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The Duncan Download Blog: Business Aviation Advice & Observations

Duncan Aviation in 2014: New Year…New Hangar…More Space

Posted by Diane Heiserman on Thu, Jan 09, 2014 @ 08:00 AM

Duncan Aviation's new maitenance hangar Duncan Aviation's new maitenance hangar

Can you think of a better way to begin the new year than to open the doors to a brand new aircraft maintenance hangar? Neither can we.  And on Monday, that’s exactly what we did. The clean and freshly coated floors of Duncan Aviation’s newest 40,000 square-foot maintenance hangar were christened as four business jets, including one Falcon 7X were ushered in during near-record low temperatures and blowing winds, two weeks ahead of schedule!

And we’re not done!

Although this new hangar is large enough to hold the largest model business jets in operation, this is only phase one. Another 40,000-square-foot maintenance hangar and a 95,000-square-foot office and shop space, will be completed and ready for use in June of this year. Altogether, this maintenance structure is the largest expansion project Duncan Aviation’s Lincoln campus has ever seen.

The expansion comes in response to customer requests and changing customer needs. The business aviation industry continues to shift toward larger business aircraft, a trend fueled by technological advances and increased globalization.

There has been considerable buzz and anticipation for Duncan Aviation’s expansion in Lincoln, Nebraska. At last check (only moments ago), all available space is occupied and 18 more large-body aircraft are scheduled for multi-week maintenance events during the first quarter. With nearly 20 more waiting to be placed on the schedule for hangar floor space through the middle of the year.

If you are wanting to get your business jet on the schedule and in this new hangar for the coming year, don't hesitate. Space is limited and it is filling up fast. Contact a Duncan Aviation sales rep today.

We are excited about this expansion and want to share it with you. Let me personally invite you to come visit Duncan Aviation and see firsthand our commitment to our customers, our team members and business aviation.

To view the construction progress, a timelapse video, and a construction photo gallery, visit. http://www.duncanaviation.aero/airframe/promotions/maintenance_hangar_construction.php

Tags: Avionics Installation, Airframe Maintenance, Announcements, Maintenance Event Planning, Videos

Taking Advantage of Downtime While at Duncan Aviation in Provo, Utah

Posted by Diane Heiserman on Mon, Dec 23, 2013 @ 11:20 AM

Utah Adventures

Panorama of southern Utah Lake.

Don’t know what to do while your aircraft is at Duncan Aviation for a multi-shop inspection for several weeks? Here is a detailed travelogue from Mariusz Wieczorek, a Duncan Aviation customer from Poland who spent several weeks downtime at Duncan Aviation for an 8C inspection. 

Read about his firsthand account on what to do, where to go and who to talk to when on the ground at Duncan Aviation in Provo, Utah.

Mariusz Wieczorek's Excellent Adventures

Mt. Nebo in Utah

Mariusz (R) reaches the summit of Mt. Nebo with Duncan Aviation Airframe Technician Daniel Goheen (L).

Arches National Park

Sunset in Arches National Park.

Benneville Salt Flats

Bonneville Salt Flats.

Mariusz Wieczorek

Viewing from the air the same mountains I climbed the day before.

Mountain Biking

Enjoying the challenge of mountain biking.

Camping in Grand Canyon

Camping in Grand Canyon.

Lake Powell

Taking a plunge into Lake Powell.

Maybe it’s because I come from a country where summer time usually looks like Scotland’s fall. Maybe it’s because I’ve never left my continent before, but one this is for sure–after spending time in Provo, I can definitely say or rather shout: “I love Utah!”

I knew nothing about Provo or Utah before it was decided we were going to have Duncan Aviation perform an 8C check on our business aircraft at their facility located there. Though I’d heard about places like Salt Flats, Salt Lake, Bryce Canyon and Zion’s National Park, I was eager to do some exploring on my own. The entire state offers a vast and beautiful, sometimes dangerous landscapes where you can hide for days having only bear, wolves and mountain cats as company. You may even find a deer blocking your car in the parking lot.

After you’ve landed at Duncan Aviation in Provo, Utah, (PVU) and conducted business setting up maintenance and repair schedules, leave your aircraft in their capable hands. Let them do their job. They know what they’re doing.

