WESTERN AIRCRAFT OPENS ITS NEW HANGAR IN BOISE, IDAHO

Western Aircraft, a Greenwich AeroGroup company, has completed the first phase of its $17M expansion with the opening of a new 53,000 square foot hangar.

The hangar is part of the 93,000 square foot addition on Western’s existing 18-acre leasehold in Boise, Idaho. Construction is still underway for the adjoining facility which will provide 40,000 square feet of space for the company’s avionics and interiors shops and administration offices.

The second phase is expected to be complete by year-end.

“This beautiful facility was designed with our current customers and prospective customers in mind,” said Austin Shontz, vice president and general manager for Western Aircraft. “Our culture is based around a customer-centric approach and personalized service - something that our growing base of Gulfstream, Cessna Citation and Embraer customers have embraced, spurring our need to construct more space to serve.”

Western 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. 

WESTERN AIRCRAFT HIRES NEW PILATUS REGIONAL SALES MANAGER

Western Aircraft, a Greenwich AeroGroup company, introduces Shannon Edick as its new regional sales manager for Pilatus Aircraft maintenance sales. Jay Reeder, who formerly served in this role, has moved to regional sales manager for King Air aircraft and Pilatus turboprop fleet operators.

Ms. Edick joined Western Aircraft in 2015. She has served in various roles from a work order coordinator and planner to an MRO quoter, and now as the company’s newly promoted Pilatus aircraft maintenance regional sales manager. Prior to joining Western Aircraft in 2015, Ms. Edick served in an accounts payable specialist position for XTRA Airways.

In her new role with the Western Aircraft MRO sales team, she will work with PC-12 and PC-24 owners and operators and is responsible for maintenance sales on Pilatus aircraft. 

WESTERN AIRCRAFT WELCOMES NEW PIPER SALES DIRECTOR

Western Aircraft, a Greenwich AeroGroup company, has hired Elise Wheelock as its new regional sales director for Piper Aircraft. Pat Belokas, who previously served as the company’s Piper regional sales director, has been promoted to the Pilatus sales team as regional director for Pilatus Turboprop Sales.

Ms. Wheelock began her career as a customer service representative for Aviation Adventures in Warrenton, Virginia. She then moved on to Piper Aircraft where she served as a product marketing intern, product marketing coordinator, and most recently as a fleet sales representative.

In her new role as Western Aircraft’s regional sales director for Piper Aircraft, she will build and maintain strong relationships with Piper aircraft prospects and customers to understand their needs and objectives as an aircraft owner.

Ms. Wheelock holds an Associate of Science in science from Lord Fairfax Community College and a Bachelor of Science in aeronautics from the University of North Dakota. In addition, she is a single and multi-engine commercial pilot, flight instructor and 2017 US National Aerobatics Champion. Ms. Wheelock regularly flies and demonstrates the entire Piper product line.

WESTERN AIRCRAFT WELCOMES DOUGLAS WENDT TO ITS MRO SALES TEAM

Western Aircraft, a Greenwich AeroGroup company, continues to grow its Gulfstream MRO support team by hiring Doug Wendt as its newest Regional Sales Manager.

Mr. Wendt is a seasoned sales manager with extensive Gulfstream experience, having spent more than 20 years working his way up through various roles at Gulfstream, from manager to district manager, and then regional sales manager of product support. He also previously worked at Honeywell, and most recently was an area sales manager for Western Jet.

In his new role with Western Aircraft, his primary focus will be on large-cabin Gulfstream, Falcon, Hawker, and Embraer Legacy aircraft serving owner/operators in Arizona, Southern California, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah and New Mexico.

Mr. Wendt holds a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from Arizona State University’s School of Engineering. 

WESTERN AIRCRAFT RESTRUCTURES ITS AIRCRAFT SALES TEAM TO MEET THE NEEDS OF PILATUS CUSTOMERS

Western Aircraft’s Aircraft Sales and Charter Management division announced that it is retooling its aircraft sales team and adding two newly created positions to enhance the customer journey for its Pilatus customers.

Western Aircraft is an Authorized Pilatus Sales and Service Center. Equally, it is the longstanding leader in the Pilatus Dealer Network having sold more than 300 new and used Pilatus PC-12 and PC-24 aircraft since 1996. Its region includes Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Northern California, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Ronald Smith, who has been a staple for the aircraft sales team for the last 13 years has been promoted to the newly created position of Regional Director for Pilatus Jet Sales. He previously served as the Pilatus Regional Sales Director. In his new role, Mr. Smith will now be dedicated to PC-24 sales for the entire territory for Western Aircraft. Pat Belokas, who has been serving as the Piper Regional Sales Director since 2016, has been promoted to the Pilatus sales team as Regional Director, Pilatus Turboprop Sales.

