About Us
It’s our mission to exceed our customers’ expectations by adhering to the highest standards of safety and service quality, with professionalism and integrity. The result is a truly seamless travel experience.
Staying True To Our Mission
For more than 50 years, Pentastar Aviation has stayed true to our mission of exceeding customers’ expectations by adhering to the highest standards of safety and service quality with professionalism and integrity. In fact, it is this unwavering commitment that allows us to continue setting the standard in the private aviation services industry and remain the premier aviation services provider in the Great Lakes Region.
Our History
Pentastar boasts a rich history – established in 1964, originally as the internal flight department for the Chrysler Corporation. Today, under the ownership and nearly century-old family aviation legacy of Edsel B. Ford II, we provide aircraft management, advisory, maintenance, avionics, interior, and award-winning FBO services, industry-leading Fivestar Gourmet® catering, and private jet charter operated through Pentastar Aviation Charter, Inc.
1964
Established as Chrysler Air Transportation, Chrysler’s corporate flight department, originating at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
1980
Renamed
1990
Operations moved to Oakland County International Airport.
1995
New 103,000 square foot maintenance facility opened for public business.
2000
A 48,000 square foot hangar and a state-of-the-art 11,000 square foot passenger terminal with its own commercial jet way, including onsite U.S. Customs, Immigration and Agriculture, was added.
2001
Edsel B. Ford II fulfills his passion for aviation by acquiring the company. He currently presides as Owner and Chairman
2009
Pentastar Aviation Charter, Inc., (PACI) gained FAA approval for Direct Air Carrier Services for fixed and rotary-wing Air Ambulance operations.
2010
Pentastar Aviation and PACI became “IS-BAO registered” Operators (Parts 91 and 135).
2013
Pentastar acquired Aircraft Interior Services (AIS) for complete refurbishing and upgrades. In 2015, an interior design studio was opened to further support this business.
2018
Pentastar joins the Air Charter Safety Foundation and enrolls in their Aviation Safety Action program (ASAP).
2019
Pentastar ranked #1 FBO in the Americas by AIN and #1 Independent FBO by ProPilot and continues to be the most awarded aviation services company for over a decade.
2020
Pentastar obtains Stage 1 registration under IS-BAH.
Leadership
Edsel B. Ford II – Chairman & Owner
Mr. Ford is the sole owner of Pentastar Aviation. He is the great-grandson of Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company, and continues his family’s aviation legacy through his passion for aviation and leadership of Pentastar Aviation. Mr. Ford began his career at Ford Motor Company in January 1974. He was named President and Chief Operating Officer of Ford Motor Credit Company in May 1991 and elected an officer of Ford Motor Company in 1993. In 1988, Mr. Ford was elected to the Board of Directors of Ford Motor Company and, as a consultant, he is active in company affairs and corporate dealer relations.
Gregory J. Schmidt – President & Chief Executive Officer
As President & Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Schmidt is responsible for the overall performance, strategic direction, and long-term growth of Pentastar Aviation. He has been active in the business aviation industry, currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Michigan Business Aviation Association (MBAA) and previously serving as Treasurer and then Chairman of the Board of Directors for the National Air Transportation Association (NATA). Prior to his current role, he served as Pentastar’s Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer. In the decade prior to joining Pentastar, Mr. Schmidt held numerous leadership roles with Pulte Homes, Inc. During his tenure with Pulte, he served as the President of Pulte Homes of Ohio and also as Manager on the Corporate Asset Management Committee, overseeing capital investments across the U.S. Mr. Schmidt also served as the founding Secretary & Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Center for Success Network, a non-profit organization he helped establish, which focuses on providing educational support and life-skills training to children in the cities of Pontiac and Detroit, Michigan and Marion, Indiana.
