Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

StandardAero plans to invest $10 million to $12 million in leasehold improvements at the company’s business aviation MRO facility in Springfield, Illinois, the company said Monday at NBAA-BACE.&nbsp;StandardAero said the investments—under a partnership with Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport (KSPI)—will come in three phases over a 2.5-year period.
The investments will pay for major building improvements and modernization, including hangar door overhaul, interior door replacement, resurfacing of hangar floors, exterior and interior paint, HVAC replacements, flat-roof replacements, paint facility equipment upgrades, and parking area and road resurfacing.
“We have already started the repair and overhaul process for our hangar doors and we’re proceeding with the other phased improvements,” said StandardAero Springfield v-p and general manager Dave Pearman.&nbsp;“We are grateful to the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport for their support, and once all of the upgrades are completed, we’ll essentially have a ‘like new’ operation.”
Earlier this year, KSPI finished installing a 2.88-MW solar project that consists of six solar arrays with more than 6,500 panels on 7.5 acres of the airport property.&nbsp; Now in full operation, the arrays generate nearly 4,000,000 kWh annually. StandardAero now gets 100 percent of its electrical power from the solar arrays, making it one of the greenest facilities in the industry.
“We are grateful for StandardAero’s continued commitment to the Springfield community,” said Springfield Airport Authority executive director Mark Hanna. “We are excited to share this opportunity with StandardAero to pursue these facilities improvements, which will enhance their operation upon completion, but will also provide prospects for future growth.”
StandardAero Springfield provides airframe maintenance for business aviation aircraft. including scheduled maintenance, avionics installations, interior refurbishments, and aircraft paint.
The company also operates MRO facilities in Van Nuys, California; Dallas and Houston; Augusta, Georgia; and in the U.K. It also operates regional service centers in the U.S., Brazil, the UK, South Africa, and Singapore, in addition to mobile service teams around the world.

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

StandardAero Commits about $12M to Springfield Leasehold Improvements

Investment will come in three stages over 2.5 years

StandardAero plans to invest $10- to $12 million in leasehold improvements at the company’s business aviation MRO facility in Springfield, Illinois.

StandardAero Committing Millions to Springfield Base

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NBAA-BACE 2023

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