Read the Fall 2015 Duncan Debrief to see more gallery photos and details of this project.

The best laid plans often go awry. Business aviation maintenance is no exception. Most maintenance directors will tell you it’s almost impossible to plan for everything that might pop up during a large inspection that is coupled with a variety of updates and upgrades.

So how can Duncan Aviation guarantee turntimes? The answer is really pretty simple but often overlooked by those who don’t have the right people and the right processes.“We plan ahead and work hard,” says Finish Team Leader Tony Houk. “We still encounter hurdles, but we work together as a team to overcome them.”

Business jets are incredible assets. When they’re in our hangars for months, we recognize the owners are missing a valuable resource, so we do our best to meet turntimes and set efficient schedules to get customers in, out and safely on their way.

When an 18-year-old Falcon 900 was added to the schedule at Duncan Aviation’s Lincoln, Nebraska, location, promising a finite out date seemed far-fetched—because it was. A laundry list of inspections, avionics, interior upgrades and new paint packed the to-do list.

During the inspection, a handful of corrosion squawks required extra hours, making serious teamwork mandatory in order to adhere to a tight schedule. With some teams needing access to the same areas at the same times, schedules were changed to second or third shifts so progressing could be maintained at the same rate.

Everyone realized they needed to make it happen, even if that meant working in hourly blocks, or changing shifts and working weekends.

And all that teamwork paid off. The aircraft delivered, the customers were ecstatic and Duncan Aviation was able to add another success story to the books.

Watch this video and witness firsthand, how all the teams (airframe, paint, interior and avionics install) accommodated each another to do what was right for our customer.

A World of Good Wishes. 

One of the real joys this holiday season is the opportunity to say thank you for your business and wish you the very best throughout 2016!

Our client wanted an aircraft that stood out among other aircraft. I believe we achieved that goal. What do you think? 

The paint products used for the two-tone aesthetic of the project were two primary systems: Sherwin Williams satin black base with satin clear coat and Axalta Chromalusion’s “color changing” base coat color called Perfect Jade followed by a gloss clear coat.

The Gulfstream GV, N888XY, is branded SEXYjet and is managed by Metropolitan Aviation. For more information about the design collaboration and paint process, go here: http://www.duncanaviation.aero/news/duncan-aviation-unveils-timelapse-of-sexyjet-paint-application

See a time-lapse video of this beautiful paint project below. 

Choosing wool carpet for the interior of your business aircraft is an investment that will keep your cabin interior looking pristine for years to come. In order to keep it looking and performing at its best, regular cleaning is necessary.

The following information is an informal guide to the maintenance of your wool carpet. It is by no means a comprehensive list of methods for cleaning. Always consult the manufacturer's guide to cleaning.

Click to edit your new post...

In a Cessna M2 named the “hummingbird,” Karen and Robert Duncan, along with friends Kathryn and Marc LeBaron flew just under 24,000 miles in nearly 60 hours over 38 days.

They share many passions, including contemporary art, flying, great food, adventure and more. It was the quest for art that took them on their World Art Adventure.

This is the second such adventure for the two couples. Two years ago they toured South America, discovered dozens of artists, made new friends and returned home with fabulous additions to their respective collections.

The itinerary for this trip did not include stops at traditional art cities, but rather new centers where innovative things are happening in the world art scene. Stops included:

“The cultures and the character of the cities varied widely, but the people are all the same. They care about their families, each other and in our case, have a passion for art,” said Robert Duncan.

When asked what his favorite spot was along the route, he responded, “Which is your favorite child? They were all unique and each offered us something to remember. We are very fortunate souls!”

Along the way, they took hundreds of photos and videos that captured unique art pieces and the artists who created them in their studios/homes, including several from the view above the clouds in the M2.

To read more about their journey, visit: www.worldartadventure.wordpress.com.

Do any of you remember when the Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) mandate went into effect on January 20, 2005? There were 6,500 business aircraft that required upgrades for that mandate, and most installation facilities were at capacity for two full years prior to that deadline.

