ANN REALTIME Update, 1511 EST, 10.27.05: ANN has learned that Sino-Swearingen was given their Type Certificate for the Williams Powered SJ30-2 bizjet at 0930, CST, Thursday morning, October 27th, 2005.

It was a long time in coming... but the air of victory among the folks at Sino-Swearingen remains sweet as they received the initial TC for the SJ30-2 business jet from the FAA. Boasting some exceptional numbers in terms of speed, range and altitude; the SJ30-2 was a labor of love for the folks that put up with all the usual hassles that come with designing, building, financing, staffing, and certifying a next-generation business jet -- a process that was particularly laborious for this program and required the surmounting of a number of difficult obstacles. 

The new Type Certificate approves the SJ30-2 jet for day, night, VFR (visual flight rules) and IFR (instrument flight rules) operations. Single pilot operations were approved and the full performance envelope was included in this TC issuance without restrictions. There are a few remaining approvals on the aircraft prior to initial deliveries, such as flight into known icing and certification of the cabin interior. After those remaining approvals, first customer deliveries are scheduled for the 1st quarter of 2006.

Dr. Ching Kuo, Chairman and CEO of Sino Swearingen said, "Just as the original corporate jets pioneered a new market, we believe the newly certified SJ30-2 will totally redefine the light jet market. With the ability to operate up to 49,000 feet, cruise up to 0.83 Mach, and fly non-stop flights to 2,500 nautical miles, future owners of the SJ30-2 will experience capabilities previously available only in corporate jets costing twice as much. And, with a maximum cabin pressurization level of 12 psi, our customers will also appreciate a sea level cabin altitude with the aircraft flying up to 41,000 feet. As much as I'm proud of my dedicated staff, I'm also very much appreciative to the FAA team for its cooperation, spirit, and hard work to help us achieve this goal."

Dr. Carl Chen, President of Sino Swearingen said, "Our company is very proud to announce the receipt of the Type Certificate for the SJ30-2. The employees of our company as well as our investors have committed many years to achieving this goal and it's very gratifying to finally announce our receipt of the Type Certificate. We have been developing and certifying the SJ30-2 for quite some time. We are now preparing ourselves to become a complete aircraft company, delivering airplanes to customers and supporting them as they operate their aircraft around the world."

Alfred Baumbusch, Senior Vice President of Operations, echoed those comments, "So many people have worked diligently to achieve this goal. I am proud to be part of such a dedicated and talented team of individuals who designed, developed and tested the SJ30-2 to stringent FAA standards. I'm also privileged to have worked successfully with the FAA to focus on a common objective. Obtaining a Type Certificate is a significant achievement for Sino Swearingen and a landmark event for the corporate aviation industry."

Bob Kromer, Senior Manager of Flight Operations added, "I'm excited to be so close to introducing the SJ30-2 to customers and pilots. Our flight test pilots and engineers have spent over 2,100 hours fine tuning the SJ30-2 to be easy to fly while delivering high performance. I'm proud to say both of these goals have been achieved. Our future customers will be more than impressed as they cruise at 0.80 Mach or greater with true airspeeds well over 460 knots. Our airplanes climb at maximum takeoff weight directly to 43,000 feet and cruise up to 2,500 nautical miles without the need to stop for fuel. And with the Vref speeds as low as 105 knots, the airplane is easy to land and can be operated from shorter runways. The SJ30-2 is the complete package. Our test pilots are confident that our future customers will agree."

Of particular note is the fact that this is also the first new Part 23 Type Certificate issued by the FAA's Ft. Worth ACO, who are credited with being an "exceptional" group to work with by a number of staffers that we've talked with at Sino-Swearingen.

An FAA staffer at the Ft. Worth ACO notes that there is "usually a gap between the TC and the first C of A... but in this case, it's a pretty small gap, all things considered."

We'll update you as soon as we have more information. Stand by...

FMI: www.SJ30Jet.com