Partnership with Elliott Technologies Expands Biz Jet Solutions
(Londonderry, NH) August 14, 2020 — Pro Star Aviation, an innovative aerospace modification center, announced today its partnership with Elliott Technologies as a new Distributor for Prizm Lighting Technologies expanding its offerings for the business jet market.
Prizm LED cabin lighting is a full-color spectrum mood lighting solution that can be controlled through a mobile app or existing cabin lighting controls. Designed for light to large business jets offers 10 user presets and is fully customizable for upwash, downwash, accent lighting cup holders, and more.
“Elliott Technologies designed a cabin lighting system that is cost-effective and offers our customers the latest technology. Installation of the Prizm Cabin lighting is made easy because the system is design by Aircraft experts for aircraft experts.” stated Jeff Shaw, Director Business Development.
“We continuously work with key OEMs to offer our customers the latest technologies. Prizm LED cabin Lighting replaces older fluorescent or LED lighting that is costly to maintain.”
“Elliott Technologies needed a well-respected partner in the northeast region to represent the PRIZM and Smart Vision Shades product line. We are very selective in who we choose to represent these products as we want our joint customer to have a simply amazing and problem free end product that will truly enhance their flight experience for as long as they own the aircraft. As I was already familiar with Pro Star’s outstanding workmanship and wide variety of aircraft they service, they were an ideal match. With the pricing point of PRIZM and its three-year hardware warranty coupled with Pro Star’s outstanding avionics and interior capabilities, we are truly excited for this new partnership.” – Tim Lockerby, Product Sales Manager
About Elliott Technologies
Elliott Technologies is a division of Elliott Aviation, a company that has provided aviation services since 1936. They have used their experience servicing aircraft to make solutions that are both customer-friendly, and MRO focused. They focus on creating products that are easy to install, competitively priced, scalable to handle all turbine-powered business aircraft, and customer-friendly. You can find more information at www.elliotttechnologies.aero.
Their First Installation in a PC-24
(Londonderry, NH) May 15, 2020 – Pro Star Aviation, a premier innovative aerospace modification facility, has recently completed their first installation of the new Gogo AVANCE L5 into a Pilatus PC-24 aircraft. The Gogo AVANCE L5 was an upgrade from the factory installed ATG-2000, delivering high-speed 4G aircraft connectivity enabling passengers and crew access to video streaming, web/email, voice/text, and more.
Pro Star Aviation was able to complete the installation in under two weeks using FAA Approved data. Pro Star Aviation has a team of in-house engineers and a DER which allowed them to create a custom engineering package specifically for the PC-24 aircraft.
The Gogo AVANCE L5 is a single unit configuration, with a 4G network that allows for up to 40 devices to connect simultaneously. The AVANCE L5 provides broadband connectivity to keep passengers and crew connected while in the air. Browsing and secure connections such as corporate VPN access, adds value to the aircraft.
Pro Star Aviation’s Business Development Manager, Jeff Shaw, states,
“The connectivity requirements of our customers and the connectivity equipment options are ever changing. Even though the PC-24 is a new aircraft, Pro Star Aviation was still able to enhance the aircraft by installing the latest most powerful connectivity solution available for this class of aircraft.”
For more information, please contact our Sales Department by emailing sales@prostaraviation.com.
FANS 1/A+ and CPDLC Enhancements
(Londonderry, NH) October 15, 2019 – Pro Star Aviation, a premier Business aircraft modification facility, amended STC ST00158BO for Single or Dual Universal WAAS equipped FMS on Honeywell Primus 1000 equipped Citation series aircraft. It’s one of the first dealer approvals with SCN 1002.1 that allows for compliance with NextGen enhancements such as CPDLC, FANS, and ADS-B Out.
Pro Star Aviation added a new configuration to allow installation of dual UNS-1Espw Flight Management Systems with the latest software SCN 1002.1. This complies with FANS, Continental CPDLC with U.S. “Push to Load” capabilities.
Continental CPDLC, (Data Comm in the US or ATN-B1 in Europe) is a NextGen advancement in communication between Air Traffic Controllers and pilots to increase safety by reducing workload. FANS 1/A+ is rapidly becoming a mandated requirement for operations in remote airspace and is becoming the most effective method for ATC and Pilot communications for en route and terminal operations.
For more information, please contact our Sales Department by emailing sales@prostaraviation.com.
(Londonderry, NH) September 10, 2019 – Pro Star Precision Machining, LLC, a subsidiary of Pro Star Aviation, LLC, has received Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) certificate number PQ10043NE from the FAA. PMA is a design and production approval for the modification and replacement of articles for type certificated parts and products.
This new approval will allow Pro Star Aviation to manufacture certified parts and kits to sell for use on OEM, Special Missions, Commercial, and Government platforms.
“Pro Star quickly recognized the need to provide solutions for complex installations and source hard to locate high-cost piece parts for aging aircraft,” stated Sean Peterson, General Manager of Pro Star Aviation.
“The ability to bring these capabilities in-house will save our customers time and money and increase the level of quality assurance on parts.”
In addition to selling parts for their own STC’s, Pro Star Aviation will now have the ability to collaborate with organizations that have achieved STC’s but do not have the resources to produce parts or create kits.
