Dassalt Falcon Service (DFS) has performed the first C-check on an in-service Falcon 7X. At the same time, the Dassault-owned service center renovated the aircraft’s interior, installed a satcom unit and wi-fi system, and repainted the livery. All the work was performed at Paris-Le Bourget Airport in France.
The aircraft involved is seven years’ old and has flown 1,340 cycles. C-checks are the largest scheduled maintenance events on the 7X and are due every eight years or 4,000 cycles, whichever is first. DFS says the inspection was brought forward to “demonstrate and optimize the quality of the 7X overhaul process”. The aircraft type entered service in 2007.
DFS is now working on a second 7X. That project involves a full cabin renovation, installation of an enhanced vision system (EVS), and overhaul work. Other aircraft are scheduled to follow by mid 2015.
“All the expertise needed for C-checks – maintenance, engineering, customer support, spare parts, cabin refurbishment – is available right here at Le Bourget or at the nearby Dassault Aviation design office in Paris, permitting the quick reactivity operators demand in the overhaul process,” said Jean Kayanakis, DFS general manager. “We expect this to be a great differentiator and help us become the global reference in C-checks for the 7X and future Falcon models.”
DFS has invested heavily to prepare for 7X C-checks. Two dedicated hangars have been set aside for the 7X at Le Bourget, staffed in double shifts. A second facility is scheduled to open in Bordeaux-Mérignac in 2016. This new installation will be equipped to handle six aircraft simultaneously, and will also include a paint hangar.
DFS is part of the Dassault-owned service network which comprises three heavy service centers offering all levels of scheduled maintenance, airframe and engine maintenance, paintwork, interior modifications, and avionics installation and upgrade. These centers are located in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA; Wilmington, Delaware, USA; and Le Bourget, France.
The network also includes a major service center in Reno, Nevada, USA, which provides all levels of scheduled maintenance and engine/APU line maintenance services. A line service center in Sorocaba, Brazil, is capable of full A inspections, avionics upgrades and engine/APU line maintenance. All Dassault facilities offer 24/7 AOG support, unscheduled maintenance and a troubleshooting service.
Additionally, seven satellite service stations in Van Nuys, California, USA; St Louis, Missouri, USA; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; London, UK; Rome, Italy; Moscow, Russia; and Nice, France, are capable of troubleshooting and unscheduled maintenance.
March 26, 2015
