Sky Aviation Holdings

Getting You and Your Next Airplane Together

January 19, 2022
Pompano Beach, FL
Written by Tim Kern for Business Air Magazine

The Sky Aviation Holdings family of companies has quietly expanded its footprint from its headquarters in Pompano Beach (FL), with subsidiary companies specializing in Maintenance, Fractional Jet Ownership, flight deck modernization, Insurance, and STCs that extend engine TBO (time before overhaul).

The company closed out 2021 by accelerating its growth plans. In April, it opened its Sky Aviation Insurance brokerage unit and now is representing some of the best Insurance companies in the industry. The TBO extension unit completed the sale and installation of 21 of its engine STCs. The company also executed an integrator agreement with Honeywell to complete its planned SkyView STCs for a flight deck upgrade for Primus 1000, with plans for additional legacy jets in its future. Its Sky Share USA fractional subsidiary completed the initial sales of a Lear 60 and Beechjet 400A, and currently is serving 14 customers under this business unit. Rounding out a good year, Sky Aviation Holdings has had a robust year of aircraft sales.

“The year was full of challenges that have brought us to where we are today,” said Tom Conlan, CEO. “The increased demand for private jets has been unparalleled, and this perfectly dovetailed with our plans to extend the life of legacy jets by completing STCs that allow for their continued economic utilization. A lot of older aircraft are suddenly in demand and are going to be staying in service with existing and new owners. A solid airframe that can be upgraded is still a good jet, economical compared to new aircraft, and – importantly — available.”

Sky Aviation started 2022 with a bang, announcing the expansion of Sky Aircraft Maintenance into a new state-of-the-art maintenance, avionics, and interior completions shop in a new 60,000 square foot complex in Lexington, NC. Conlan expanded on that. “We have engaged architects and engineers to build us a new facility on a 4-acre leasehold at the new Davidson County airport facility there.

We break ground this spring and should see steel in June of this year, with a completion expected in the 4th quarter of 2022.”

He says the company plans on building out some new office/administration space and allocating roughly 20,000 square feet to each: avionics upgrades, maintenance, and an all-new interior shop, “with a joint venture partner that will be named shortly.”

VP of Maintenance and Engineering, Jim Clifford says, “Our team has developed a lot since 2020 when we opened Sky Aircraft Maintenance. We have already exceeded the capacity of our current facility and expect to receive our Part 145 repair station license in the first quarter of this year.”

Clifford brings with him deep experience in maintenance and engineering, having been at Kal-Aero from its beginning prior to it becoming Duncan Aviation, as well as having spent time at Nextant Aerospace. Having successfully completed the STC for engine TBO extension for the JT15D series of engines, Jim will be responsible for completing the STCs for the SkyView product line for these legacy aircraft.

“A lot of these older avionics packages are no longer supported by the manufacturer, or soon will be abandoned by them. Our plans will allow these aircraft to continue flying with our avionics STCs,” commented Clifford. “We’re going to be moving the Citation, BeechJet 400A/Hawker 400XP, and Lear 60s into the new ‘SkyView’ system.”

Steve Trent, Director of Maintenance for SAM (Sky Aircraft Maintenance), said, “Maintenance is a large part of our focus with our planned expansion. Whether it be routine or heavy maintenance, if yours is one of these legacy aircraft we specialize in, a Hawker 800/900/400XP, a BeechJet 400A, LearJet 60, or Citation 5/ Ultra / Encore / Bravo / XL, we are ready to make you a satisfied customer. ‘Trust in Sam’ and give us a call.”

Of course, having a great airplane is one thing, but it is worth working with an insurance broker who understands the increasingly tough insurance market and the value of your airplane to you and your business.

Led by Marlene Adkinson and backed by a team with a couple of hundred years’ worth of aviation experience, you can count on Sky Aircraft Insurance to steer you right to the best coverage at the best price. She said, “We’re a broker for all major insurance carriers.

We take the time to fully explain the customer to the insurance companies. We get the right information to ensure we obtain an optimal policy for the owner and aircraft.”

Conlan says, “Our plans for these aircraft and the timing just worked out. A few years ago, these older airplanes had no future. Now people see that these airframes are still perfectly viable flying machines, and prices have kicked up 20% to 25%. A while back, these aircraft were flooding the market at depressed prices. Since COVID happened the markets have corrected from what we say was an undersold market and prices have rebounded. Customers have realized that there is a lot of life and performance in these models, especially with our upgrades and STCs.”

Conlan summed up. “With year-end deliveries behind us, we are excited for our 2022 ventures and what the future holds for the aviation community.”

Sky Aviation Holdings News & Events

Mar23

Trusting SAM for Beechjet Aircraft Maintenance Can Skyrocket Your Performance And Lower Operating Costs

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