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The Duncan Download Blog: Business Aviation Advice & Observations

Two Teams. Two Locations. Same Duncan Aviation Experience

Posted by Diane Heiserman on Thu, May 18, 2017 @ 01:00 PM

1-jet.jpg

Denver? Chicago? Lincoln? It doesn't matter where you go. You're going to get the same great service. 

It was the Sunday night before Thanksgiving; Mark Tucker, Director of Aviation and Chief Pilot for WC Aviation, LLC was flying into Centennial Airport (APA) in Denver, CO, with his company’s Falcon 50 aircraft. The Honeywell TFE731 engines were scheduled for major overhaul and a team of Duncan Aviation Engine Rapid Response (RRT) Technicians were waiting for him to land to get started on the triple R&R. The event required a tight turn-time due to the approaching holiday and an international trip scheduled to leave on that Thursday. The aircraft was already several hours behind schedule.

When Mark landed, he expected to be met with grumblings and frustration. But what he got was a team of men who shook his hand, introduced themselves, and went to work.

“They swarmed the aircraft immediately and got down to business,” said Mark. This was at 7 pm, a time when most have already put in a full day at work and are headed home. “I have witnessed several times when the 6 o’clock bell sounds signally quitting time the teams drop everything and leave. Not his team. They didn’t hesitate and went straight to work. They stayed late to get it done and always with a great attitude.”

Mark left and went to dinner with the team still hard at work. When he returned at 9 pm, they had two of the three engines off. Within 36 hours, the aircraft was returned to service and ready to fly. Mark was very impressed with the amount of work done in a short period of time with such professionalism. And what made this even more impressive to Mark was that this Duncan Aviation RRT team had not worked together before, but performed as if they had been together for years. They knew what needed to be done, who was responsible for what, and was in constant communication with each other to keep things moving forward.

Only Brian Weathers and Eric Hanson were local from the APA shop. Aaron Hutton and Taurean Midgett work out of the Duncan Aviation RRT shops in Northeast area, and Kevin Watrus was brought in from Seattle.

Tyler Spurling

Tyler Spurling, Engine Line Team Leader from Lincoln, Nebraska.

After the engine overhaul was complete the post-CZI R&R was performed in Alton, IL, by another Duncan Aviation Engine RRT team. Mark witnessed the same great Duncan Aviation work ethic. “Another great group of guys,” said Mark. “It may have been a completely different team, but it was the same level of professionalism and Duncan Aviation service.”

This second team included Tyler Spurling, Rustin McCullough and Warren Wiatrek all from Lincoln, NE. Joining them was Kris Werth out of the Chicago RRT shop.

According to Mark both teams were very customer focused. “I know how difficult it is to find such great talent. They weren’t there to just do a job. They were there to help. And I appreciate that.”

To meet the teams who worked on this project, read the rest of the story in the Spring 2017 Duncan Debrief

READ NOW Spring 2017 Duncan Debrief Magazine

Tags: Customer Testimony, Engine Maintenance

Trust: From The Perspective of Duncan Aviation Customers

Posted by Kate Dolan on Tue, Jun 16, 2015 @ 07:00 AM

Trust_April-2015Duncan Aviation recognizes the crucial role trust plays in all relationships, but most particularly in working relationships. Regardless of whether those relationships are among co-workers or between Duncan Aviation’s team members and customers, trust is the foundation upon which the business was built.



Jerry Cohoon, Director of Maintenance
The Coca-Cola Company
Atlanta, Georgia

“I’ve been at Coca-Cola for 33 years and have done business with Duncan Aviation since 1984. I have a great rapport with Sharon Klose (a turbine engine service sales rep). I trust what she says and feel she’s completely honest with me. Because of that, I can be completely honest with her, too.

One time, she taught me a valuable lesson: Your word is only as good as what you say.

I had verbally agreed to some work but before signing the contract, I decided to go with a competitor who gave me an extra discount. Sharon told me that if I want to maintain a good reputation in this industry, where everyone knows everyone, I’ll have to keep my word. She’s right. I don’t want to do anything to damage my reputation.”


