Avionics News September 2016 - 21

FACILITIES: 84,000 square feet
FOUNDED: 1998 by George Antoniadis

WHAT THEY DO: Atlas Aircraft Center is
an FAA-certified Part 145 repair station
specializing in maintaining PC-12
aircraft for private individuals, charter
operators, and its sister company,
PlaneSense Inc.

S

ome 21 years ago, fractional
aircraft ownership was still a
fairly new concept. George
Antoniadis, founder of PlaneSense in
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, knew its
popularity would continue to grow among
business executives who needed flexible,
dependable access to aircraft without the
hassle and cost of full ownership.
Antoniadis was so confident about
the burgeoning trend, he told the Boston
Business Journal that he would "likely
double his fleet of six Pilatus PC-12s
and his company's estimated $5 million
revenue in one year." By that time,
Antoniadis also had realized he needed
a way to manage his growing fleet's
maintenance and avionics needs.
In 1998, Antoniadis started Atlas
Aircraft Center as a dedicated maintenance
provider for the PlaneSense fleet. Today,
the fleet, which has grown substantially
throughout the years, includes 35 Pilatus

Courtesy of MJ Ciao Photography

WEBSITE: atlasaircraftcenter.com

This PC-12 panel recently received attention from
Atlas Aircraft Center's technicians, who maintain
the avionics for the entire PlaneSense fleet.

EMPLOYEES: Atlas Aircraft
Center and PlaneSense
have more than 350
employees combined.

PC-12 aircraft and three Nextant 400XTi
jets with two more being added in 2017.
PlaneSense has placed an agreement
order for six new Pilatus PC-24 jets with
deliveries beginning next year.
"We manage the largest civilian fleet of
Pilatus PC-12s in the world, and we have
more operational experience with the
PC-12 than any other fractional aircraft
manager or charter operator in the world,"
said Todd Smith, vice president of service
for Atlas Aircraft Center and director
of airworthiness for PlaneSense. "We
operate 5 a.m. to midnight, seven days a
week to maintain our fleet. The aircraft
average 900 hours a year each. Many of
the PC-12 service bulletins are a result of
feedback that we provide as a result of our
high usage."
In addition to servicing its own aircraft,
the Federal Aviation Administrationcertified Part 145 repair station provides
aircraft
maintenance
for
private
individuals and charter operators, too.
Services include aircraft repairs and
modifications, annual inspections, phase
and 100-hour inspections, as well as
avionics sales and repairs. The service
center is an authorized dealer for most
major avionics manufacturers. While Atlas
Aircraft Center's work mainly focuses on
the Pilatus PC-12 and Nextant 400XTi, it
occasionally maintains Cirrus, Bonanza,
Cheyenne and TBM700 aircraft.
Atlas Aircraft Center, which emphasizes
training among its technicians, employs inhouse trainers. It hosts the largest inspection
authorization seminar in the Northeast in
the fall, according to Jack Shields, avionics
Continued on following page
avionics news

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september

2016

21
http://www.atlasaircraftcenter.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News September 2016
