PLANESENSE:IQ

PLANESENSE:IQ
PlaneSense® Informational Quarterly: Volume 18
In This Issue:
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ATLAS EMPLOYEES: Meet some of the employees
who have dedicated their careers to Atlas Aircraft
Center, the authorized, Pilatus approved, fleet
service and support center for the PS program.
SLED DOGS AND MUSHERS: Dog sled teams
travel from the Northeast and Canada to compete
in cross-country style races for the “86th
Laconia World Championship Sled Dog Derby.”
DESTINATION: Art in the (Winter) Park. One
of the nation’s oldest, largest, and most
prestigious juried outdoor art festivals will take
place in Winter Park, Florida in mid-March.
HANDLE WITH CARE: The PlaneSense®
program coordinates two very special (and
very different) flights during the holidays, as
part of our commitment to help others in need.
Each PlaneSense® Informational Quarterly is
published and edited by members of our
team who help make your PlaneSense flying
experience easy and enjoyable.
Dear PlaneSense® Participant,
In this edition of PSIQ, we will highlight Atlas Aircraft Center, Inc. (AAC), the Pilatus
authorized fleet service and support center for the PlaneSense® program.
For those of you who might not know, AAC is a sister-company of PlaneSense, Inc.,
and it makes good use of 40,000-square-feet of hangar space and an additional
10,000-square-feet of office space at our facility in Portsmouth, NH. AAC provides
scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and all other technical support to the
PlaneSense® fleet, including the Pilatus airframe, Pratt & Whitney engine, and all
electronics and subsystems. I am very proud of the nearly 60 AAC employees for
their continuous commitment to safety and training, and for their dedication to the
highest-level of service for our fractional owners.
All of our maintenance technicians must attend factory training with Pilatus, engine
training with Pratt & Whitney, ongoing education through FAA-sponsored classes,
component instruction, and continuous on-the-job training. This unparalleled training
regimen has earned AAC the “Diamond Award for Excellence” from the FAA for the
last 13 consecutive years. AAC has also earned the Aircraft Electronics Association
(AEA) “Training Excellence Award.”
AAC boasts one of the largest PC-12 parts supplies in the world, with an
in-house inventory worth over $1 million. Maintaining this large supply prevents
unnecessary delays, helps to expedite repairs, and increases the availability of
our fleet. AAC is open seven days a week to offer maximum support to the
PlaneSense® fleet, some outside customers and visitors, and those in need of
emergency services.
I invite all of you to visit AAC, to meet us, and see our facility, whenever you are
in the area.
With warm regards,
George A. Antoniadis
President and CEO
115 Flightline Road Portsmouth, NH 03801
PLANESENSE:IQ
P L A N E S E N S E ® I N F O R M A T I O N A L Q U A R T E R LY
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TECHNICIAN TRAINING
CROSS SECTION OF
ATLAS EMPLOYEES
JOHN (JAY) BREEN
Jay has been part of the Atlas family
since November of 2000. He began as
an Aircraft Technician and is now an
Inspector. Prior to joining our team,
Jay served active duty with the US Air
Force for 4 years, before committing
to the USAF Air National Guard for
3 years. Jay’s education includes
graduating from East Coast Aero
Tech with his Airframe & Powerplant
license, Pratt & Whitney and Pilatus
training, and Rolls-Royce M250-B17
schooling. Jay lives with his fiancé,
Karen, in Manchester, NH. They enjoy
traveling, sports, and riding his Harley
Davidson.
JOE MILANO
Joe began working at Atlas Aircraft
Center in April of 2002 as an Aircraft
Technician, and is now the Maintenance
Operations Resource Manager. Joe
received his Airframe & Powerplant
license in 1983 after graduating from
East Coast Aero Tech. He has since
completed Pratt & Whitney and Pilatus
training. Before coming to AAC, Joe
worked for Fern’s Flying Service for
3 years, then as a shift supervisor at
Training to become an aircraft
technician is a rigorous process; this is
a position that requires determination
and dedication. For starters, Atlas
Aircraft Center Inc. (AAC) technicians
must have one of the following: (1) 18
months of practical experience with
powerplants or airframes, (2) 30 months
working on both at the same time, or
(3) a certificate from an FAA-Approved
aviation maintenance technician school,
demonstrating successful completion of
2,000 hours of training. The technician
must also pass FAA required written,
oral, and practical tests to demonstrate
their knowledge of general, airframe, and
powerplant concepts. Additionally, AAC,
the Pilatus approved, fleet service
and support center for the
PlaneSense® fractional fleet, requires
that newly hired technicians receive
extensive initial training to become
familiar with both AAC and the
PlaneSense® program.
