Duncan Aviation is now offering ‘SWAT’ interior services in Provo (Utah), meaning these are available at all its three full-service facilities. The other sites are located in Battle Creek (Michigan) and Lincoln (Nebraska).
The acronym outlines the process of surveying aircraft interiors; writing prompt quotes; artistically cleaning, touching-up, dyeing and correcting; and transforming appearance and functionality.
The goal of the Duncan Aviation SWAT teams is to go through the aircraft and take care of the small items that are not part of the scheduled service. The company noted that small things – like touching-up paint, spot-dyeing leather seats and resewing curtain glides – quickly give the interior a facelift.
“We are excited to add the SWAT capabilities as part of this phase of our growth in Provo,” said Jeff Schipper, modification manager. “We’ll continue to bolster our modifications capabilities as our teams grow to meet the ever-increasing demand for modification services.”
One of the reasons Duncan Aviation developed these services years ago is for preventative maintenance. The company said its teams can do a little work to a customer’s well-maintained and well-cared for interior, making small improvements by repairing the little nicks, scuffs, scratches and dings, and those minor fixes should go a long way to help hold the value of the aircraft.
In late 2020, interior SWAT team leader Mike Upah reached out to completions crew leader Robert LaGrange and asked him if he’d be interested in helping build a SWAT team for the Provo facility.
Upah has worked at Duncan Aviation since 1996, getting his start in the cabinet shop at the Lincoln facility. He learned about aviation working on B-52s while serving in the US Air Force in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War. LaGrange has eight years of experience working on aircraft interiors, and the company praised his attention to detail.
“I leapt at the chance and was excited to be both working on the floor and developing a new service from scratch,” said LaGrange. “I understand the benefits of a SWAT team for the company, our team members and customers – we’re building our future, and as we grow, we are keeping the same experience that Duncan Aviation’s customers are accustomed to getting in Lincoln and Battle Creek.”
Although Duncan Aviation has had a presence at Provo Municipal Airport since 2010, the company recently expanded its facilities to include multiple buildings and hangars. These help support the same range of services as available at its other full-service facilities, including paint, interior completion, avionics installation, engine overhaul and repair and more.
