Tag: FAA

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General

Lou Ramm Honored as “Master Mechanic”

Lou Ramm of Meridian is presented the Charles Taylor Award by Robert Thorson of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Lou Ramm, Meridian Air Charter’s Director of Quality Assurance, was awarded the prestigious Charles Taylor Award in a formal presentation on September 25 at Meridian’s HQ in Teterboro. Robert Thorson, FAA Safety Team Program Manager, presented Lou with the award while members of the Quality Assurance, Charter, and Maintenance teams were on hand along with Executive Management and Lou’s wife, JoAnne, to celebrate this amazing accomplishment.

The Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award is named in honor of Mr. Charles Taylor, the first aviation mechanic in powered flight. Mr. Taylor served as the Wright brothers’ mechanic and is credited with designing and building the engine for their first successful aircraft. The award recognizes the lifetime accomplishments of senior mechanics. In order to be eligible, the recipient must hold a U.S. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) or Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mechanic or repairman certificate, and have 50 or more years of civil and military maintenance experience. 

Lou received his Aircraft and Powerplant (A&P) license in 1969. He then served in Army Aviation as a Crew Chief / DS Maintenance Platoon Supervisor. His experience has included both fixed and rotary wing aircraft in general aviation, both corporate and charter. He also holds an FAA Inspection Authorization. He joined Meridian full-time in 1997, after working the previous four years with Ken Forester, Sr. providing contract maintenance services. 

“I am very honored to receive this award,” Ramm said during the presentation. “It is very rewarding to be acknowledged for your career and the work you have done. It is also humbling to be in the company of other respected Meridian recipients, including Ken Forester, Sr., Vincent Mendola, and John Bahrenburg.”

“We are very proud of Lou,” said Ken Forester, Meridian CEO. “Lou has been a real asset to Meridian and he is deserving of this award. It’s great to see Lou honored for his years of service to both us and the aviation industry.”

Categories
Executive Terminal (FBO) General Private Air Charter

Meridian Air Charter’s Francisco Cabrera Earns FAA Aircraft Dispatcher License

Francisco Cabrera, Aircraft Dispatcher at Meridian Air Charter
Francisco Cabrera, Aircraft Dispatcher at Meridian Air Charter

Meridian, the award-winning private aviation company based at Teterboro Airport, is pleased to announce that Francisco Cabrera (a.k.a. ‘Cisco’) recently earned his FAA Aircraft Dispatcher License. The Aircraft Dispatcher is responsible for authorizing and overseeing the operation of a flight from before takeoff to after landing. Often referred to as “The Pilot on the Ground”, the Dispatcher prepares flight plans, taking into account important factors such as weather conditions, fuel requirements, and potential hazards, with knowledge of aircraft limitations and FAA regulations, to ensure the safe completion of each flight.
The certification means that Mr. Cabrera can now assume full scheduling and dispatch responsibilities in the Flight Operations department at Meridian Air Charter. He completed the program on April 4, 2016 at the FlightSafety International facility located at LaGuardia Airport in New York City. The program at FlightSafety is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) -approved course, which fully prepares participants for the FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Certification (Licensing) Exams. The initial course exceeds FAA regulations by providing 24 hours over the required 200 hours of instruction.
In 2005, Mr. Cabrera began his aviation career working in the Line Service department at Meridian Teterboro, the company’s Fixed Base Operation (FBO). After ten years of experience and proving himself on the ramp, he expressed interest in broadening his skills to other areas of aviation, particularly flight operations. In October 2015, a Flight Coordinator position became available in the Charter group, and this was the opportunity that he had been waiting for. He interviewed for the position and was offered the job. After accepting the offer, he eventually transitioned over from the FBO to Charter into his current role as an Aircraft Dispatcher.
We are proud of Cisco for completing this challenging program. Congratulations from all of your colleagues at Meridian!

