Adam Program Said Solid, With a Good Relationship Ongoing with Pogo Air
Taxi
Adam Aircraft president and chief operating officer Joe
Walker wants to set the record straight on the viability of the already
certified twin-engine turboprop A500 and derivative A700 VLJ programs. The best
barometer is sales.
"I'm very pleased with the order intake here of sales for
the A-700," Walker said during an interview yesterday at the company stand.
He declined to reveal how many A700s were sold, but said the
sales force has kept him busy.
On the oft-heard rumor that Pogo has lost confidence in
Adam's ability to fulfill its delivery obligations, Walker said
matter-of-factly, "I talked with Bob [Crandall, Pogo chairman] last night. We
have an excellent relationship. In my view, nothing has changed." Pogo has
ordered 75 Adam 700s but is reportedly negotiating with other VLJ makers.
On Adam's critics, which claim that the A700 program and the
company are on very shaky turf, Walker took the high ground. "I wish my
competitors well."
Walker, a long-time engineer with Gulfstream Aerospace
before coming to Adam, offered the following bit of history to those who wish
to rush to judgment on the A700: "There are hundreds of people who have tried
to certify airplanes in the past 25-30 years. Some are here. But very few have
a certified airframe. We do."
Walker also reiterated other points in the A700's favor: The
A700 will be certified in late 2006; the jet has 65% parts commonality with the
already-certified A500 turboprop; and 95% of the suppliers are common for both
programs. "There is a fair amount of risk mitigation on certifying this
aircraft," Walker said.