Erick Bonar, Director of Maintenance
Oakmont Corporation
Reno, Nevada

"In the 13 years I've been with Oakmont Corporation, I've always brought our aircraft to Duncan Aviation, and the No. 1 reason is the people. The character of the people who work on our make/model and their level of experience instills trust far beyond comfort. They have an unmatched knowledge base due to their many years of experience working on our make/model of aircraft."


Phil Carrell, Director of Maintenance
Cin-Air
Cincinnati, Ohio

“When we need refurbishments or paint, I always call Tim Klenke in Lincoln. My company and I have always valued our relationship with Duncan Aviation because of the honesty and integrity of everyone at the company. Honesty is paramount in our business. We will absolutely continue to do business with Duncan Aviation, and we’ve started taking our aircraft to the Battle Creek, Michigan, facility because it’s so much closer for us here in Cincinnati.”

To read more about about our customer relationships, view the Spring 2015 Duncan Debrief.

Tags: Customer Testimony

What's At The Core of A Duncan Aviation Customer Relationship?

Posted by Kate Dolan on Tue, Jun 02, 2015 @ 08:06 AM

value-honesty_graph_blog

The late Stephen R. Covey, author, motivational speaker and business professor, said: Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.

Duncan Aviation connected with...

94 new customers in January 2015.
1,159 International customers from 2013-Present
6,190 Domestic customers from 2013-Present
7,696 unique aircraft between 2010-2015

Tha'ts a lot of trust.

The Golden Rule

Duncan Aviation Project Manager Tammie Burns knows that building relationships with customers is the best way to earn trust and confidence. Many of her customers are from Mexico and are not familiar with Lincoln, Nebraska, at all.

“I just put myself in my customers’ shoes,” says Tammie. “If I were to go to a country that I’d never visited before and didn’t speak the language, I’d welcome all of the help I could get. It’s all about treating our customers how we’d like to be treated.”

Often, too, the project manager is the only point of contact for many customers. One Saturday before Christmas, several of Tammie’s customers from Mexico had gone to the Nebraska outlet mall store located between Lincoln and Omaha. While there, they accidentally locked the keys in the trunk. The rental agreement and all of the insurance information were locked inside the car.

Tammie was one of a handful of people they knew in the area, so they called her. She made a few phone calls to find out which rental company they had gone through and what insurance coverage they had, and she called the car rental company. A representative for the rental company took the stranded shoppers a new car so they could drive back to Lincoln, and he waited at the mall for a locksmith.

People Are People

Lincoln Customer Service Manager Monte Reeves says there’s no magic formula for building trust and confidence.

“It comes from taking the time to get to know each customer as a person,” says Monte. “Once you find out about their hobbies outside of work, where they like to vacation or what their spouse and kids’ names are, you have a way to connect. Regardless of whether you’ve known someone for four or 40 years, the bonds grow and thrive.”

In 2006, Vice President of Marketing and New Business Development Steve Gade proposed having customer dinners every other week at local restaurants in Lincoln and Battle Creek as a way to relax with our customers outside of work and to let customers meet and visit with one another.

“The Wednesday night customer dinners were originally planned to simply allow us to show our appreciation for those customers who were in town overseeing projects.  They have since evolved to also facilitate the creation of a sense of community amongst our customers,” says Steve. “I think the rule of degrees of separation in the aviation industry could be reduced to two degrees instead of six; so many of our customers share common experiences and relationships. Another unexpected benefit for us is that it provides our customers the opportunity to give our senior leadership unsolicited, casual feedback on the industry, our competition and our company.”

Rich Boyadjian, director of maintenance for TWC Aviation in Van Nuys, California, says, “Duncan Aviation has the customer service side of its business down. Everyone is included in the customer lunches and dinners, regardless of the cost or scope of the project. I especially like the customer dinners because they provide a way to relax away from the work day, and I get to talk with other owners and operators I’d probably never otherwise have met.”