After the RVSM mandate went into effect, many operators were forced to fly below 29,000 feet until they upgraded their equipment. And some were inconvenienced for quite some time because installation facilities were filled to capacity for an entire year after the deadline.

As most business aircraft owner/operators know, the Federal Aviation Administration set a January 1, 2020 deadline to comply with the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) mandate. That deadline is approximately 1,130 working days away, and the FAA estimates there are 18,500 business aircraft (Amstat, Jets and Turboprops) that still need to upgrade their equipment.

If any of those business Part 25 aircraft intend to fly above 10,000 feet and in and out of airports with control towers after Jan. 1, 2020, they are going to have to be equipped with a WAAS/SBAS GPS, a 1090MHz Mode S Extended Squitter (1090ES) transponder and cockpit failure annuciators.

Facilities with avionics capabilities like Duncan Aviation have capacity today to handle the increased volume. In the coming months, though, as more and more aircraft need to schedule equipment upgrades, they’ll have to compete for hangar space with aircraft that are scheduled for inspections and maintenance events. Additionally, many avionics manufacturers are offering incentives today, but as the deadline approaches and demand increases, prices will definitely go up.

There are roughly three times as many business aircraft that require ADS-B Out equipment than required RVSM equipment, and without the ADS-B upgrades, those aircraft won’t be merely inconvenienced; they’ll be grounded until they comply.

When it comes to business aviation, I always tell my customers, “Best equipped, best served.”

For access the latest and most complete information about the upcoming mandates, go to Duncan Aviation's online Nextgen resource.

Contributed by Mark Francetic, regional avionics sales manager

We are inside of five years now and rapidly closing in on the 2020 deadline for the NextGen equipment upgrades mandated by the FAA.

Do you know all that you need to know?  

Do you know what you don't know? 

Do you know where to go to find out?

If you want access the latest and most complete information about all things NextGen, you have hit pay dirt!  

And you can collect it here: www.DuncanAviation.aero/nextgen

The Duncan Aviation NextGen Information page is the go-to place for information about all aspects of the NextGen initiatives.

There you will find

• a countdown to see exactly how many days, hours and minutes remain before January 1, 2020.
• links to the equipment available for various make/model aircraft
• contact information for all of our avionics experts around the country
• publications about NextGen, including the Straight Talk about NextGen, the Straight Talk about ADS-B, blogs, and other articles about NextGen components.
• top questions operators have regarding NextGen
• a detailed timeline of dates for the NextGen mandates (downloadable!)
• an informative webinar about FANS 1/A

Several Duncan Aviation's avionics team have been traveling the United States for a couple of years, holding free NextGen seminars. To find out more about these seminars or any of Duncan Aviation's other speaking engagements, check the Upcoming Duncan Aviation NextGen Events section of the web page for dates, times and registration information.

What are you wainting for? GO!

www.DuncanAviation.aero/nextgen

When acquiring or upgrading a business aircraft, selecting the right make/model is one of your most important decisions. Duncan Aviation’s Aircraft Sales and Acquisitions team can help you narrow your selection with the use of a comprehensive and up-to-date Model/Market Summary. The summary data is compiled for the light jet, mid-size jet and long-range jet categories. And the team regularly updates the data in these lists with the latest market intelligence on business aircraft models in operation today and how they compare to others in the same size category.The Model/Market Summary is sorted by the seats-full range for aircraft built in the last decade. It displays one-line descriptions detailing several attributes, including the following:

• Years Produced. The range of years the model was in production.
• Vref Price Range. The current marketing value according to the Vref - Aircraft Value Reference.
• Variable Cost / Hour. The estimated cost to operate the aircraft at full capacity.
• Normal Cruise Speed.
• Cabin Volume / Length / Height.
• Cabin Seats. The number of available seats on the aircraft.
• Expected Avionics. The expected avionics found in the Flightdeck.
• NBAA IFR Range-Seats Full. The list is sorted by this, the flight range in nautical miles with all seats full.
• NBAA IFR Range Ferry. Flight range in nautical miles with no passengers.
• Payload with Fuel Full. In pounds.
• Average Fuel Burn. In gallons per hour.
• Pilots Required. The number of pilots required to fly the aircraft.

