Customer Support Terminated, Factory Closed, with Liquidation to Come

The Enstrom Helicopter Corporation has sent a letter to dealers and representatives, announcing the end of continuous operations. The company has apparently seen lean times lately, and its owners have directed the company to declare Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Enstrom will leave behind nearly 1,500 unsupported aircraft around the world, now orphaned unless the company is resurrected in some form. The banruptcy is somewhat unsurprising to some, as the often troubled company has changed hands several times over its lifetime. The helicopter industry is not a particularly high-volume one, and economic doldrums are felt much more keenly in a manufacturer the size of the ~110-strong En

QuickBuild Kit Shipping Costs Increase 5x, says Company

Van's Aircraft has announced a shipping surcharge for certain foreign-made QuickBuild kits, as the costs to bring them aboard formerly cheap container ships have gone up nearly fivefold. The surcharge amount of $375 per QuickBuild kit will now be added for kits ordered on or before December 15th, 2021. The charge will only apply to QuickBuild kits, and will not affect standard-build products. Additionally, Van's believes that the change will prove to be temporary, telling customers they don't anticipate that QuickBuild kits ordered after December 15th will require the surcharge. 

Free Tools, Lesson Plans, and Refresher Courses Now Offered for Active Flight Instructors

Sporty's has made their training management and lesson tracking portal available for flight instructors looking to streamline their educational coursework. The company says that part of their 2022 Pilot Training platform enhancements will see all their features available free to any active flight instructor, allowing access to lesson plans, flight instructor refresher course, an FAA library, and access to Sporty's pilot training courses. Of course, the system is built, part and parcel, around the delivery and use of the company's courses, with particular attention paid to tracking video segments and test prep sessions. Test prep reporting reduces the nee

World's Largest FBO Network Selects Brass After Going Private

Signature Aviation's recent acquisition will soon be headed by Michael Friisdahl as executive chairman, and Tony Lefebvre as chief executive officer. Friisdahl, currently standing president of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, will assume his role on March 1, with Lefebvre appointed as CEO effective immediately. The move codifies his position and makes his standing firm after working as interim CEO since June of 2021. “Both Michael and Tony bring decades of extensive strategic and operational experience from within and outside of the aviation industry that will allow Signature Aviation to build on our successes to date and accelerate our plans for growth,” said lea