Carlos Martinez Canchola, powerplant engineer for Aerolineas Ejecutivas, in Toluca, Mexico, was at Duncan Aviation’s Lincoln facility with his company’s Learjet during a frigid February that produced a stretch of single-digit temperatures.

During introductions at one of the customer lunches, Carlos said, “This is my first time in Nebraska, and I do not like the cold at all. But everyone here at Duncan Aviation has made us feel warm and welcome. The people here are really very kind.”

Following Advice

In an effort to build relationships, encourage open communication and foster the trust and confidence of our customers, Duncan Aviation also established a Customer Advisory Board (CAB) in 2004.

“Listening to our customers is critical to our continued success. We convened the first Customer Advisory Board to help us accomplish our mission of continuous improvement and customer-centered innovation,” says Jeannine Falter, vice president of business development.

By working with boards in Europe, Latin America and the United States, Duncan Aviation hopes to tap into the insightful perspectives of the various members to gain a clearer understanding of business aviation and customers’ expectations around the world.

“Board meetings always involve lively, intelligent discussions about pressing business aviation challenges,” says Jeannine. “CAB recommendations have influenced company decisions on billing policies, customer service best practices, the use of technology and social media and many other important aspects of our business.”

Tim Ganse, aviation manager at Cimarex Energy Company in Englewood, Colorado, has been a member of the Duncan Aviation CAB for two years.

“The leadership at Duncan Aviation is open to the input and suggestions from CAB members. They encourage creative thinking,” says Tim. “Serving gives me the opportunity to discuss issues and items that affect operators who don’t have a seat on the CAB, too. Trying to solve problems and help Duncan Aviation evolve to become more successful is a goal that all CAB members take very seriously.”

By fostering opportunities to communicate with customers in as many settings as possible, Duncan Aviation hopes to keep the level of trust high. That, in turn, helps build the foundations of long-lasting business and personal relationships.

Read more Duncan Aviation customer stories in the Spring 2015 Duncan Debrief. 

Spring 2015 Duncan Debrief Read Now!

Tags: Customer Testimony, Customer Service

International Business Dealings with Duncan Aviation

Posted by Kate Dolan on Tue, May 26, 2015 @ 08:00 AM

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

Air_Alsie_blogL 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.

Spring 2015 Duncan Debrief Read Now!

Tags: Customer Testimony, International Considerations, Customer Service

Is Flying to Duncan Aviation Worth the Trip For European customers?

Posted by Diane Heiserman on Tue, May 19, 2015 @ 01:00 AM

Arjen Groeneveld has been the European Regional Manager for Duncan Aviation for five years. When he first started knocking on doors and talking about the company to European operators, he was met with… “What is it going to cost me?” This came as no surprise to him, because Europe was a relatively new market for Duncan Aviation.

Ocean-Routes-from-EURThey wanted to know why they should fly their aircraft to the other side of the pond to have service performed. In the beginning, Arjen admits that the euro to dollar exchange rate (near 1.5) in 2011 had a huge impact on getting business in the door.

Customers like Nataly and Ernst Langer, owners and pilots of a Bombardier Global 5000 out of Germany and Klaus Rasmussen, technical manager of Denmark-based Air Alsie, were among the many European operators who took advantage of this economic benefit and gave Duncan Aviation a try. What they found was a company that offered comprehensive airframe services at the highest quality and shortest downtime.

Groeneveld-Arjen_blgArjen Groeneveld, European Regional Manager.

Now in 2015, euro to dollar exchange rate has dropped significantly. But that hasn’t stopped international operators from making the journey.

Business aviation operators in Europe are a small group and they talk to each other. As a result, Duncan Aviation’s reputation as a company that delivers top quality service at a great value, quick downtime and always worth the trip has spread.

“We have customers who fly from Europe to have maintenance completed at one of Duncan Aviation's United States locations,” says Arjen. “The fact that they're willing to make that trip tells us we're doing something right.