Precision Airlines for 9 years, and also
as an avionics installation manager
with Stead Aviation/Wiggins Airways
for 10 years. Joe and his wife Linda
live in Dunbarton, NH. He enjoys
target shooting, fishing, and ATV riding
with his sons, Joey and Tony, and his
stepson, Jeff.
July of 2014 Sonia became
the Director of Training for AAC.
Sonia enjoys spending time with
her husband Mike, son Drew, and
their wide variety of pets, which
includes a basset hound, horse,
pony, and two cats. She has a great
appreciation for nature and the
outdoors, and loves to cook. Sonia
is an avid equestrian, horse trainer,
and photographer.
JON HAMMOND
Jon has worked for Atlas Aircraft
Center since April of 2008 and has
over 21 years of experience in the
aviation maintenance industry. Jon
graduated from East Coast Aero
Tech and was a Navy-Aviation
electrician’s mate. There, he learned
sealed instrument repair and aircraft
corrosion prevention and repair. He,
too, has been trained through Pratt &
Whitney and Pilatus schools. Jon, his
wife Maggie, daughter Ashlyn, and
son Samuel also live in Dunbarton, NH.
In Jon’s spare time he enjoys ATVs,
snowmobiling, welding, and carpentry.
SONIA VIRGUE
Sonia began her career at Atlas
Aircraft Center in June 2007 as a Line
Service Technician. After earning her
Airframe & Powerplant certificate,
Sonia became an Aircraft Technician,
and later went on to assume the
Quality Assurance Auditor position. In
Technicians attend factory training
with Pilatus, and engine training
with Pratt & Whitney. AAC trains its
technicians using tours, classroom
lectures, manual familiarization,
self-study, shadowing, and lots of
on-the-job training. To maintain
AAC’s high standards, technicians are
required to complete a minimum of 12
hours of recurrent training every year.
DON HORVATH
Don started working for Atlas
Aircraft Center in July of 2007 in the
Parts Room. He currently resides in
Nottingham, NH with his wife, Janet,
and three children, Shane, Michaela,
and Evan. An avid enthusiast of short
track stock car racing, Don was an
official flagger from 1987 until 2012,
and worked at tracks from Maine to
Florida.
COREY ST. PIERRE
Corey started with Atlas Aircraft
Center in March 2013 as an Aircraft
Technician, a position in which he
truly excels. Home schooled from
5th grade through high school, Corey
then attended the National Aviation
Academy. Corey is from Oxford,
Maine and enjoys hunting, fishing,
hiking, and playing the bagpipes.
Industry Experience:
21 years
31 years
21 years
8 years
8 years
5 years
P L A N E S E N S E ® I N F O R M A T I O N A L Q U A R T E R LY
PARTS ROOM
SCHOOL STATIC EVENTS
Atlas Aircraft Center, Inc. has a
very impressive parts room with
an extremely committed staff. The
parts room employees ensure staff
availability 7 days a week, for 18+
hours a day, and meticulously maintain
over a $1 million inventory, which helps
prevent delays and expedite repairs.
This team is responsible for assisting
technicians with parts and tool
distribution, and also maintains the
oversight of the primary parts room,
secondary parts overflow storage
room, and all of the purchasing,
shipping, receiving, and warranty
assistance for both Atlas Aircraft
Center and the PlaneSense® program.
In November, a PlaneSense® team visited Embry-Riddle, FIT, and ATP flight
schools in Florida to conduct static displays of the Pilatus PC-12 for students.
We want to inspire future pilots to pursue careers in corporate aviation, so
we spent time showing students our aircraft and also explaining the great
opportunities and benefits of working in this industry. We also held in-person
interviews for PlaneSense® positions with qualified pilots at the schools. These
visits allow our human resources department to expand our recruiting reach
to southern states, without the students having to travel. Broader access
to applicants results in hiring the highest quality pilots for the PlaneSense®
program. Our relationship with various flight schools is a win for everyone!
SLED DOG DERBY
From February 13th through the 15th, sled dogs and mushers (a person who
competes in cross-country style races with dog team and sled) will gather in
Laconia, NH to compete in the “86th Laconia World Championship Sled Dog
Derby.” Dog sled teams will come from all over the Northeast and Canada to
compete, and there is a chance a European team (or two) will be in the starting
lineup as well. Although the derby attracts international competition, it is truly a
community event, with much of the race funding coming from the NH lakes region
and its area businesses. The derby is put on by the Lakes Region Sled Dog Club,
along with key members of the community, including city officials, public works
and police departments, the local radio, and snowmobile clubs.
