Well known nationally for his support of the Rotax Aircraft Engine line, through Lockwood Aviation Supply and Lockwood Aviation Repair, Phil Lockwood says he will shift resources from new aircraft sales to expand the parts and service business. Lockwood will eliminate activities that align the enterprise with any single brand of SLSA in a bid to widen its appeal and market base in aircraft service, he said.
For the past six years Lockwood has supported the LSA movement through a sister company, Sebring Aviation. Sebring Aviation has represented manufacturers such as Tecnam, Flight Design, and Air Creation. Going forward Sebring Aviation will continue to support the aircraft it has sold and will sell used LSA. Sebring Aviation will also continue working directly with various OEMs to provide specialized avionics installations for LSA aircraft. In addition Lockwood Repair, one of the largest LSA service centers in the USA, will continue to be a Flight Design service center. “It’s been a pleasure working with Flight design and that relationship has allowed us to gain an extraordinary level of expertise in servicing and performing major repairs on their aircraft,” said Lockwood.
For 17 years, Lockwood enterprises have been headquartered at the Sebring Airport (SEF) in Florida, where its expanding facilities represent an anchor tenant of the onetime World War II airport positioned alongside the world-famous Sebring Raceway. At this central location in the aviation-intensive state of Florida, Lockwood is well suited to serve a large pilot population that can fly to the airport in a couple hours or less. The company also supports a large group out-of-state customers from the USA as many Rotax components and engines are shipped in for service and overhaul on a daily basis.
Lockwood Aircraft Corp will expand new production of the AirCam twin-engine Experimental Amateur Built kit and its Drifter line. The AirCam does not qualify as an LSA but has gathered a following in the aviation community, he said. “The AirCam represents a bright spot in an industry where sales of most aircraft have slumped in recent years sales of the popular twin engine camera plane have continued to increase,” he added.
With the arrival of Light-Sport Aircraft in 2004, Lockwood established the Aero Technical Institute (ATI), which offers factory-authorized training for mechanics and owners allowing field services to a variety of airframes. In the LSA world, such factory training is essential and ATI now offers airframe courses for many of the popular Light-Sport models sold throughout America. “By not representing these same brands for sales, we believe we can do a better job of serving the wider producer community,” explained Lockwood.
Featuring a computer slide show that commonly fills all seats in forum tents or exhibit halls, Phil Lockwood has become widely known as one of the country’s leading experts on Rotax engine operation, care, and maintenance. He is founder and President of Lockwood Aviation Supply now in its 20th year of business as an Authorized Rotax Service Center. He has devoted much of his time during the past 20 years to developing and teaching maintenance techniques for Rotax Aircraft engines.
For more information: www.Lockwood-Aviation.com or 863-655-5100
