September ninth was the 50th anniversary of the of the Federal Aviation Administration's Type Certification for the Cessna 500 Citation, the first model of the family that remains in production.
The pioneering business jet was announced in October 1968 and completed its maiden flight as FanJet 500 on September 15, 1969. Flight testing resulted in significant changes to the airframe, including a longer forward fuselage, relocating the engine nacelles and redesign of the tailplanes.
The name changed to Citation prior to certification, after a racehorse that won the American Triple Crown. Its relatively slow speed compared with other business jets, thanks to its straight wings and turbofan engine, give rise to many derogatory nicknames, such as "Slowtation", but the aircraft sold well and was popular with its owner. American Airlines took delivery of the first Citation to enter service in January 1972