Randy Africano is Principal of Aircraft Associates. His love of aviation began 64 years ago at age five with a ride in his uncle's 1955 Piper Tripacer. He began flying at 16 in a Cessna 150, earning his pilot's license a year later, and purchasing his first airplane at age 21. 

Since that time, he has continued his involvement in general aviation both personally and professionally. He holds an ATP pilot certificate with single pilot type ratings in the Cessna Citation and over 13,000 safe flight hours of experience. Mr. Africano has served on the Illinois Airport Commission, the FAA Part 135 Aeromedical Rulemaking committee in Washington, DC and consulted with multiple companies to improve their corporate and healthcare-based aviation programs. He served as Guest Moderator for the University of Michigan's Donor Travel Forum, co-authored the white paper "Improving Organ Procurement Travel Practices in the United States", and addressed the American Society of Transplant Surgeons Convention on the subject. He was responsible for building the largest and only IFR certified helicopter EMS program in Illinois and acted in a consulting capacity to add a fixed wing component to the largest helicopter EMS program in Michigan. He has held aviation board positions for the American Bonanza Society, International Comanche Society and  the Lifeline Pilots Association. His professional affiliations include National Business Aircraft Association, Association of Air Medical Services, Experimental Aircraft Association,  Helicopter Association International and Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association. He has contributed to USA Today on general aviation and frequently shared his aviation expertise with members of BeechTalk.com.

Mr. Africano  has owned and operated 86 different general aviation aircraft in the single, multi-engine, turboprop, jet and experimental categories and has flight experience in most every popular GA aircraft.  He has extensive knowledge of "ground up" aircraft restorations having been directly responsible for multiple fixed and rotary wing projects involving paint, interior, glass, avionics, engine and airframe modifications. 

Through his company, he has facilitated the sale and/or acquisition of literally hundreds of fixed and rotary wing aircraft for over the past 48 years, having a strong knowledge of both aircraft and their associated markets for the Beechcraft Bonanza & Baron, Piper Twin Comanche, Cessna 500/550 series Citations and the Mitsubishi MU2 jetprop. He may be reached at (309) 208-4581 or via email at rafricano@aircraftassociates.com.