First in Flight, First in Innovation
In 1903, on the shores of North Carolina, with the Wright Brothers at the helm, the first powered flight took place.
More than 120 years later, North Carolina is once again witnessing something that will change the future of aviation.
“We’re embarking on a very big journey as a company to build an all-new airplane, a bigger airplane, in the HondaJet Echelon,” said Adam Gagnon, assistant vice president of the new business aircraft program, Honda Aircraft Company.
Honda Aircraft Company, headquartered in Greensboro, is an aircraft manufacturer responsible for producing the HondaJet class of aircraft.
“We build the HondaJet 420, the HondaJet Elite 2, which is one of the most innovative aircraft in the world in its category of the very light jet,” said Gagnon.
Light jets do not burn as much fuel as their larger commercial counterparts, but they also cannot travel as far.
The work that is taking place at Honda Aircraft Company is changing that.
“For the last several years, we’ve been working on the preliminary design of something that flies much further and, also, carries more people,” said Gagnon. “That really has been the genesis of the HondaJet Echelon as it carries about twice as many people and it flies considerably further than the current aircraft.”
The HondaJet Echelon would be able to fly coast to coast across the United States, whereas existing light jet models only can fly about half that distance.
Yet, the standard of light jet fuel efficiency remains.
“The big innovation here with the HondaJet Echelon is it’s a light jet, so it’s a small jet that’s capable of flying very far,” said Gagnon. “The only other aircraft that are able to do that are much larger. So, it accomplishes that mission with about half the amount of fuel as other aircraft and options that exist today.”
Gagnon said it also burns about 20 percent less fuel than its nearest light jet competitor.
That level of innovation and design, of course, requires talent.
“Honda Aircraft has been here close to two decades now and, in that, we’ve also had an extremely great partnership with GTCC (Guilford Technical Community College) in developing ground up an aviation program,” said Michael Daniels, manufacturing division director, Honda Aircraft Company. “That has led a multitude of folks to not only go through the program, but also start with Honda Aircraft and grow their career through the years.”
Daniels has been with the company 15 years.
He’s one of about 940 employees.
Some of them came by way of GTCC as the community college offers an Aviation Manufacturing Quick Careers Program, partnering with Honda Aircraft Company.
“North Carolina, both from an education standpoint and a business environment standpoint, and a political policy standpoint, have enabled us to achieve the talent needs we’ve had to date,” said Gagnon. “We also are very excited about achieving the needs that we have in the future, which are very large.”
Honda Aircraft Company hosted NC Chamber staff members for an in-person tour of its headquarters in February.
“The innovation, the commitment to excellence, the great opportunities for the young people and the adult learners in our state to make something here that is so innovative and so filled with spirit and excellence, it’s incredible,” said Gary Salamido, president and CEO, NC Chamber.
As for its latest innovation, Honda Aircraft Company expects the HondaJet Echelon to have its first flight in 2026, followed by type certification in 2028.
A century and a quarter after the Wright Brothers flight at Kitty Hawk, the aviation industry is seeing another major innovation and, once again, North Carolina is first in flight.