Duncan Aviation has delivered its first complete G650 paint job from its full-service MRO facility in Provo, Utah. The aircraft was delivered with new custom exterior paint, custom luxury vinyl tile (LVT) flooring in the entryway and lavatory, custom carpet, and reupholstered crew seats.
The long-time Duncan Aviation customer operated a Falcon 50 for years before recently choosing the G650.
Senior completions and modifications sales rep Adam Beach said the owner brought the aircraft straight from its pre-purchase evaluation to the Provo facility so it could be stripped and repainted to match the customer’s brand.
“The customer was great to work with,” said Beach. “They had brought their Falcon 50 to our facility in Battle Creek, Michigan, for years, but this was their first experience with Duncan Aviation’s Provo location.”
Beach explained that the customer was originally a little nervous about going to a different Duncan Aviation location, as they’d worked with the same project manager in Battle Creek for years. Due to limited shop availability and schedule in Battle Creek for their needed timeframe, though, Provo became the best solution.
“The entire Provo team and I quickly worked to build on the company’s existing relationship with the customer,” said Beach. “We wanted him to feel confident that he would receive the same VIP treatment while in our care.”
When the aircraft delivered, Beach was told that it was a seamless transition for them to go to a new facility. “He told me it was a great experience,” said Beach. “The ability to provide excellent, consistent service at all three of our locations is a huge differentiator for our customers, especially with service schedules tight across the business aviation MRO industry.”
Teamwork
This was the first G650 completed at Duncan Aviation.
“Working on newer airframes that we don’t yet have extensive experience with requires excellent teamwork,” said Beach. “We have a supportive team with a wide range of knowledge and experience. When we have an airframe that is fairly new to our facilities, Duncan Aviation team members rally together, trusting in one another, giving 110%, and delivering a beautiful product. We are continually looking for ways to challenge ourselves, pushing the status quo, and raising the bar on industry standards.”
“The customer knew Duncan Aviation for our quality work,” said Beach. “We were happy to complete this aircraft for him. We are excited to see more newer models in our hangars, and this project shows that we are equipped to handle them.”
Brand matching
The customer’s business had expanded since purchasing the Falcon 50, and he needed “more of a global presence”, Duncan Aviation shared. He also needed the new aircraft to match his company’s brand.
“The existing paint on the aircraft was in great condition, but he had a very specific look to his branding,” said Beach. “He wanted his new aircraft to have a similar scheme to the old one, just updated.”
Flooring
The interior was also in good shape. “The customer wanted the same carpet installed that was in their previous aircraft,” said Beach. “They were really looking for that homey feeling and to freshen up the interior.”
Designer Amie Jensen was the lead designer on this project, and helped draw up the paint schemes and ordered the carpet specs the customer provided. She also matched up the herringbone-patterned LVT flooring for the entry and lavatory flooring.
“He loved the herringbone pattern that we have on display in our design centre, and the second he saw that he knew it was exactly what he wanted,” said Jensen. “The LVT flooring holds up nicely, looks fantastic, and matched the interior perfectly. I’m ecstatic to continue working on these incredible aircraft. The mod capabilities and possibilities are endless.”
LVT is a hard flooring composed of layers. The top two are made of clear PVC and an aluminium oxide layer, to protect the surface and texture of the tile and make it easy to sweep or wipe up spills. It is also designed to be very durable, and impact and scratch resistant. Depending on the aircraft type, sections of the LVT flooring can be removed through a hinge-pin system for access to the floors for maintenance.
Upholstery team leader Brandon Crosby said that by choosing the LVT flooring, they could really make it their own.
“There are a lot of options when it comes to LVT and being able to customise it,” Crosby said. “It is also an extremely durable material and provides a high-end look. By adding the new carpet and flooring, it really changed the look of this aircraft and brought it to a whole, new level.”
Maintenance
Even though there was only minimal maintenance work on this aircraft, a lot of the project’s success is attributed to the Gulfstream airframe team.
Airframe tech rep II Paco Velez said that he had to ensure his team had the proper tooling, and a heightened situational awareness of the G650.
“The G650 has its own personality,” said Velez. “Our team had to be spooled up, and Duncan Aviation sent additional technicians to maintenance training to familiarise them with the aircraft. Our team is always learning, and eager to expand their knowledge. The Gulfstream team takes pride in working on all legacy aircraft, along with the next generation like the G650. The whole organisation is here to support every customer and create long-term customer relationships.”
