Cessna By Textron Aviation Clyde Cessna founded his aircraft company in 1916 after being inspired by an Oklahoma City airshow in 1911. As a mechanic and auto salesman, he built his first aircraft from a Queens Airplane Company kit – eventually becoming a pilot. He began manufacturing planes at the Jones Motor Car factory in Wichita, Kansas. Despite creating the Comet in 1917, World War I halted production when materials were diverted to war efforts. This turn of [...]

Beechcraft Aircraft Aviation pioneer Walter Beech founded Beech Aircraft Corporation in 1932 in Wichita, Kansas until his death in 1950. To continue the company, his wife, Olive Ann Beech, managed the growth and development as President and Chairman until 1982.  Known for producing iconic aircraft, Beechcraft first flew its Bonanza in 1945 – ultimately becoming its most popular model. In addition, the Bonanza also boasted aviation’s longest production run with its three major variants – the Model 35 [...]

Cessna by Textron Aviation The Cessna legacy first started in June 1911 when Founder Clyde Cessna built and flew a powered aircraft. At the time, his only background was in farm machinery and developing new farming methods. So how did he get into aviation? He was inspired after viewing a 1910 aerial exhibition, leading him to experiment with his own aircraft designs in Enid, Oklahoma. Financial difficulties sent him home to Wichita, Kansas where he co-founded Travel Air [...]

Cessna by Textron Aviation In June 1911, Clyde Cessna built and flew his first powered aircraft – a significant milestone in aviation history. With no formal aviation training, his background was in farm machinery and agricultural innovation. After attending an aerial exhibition in 1910, he became interested in aviation and began testing his own aircraft designs in Enid, Oklahoma. Financial difficulties eventually led him back to Wichita, Kansas, where he co-founded Travel Air Manufacturing Co. in 1924. In [...]

Photo : Matthieu Sontag, Licence CC-BY-SA. Bombardier Canadair developed the Challenger business jet series after a Bill Lear concept, making its first voyage in 1980. But it wasn’t commercially produced until 1986 when Bombardier acquired Canadair to avoid bankruptcy. This acquisition was instrumental in Bombardier’s entry into the aerospace industry – especially in corporate aviation.  By the 1980s, Bombardier established itself as a major player in aviation with the development of the CRJ regional jets and the C Series, launched in [...]