Tag: NATA

Aeroplex/Aerolease removes CEO Curt Castagna and files lawsuit against him


(Post date 5/26/24)
Last week news broke over several media sites that reported the firing and subsequent lawsuit against Curt Castagna who was a CEO and managing member of the AeroLease Companies. It’s a convoluted web that Castagna seems to have woven using the name Aeroplex Managing Partners as his own separate company while employed by AeroPlex/AeroLease. This will all play out in court.

Citizens calling for Curt Castagna to be REMOVED from the federal program EAGLE which is to “Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions”. Castagna (two lease tenant at VNY with the 3rd ambition thwarted by community) was accused of spreading misinformation to stall “getting the lead out”.
Both protests (LBG and Van Nuys airport)from 5/16 sported signs calling out Castagna regarding stalling the new unleaded Gami fuel


Here are some of the article links to read if you haven’t yet seen them.
LB4D News reports :
“The lawsuit alleges that Castagna used Aeroplex/Aerolease resources and personnel to form a competing airport hanger management and consulting company called Aeroplex Group Partners and took various steps to interfere with Aeroplex/Aerolease after that Board terminated Castagna’s employment. more…

The Press Telegram reported:
“A 50-year-old company that leases hangers and office space to more than 100 tenants at the Long Beach and Van Nuys airports has fired its longtime, nationally known chief executive officer, accusing him in a blistering lawsuit of using its employees and resources to enrich his competing consulting firm.” more…

LB Post reports it this way:
“A major hangar-leasing business at Long Beach Airport fired its longstanding CEO this month and then swiftly sued him, alleging he tried to walk away with company property to prop up his own competing business. The former CEO has denied the accusations, saying the situation is an unwinding of a complicated business relationship “that unfortunately went public.”” more…

Aviation International News wrote:
“The company owns the leaseholds of extensive hangar space at Van Nuys and Long Beach airports, and according to a press release issued yesterday, its majority-in-interest owners voted to remove Castagna, after filing a lawsuit against him in the Superior Court of Los Angeles under allegations of conversion, breach of fiduciary duty, unfair competition, and violation of the Computer Data and Access Fraud Act.” more…

Curt Castagna put out his own announcement reported here:
“Curt Castagna, former president and CEO of the Aerolease Group entities, announced that he has stepped away from managing the company’s leaseholds at the Van Nuys and Long Beach Airports to focus entirely on serving as principal of the consulting firm Aeroplex Group Partners.” more…

You can read the entire court filing here.

It is important to note that at the April 18th Planning Commission meeting, officials approved plans for a large new hangar complex for private chartered flights out of Long Beach Airport. This project was submitted to the city planning commission by Aeroplex Group Partners (Curt Castagna) who is the named defendant in the above court filing.

GAMI Unleaded Fuel ready for Distribution

April 30, 2024 SANER Update

Or is it? The much anticipated distribution of the first unleaded aviation fuel to be approved by the FAA was ready to roll out and be offered at many general aviation airports this past week. Until it was blocked by NATA.

GAMI Receives FAA STC For G100UL High Octane Unleaded Gasoline

Eleven Year Process Of Engineering, Testing And Validation Culminates Successfully


Please read the various linked articles and the comment sections. It appears there may be a conflict of interest brewing regarding who gets to bring this important lead free fuel to market. We haven’t heard anything from Long Beach officials who promised GAMI unleaded fuel would become available at LGB soon. Curt Castagna, the main leaseholder at LGB and CEO of Aeroplex, is also President of NATA (National Air Transport Association) as well as Eagle.

NATA Challenges GAMI’s Assertion Of ‘Commercial Availability’ of G100UL
The National Air Transport Association (NATA) says General Aviation Modifications Inc.’s (GAMI) FAA-approved G100UL is not yet “commercially available” even though the licensed manufacturer of the unleaded avgas, Vitol Aviation, has more than a million gallons of it for sale. more…

Airports, communities continue to battle over leaded avgas use as G100UL sale nears
FBOs in California are feeling the push from a nine-year-old court ruling to stop selling leaded aviation fuel. A ruling from December 2014 ordered that the many airports operating in the region pay fines, issue warnings over the dangers of leaded avgas, sell avgas with the lowest lead content and once unleaded alternative is commercially available, complete the transition away from leaded fuels.more…

G100UL Maker Refutes NATA Claim That It’s Not Ready To Sell
Vitol Aviation, which has more than a million gallons of General Aviation Modifications Inc. (GAMI) G100UL unleaded avgas for sale, is disputing claims by the National Air Transportation that the fuel is not ready to be sold. more…

Back in August of 2023, LGB received it’s first unleaded aviation fuel. To date, the airport is still not reporting any sales of this aviation fuel. See the latest report here. The above screenshot shows no sales reported Oct.-Jan. more…

The Long Beach Airport received –and used — its first delivery of unleaded aviation fuel this week, making it the fourth airport in the region with environmentally sustainable fuel for purchase.

Of course leaded aviation is not our main issue, it’s the frequency of the training flights that cause constant noise in the neighborhoods day and night! But more frequency means more lead (and other emissions)…over our heads.

Save the Date!

The Saner Summer Fun Fundraiser will be on Saturday, June 22 from Noon to 4 PM!
Bring your family, your friends and your neighbors to this event where fun (a bounce house and craft table), food, music, and an opportunity to meet the SANER founders and other community members. SANER leaders will be on hand to speak and update everyone on the issues.
Location is 3911 Marshall Way Long Beach.
Evites will be sent out in May for RSVPs. Cost will be $25 for adults and $10 for kids under 12.

Come out and join us in our big PROTEST
DATE: Thursday May 16th
TIME: 4pm-6pm
WHERE: Near LGB
Contact us for location.

For those who are interested in hearing the Air Control Tower (ATC) live (or even past recordings), you can access it here.