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The Duncan Download Blog: Business Aviation Advice & Observations

A Look at the 2018 Pre-Owned Aircraft Market

Posted by Tim Barber on Tue, May 22, 2018 @ 01:00 AM

Everyone is talking about the pre-owned market being stronger at the start of 2018 than it was last year. However, I’m going to venture a guess that most of us have heard this story a good number of times year after year. In fact, the number of green shoots stories that were published throughout the period of the Global Financial Crisis really did wear thin with most of us in the sector. What actually happened was that we all started to ignore the spin and looked at such media with some considerable cynicism.

So, what’s different this year?

ac-sales3The start of 2018 was a real whirlwind with a significant increase in deals, reducing inventory, and just about every broker attending Corporate Jet Investor London at the end of January was talking of a real market shift. At long last we were starting to see that buyers had choices. So did sellers. There was even bullish talk of it being a buyer’s market. In reality, then, as it is now, there are sectors of the market that are performing extremely well while a few are still lagging behind.

According to AMSTAT, sales in January increased by more than 12% followed by sales reductions in February and March, bringing the end of the first quarter of 2018 to a disappointing 5% reduction in retail transactions. However, there’s a buzz in the market more so than we have seen in recent years.

A few sectors really have come alive and whilst overall inventory for sale is now around 9.5%, there are many aircraft where the percentage is just 2% or 3%. Unfortunately, the overall market is hugely skewed by far too many older aircraft remaining for sale for far too long. The reality is that many will never sell and serve no real purpose other than to unfairly inflate the for-sale statistics.

Looking at this in greater detail according to the latest AMSTAT data, 27% of the aircraft for sale are more than 30 years old. This statistic rises to 46% when considering those over 20 years. Just 21% are 10 years old or less. If we remove the aircraft that are probably never going to sell, the market statistics look a lot better. For now we are stuck with the skewed history. Even so, there’s a clear trend of reducing inventory over recent years and more importantly over recent months, as well as plateauing values so there are real signs of improvements.

Tim-Barber--300x300At Duncan Aviation we have had a promising start to the year and have seen a good number of sales and acquisitions complete during the first quarter. As a result of this, we are busy looking for new opportunities to sell aircraft. If you feel that Duncan Aviation can assist you in the sale or purchase of an aircraft for you, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Please phone me at +44 7836 352 676 or email at Tim.Barber@DuncanAviation.com. You may also reach out to me via my LinkedIn or Twitter (@Tim_Bizav) accounts.

If you are going to EBACE, please stop by our booth – #E89 – to find out more.

Oh, and the hot sectors I mentioned earlier? I’m afraid you’ll have to speak to us to find that out!


EBACE 2018  Duncan Aviation Attendees & Show Announcementsshow announcements.

 

Tags: International Considerations, Aircraft Sales, Conventions & Exhibitions

Duncan Aviation Straight Talk About Aircraft Certifications

Posted by Kate Dolan on Thu, Sep 07, 2017 @ 02:02 PM

Straight_Talk-Certifications-1.gifFeelings about aircraft certification vary depending on whether you own and operate the aircraft or you’re a passenger on it. Passengers want to know that the metal object in which they’re encased as they fly through the air is demonstrably and certifiably safe. Owners and operators, on the other hand, sometimes feel stymied by the reams of paperwork and data necessary to make sure the aircraft they operate is safe.

In spite of that frustration, however, owners and operators share the goals of the regulators to promote safety throughout the lifecycle of their aircraft, from the design and production of the aircraft to its entry into service and continued safe operation. Additionally, owners and operators must keep their aircraft airworthy (meaning it meets its type design and is in a condition for safe operation) by maintaining and operating it according to its airworthiness type certification and operating limitations.

Click here to download the Duncan Aviation Straight Talk About Certifications. 

What Is Airworthiness Certification?

