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WESTERN AIRCRAFT RENEWED AS DASSAULT FALCON JET AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER

Western Aircraft, a Greenwich AeroGroup company, has successfully renewed its agreement with Dassault Falcon Jet Corp, for its 23rd year maintaining its status as an Authorized Service Center (ASC).

Since its original accreditation as a Heavy Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Service Center in 2001, Western Aircraft has significantly grown in both its scale and breadth of services provided. The company offers a wide array of services, including maintenance, avionics enhancements with cutting-edge Gogo Avance Air to Ground system installations, and detailed interior refurbishments and updates. They are also skilled in specialized airframe modifications like dry bay modifications. Impressively, Western Aircraft has accomplished more than 130 C-checks, representing the most thorough inspection available for all Falcon models.

“We are honored to have our authorization with Dassault Falcon Jet extended,” said Austin Shontz, vice president and general manager for Western Aircraft. “Our commitment to excellence and quality service aligns with the esteemed standards of Dassault Falcon Jet.”

With a team of factory-trained experts, Western Aircraft provides its services to a diverse clientele throughout the Western United States and Canada.

Western Aircraft, Inc., a Greenwich AeroGroup company, has received Commuter Air Carrier Authorization from the Department of Transportation, paving the way for the company to provide scheduled passenger operations.

Western Aircraft will be using next-generation Pilatus PC-12 aircraft for its scheduled operations, with a focus on routes between Honolulu and Lanai in the State of Hawaii where it currently performs on-demand air taxi operations as Lāna‘i Air.

“We are thrilled to receive our Commuter Air Carrier Authorization from the DOT,” said Western Aircraft’s Vice President for Aircraft Sales and Charter Management Phil Winters. "Our entire team has been working hard to prepare for these operations, and we look forward to supplementing our existing Lāna’i Air operations with scheduled passenger flights.”

With this approval, Western Aircraft becomes one of only 35 operators in the United States that have Commuter Air Carrier Authorization. The ongoing schedule for these operations is being finalized and Western Aircraft anticipates ramping up the flight schedule in the near future.

 

 Western Aircraft, a leading provider of aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, today announced changes to its leadership structure to better support its employees and customers as the business continues to grow.

Jody Harris, who has served as Director of Aircraft Services for the past seven years, will transition to the newly created role of Director of Operations Logistics. In this expanded role, Mr. Harris will continue to provide leadership for MRO Engineering, Quality Assurance and Planning, and will add leadership for the Parts Logistics, Warehouse and Facilities teams.

Brody McKenna, who joined Western Aircraft two years ago as the Avionics Department Manager, is promoted to Director of MRO Operations. He will be responsible for the Jet, Turboprop, Avionics, Interiors, and Structures departments.

According to Austin Shontz, Western Aircraft’s General Manager, the company is better positioned for the future. “As with any growing organization, there are periodic changes necessary to ensure we are managing our work, people and customers with the appropriate amount of support,” he said. “I am confident these moves will serve us well in the months and years to come, and I’m especially pleased to have the opportunity to work directly with these two key leaders as we take the business forward.”

Mr. McKenna brings more than 18 years of aviation experience to his new position.

“I am honored to be given the opportunity to lead such a talented team of professionals,” he said. “I look forward to continuing the strong culture of excellence in maintenance, repair, and overhaul services that Western Aircraft has become well known for in its more than 65 years in business.”

Western Aircraft, a Greenwich AeroGroup company, is partnering with Gogo Business Aviation (NASDAQ: GOGO) to secure the Supplemental Type Certification (STC) for the Gogo 5G system on the Pilatus PC-24 aircraft.

This comprehensive STC will be available for PC-24 owners who install the Gogo AVANCE™ L5 today along with the full Gogo 5G provisional kit, which will expedite installation once the STC is secured.

In late 2020, Western Aircraft completed the first aftermarket MRO Supplemental Type Certificate for the installation of the Gogo AVANCE™ L3 in-flight connectivity and entertainment (IFEC) system in Pilatus PC-12 aircraft.

“We’ve partnered with Gogo successfully before in support of Pilatus aircraft and we are excited to partner with them again,” said Kerry Heiss, director of sales and marketing for Western Aircraft. “Our team has been servicing Pilatus aircraft for more than 25 years. It’s an honor to partner with Gogo to provide a 5G connectivity solution for PC-24 operators.”

“The Western Aircraft team is a long-standing, valued partner with Gogo,” said David Salvador, vice president of aftermarket sales for Gogo. “We’re excited to see their continued investments that will bring Pilatus PC-24 aircraft owners and operators this quality certification for the Gogo 5G system. Meeting future data demands in flight starts with a Gogo 5G investment today.”

5G is expected to deliver ~25 Mbps on average with peak speeds in the 75-80 Mbps range and has been designed to deliver high throughput with very low latency to address the increasing demand for data-heavy interactive services like video conferencing.

Gogo recently announced that it had completed construction of the Gogo 5G network nationwide and that it will begin to expand into Canada in 2023.

The STC will be completed at Western Aircraft’s facility in Boise, Idaho.

Today, more than ever, chartering aircraft is all the rage. But long before it was cool,Western Aircraft’s Westair Charter was already paving the way for flying business and leisure travelers. Recently, it celebrated its 20th year of charter service. 

Western Aircraft’s Vice President for Aircraft Sales & CharterManagementPhil Winters has been with the company since 1997, overseeing the growth of Western’s charter business while also watching the growth of the industry.

“We are proud to be celebrating this milestone and be a long-standing partner to the business aviation community,”said Winters.“At the same time, I’m excited about the future as I observe the charter industry’s steady growth due to increasing productive business and family flight schedule options.”

