Peterborough-Based Flying Colours Corp. Just Delivered Its 100th Bombardier Challenger Retrofit

Flying Colours Corp.’s Peterborough facility has re-delivered its 100th major retrofit of a Bombardier Challenger model. The Bombardier Challenger 604, delivered in the first week of October, underwent a major overhaul of the cabin, avionics, connectivity and fuselage.

The Peterborough design team worked with the new owner and current operator to create a stylish interior featuring a black and gold palette. In response to the request for a contemporary cabin including seats with improved comfort, the design team adapted Challenger 650-style seat frames, purchased from Rockwell Collins - Interior Systems, to feature molded armrests that arch perfectly to fit the curves of the arm.

Flying Colours has completed 100 Challenger retrofits, with the latest inspired by a gold and black palette and incorporating modified Challenger 650-style seats.

The six reclining individual seats and complementary three place divan were finished using a soft but durable black leather with a perforated insert, medium-beige colored leather accent panels, and a single contrasting seam stitch trim in order to bring a modern, yet sumptuously comfortable feel to the cabin.

The light trims, buckles and control panels feature a matt gold to contrast with the leather. The customized monuments—including side ledges, panels and doors—are finished with a gloss anigre veneer with each fold out table incorporating a matt-gold inlay accent. 

The private owner also took the opportunity to update cabin-connectivity with the Gogo AVANCE L3™ air-to-ground connectivity system installed to provide WiFi access for voice, email, web browsing, moving maps, and a selection of movies and TV programs across the North American region.

Bombardier Challenger 604

Passengers will also enjoy inflight entertainment courtesy of the Rockwell Collins Venue™ system. The high-clarity touchscreen displays and intuitive controls optimize management of the cabin environment. Both crew and passengers can control lighting, temperature and entertainment choices, as well as view Airshow® moving maps, from their own personal digital devices.

The dedicated Peterborough paint shop revitalized the fuselage with a paint job reflecting the interior colors. A partial gold stripe sweeps from the tail to midway along the fuselage and sits above a full black stripe that sweeps in an arc to the front of the aircraft. 

“The owner was upgrading aircraft size and recognized the value in buying a pre-owned jet and customizing it to his style and needs,” says Sean Gillespie, Executive VP Flying Colours Corp. “We’re pleased that our hundredth Challenger project was such an interesting one, it’s a significant achievement for our team.”

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