Mike Minchow (pictured below), vice president of service sales, reveals Duncan Aviation’s plans for NBAA-BACE 2019, to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 22-24 October
What does Duncan Aviation have planned for NBAA 2019?
We will be highlighting all our services, from aircraft sales and acquisitions to completions and paint, and airframe and engine maintenance to parts. We will highlight our three full-service facilities (Lincoln in Nebraska, Battle Creek in Michigan and Provo in Utah) as well as our 27 avionics satellite locations and ‘workaway’ stations, and our worldwide AOG and rapid response team engine services.
Are there any new products or services you will highlight?
This is always a tricky question to answer because we work hard to continually improve our service offerings and adjust our services to better fit the evolving needs of our customers. So, for example, although we have been completing aircraft paint for many decades, we are constantly innovating to improve our processes and products and expanding our services to meet the needs of our customers. Some of the things we are highlighting include our engine services, especially for TFE731 and HTF7000 engines; our paint services, especially our new capabilities in Provo; and our in-field AOG and support services for engines and avionics.
What new capabilities are you adding in Provo?
Our new maintenance, modifications and paint complex at our Provo location is nearing completion. Two maintenance hangars and a paint complex have opened so far. The new paint facility is the only truly green paint facility in the USA. It releases no waste products to the water or to the city of Provo. The facility meets the very strict air requirements set by the state of Utah and by the EPA. In fact, air from the hangar goes through a regenerative thermal oxidizer that burns off the volatile organic compounds (VOCs), so more than 99.7% of the air we release is clean. All the supporting backshops and administrative areas at Provo are expected to be completed in early 2020.
Can you explain more about your engine services?
Duncan Aviation has been an industry leader in TFE731 major periodic inspection events, performing up to 200 annually, or even more. Now, we also have the capability and authorisation to perform compressor zone inspections at our engine shop in Lincoln. To support this, we installed a state-of-the-art engine test cell and continue to invest in an inventory of rental engines. With our Honeywell authorisation to utilise serviceable, used parts, we can provide options that keep the cost of repairs low for operators of 731-2 or 731-3 engines that are not covered by MSP.
Since 2016, Duncan Aviation has also been authorised on the HTF7000 (AS907) series engines for hot section, front end and gearbox inspection and repair. We have technicians throughout the USA who are trained and ready to dispatch around the world to the customer’s location to provide these services, along with line maintenance on these engines. We are capable of incorporating all of the service bulletins on these engines to enhance the performance reliability and longevity of the engines. Duncan Aviation owns several rental HTF engines as well to support our customers’ needs.
What in-field AOG and support services will you highlight?
Duncan Aviation has long listened to customer requests and fulfilled needs with innovative and responsive services. As a result, the company has 184 avionics and engine technicians positioned throughout the USA and ready to travel worldwide when operators need AOG assistance and service.
In 1985, the company started its avionics satellite shops to provide operators with avionics service closer to their home base. The number and size of those shops has continued to grow and now includes more than 150 team members located at 27 shops and workaway locations.
Likewise, in 2001, Duncan Aviation began its engine rapid response team services, which positions mobile engine technicians at 14 launch sites. These 34 engine technicians not only provide maintenance services in their regions, they are ready to launch worldwide with very short notice.
At any given moment, operators traveling in the USA are within 150 nautical miles of members of a Duncan Aviation satellite shop or AOG or rapid response team.
Do you have any other plans for NBAA-BACE?
We are going to offer a unique experience this year to NBAA-BACE attendees. We are building a virtual reality experience related to our engine services that attendees will be able to interact with at the show. It will be a fun way to highlight these services to attendees.
A full preview of NBAA-BACE 2019 will feature in the October 2019 issue of Business Jet Interiors International
