Page 26 - Jan24T

Sturm navigated the treacherous waters, though Flightcraft scaled back from its high of as many as six locations to its then two-facility status, with operations in Portland (PDX) and Eugene (EUG), Ore. Sturm se- cured Cessna Citation service center status, and revenues from the four main lines of business roughly started to break out as 35 percent for tech support; 30 percent for line service; 20 percent for sales and brokerage activity;
“The day I walked in the door, my singular goal
was to make Flightcraft the only show around.”
– Brent Fraser
and the remaining 15 percent from charter and aircraft management income.
After the sale to Dean Papé, the company started an aggressive expansion that would result in Flightcraft FBO and maintenance facilities in Portland and Eugene, Ore.; Spokane and Seattle, Wash.; and Hayward and Oakland, Calif. Over time, the company sold off all but the Portland and Eugene FBOs. A new FAA tower, parking garage, and canopy over drop-off lanes were completed in 1999.
Brent Fraser, Flightcraft’s general manager, took a job with Flightcraft as a mechanic in 1999 but, after about a year, moved to a position as a mechanic managing aircraft for ACM Aviation in Silicon Valley. He remained there until 2009. “I always kept my eye on Flightcraft because I felt it had significant potential,” Fraser said.
24 • TWIN & TURBINE / January 2024