LA GUARDIA AIRPORT, NEW YORK (October 1, 2008) – FlightSafety International announces an expansion of its training services agreement with Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC). FlightSafety will build a new Maintenance Training facility, expand its existing Learning Center in Wichita, Kansas, and manufacture its second Hawker 4000 and Hawker 900XP aircraft simulators.
“This significant expansion of our relationship with Hawker Beechcraft and investment in facilities and simulators, reflects our common commitment to enhancing safety and to provide our mutual customers with the best, most comprehensive training available and the value they deserve,” said Bruce Whitman, President & CEO, FlightSafety International.
“At Hawker Beechcraft we are committed to providing an exceptional customer experience and world-class support. The high quality training at FlightSafety helps us deliver on this commitment and our Performance Promise that includes the relentless pursuit of superior safety and quality,” said Jim Schuster, chairman & CEO of HBC.
FlightSafety’s new 33,000-square-foot Maintenance Training Center will be located at the north end of the runway that serves the Hawker Beechcraft manufacturing facility in Wichita. The ramp leading to the Center from the runway will provide direct access to aircraft for training purposes. This new Center will also feature advanced technology equipped classrooms and hands-on aircraft component training areas.
The Learning Center expansion will include seven new simulator bays, 12 additional classrooms equipped with MATRIX, FlightSafety’s integrated training system, as well as Customer service and support areas. Together, these facilities will add over 70,000 square feet designed specifically to serve pilots, maintenance technicians and other aviation professionals who operate and support Hawker Beechcraft Corporation aircraft.
The company will also build its second Hawker 4000 and second Hawker 900XP simulators giving owners and operators of Hawker Beechcraft aircraft access to a fleet of 26 business and regional aircraft simulators at 13 FlightSafety Learning Centers.
FlightSafety has been the authorized training provider for Hawker aircraft since 1967 and has served Beechcraft for over 20 years. FlightSafety offers type specific training for pilots and maintenance technicians of Hawker Beechcraft aircraft at its Learning Centers in Atlanta, Georgia: the Greater Philadelphia/Wilmington area; Houston, Texas; Lakeland, Florida; London Farnborough in the United Kingdom; Long Beach, California; Paris-Le Bourget, France and Wichita, Kansas.
FlightSafety International is the world’s premier aviation training organization. Over 75,000 pilots, technicians and other aviation professionals train at FlightSafety facilities each year. The company designs and manufactures full flight simulators for civil and military aircraft programs and operates the world’s largest fleet of advanced full flight simulators at 40 training locations.
