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Our Cirrus crews began setting up our 2011 AirVenture Oshkosh tent yesterday. There’s a lot of excitement for this year’s show. Will you be joining us?
Cirrus Aircraft today announced that Todd Simmons has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing. In his new role, Simmons is responsible for managing the Cirrus Aircraft brand globally and for all sales and marketing activities for the world’s best-selling line of high-performance personal, small business and training aircraft.
“Todd is an energetic leader with a depth of experience and a proven track record of growing the business,” said Brent Wouters, Cirrus President and Chief Executive Officer. “Todd’s new position and the global responsibilities that come with it coincide with our new partnership with China Aviation Industry General Aircraft, Co., Ltd. (CAIGA).”
Wouters continued, “With the CAIGA merger complete, Cirrus is in a unique and enviable position to change our growth trajectory as we come out of a challenging few years. Todd’s appointment today is a key step in realigning existing resources and making new investments in our worldwide sales and marketing organization to better serve current and future Cirrus Aircraft owners and to support new products and services we have in development.”
"I’m grateful and excited for the opportunity to lead our global sales and marketing efforts and to manage the most compelling brand in general aviation,” said Simmons. “Cirrus has an unparalleled record of innovation. Our family of light piston aircraft is the safest, highest performing and most technologically advanced in the world today. And with the Vision Jet just around the corner, we have the opportunity to transform personal mobility and transportation again. As a passionate pilot and aviator, and as a marketing and sales professional, I’m thrilled at what the future holds for Cirrus Aircraft employees, our customers and for general aviation overall.”
Simmons joined Cirrus in early 2008 as Vice President of Marketing and during his tenure has led a number of innovative growth initiatives aimed at both the current owner community and at new segments. In spite of challenging overall economic conditions during these efforts, the SR22 remains the best-selling four-seat aircraft in the world and its worldwide market share has grown to an all-time high.
With more than 20 years of experience in sales, marketing and business leadership, Simmons has held positions in marketing development, international marketing communications and revenue management at a range of companies from boutique firms to Fortune 500 companies. His aviation experience includes work at Delta Air Lines and at CubCrafters where he led sales and marketing efforts and later presided over the company.
Simmons holds a Bachelor's of Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
We're just a month away from Migration 9. This is the premiere event of the year for talking shop with Cirrus and Cirrus owners. It doesn’t get any more inside than this. You don’t need to be a COPA member, just an aviation enthusiast.
For more information:
In this AOPA Live interview from July 4, 2011, Tom Haines, AOPA Pilot Editor-in-Chief, interviews Cirrus Aircraft’s CEO Brent Wouters. In it, Brent discusses the state of the company moving forward now that the China-based CAIGA has bought out the Bahrain-based Arcapita to merge with Cirrus, including the bright future of the Cirrus Vision SF50 personal jet program as well as other potential new development projects.
Twenty-Five Aircraft to Be Delivered Beginning This Summer
Duluth, Minn.– (July 5) – Cirrus Aircraft today confirmed that its SR20 aircraft has been selected as the aircraft of choice for the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Powered Flight Program and that fulfilling the new fleet order is already underway. The Air Force Academy will receive 25 SR20 aircraft – designated as T-53A trainers in the customized configuration – starting this summer and continuing through 2012.
“We’re honored to have been chosen by the Air Force Academy for its airmanship training requirements,” said Jon Dauplaise, Cirrus Vice President of Domestic Sales. “The Academy’s Powered Flight Program gives its cadets tremendous inflight experience and is potentially the first step in an Air Force pilot career. We’re confident that the cadets and their instructors will benefit from the SR20’s latest-generation avionics, the largest and most comfortable cabin in this class of aircraft, docile handling, intuitive control characteristics and, perhaps most importantly, from the most advanced aviation safety features available today.” Dauplaise added: “This fleet of new aircraft confirms the U.S. Air Force’s confidence in Cirrus and is another notable step forward in the growth of our global training aircraft efforts.”
“We’ve been studying the replacement of our existing trainer fleet since 2010,” said Lt. Colonel Brad Oliver with the academy's 557th Flying Training Squadron. “The T-53A meets or exceeds all of our performance and operational criteria and is very well-suited to our mission. And, while we hope never to have need of it, our cadets and instructors will now have the option of ‘pulling the ‘chute’ if it’s needed.”
Each aircraft delivered to the Air Force Academy will be equipped with the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System™ (CAPS), integrated fuselage roll cage, cuffed wing design, Cirrus Perspective by Garmin™ avionics and more active and passive safety systems and features that are standard equipment on all Cirrus aircraft.
The value of the purchase is approximately $6.1 million and the new fleet of T-53A trainers will be based at the Academy’s Airfield (AFF) in Colorado Springs, Colo.
About Cirrus Aircraft
Cirrus Aircraft is a recognized leader in general aviation. Its all-composite line of personal aircraft — the SR20, SR22 and the turbocharged SR22T — incorporate innovative and advanced performance, electronic and safety technologies, including Cirrus Perspective™ by Garmin® avionics and the unique Cirrus Airframe Parachute System™ (CAPS). As of mid-2011, total time on the worldwide Cirrus Aircraft SR-series fleet surpassed five million flight hours with 48 lives saved to date as a direct result of CAPS being a standard safety feature on all Cirrus aircraft. The Cirrus Aircraft Vision SF50 jet, with nearly 500 production positions reserved, will provide a new personal and regional business transportation solution - the 'personal jet'. All Cirrus aircraft are made in the USA with a direct sales force in North America and authorized sales centers covering export markets in 60 countries around the world. For additional information on Cirrus and its products please visit cirrusaircraft.com.