Airworthiness Certification is basically the FAA—the United States’ civil aviation authority—certifying that an aircraft is safe to fly. There’s a great deal more to it, of course, but without an FAA-issued Airworthiness Certificate, an aircraft cannot taxi onto a runway much less take flight.

The most common Airworthiness Certificate granted by the FAA, the Standard Airworthiness Certificate (FAA Form 8100-2), references three things: In order to have a valid airworthiness certificate, the aircraft must be certified under part 21, must operate under part 91, and must be maintained under part 43.

That means that a Type-Certificated aircraft is able to operate as long as the aircraft conforms to its approved type design, is in safe-operating condition, and has had all of its preventative maintenance and any alterations performed according to the applicable US Code of Federal Regulations. The Standard Airworthiness Certificate must be displayed in the aircraft.  

To secure this authorization, an owner (or an owner’s legal agent) must apply to the FAA. Before doing so, however, the aircraft must have a TCDS (Type Certificate Data Sheet). Think of a TCDS as a kind of birth certificate for the airplane. This document defines the aircraft’s configuration, powerplant, equipment, intended use, and other characteristics.

When an airplane first enters into service, it must be in compliance with the Type Certificate of the stated design (make/model). Issued by the FAA, the Type Certificate determines an airplane’s operating limitations and shows that the aircraft’s design meets the FAA’s airworthiness requirements. This means that the aircraft has met the standards for safe handling, structural integrity, system reliability, and other characteristics.

Airworthiness means that this aircraft has been shown to conform to its type design and has been documented as safe. Airworthiness means, for instance, that owners, operators, and passengers can get in and fly 600 mph at 35,000 feet and feel that they are in a safe machine.

We go into greater detail more explanation about type design, airworthiness, and operating limitations in our Straight Talk About Certification. Here’s what you’ll find.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • WHAT IS CERTIFICATION?
  • WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR AN AIRCRAFT OWNER?
  • HOW TO OBTAIN AN STC
  • HARMONIZATION
  • IMPORT/EXPORT
  • RESPONSIBILITY OF THE AVIATION INDUSTRY
  • GLOSSARY OF TERMS WITH ACRONYMS
  • CIVIL AIR AUTHORITIES AROUND THE WORLD

Duncan Aviation continuously strives to be the voice of clarity in the acronym-happy aviation industry. Our free Straight Talk books are an aircraft operator's source for information about important topics in business aviation, and are written in clear, concise, no-nonsense language.

Tags: International Considerations, Aircraft Sales

Duncan Aviation Gives A Global Perspective: South Africa

Posted by Rebekah Williams on Tue, Aug 22, 2017 @ 01:00 PM

We sat down with Duncan Aviation International Parts & Rotables Sales Rep, Hannah Bodenstab as she recounted her recent experience traveling to South Africa to visit aircraft parts customers.

Hannah visiting with Execujet

Visting Execujet: (LtoR) Thembi Lavisa, Simone Parsley, Hannah, Natanya Rich, Graham Naylor, Romarth Machimana.

Hannah, you recently traveled to South Africa to meet with customers, tell us about your trip?

This was my first visit to South Africa. I traveled there to meet with a very important customer of mine, Execujet after attending EBACE (European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition) in Geneva, Switzerland. I also met with Absolute Aircraft Parts, MCC Aviation, and Bhakari. I wanted to visit others but had some time constraints. Maybe next time.

What were your goals?

My primary goal was to have that face-to-face interaction with customers I’ve only met and worked with over the phone for the past few years. I also wanted to provide information on all the services Duncan offers, and I believe it was paramount to thank them for choosing to do business with Duncan Aviation.

Were there any challenges?

Being halfway around the world, it is a challenge to convince customers that Duncan Aviation should be their first choice for aviation parts or services. Lead times with shipping and deliveries or delays with customs and returns are just a few obstacles that we deal with every day. Two days is the minimum for a part to travel from our Lincoln, NE, facility in the U.S. to South Africa. That’s a very long time in the aviation industry.

