Sat, Mar 15, 2008
"It Has Exceeded All Expectations"
Bell Helicopter's Amarillo Military Aircraft Assembly Center
played host to a milestone event Wednesday -- the 100th delivery of
a V-22 Osprey tiltrotor. The Bell-Boeing event recognized the
achievements of the vendors, suppliers and workers who built the
aircraft.
Lt. Gen. George Trautman III, deputy commandant of Marine Corps
for aviation, expressed gratitude for the hard work and dedication
of the support teams who help ensure the aircraft are properly
maintained and ready for duty.
"It has exceeded all expectations," he said. "When you get
behind the controls of an Osprey, you are astounded if you are an
aviator," he said.
Trautman added the Marine Corps plans to replace VMM-263 with a
second squadron next month, VMM-162.
"We will keep the same 12 aircraft in place. We will monitor
them closely -- periodic, recurring inspections to ensure that none
of the airplanes need to come out," he said. "We anticipate they
could stay anywhere from 12 to 18 months before we have to swap out
the airplanes."
Bell Boeing V-22 Program Director Gene Cunningham thanked the
employees of Bell and Boeing who build the V-22 and noted that 12
MV-22 Ospreys are now in Iraq performing combat missions with
VMM-263
"It is an incredible job and an incredible journey that we have
been on. This airplane is doing things that no other airplane has
done," Cunningham told the crowd. "This month is also the beginning
of a longer journey for us. We hope to sign a multi-year contract
with the government to provide not another 100 but another 167
airplanes to the US government."
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