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Jack J. Pelton is chairman, president and chief executive officer of Cessna Aircraft Company, the leading worldwide manufacturer of general aviation aircraft. Headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, Cessna has produced more than 189,000 aircraft since the company was founded in 1927, including the largest global fleet of nearly 5,000 business jets.
Pelton, a native of California, has more than three decades of aviation experience. He joined Cessna in November 2000 as senior vice president of product engineering and oversaw Cessna’s engineering and product development activities, including new aircraft development, design, experimental and production test flight, certifications and product improvements for all Cessna models. He was named President and CEO in 2003 and Chairman in 2005.
Before joining Cessna in 2000, Pelton served as senior vice president of engineering and programs at Fairchild Dornier in Germany and was responsible for the 728JET aircraft family. Previously he held related executive positions of increasing responsibility during his 20 years at Boeing, formerly Douglas Aircraft.
Pelton holds a commercial pilot’s license with instrument, multi-engine and seaplane ratings. He also holds type ratings in several Cessna Citation business jets, including the Citation X, the world’s fastest civil aviation airplane. He is a single engine aircraft owner and restores legacy aircraft.
Owing to his position as leader of the world’s largest general aviation manufacturing company, Pelton has become active in helping formulate national policy on general aviation, and is frequently called on to testify before Congress and other government agencies on industry issues. He was recently awarded the Kansas Chamber of Commerce Ad Astra Award as the state’s most influential business leader in 2006.
Pelton is the immediate past chairman of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) where he continues to serve as chairman of the Flight Operations Policy committee, and serves on the Associate Member Advisory Board of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). He also serves on the boards of directors of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the Corporate Angel Network, and the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association (LAMA).
Pelton is actively involved in numerous community non-profit organizations, serving on the board of trustees of the Sedgwick County Zoological Society and the boards of directors of both the Wichita Area Chamber of Commerce and the Kansas Chamber. He is chairman of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Gathering of Eagles and a member of the board and past president of Wichita Habitat for Humanity.
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