It flightstar by Jorge Leandro Rodrigues

PROFILE • FLIGHTSTAR

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FLIGHTSTAR • PROFILE

Flightstar Aircraft Services Inc. is a leading supplier of heavy maintenance and repair services to the commercial aviation industry. The Florida-based enterprise is not just financially stable, it’s growing. How does it consistently deliver on its promise – to clients and to itself? Dan Harvey describes. HEN IT COMES TO AVIATION MRO, Flightstar Aircraft Services Inc. has forged a collaborative partnership with its clients. The continuously improving company enjoys longterm relationships with aviation industry leaders, who equate the Flightstar name with the highest levels of reliability and safety. “Our customer-focused orientation has made us a leading global supplier when it comes to outsourced maintenance, repair, and refabrication,” says Tim Bergin, the company’s vice president of business development. He knows whereof he speaks. Long before he joined Flightstar in 2011, he served in the Marine Corps (beginning in 1972), spending four years maintaining A4 aircraft. Founded in 2000, the Jacksonville, Fla.-based Flightstar consistently offers creative solutions to clients’ problems. No conundrum is too complex. During its existence – admittedly short but hallmarked by significant achievements – the company has helped customers realize greater efficiency via a lowering of the recurring maintenance costs and the maximization of ROI related to repair. Based at the Cecil Field Commerce Center, Flightstar Aircraft Services, Inc. is a leading provider of heavy maintenance and inspection services and modification services for narrow body air transport category aircraft. Services include all levels of scheduled maintenance, from daily line checks to heavy depot level maintenance.

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PROFILE • FLIGHTSTAR

AT-A-GLANCE Company name: Flightstar Aircraft Services Inc.

FLIGHTSTAR • PROFILE

Location: Jacksonville, Fla. Established: 2000 President: Jerry Hernandez Focus: Aviation MRO Employees: Nearly 700 Website: www.flightstarjax.com

From its Cecil Airport home base, Flightstar boasts substantial capabilities: For instance, provision of service that covers 10 heavy-equipment lines throughout two adjacent hangers (the hangar complex measures a combined 350,000 square feet). INVESTMENT

That’s remarkable footage, and Flightstar isn’t done yet. The company is currently expanding Cecil Airport operations to the tune of $30.5 million dollars (assisted by a Florida Department

of Transportation [FDOT] infrastructure development grant, awarded the Jacksonville Aviation Authority). Dollars are directed toward construction of a 113,000-squarefoot hangar, additional office space, and improvements to taxiways, aprons and related transportation infrastructure. Improvements will allow Flightstar to remain in a comfort zone where it has performed so well. Besides the 113,000 feet of new hanger space, the investment will add 32,000-square-feet of warehousing and shop space – as

“Our customer-focused orientation has made us a leading global supplier when it comes to outsourced maintenance, repair, and refabrication.” – Tim Bergin, vice president of business development.”

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well as additional office space. The grant supplements FDOT’s previous commitment of $10 million in Strategic Intermodal System funding. The remaining $17 million is provided by Flightstar and the Jacksonville Aviation Authority. All of these enthusiastically spent dollars result in the $30.5 million figure.

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Jerry Hernandez is president and CEO of Flightstar Aircraft Services Inc., a role he assumed from the company’s very beginning (2000). In his leadership position, he oversees all business elements. He’s well-suited for such a complex role, as he holds airframe and power plant licenses from the FAA and boasts more than 35 years’ experience in aircraft heavy maintenance. Previous to taking Flightstar’s helm, Hernandez served as director of maintenance and vice president of maintenance at Professional Modification Services (PMS) in Miami, Fla. Before joining PMS, he served in the United States Air Force (1976-1986). During his decade of military service, he distinguished himself by garnering awards such as Maintenance Professional of the Year for the Tactical Air Command.

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PROFILE • FLIGHTSTAR

HIGH-FLYING TEAM Flightstar has recruited a team of top aviation professionals dedicated to the company’s flight mission of customer service. Recruitment is but one way the founders transformed vision into reality. All team members have been involved in aviation, in one form or another (piloting craft, maintaining craft, etc.) The flight crew includes: • Jerry Hernandez (president/CEO) • Juan Briz (executive vice president) • Tucker Morrison (COO) • Mark Shuman (CFO) • Steve Slusarczyk (VP-mainentance) • Tim Bergin (VP-business development) • Dan Hasert (director of maintenance) • Charlie Boschung III (director of quality) For more information about the company, visit www.flightstarjax.com.

