Weather changes spectacularly on the Great Plains. A flood disappears as fast as the next drought arrives. So it is with the Wichita aviation cluster. This, community, nearly a century old, has wondered if the post-2007 downturn is the hardest yet.
Severing a relationship dating from 1929, Boeing's brand will withdraw from Wichita in 2014. Meanwhile, Hawker Beechcraft is struggling to redefine itself before it is too late. The iconic Beech brand may still endure, but in what form nobody is certain.
Yet hope remains. Aerostructures specialist and Boeing spin-off Spirit AeroSystems now dominates the cluster's fortunes - and this is one of those cyclical "better" times. Wichita's entire aviation community rises now on the strength of Spirit's fast-growing backlog from an increasingly diverse mix of aircraft. Wichita's plan to survive is no longer dependent solely on the whims of any single aviation market. And when the business aviation market recovers, Wichita will be better prepared than ever. Unhealthy businesses have been shed and a training pipeline for skilled labour exists.
This is good news for the aviation industry as a whole. This medium-sized Kansas city has a depth of experience, skill and talent that cannot be transplanted to a lower-cost market, or replaced by new competitors with only a fraction of Wichita's lifespan. The winds in Wichita are changing - this time in the cluster's favour.
Severing a relationship dating from 1929, Boeing's brand will withdraw from Wichita in 2014. Meanwhile, Hawker Beechcraft is struggling to redefine itself before it is too late. The iconic Beech brand may still endure, but in what form nobody is certain.
Yet hope remains. Aerostructures specialist and Boeing spin-off Spirit AeroSystems now dominates the cluster's fortunes - and this is one of those cyclical "better" times. Wichita's entire aviation community rises now on the strength of Spirit's fast-growing backlog from an increasingly diverse mix of aircraft. Wichita's plan to survive is no longer dependent solely on the whims of any single aviation market. And when the business aviation market recovers, Wichita will be better prepared than ever. Unhealthy businesses have been shed and a training pipeline for skilled labour exists.
This is good news for the aviation industry as a whole. This medium-sized Kansas city has a depth of experience, skill and talent that cannot be transplanted to a lower-cost market, or replaced by new competitors with only a fraction of Wichita's lifespan. The winds in Wichita are changing - this time in the cluster's favour.
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