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Apr. 14--Cessna Aircraft, Hawker Beechcraft and other Wichita-area aircraft-related businesses are part of the 500 exhibitors at this week's Sun 'n Fun Fly-in In Lakeland, Fla.
The annual show features educational seminars, hands-on workshops and daily air shows, including appearances by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and other military aircraft.
It's expected to attract 160,000 visitors through the week. The show runs through Sunday.
Cessna Aircraft announced at the show that it has delivered its 300th Citation Mustang, three years after making its first Mustang delivery. The planes are built in Independence.
The entry-level jet was delivered to Michael Garnham with Acernus Aero Ltd. in Wellington, New Zealand. It's Acernus Aero's second Mustang. The two planes will be used as part of the company's property development business and in its charter operations, Cessna said.
The Citation program was announced in 2002. The first flight was conducted in April 2005, and the first delivery was in April 2007.
Cessna also announced that it has added six flight training schools to its network of 280 Cessna Pilot Centers. The schools are in Delaware, Paraguay, Mexico, Australia, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia.
Hawker Beechcraft Corp. is debuting its 50th anniversary Beechcraft Baron G58 at the show.
The limited-edition Baron incorporates high-performance Hartzell Scimitar propellers, upscale interior design features and amenities and a choice of four paint schemes, the company said.
Belite Aircraft in Wichita, meanwhile, will have two of its three models of recreational aircraft on display at the show's light aircraft exhibit -- the Belite Superlite and the Trike, which has a reconfigured tricycle gear.
It also unveiled a line of lightweight, solid-state avionics at the show.
Reach Molly McMillin at 316-269-6708 or [email protected].
