Mathematically, the term describes the shortest distance between two points on a sphere. Metaphorically, it describes the great arc of a journey that led me to this point in my aviation career—while it wasn’t a direct route, it’s the destination that matters.

My journey began with a flight at age 6 from the College Park Airport (KCGS) in Maryland. Long before I knew there was a FLYING Magazine, I was passionate about flying. The years between then and now were filled with the familiar milestones of all great odysseys–a circuitous route, complete with disappointment and triumph, missed opportunities and eureka moments, and great joy.

As this is both my first column in FLYING and our EAA AirVenture issue, I thought it might be fitting and fun to share some history of AirVenture’s past highlighting just a few projects that I brought to life on the grounds of the world’s largest airshow—the vestiges of some are still visible if you know where to look.

During my Cirrus years, and for a few years thereafter, a fully airworthy SR22 would mysteriously appear in Oshkosh at the Fox River Brewery in the outdoor dining area between the restaurant and the river—3.5 miles from the nearest airport. Back at the show, a 30-foot Cirrus control tower was designed to help visitors locate the Cirrus display from anywhere on the grounds as far away as then-Aeroshell Square.

Years later, after rebranding Columbia Aircraft, pilots flying into Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) may have been asked by a controller to “look for the Columbia barn” with a 50-foot wide Columbia Aircraft logo painted on its roof near the RIPON intersection. There was also an exciting partnership with FLYING and Sean D. Tucker who flew a complete stock, then-Columbia 400 in an aerobatic routine at AirVenture. 

• READ MORE: The 2025 Ultimate Flying Giveaway

Beyond AirVenture, during the Great Recession, I created FLYING Magazine’s Parade of Planes. The events were designed to shorten and refine the aircraft purchase process by connecting consumers with the necessary resources to make informed decisions by leveraging the top finance company, most knowledgeable tax adviser, and strongest insurance provider.

And when it was time for Gulfstream to launch the truly revolutionary G500/G600 with its side-stick Symmetry flight deck, FLYING was the obvious choice for the dramatic six-page, double-gatefold advertisement inside the front cover showing the dynamic flight deck evolution from Gulfstream I to G500 revealed in imagery. 

Regardless of what the creative branding brainstorm may have been, I always found a way to include FLYING because it was then, as it is today, the best way to reach the aviation enthusiast.

As an aviation journalist, I’ve contributed to both FLYING and Plane & Pilot (both Firecrown media companies), written white papers on aviation technology, and served as editor-in-chief for two other aviation publications. 

For the past 25 years, my work in aviation journalism, marketing, brand management, event marketing, and business development has prepared me for this new FLYING endeavor.

There is no more prestigious title or more respected enthusiast publication with greater longevity than FLYING Magazine, and I am both thrilled and honored to be the editorial director and part of the growing Firecrown family of aviation companies.

Since 1927, FLYING has evolved to be exactly what readers wanted it to be. What hasn’t changed over time is the desire of our team to continue to be the world’s most widely read aviation publication and a knowledgeable source of essential aviation content in print and online. 

On behalf of the entire Firecrown aviation consumer group, thank you for being a FLYING reader. This is your magazine and it’s our job to help shape it into exactly what you want it to be—a trusted voice for all things aviation that engages, entertains, and educates readers about our collective passion: flying.

Thank you for taking the journey with us as we approach 100 years of serving the aviation community. 

This column first appeared in the July/August Issue 949 of the FLYING print edition.

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Gulfstream invested more than $55 million in the 162,000-square-foot MRO facility at KAFW, building hangars and shop space, support areas, and employee and customer offices, it said in a statement. Additionally, there will be room for nine Gulfstream G650ER aircraft in the hangar space and six on the ramp.

For context, the overall wingspan of a G650ER is 99 feet, 7 inches—the equivalent to seven cars parked in succession.

“This new facility will serve our significant customer base in Texas and those traveling in the region from throughout the U.S. It will also serve the volume of Gulfstream traffic we see in the area coming from Mexico, Central, and South America, and around the world,” said Derek Zimmerman, president of Gulfstream Customer Support.

Training and Hiring Locally

Gulfstream also announced it is establishing a new partnership with the Tarrant County College’s airframe and powerplant (A&P) program as a pipeline for new technician hires. It will also work with local educational institutions to develop and train the local workforce and build the talent pipeline in the community. At full force, the new facility will accommodate approximately 200 employees. The OEM indicated in February 2020 when it announced the Alliance expansion, that some of the new hires would come from its workforce at Dallas Love Field (KLUV). 

The new facility adds to Gulfstream’s already sprawling presence in Dallas, 35 miles away, which employed at its peak more than 600 workers. Aside from being a strategic maintenance facility for customers, KLUV is also where Gulfstream outfits the G600 interior. The G600 is known for its next-generation Symmetry Flight Deck with active control sidesticks and touch-screen technology.

About 30 to 80 employees will remain at Love Field to continue to provide on-site and transient operators with maintenance and service. Additionally, the mid and large-cabin aircraft completions business, which includes about 350 employees and five hangars, will also continue to operate at Love Field.

Strategic Growth To Support Worldwide Fleet 

And, it’s not just Dallas/Fort Worth that Gulfstream has in its sights. Zimmerman pointed out that Gulfstream plans to increase its footprint as much as practical. 

“The Fort Worth Alliance opening marks another milestone in Gulfstream’s overarching strategy to enhance the convenience and increase support offerings for our customers,” Zimmerman said. The company currently provides maintenance support to more than 3,000 in-service aircraft worldwide.

READ MORE: Business Jet Market Maintains Its Heat: Gulfstream Delivers 500th Aircraft in G650 Family

In addition to Fort Worth Alliance, Gulfstream Customer Support has recently expanded its facilities in Farnborough, England; Savannah, Georgia; Appleton, Wisconsin; Van Nuys, California; and Palm Beach, Florida.

In 2021, the OEM said it will also be opening a facility in Arizona to support customers operating from and through the U.S. West Coast. The $70 million, 225,000-square-foot facility at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (KIWA) is scheduled to open in 2023.

The post Gulfstream Expands MRO Footprint in Dallas appeared first on FLYING Magazine.