This is why they come: Worldwide Business Aircraft Operators Tell It Like It Is 

 

Tags: Customer Testimony, International Considerations

Worldwide Business Aircraft Operators Tell It Like It Is

Posted by Diane Heiserman on Tue, May 27, 2014 @ 12:59 PM

We have customers who fly from Europe to have maintenance completed at one of Duncan Aviation's United States locations. The fact that they're willing to make that trip tells us we're doing something right; their words tell us exactly what we're doing that makes the flight worth it.

Germany

Nataly and Ernst Langer, Owners / Pilots of Bombardier Global 5000

Nataly and Ernst Langer are owners and pilots of a large, long-range business jet. Watch and listen all about their incredible paint scheme application.

Air Alsie, Denmark

Klaus Rasmussen

- Klaus Rasmussen, Technical Manager

"Cost control is made easy by the use of Duncan Aviation’s web-based approval system, myDuncan.aero. Milestones can be followed, even if an operator is not on-site. I haven’t seen any other MRO with such a system.

"Duncan Aviation’s state of the art facilities and dedicated experts offer unique service. We receive very good support from Arjen Groeneveld, Duncan Aviation representative in Europe and we appreciate having a dedicated Project Manager with each event.

"At Duncan Aviation, final invoices are complete upon departure and our recent C-checks completed with them have not exceeded original budgets. This is much appreciated by our owners.”

Aircraft Serviced:

  • 2 Falcon 2000EX EASy’s for C-checks, winglets and paint

  • Falcon 2000 for 2C and paint

Sporavia, Spain

Eduardo Jimenez Martin-Ventas

- Eduardo Jiménez Martín-Ventas, Maintenance Manager

"Working with Duncan Aviation is a real pleasure. At Sporavia we feel that it is important to give operators consistent quality, no matter where they are flying or where they are going to maintain their airplanes. Duncan Aviation holds those same values and so we look forward to working closely with them in the future.

"Duncan Aviation’s AOG support is quick and successful. Their European representative, Arjen Groeneveld, is always available to help operators get the services they need. In addition to AOG support, I have great respect for Duncan Aviation’s modifications and technical support.”

Beechcraft Berlin Aviation GmbH, Germany

Edgar Boehlke

– Edgar Boehlke, Managing Director

"We enjoy working with Duncan Aviation because their team is well educated and we always receive professional and competent support. We look forward to working with Duncan Aviation on more projects in the future.

"The friendly and competent sales and support teams at Duncan Aviation are appreciated by our logistics department. Duncan Aviation’s availability of spare aircraft parts and knowledge in international shipments provides us excellent support.

"Extensive projects involving engineering support from Duncan Aviation are handled professionally and there is always a solution oriented team from Duncan Aviation available for answering our questions."

Global Aviation and Piper Parts, Germany and United Kingdom

Dieter Griesel

– Dieter Griesel, Board of Directors Member

"Duncan Aviation’s customer base extends far beyond what I can reach in Germany. They have the opportunity and ability to sell parts that we cannot.

Through Duncan Aviation’s consignment program, operators have a chance to profit from items that they would otherwise consider scrap. I could not have generated this money in sales in Europe. After many years, I find Duncan Aviation to be an excellent partner, serious and fair with everything. Take your surplus inventory, put it in a box and send it to Duncan Aviation today!"

Regional Managers

Duncan Aviation’s Regional Managers are strategically located across the world to better support our customers. 

Each travel throughout their region, meeting with aircraft operators, management organizations and other service providers with the goal of maintaining and building lasting relationships, providing customer service, educating operators and learning more about the region’s regulatory issues and processes while engaging in industry forums.

Get to know the Regional Manager for your region now.

Download Duncan Aviation  Regional Managers Map

 

Tags: Customer Testimony, International Considerations, Conventions & Exhibitions, Customer Service

At Duncan Aviation, AOG Means “We Will Make This Work.”

Posted by Duncan Download Blog on Mon, May 05, 2014 @ 03:44 PM

Jad Donaldson, Avfuel

"It doesn't matter when I call...late at night or over the weekend, Duncan Aviation has a bunch of people who really care…."
Jad Donaldson, Chief Pilot for Avfuel.

