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

Georgetown, South Carolina-based Part 135 operator Sherpa Air has set its sights on expanding into the business aviation maintenance and aircraft management markets following November’s opening of a 30,000-sq-ft hangar at Georgetown County Airport. Primarily involved in supporting Department of Defense special missions since its establishment in 2021, the company relocated to its new East Coast headquarters from Myrtle Beach, where it launched Part 135 operations in September last year with a de Havilland Dash 8-300 it acquired and modified for special mission support to the DoD and other government partners.
Now in the process of submitting its Part 145 application with the FAA, the company has already begun work with “multiple partners” to execute its first maintenance contracts, the first of which it expects to sign this quarter. &nbsp;
Sherpa Air director of aviation programs Paul Handakas told AIN that outsourcing maintenance on its Dash 8 to multiple companies met with unsatisfactory results. “The results were the same across the board—behind schedule and over budget,” he said. “We decided to bring our maintenance in-house and established a mobile maintenance base in Myrtle Beach while we waited for our hangar to be completed.”
After securing land adjacent to the new hangar in Georgetown, Sherpa Air expects to start construction on a second, similarly sized hangar in mid-2024 and a third in 2025. Now employing a highly experienced team of 12, Handakas sees its employee ranks expanding to 30 by the end of next year.
“Though tough lessons, we learned that quality and dependable maintenance services sources were limited and that we had a team that could execute,” he explained. “Leveraging our military heritage and commitment to service, we will provide maintenance services that exceed the level of service in the industry today.”

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.

Sherpa Air Preps for Entry into Bizav Maintenance

Construction of a 30,000-sq-ft hangar completed in November

Sherpa Air has set its sights on expanding into business aviation maintenance following November’s opening of a 30,000-sq-ft hangar at Georgetown County Airport.

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News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

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News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

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