“We are investing in the future of our longstanding partnership with Pilatus and their market-leading products,” said Western Aircraft’s Vice President for Aircraft Sales & Charter Management Phil Winters. “Restructuring our team with one director solely focused on PC-24 aircraft in our territory will assist us in improved product expertise and customer experience. By dividing our Pilatus sales force into jet specialists and turboprop specialists, we believe it could have a significant impact for Western Aircraft, our customers and the Pilatus Dealer Network.”

Current additional Pilatus team members include Brett Woods who is the Regional Director of Pilatus Turboprop Sales and Ashley Fredricks the group’s Pilatus Demonstration Pilot. Cheyenne Spaulding rounds out the team in a newly created position of Customer Experience Liaison.

“The customer experience liaison will be an asset to our sales team,” added Winters. “Cheyenne will serve as an extension of the salesperson by handling predelivery logistics, the custom design of interiors, paint and options of the aircraft, etc. This will help ensure the customer experience is outstanding throughout the buyer’s journey from sale to ownership and after. We treat the delivery of a new airplane as the beginning of our customer relationship, not the end.”

WESTERN AIRCRAFT CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF FALCON SERVICE WITH AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER RENEWAL

Western Aircraft, a Greenwich AeroGroup company, announced that it recently received a renewed Authorized Service Center (ASC) contract from Dassault Falcon Jet Corp.

Western Aircraft received its first designation as a Heavy Jet Service Center in 2001 and maintains broad-ranging capabilities from maintenance services to avionics retrofits including Collins ProLine 21, Honeywell Primus Elite integrated flight decks and Gogo Avance L5 system installations. It also offers the latest in Aviation Clean Air Ionization Purification System installations on most Falcon models, along with full interior retrofits and modifications, including wood, seats and other soft goods.

“We are very proud of our longstanding relationship with Dassault Falcon Jet,” said Austin Shontz, vice president and general manager for Western Aircraft. “In fact, we are celebrating 20 years as a Falcon ASC this year. When customers come to Boise for service they know that we will provide them with the highest standards of quality and service that they would expect to receive from a Dassault Falcon Jet ASC.”

Western Aircraft’s technicians are factory-trained and the company boasts a large customer base from the Western U.S. and Canada. In 2018, Western Aircraft announced that it had completed its 100th Falcon C-Inspection, which is the largest maintenance event on a Falcon aircraft. Since that time, Western has completed an additional 18 C-Inspections.

WESTERN AIRCRAFT HIRES NEW AVIONICS MANAGER

Western Aircraft, a Greenwich AeroGroup company, announced it has hired Patrick “Brody” McKenna as its Avionics Manager.

Mr. McKenna has more than 15 years of aviation experience, specifically with technical training, troubleshooting and aircraft repair. In his new role with Western Aircraft, his primary responsibilities will include day-to-day operations of the avionics department, as well as avionics integration, installation, coordination of certification with engineering and customer service.

A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, he served as an avionics collateral duty quality assurance representative and avionics technician, and as an avionics instructor evaluator and master training specialist. In 2014, he accepted an avionics tech position with Gulfstream Aerospace’s Long Beach, California, service center and within two years was promoted to a senior avionics technician. He most recently served there as an avionics systems specialist.

Mr. McKenna is FlightSafety trained in several areas including Planeview Avionics Advanced Troubleshooting, Integrated Cabin Management Systems and Aero IT.

WESTERN AIRCRAFT FILLS SEVERAL KEY POSITIONS

BOISE, Idaho, Dec. 17, 2020 Western Aircraft, a Greenwich AeroGroup company, announced it has filled multiple positions, including several turboprop-specific service management and representative roles, others in quality assurance and chief inspection, from within.

M. Tyler West
is Western Aircraft’s new Pilatus Service Manager. Mr. West began his aviation career at Western Aircraft in 2006, then gained experience at Pratt & Whitney and Boutique Air before rejoining the Western team. He brings 14 years of aviation experience to his new role, including supervisory and director level management in Part 145 and 135 operations.

