Lakeland, FL - April 13, 2010 - Cessna Chairman, President and CEO Jack J. Pelton has been named the recipient of the 2010 Lindbergh Award. The award will be presented at a ceremony during the Sun ’n Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Fla. Cessna Aircraft Company is a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company.
The Lindbergh Award is given annually to individuals whose work over many years has made significant contributions toward Lindbergh’s concept of balancing technology and nature.
In its award citation the Lindbergh Foundation said Pelton has been a vocal proponent for policies and practices that balance progress and technology with environmental sensitivity, a concept that resonates with the Foundation.
Pelton has been a strong advocate for international cooperation to solve environmental issues associated with aviation. In a speech earlier this year at the Les Respirations environmental conference in Paris, Pelton called for exploitation of technology and aircraft design to further improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, even though general aviation contributes less than 1 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
In 2008, Pelton established the Cessna Environmental Strategy Council which focuses on aircraft emissions, industrial emissions/waste/recycling, recycling consumables, energy conservation and engaging employees. In addition, Pelton was appointed by then-Governor Kathleen Sebelius to chair Kansas’ Energy and Environmental Policy Advisory Group.
Under Pelton, Cessna also launched GreenTrak, a flight planning program for Cessna Citation business jets that allows pilots to optimize flights for time, speed and fuel efficiency which reduces emissions.
About Cessna Aircraft Company
Cessna is the world’s leading general aviation company, based on unit sales, with five major lines of business: Citation business jets, Caravan single-engine turboprops, Cessna single-engine piston aircraft, aftermarket services and lift solutions by CitationAir. In 2009, Cessna delivered 754 aircraft, including 289 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of about $3.3 billion. Since the company was originally established in 1927, more than 192,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered around the world, including more than 6,000 Citations, making it the largest fleet of business jets in the world. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at www.cessna.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 Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. More information is available at www.textron.com.