The derby hosts many racing events over the course of the weekend; the
longest race covers a 15-mile trail, and is for teams competing in the “open
class” (a race that does not restrict the number of dogs on a team). Other
scheduled races include the “Six-Dog Classic” for adult mushers over a 6-mile
trail, and the “One-Dog” and “Three-Dog” junior races for youngsters in the
process of perfecting their mushing skills. The final racing schedule depends on
trail conditions, and is dependent on the winter-like conditions in the days and
weeks leading up to the derby.
With the PlaneSense® program, you can fly right into the heart of the derby on your
PC-12, arriving into Laconia’s Municipal Airport (KLCI). It’s up to you to remember
your camera and an extra layer of warm clothing, but we anticipate lots of fun
if you choose to partake in the action. Once on the ground, make sure to keep
your ears open for the howls and sounds of excitement floating up from the race
course. We hope you will have the pleasure of seeing one of these skilled and
majestic dog sled teams fly across your path with a swoosh!
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DESTINATION: Winter Park, Florida
ART IN THE
(WINTER) PARK
The 56th Winter Park Sidewalk Festival will be held March
20th through the 22nd in Winter Park, Florida. It is one of the
nation’s oldest, largest, and most prestigious juried outdoor
art festivals.
The show is currently ranked #1 on ArtFairCalendar.com’s
list of America’s Best Art Fairs, and is ranked #1 in the South
and #5 in the Nation by Sunshine Artist Magazine, based on
reported sales by the artists. Hosting more than 350,000
art-loving enthusiasts each year, over 1,100 artists from
around the world apply to be one of the 225 judge-selected
featured artists. Artists compete for 63 awards totaling over
$72,500 in prize money.
The festival hosts a wide variety of outstanding artwork
including clay, drawing and pastels, glass, digital art, fiber,
glass, jewelry, leather, mixed media, photography, painting,
printmaking, sculpture, watercolor, and wood. The festival
also bolsters a love of art for young children by offering daily
children’s workshops for all ages.
Winter Park was founded in the late 1800s, and the town is
heavily influenced by Spanish Mediterranean architecture.
One of the city’s defining architects was James Gable Rogers
II, who designed the city’s Grenada Court shopping area, the
Olin Library, the Holt and Mizener homes, and the Florida
State Supreme Court Building in Tallahassee. Roger's home
in the heart of Winter Park, named “Casa Feliz,” (seen right)
now serves as a museum that overlooks the golf course.
Just a ten minute drive from Orlando, Winter Park is a
shopping and arts hub. The town’s central brick laden
artery, called “Park Avenue,” originates at the town’s historic
school, Rollins College, and winds about a mile through a
thriving commercial district. Park Avenue is lined with scenic
live oaks draped in moss, and takes travelers by clothing
boutiques, art galleries, sidewalk cafés, and restaurants.
Winter Park is also home to three notable museums, all of
which are within walking distance of each other.
The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art holds
the world’s most comprehensive works of Louis Comfort
Tiffany, including jewelry, pottery, paintings, art glass,
lamps, and windows. Upcoming exhibitions include, “The
Bride Elect” which will showcase over 250 wedding gifts
from Elizabeth Owens Morse, a socially prominent Chicago
bride married in 1905. “Selection” includes works from
the Harry C. Sigman Collection of European and
American Decorative Art, with works from the late 19th
and early 20th century.
The Cornell Fine Arts Museum is set on the Rollins College
campus and overlooks Lake Virginia. The museum is home
to the oldest collections in the state, with more than 5,000
objects on exhibit, ranging from antique to contemporary.
Upcoming exhibitions include “Kara Walker: Harper’s Pictorial
History of the Civil War” reflecting an illustrated compilation
of news reports about the Civil War (first published in 1866),
as well as “Tobi Kahn: Reverie” reflecting back on 30 years of
works in various media.
The Polasek Museum offers over 200 works by Czech-born
American sculpturer, Albin Polasek. The museum is the
previous retirement home of the artist, and is listed on the
“National Register of Historic Places.” It is one of only 30
members of the “National Trust’s Historic Artists’ Homes
and Studios.” In addition to the home, the museum
features a chapel and a captivating garden which includes
over 50 outdoor sculptures and dates back to 1949.
While you’re there, stay at The Alfond Inn (the Rollins
College boutique hotel), or the Park Plaza Hotel. Before
leaving the area, you can relax and take in a film at the
Enzian outdoor theater, just a few minutes from Park
Avenue. The venue is amidst 400-year-old oak trees,
and offers audience members lounge chairs, as well
as the option to dine on first-rate food, craft beers,
wine, and cocktails.
