Cessna Citation Longitude takes to the skies

Cessna Aircraft Company announced the successful first flight of its Citation Longitude super-midsize jet. The flight comes less than a year after the company unveiled new details for the revolutionary aircraft – the company’s latest example of continued investment in its family of larger business jets. The Longitude took off from the company’s east campus Beech Field Airport, piloted by experimental test pilots Ed Wenninger and Stuart Rogerson. During the two hour and two minute flight, the team tested the aircraft’s flaps, landing gear, pressurization systems, stability and control. The prototype aircraft will continue to expand the performance envelope, focusing on testing flight controls and aerodynamics, while the first production model, set to fly in the coming weeks, will be primarily used for systems testing.