With only 48 hours of operation as the new Hawker Beechcraft Corporation, the company in late March delivered its first two new aircraft to commercial and government customers. The sale of Raytheon Aircraft Company was completed on March 26 and on March 28, Hawker Beechcraft delivered a new Beechcraft Model G36 Bonanza to businessman/pilot Vic Flegler. The same day, the company turned over a new T-6A Texan II primary trainer to Capt. Brent Looby and Capt. Matt Pearce (USMC) from Vance Air Force Base. The T-6A Texan II is the military trainer for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navys Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS).
Over the past several days in meetings with employees and customers, I have referenced the Beechcraft and Hawker books that describes the history of our great company, and that we will now begin to write the next book setting forth the future history of Hawker Beechcraft, said Jim Schuster, chairman and CEO of Hawker Beechcraft Corporation. These two deliveries will be included in the first chapter of that new book. Flegler, a 3,800-hour pilot with two jet ratings, will use the G36 Bonanza between his home heating and air conditioning business locations throughout the Midwest U.S. Meanwhile, Vance Air Force Base conducts joint U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy primary flight training, using more than 90 T-6A Texan II aircraft. To date, the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy have ordered 420 aircraft, and over 350 have been delivered. To date, the T-6A has accumulated over 550,000 fleet hours around the world. Support for the aircraft will continue through 2050.
