About Us

Chester County Aviation has a long and rich history at G.O. Carlson Airport. Over the decades, CCA has taken many forms and gone by many names, operating as everything from a flight school to an FBO to Part 135 charter and much more. This current chapter of CCA is proudly brought to you by Ethan Crane and the CCA team. 

 

Ethan's love for aviation was sparked by his father Tim’s aviation journey in the 1980s. Tim worked for and trained at Chester County Aviation (CCA), where he met Ethan’s mom, Lori. Tim proposed to Lori in one of CCA’s training aircraft, and their shared passions for aviation, ministry, and missions brought them to Moody Bible Institute for Missionary Aviation. 

 

Inspired by his dad's aviation stories, Ethan earned his Private Pilot Certificate in high school and later attended Messiah College with his now-wife, Kayla. Ethan proposed to Kayla in the same airplane that Tim used for his proposal. They also incorporated a Bell 206 helicopter flight into their wedding, which kindled Ethan's passion for helicopters. Over time, Ethan pursued advanced aviation ratings through CCA’s flight training. He and his dad and brother Zac bought the "proposal airplane," which they leased back to CCA. Zac later proposed to his wife in the same airplane.

 

In 2017, Ethan felt called to combine aviation with ministry and missions, and by 2019, had acquired Chester County Aviation. Since then, CCA has expanded to include Abella Aviation in Lancaster, and services like airplane and helicopter training, tours, maintenance, and a Robinson Helicopter dealership, part 135 charter, and more!

 

We have deep-rooted core values like family and fairness ingrained in our operations. We strive to operate in a way that is safe, honest, and transparent so that you have the best experience possible. Your journey in aviation is important to us, and we are excited to have opportunities to use our great industry to give back to the community. Whether you are a new, current, or former CCA customer, we look forward to working with you and cannot wait to get you flying!