This summer, Duncan Aviation will complete the largest expansion project its Lincoln, Nebraska, campus has ever seen. The 175,000-square-foot facility will be comprised of two 40,000-square-foot maintenance hangars and a 95,000-square-foot office and shop space.
As the industry continued to trend toward larger business aircraft, Duncan Aviation recognized their current hangars would soon be unable to accommodate the volume of maintenance, modifications and completions work their customers requested and required. This industry shift is fueled by technological advances and increased globalization
Chief Operating Officer, Jeff Lake said the company decided to build now because the size and number of aircraft they are working on and will continue to work on simply did not fit well in the current hangar space.
“We anticipated this trend, which is why we invested in the new 45,000-square-foot aircraft paint facility two years ago. Now it was time to support the maintenance side,” Lake said.
Duncan Aviation already boasts a row of hangars that dot the runway at Lincoln’s Municipal airport. Now as the expansion is nearing completion, they will add two more.
To view the progress through photos and a time lapse video, visit http://www.duncanaviation.aero/airframe/promotions/maintenance_hangar_construction.php
To get information and register to attend the Open House Celebration, go here.
Going Green
When Duncan Aviation’s Senior Team decided it was time to invest in a new, larger hangar facility, they wanted to ensure it was of the highest quality, just like the aircraft services provided inside. That priority also aligned well with the company’s desire to make “green” decisions whenever possible.
“Things that are good for the environment are good for our employees, and that translates into an excellent experience for customers as well,” Lake said.
Kyle Link, Tectonic Management Group, Inc.’s designer/builder senior project manager for the expansion said the materials and design elements chosen are a new concept in hangar environment. From the LED lighting that senses daylight and automatically dims itself to the radiant floor heating, it’s top of the line.
“You can’t cost effectively dim fluorescent lights. You would have to shut off individual bulbs. But LED lights can be dimmed gradually, saving energy and making it less apparent to team members,” Link said. That combined with the skylights and windows, makes the hangar brighter with all the lights off than any of the other hangars with every bulb lit.
During construction, Duncan Aviation made deliberate decisions to go above and beyond the energy code and choose more cost and energy-saving options such as skylights, sidewall daylight panels and radiant floor heat.
“It was really an easy decision to invest a bit more up front and do what’s right for our environment, especially if it means we’ll save money in the long run,” Lake said. “With as quickly as technology changes, we need to be a bit ahead of the game.”
Read more about Duncan Aviation’s Green Hangar in the Spring 2014 Duncan Debrief.
