WICHITA , Kan. – The $43 million Aviation Associates Credit Union said this month it is at last taking advantage of a community charter it received in 2003 by undertaking a name change, branch expansion and the merger of a south Wichita CU. Effective last month, Aviation Associates with a member base tied to Raytheon/Beech Aircraft Co., changed its name to Central Star and opened its first full service branch in a Food 4 Less grocery "Yes, we've been pretty busy," confided Gail Adamo, marketing director of Aviation, which on May 16 announced a planned July 1 merger of the $9.5 million Vulcan Community CU of south Wichita. Aviation received its five-county charter early in 2003 and is now able to make broader use of it by setting up branches where it can in area communities without CU services, said Adamo. Last month it opened the Food 4 Less facility serving a Hispanic community in south Wichita and at the end of July will open a second branch in Haysville. Both the Haysville branch and the Vulcan offices will permit Aviation to reach a wider member base in south Wichita, said the CU. Vulcan, chartered in 1958, has been serving employees of Vulcan Chemical Co. and was recently sold to another chemical firm. It has 1,300 members. The merger has been approved by the Kansas Department of Credit Unions and NCUA, said a press release. Regarding the name change, Lee Williams, president/CEO, noted that "we're very proud of our aviation roots, and the transition from the skies to the stars is a natural." The new name, she said, while embracing the aviation link " also recognizes our expansion and future growth potential in Wichita and neighboring communities." " We're really excited about all the things we'll be doing," said Adamo noting that Aviation does plan to continue serving Raytheon employees in metropolitan Wichita. Raytheon, formerly Beech Craft, also has a factory in Salina also covered by Aviation's FOM. Chartered in 1940, its FOM covers Sedgwick, Butler, Harvey, McPherson and Saline counties [email protected]