Gallery: Wichita MRO Grows With Tamarack Dealership

Global Aviation Tech, an MRO provider in Wichita,  became an official Tamarack authorized dealer in 2024. The company recently completed its first installation of an active winglet. The aircraft brokers pilot flew to Wichita to pick up the aircraft, a Citation CJ1, and fly it to the customer in Brazil. 

Aenoy Khamsysopha, Global Aviation Tech senior program manager, and Jerome Cottner, Global Aviation Tech president, with the Citation CJ1 with new winglets. Tamarack selected the company because of its depth of experience as an FAA-approved repair station, its aerospace engineering expertise and its "strong" portfolio as a Supplemental Type Certificate developer, Tamarack officials say. Its Midwest location also makes it convenient to serve customers across North America and Mexico. 

"They checked all the boxes," says Eric Cunningham, Tamarack vice president of sales. 

Installation of an active winglet differs from the installation of a typical bolt-on winglet, says Jerome Cottner, Global Aviation Tech president. "But it's also doing more than a bolt-on winglet," Cottner says. "There's critical inspection points and critical criteria that have to be correct, and that's what we've done." 

Tamarack's active winglet automatically adjusts positions by optimizing wind flow based on changing flight conditions for a more stable flight, he says. "So, it's really flying as efficiently as it can." 

Pilots run through a checklist during preflight related to Tamarack's active winglets. 

A Global Aviation Tech employee prepares the Citation CJ1 for customer pickup inside the company's hangar in Wichita. 

The company plans to begin installation on its second aircraft, this one a Citation CJ3, on Jan. 20. The winglets give the aircraft a number of benefits, including longer range, often cutting out a fuel stop along the way, says Jacob Klinginsmith, Tamarack president. The winglets also mean shorter runway requirements for takeoffs, less runway to land, faster climb to altitude and less fuel burn.

The Collins Pro Line 21 flight deck of the Citation CJ1 with newly installed Tamarack winglets.

An indicator light on the panel, just below and to the left of the red button, comes on during preflight and then goes off to signal the winglets are activated. 

While the aircraft was in for winglet installation work, Global Aviation Tech also installed new LED lighting in the cabin.