Jad Donaldson, chief pilot for Avfuel Corporation, along with Co-Captain Chris Kosin, flew the company’s Citation XLS+ from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Harbor Springs last July.

As they prepped the Citation for the flight back to Ann Arbor, they saw a yellow Crew Alerting System (CAS) message, stating LH ENGINE CONTROL FAULT (ECF).

After discussing the CAS message, they shut down the entire aircraft, including powering off and pulling the battery. When they restarted the battery switch, 45 seconds in, the ECF message appeared again.

Unwelcome News

Reviewing the Aircraft Checklist delivered unwelcome news: The message required correction before flight. Jad also retrieved maintenance pages, reviewed the fault codes and analyzed the TLA maintenance screen.

“We were AOG,” says Jad, “so I immediately called Jayme Park, the Airframe Alternate-Shift Supervisor at Duncan Aviation in Battle Creek, who has spent the last 17 years helping Duncan Aviation customers resolve their maintenance issues.

Bill Walker, Engine Tech Rep in Battle Creek, was confident that the codes indicated a multiple-level power supply failure on the motherboard in the engine computer.

Park Located Parts

Jaymie Park, Duncan Aviation

Jayme Park, Airframe Alternate-Shift Supervisor at Duncan Aviation in Battle Creek.

Jad called Co-Captain Jeff Squires to prep Avfuel’s second aircraft. Jeff flew from Ann Arbor to Battle Creek to pick up Aaron LaClair, a Duncan Aviation Engine Tech, on to Muskegon to get the new EEC and then to Harbor Springs.Within 15 minutes, Jayme had located the necessary EEC and set about gathering and processing the necessary paperwork to prepare the aircraft for eventual signoff and return to service.

Five and a half hours after Jad received the error code, Aaron was on the ramp, downloading the data from the Citation’s left-hand engine’s DCU.

Jad has a saying: Usually when people make something look easy, it’s not because it is easy but because they work so hard and have the necessary knowledge and experience to do the work right. He says, “Everyone I’ve worked with at Duncan Aviation has exhibited this principle. They work hard, and they have the knowledge and experience to stick with a problem and resolve it.”

That perseverance paid off. Around 2 a.m., Aaron and Jad pulled the functioning right-hand EEC, swapped it into the left-hand engine, and put the new part in the right-hand engine. By 3:45 a.m., when Jad brought the Citation back online, the onboard maintenance diagnostics returned no error codes, the TLD screen showed an N for both engines, and the channel assignments were normal.

The aircraft was no longer AOG, and there was still a little time to get back to the hotel and get some sleep before the day of shuttling passengers began.

A Valuable Relationship

Jad says, "We at Avfuel are fortunate to have access to technicians like Jayme Park. Jayme jumped in and used her leverage, intelligence and experience to get this issue resolved. I'm also fortunate to have the relationship I do with Duncan Aviation—it's like having my very own maintenance team. It doesn't matter when I call, either; whether it's late at night or over the weekend, Duncan Aviation has a bunch of people who really care… people like Jayme who are passionate about what they do and do everything they have to do to take care of their customers."

Duncan Debrief

You read more details about this story in the Spring 2014 Duncan Debrief. 

The Duncan Debrief is a free. You can subscribe to receive a printed copy of the magazine or access the current and past editions online at www.DuncanAviation.aero/debrief.

Or if you are truly on-the-go, the Duncan Debrief is available on Apple’s Newsstand for the iPad.

Tags: Customer Testimony, Engine Maintenance, AOG

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

Aircraft Parts On Speed Dial

Posted by Diane Heiserman on Tue, Dec 03, 2013 @ 09:39 PM

Kassim Khan

"My customers continue to return to me for service because I turn to Duncan Aviation. They've never let me down."
Kassim Khan, Aviation Parts & Supply

If you’ve ever had to hunt for a specific aircraft part, component or avionics unit, you are well aware of how difficult it is to do a thorough research, locate a reputable supplier, negotiate pricing and schedule delivery. Most of the time, you are under a strict time constraints and need the aircraft part or avionics unit now and you don’t want to deal with all the issues that can complicate the process along the way; issues, such as no available inventory, managing billbacks, no traceability documents and lack of warranty support.