Brad Bruce – Executive Vice President of Maintenance and Sales
With 22 years of industry experience, Mr. Bruce has lead sales and marketing, business development, and strategic direction operations for multiple full-service business aviation corporations, where he has held positions including General Manager, Vice President, and Executive Vice President. His career spans the areas of aircraft management, charter, maintenance, fixed based operations, and corporate shuttles. With a passion for serving customers and leading teams, he is experienced in developing aircraft use case analyses and operating budgets in aircraft ranging from turboprops to international biz-liners. Mr. Bruce served four years active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps as an aircraft technician on Cobra and Huey helicopters before earning a bachelor’s degree in flight science from Western Michigan University in 1999.
Robert T. Sarazin – Vice President FBO Services
Mr. Sarazin has an aviation career spanning over 37 years. He has worked in various positions of increasing responsibility at Pentastar Aviation for more than 32 of those years. Mr. Sarazin has managed multiple FBO locations and has managed ground handling for numerous dignitaries, including Air Force One for two presidents. Mr. Sarazin has overseen large aircraft handling for entertainers, professional sports teams and intercontinental shuttle flights. He currently oversees all Fixed Base Operations, Pentastar Aviation Facilities, as well as Pentastar Aviation’s onsite FiveStar Gourmet Catering.
Michael L. Baker – Vice President of Safety & Compliance
Mr. Baker began his career with Pentastar Aviation in 1982 as a licensed A&P Mechanic. Since then he has held a multitude of positions with increasing responsibility including FAA/EASA Accountable Manager for Pentastar’s Repair Station Operations and Managing Director of Maintenance for Pentastar Aviation Charter, Inc. As Vice President of Safety & Compliance, Mr. Baker is responsible for primary administrative oversight and fostering strategic planning/leadership in the areas of companywide regulatory conformance, quality control/assurance, internal technical publications, health safety and environmental (HSE), safety management system (SMS) and emergency response plan (ERP).
Heather Sermo – Vice President Human Resources
Ms. Sermo is responsible for Pentastar’s employee relations, talent management and acquisition programs, succession planning, and compensation strategies ensuring industry-leading wellbeing initiatives, legal compliance and implementation of Pentastar’s mission and strategy. Prior to joining Pentastar Aviation, Ms. Sermo held human resource positions with RoboVent, American Axle and Manufacturing, L&L Products, US Farathane, Shiloh Industries, Fraza Forklifts, TTI Global and TRW.
Mark E. Schenkel – Vice President of Finance
Mr. Schenkel has responsibility for leading the finance & accounting and information technology teams at Pentastar Aviation and Pentastar Aviation Charter, Inc. Prior to joining Pentastar Aviation, Mr. Schenkel held financial management positions with companies in the industrial services and automotive supplier sectors. He began his career in public accounting and is a member of the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants.
Douglas Levangie – Vice President of Maintenance Operations & Advisory Services
Mr. Levangie is a 35-year aviation industry veteran and currently the Vice President of Maintenance Operations & Advisory Services for Pentastar Aviation LLC. During his 30-year career with Pentastar, he has held various positions including A&P Technician, Lead Technician, Shift Supervisor and Director of Maintenance. Mr. Levangie has a diverse range of corporate jet experience and is well-versed in Gulfstream, Cessna, Hawker, and Bombardier product lines with significant hands-on experience. In his current position, Mr. Levangie is involved with all facets of customer aircraft transactions. His responsibilities include aircraft operational and maintenance budget projections, aircraft technical evaluations, and aircraft refurbishment planning and management. He is also a Senior Certified Aircraft Appraiser and an active member of NAAA. Mr. Levangie has experience coordinating aircraft transactions with the aircraft buyer, seller and repair stations. He has an understanding of FAA and foreign regulations and has managed over two dozen transactions/refurbishment projects in the past five years.