As far as challenges visiting customers, security is very strict on the airport. The requirements for permits and/or escort to approach the facilities created some delays. Time constraints also limited the amount of people I could see but those that I did get to visit were very successful.

Hannah with Piaggio Aerospace at EBACE 2017

Hannah with Paulo Ferreri and Adrea Di Fede of Piaggio Aerospace at EBACE 2017.

Why do you think, or why do your customers do business with a company in the middle of America rather than one closer to Home?

Customer service. The aircraft parts industry is so competitive, especially in a time when price is increasingly valued over support; Duncan Aviation offers the whole package.

One thing I am able to offer my international customers is consolidated shipments. Whether they have repair units, exchanges or piece parts, Duncan Aviation offers one shipment at their convenience. This saves them time and money with customs and leaves less room for error.

In addition to customer service, we also have to offer convenience. Accessibility and being a one-stop-shop attracts international customers; going the distance for parts and repairs ends up saving them money in the long run.

What was most rewarding?

Finally meeting the Execujet team in person. I have a very strong relationship with them and they have a long-standing relationship with Duncan Aviation. The reception I received was absolutely wonderful.

What did you learn from this experience?

I gained more confidence from this trip. Being a female in the aviation industry has its challenges but traveling and representing Duncan Aviation abroad has given me confidence. Being able to share my knowledge of the industry with customers not only offers affirmation that they made the right choice coming to Duncan Aviation but also inspires customer confidence that I am able to support them now and in the future.

EBACE17-2.jpgWhat is your impression of the international aviation marketplace?

It is ever changing but I don’t feel that we are in any way behind or ahead of it. There are a lot of companies that are unfamiliar with Duncan Aviation and our services. I am working to keep the name Duncan Aviation in front of potential customers and am taking every opportunity to share who we are and what we do.

Also, the value of the dollar always seems to find its way into every discussion. I was constantly reminded how far our USD will stretch in South Africa. Just goes to show how important customer service is when customers are paying for parts from the United States.

What do you feel international aviation/parts customers are wanting?

Everyone wants cheap prices and parts delivered yesterday. This is why we orchestrate order delivery that is seamless, keep costs down and do our part to get every customer the best price.

When you think of the future of aviation and International sales, what gives you a sense of hope? What makes you concerned or worried?

I’ve only been in aviation for five years so it’s hard for me to imagine not having a solid international customer base. Prices are getting more competitive and margins are disappearing but customers keep coming back to Duncan Aviation.

What are some takeaways or lasting impressions from this experience?

This being my first trip to South Africa, I was overwhelmed by how welcoming and helpful everyone was and I’m ready to go back. Even though this was a business visit, it allowed me to get to know my customers on a more personal level which has improved our business relationship. I was shown great kindness and before I was out the door, I was already invited back on the next visit.

cape town ferris wheel.jpgAnything else you’d like to add about this experience?

I am so grateful that I was able to have my husband Devon travel with me. He handled the logistics on the trip so I could focus on setting up meetings and visits. All my customers were so happy to meet him and were so impressed that I worked for a company that supported family in that way. I am so thankful for the experience, it was amazing.

 

During the trip, Hannah and her husband Devon were able to do some exploring. Including the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve in Krugersdorp and Table Mountain in Cape Town. 

637.jpgDevon and I on Table Mountain in Cape Town.jpg

Tags: Parts & Accessories, International Considerations

Duncan Aviation ECAB Meeting: Harmonization on EASA Rulemaking is on the Agenda

Posted by Duncan Download Blog on Thu, Oct 13, 2016 @ 11:53 AM

We are currently holding our 6th European Customer Advisory Board (ECAB) meeting in Barcelona, Spain, today (October 13) and tomorrow. Members of the Duncan Aviation ECAB have traveled from Denmark, Czech Republic, Finland, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Malta, the United Kingdom, Austria, Belgium, and other parts of Spain to participate in the meeting.

