Daily News
