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West Star Aviation’s Newly Expanded Chattanooga (CHA) Facility Celebrates Operational Milestones

CHA West Star HangarNovember 16, 2018 – West Star Aviation highlighted the new Paint and Maintenance Hangars at the Chattanooga facility Open House, November 7, 2018, attended by customers, vendors and employees.

With over 300 people in attendance at the open house, including Mayor Jim Coppinger and Charles Wood, VP of Economic Development with the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce who both gave remarks at the open house, the expansion is a welcome addition to the local community. With the completion of these new facilities, West Star now occupies over 175,000 sq. ft. of space at the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport. “The open house was a great way to showcase our new facilities, and to demonstrate to our customers in this area of the country that we are continuing with our heritage of quality, world-class service,” said Jim Rankin, CEO, West Star Aviation.

The recently completed expansion includes a new 65,000 sq. ft. maintenance facility that includes 40,000 sq. ft. of hangar space, and over 25,000 sq. ft. of office and support space. This completion also includes a 45,000 sq. ft.
state-of-the-art paint facility that can accommodate the paint needs of most business aircraft flying today, including Gulfstream G550, Embraer Lineage, and Embraer Legacy 600.

They have input their first customer paint & maintenance project at their newly expanded Chattanooga (CHA) facility. The first customer project to be completed will include a 3C Inspection, Service Bulletins, an avionics installation and a full paint job on a Falcon 2000. This project is anticipated for completion before Q1 of 2019.

“We are pleased to have our first customer in service at the new expansion to our Chattanooga facility. This completed expansion provides our team the capacity to ensure we are working efficiently, and meeting deadlines to get our customers back in the air as quickly as possible,” said Steve Goede, General Manager of West Star Aviation, Chattanooga.

Voted #1 Preferred MRO for five consecutive years from 2014-2018 in Professional Pilot Magazine’s annual
“Preferences Regarding Aviation Services and Equipment” (PRASE) Survey, West Star Aviation specializes in the repair and maintenance of airframes, windows, and engines, as well as major modifications, avionics installation and repair, interior refurbishment, surplus avionics sales, accessory services, paint and parts.

In addition to its facilities in East Alton, IL; Grand Junction, CO; Chattanooga, TN; and Perryville, MO, West Star Aviation runs maintenance operations at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport in Aspen, CO; Chicago Executive Airport in Chicago, IL; Centennial Airport in Denver, CO; Conroe-North Houston Regional Airport in Houston, TX; and Scottsdale Airport in Scottsdale, AZ. The company also provides complete FBO services for transient aircraft at its newly remodeled East Alton and Grand Junction facilities. West Star Aviation is an industry leader in technical experience and expertise while providing world-class customer services in all the organization’s divisions. For more information visit weststaraviation.com or call 800-922-2421.

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Mark White

RSM, California

Dave Godo

RSM, Ohio Valley

Mark Daniels
Tim Cane
Robbie Johnson

RSM, Mid Atlantic

Santiago Carol

RSM, Latin America

Steve Fleeman

RSM, Landing Gear

Contact Us

WSAA will be piloted at the East Alton, IL facility with the first round of apprentices anticipated to start in January 2024. For more information on West Star Aviation employment or WSAA apprentice selection criteria, please visit www.weststaraviation.com/careers or contact Katie Johnson (katiejohnson@wsa.aero) or Dave Lagermann (dlagermann@wsa.aero).

Application & Selection Process

Before applying, please be aware of the standards of conduct for employment with West Star along with the strict requirements below while attending WSAA.

  • Working in Aviation requires a commit to being drug-free.  Pre-employment drug testing along with random and reasonable suspicion testing is required for all companies employing people working in safety sensitive positions. The position you are considering applying for is safety sensitive.  If hired, you must pass a DOT drug test to start working, if you fail the job offer is rescinded.  If you pass, you must remain drug-free during employment, failing a random or reasonable suspicion test may result in termination of employment.  Please note: marijuana is legal in certain states however the FAA follows Federal law where marijuana is illegal.  This means testing positive for marijuana, or any other illegal drug, will prevent you from working in Aviation. 
  • The first 7.5 months will follow a strict schedule: Monday – Friday 7:00am – 3:30pm (breaks and meal periods provided). 
  • The expectation is to arrive inside the learning center and clocked in at 7:00am.
  • While attending WSAA, no more than 4 hours a week can be missed.  Extenuating medical circumstances will be given full consideration with supporting documentation.
  • WSAA follows an FAA approved curriculum which has certain requirements including attendance. 
  • Testing for the FAA license at the conclusion of WSAA is required, along with passing.  Two opportunities to test will be provided, if needed.  Employment may terminate if the FAA license is not obtained.
  • Candidates will be contacted to complete pre-screening assessments and questionnaires. 
  • Qualified candidates will be contacted in late November and scheduled for a tour and interview with Hiring Managers at West Star Aviation in East Alton, IL.
  • To be qualified, candidates must pass the pre-screening process along with submitting a negative DOT drug test result.
  • Finalists will be selected after onsite interviews. Job offers will be extended in mid-December with a start date of January 9, 2024.
  • Pay while learning in the Academy will be $20 per hour.  Upon successfully graduating and obtaining your FAA license, pay will increase to $27 per hour.