ECAB-02.jpgThe board was created due to our commitment to our customers and to improve service. It represents various business jet stakeholders who provide a broad perspective of the industry. Board members play a big role in exchange of information about important industry and service issues. This dialogue is extremely important to us as it depends heavily on ECAB’s input when making critical decisions related to the business.

Over the last few years we learned that European operators like to see more harmonization between the competent authorities of individual countries. Last year we invited Patrick Ky, Executive Director of EASA, and had the opportunity to talk about several EASA rule making topics. Patrick shared with the group his view on developments in future rulemaking. In follow up on ECAB 2015 we compiled a document with Top 10 EASA topics.

After last year’s event, we remained in close contact with both EASA and GAMA (General Aviation Manufacturers Association) to talk about these Top 10 issues. During this year’s ECAB, we are talking with Eugenia Diaz Alcazar, Regulations Officer–Continuing Airworthiness of EASA.

Besides harmonization on EASA rulemaking, there are other interesting topics on the agenda. These include the Duncan Aviation Alliance Group program, 2020 Mandates Solutions, Creating Competitive Advantage and discussing the potential benefits of creating a European Maintenance Managers Conference (EMMC).

Our European Regional Manager, Arjen Groeneveld, and facilitator of this year’s ECAB meeting, describes the Duncan Aviation ECAB as an open community where several maintenance managers come together with differing viewpoints of the industry. “People learn from each other’s perspectives, share the challenges they see in their day-to-day operations and develop new friendships. It is really nice to see over the years that ECAB is a great moment to come together and develop added value to the business aviation industry.”

Come see us at  NBAA 2016

To learn more about Duncan Aviation, visit www.DuncanAviation.aero or stop by the Duncan Aviation booth (#3126) at NBAA’s Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition to be held Nov. 1-3 in Orlando. Visit www.DuncanAviation.aero/nbaa to see Duncan Aviation attendees and show announcements.

Tags: International Considerations

Phil Porter & Duncan Aviation’s International Aircraft Parts Department

Posted by Kate Dolan on Thu, Mar 24, 2016 @ 03:30 PM

Porter-Phil_sm.jpgIn 1978, Phil Porter was hired as Duncan Aviation’s first logistics manager; although, at the time, he was called a parts runner. Nearing the completion of his fourth decade at Duncan Aviation, Phil took some time to reflect on his long tenure with the company.

“I was going to UNL when my girlfriend Cindy took me up in her Cessna 150,” says Phil. “We dropped in on the Duncan Aviation ramp, and I was enamored of the place. Right then, I decided I wanted to be a part of it, so I changed my plans to head home to the Chicago area. Cindy and I got married, and I applied here for a job.”

Phil was both the aircraft parts runner and the shipping department back then, and he had to physically search shelves for parts. There were no computers or inventory control back then.

“And I personally packed up and shipped everything that left the company,” says Phil. “I’d call Trailways bus to find out the schedule and then drive the packages to the depot.”

One time Phil was unable to find a way to ship the horizontal stabilizer to Wichita, Kansas, for singer Paul Anka’s Learjet, so he packed it into his car and drove it there himself. Leaving Lincoln at 5:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning, Phil arrived at the Learjet facility about five hours later. He drove up to the main hangar, parked in the late Harry B. Combs’ [President of Learjet from 1971 until 1982] parking space, and looked for someone to help unload the stabilizer.

Although driving a stabilizer from one state to the next was somewhat unusual for a parts runner, Phil’s story illustrates how Duncan Aviation and its team members literally go the extra mile for customers.

Shipping parts to Mexico, Canada or anywhere in the world in the late 1970s was fairly unusual, too, because most of Duncan Aviation’s parts business involved Learjet aircraft, and Phil remembers that those parts shipped primarily in the United States.

