OKLAHOMA CITY, July 12, 2012 – Valair Aviation at Wiley Post Airport (KPWA) in Oklahoma City has joined the Phillips 66 Aviation network, featuring a full-service maintenance facility ready for modifications, inspections, avionics overhauls and custom makeovers – all backed by a parts inventory worth nearly $1 million.
Pilots nationwide recently named Valair one of the top two fixed base operators at airports with less than 5,800 arrivals a year. Valair Aviation also made the top 32 United States FBOs, joining facilities at larger airports, in voting by some 8,000 pilots for Fltplan.com’s 2012 Pilot’s Choice Awards.
“It is vitally important that aviators who visited our FBO valued our efforts enough to honor us with a Pilot’s Choice award,” explains Darryl Wilkerson, president of Valair Aviation. “We work hard to make this a world-class FBO experience by catering to the customer first with a full complement of services and comfortable accommodations, then backing that up with some robust maintenance resources.”
That approach is helping Valair grow. In 2011, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber honored the FBO with a Metro 50 Award, which ranks the fastest- growing private companies in town. Revenues at Valair increased 25 percent last year.
Worldwide Service
Valair’s off-site service has rescued aircraft engines and airframes in remote locations the world over. Valair technicians trot the globe with their tools, parts and expertise, servicing and delivering aircraft in places like South America, Africa, Europe, Mexico, Canada and South Korea.
The 24-hour FBO participates in the WingPoints®Reward Card program, which rewards customers for fuel purchases with points that can be immediately redeemed for gift or debit cards online at www.wingpoints.com.
Formerly called The ServiCenter, Valair began as a service division for Aero Commander aircraft, delivering and maintaining new piston, turboprop, and turbojet-powered planes. Eventually, Valair evolved into a full-service maintenance FBO, increasing its capabilities to cover the entire line of King Air aircraft, including civilian, military, even airline models. As an FAA part 145 repair station, the FBO is an authorized service center for Raytheon and Twin Commander aircraft and can work on most aircraft, including Cessna, Hawker Beechcraft, Lear, Saberliner, Twin Commander and Westwind.
To complement its growing work in custom exteriors and interior modifications, Valair is now busy updating older avionics with new glass panel cockpits. The FBO recently joined with Kirkpatrick Electronics to boost its avionics capabilities. It is an authorized service center for most major avionics manufacturers, with the latest bench test equipment and the ability handle custom installations with laser wire harness identification and full engineering support.
“We consider Valair Aviation as one of Oklahoma City’s crown jewels,” says Wilkerson. “To live up to that, we will keep listening to our customers, and make improvements to our facility and services. If we ensure the best possible user experience, then we know we’re doing our job.”
The FBO is a division of AGC Aerospace & Defense, a global supplier of technologies, systems and services that support commercial and military programs.
For more information on Valair Aviation, call (800) 299-8546, or visit www.ValairAviation.com.
