Company History
Commander Instruments and Avionics, Inc. has been well recognized in the aviation community since its founding in 1970 as Commander Instrument Company in Charlotte, North Carolina. Commander grew throughout the 1970s providing aircraft instrument repair and overhaul services for Charlotte Police Department, Atlantic Aero, Causey Aviation, Reeves Brothers, Piedmont Aviation, Jungle Aviation and Radio (JAARS), Moody Bible Institute, FBOs, and private aircraft owners throughout the Southeast US. In 1976 Commander's services expanded to include avionics when it built a service facility on the Chester Municipal Airport in Chester, South Carolina and changed it's name to Commander Instruments and Avionics. Commercial air carriers utilizing the new services included Eastern Atlantis Express (Atlantis Airlines). Other companies included Lance Corporation, S & D Coffee, Ryan Steak House, Spartan Food Systems, SC SLED, FBI, SBI, North American Institute of Aviation, and Bob Jones University to name a few. In 1992 Commander opened a second location at the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport co-located with Signature Flight Support. Then, in 1993, the Chester, SC facility was closed so that the company could focus on expanding component service capabilities and developing various corporate flight department support operations in the Charlotte, NC area. The FAA Certificated Repair Station grew to include at all 4 Instrument and all 3 Radio class ratings as well as a limited airframe rating. In 1998 Commander expanded to Savannah, GA when it opened Johnson Aerospace providing the Savannah International Airport with Airline Maintenance Services, aircraft storage, as well as general and corporate aircraft maintenance and avionics services. The Savannah service facility was closed in 2000 when a portion of the company was sold to Piedmont Hawthorne Aviation. In 2009, Commander divided the company into two separate operational elements. One providing corporate flight departments as well as individual aircraft owners with field support and installation of aircraft instrument and avionics systems and the other providing instrument and radio component repair and overhaul service, new parts and equipment sales, military contracting and supply, as well as consulting and manufacturing R&D. Now in its 48th year of opertion, Commander has returned to the focus of its core business providing instrument and radio component services (repair and overhaul) for avionics and maintenance facilities throughout world as well as new avionics sales, distribution, and product development.
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