Thanks to the generous donation by CRS Jet Spares, a premier facilitator in the business jet community, Broward College Aviation Institute students will acquire training on the most cutting edge technology flying the skies today and tomorrow.

CRS Jet Spares has donated a Raytheon Premier fuselage to the Broward College Aviation Maintenance Technology program. This fuselage is a composite structure with a honeycomb core made from such materials as fiberglass, Kevlar and carbon fibers. It is the latest technology in aircraft fuselage manufacturing because of its light weight, exceptional strength and efficiency exceeding that of aircrafts composed of aluminum sheet metal. Because of the rising cost of fuel, a lighter aircraft enhances fuel efficiency. In response, the industry is seeing an increase in the number of aircraft being manufactured from composite materials.

Repairs on these structures require special expertise to isolate damage, remove the damage properly and use different techniques for repair, said Jorge Guerra, Broward College Aviation Institute Dean. 

“The donation enables the Aviation Institute to enhance the curriculum for students with precise training and state-of-the-art techniques using the latest equipment flown in the industry today,” he said.

Armando Leighton, Jr., President of CRS Jet Spares, acquired the fuselage earlier in the year to support the programs at Broward College Aviation Institute. CRS Jet Spares specializes in the aftermarket support of Business Jets throughout the world.

“There is no substitute for having part of an actual aircraft to practice on when learning how to properly service a composite aircraft,” said Leighton. “Broward College Aviation students can now get first-hand experience working on a composite fuselage structure which will prepare them as technicians to meet the future challenges of ‘Next Generation’ aircraft designed with composite Aerostructures.”

Supplying Fortune 500 companies with total solutions to operators around the world through exchanges, sales, provisioning packages, repair or rental options, CRS supports Learjets, Hawkers, Gulfstreams, Challengers, Falcons and Beechjets through a comprehensive inventory, coupled with over 25 years of experience.     

“I am proud to be a product of the community college system,” said Leighton. “Learning about all the wonderful things that Broward College Foundation does for the school and our community, gave me great pleasure to get involved and help make a difference. I am proud to be a part of tomorrow’s generation of aircraft professionals.”

Lloyd Rhodes, Armando Leighton, President J. David Armstrong, Jim LaBate (front), Trustees Sean Guerin, Paul Tanner, Georgette Sosa Douglass, Levi Williams (back)