Hiking, Biking, Flying and More!

There is no need to travel far to see the beauty of the state. If you like hiking, Mt. Timpanogos (elev. 11,752 ft.) is the highest peak within a few miles of Provo to scramble on. Go north through beautiful Provo Canyon on your way to the Aspen Grove Trailhead. Make sure to stop at the Sundance Resort along the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway for a decent meal, because you’re going to need it! During this 8-10 hour scenic hike, you will cross beautiful waterfalls, stand at the edge of Emerald Lake with its glacier and see curious mountain goats or possibly a moose or two before you reach the summit. The 360 degree view is astonishing and will make all the effort worth it.

Mt. Nebo (elev. 11,928 ft.), is another nearby peak 20 miles to the south. The Mt. Nebo Loop is a scenic serpentine on your way to the trail head. This hike is not for the faint of heart. Prepare yourself for a real cardio workout, especially the last mile when the trees stop and birds find no reason to fly there. After you summit, return down the same trail or if you feel up for more physical challenges, continue on through the middle and south Nebo peaks for your descent.

For the most extreme climbing experience, visit Little Cottonwood Canyon north from Provo. You’ll find nice boulders and unique climbing roads cut in the granite walls of the canyon.

Talk to Jason Kinnan, Duncan Aviation’s Parts Specialist in Provo. He is a local Search and Rescue member and knows everything about mountains and climbing.

If you are a biker rather than hiker, there are plenty of roads that lead to some special places. Most of the mountain roads are easily accessible and paved with race cyclists riding all over the place. If you prefer endurance cycling, visit Park City, Utah. Canyon Resort and Sundance Resort are nearby with various trails from easy to hardcore. Rent a downhill bike and have a blast. Remember to wear a helmet and crash pads!

Talk to Glenn Lewman or Shawn Mortensen, two of Duncan Aviation’s airframe mechanics in Provo. They will take you to unique trails in the wilderness far away from bike parks.

Need to get back in the air? Rent a glider, airplane or instructor at Heber City Airport, then fly the very same mountains you just hiked or biked. This is the easiest way to summit. You will experience thermal and ridge lift and possibly even wave activity when in the air. It’s all there.

Just three short miles from Duncan Aviation in Provo, head for Utah Lake State Park. There you can rent a motorboat, ski jet, catamaran, and sailboat. Float down the Provo River in a canoe, take a kite surfing lesson or just lounge on the warm sand and relax.

Are you a golfer? Good. Nearly half of the Duncan Aviation team in Provo is too. They know the best courses.

If you’re visiting in winter time, the skiing and snowboarding couldn’t be any better. Utah Mountains hold the best snows in the world. Jeff Schipper, Duncan Aviation Project Manager knows the best ski areas and equipment.

If you’re a gearhead visiting in August be sure to visit the Bonneville Salt Flats Race Track to see the Speed Week event. This is the place to be for automobile fans. You’ll see speed record machines from motorcycles, cars, hot rods, trucks and many more; speeding around at speeds up to 400 mph. Ward Cranor, Duncan's Lead Structures Mechanic in Provo, is a motor head and will surely take you on a tour.

Night Life and Long Weekends

After all the adventure you can take, find a pub to cool yourself down with various products of local breweries. As a matter of fact, Utah is one of leaders in producing beer in the country and a serious exporter as well. For more night live and social, cultural activities you don’t have to go far; everything is available 40 miles north in Salt Lake City. Or just visit Las Vegas, only about five and a half hours to the south. While there, the Hoover Dam is too close not to see and the south ridge of the Grand Canyon is within grasp.

On a long weekend, head south through Vermillion Cliffs to Zion National Park, climb Angels Landing trail or go for the famous Narrows. Visit Page City and take a refreshing bath at one of Lake Powel’s wild beaches. The water is both super-clear and warm. Then next time, head north and visit Yogi Bear at Yellowstone National Park—it’s only a six hour drive. Good advice: don’t overnight in your car inside the park. You’ll have a chat with the Ranger by the light of the moon.

If you are looking for a maintenance facility that knows how to take care of your aircraft, choose Duncan Aviation. If you want the time to go faster with some off road adventure, Provo, Utah, fits the bill. In addition to incredible service, you’ll have a lot of fun and many tale-worthy experiences you won’t soon forget.