The data in this summary is a good starting point when considering your first aircraft or your next upgrade. All the data in these reports comes from Conklin & de Decker aviation information, the aircraft manufacturers’ preliminary data and Vref valuations. 

ADVICE

Doug Kvassay, aircraft sales representative at Duncan  Aviation, first developed the Model/Market Summary when a client called asking for advice over lunch about upgrading his light business jet to one that had a little more payload and range. Doug wanted to make the process of narrowing down the search as easy as possible, so in the days leading up to their meeting, he created a listing of every model in the light jet category, taking care to detail several attributes. Through a process of simple elimination, by the end of their lunch, Doug and his customer had identified an aircraft model to investigate further. They closed on an available one just one month later.

Seeing how much easier this tool made the identification of the most appropriate model of aircraft for the specific needs of his client, Doug shared his concept with the rest of the Duncan Aviation Aircraft Sales and Acquisitions team. Since then, they have honed the information and expanded it to other size categories. Now, they publish it quarterly.Download the latest model/market summary now. 

If you've been to the Lincoln Airport recently, you might have noticed a 14,000-pound, 23-foot-tall metal paper airplane sculpture gracing the roadside along the way. And you probably asked yourself, where did that come from? And why is it located at the corner of West Adams and NW 12th streets?

The Duncan Family Trust Foundation, created by the Karen and Robert Duncan family to give back to the communities that support Duncan Aviation, donated the sculpture as part of Lincoln's Entryway Project and hired only local talent to create its permanent installation.

Anne Pagel, curator for avid art collectors Karen and Robert Duncan, contacted Lincoln artist Shannon Hansen of Hansen Sculpture to design the iconic image, titled Pitch, Roll & Yaw.

"The sculpture is not meant to be a deep abstract work, it's a unique and playful piece that everyone can relate to," says Hansen.

Lincoln's own Rivers Metals Products fabricated the massive sculpture, boasting a 20-foot wingspan, and delivered it to Duncan Aviation's paint department in May for a top-notch aircraft paint job prior to its installation July 21.

View the installation gallery as the sculpture lands at its permanently location.

"The paper airplane has been around for more than 2,100 years, in one form or another. This iconic image signifies the joy and wonder that attracts many to aviation," says Connie Duncan, Duncan Family Trust Foundation trustee and wife of Todd Duncan. "We are so honored to take part in this project and provide the city with a piece of aviation everyone can enjoy," she says.

Duncan Aviation's Battle Creek, Michigan, avionics team recently rolled out an off-site avionics service that allows business aircraft operators in the Chicago area to schedule comprehensive avionics line service in their hangars and at their airports instead of at one of Duncan Aviation's maintenance facilities.

"We value our many customers and contacts in the Chicago area and want to make sure they receive the avionics line support they need," says Paul Cummings, avionics manager at Duncan Aviation's Battle Creek facility. "So we have evaluated our avionics team and determined a way to provide scheduled in-the-field service for operators at the Chicago area airports. This saves the customer fuel and travel time, decreases their aircraft usage and makes avionics line maintenance events less disruptive to their overall schedules."

To schedule avionics line service in Chicago, call +1 630.207.7460.

Here are other in-field services available to operators across the United States.

Engine

Duncan Aviation also continues to staff an engine Rapid Response Team (RRT) in the Chicago area. Duncan Aviation engine service offices support AOG engine emergencies and scheduled engine maintenance events at our full service facilities in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Battle Creek, with RRTs supporting operators in the field. Each service office is interdependent, sharing staff and resources to support customers wherever and whenever they need engine service. To reach Duncan Aviation's engine RRT services, call 877.522.0111.

In-The-Field Interior

Duncan Aviation interior service specialists are able to provide scheduled, unscheduled and road trip interior service to customers requiring aircraft interior needs outside of a major Duncan Aviation facility.

In-The-Field Maintenance

Duncan Aviation has airframe maintenance teams ready to spring into action when needed for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance services in the field. Duncan Aviation has several company aircraft at its disposal to help move people, tools and parts quickly to best meet customer needs.