Westair Charter has equally been seeing an upswing in its aircraft management services. It recently added its 16th managed aircraft, a Pilatus PC-24 to its management and Part 135 certificate based in Boise, Idaho. Westair Charter and Aircraft Management operates a variety of aircraft from various locations throughout the lower 48United States and Hawaii.

Western Aircraft, a Greenwich AeroGroup company, has promoted Heather Aldred to the role of turboprop regional sales manager and hired Peter Chabay as its new turboprop quoter.

Ms. Aldred is a licensed A&P mechanic with more than 15 years of experience in Parts 91, 121, 135 and 141 corporate, business and private aviation. She holds professional training in ATR, King Air and Piper maintenance, and has performed maintenance on these aircraft herself.

Her career in aviation maintenance has taken her all over the west: she co-owned a maintenance company in Scappoose, Oregon, before taking a position as a line mechanic in Oahu, Hawaii. Next, she participated in the full restoration of several Cessna 150/152 aircraft for AOPA’s “Reimagined” project in Afton, Wyoming, before she joined Western Aircraft’s team in 2016.

Ms. Aldred most recently served as the Piper maintenance supervisor for Western’s aircraft services division. In her new role as turboprop regional sales manager, her responsibilities will include serving fleet turboprop customers, Pilatus, King Air and Piper operators.

Peter Chabay recently joined Western Aircraft. He has more than 14 years of experience in aviation. Having worked his way up from administrative duties at Gulfstream to service center customer liaison responsibilities at Pilatus. In his new role as turboprop quoter, he will employ his intimate knowledge of turboprop airframes to work closely with the sales team and customers to generate accurate quotes for services requested.

He achieved his bachelor’s degree from the University of California-Irvine and maintains his single-engine land certificate as a licensed private pilot.

Western Aircraft has received Garmin Aviation’s Platinum Award for outstanding sales and service for 2021.

The Platinum Dealer Award is presented to Garmin dealers with the most outstanding levels of sales performance, technical expertise and customer service. The award is the highest recognition that can be bestowed upon a Garmin Aviation dealer.

“On behalf of the team at Garmin, we congratulate Western Aircraft on this tremendous achievement and thank them for their continued support and dedication to serving our mutual customers,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin vice president of aviation sales and marketing.

“The team at Western Aircraft is excited to be recognized with this award,”said Kerry Heiss, director of sales and marketing for Western Aircraft. “Garmin’s products and upgrades overlap nicely with many of our targeted airframes, and we are thrilled to be able to cater to our customers’ needs with these innovative and reliable avionics products.

Western Aircraft sells and installs Garmin products on a variety of platforms, including Citation, Pilatus, King Air, and Embraer aircraft.

Western Aircraft has hired seasoned aircraft designer Robert Stockton as its new interior sales manager.

Mr. Stockton has a broad aviation career that includes work in interior and exterior design, refurbishments, installations, customer relationships and sales support.

He brings more than 18 years of aircraft interior design experience to his new role with Western Aircraft. After serving in the U.S. Army as an emergency medical technician, he accepted a senior interior design role with Bombardier Aerospace where he served more than 10 years. Additionally, he worked as a sales representative for Garrett Leather before transitioning to Gulfstream where he served as a principal designer. In his most recent role, he was an interior/exterior designer for Embraer.

In his position with Western Aircraft, Mr. Stockton will be responsible for sales related to interior changes, design consulting, quoting, vendor relationships, and project planning among others. He will work collaboratively with Western Aircraft’s interiors team to ensure each project meets customer satisfaction.

Mr. Stockton holds an Associate of Arts degree in Advertising Art and a Bachelor of Arts in Design from Southwest University of Visual Arts in Tucson, Arizona.

Western Aircraft announced it recently completed its first 192-month inspection on a Gulfstream aircraft.

While Western has been working on large-cabin Gulfstream aircraft for the last couple years, lack of space to accommodate the expanded scope of work associated with those large airframes was a constraint. However, space is no longer a hinderance due to Western’s recent addition of a 53,000 square-foot hangar that can accommodate up to six G650 aircraft.

The 192-month inspection is the largest calendar inspection on a Gulfstream aircraft. This comprehensive structural review for cracks and corrosion includes the removal of the airframe’s interior and cockpit, as well as removal of the engines, APUs, the wings leading edges, horizontal and vertical stabilizers and more.

“Our team did an outstanding job,” said Russell Crouch, Western Aircraft’s Gulfstream service manager. “We have some extremely experienced Gulfstream technicians on our team. This project gave them a chance to share their vast knowledge with some technicians who are still learning about this airframe.”

Western completed the 192-month inspection on a Gulfstream G500-5000 aircraft.

Western Aircraft announced it has received authorization to work on Mexican-registered aircraft.

The Federal Civil Aviation Agency (Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil) AFAC issued the approval that allows Western Aircraft to provide full maintenance and repair services for Mexican-registered Gulfstream, Dassault Falcon, Hawker, Cessna, King Air, Pilatus, Embraer and Piper aircraft.

“We are excited to expand our capabilities to work on Mexican-registered aircraft,” said Kerry Heiss, director of sales and marketing for Western Aircraft. “Having spoken with numerous Mexican operators, we know they value working with capable MRO facilities. In addition, our avionics, interior, and structures departments complement our maintenance work for a broad array of jet and turboprop aircraft.”

Western Aircraft maintains a substantial customer base from the United States and Canada and boasts an extensive history of working on diverse types of airframes including Citation, Embraer, Falcon, Gulfstream, Hawker, King Air, Pilatus, Piper and Quest aircraft.


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