Trainer For The 21st Century

Raytheon Aircraft employees, along with the representatives from the US Navy, US Air Force and the Hellenic Air Force of Greece celebrated the 200th delivery of the T-6A training aircraft last week. This is the aircraft in which all US Navy and US Air Force pilots -- and a growing number of international pilots -- will learn to fly well into the 21st century.

Accepting the aircraft for the Navy was Captain David Wooten and Captain Chaunce Mitchell. Raytheon Aircraft employee Bill Parker, a flight mechanic who’s been with the T-6A program since its inception in 1991, handed over the keys. Also attending was Brig. Gen. Ted Bowlds, who heads the USAF Program Executive Office of Airlift, Trainers and Modeling and Simulation, and Maj. Panos Kalotychos of the Hellenic Air Force.

The US Navy received the 200th T-6A, its 21st. The US Air Force has taken delivery of 108 T-6As, the Hellenic Air Force 45, and the NATO Flying Training in Canada program 26.

Sherry Grady, Vice President – Trainer Systems Division, introduced Raytheon Aircraft Chairman and CEO Jim Schuster. He thanked employees for their hard work in meeting customer commitments and for producing an aircraft that has safely accumulated more than 130,000 flight hours.

Raytheon Aircraft was awarded the contract for the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System in 1995. The program calls for the company to build nearly 800 of the primary trainers through the year 2017. The company also expects substantial international sales during that time.

Raytheon Aircraft designs, manufactures, markets and supports Beechcraft and Hawker aircraft for the world’s commercial, military and regional airline markets.

FMI: www.raytheonaircraft.com