Robert J. Rufli – Vice President of Flight Operations & Director of Operations
Mr. Rufli joined Pentastar Aviation in 2017 as Vice President of Flight Operations & Director of Operations. He also currently serves as Chairman of the Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF), having previously served as Vice-Chairman. He has more than 35 years of experience in the aviation industry including flight operations management, corporate shuttle start up and operations and FAA certification and certificate mergers. Most recently, Mr. Rufli served as President of Landmark Aviation. Prior to that, he served as Director of Flight Operations. For more than 22 years, Mr. Rufli was Executive Director of Flight Operations at Aerodynamics, Inc., and Chief Pilot at PDQ Air Service. He earned his Bachelor of Science in air commerce from Florida Institute of Technology and completed flight training in Gulfstream III, Hawker 800XP & 700, McDonnell Douglas MD-80, Airbus A-320, Beechjet 400A and 400, Mitsubishi Diamond, Beech Starship and Merlin VIC and 300 through Flight Safety International.
Kip Catlin – Chief Pilot
Mr. Catlin joined Pentastar Aviation in 2012 as Chief Pilot. His over 31 years of experience includes working as a corporate pilot, airline captain, charter pilot and Director of Operations and General Manager of an on-demand air charter and FBO operation in central Michigan. Mr. Catlin is responsible for overseeing the activities of roughly 40 crew members.
Proud Supporter
Throughout the year, Pentastar offers Casual-for-a-Cause days, organizes collections and provides numerous other opportunities for our employees to give back to our community. We are proud that, with generous employee contributions, hundreds of volunteer hours, and additional support provided by Pentastar through donations and matching challenges, in-kind donations and corporate sponsorships, each year we are able to lend support to a dozen or more organizations in our community and beyond.
Below are some of the organizations we have supported over the last 24 months.
For more than a decade, Pentastar Aviation has hosted Operation Good Cheer, an annual event sponsored by Child and Family Services of Michigan. Throughout a two-day period, hundreds of volunteers meet at Pentastar to unload, sort and reload the more than 17,000 gifts. Pentastar employees not only donate countless hours assisting in the gift sort but they also commit to fulfilling Christmas wish lists for 50 of the foster care children who are part of this program in order to ensure these children have a Christmas that is just a little brighter.
60,000
Dollars Last 24 Months
100+
Volunteer Hours Last 24 Months
Our Commitment to World-Class Customer Service
Premier Aviation Services Provider and Most Awarded FBO in the Country!
30 Consecutive Years Without an Accident or Incident
For 60 years, NBAA’s Flying Safety Award program has brought worldwide attention to the business aircraft safety record. These awards recognize member companies for exceptional achievement in maintaining safe flying operations. Much more than a member benefit, they serve as testimony to the high degree of professionalism inherent in business aircraft operations, and as a tribute to the skill of a company’s management, maintenance, pilot and support personnel teams.
#1 In the Americas
The AIN FBO survey evaluates FBOs based on five categories: line service; passenger amenities, pilot amenities, facilities, and customer service representatives. The current survey process provides an overall average from 2013-current, in which Pentastar has annually been recognized as one of the top FBOs in the Americas. Since 2006, Pentastar has received top honors in this survey.
#2 Best Independent, #3 Best U.S.
The Professional Pilot PRASE Survey, heralded as the gold standard of aviation ground service leaders, is an annual tabulation of customer opinions of aviation ground services. Each year, Pro Pilot polls executives in charge of flight departments, aviation managers, chief pilots, pilots, CEOs, and other qualified subscribers to Professional Pilot magazine to recognize industry-leading service providers. Since 2005 Pentastar has annually ranked among the top ten FBOs on this survey.
Crain’s Detroit Business Cool Places to Work in Michigan 2019
Input from Pentastar employees on an engagement and satisfaction survey, administered from the third party Best Companies Group, led to their recognition and placement on the list.
According to our Customers….
Customer Feedback is very important to us. It allows us to continually monitor and update our processes. That is why we ask all of our customers to take a Customer Satisfaction Survey which provides us with a Net Promoter Score.
The Net Promoter Score (NPS) methodology represents the net percentage of our customers who would recommend our company and services to a friend or colleague.
97
Our Net Promoter Score
What our FBO Customers have to say...
What our MRO Customers have to say...