Tags: Airframe Maintenance, Duncan Aviation-Provo

Duncan Aviation Customer Letter of Appreciation

Posted by Diane Heiserman on Tue, Dec 10, 2013 @ 07:00 AM

In August of this year, Thriveni Earthmovers arrived with their aircraft at Duncan Aviation for a large multi-shop maintenance/upgrade event. Chris Neaves, Thriveni’s Director of Flight Operations, took the time to send the following letter to Andy Fernandes, Duncan Aviation Regional Manager to India, and Rich Jones, Duncan Aviation Project Manager, regarding their experience. We decided to share these remarks because although we can say we hold ourselves to a higher standard of service than other service providers in business aviation, nothing says it quite like our customers do.

Thrivani Earth Movers

Thriveni Earthmovers aircraft arrives with a new full metallic paint scheme in Titanium Silver Metallic and Dark Brown Metallic from Duncan Aviation in Battle Creek, Michigan.

Click to enlarge.

Andy and Rich,

On behalf of Thriveni Earthmovers, I would like to thank you and the mechanics of Duncan Aviation for your work on our aircraft.

We appreciate that you were able to work with a moving input date and remain flexible enough to take us with just a week’s notice. As you know, we came out of a nightmare-like situation where we had to take the aircraft to the manufacturer’s facility for some upgrades only they could perform. After a four-week overrun on their time estimate and a higher bill than expected at the manufacturer, we were relieved when we arrived at the Duncan Aviation Battle Creek, Michigan facility.

Everything about the whole Duncan Aviation experience—from the moment we arrived on the doorstep to day of departure—was amazing. Nothing was too difficult, and everyone was pleasantly open and forthcoming with both good and bad news as we completed the B, C and D check, Export Certificate of Airworthiness, repaint, a gaggle of new avionics and interior refurbishment work.

Convenient doesn’t even come close to describing myDuncan.aero and the phone app. I was able to go to the other side of the planet while still communicating with everyone at Duncan Aviation, receive photographs and explanations of issues, as well as approve and deny work orders. The website was great at describing the current expenditure and the progress when we weren’t actually onsite.

Also, no matter who you are, how big or small your aircraft is, everyone is treated as if they are Duncan Aviation’s number one customer. Any issues that arise during the work are dealt with instantly, and the attention to detail is amazing.

Our airframe work was suburb and your mechanics’ attention to detail was outstanding. Actually, every department at Duncan Aviation we worked with impressed us, including interior, paint shop and avionics. Having team members who are so skilled in their trades is quite an asset for both Duncan Aviation and aircraft owners. We experienced a significant savings when the scratches on the wood and the stains on the window shades were removed, leaving our aircraft looking nearly new. The full metallic exterior repaint of our aircraft turns heads. It is a perfect application without a single drip of paint. We are impressed with the aircraft’s overall appearance. The end result exceeded our wildest imagination. Also, your ability to modernize our entertainment system, integrating the new with the old means we now have a system where every cabin seat can listen or watch their own individual selection, or surf the internet, or both—something you never see in a jet this size.

Considering the scope of work, the timeframe we had available and the added full repaint, we were astonished that we came out a day early with a refund, not a bill.

Normally when you do this much work in a short span of time like we did, the last couple of days are a mad rush and it’s a flurry of paperwork to complete, bills to pay and a scramble to ensure nothing was missed, but not at Duncan Aviation. We encountered the simplest, smoothest experience at the end I have ever seen. It also helps that people at Duncan Aviation think ahead, treat the plane and work as if it’s their own aircraft and don’t leave anything to the last minute.

The quality of the Duncan Aviation workmanship was apparent when our aircraft was released for service just a couple of hours before our departure, and we were able to fly to the other side of the world without any faults or problems. Our aircraft performed flawlessly and flew like new, and it still does a month later.

We are starting the process for our next aircraft purchase and will not even consider looking anywhere else but Duncan Aviation for the work on it. With your new Indian DGCA maintenance approvals, we will also be bringing the aircraft back for future maintenance work.

