Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

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Mark Huber

Cirrus Aircraft broke ground on its $15 million, 11-acre&nbsp;“Vision Center”&nbsp;in Knoxville, Tenn. on Thursday. The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2015-05-06/cirrus-aircraft-selects-knoxville-vision-customer-center" style="font-size: 13.008px; line-height: 1.538em;">company announced plans in May to build a national customer center</a>&nbsp;for all Cirrus aircraft, including the Vision SF50&nbsp;single-engine&nbsp;jet, at Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport, promising to create 170 jobs there.

 


According to Cirrus, the Knoxville facility will be “a flagship location for all Cirrus Aircraft pilot, owner and customer activities” and include a design center where buyers can customize their SF50s, a service center, sales and product support staff, an FBO and type-rating training in a level-D full-motion simulator built by CAE. It will also host company social events.

 


The new facility will open in the second quarter of next year with a $2 million, 15,000-sq-ft hangar; other buildings will be added later. The hangar is described as an interim facility for use while the main center is under construction. All Cirrus aircraft production remains at Duluth, Minn., and Grand Forks, N.D., and SF50 certification remains targeted for year-end.

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

Cirrus Breaks Ground on Vision Center

Knoxville facility will be “a flagship location for all Cirrus Aircraft pilot, owner and customer activities” and includes a design center.

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News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.

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