For more information, visit:
Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival at www.wpsat.org
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P L A N E S E N S E ® I N F O R M A T I O N A L Q U A R T E R LY
JERRY JOHNSON
50 YEARS
We welcomed the Federal Aviation
Administration to our Portsmouth,
NH, headquarters in October for the
presentation of the “Wright Brothers
Master Pilot Award”, which was given to
Jerry Johnson, a former PlaneSense®
program Chief Pilot.
According to the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), the Wright
Brothers Award recognizes pilots
who have had a longstanding flying
history and continued practice of
safe flight operations.
Notably, the award is only given to pilots
who have contributed and maintained
safe flight operations for 50 or more
consecutive years of piloting aircraft.
Bobby Reed, manager of the Portland,
Maine Flight Standards District Offices
(FSDO) and John Wood, the FSDO’s
FAA Safety Team program manager
presented the award. Wood noted that
this award is significant because the
aviation industry has only existed for
a little over a century.
Northwest Airlines and retired as
a 747 Captain after 34 years of
employment. That’s when he joined
the PlaneSense® program, where
he served as Chief Pilot. Johnson
finished his career working in Africa
flying aircraft for a non-government
contractor.
Left – Right: Bobby Reed, George Antoniadis,
Jerry Johnson, John Wood
“If one considers the Wright
Brother’s first flight in 1903 as
marking the launching point of
aviation, then we are only 111 years
downstream from that event,” Wood
said. “A pilot who has been flying
for 50 or more years has not just
seen and experienced industry
changes, but has been a living part
of them. People like Jerry Johnson
have been authors of the rich and
amazing history of aviation.”
Johnson started his career as a
Marine A-4 air attack pilot flying in
Vietnam. Later, he flew another tour
as a close air support forward air
controller in O-1 Bird Dogs. After
leaving the military, Johnson joined
MEET TODD SMITH
Johnson said that he was much
honored to receive the award;
however, he gives the credit for
the aviation industry’s success to
entrepreneurs who build aviation
businesses and keep people at work,
such as PlaneSense, Inc. President
and CEO, George Antoniadis.
“PlaneSense was very fortunate
Jerry joined our team as he instilled a
correct ethic of good work and safe
flying,” Antoniadis said. “We are very
pleased Jerry has received this award
and are also honored to have had him
as a Chief Pilot.”
Before Johnson retired from aviation
he had flown 37,000 commercial
flight hours.
“This is an accomplishment of which
to be very proud.” Wood added.
PLEASE, NEVER AGAIN
Now, Todd directs the maintenance of the fleet of over 33
PC-12s in the PlaneSense® program. He also oversees the AAC
repair station maintenance program (which serves PlaneSense®
aircraft as well as private PC-12 owners) and the AAC parts
room (which has one of the largest parts supplies for the PC-12
in the world, with an in-house inventory of over $1 million).
Todd was introduced to aviation by an uncle who owned a flight
school; his uncle would bribe him with gas money and lunch
to take a flying lesson once a week. This eventually led Todd
to his career in aviation, where he found true gratification in the
technical side of working with aircraft. Todd has a great sense
of humor and the ability to find commonalities with everyone
he meets. His passions include downhill skiing, ocean fishing,
and swimming laps during lunch. Todd and his wife, Karen, are
currently helping their three sons transition to post-college living.
©2015 Courtesy of Conde Nast Publications and the New Yorker
Todd Smith is Atlas Aircraft
Center’s VP of Service, and the
PlaneSense program’s Director
of Airworthiness. Todd was a
major contributor to the launch of
Atlas Aircraft Center. Impressively,
Todd completed one of the first PC-12
maintenance schools, and has also helped
Pilatus with several product improvement programs.
P L A N E S E N S E ® I N F O R M AT I O N A L
Q U A R T E R LY
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TRAVELING TURTLES
Together, PlaneSense® pilots and an anonymous donor
provided charitable airlift support to help transport 50 Kemps
Ridley sea turtles from Norwood, MA to Galveston, TX.
In the recent months, over 500 of these turtles have become
stranded on Massachusetts beaches, where the air and
water temperatures are far too cold for them to survive. The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
along with a number of environmentalist groups, have
sought out assistance from the general aviation community
to help return these endangered creatures to regions where
they can sustain and thrive. The PlaneSense® program was
pleased to have answered the call for help and to have been
part of this great cause.
NH FOOD BANK
family for its contribution, thanking
Antoniadis for his leadership and
example, noting that such a large
amount of food was collected that
the excess had to be driven by
car and delivered.