Regards,

Regards,
Chris Neaves

Director of Flight Operations, Thriveni Earthmovers Pvt Ltd

Duncan Aviation

Duncan Aviation is an aircraft service provider supporting the aviation needs of government and business operators and other service providers. Services include major and minor airframe inspections, engine maintenance, major retrofits for cabin and cockpit systems, full paint and interior services and preowned aircraft sales and acquisitions. Duncan Aviation also has international aircraft components solutions experts available 24/7/365 who can handle any aircraft system problem with immediate exchanges, rotables, loaners or avionics/instrument/accessory/propeller repairs and overhauls.

Complete service facilities are located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Battle Creek, Michigan. Additional locations include Provo, Utah, and 27 other facilities strategically located throughout the United States to provide customers with local support and the quickest response to avionics, engine and airframe Aircraft On Ground (AOG) situations.

Tags: Customer Testimony, Airframe Maintenance, Announcements, Customer Service

Learjet 60: New Brake Airworthy Directive

Posted by Diane Heiserman on Fri, Aug 16, 2013 @ 01:43 PM

Submitted by Dave Schiver, Airframe Tech Rep

Learjet 60 Airworthiness Directive

AD2013-13-09 is issued to prevent failure of the braking system or adverse operation of the spoiler and thrust reverser system due to external damage.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued Airworthiness Directive AD2013-13-09 in regards to the Learjet 60 Brake System. This AD requires three separate Service Bulletins (SB) be accomplished within 12 months or 600 hours from August 6, 2013, the effective date of the AD.

The following are the required SB:

SB 60-32-33, Dated July 23, 2012

Installation of rigid hydraulic tube assemblies and improved MLG squat switch bracket

SB 60-57-7, Dated July 23, 2012

Installation of metal shields and brackets for the wiring and tubes on the lower struts

SB 60-78-7, Dated May 1, 2006

Improved wheel speed detect box and TR interface box

The summary and complete AD can be viewed at the following:

http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAD.nsf/0/ef28248ca81a3bd686257b9c00471f7d/$FILE/2013-13-09.pdf

Dave Schiver is an Airframe Technical Representative at Duncan Aviation’s Lincoln, Nebr. (LNK) facility. He specializes in Learjet aircraft. His aviation career began in 1981.

Tags: Regulations, Airframe Maintenance, Learjet

Duncan Aviation offers Interior Cosmetic Detailing

Posted by Diane Heiserman on Fri, Jul 26, 2013 @ 11:18 AM

Submitted by Kristi Steward, Interior Modifications/Completions Manager

S.W.A.T.

S.W.A.T., in military lingo stands for “special weapons and tactics.” At Duncan Aviation, it describes a special team putting their talents to work, addressing the most-requested cosmetic details in aircraft interiors.

Frequent customer requests led Duncan Aviation to create the SWAT service to ensure that the interior of every aircraft that comes to one of our facilities—even those scheduled for only maintenance or avionics installation—leaves looking better than when it arrived; the ultimate goal being to improve your aircraft with minor interior repairs.

Every aircraft that arrives at Duncan Aviation in Lincoln, Neb., and Battle Creek, Mich., is subjected to an “Interior SWAT Team Analysis.” Offered without cost or obligation, this in-depth examination is conducted and items that can be corrected, cleaned, updated or otherwise improved to beautify the aircraft interior are identified. The inspection, combined with flight crew interviews, reveals specific areas the SWAT Team can improve while the aircraft is down. On-the-spot quotes are created and, once approved, are incorporated into the existing scheduled work without extending downtime.

Duncan Aviation holds service center authorizations for several major airframe manufacturers, including: Bombardier, Dassault, Embraer and Cessna. We are also an Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) and an FAA/EASA approved Class 1-4 airframe rated repair station. Our interior project portfolio and capabilities fact sheets are available online.

Tips and Tricks

The SWAT teams offer the following advice to keep your aircraft interior in top-notch condition:
  • Perform regular cleaning and conditioning of all leather
    and wood surfaces with approved products.
  • Avoid cleaning products that will cause a build-up and give
    surfaces a cloudy appearance.
  • Clean any inadvertent ink marks immediately with Isopropyl alcohol and a cotton swab. Once set, an ink stain cannot be removed.
  • Always cover seats when bringing luggage through the cabin.
  • Close drawers and doors softly, without slamming.
  • Perform regular interior maintenance at least every other year during service center visits.

