In the seven years Technical Manager (Director of Maintenance) Klaus Rasmussen has worked for Denmark-based Air Alsie, he’s traveled to Duncan Aviation in Battle Creek, Michigan, many times.
Learn why he continues to fly the more than 6,500 kilometers for aircraft service.
Of the 20 aircraft Air Alsie manages, 15 of them are Falcons. Although Air Alsie is a factory authorized Dassault Line Center and performs smaller inspections, minor repairs and warranty claims, Klaus says he still sends the Falcon aircraft he manages to Battle Creek for major structural repairs and modifications and for C inspections because Duncan Aviation is a Dassault authorized heavy service center.
Starting the Relationship
In 2011, Klaus attended the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva, Switzerland, where he met Duncan Aviation’s European Regional Manager Arjen Groeneveld. Klaus remembers wondering how Duncan Aviation’s prices compared to the European service centers.
Arjen quoted three C checks, some avionics installations and minor modifications. Klaus was impressed with the prices, and after taking those first Falcons to Battle Creek in 2011, he was also pleased with the workmanship.
“On that first trip to Battle Creek in 2011, we were checking out the quality. We’ve been to other facilities for inspections and interior work. In the end, our decision was based on the fact that we’ll get good quality at better prices at Duncan Aviation than at the other facilities,” says Klaus.
Another reason Klaus values Duncan Aviation is because of the transparent approval system. Duncan Aviation’s online project tracking system, myDuncan, lets him follow the check almost in real-time, and, when the work has been completed, all of the paperwork is finalized immediately.
“I appreciate it that we don’t have to wait. We get all of the paperwork, invoices and certification immediately,” says Klaus. “We check the invoice, and the prices are always pretty close to the figures that we had budgeted before going in. That’s extremely important to us because we don’t own the aircraft – we manage it – so all of the costs are passed along to our customers.”
Deepening the Relationship
L to R: Project Manager Shawn Busby, Technical Manager of Air Aisle Klaus Rasmussen and Airframe Service Rep Alan Monk.
Since that first trip, Klaus has been back to Battle Creek numerous times, and he’s developed close relationships with Senior Airframe Sales Representative Alan Monk and Project Manager Shawn Busby.
“The personal relationships make it easy to get in touch with the right people when there are issues. And, let’s face it, there are always going to be issues,” says Klaus. “It’s important to me to know Arjen, Alan and Shawn so well I can reach any of them at any time. I don’t want to have to go through a layer of people who don’t know me or care about me or my aircraft. I want to go to them directly, and I can and do.”
Often work relationships develop into close personal friendships, and Alan considers Klaus a friend as well as a customer.
“We both have families, and Klaus and I often talk about our kids. It’s interesting because parents seem to face similar issues no matter what part of the world they call home,” says Alan.
Shawn also values the close, personal relationship he has with Klaus.
“Personally, I consider Klaus as much of a friend as I do a customer. I enjoy hearing about his daughters, what they’re doing, and their horseback riding adventures,” says Shawn.
Read more Duncan Aviaton's customer in the latest issue of the Duncan Debrief.
