A multi-engine, instrument rated pilot, James Wynbrandt has been an AIN and Business Jet Traveler contributor since 2003. His in-depth reporting and insightful features have won more than a dozen editorial honors, including two National Business Aviation Association Gold Wing Awards (2019; 2021), and his articles have also appeared in the New York Times, Barron’s, Fortune, Forbes, and Smithsonian Air &amp; Space. He has flown his Mooney M20K 252 on assignments throughout North and Central America and the Caribbean. Wynbrandt is also the author of Flying High (Wiley &amp; Sons), a biography of Jet Blue founder David Neeleman, as well as histories, references works, and books on a variety of other topics from major publishers. He lives in New York City.

Contributor - Business Aviation

James Wynbrandt

The FAA awarded Bombardier (Booth No. 3097) its 2005 Diamond Certificate of Excellence at a ceremony here at the convention on Sunday, signifying the commitment of the company and its technicians to ongoing training and education.

“Our product is our people, and this demonstrates our commitment to our employees, and their commitment to safety,” Bombardier vice president and general manager of service centers Troy Jones told NBAA Convention News before receiving the award.

The Diamond Certificate recognizes large repair stations, service centers and aircraft manufacturers. To earn the distinction, at least 25 percent of technicians need to participate in FAA-approved training and education and training programs during the award year.

“It’s all part of our customer service,” David Lusker, acting manager of the Orlando Flight Standards District Office, said about the award shortly before bestowing it on Bombardier. “It demonstrates our collaboration with industry–that we’re all in the safety business together.”

Jones noted that 770 out of almost 1,500 Bombardier technicians earned FAA Aviation Maintenance Training Awards last year.

Bombardier has service facilities in Wichita; Dallas and Addison, Texas; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Clarksburg, W. Va.; Hartford, Conn.; and Teterboro, N.J. According to Bombardier, as of the end of September,&nbsp; nearly 6,000 aircraft have visited its service facilities this year.

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FAA salutes Bombardier with a Diamond Award

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