There were notable exceptions, however, and in 1966, 10 years after Donald Duncan founded Duncan Aviation, Donald and Harry Barr partnered with Danish Pilot Captain Per Alkaersig to supply radio packages for Cessna aircraft that flew in the Scandinavian countries.

“I looked for a supplier of King radios and found Duncan Aviation. They would pick up the aircraft in Wichita and have it ready to ferry to Europe on a firm date,” says Per. “When I’d pick up the aircraft in Lincoln, I’d meet Donald and Robert Duncan and Harry Barr. What a great team! A handshake would close a deal.”

1985_piper.jpgWhen Duncan Aviation won the exclusive rights as master distributor for Piper (including Aztecs and Cubs) parts, Duncan Aviation began regularly shipping parts worldwide.

“Through our Piper parts agreement, I meet not only Piper dealers in Pennsylvania and Florida, but also made connections with companies in places like England, South Africa and Sweden,” says Phil. “We started dealing those parts in 1984, and we shipped quite a lot to Italy and Madagascar and to all of the little mom and pop shops around the world that needed parts for Pipers.”

Although Phil had been promoted from parts runner to sales around 1981, the worldwide parts distribution took off with the Piper deal, and in 1984, Duncan Aviation’s AvPac was born. Now known as Parts and Rotables, the annual sales of parts outside of the United States represents about 35 percent of all parts and rotables sales.

“Today, roughly one third of our team members work hours to accommodate our worldwide customers,” says Chris Gress, Manager of Parts and Rotables Sales.

Shirley Crouch and Tyler Stone work through the night so they can answer calls from customers in Australia and southeast Asia; Carol Hunt and Hannah Bodenstab support customers in South Africa; and Phil, Lance Tophoj, Jewell Chambers and Sandra Phelps support customers in Europe and South America. Sandra begins working at 4 a.m. so European customers can reach an actual person at the start of their business day.

In the early day, Phil sold Piper parts, and one of his first customers was Pilot John Egelykke who worked for a pump factory in Denmark called Grundfos. Per introduced John to Duncan Aviation in 1986, and John has been working with the company at its various locations ever since.

“The European aviation industry is a closely knit community. When you help customers locate parts or resolve problems, they remember you,” says Phil. “Over the years, in spite of the fact that some of my best customers have switched from one company to another, they remember that I helped, and they continue to call.”

John got to know Phil shortly after his first experience working with Duncan Aviation.

“Phil has been a great person to work with over the years. He has helped me a lot with AOG parts and a great number of quotes,” says John. “When Grundfos changed their aircraft management company to Air Alsie in 2011, I suggested taking the Falcon 2000 to Battle Creek for a C-check. I have always enjoyed working with Shawn Busby and Tom Burt, too.”

John stopped flying after 30 years and 14,000 hours as a pilot, and he now works as a Technical Advisor for Air Alsie. And he still recommends Duncan Aviation to his customers in large part because Phil took the time to forge a friendship on top of the business relationship the two men developed so many years ago.


2016 is a special year. It is Duncan Aviation’s 60th year of helping business aircraft operators be safe, efficient and productive. For six decades, customers have asked us for solutions and services. We are celebrating our 60 years by telling the stories about the people of Duncan Aviation who listened and took action.

Celebrate with us by subscribing to the Duncan Download blog, following us on Facebook and Twitter (@DuncanAviation) and visiting our anniversary website at www.DuncanAviation.aero/60.

Lori Johnson has been the Marketing Communications Manager for Duncan Aviation for more than 20 years. She enjoys working with the smart and passionate aviation experts at Duncan Aviation, helping them connect with and educate customers about important industry topics.  

Tags: Aircraft Parts, International Considerations, 60th Anniversary

In Business Aviation There are No Weekends

Posted by Diane Heiserman on Mon, Feb 15, 2016 @ 10:58 AM

iStock_000010546699_Small.jpgOn a Saturday…

A Flight Data Recorder that was on its way to an operator in Moanda, Gabon, Africa, from Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., by way of Boulazac, France, was stopped at the border of Gabon, tied up in the red tape of African Customs. The paperwork was denied by the Customs agency and the unit was not allowed to enter the country.

