WHEN VIEWED FROM any angle, an airplane looks beautiful, and once in the air, it may seem like a personal magic carpet. We must acknowledge, though, that there is no magic - happening here. It was people, like senior aerodynamic engineer Neal Willford, who did the hard work that makes our flying possible, allowing humans to do what birds can do inherently. Willford retired in May 2022 after a 32-year career at the Cessna Aircraft Company where he worked in a number of high-profile programs. And technically, while Cessna is now part of Textron Aviation, Willford makes it clear that he considers himself a "Cessnan." In an interview with FLYING, Willford provides an inside perspective on aircraft design and his career at Cessna.
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