Writer

Mark Phelps

<p>Castle Aviation, a Northeast Ohio charter and air cargo operator, began operations as an FBO at Akron-Canton (Ohio) Regional Airport (CAK) in June. A new terminal building is under construction, scheduled for completion in December. Now operating from the former Goodrich corporate hangar close to the approach end of Runway 23, Castle has a 20,000-gallon fuel farm, two jet-A trucks (5,000-gallon and 2,000-gallon) and a 700-gallon 100LL truck.</p>
<p> Castle president Michael Grossmann said the company, which he started in 1986 as an air-medical transport operation, held an FBO leasehold at nearby Akron-Fulton Airport in the early 1990s and operated another facility at the Portage County Airport outside Akron for 15 years. In February 1999, Castle bought the 30,000-sq-ft former Goodrich hangar at CAK and started expanding its air cargo business. After 9/11, the need for passenger charter grew and Grossmann launched Northstar Business Aviation in May 2002 as a division of Castle Aviation. Since then Northstar has tripled in size. Other FBOs on the field include Exxon Avitat and McKinley Air, which has been in business since 1934, according to a company spokeswoman.</p>
