FOUR GULFSTREAM UNITS RECEIVE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION DIAMOND AWARD

SAVANNAH, Ga., April 21, 2011 - Four maintenance organizations within Gulfstream Aerospace recently received the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) Employer Diamond Award of Excellence for 2010.  The award is the highest honor the FAA gives a company for aviation maintenance.

The Gulfstream award winners are the U.S. Army C-37 and U.S. Navy C-37 Contract Logistics Support (CLS) programs at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., the U.S. Air Force C-37 CLS Program at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, and the Brunswick service center in Georgia.

"These awards recognize our continued dedication to safety and service," said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream Product Support.  "Gulfstream is committed to investing in maintenance training for our technicians, which results in safer, more reliable aircraft for our customers."

The AMT program, created in 1991, honors aviation maintenance personnel and employers who participate in training that exceeds FAA regulatory requirements.

Gulfstream Brunswick has won the award 11 years in a row, while the C-37 CLS programs at Andrews AFB have each won it seven times.  The C-37 CLS group at Ramstein won the award in its first year of eligibility.

The C-37 is the military version of the Gulfstream GV or G550 business jet. The Maryland-based CLS staffs support the daily flight operations for U.S. Army and U.S. Navy senior leadership by maintaining two C-37A aircraft (GV) and one C-37B (G550), and three C-37B aircraft, respectively.

The CLS staff at Ramstein supports one C-37A aircraft, which is used for the transport of U.S. Air Force senior leadership.

Seventy Gulfstream aircraft are in service with the U.S. government, including 20 C-37s that are part of the Executive Transport fleet. On a typical mission, the aircraft flies at least 5,500 nautical miles without refueling, carrying senior military leaders, U.S. Cabinet secretaries or congressional delegations on official government business.

Companies that qualify for the Diamond Award of Excellence must ensure 100 percent of their eligible employees receive an individual AMT award during the calendar year.  Brunswick’s eligible employees earned 24 Silver Awards and 24 Bronze Awards; eligible employees for the Navy CLS unit received 10 Silver Awards, while the Army CLS unit at Andrews Air Force Base earned 11 Silver Awards.  Ramstein’s three employees received two Gold Awards and a Bronze Award.

Individual awards are based on minimum hours of AMT training - 80 for gold, 40 for silver and 12 for bronze. In addition, Gold Award winners must complete a three-credit aviation career-related college course.

 

NOTE TO EDITORS

Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), designs, develops, manufactures, markets, services and supports the world’s most technologically advanced business-jet aircraft. Gulfstream has produced more than 1,900 aircraft for customers around the world since 1958. To meet the diverse transportation needs of the future, Gulfstream offers a comprehensive fleet of aircraft, comprising the wide-cabin, high-speed Gulfstream G150®; the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G200®; the new large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G250®; the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G350®; the large-cabin, long-range Gulfstream G450®; the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G500®; the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G550® and the ultra-large-cabin, ultra-long-range G650®. Gulfstream also offers aircraft ownership services via Gulfstream Pre-Owned Aircraft Sales®. The company employs more than 10,000 people at 10 major locations. We invite you to visit our website for more information and photos of Gulfstream aircraft at www.gulfstream.com.

General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, employs approximately 90,000 people worldwide. The company is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies. More information about the company is available on the Internet at www.generaldynamics.com.