The Hit List

The most common items addressed by the SWAT teams are: carpet cleaning, leather chair re-dye, re-webbing seat belts and cabinetry hardware adjustments.

Cabin

  • Seat adjustments
  • Seat cleaning and conditioning
  • Carpet cleaning
  • Leather re-dye
  • Cabinet touch-up
  • Install new-style vinyl carpet runner
  • Install new cork in cupholders
  • Re-web seatbelts
  • Cabinet and card table adjustments

Cockpit

  • Instrument panel touch-up
  • Pedestal touch-up
  • Install new sun visor assembly
  • Re-web seatbelts

Other Areas

  • Replace entry step tread
  • Replace baggage step tread
  • New baggage load covers
  • Requested touch-ups

 Kristi Steward is a the Manager for interior modiciations and completion services at Duncan Aviation's Lincoln, Neb., facility. Her aviation career began in 1992.

Tags: Airframe Maintenance, Interior Refurbishment, Maintenance Event Planning

Falcon: Special Commercial Program for F900EX S-Duct

Posted by Diane Heiserman on Fri, Jun 21, 2013 @ 12:12 PM

Contributed by Kevin Bornhorst, Airframe Tech Rep.

Pulled Spot Welds in S Duct

Multiple pulled Spot Welds in inner skin of the Falcon 900EX S-Duct.

FSA900EX-54-10-02-R5

Dassault issued Falcon Service Advisory FSA900EX-54-10-02-R5 in 2009 after receiving reports from F900EX operators about a brown discoloration and in some cases a distortion of sections of the S-duct inner skin.

The suspected cause of the discoloration is the overheating of the S-duct due to sustained use of the anti-ice power in cruise above 30,000 feet. Dassault has issued the AFM Temporary Change No. 61 that modifies procedures regarding the use of the override mode for engine #2 and wing anti-ice. They also added a check of the rivet condition inside the S-duct to the basic inspection

The distortion of the inner skins of the S-duct was determined to be an overpressure due to an excessively open HP valve, combined with a high N1 setting. Dassault has modified the design of Section #1 of the S-Duct to correct the distortion. Since the introduction of this redesign, the number of distortion reports has significantly reduced. 

Special Commercial Program

I want to remind Falcon 900EX operators that Dassault Falcon has a Special Commercial Program for the Falcon Service Advisory FSA900EX-54-10-02-R5 that extends the warranty on materials and provides a discount program for parts if exchanged prior to failure.

Restrictions

This program is for F900EX S-duct Sections 1, 2 and 3 that are made of 2024 aluminum alloy and is limited only to the correction of the discoloration and distortion issues discussed above.

Warranty

  • Material warranty is extended from five to 10 years.
  • Labor warranty is extended from six months to 3 years.
  • No repair will be done on a part under warranty. Any section with cracks will be systematically exchanged with a new part.

Exchange

  • If your F900EX is six year old or less, you will get a 50% discount off the regular new part price.
  • If your F900EX is 12 years old or less, you will get a 25% discount off the regular new part price.

If you have any questions about this FSA, don’t hesitate to ask me or any of the other Duncan Aviation Falcon Tech Reps.

Kevin Bornhorst is an Airframe Tech Rep located at Duncan Aviation's Battle Creek, MI, facility. He specializes in the Falcon airframe. His aviation career began in 1982.

Tags: Airframe Maintenance, Falcon

Off-Site Maintenance Services for Business Aircraft

Posted by Diane Heiserman on Thu, Jun 13, 2013 @ 03:44 PM

Aircraft maintenance on the road

Submitted by Chad Doehring, Airframe Services Manager

At Duncan Aviation, we recently rolled out an off-site maintenance service that lets customers receive our comprehensive airframe service, inspections and maintenance in their hangars, instead of at one of Duncan Aviation’s maintenance facilities.

For years, we have provided customers with rapid response access to technical road teams that can be easily and quickly dispatched around the world for unscheduled technical assistance. We have now expanded the capabilities and number of team members so we can provide customers with maintenance services at their preferred location rather than at one of our maintenance facilities. This saves the customer fuel and travel time, decreases their aircraft usage and makes maintenance-only events less disruptive to their overall schedule.

