By Skies Magazine | October 21, 2019 Estimated reading time 2 minutes, 20 seconds.
Honda Aircraft Company announced the first installation of a medevac configuration on the HondaJet Elite at the 2019 NBAA Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE). The configuration was installed on a HondaJet Elite owned by Wing Spirit, an air ambulance and charter company based in Hawaii. A mockup of the medevac configuration is to be displayed at NBAA-BACE.
“We are pleased to announce the installation of the first medevac configuration on the HondaJet. We are confident the aircraft’s size, efficiency, speed and cabin comfort are well-suited to these special missions in the Hawaiian Islands,” said Honda Aircraft Company president and CEO Michimasa Fujino. “Personally it has been inspiring to see how the Hondajet has been supporting others.”
Honda also highlighted the company’s commitment to strengthening its service and support capabilities as it expands its service network globally. The Japanese company announced the addition of a Northeaster United States service centre which will feature a FAA 145 repair station with airframe, power plant and radio ratings, and a Garmin dealer and service centre with mobile repair capability.
Another highlight of the conference was when Fujino noted that since Transport Canada’s certification of the Hondajet Elite in April, the company has delivered the aircraft to four Canadian customers, stating that the company believes it is starting to gain a foothold in the region.
Wrapping up the conference on a fun note, Fujino proclaimed that he personally designed a livery for Tom Cruise on a Hondajet Elite that was meant to elicit the image of a race car. As a a gift for Fujino’s design, Cruise brought the CEO to the set of Top Gun: Maverick where he was able to fly onboard a F/A-18F Super Hornet.
“However, it should be noted that I will not appear in the next Top Gun,” stated Fujino.