PlaneSense, Inc. employees and
their families filled a Pilatus PC-12
aircraft with over 800 lbs of food
for the NH Food Bank. The
food was flown to the Manchester
Boston Regional Airport on
Wednesday, December 17th, where
NH Governor Maggie Hassan and
Manchester, NH, Mayor Ted
Gatsas personally greeted the
aircraft full of food.
NH Food Bank executives and
members of its advisory board were
also on hand at Signature Aviation
to gather the food for distribution.
Governor Hassan, Mayor Gatsas, and
PlaneSense, Inc. President and CEO
George Antoniadis (who piloted the
plane) helped to load the NH Food
Bank vehicle with the non-perishables.
“PlaneSense has always been a strong
supporter of our local and state charities,
and we chose to assist the NH Food
Bank this year because it reaches so
many families in need,” Antoniadis said.
“I am pleased to be joined today by my
friends, the Governor of NH, Maggie
Hassan, and the Mayor of
Manchester, Ted Gatsas. I’m very
proud of my PlaneSense team for our
contribution today.”
According to Mel Gosselin, the
Executive Director of the NH Food
Bank, the food will be brought back to
the Manchester, NH facility and sorted
into categories. It will then be placed
into the NH Food Bank’s online ordering
system, which is accessed by a network
of 400 agencies across NH, and later
dispersed accordingly to help feed
over 130,000 NH residents who are
food insecure.
Governor Hassan congratulated
Antoniadis and the entire PlaneSense®
“I’m told between seven and eight
hundred pounds of food [was
collected], which is almost seven
to eight hundred meals for children
and families around the State of
New Hampshire,” Hassan said.
“At the holidays we like to remind
each other what we can do when
we come together to make life
better for our friends and neighbors.”
Mayor Gatsas reflected on last year’s
event, in which PlaneSense Inc.
employees collected gifts for the Toys
for Tots organization. The toys were
also flown to Manchester, NH, and then
delivered to Marines for distribution.
“Last year was a great success and we
took lots of toys off the plane, this year
the plane was filled with non-perishable
food for the NH Food Bank,” Gatsas said.
“Thank you so much for coming to
Manchester for the past two years and
giving back to the residents in our community.
I am looking forward to next year!”
SOURCES & PHOTO CREDITS
Photos: Scott Berti, Greg Chag, Bruce Crocker, Dianna Dobe, Bill Gallery, Doug Levy, Diane Lyman, Jen Lyman, Alice Moulton, Peter Seavey, Chip Weston
ARTICLES/CONTRIBUTORS:
Scott Berti, Ashley Chamberlain, Eileen Courtois, Dianna Dobe, Terri Dowaliby, Jessica Elliott, Danielle McPheters, Trevor Smith,
Sarah VanSleet, Sonia Virgue
©2015 PlaneSense, Inc. PlaneSense is a registered trademark of PlaneSense, Inc.
PRIMARY OPERATING AREA
The PlaneSense® fractional aircraft ownership program operates mainly in the area bounded
by the lines and the shorelines depicted on the map below. This area, plus 19 airports in the
Bahamas, is called the PRIMARY OPERATING AREA (POA).
The POA boundaries shown here correspond to lines of longitude and latitude.*
When your flight is entirely within the POA, you do not pay an hourly charge for repositioning the
empty aircraft to pick you up, or for moving the plane to another location after you disembark.
An owner in the PlaneSense® program may fly to any location in or out of the POA in North
America and in the Bahamas. When you begin or end a flight outside the POA, an hourly repositioning
charge applies to that portion of the required repositioning flight that is outside the POA.
This charge reflects only the time required to fly between the POA’s northwestern boundary
(91˚0' west longitude) and the airport located outside the POA.
POA
*The PlaneSense POA comprises the continental United States and Canada (excluding
Newfoundland) east of 91˚0' west longitude and south of 48˚0' north latitude, and including
the areas of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana that are bordered by 36˚15' north
latitude, 98˚30' west longitude, and 29˚0' north latitude, and 19 airports in the Bahamas.
THE PLANESENSE® PROGRAM
The ambition of PlaneSense is to bring pragmatism to private flying, whether for leisure or
business. We work hard to know your preferences, to ensure a superior flying experience,
and to take meticulous care of your aircraft. Our goal is that this very personal, high quality
service, together with the comfort, reliability, and trademark versatility of the PC-12, will
yield value above and beyond the sensible economics we provide.
CONTACT US:
PlaneSense, Inc.
115 Flightline Road
Portsmouth, NH 03801
603-501-7600
www.planesense.com