“We’ve produced low-quantity, specialized piece parts for over 18 years,” stated Brian Cote, President of Pro Star Precision Machining.
“Achieving PMA certification will expand our Global Market reach and the ability to offer high-quality aviation parts to reduce time and costs.”
For more information on Pro Star Precision Machining, visit their website.
Extracted from January 2019 publishing of Avionics News
Original Title: Sean Peterson of Pro Star Aviation | Aviation Aces
By Patricia Luebke
Sean Peterson grew up in Westfield, Massachusetts, in an aviation family. His father was in the Air Force and, upon leaving, worked on smaller general aviation airplanes and was an A&P instructor. In the early 1980s, Peterson’s father was hired by Canadair (now Bombardier).
“I remember going to work with him, around age 5 and getting exposure to corporate aviation,” he said. “That’s when the bug bit me. I had my first Challenger flight at age 6, and I remember it as awesome.”
Peterson attended a technical high school where he learned how to draft using AutoCAD software and how to generate G-code programming for CNC milling machines, a language in which people tell computerized machine tools how to make something. During his junior and senior years, he was selected (because of his high grades) for a co-op program with Berkshire Industries, a company that manufactured aircraft parts and ran a CNC machine.
“I would spend one week at school and the next week at the company,” Peterson said. “I earned a paycheck while learning cool stuff.”
From that experience, Peterson realized he didn’t want to stay in manufacturing as a career, but he did want to be involved with aircraft.
“My father got me work on the ground level as a mechanic’s helper at Bombardier when I was 18,” he said.
Peterson was scheduled to start A&P school within a few months, but the school suddenly closed, and Bombardier offered him full-time work.
“I had a humble approach that allowed me to get close to the A&Ps there,” he said. “Soon I was a modifications technician with a new program installing avionics systems.”
Thanks to his machining background, Peterson could fabricate instrument panels. At the same time, he became proficient in wiring and systems testing. Soon he was promoted to a position that was less installation and more avionics troubleshooting and inspections.
“I also did a lot of road trips to fix aircraft out in the field,” he added.
This also was a time for learning.
“During the time I was working as a tech, anytime I could get my hands on something else – doing structural repairs, fixing a fuel line – I would align myself with the person who had the experience and learn from him,” he explained.
Because of this self-education and experience, he applied for an A&P license and got it through work experience.
“An A&P signs you off to take the test,” he said. “It takes a bit longer, and you have to show you’ve done all the different aspects of maintenance.”
His next promotion was off the shop floor into an office position in methods and scheduling. He prepared large modifications packages along with all the planning, making sure avionics were compatible, parts were ordered, engineering drawings were done and more.
In short, Peterson said,
“I learned a lot about managing a large project.”
After 10 years with Bombardier, his next aviation position was with Embraer Aircraft Maintenance Services in Nashville, Tennessee, where he was hired as a scheduler/planner for the company’s E-Jet line. After a year, he was selected to be part of the Embraer team to implement the Enterprise Resource Planning software program company-wide, which gave him a lot of exposure to all aspects of the company.
“Every department used it, and we developed forms and reporting for each department and training curriculum to use,” he said. “We went live 11 months later, and everything went well.”
While this was happening, Embraer Executive Jets was starting MROs in Mesa, Arizona; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Bradley Airport in Connecticut.
“I was able to interact with Bob Davis who was staffing for the Phenom 100 entry into service, and I was offered a position doing the scheduling and planning for all three service centers,” he said.
As a result, he was transferred to Mesa. Because of time zone differences, customers could still get extended after-hours support.
In 2010, Embraer made the decision to revitalize its Bradley Airport facility, and Peterson was tapped for the job of operations manager. He was at Bradley from January 2011 to September 2018, when a business connection landed him a new position.
“I was looking at Pro Star to come up with an engineering package, went to its website, and noticed the company had an opening for a general manager position,” he explained.
That was in April 2018, and during the course of the next few months, he spoke with Kevin Harriman, Pro Star’s managing partner. In August, Peterson was offered the job.
Peterson has enjoyed the transition to Pro Star.
“Coming from the OEM world, I always wanted to work for a smaller company and make decisions quickly,” he said. “Pro Star has such a great reputation, and I felt in my gut coming to Pro Star was a career move I wanted to make.”
Relatively new at the job, Peterson is still trying to wrap his arms around the scope and the different aspects of the position. One item on his agenda is to get the company more up-to-speed with Quantum, the software that he used at Embraer. The choice to use Quantum was made before his arrival. Right now,
“We’re using it on a basic level, and because I’ve used it since 2007, I can implement Quantum to a higher level. It’s a powerful tool.”
He also is familiarizing himself with the financial side of Pro Star and is looking forward to being responsible for profits and losses in the near future. As for his life outside the office, Peterson has been married for 18 years to Sheri, a woman he has known since third grade. They have two boys: Seneca, 9, Sagean, 10, and a four-legged family member named Addie, a rescued yellow lab.
“Addie was a handful at first, but she’s turned out to be a great dog,” he said.
Peterson is proud of being a second-generation A&P and that he followed his father’s footsteps into business.
“My career choice has a lot to do with my father,” he concluded. “I just love airplanes. I always have, and I always will.”