To make this service as accessible as possible, we have positioned team members at launch offices around the country; these offices are located near hub airports where they can quickly book flights and make connections. In addition, Duncan Aviation has several company aircraft at its disposal to help move people, tools and parts quickly to best meet customer needs. 

“This is an extension of the comprehensive and responsive support that we have provided customers in the field for many years,” says D. Todd Duncan, Chairman of Duncan Aviation. “We have always used our company airplanes to move our technicians and tech reps to where they are needed to best support our customers. We have also used company aircraft to pick up and deliver parts when a customer is AOG. It is just an example of how our people have the desire to support customers as best they can, and how they are provided the resources to support them with creative and unusual solutions.” 

Duncan Aviation provides factory authorized service for Bombardier Challenger (300 and 600 series), Bombardier Global, Bombardier Learjet, Cessna Citation (500, 550, 560, 650 and 680), Dassault Falcon, Embraer Legacy and Embraer Phenom (100 and 300) aircraft. The company also services Raytheon Hawker and Gulfstream aircraft. Airframe maintenance includes all inspections, heavy structural repair and modifications.

Chad Doehring is the Manager of Airframe Services at Duncan Aviation's Lincoln, NE, facility. He specializes in providing leadership to the airframe service teams in support of Duncan Aviation customers. His aviation career began in 1994.

Tags: Airframe Maintenance, Announcements

Video: Duncan Aviation records its largest Lincoln, NE, expansion

Posted by Diane Heiserman on Thu, May 30, 2013 @ 09:45 AM

Duncan Aviation is on schedule to complete the largest expansion project of its Lincoln, Nebraska, location. When complete, two new 40,000-square-foot maintenance hangars will be able to accommodate the larger body business aircraft that many customers are currently operating. And additional 95,000-square-foot office and shop space will be completed at the same time. The overall dimensions of the building are 630 feet by 200 feet. The hangar will stand 46-feet tall at the eave and approximately 52 feet at the peak.

A time lapse video showing the 175,000-square-foot facility currently under construction from start to its present status is now available for viewing. The sequence of images used to compose the video was pulled from a camera mounted on a nearby hangar.

View the time-lapse progress of the maintenance hangar and shop space construction in the video below.

Accessory Service Expansion

Scheduled to open later this summer, Duncan Aviation will open its newly refurbished Accessories Shop in Lincoln, Nebraska, that will more than double the footprint of its service area. The Accessory department will gain approximately 6,300 square feet of service area, double its work benches and add new tooling and in-house capabilities, including an overhead crane and a new paint booth with curing room.

The overhead crane will cover approximately 1,200 square feet of shop space, allowing for better work flow. Fixed stands will be installed adjacent to the cranes, giving the technicians safer access to the larger landing gear during maintenance. A new 300-square-foot dedicated paint booth and a 400-square-foot new cure room are included in the expansion increasing the work capacity and improve the time it takes for accessory units to go through the paint process.

To read more about the Accessory department expansion and added tooling, read the Spring 2013 Duncan Debrief.

These expansions come in response to customer requests and changing customer needs. As the industry continues to shift toward larger business aircraft, a trend fueled by technological advances and increased globalization, Duncan Aviation’s new hangars and expanded shop areas will be able to accommodate the volume of maintenance, modifications and completions work our customers require.

 

Tags: Parts & Accessories, Airframe Maintenance, Announcements, Videos

Hawker Aircraft Main Entry Door Operation­

Posted by Diane Heiserman on Thu, Apr 25, 2013 @ 01:12 PM

Contributed by Dave Ungvarsky, Airframe Tech Rep

The Main Entry Door on Hawker aircraft is durable and very reliable. And by adding these basic operational measures, you will ensure years of continued problem-free service.

Hawker Main Cabin Door

1) Door Stay with loose rivets, 2) Entry door lever and shaft, 3) Door Maintenance Cables

Lubrication

In addition to normal door lubrication, the top and bottom door stay and hinge shaft linkages deserve some attention. Make it a point to keep them lubricated and clean.

