PRESS RELEASE

January 6, 2005

West Star Aviation President Bob Barry Announces his Retirement

GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO
Bob Barry, 67, announced that he will retire from his position as President of West Star Aviation. Bob began his career at West Star in 1992 as C.F.O. and held that position until becoming president in April 2001. He is leaving the company after delivering its most successful year ever in sales and profits and increasing employee count by 21% to 335 over the last three years; making West Star one of the ten largest private employers in the Grand Valley. The company was recently acquired by the principals of Premier Air Center in East Alton, Illinois. “It’s a nice feeling to leave West Star at a high point when the whole organization has performed so successfully as a team. I’m very proud of the employees here; they stack up against the very best in the industry. I’m 67 æ it’s time to retire and enjoy life with my wife, boat and plane,” Barry said.

Of Barry’s more significant accomplishments during his tenure at West Star was acting as the catalyst to re-direct the company’s core business from the maintenance of small piston aircraft to the more profitable business jet/turboprop market. Due to his efforts, West Star has consistently ranked among the top ten best jet maintenance facilities in the world. Barry also initiated the contact between West Star’s previous owners and the owners of Premier Air Center, leading to the previously announced acquisition. Barry has also served on the board of the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce for the last three years.

Barry came to West Star from Duncan Aviation, Lincoln, NE where he served as VP of Finance. Previous to that he was with the accounting firm of Coopers and Lybrand, C.P.A.'s. He has also owned two accounting practices during his career.

Barry holds an FAA Private Pilot Certificate and plans to spend his retirement between his home in Grand Junction, Colorado, and his boat in the eastern waterways.

West Star Aviation is a full-service repair, maintenance, and modification facility specializing in Learjets, Hawkers, Falcons, and Cessna Conquests and Citations. Located adjacent to the 10,500 foot runway at Walker Field in Grand Junction, Colorado, West Star also provides avionics installation and repair, fuel services for transient aircraft, and paint and interior refurbishment for aircraft up to Challenger and Falcon 2000 in size.

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Media Contact:
Colleen Back
Director, Sales and Marketing
West Star Aviation, Inc.
(970) 243-7500
(800) 255-4193