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Honda Aircraft project moving forward
PTI research building ready, and work is to begin soon on jet models
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Published: December 18, 2008
Honda Aircraft hopes to have models of its light jets ready for flight this summer to win Federal Aviation Administration certification before full assembly of the jets begins.
The company completed its research and development building this month on its new headquarters campus at Piedmont Triad International Airport. It will soon start assembling what it calls "conforming" aircraft, models of its light jets that will be used in the certification process by the FAA.
"We have to build a number of them, and they are used for different flight tests and the like," said Stephen Keeney, a company spokesman.
"As we progress with that FAA certification, we'll also sometime next year start construction on the actual production facility. Every thing will be timed for first delivery to our customers at the end of 2010," Keeney said.
The FAA evaluates the design and manufacture of small aircraft before it issues airworthiness approvals to operate in U.S. airspace. Manufacturers' aircraft designs and manufacturing facilities must meet FAA regulations.
The certification cycle for standard category aircraft, according to the FAA, includes design approval, production approval, airworthiness approval and continued operational safety, by which the agency continues to oversee aircraft after they have been approved, manufactured and sold to the public.
Buildings at Honda Aircraft's headquarters will cover more than 400,000 square feet when construction is completed.
The company expects to invest more than $100 million in the project and have 500 full-time positions once it starts full production. Jobs include engineering, sales and marketing, and manufacturing. The average salary is expected to be $75,000 a year.
Honda Aircraft is working closely with Guilford Technical Community College and Triad Job Link to establish training programs for its production staff.
The Davis Aviation Center of Guilford Technical Community College had about 120 students in a first round of training, which started in 2007, and will start training 60 to 70 people between January and March 2009 for three specific skill sets: structures technicians, interiors installers, and paint and prep technicians.
Keeney said that people interested in learning more about the training program should visit www.triadjoblink.com, starting around the second week in January. Information will be posted on the Web site about the training offered, and there be an on-line application process.
The Triad is starting to become a center for aviation-related businesses, and local economic-development officials are using these companies as a recruiting tool.
Other companies with a Triad presence include Timco Aviation Services Inc., Atlantic Aero Inc., Cessna Aircraft Co., B/E Aerospace Inc. and Triumph Actuation Systems LLC.
Dan Lynch, the president of the Greensboro Economic Development Alliance, said he recently talked to a company that will move to the area as a result of Honda being here.
"Our aviation inquiries are up as far as other aviation-related companies looking in the area," Lynch said.
Bob Leak Jr., the president of Winston-Salem Business Inc., said that the eventual opening of PTI's new runway, Honda Aircraft's production plant, FedEx Corp.'s cargo hub, and FedEx Ground Package System Inc.'s regional distribution hub in the Triad is starting to brand the area as a region that aviation-related projects would look at.
Leak said that Winston-Salem Business plans to put more effort into focusing on aviation-related projects.
"Quite honestly, we want to try to parlay the Smith Reynolds Airport and the capacity there as an alternate location for smaller projects that need airport proximity and may not want to be at a big airport," Leak said.
He also said that Airport Business Park, a project by the city of Winston-Salem near Smith Reynolds Airport, should help attract businesses.
■ Fran Daniel can be reached at 727-7366 or at fdaniel@wsjournal.com.
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