Door Support Cables

The use of door support cables during servicing and maintenance will go a long way in reducing wear in the door stays and hinge shafts.

One Person at a Time

The policy of allowing only one passenger on the steps while entering or exiting the aircraft will also help in reducing wear.

There are several areas on the Main Entry Door where we have found wear, these include elongated bolt holes in the entry door lever to the entry door shaft and loose rivets in the door stay top and bottom tubes and fork end. Repairs for these items can be found in the Structural Repair Manual. Loose rivets and elongated bolt holes can be readily detected by applying weight to the last step and observing the amount of movement and its location. Prompt detection and repair will reduce the likelihood of costly parts replacement.

Duncan Aviation is still a Hawker Service Center

In light of the recent changes in the industry for Hawker operators, I want to remind you that Duncan Aviation continues to provide comprehensive Hawker aircraft service and support at all Duncan Aviation locations around the world. We are an industry leader in Hawker maintenance, structural repair, landing gear/component overhauls, engine MPIs, avionics upgrades, paint and interior. Our experience and capabilities are second to none. For more information about your options as a Hawker operator, contact any one of the many Duncan Aviation Hawker experts

Dave Ungvarsky is an Airframe tech rep located at Duncan Aviation's Lincoln, NE, location, specializing in the Hawker aircraft. His aviation career began in 1978.

Tags: Airframe Maintenance, Hawker

Two Notices of Proposed Rulemaking Issued for Learjet

Posted by Diane Heiserman on Tue, Apr 09, 2013 @ 06:00 AM

Submitted by Dave Schiver, Airframe Tech Rep

On March 27th, the FAA issued two Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Learjet 60 and Learjet 40/45. Continue reading for details.

NPRM Learjet

Learjet 60

The FAA has proposed an upcoming Airworthiness Directive (AD) for Squat Switch & Anti-Skid Shielding on certain model Learjet 60 aircraft. You are encouraged to read the details of and comment about the proposed AD during the open commenting period which ends on May 13, 2013. Details of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking can be found here.

Required Service Bulletins

This proposed AD will require the installation of the following Service Bulletins (SB): SB60-32-33 & SB60-57-7. These SBs install the metal shielding around the Main Landing Gear (MLG) Squat Switches & MLG Anti-Skid Valves to protect them in case of an accidental impact.

Terminating AD 2010-11-11

The above SBs are two of the four required SBs to terminate AD 2010-11-11. This AD is the 96-Hour Tire Pressure check, per the FAA Alternate Method Of Compliance (AMOC) Letter L115W-12-459. The other required SBs are SB60-27-6, Wheel Speed Detect Box, and SB60-78-7, Thrust Reverser (TR) Interface Box.

Another requirement called out in the AMOC is for the Temporary Flight Manual Change (TFM) 2012-03 to be inserted in the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM). Bombardier first published this information in AW32-061 on July 30, 2012.

SB60-78-7

As a side note, in order to comply with SB60-78-7, the Wheel Speed Detect Box, if previously installed, may need to be exchanged in order to be upgraded for compatibility with the TR Interface Box.

Learjet 40/45

The FAA has proposed an upcoming AD for the Baggage Door Fire Seal of certain model Learjet 40/45 aircraft. You are encouraged to read the details of and comment about the proposed AD during the open commenting period which ends on May 13, 2013. Details of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) can be read here.

Required Service Bulletins

The proposed AD requires the installation of SB40-25-25, Revision 3, or SB40-25-25, Revision 3, within 300 flight hours after the effective date of the AD. These SBs call for the modification of the fire seal on the baggage door, including doing general visual inspections of the fire seal for correct contact.

Exceptions

If Revision 1 or 2 of SBs SB40-25-25 / SB45-25-35 have been complied with prior to the effective date of this proposed AD, no further action is required.

All of Duncan Aviation's full-service locations are Authorized Learjet Service Centers, and are able to provide comprehensive Learjet airframe services, inspections and technical support for all models.

Dave Schiver is an Airframe Technical Representative at Duncan Aviation’s Lincoln, Nebr. (LNK) facility. He specializes in Learjet aircraft. His aviation career began in 1981.

Tags: Regulations, Airframe Maintenance, Learjet

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