Categories
General Maintenance

Meridian Jet Center Celebrates 20th Anniversary

The Meridian Jet Center team celebrates the company's 20th anniversary.
The Meridian Jet Center team celebrates the company’s 20th anniversary.

Meridian, the award-winning private aviation company based at Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, NJ, recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of Meridian Jet Center, the company’s aircraft maintenance operation. The certificate was originally issued to the repair station on February 21, 1996 by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This designation allowed the company to repair and inspect various types of business aircraft. In 1996, the company was known as Million Air Maintenance Teterboro because it was part of the Million Air franchise at that time. In 2006, the company changed its name to Meridian Jet Center after leaving the franchise.
John Langschultz, VP of Meridian Jet Center, was reminiscent about the milestone, “We have certainly come a long way in 20 years. When I first started with the company, we had about three employees and one hangar with only 10,000 sq. ft. of working space. Today we have 21 employees, two hangars with up to 60,000 sq. ft. of space, and a plan to build a larger hangar here soon. Back then, most of our business was generated from our own fleet of aircraft. Today, most of our business comes from transient customers passing through Teterboro and our managed fleet now has a dedicated charter maintenance team. Along with growth also came the ability to provide additional services. For example, we now have a well-stocked parts department and operate a full-time detailing department. In the early days, we had to outsource these offerings.”
When asked about the future, Langschultz had this to say, “In 2016, we will be opening Meridian Hayward at Hayward Executive Airport in Northern California. As we continue to add aircraft to our West Coast fleet, our new FBO and maintenance operation will continue to expand with it. We have seen steady growth over the past 20 years, and now we are looking to continue the trend by serving our customers at our new location in Hayward.”
Meridian Jet Center is an FAA-approved Part 145 certified repair station. It is also certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Honeywell has appointed Meridian an authorized TFE731 and -36 Series APU Service Center. The facility is also a Northeast Honeywell Avionics and Mechanical Parts Depot. Meridian Jet Center technicians are certified to work on Beechjets, Challengers, Citations, Falcons, Gulfstreams, Hawkers and Learjets.
Meridian Jet Center is a member of the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA) and was awarded the Teterboro PAMA Maintenance Department of the Year in 2012, and Maintenance Facility of the Year in 2013.

Categories
General Maintenance

Meridian Jet Center Earns Gulfstream G200 Rating

Meridian, the award-winning private aviation company based at Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, NJ, is pleased to announce that its aircraft maintenance operation, Meridian Jet Center, has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorization to repair and inspect the Gulfstream G200. The rating also includes the legacy manufacturer and model, formerly known as Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) Galaxy.
The Gulfstream G200 was originally designed by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and was produced for Gulfstream Aerospace from 1999 through 2011. The Galaxy first flew on December 25, 1997. By December 1998 it had received certification from the US and Israeli aviation agencies and deliveries began the following year. The Galaxy was renamed “G200” after Gulfstream Aerospace acquired Galaxy Aerospace in June 2001. The final G200 aircraft rolled off the production line on December 19, 2011, with a final tally of 250 completions. In 2005, Gulfstream began designing its follow-up aircraft. The new model, known as the “G250”, was launched in 2008. It was later renamed the Gulfstream G280.
John Langschultz, VP of Meridian Jet Center, was very enthusiastic about the new rating. “The addition of this popular Gulfstream model allows us to better serve both new and existing customers. Our highly trained technicians now have the ability to support our customers with a wider range of offerings. The G200 is a very versatile super-mid, and we are excited to add this aircraft to our list of FAA-approved airframe models.”
Meridian Jet Center is an FAA-approved Part 145 certified repair station. The company will be celebrating 20 years of certification in February 2016. It is also certified by European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Honeywell has appointed Meridian as an authorized TFE731 and -36 Series APU Service Center. The facility is also a Northeast Honeywell Avionics and Mechanical Parts Depot. Meridian Jet Center technicians are certified to work on Beechjets, Challengers, Citations, Falcons, Gulfstreams, Hawkers and Learjets.