FORT WORTH, Texas, Feb. 16 /PRNewswire/ — Texas Aviation Services, Inc., a market leader in helicopter technical services, has completed its large long-term Blackhawk Re-Wiring Program, and is working with its industrial partners to land the next phase of this full-fleet aging aircraft upgrade. In the past several years, partnered with InterConnect Wiring Corp of Fort Worth and other contractors, TAS has performed several hundred thousand man-hours of retrofitting operations on several squadrons of National Guard Blackhawk helicopters destined for return to combat services in Iraq and Kosovo. The company’s Blackhawk Retrofit Center has the ability to flow at least 10 Blackhawk sized helicopters at once, with ample room for expansion as government requirements increase. Besides Blackhawks, TAS is bidding additional military rotorcraft projects including Special Forces helicopter support and “CSAR-X” subcontracting actions, both pursuits as a team member with prime contractors. With its huge depot, TAS calculates that it could handle a complete Chinook sized program and a continuing Blackhawk program simultaneously, while continuing to grow its steady, robust civilian helicopter businesses.

The extensive Blackhawk re-wire program accomplished at TAS is integral to the worldwide needs of Army Aviation, whether active service or National Guard. Aging Blackhawk helicopters in the Army National Guard are important to the overall military mission of protecting American security interests at home and abroad. This program provides upgraded helicopters to National Guard units who are subject to deploying in support of the overall strategic mission of the US Military. Long term, the program is expected to cover potentially hundreds of additional helicopters over time and will include extensive cockpit modifications, wire harness replacements, paint and MRO. The work done at TAS encompassed on average about 6,000 man-hours per helicopter. Mike Bashlor, President of Texas Aviation Services, said: “We are proud to have served our Military with this important helicopter upgrade project. We have expanded our hangar capacities, backshop depth, engineering team, and program management skills specifically to take on even more Blackhawk’s and other government helicopter programs.”

Edward Bolden, President of Ranger Rotorcraft Group, the parent company of Texas Aviation Services and the other units in the Group, said: “We want to be a Partner of Choice for prime contractors who need a highly specialized helicopter overhaul depot for military retrofit and RESET projects. Given the size and strategic location of our very large, well manned facilities, we make an ideal site to concentrate a lot of work. In the past several years, military helicopter programs have represented roughly 25% of our total operations, and we are prepared to co-invest with Primes to make additional programs happen here. In every new opportunity, we will remain vigilant in our commitments to quality, safety, and FAR Compliance.”

The rotorcraft services holdings of Ranger Rotorcraft Group, and some of their military support capabilities, include:

• Texas Aviation Services, Inc. – a large depot-sized helicopter service center that specializes in completions, avionics, interiors, paint, MRO, re-wiring, and mission retrofits for civilian and military helicopters. The President of TAS is Michael Bashlor.
• Integrated Flight Systems, Inc. – specializes in helicopter air conditioners and video systems, and is adding new STC’s for other helicopter specialty products. The President of IFS is Leroy Aday.
• Ranger AeroDesign – an engineering unit that provides aeronautical engineering services to Ranger’s subsidiaries and to outside clients, with a goal of eventually qualifying as an “ODA” licensee with the FAA. The officer in charge of this engineering unit is Fida Waishek.
• Platinum Aviation Group, Inc. – holder of numerous STC’s and an unlimited repair station license, in which special projects can be accomplished. Mr. Aday is also President of Platinum.