Cabin Interior and Electronics
Flying Colours: Growth Without Sacrificing Quality
While much of the completion and refurbishment industry was battling to remain afloat during the recession, Flying Colours in the quiet Canadian city of Pe
Green Challenger 850s are a familiar sight in the Flying Colours hangar. The Peterborough, Ontario completion and refurbishment center has delivered a total of seven 850s since the first one in 2009 and has four more under way.
Green Challenger 850s are a familiar sight in the Flying Colours hangar. The Peterborough, Ontario completion and refurbishment center has delivered a total of seven 850s since the first one in 2009 and has four more under way.

While much of the completion and refurbishment industry was battling to remain afloat during the recession, Flying Colours in the quiet Canadian city of Peterborough, Ontario, discovered a niche market in converting retired Canadair Regional Jets (CRJs) to executive use, and more recently, abundant work outfitting green Challenger 850s from Bombardier.

In the past five years, the family-owned company has delivered nine converted CRJs and a tenth is scheduled for delivery this fall. Three more are in the pipeline–two to be outfitted at Flying Colours and the third at JetCorp, the company’s St. Louis-based subsidiary. “This demonstrates the continued demand for conversions as the market recognizes the economic and practical value of converted aircraft,” explained director of sales and completions Sean Gillespie.