Avionics News September 2016 - 22

Continued from page 21

manager for Atlas Aircraft Center, who
joined the service center in 2011. The
service center has received the Pilatus
Service Recognition Award, numerous
FAA Diamond Certificate of Excellence
Awards, and the AEA's Avionics Training
Excellence Award.
"All of our technicians and mechanics
attend Pilatus and Pratt & Whitney
factory schools and follow a rigorous
in-house training regimen," said Smith,
who started working with the PC-12
early on, completing one of the aircraft's
first maintenance training schools and
helping Pilatus with several product
improvement programs. Smith also
helped launch Atlas Aircraft Center in
the beginning.

Courtesy of Douglas Levy Photography

ATLAS AIRCRAFT CENTER INC.

State-of-the-art facility
Atlas Aircraft Center operates out
of an 84,000-square-foot, purposebuilt facility located at Portsmouth
International Airport, an hour north
of Boston, Massachusetts. The
40,000-square-foot hangar features
radiant floor heating, high-tech
lighting, and four Megadoors capable
of handling large jets and opening the
entire hangar to the tarmac.
"The special fabric Megadoors are

Challenger CL-601-3A/3R

ADS-B Out

©Frank Schwichtenberg

STC AVAILABLE

FAA STC# ST02460SE

The FAA mandate deadline is Jan. 1, 2020.

The modification includes the following equipment and all provisions: Two Rockwell Collins TDR-94D
Transponders (622-9210-501) upgraded to DO-260B (reference BRS-110102.7M for upgrade information) ; Pilot and co-pilot ADS-B system failure annunciation ; One Blue Avionics BA-440 Router/Filter.
Existing equipment to be interfaced: Transponder controllers; Air data computers; GNSSU ; Lighting/
dimming controls.
Prerequisite installation: Honeywell Dual NZ-2000 LPV upgrade per STC# ST01601WI-D (provides WAAS
capable GNSSU).
For more information, contact Scott Hall: (425) 407-6702 / scott.hall@safran-engineering.com

avionics news

september

2016

Maintenance
technician
Valerie Guzman
does a postinspection
walkaround on
a PC-12.

incredibly insulated, protecting our
staff and customers' aircraft from
the elements," Smith said. "Our
high ceilings and door openings
accommodate virtually all aircraft
sizes."
Atlas Aircraft Center stocks more
than $1 million of in-house parts. The
inventory is the largest non-factoryowned depot of Pilatus parts in the
world, according to Smith, enabling
technicians to work efficiently with
little downtime.
An additional 44,000 square feet of
space is dedicated to shop space and
offices. There's also room for Atlas
Aircraft Center to expand, which may
be necessary if PlaneSense continues
its success.
"Our avionics staff has grown 75
percent in the last four years, primarily
due to the fleet and coverage growth of
PlaneSense," Shields said.
As of late, Atlas Aircraft Center's
primary focus has been ramping up
jet maintenance with the expanding
Nextant 400XTi fleet and in anticipation
of the company's Pilatus PC-24
deliveries starting next year. On the
other side of the business, maintaining
aircraft for private individuals, the
typical upgrade involves retrofitting
an aircraft with touchscreens and a
1090 extended squitter transponder,
according to Shields.
"We don't see a huge push for
ADS-B Out yet, although available
options in the PC-12 are numerous and
relatively inexpensive," he said. "We
can easily handle the mandate once it
gets closer to reality." q

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News September 2016