PressMediaWire.com (Press Release Distribution) – Apr 03,2009 –

Friedrichshafen, Germany – April 2, 2009 – Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, continues to see strong propeller aircraft sales in Europe, particularly in France.

Aero-Club Hispano Suiza, located in Paris, recently ordered 15 SkyCatchers and two Skylanes. The SkyCatchers will replace its existing fleet of Cessna Model 150s as trainers for its flight school. The Skylanes will expand its fleet and be used as advanced IFR training aircraft to introduce the Garmin G1000 all-glass cockpit to its members.

�Decades of proven reliability, an excellent safety record and efficient, economical operations are the reasons Aero-Club chose to enter the new generation with an all-Cessna training fleet using the Cessna SkyCatcher,� said Pana Poulios, Cessna�s sales manager of European propeller sales.

�Aero-Club students and members have enjoyed the Cessna 150 over the years; however, they are very excited to begin teaching students to fly in the modern and economical new SkyCatcher,� Poulios said.

Cessna also announced several other orders:

• Avignon Parachute Club located in southern France recently selected the Cessna Grand Caravan to replace the club�s two Pilatus Porters. The Caravan is expected to enter operations by mid-2009.
• An unnamed French customer has ordered five 162 SkyCatchers
• Cessna has taken its first 400 Corvalis TT orders from unnamed French customers, following closely behind last month�s certification by European authorities.

Cessna Aircraft Company
Based on unit sales, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world’s largest manufacturer of general aviation airplanes. In 2008, Cessna delivered 1,301 aircraft, including 467 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of about $5.662 billion. Cessna has a backlog of $14.5 billion as of December 31, 2008. Since the company was originally established in 1927, some 192,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered around the world, including more than 5,700 Citations, making it the largest fleet of business jets in the world. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at https://www.cessna.com.

About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a $14.2 billion multi-industry company operating in 28 countries with approximately 42,000 employees. The company leverages its global network of aircraft, defense and intelligence, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, Textron Systems and Textron Financial Corporation. More information is available at www.textron.com.

Forward-looking Information: Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements and speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the statements, including but not limited to the following: [a] changes in worldwide economic and political conditions that impact demand for our products, interest rates and foreign exchange rates; [b] the interruption of production at our facilities or at our suppliers� facilities; [c] the timing of new product launches and certifications of new aircraft products; [d] the occurrence of slowdowns or downturns in customer markets in which our products are sold or supplied; [e] changes in aircraft delivery schedules or cancellation of orders; [f] the launching of significant new products or programs which could result in unanticipated expenses; [g] changes in national or international government policies on the export and import of commercial products; and [h] bankruptcy or other financial problems at major suppliers that could cause disruptions in our supply chain.

SOURCE: The Textron Company