Aviation and Commercial Aircraft Painting

As a college student back in 1989, I borrowed a mop bucket and an old truck and began washing private aircraft as I worked toward my pilot’s license. As word spread, that part time job evolved into a modest small business called “Leading Edge Aviation Services” with just five employees in a small facility in Santa Ana, CA.

As we grew, we never lost sight of the fundamentals: excellent service, quality work, and the finest attention to detail.  With that focus, we went from that old borrowed Ford and a janitor’s bucket to what is now the largest aircraft painting company in the world with five facilities in the US and offices in Asia and the Middle East. From washing those small, single-engine planes to painting entire fleets of jumbo jets today; we’ve certainly come a long way.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Leading Edge Aviation, and we are proud of the incredible people that have helped us get to where we are today and the amazing things we have accomplished. In all, we’ve painted over 5,000 aircraft since those early days, and we’re adding another 300 to that list in 2009 as America’s top airlines entrust us with their most important assets – their brand. The fact is there isn’t a major airport in the US that doesn’t have a Leading Edge aircraft somewhere landing or taking off at this very moment.

To celebrate this milestone, we’re reaching out to our customers and partners in a whole new way. Starting next month, we’ll be delivering quarterly newsletters that reflect the spirit and success of our company and deliver interesting industry specific information and fun facts. In the meantime, we’ve put together an e-mail version to keep you posted on all things Leading Edge.

We hope you enjoy the news, and look forward to serving you on this, our 20th year.

Sincerely,

Mike Manclark,
President / CEO

(SANTA ANA, CA) January 14, 2009 – Leading Edge Aviation Services (LEAS), the largest commercial aircraft painting company in the world, has just completed its month-long restoration of a World War II era A26 Invader which soars into John Wayne Airport for its new home at the William Lyon Air Museum. The Museum, which opens doors this spring, will house a number of historic aircraft on permanent display for the county’s growing community of aviation enthusiasts.

“It’s a real honor to breathe new life back into an important piece of American history,” said Mike Manclark, President, CEO, LEAS. “Our California crews worked with incredible dedication and detail to restore this storied warbird back to its mint condition. I’m proud to say that now, 68 years later, its every bit as striking as the day it first rolled into action.”

First brought into action in 1941, the A26 bombers were stationed throughout California as part of emergency efforts to protect the mainland from invading forces after the attack at Pearl Harbor. This Invader, named the “Feeding Frenzy” flew missions in Vietnam and possibly World War II.

For interview opportunities, contact:

Dave Patterson

Leading Edge Aviation Services

(714) 556-0576

dave@leascorp.com

Company Solidifies Position as Partner of Choice with Major Production Achievement at Victorville, CA Facility

(VICTORVILLE, CA) November 21, 2008 – Leading Edge Aviation Services (LEAS), the largest commercial aircraft painting company in the world, announced today that it has reached an unprecedented commercial services milestone by painting the 600^th aircraft for Continental Airlines in its advanced Victorville, CA facility. Since first partnering with Continental in 1994, LEAS has emblazoned virtually every kind of aircraft – from Md-80 to 777 with the airline’s now famous blue and gold branding at its state-of-the-art aircraft paint shop.

“This is a remarkable achievement that’s truly unmatched in today’s aircraft services industry,” said Mike Manclark, CEO, LEAS. “No other company in the world has completed as many aircraft as we have, and at the highest level of quality and safety that we have. We are honored to have worked with Continental for the past two decades, and look forward to continue growing with them as their partner of choice in the many years ahead.”

As one of Continental’s longest-standing vendors, LEAS has emerged as the world leader in the commercial aircraft painting industry with consistent delivery, dedication to its customers, and commitment to innovation. Able to meet even the most aggressive scheduling requests both on-time and on-budget; the company has become the go-to choice for leading airlines such as Continental, which has contracted LEAS through 2014.

“In today’s challenging business climate, airlines need to know their partners have the facilities and ability to improve turn times and accommodate their ever-changing schedules,” added Manclark. “That’s what sets us apart. Whether its one plane or four planes, we can work with any schedule, any plane, and deliver it on any timeline. We thank our employees at our Victorville and other aircraft painting facilities for their continued hard work and focus on quality that has made this remarkable milestone possible.”

For more information, please visit www.LeadingEdgeCorp.com.

About Leading Edge Aviation Services

Headquartered in Santa Ana, CA with facilities across the United States, Leading Edge Aviation Services, Inc. is one of the most advanced, commercial aircraft services companies in the world. Specializing in commercial, private, and military aircraft painting, the company also provides a wide range of commercial services, including fuel system, mod-center support, contract labor, line-turn maintenance, composite and sheet metal, long and short term aircraft storage, field audits, fleet assessments, interior deep cleaning, and strip and painting services to various branches of the United States Military. For more information, visit www.LeadingEdgeCorp.com.

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For interview opportunities, contact:

Dave Patterson

Leading Edge Aviation Services

(714) 556-0576

dave@leascorp.com

Bill “Pit Bull” Reesman, a retired Air Force pilot, continues to razzle and dazzle audiences with his aerial performance at the 2008 Miramar Air Show in San Diego. Taking to the air in his MiG-17 Russian warplane, Reesman was a crowd favorite “executing steep climbs, dives, loops and rolls, all the while pulling 8 G’s, or eight times the force of gravity.”. The spotlight still belongs to the U.S. Navy’s world famous Blue Angles, who performed their wing-to-wing, death-defying maneuvers flawlessly for over 700,000 attendees.

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Saturday, October 4 2008, 9:00am - The Blue Angels are back this year, set to put on the best fighter jet aerial demonstration in town.

This year the fun comes a bit earlier and I want to make sure that you mark your calendars for October 3, 4, 5 in beautiful San Diego, California for our 12th Annual Leading Edge Air Show and Golf Tournament. As with every year, we have left nothing to chance for this VIP event and have secured our usual spot right on the flight line in front of the Blue Angels with a fully catered corporate chalet, double-decker bus transportation and a spectacular view what many consider to be America’s finest Air Show! In addition, this year our annual golf tournament will be held at the fabulous La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, former home to the PGA Tour’s Tournament of Champions and we have reserved rooms at our favorite place in La Jolla, The Empress Hotel. Throw in a beach luau on Friday night and this VIP weekend will be one to be remembered for a long time! Bring the whole family and enjoy a weekend in San Diego.

http://www.miramarairshow.com/