Honda Aircraft's first production HondaJet achieved its initial flight, marking another milestone toward aircraft certification and entry into service in 2015. The event took place at the company's world headquarters in Greensboro, N.C. "With this first flight, the HondaJet program has entered the next exciting phase as we prepare for delivery," said Honda Aircraft CEO Michimasa Fujino. "Today's celebration is the culmination of extensive engineering and production efforts, and this is an important achievement in bringing the world's most advanced light jet to market." The first production aircraftlifted off from the Piedmont Triad International Airport at 10:18 a.m. EDT. During the 84-minute flight, the aircraft climbed to 15,500 feet and reached a top speed of 348 KTAS. Following a smooth landing, the aircraft and its crew were greeted by more than 1,000 Honda Aircraft team members to commemorate the milestone. The aircraft was flown by test pilot Warren Gould, pilot-in-command. The crew completed several checks during the flight, such as low- and high-speed handling characteristics, avionics and system functionality, including landing gear, flaps and speed brake operations.
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