Beechcraft and Pratt & Whitney Canada Sign Major Engine Service Agreement to Support Wheels Up King Air 350i Fleet

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA--(Marketwired - Oct. 22, 2013) - Beechcraft Corporation and its aftermarket service and support organization, Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support (GCS), announced at the 2013 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition that it has signed a long-term engine service agreement with Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) to support the PT6A-60A engines powering the King Air 350i aircraft recently ordered by private aviation membership company Wheels Up. Under this renewable agreement, the Wheels Up King Air 350i fleet will be enrolled in P&WC's world-class Gold Eagle Service™ Plan (ESP® Program).

Wheels Up named GCS as its comprehensive aircraft maintenance services provider for North America and Western Europe as part of its King Air 350i order for up to 105 aircraft announced in August.

"We are delighted to partner with Pratt & Whitney Canada to provide this comprehensive engine maintenance services for our customer, Wheels Up, in support of the largest order of turboprop aircraft in the general aviation history" said Christi Tannahill, Beechcraft senior vice president, Global Customer Support, Beechcraft. "This elite program has a proven track record of optimizing costs and providing peace of mind, which will be beneficial for Wheels Up and how it will utilize its fleet of King Airs."

"We are very proud to conclude this service agreement with Beechcraft in support of Wheels Up's King Air 350i fleet," said Denis Parisien, P&WC vice president, General Aviation. "Thanks to its complete range of maintenance coverage, our ESP® Program will provide Wheels Up peace of mind and predictability."

Coverage provided under the Gold ESP® Program includes parts and shop labor for scheduled engine overhaul and hot section inspection, unscheduled engine and line replaceable unit (LRU) maintenance, rental engine support, trouble shooting and mobile repair team (MRT) support for unscheduled aircraft on ground (AOG) situations and required product support improvements at shop visits.

The agreement also includes an airframe-mounted Aircraft Data Acquisition System (ADAS®) and Data Transmission Unit (DTU®) and associated services for automated engine health management and trend monitoring. "The benefits of our engine health management system and Gold ESP® Program include cost optimization, increased aircraft availability, reduced pilot workload and higher aircraft resale value," noted Parisien.

Headquartered in Wichita, Kan., GCS is dedicated to improving the value of both Hawker and Beechcraft aircraft by employing products and services to simplify aircraft ownership, reduce operating cost and increase resale value. GCS is comprised of five functional groups that include Support Plus (cost predictability/warranty programs), Hawker Beechcraft Parts & Distribution (genuine factory parts), Hawker Beechcraft Services (factory-owned service centers), Technical Support (Field Support Representatives, Hot Line specialists and Technical Publications) and Global Mission Support (government business and special mission maintenance / training support).

About Beechcraft Corporation

Beechcraft Corporation designs, builds and supports versatile and globally renowned aircraft, including the King Air turboprops, piston-engine Baron and Bonanza, and the T-6 trainer and AT-6 light attack military aircraft. Its 5,400 highly skilled employees are focused on continuously improving the company's products and services which are sold to individuals, businesses and governments worldwide. In business since 1932, Beechcraft has built more than 54,000 aircraft and more than 36,000 continue flying today. It leads the industry with a global network of more than 90 factory-owned and authorized service centers. The company's headquarters and major manufacturing facilities are located in Wichita, Kan. For more information, visit beechcraft.com or follow us on Twitter @Beechcraft.

About Pratt & Whitney Canada

Founded in 1928, and a global leader in aerospace, P&WC is shaping the future of aviation with dependable, high-technology engines. Based in Longueuil, Quebec (Canada), P&WC is a wholly owned subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation company (UTC). UTC is a diversified company that provides a broad range of high-technology products and services to the global aerospace and building systems industries.

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For Information

Nancy German

NBAA, Las Vegas (Booth C6158)

1 514 924-4445

nancy.german@pwc.ca

http://www.pwc.ca/

Catherine Fisette

Pratt & Whitney Canada, Longueuil

+1 514-443-4407

catherine.fisette@pwc.ca

@catherine_pwc

About Wheels Up

Wheels Up is a revolutionary membership-based private aviation company that eliminates fixed costs and provides unparalleled flexibility created and led by Kenny Dichter, the founder of Marquis Jet and innovator of the first 25-hour fractional jet card. Wheels Up has developed proprietary cutting-edge applications and offers unrivaled personalized service, providing members with a unique high-tech and high-touch experience. With a modest initiation fee and reasonable annual dues, Wheels Up is designed to appeal to individuals and corporations currently flying privately, as well as new entrants to private aviation. Wheels Up has forged an exclusive partnership with Beechcraft to offer members closed fleet access to Beechcraft King Air 350i for the first time redefining the entry point for private aviation. With an 8,760-hour culture (referencing the number of hours in a year), Wheels Up membership includes Wheels Down, a corresponding lifestyle concierge service engaging members off the tarmac, through exclusive offerings such as special programs around major sporting events (e.g. The Masters golf tournament and the Super Bowl), intimate concerts with top performers, culinary experiences with some of the world's top chefs, meet-and-greet opportunities with entertainers, politicians, and business luminaries. For additional information, please visit www.WheelsUp.com, or call 212-257-5252.