Kassim Khan, co-owner of Aviation Parts & Supply, an aviation parts broker supporting several corporate flight departments, has relied solely upon Duncan Aviation for 18 years to provide the parts needed to serve their customers. “The bottom line is that Duncan Aviation has never let us down,” says Khan.

Read Aircraft Parts on Speed Dial on page 29 of the Fall 2013 issue of Duncan Debrief and find out why Kassim has only one number in his phone when it comes to finding aircraft parts. 

Duncan Aviation maintains a large inventory of aircraft parts for sale. Our streamlined services and competitive turntimes satisfy hundreds of requests throughout the world 24 hours a day, 7 seven days a week. Our many awards testify to the quality of our service.

Tags: Customer Testimony, Parts & Accessories, Avionics & Instruments, Aircraft Parts, Customer Service

How A Nose Wheel Steering Malfunction Left A Lasting Impression

Posted by Diane Heiserman on Fri, Jun 01, 2012 @ 08:59 AM

Brad Sides

Brad Sides is a 12-year Duncan Aviation veteran, leading by example by delivering what is required to meet a customer's expectation. "It's all in a day's work."

In late March, a customer contacted Duncan Aviation for off-site assistance with a nose wheel steering malfunction. This customer sent the following letter to Allen Sward, Duncan Aviation Airframe Team Leader, regarding the 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. The customer's name and company have been removed at his request.

Allen,

On March 28, 2012, our C680 had a Nose Wheel Steering malfunction in Nebraska City, NE. Our in-house maintenance department contacted Duncan Aviation in Lincoln. Your maintenance technician, Brad Sides was assigned the task of repairing our aircraft remotely. Brad made the drive down to AFK immediately and began the work required. He worked non-stop until late that evening, and then returned again the following morning to complete the repair which allowed us to ferry the aircraft to LNK for the functional tests required.

I have been in corporate aviation for 21 years and have experienced maintenance at many other service facilities. Duncan Aviation and Brad Sides made this maintenance event the best I have ever experienced.

Things that impressed me regarding Brad:

  • He was there when we were told he would be.
  • He stayed until late to get the part off of the aircraft for repairs.
  • He coordinated with Lincoln to move the part back to the shop quickly.
  • He was very pleasant, friendly, and professional.
  • He explained everything easily and kept me informed on the process.
  • His expert skills speak for themselves.
  • Bottom line........he gave 100%!


“Great People make Great Companies!” so,

Things that impressed me regarding Duncan:

  • They responded quickly.
  • They obviously have people who know their job.
  • All of the employees seem to work very well together communicating and closing the gaps.
  • Everyone involved in the maintenance was friendly and professional.
  • The front desk staff was very helpful, friendly, and professional.
  • The best part.......we were out of there when Duncan said we would be!

Thanks again for making this event as pleasurable as possible.

Sincerely,
Senior Pilot, Fortune 300 Company

Brad Sides, Duncan Aviation Lead Mechanic from Lincoln, NE, believes one of the most important parts of his job is to deliver exactly what the customer expects, but strives to deliver more. "This customer came to Duncan Aviation expecting the best. That's the level of service that I want to provide." Brad is a 12-year Duncan Aviation veteran, his aviation career began in 1998.

Duncan Aviation offers emergency AOG services and 24/7 troubleshooting for grounded aircraft in your hangar or around the world, with remote AOG engine Rapid Response teams based at several strategic locations across the United States. All AOG teams that respond are equipped with the resources necessary for most aircraft and engine emergencies, and are supported by Duncan Aviation's two full-service facilities and network of avionics satellite repair stations.

Duncan Aviation’s mobile app is available for download on iPads®, and makes it easier to contact service locations, service representatives and department listings.

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

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