…do you wait until Monday to respond?


The business of business aviation does not sleep, especially when you consider the size of the industry and that all of the major players conduct business across several time zones, international borders and oceans.

It comes as no surprise to anyone at Duncan Aviation when a customer contacts us over a weekend with an urgent need; in the business of business aviation, there are no weekends.

Case in point: Jewell Chambers, a senior international parts sales rep for Duncan Aviation’s Parts and Rotables Sales, left work as normal on a Friday afternoon, looking forward to the weekend and her grandson’s fifth birthday.

She always enjoys her time away from work, but her customers are never far from her mind. Duncan Aviation Parts and Rotables Sales has 24/7/365 coverage, even on evenings and weekends. There is always someone available to answer the phones.

But when you’ve been doing this as long as Jewell has, you build relationships and long-time customers contact you directly. It has become part of her routine to check her email every Saturday and Sunday morning to make sure her customers in Europe don’t have pressing needs. On this particular Saturday, she received the urgent email above.

Jewell-grandson.jpgJewell and her grandson, Riley, celebrating his fifth birthday.

Jewel doesn’t mind helping her customers on the weekends, because if it is critical to them, then it is critical to her. She responded back with, “I’m on my way to the office to get you what you need.”

Within an hour, the proper invoice was on its way to Gabon by way of her customer in France and the unit was allowed into the country.

The weekend is her time away from work, but her commitment to doing the right thing by her customers saved them more than 36 hours of waiting. In her line of work, that is too long.

Besides, she made it back home in plenty of time for the birthday party.


Read more from the Fall 2015 Duncan Debrief Magazine

The Duncan Debrief free publication is available for aviation enthusiasts around the world through mail and online. To receive the magazine, subscribe here. Have an iPad? Access the magazine through the Duncan Debrief app. Search for Duncan Debrief in Apple’s App Store and download it. Once downloaded, you can receive push notifications each time a new Duncan Debrief magazine is published. 

Tags: Aircraft Parts, International Considerations

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

Duncan Aviation & Safran Engineering Services Announce FANS-1/A STC

Posted by Duncan Download Blog on Wed, May 20, 2015 @ 08:50 AM

EBACE-John-Slieter-Wolf-Godart-von-Drachenfels-Safran--Aaron-Hilkemann

During a reception at the European Businss Aviation Convention and Exhibtion in Geneva, Switzerland, Duncan Aviation and Safran Engineering Services announced a new Supplemental Type Certificate for FANS-1/A solution that will cover the Bombardier Challenger 601-3A/3R business aircraft.

Safran Engineering Services will be in charge of the design and certification while Duncan Aviation will be responsible for the installation of the avionics into the aircraft. Duncan Aviation will be the owner of the Supplemental Type Certificate and is also responsible for the sales and marketing of the solution.

In the photo L to R: John Slieter, Duncan Aviation Vice President of Service Sales,  Wolf-Godart von Drachenfels, Executive VP Business Strategy, Safran Engineering Services (Safran Group), Aaron Hilkemann, Duncan Aviation President / CEO. 

Read the full announcement here

Tags: International Considerations, FANS, NextGen

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

Duncan Aviation Regional Manager to New Zealand & Australia

Posted by Kate Dolan on Thu, Sep 25, 2014 @ 08:00 AM

His dreams of travel, adventure and variety were at odds with the reality of life on his family's farm. But that didn't stop him from traveling the world and experiencing several lifetimes of adventure. 

Meet Richard Gardner

Capitalizing on his mechanical aptitude, Richard Gardner of Scargill, North Canterbury in New Zealand, attended the training school at Air New Zealand and put in a 10,000-hour apprenticeship as an airframe engine mechanic. He earned his New Zealand aircraft maintenance engineers license and completed B737-200 and BAe146 type ratings exams.

