This sponsored article was prepared by Insight magazine, the sponsored content division of MHM Publishing.
Since its humble beginnings as a parts brokerage and distribution business in Connecticut, United Aero Group (UAG) has grown into a robust group of companies operating under a single brand to serve the helicopter market.
With specialized focus on rotorcraft, UAG provides comprehensive support for parts acquisition and distribution, engine parts and service with direct original equipment manufacturer (OEM) support, blade repair, airframe repair, refurbishment, and resale.
After establishing itself in the market, UAG was acquired in 2019 by BrightWater Partners (BWP) of Chicago which already held Arista Aviation of Alabama in its portfolio. Arista brought expertise in airframe repair and refurbishment, with an emphasis on Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and Bell UH-1H Huey models.
In 2022, UAG acquired Advanced Composite Structures (ACS), the world’s largest independent organization for blade repair, further diversifying UAG’s capabilities. ACS specializes in repairing composite and metal blades for most helicopters in service today, and operates facilities in Canada, Australia, and the U.S., holding Federal Aviation Administration, Transport Canada, European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and Civil Aviation Safety Authority certifications in support of its customer base.
One UAG, many services
Today, UAG has consolidated its businesses to create a vertically integrated company focused on offering customers a comprehensive suite of services under a single brand umbrella.
“Our goal with the one UAG philosophy is when we sit down with a customer, we aren’t just talking about parts or blades or engines or airframes,” said UAG CEO Jamie Gelder. “We take a more holistic approach because of the variety of services we can offer. We talk with customers about what their challenges as an operator are and how we can help solve them across the board. Customers love options.”
For restricted-category Black Hawk operators, for example, UAG provides a valuable single-source support network. It provides complete parts support, refurbishment service, and airframe, engine, and blade repair and maintenance for the UH-60.
Airframe repair and refurbishment
The company acquired and refurbished more than 40 Black Hawks from the U.S. Army’s Black Hawk Exchange and Sales Transaction (BEST) program. These aircraft were refurbished at their Alabama facility and included upgraded avionics, fresh engines, and tailored modifications for domestic and international customers. Recently, several of the aircraft were sold to the Portuguese Air Force, the first ever international sale of a U.S. military surplus UH-60 by a private company.
UAG’s refurbishment and repair services are not limited to Black Hawks. Building on its signature work with Black Hawks and legacy UH-1H Hueys, UAG provides a full suite of repair and refurbishment services from airframe modifications and repairs to interior refreshes and modern glass avionics upgrades for most helicopter models.
Robust parts supply and distribution
The repair and refurbishment side of the house is complemented by UAG’s robust parts brokerage and distribution service, complete with global shipping logistics support.
Its Black Hawk aircraft acquisition allowed UAG to further boost its already vast parts inventory with a strong UH-60 parts supply, including rotable stock supporting clients globally.
GE engine support
UAG is an authorized repair and services provider under GE’s TrueChoice power-by-the-hour (PBH) program for the GE T700 series engines for all UH-60 variant restricted category and public use helicopters and the GE CT7 engine operated in the Sikorsky S-92, Leonardo A189, and the upcoming Bell 525 helicopters. UAG also supports operators not on the PBH programs with part sales for these engines.
Comprehensive blade repair
Complementing its airframe and engine support, UAG operates a comprehensive blade repair service network. With facilities in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S., ACS can perform everything from composite repairs to high-visibility paint jobs for more than 40 variants of Bell, Leonardo, Airbus, and Sikorsky helicopters.
UAG continues to expand this division of the business with extensive investment in engineering to increase its blade repair capabilities and through licensing partners in new regions around the globe to provide service closer to its customers, Gelder said.
“In 2025, we will be expanding into the Middle East to capture additional market share,” Gelder added.
Being able to provide such a complement of services has proved valuable to UAG’s customers, especially those in the public use and military sectors.
“An example is our support of domestic firefighting helicopters as a single source for so many needs,” Gelder said. “We repair their blades, we distribute parts, manage component repairs, handle all the logistics, and perform exchanges out of our own inventory. If they need field support, we will send technicians from our Alabama location. We are full service.”
Continuing to grow
UAG continues to expand its services with a recently announced tooling acquisition from Clearwater Defense Canada, bringing UH-60 component and hydraulic repairs into UAG’s services for customers.
“We are committed to being a full-service support organization that delights the customer,” Gelder said.
