The closing of some Hawker Beechcraft (HBC) factory-owned service centers as a result of the manufacturer’s bankruptcy has changed the way customers have their aircraft maintained, especially in the Southwest U.S. Previously, the factory-owned HBC center in Mesa, Ariz., pulled business from the West Coast, Mexico and other areas. Other locations that served these markets included facilities in Little Rock, Ark., and San Antonio but these too have closed, meaning that independent HBC-authorized maintenance facilities such as West Coast Aircraft Maintenance in Long Beach, Calif., are picking up a lot of new business.

“We’re the only Hawker Beechcraft-approved facility in the Southwest U.S. [that services pistons through the Hawker 125 series],” said West Coast sales manager Alfredo Garcia. “We’re in the big leagues now.” 

West Coast was awarded Mexican DGAC repair station approval in November, making the company a viable option for maintaining Mexican-registered aircraft. The DGAC approval encompasses the same ratings as West Coast’s FAA Part 145 repair station, which includes airframes from piston singles through Bombardier Challengers and other capabilities such as engine hot-section inspections.

West Coast's HBC authorization covers Bonanzas through the Hawker-series jets, including the Premier I/IA, but not the Hawker 400 or Hawker 4000. Other independent authorized service centers in the Southwest include Mather Aviation, with facilities in Hayward, Rancho Cordova and Van Nuys, Calif., Woodland Aviation in Davis, Calif., and Cutter Aviation in Albuquerque, N.M. Mather Aviation's Rancho Cordova base is authorized for the Beechjet/Hawker 400XP, while Woodland is authorized for piston models and Cutter Aviaton for King Airs and pistons.

West Coast also installs King Air modifications such as Garmin G1000 avionics and Raisbeck and BLR Aerospace airframe upgrades. A “West Coast Edition” King Air 200 is available with the G1000 avionics (including RVSM), BLR winglets, P&WC PT6A-52 engines (by StandardAero) and a variety of Raisbeck mods, including Hartzell propellers, wing lockers, ram-air recovery system, enhanced-performance leading edges and dual aft-body strakes.