Mustang gallops free on 2.5-hour maiden flight

The Cessna Citation Mustang prototype made its first flight from McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita on April 23 at 10:26 a.m. CDT. Test pilots Scotty Jergenson and Dave Bonifield flew the very light jet (VLJ) on a 2.5-hour mission, climbing to 11,000 feet, where the airplane underwent various stability and control tests, including cycling of the landing gear, flaps and speed brakes. The flight concluded at 12:47 p.m. CDT when the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW615F-powered Mustang landed at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport. Certification of the $2.4 million VLJ is slated for the second half of next year, with deliveries to start by year-end.