At 22, he traveled the world and earned A&P licenses in the United States, United Kingdom (UK), Latvia, Trinidad and Tobago; obtained certification for Boeing 767s; and earned an Open University Certificate in Management in the UK. He visited the FAA at Heathrow and was signed off to sit for his FAA A&P exam. Upon completion, he traveled to Dallas, Texas, for a seven-day course and completed his A&P exams and practical tests.

With the necessary credentials, Richard worked for London Business Aviation in Hatfield and then Marshall Aerospace in Cambridge. In November 1992, Richard traveled to Africa to work as a line maintenance mechanic on C130 Hercules transport jets flown by the Red Cross and the United Nations. He rode on some flights as they picked up aid relief in Mombasa, Kenya and dropped it throughout Somalia in Kismayo, Mogadishu, Bosaso and Berbera.

Richard-Gardner-Africa_blogRichard-Gardner-Africa2_blog

Richard in Nairobi, Kenya, in October 1993.

“One time we broke down in Somalia and managed to limp to Djibouti. We left the aircraft on a taxiway at the airport that night and came back the next day to fix it when the parts arrived from Nairobi. I remember sitting on the aircraft ramp after finishing the job. It was very hot, and the fence beside the aircraft was the airport perimeter. It had signs not to cross the fence because there was a mine field on the other side. We sat there in the sun eating ham and cheese baguettes and fantastic crème brulee. It was a very strange situation, really,” says Richard. 

Richard’s travels then took him to the United States, the UK, Colombia, Barbados and all over Europe. Although he lived for the adventure and learned about the people and customs everywhere he went, the conditions weren’t always ideal. In Latvia working on BAe146 aircraft, he worked outside year round because there were no hangars.

“The winter was very cold and had a lot of snow. We had to do everything outside, including engine changes at night at minus 15-degrees C [5 degrees F],” says Richard. “But I learned a lot working there about the Latvian and Russian people. Riga was a great town.”

Backpack living lost its luster, and Richard returned to Air New Zealand. He transitioned from the hangar floor to an account manager for the company-owned P&W JT8D engine overhaul shop. He managed accounts with a turnover of approximately $25-million U.S. dollars per year.

One of his customers owned a TFE731 Honeywell Approved Heavy Service Center, and Richard took a job as General Manager of the shop in Perth, Australia, for nearly four years.  By the time he moved back to New Zealand in 2007 and started his own business, SinglePoint Assist, he had traveled to 53 countries and filled up three passports.

During his years servicing engines, Richard had become acquainted with Duncan Aviation and had accompanied some of his customers to Lincoln. Becoming a representative for the company seemed a natural step for Richard.

“When I first dealt with Duncan Aviation, it was with the engine shop, and we never had a problem. The shop does a great job, and it’s easy to represent a company that does a great job,” says Richard.

Richard-Gardner-Harbor-View_blog

View of Wellington Harbour in Wellington, New Zealand.

As a regional manager for Duncan Aviation, Richard continues to travel, visiting customers in Australia, South Africa and the United States, but he has a great appreciation for his home, New Zealand. He and his wife Rhonda live in Wellington, on the north island, with their two boys, Laughlin (5) and Alexander (4). Their house sits on the side of a hill overlooking the deep blue waters of the Wellington Harbour.

“We in New Zealand didn’t get the diamonds, uranium or minerals like Australia, but we got natural beauty,” says Richard. “And you can’t dig that up and ship it anywhere.”

 Duncan Aviation Regional Managers

Duncan Aviation has 13 regional managers stratigically placed across the world in an effort to better support our customers. Download the Duncan Aviation Regional Manager map and contact the one in your area. 

Download Duncan Aviation  Regional Managers Map

Tags: International Considerations, Careers & Recruiting

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