FBOs
Flightstar: Serving Illinois Aviation for Nearly a Half-century
Company has grown into a full-service FBO at the University of Illinois Airport
Flightstar FBO and ramp at KCMI
Flightstar has been a fixture at University of Illinois/Willard Airport since 1978. Approaching its 50th anniversary, the company has evolved into a full-service provider offering FBO, aircraft MRO, charter, and management services.

In 1978, Bill Giannetti and a fellow pilot received permission to establish an FBO at the University of Illinois/Willard Airport (KCMI). The university-owned and -operated airport began operations in 1945, and despite its being home to the university’s Institute of Aviation—a flight training and research facility—for decades, it had no general aviation service provider.

“We started with a trailer, we moved to a bigger trailer, and about 10 years later we built the building here. We’ve grown it from basically a flight school to a full-service FBO with charter flying and aircraft management,” Giannetti told AIN, noting that it has gone from just three employees at the start to 170 today.

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