Pro Star Aviation raises the truss on new 45,000 s/f hangar facility

Londonderry, NH  September began on a momentous note for Pro Star Aviation with a truss-raising for their 45,000 s/f hangar and shop currently underway. The new hangar and office facility will be located at 8 Kelly Ave., east of the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport and adjacent to its machining entity, Pro Star Precision Machining. PROCON is the designer and construction manager for the project.

Raising the truss (beam) was a challenging procedure requiring weeks of planning. PROCON’s project manager and safety team coordinated efforts with the structural steel supplier CANAM Steel, Astro Crane and Bret Steel Corp. for the erection of the beam. On the day, Pro Star leadership and local officials attended the event and observed as two cranes lifted the 110-ton beam into position. In under two hours, experts from Bret Steel guided the 180-foot-long structure to its permanent home and made the connections.

The building is a 30,000 s/f single-story Type II aircraft hangar with 15,000 s/f of adjoining shop space. The architects designed it with multiple windows to allow natural light into the guest waiting area and office spaces. The first floor features a 2-story glass lobby under a floating wood ceiling with seating for Pro Star pilots and customers. It includes a 38-person cafeteria with high-top tables along the windows with views of the runway. Two conference rooms and the second floor office spaces also import plenty of light and overlook the nearby runway. 

Among the features of the building is a 28-foot tall Megadoor made of thick plastic-coated fabric that provides aircraft entry and exit. The translucent Megadoor multi-functions as a beacon by night displaying the Pro Star logo when it is lit from within. By day, the door will incorporate natural light into the hangar, reducing daytime lighting loads.

As Pro Star Aviation has grown and expanded for nearly 20-years, it became necessary for the company to find additional spaces to house their various operations. To date, the company’s workforce has been scattered between a hanger and office space on the west side of the airport and another location further away. When the new facility is completed, for the first time the staff of approximately 60-people will work together under one roof.

According to the managing partner Kevin Harriman, no one is more excited about the upcoming new hangar than Pro Star’s employees. His enthusiastic comment was, “They are the best, and the reason for where we are as a company. Everyone is excited to have a newer and bigger space for the hangar and offices. We will no longer be separated or confined. It will be a much-improved environment for our staff, as well as for our customers.”

With a hangar and office space, Pro Star will be able to continue offering their customers the highest quality avionics service/installations, maintenance, engineering and certifications services. “This new facility is the culmination of 20 years of hard work and dedication on the part of the entire Pro Star team, and is a testament to their professionalism and diligence throughout the years,” said Harriman.

The truss is in place and the work continues with an expected completion in spring 2018.