Textron Aviation Opens Hands-on Flight Exhibit in Wichita

Children can explore a Cessna Citation business jet and look up at a Beechcraft Staggerwing mounted atop a control tower at Exploration Place in Wichita, where the Textron Aviation Flight Adventure opened to the public last week.

The attraction is built around physical exploration, using aircraft tied closely to the city’s manufacturing history. Textron Aviation said entering and handling the airplanes is meant to inspire children to picture their own futures in the industry.

“Aviation is deeply connected to the people and history of Wichita,” said Maggie Topping, senior v-p of human resources and communications for Textron Aviation. “The Flight Adventure gives families a new way to connect with that legacy while introducing more children to an industry that continues to shape our community.”

Textron Aviation cast the project as an extension of its ties to the city and of its spending in the communities where its workforce lives and works. Sharing the experience as a family, it said, helps pass Wichita’s aviation heritage to longtime residents and first-time visitors alike. Employees and their families toured the space together before it opened to the public.