Lakeland, FL - April 21, 2009 - Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today the option to order a new Skyhawk with the Crew/Cockpit Resource Management (CRM) training seat. A Skyhawk with the CRM configuration is on display at Cessna’s exhibit at the Sun ’n Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Fla.
The CRM training seat is a single, forward facing seat positioned aft and center of the pilot and co-pilot seats.
“This new seat configuration option for the Skyhawk was designed with airline training schools and university flight programs in mind,” said John Doman, vice president of Worldwide Propeller Aircraft Sales. “Moving the second student forward and to the center of the aircraft increases his or her visibility of the flight deck and allows the student to be more involved in the flight as a crew member versus a passenger.”
Additional benefits to the CRM training seat are a 27-pound useful payload increase, expanded utility category envelope and possible lower insurance costs.
The Skyhawk has become the best-selling, most-flown airplane in the world with more than 43,000 delivered.
About Cessna Aircraft Company
Based on unit sales, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world's largest manufacturer of general aviation airplanes. In 2008, Cessna delivered 1,301 aircraft, including 467 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of about $5.662 billion. Cessna has a backlog of $14.5 billion as of December 31, 2008. Since the company was originally established in 1927, some 192,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered around the world, including more than 5,700 Citations, making it the largest fleet of business jets in the world. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at http://www.cessna.com.
About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a $14.2 billion multi-industry company operating in 28 countries with approximately 42,000 employees. The company leverages its global network of aircraft, defense and intelligence, 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 Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, Textron Systems and Textron Financial Corporation. More information is available at www.textron.com.