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FLIGHTSTAR • PROFILE

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But the ambitious Flightstar Aircraft Services isn’t content to remain in a comfort zone. While the company intends to remain at Cecil Airport – where it will enjoy its grant bounty – it always looks to expand its MRO activities and capabilities. This translates into new work that will, no doubt, benefit the surrounding community. Operation of the new hanger space will translate into 300 permanent jobs and new work for at least a hundred contractors, the company reports. For sure, such targeted investments promote local economic growth, agrees Rick Scott, Florida’s governor, adding that he applauds FDOT’s commitment to economic development. Further, FDOT’s response – as expressed by its secretary Ananth Prasad – demonstrates appreciation of the fact that MRO is a targeted industry that bolsters economic development. The combining of forces – Flightstar and FDOT – means that Flightstar Aircraft Services will expand workforce. “The decision to remain in Florida positively impacts all involved,” observes Bergin. WELL VETTED

The local government does well to court this thriving company. Since its establishment in 2000, Flightstar has garnered numerous validations and certifications. These include: •FAA Part 145 repair station with Class IV rating;

“Flightstar is a leading provider of heavy maintenance and inspection services and modification services for narrow body air transport category aircraft.”

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PROFILE • FLIGHTSTAR

“Flightstar is a stable organization operating in a highly competitive – and even a sometimes unstable – marketplace.”

•Certification: Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC); •Certification: European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA): and •Certification: Agencia Nacional de Aviacao Civil (ANAC)Brazil. In addition, Flightstar is certified by Bolivia, Columbia, Mexico, Panama and Venezuela. Flightstar performs a comprehensive suite of services including: •Major maintenance inspections; •Aircraft modifications and upgrades; •Interior refurbishment and reconfiguration; •Passenger-to-freighter conversion; and •Engineering service and support. Flightstar’s core competencies include critical repair, recurring maintenance, and modification services. Its comprehensive service suite supports operators of heavy commercial aircraft, and the company boasts full tooling capabilities for the Bombardier aircraft family, including:

FLIGHTSTAR • PROFILE

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•CRJ •B717 •B727 •B737 •B757 •B767 •DC9 •MD-80/90 Such activity reflects Flightstar’s combination of flexibility and creativity when it comes to customer assistance and care. MAINTENANCE AND MODIFICATIONS

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The comprehensive menu of maintenance services include: •A, B, C and D checks; •Drop-in maintenance; •Line maintenance; •Major and minor structural repairs; •Engine changes; •QEC changes, and •Landing gear changes. The company also boasts onsite capabilities for support in: •Battery refurbishment; •Sheet metal fabrication; •Limited composite repairs; and •Welding. The company’s modifications services include: •Avionics modifications; •GPS, TCAS, windshear, cockpit standardizations, FDR upgrades, HUD installations, etc.; •Fire/smoke detection and suppression systems; •Structural modifications and upgrades; •Winglet installations; •Passenger-to-freighter conversions (B737 & B757); •Wash, strip and full-paint capabilities; •Fuel tank repairs; and •Interior reconfigurations. Further, Flightstar offers full aircraft stripping and painting performed in a climate-controlled, 35,000-square-foot coating bay large enough to house something as big as a B767-300. The dedicated paint bay is operated in partnership with Associated

Painters Inc. HANGAR COMPLEX

Flightstar’s adjacent hangars comprise more than 335,000 square feet, and the company boasts more than 1,000,000 square feet of ramp space. The company’s hangar complex includes: •Hangar 815: Approximately 230,000 square feet configured into three wide body bays that can accommodate nine narrow-body aircraft (737, 727, or MD-80), six B757s, or three B767s; •Hangar 905: Approximately 125,000 square feet configured for two maintenance bays and one dedicated, state-of-the-art coatings bay; •Hangar 935: an expanding bay facility adjacent to Hangar 905. 13 YEARS AND GROWING

Flightstar Aircraft Services celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2010. Established at the Jacksonville International Airport, and later moving to the Cecil Commerce Center in Jacksonville, the company is ever expanding to accommodate growing demand within its industry and, in turn, for its capabilities. It’s a stable organization operating in a highly competitive – and even a sometimes unstable – marketplace that is supported by – and supports – its local community. It employs a local workforce, and it works with regional academic institutions (such as Florida State College) to provide a training ground for new talent. In this way, it will keep itself airborne.

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