ACI Jet held a celebration of its newest FBO at Orange County’s John Wayne Airport on July 28. ACI Jet, who assumed FBO operations at Santa Ana as a result of an RFQ award in early 2017, held the event to celebrate the start of a remodel of their SNA FBO facilities. The event hosted an estimated 500 attendees, including customers, friends and local officials. In a speech at the event, ACI Jet Founder and President William “Bill” Borgsmiller highlighted both the addition of a newly-based G650 at Santa Ana, and a $25,000 donation made to various funds in memory of a fallen friend of his wife’s family, Whittier Police Officer Keith Boyer.
Said Borgsmiller, “Keith was a fantastic man and a true public servant. His loss was both tragic and unnecessary. While we mourn his passing, we honor Keith and his legacy through our support and donation to both the Whittier Police Officer’s Association and the Keith Boyer Memorial Scholarship Fund.” ACI Jet donated some $12,500 to the Whittier Police Officer’s Association, a fund that supports families of police officers and provides funding for community initiatives in the nearby city of Whittier. ACI Jet further donated $12,500 to the Keith Boyer Memorial Scholarship Fund, a charity created to provide funding for local high school students pursuing a music education, or a bachelor’s degree in music. In addition to some 27 years as a Whittier Police Officer, Boyer was a lifelong musician.
Striking a more festive tone, Borgsmiller also spoke of a promise made during the RFQ process in late 2016, that if selected, “ACI Jet would bring new aircraft to John Wayne Airport,” adding to fuel sales and the local tax base of Orange County. Gesturing to ACI Jet’s G650 parked nearby, Borgsmiller noted, “It’s not just important to keep one’s promises, it’s our culture. That’s why I’m pleased to announce that we now have a G650 basing at John Wayne Airport- the first ever of its type to base at this airport.” The aircraft is part of ACI Jet’s charter fleet and according to ACI Jet, with special soundproofing and custom interior, it is the quietest G650 in existence. Added Borgsmiller, “The aircraft opens up destinations out of Santa Ana previously unreachable.”
Other highlights of the celebration included the acceptance and delivery of a Diamond DA-40 to the ACI Jet flying club at Santa Ana, as well as proclamations by local officials who dubbed July 28th, “ACI Jet Day.”