For more Cirrus information, contact:
Todd Simmons, VP of Marketing
218.788.3302
Congratulations to Jacksonville University’s Leah Hetzel and Sarah Morris for becoming the first collegiate team ever to win this historic race!
The Air Race Classic (ARC) is the only all female, transcontinental air race and it can trace its roots back to the first Women’s Air Derby in 1929 which became known as the “Powder Puff Derby” during the Depression. This year, 51 teams entered the 2722-mile race which began on June 21 in Alliance, Nebraska and finished June 24 in Mobile, Alabama.
For more information, go here.
Earlier this month we received news of this fantastic story through our social network. Congratulations Cameron Doody and Hannon Kirk and thanks to Ashley Zeiger for the photo!
In Cameron’s words:
Hannon and I knew we were meant for each other from the beginning, but it wasn't until my birthday that first year that I realized exactly how badly I had out-punted my coverage. She had begged her best friend's father to take me up on a surprise sortie in his baby; Aint Misbehavin', a P51-D Mustang. Game over. Two years later, after a thorough pre-flight, I was ready to kick the tires and light the fires! I begged my dad for the keys to his baby, a Cirrus SR20, and flew Hannon to a remote airstrip outside of Birmingham where both of our families were waiting unbeknownst to her. I parked, army-rolled under the fuselage and came to a rest on a knee. Best day of my life.
Wondering what it will be like to get behind the controls of the Cirrus Vision SF50 personal jet? In the June issue of Plane and Pilot magazine, Vision test pilot, Mike Stevens, describes a typical flight in the “What It's Like To Fly The Cirrus Vision Jet: Chief test pilot Mike Stevens tells us why he has the best job in the world.”
Duluth, MN and Zhuhai, China - (June 28) - Cirrus Aircraft and China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co., Ltd. (CAIGA) today announced that the two companies have completed their merger. With the previously announced merger now finalized, Cirrus Aircraft, a global leader in general aviation, joins China's leading general aviation product and services company to form a worldwide general aviation enterprise.
"We're very excited to have joined forces with CAIGA," said Brent Wouters, Cirrus President and Chief Executive Officer. "This partnership will benefit our business and our customers; we share with CAIGA a vision of worldwide growth. CAIGA has the resources that will allow us to expedite our aircraft development programs and accelerate our global expansion."
Wouters also said that he expects the merger to deliver benefits in terms of jobs and job growth in the United States: "Our partners at CAIGA understand the strength and the talent of Cirrus's workforce who have made the Cirrus brand so successful and prominent in the general aviation marketplace. CAIGA will continue to invest in our employees and in our world-class production facilities in Minnesota and North Dakota."
"We are very impressed with Cirrus' performance in the global general aviation industry" said Meng Xiangkai, CAIGA president. "It has a very strong record of consistent product excellence, comprehensive safety features, an outstanding management team and a highly skilled workforce who operate from advanced production facilities. We look forward to working with Cirrus' management team to build upon its success and to expand production volume to further cement Cirrus' leadership position in the global general aviation industry."
Cirrus Aircraft Co-Founder Dale Klapmeier said the completion of the merger was an important milestone in the company's history: "This is a very positive development that allows us to continue our mission to develop and build the best, most exciting aircraft in the world. Through our merger with CAIGA Cirrus will continue to lead the industry in bringing increased safety, performance, and comfort to the general aviation community."
Known for incorporating luxury automotive ergonomics, pilot-friendly avionics and advanced safety features into its high performance airplanes, Cirrus has delivered nearly 5,000 new piston airplanes over the last decade. For nine years in a row, the Cirrus SR22 family of aircraft has been the best-selling four-place airplane in the world. Cirrus pioneered the use of the FAA-certified Cirrus Airframe Parachute System™ that is standard equipment on all Cirrus aircraft.
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About Cirrus Aircraft
Cirrus Aircraft is a recognized leader in general aviation. Its all-composite line of personal aircraft - the SR20, SR22 and the turbocharged SR22T - incorporate innovative and advanced performance, electronic and safety technologies, including Cirrus Perspective™ by Garmin® avionics and the unique Cirrus Airframe Parachute System™ (CAPS). As of mid-2011, total time on the worldwide Cirrus Aircraft SR-series fleet surpassed 5 million flight hours with 48 lives saved to date as a direct result of CAPS being a standard safety feature on all Cirrus aircraft. The Cirrus Aircraft Vision Jet, with nearly 500 production positions reserved, will provide a new personal and regional business transportation solution - the 'personal jet'. All Cirrus aircraft are made in the USA with a direct sales force in North America and authorized sales centers covering export markets in 60 countries around the world. For additional information on Cirrus and its products please visit cirrusaircraft.com.
About CAIGA
Headquartered in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province in China, China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co., Ltd. (CAIGA) is a leading solution provider in the general aviation industry of China. As a company with diversified shareholders, CAIGA controls four listed companies in China and the total revenue in 2010 reached US$2.9 billion. Its main businesses include the R&D and manufacturing of light piston aircraft, turboprop aircraft, jet, amphibious aircraft as well as their parts & components. It also provides services including general aviation operations, pilot training and aviation clubs.
Editors, for more information, contact:
Todd Simmons, VP of Marketing
218.788.3302
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