Blackhawk Aerospace has expanded its portfolio of products and services. Blackhawk Aerospace Technologies, Inc. (BAT), a newly formed business entity, has acquired all assets from Columbia Avionics & Aircraft Services based at Columbia Regional airport in Missouri.

Columbia Avionics has been in business since 1995 working to develop new STCs using avionics packages for Citations and other business jets. Blackhawk plans to expand on Columbia's success and add a new focus on creating STCs for the turboprop market, which its global network of certified dealers can provide to aircraft owners and operators. Additional capabilities will include maintenance, airframe modifications and avionics installations.

“Blackhawk Aerospace Technologies is a great addition to our family of companies,” says Jim Allmon, Blackhawk Aerospace president and CEO. “The avionics STC development capabilities of the company will not only provide our dealers with more offerings for their customers, but it will also help Blackhawk to certify engine-to-avionics integrations more quickly and efficiently. We couldn't be more excited to welcome this new team to the family.”

BAT will be led by industry experts Mark Wilken, Conrad Theisen, Lance Fox and Shad Sones, who bring a combined 110 years of avionics experience to the team. Wilken will lead BAT as the company's president and brings 30 years of experience including the development of more than 50 STCs for installing the latest avionics systems on Beechcraft models including the King Air, Beechjet, Premier and Hawker. Theisen will be appointed as VP of sales and marketing, bringing 25 years of avionics expertise and experience working with avionics OEMs on retrofit programmes for King Air series aircraft. Fox will oversee new STC programmes as director of engineering and brings over 30 years of experience developing an extensive STC portfolio and working closely with avionics and engine OEMs as the two systems became increasingly interconnected. Sones will oversee day-to-day operations at the Columbia, Missouri facility as general manager and brings 25 years of industry experience to the team.

“I am very excited to be part of the Blackhawk Aerospace family,” says Wilken, president of BAT. “Blackhawk Aerospace's long-standing reputation in the King Air series aircraft, along with the extensive Citation avionics, STC and maintenance capabilities at our Columbia facility, are a perfect match. Blackhawk Aerospace Technologies will bring King Air and Citation owners and operators the personalised customer attention, quality and technical experience they have been looking for.”