Sky Tractor Supply Company Picks Up "Authorized Service Center" Designation

Sky Tractor Supply Company of Hillsboro, ND, has signed an agreement with GE Aviation to become an Authorized Service Center for the M601 and H80 turboprop engines. As part of the agreement, Sky Tractor Supply Company will offer comprehensive line maintenance, removals and re-installations of engines and LRUs and engine spares for the M601 and H80 engine families. GE Aviation will provide Sky Tractor with comprehensive material support and training.

M601 Engine

"Sky Tractor Supply Company is a well-known service provider with a history that dates back more than 40 years," said Paul Theofan, president and managing executive of GE Aviation's Business and General Aviation Turboprops. "With Sky Tractor as an authorized service center, GE Aviation can better support its M601 and future H80 operators in North America."

Thrush 510 File Photo

GE Aviation's Business & General Aviation Turboprops has more than 1,600 M601 engines in service that have accumulated a more than 17 million flight hours on 30 applications. The H80 engine is undergoing certification testing and will power business and general aviation, utility and agriculture aircraft. The H80 engine combines the elegant, robust design of the M601 engine with GE's 3-D aerodynamic design techniques and advanced materials to create a more powerful, fuel-efficient, durable engine compared with the M601 engine, with no recurrent fuel nozzle inspections and no hot section inspection. GE says the H80 engine will also feature an extended service life of 3,600 flight-hours or 6,600 cycles between overhauls, significantly enhanced hot-day takeoff performance and high-altitude cruise speeds. The H80 will provide the option of a single- or dual-acting governor, allowing customers flexibility in propeller selection. The engine will power the Thrush 510 aircraft.

FMI: www.ge.com/aviation