In 2015, the founders of Ace Aeronautics set out with a simple goal — one that has manifested in powerful ways. The company aimed to develop a modernized flight deck for Sikorsky UH-60 and S-70 Black Hawk helicopters, addressing obsolescence issues as former U.S. Army aircraft entered the civil market or were sold to militaries in Europe.
That vision was realized in 2020 with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) supplemental type certificate (STC) for the Ace Deck VL-60 — a first-of-its-kind integrated flight deck featuring the Garmin G5000H avionics suite. The intuitive flight management system (FMS) brings the venerable Black Hawk into the 21st century.
“This is still considered state-of-the-art,” said Rich Enderle, CEO of Ace Aeronautics and a former U.S. Army Black Hawk maintenance test pilot. “They see it as a significant upgrade from anything they’ve ever operated. Everything shifts from 1970s and 1980s technology to, now, the 2000s.”
Over the past decade, Ace Aeronautics has acquired and upgraded dozens of Black Hawks, fitting them with the Ace Deck system — with Europe serving as a central focus of the company’s operations.
Austria became the first customer for the Ace Deck VL-60, commissioning upgrades for an initial fleet of nine S-70A Black Hawks and later adding three more through the U.S. Army’s Black Hawk Exchange and Sales Transaction (BEST) program.
In 2023, Ace Aeronautics secured a tender to provide three Black Hawks to the Portuguese Air Force, while also adding three aircraft for Ukraine and 12 weaponized Black Hawks for Slovakia, all sourced through the BEST program.
“Every aircraft we have delivered — or are delivering — in Europe is a little bit different,” Enderle said. “But they all share the base cockpit, along with whatever mission-specific equipment is needed. Whether the mission is firefighting, search and rescue [SAR], or border defense, we can recommend the right equipment and then tailor the aircraft to that customer.”
The quality of Ace Aeronautics’ work is built on deep knowledge and decades of experience with the Black Hawk platform. Enderle began flying the aircraft in 1982 and completed his military career 25 years later.
“That is not unusual for the people I have working for me,” he said. “I have individuals who were steps away from being selected for the astronaut program with NASA, who are experimental test pilots, program managers from the Army who ran the [Boeing AH-64] Apache programs, the Black Hawk programs, and the [Boeing] Chinook programs. Many of our employees have military experience, especially when it comes to programs, maintenance, and logistical support, that I think sets us apart from a lot of the others.”
Europe remains central to the company’s mission, driven in part by growing demand for Black Hawks in firefighting applications. The upgrade process is comprehensive, beginning with required maintenance, structural inspections, and repairs.
The flagship G5000 integrated cockpit, along with engine and rotor blade inspections and repairs, form the core of Ace Aeronautics’ refurbishment program. The company also partners with specialists to integrate forward-looking infrared (FLIR) systems, firefighting tanks, external hoists, and any other mission-specific equipment — including weapons systems.
“The aircraft is so versatile,” Enderle said. “A Black Hawk can do anything. I can’t think of a mission it cannot be configured for — and [reconfigured] in a very short period of time.
“You can go from a weaponized system to logistics support or a SAR capability in minutes, or at most a few hours in some cases. The versatility of the platform is what’s so appealing to international users right now.”
In March 2025, Ace Aeronautics reached an important milestone that underscored the depth of trust it has earned from Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company. Ace Aero became a Sikorsky Authorized Customer Support Center for Black Hawk maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO).
It was also named an authorized refurbishment center for legacy UH-60A+ and UH-60L models.
“We’re the first, and we’re the only one in the United States — which we’re very proud of,” said Enderle, who previously served as maintenance commander at Fort Rucker Army base in Alabama.
“They reached out to us because of the work we’ve done and asked, ‘What can we do together to make the legacy fleet more sustainable? How can Sikorsky support those operators?’ They selected us to be the first service center in the U.S., and the only legacy refurbishment center in the world.”
This new partnership is supported by an expert workforce of about 200 people at Ace Aeronautics’ facility in Guntersville, Alabama — a number expected to grow to 250 within the next year.
Enderle estimates that 25 to 30 aircraft will pass through the MRO facility each year, with the potential for hundreds more Black Hawks to enter the market as they are retired from U.S. military service.
Ace Aeronautics is built on simple but powerful principles: honesty, integrity, and a commitment to going above and beyond for its customers.
“We know Black Hawks, we do Black Hawks, and we’d love to help you,” Enderle said. “What can Ace do to help?”
“People who know me know that we’re serious — we want to help them. But we also want the relationship to be more than just business. We want it to last longer than one opportunity. We want to be here for the long haul — to help you operate for years, not just for days.”
This sponsored article was created by Insight magazine, the sponsored content division of MHM Publishing.