Jeff Watson is Western Aircraft’s new Falcon Service Manager, having served as Turboprop Service Manager for three years prior. Mr. Watson has been with Western Aircraft since 2004, during which time he’s worked his way up from a Falcon maintenance tech, to a Falcon job lead, to the Falcon team lead. He attended several factory schools and has hands-on experience with all Falcon models.

Brian Lair brings a diverse skillset to his new role as Western Aircraft’s quality assurance inspector with emphasis on log book research. Mr. Lair originally became part of the Western Aircraft team in 2007, and has since worked his way up from a maintenance technician, to job lead, floor inspector and now quality control inspector.

Adam Young is Western Aircraft’s newly promoted chief inspector. He brings seven years of jet aircraft maintenance experience, and five years of FAA Part 145 repair station quality assurance and quality control inspection experience to the position. Mr. Young spent the previous three years as quality control lead inspector for Western Aircraft, so the transitional promotion has been a natural flow. He’s been with the company since 2007, when he joined the team as a maintenance technician.

Elliott Rupp joined Western Aircraft in 2011, and was recently promoted to the role of Pilatus PC-24 Tech Rep. Having served as a Lead Technician for more than 10 years, Mr. Rupp is adept at managing the workflow of both light and heavy maintenance on the Pilatus PC-12, Pilatus PC-24, Beechcraft King Air series, as well as other light aircraft.

WESTERN AIRCRAFT COMPLETES STC FOR GOGO AVANCE L3 INSTALLATION IN PILATUS PC-12

Western Aircraft, a Greenwich AeroGroup company, announced it has completed the first aftermarket MRO Supplemental Type Certificate for installation of the Gogo AVANCE™ L3 in-flight connectivity system in Pilatus PC-12 aircraft.

AVANCE™ L3 is Gogo’s in-flight Wi-Fi system tailor-made for turboprops and light jets. Its connectivity allows users to browse secure connections such as corporate VPN access, email, social media, online search, and access online accounts on up to 25 devices at once. Gogo also recently announced that the L3 platform provides customers connectivity at 3,000 feet above the ground as opposed to the previous 10,000 feet above the ground, which benefits many PC-12 operators who don’t spend much time flying above 10,000 feet.

“We’re thrilled to offer our customers, especially Part 135 operators, the stability of an STC for a modification to their aircraft’s in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity system,” said Western Aircraft’s Avionics Sales Manager Beau Hawkins. “Our excellent relationship with Gogo Business Aviation, and our experience with PC-12 aircraft made this a perfect fit as it expands its service to Canada.”

“This is great news that our valued aftermarket partner, Western Aircraft, has become the first to fully certify the AVANCE L3 on the prestigious Pilatus PC-12,” said David Salvador, vice president of aftermarket sales for Gogo Business Aviation. “Hundreds of in-service PC-12 aircraft owners and operators can now install and reap the benefit of the Gogo AVANCE platform with this full equipment STC.”

As an Authorized Pilatus Service Center, Western Aircraft technicians have logged hundreds of thousands of maintenance hours on Pilatus PC-12 aircraft in recent years. In addition, Western Aircraft has sold more than 300 new and used PC-12s and PC-24s since 1996.

WESTERN AIRCRAFT MAINTAINS ITS FOCUS ON GROWTH WITH TWO KEY HIRES

Western Aircraft, a Greenwich AeroGroup company, announced it has hired two individuals to fulfill key roles within its management team.

John Kochel has been hired as the Director of Parts and Logistics business unit for Western Aircraft. Mr. Kochel has an extensive aviation background. He began his career with GKN in the International Leadership Development Program and assumed various leadership roles including program manager for HondaJet, business development for GKN Transparency Systems, and general manager of the Transparency Aftermarket Services business unit in Garden Grove, California. Most recently, he managed the western territory for GlobalParts.aero. Mr. Kochel is a graduate of Penn State University with a bachelor’s degree in English and Business. Additionally, he completed the UCLA Financial Leadership Program.

With its recent expansion announcement, Western Aircraft continues to establish its team for its ever-growing Gulfstream services with Russell Crouch being selected as its new Gulfstream Service Manager. Having served in the Army as an aircraft mechanic, Mr. Crouch furthered his aerospace career with Gulfstream Aerospace in Savannah, Georgia. During his more than 25 years with the company, he served in a variety of roles there including mechanic, crew chief, crew lead, mechanical team lead, operations manager, service team manager, senior internal sales manager and most recently as senior PS sales program analyst. He is airframe and powerplant licensed and is currently approaching the completion of a bachelor’s degree in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.