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GREENSBORO – Honda Aircraft Co. said that it completed the first flight Monday of its production-quality aircraft to be used in the Federal Aviation Administration certification process.

All of Honda Aircraft’s employees watched the flight at Piedmont Triad International Airport, Stephen Keeney, a Honda spokesman, said today.

The aircraft is a milestone for the company in a number of ways:

• It’s the first aircraft the company has built to production standards. The prototype aircraft was a test plane that Honda used to accumulate more than 500 flight hours.

• Honda has hired and trained 100 core manufacturing employees and these workers built this FAA flight-test aircraft at PTI.

• This is the second of five FAA conforming aircraft that will be built.

Honda wants to deliver its first HondaJet in the third quarter of 2012.

Its manufacturing plant at PTI is nearly finished, and workers will be hired and trained over the coming year.

Honda Aircraft President and CEO Michimasa Fujino said today that his plan is to hire experienced manufacturing workers and team leaders and less experienced workers, perhaps from GTCC training programs and other aviation companies in this area, to create a mix of youth and experience, local and international workers.

Contact Richard M. Barron at 373-7371 or richard.barron@news-record.com