The Duncan Download Blog: Business Aviation Advice & Observations

In 1966, NBAA was the first industry association Duncan Aviation joined. Our first NBAA booth was a purple foam structure in a 20 x 20 space, where 10 team members greeted attendees and explained who Duncan Aviation was.

That was just the beginning.

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For nearly 49 years, Duncan Aviation has participated in the annual NBAA Convention and Exhibition. No longer relatively unknown, we are one of the first places to stop for many convention attendees. But our participation and influence at NBAA goes well beyond the convention hall.

For a total of 21 years, Duncan Aviation has maintained a presence on the NBAA Associate Member Advisory Council (AMAC), beginning with Robert Duncan in 1983. As members, he, Duncan Aviation Chairman Todd Duncan and President Aaron Hilkemann contributed to council discussions and activities to identify and improve communications among membership segments. Each has served or is currently serving in a leadership position. Aaron also served a two-year term as council chairman. In these roles, each became associate member advisors to the NBAA board.

Jeannine Falter, vice president of business development, is a five-year member of the NBAA Corporate Aviation Management Committee (CAMC), which provides programs and tools to help aviation managers meet business objectives.

She served two years as co-chair of the committee's annual NBAA Leadership Conference. This leadership conference is the only industry event of its kind, where business aviation managers and executives gather to focus on sharpening leadership and professional skills, networking and sharing ideas.

"The NBAA Leadership Conference is a great opportunity for industry leaders to be exposed to ideas and thought-leaders that they otherwise may not have access to," says Jeannine.

She was also a current member of the NBAA Maintenance Management Committee, whose purpose is to address the high-level, strategic issues pertinent to maintenance operations. This group is currently working on a long-term project to align the professional standing of aviation technicians with current and future technology by updating the level of education, training and expertise.

To find out more about our long histories with other industry alphabet associations, read the Spring 2015 Duncan Debrief.

In The Trenches

Business aviation association governing boards work to benefit our industry as a whole, bringing about long-term changes and future growth. But oftentimes, it’s in the trenches of the subcommittees and regional events where the day-to-day issues that impact business aviation are addressed. Many of Duncan Aviation’s tech reps, department leaders, regional managers and sales representatives meet many times a year in these industry subcommittees.

NBAA Subcommittees
Dave Schiver, Learjet tech rep		Learjet, 2009-present
Mark Goertzen, Falcon tech rep		Dassault Falcon Jet, 2007-present
Justin Merkling, Manager—engine services		CES 500 Series, 2009-2011
Jon Dodson, Engine services sales rep		Honeywell B&GA, 2013-present
Chuck Zahnow, Citation tech rep		CES 500 Series, 2011-present
		CES 600/700 Series, 2011-present
NBAA Regional Managers
Bill Otte, East Central	GSLBAA	Greater St Louis
	COPAMA	Central Ohio Professional Aviation Association
Tim Lockerby, Great Lakes / Northeast	CABAA	Chicago Area Business Aviation Association
	WMBAA	Western Michigan Business Aviation Association
	WBAA	Wisconsin Business Aviation Association
Alan Huggett, Northwest	UBAA	Utah Business Aircraft Association
Lee Bowes, Southwest	AZBAA	Arizona Business Aviation Association
Rick Randall, South Central	SABAA	San Antonio Business Aviation Association
	NTBAA	North Texas Business Aviation Association
Skip Laney, Central	KCBAA	Kansas City Business Aviation Association
	MBAA	Minnesota Business Aviation Association
	NeBAA	Nebraska Business Aviation Association
	CABA	Colorado Aviation Business Association

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.

It was a massive amount of work completed in a short amount of time. However, it still delivered on time and squawk-free with a transformation nothing short of spectacular. 

When this Falcon 900B arrived at Duncan Aviation, the interior workscope completely changed at the last minute, allowing very little time to preplan the changes and nearly nothing for material lead time.

We think we nailed it. What do you think? 

Interior Transformation

Before and after

Left-hand aft divan added replacing two club seat and a closet. Read the 2015 Spring Duncan Debrief for more interior before and after photos.

Avionics Upgrade

 EFIS to CDS/R. Read the 2015 Spring Duncan Debrief for the complete list of avionics upgrades.

Exterior Enhancements

New LoPresti BoomBeam landing lights. Complete new exterior paint scheme. Read the 2015 Spring Duncan Debrief for more exterior enhancements. 

Fresh out of pre-buy, this Gulfstream V needed a makeover to breathe life into a dark interior. The deep blue and gray chairs and carpet made this large 13-passenger cabin feel dated and constrained. The customer's expectations were clear. Clean it up. Lighten it up. Open it up.

Take a look, the transformation was amazing.

That is just the beginning. Continue reading the Spring 2015 Duncan Debrief to see the stunning before and after photos. 

 

During the past 59 years, Duncan Aviation team members have established an excellent rapport and cultivated thousands of relationships. See a full size timeline here. 

What's more impressive is the type of relationships they choose to seek out and grow. From other MROs and smaller niche repair shops to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), the relationships team members at all levels develop help customers and the industry in general.

Want to read more about how we stay on the same wavelength during changing times? Read the rest of the article in our Spring 2015 Duncan Debrief. 

 

 

Over W. K. Kellogg airport in Battle Creek, Michigan, the skies are filling with hot air balloons as the 2015 Field Of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival kicked off yesterday. Over the weekend, everyone in the area will be looking up to watch as colorful hot air balloons float peacefully by. The launches will take place at the airport and other various locations around Battle Creek.

Watch Sugar Bear inflate to life in this photo series

Also taking to the air over the July 4^th weekend will be several aerobatic stunt planes performing for the air show. These brave pilots and their agile planes began arriving at Duncan Aviation on Wednesday ahead of the main event.

Just prior to the public airshow, one local World War II Veteran got the ride of his life with Aerobatic Champion and airshow pilot Rob Holland. Together with sponsor Window World, Rob created the Hero Flight Program as a way of giving back to the U.S. military veterans for their service and sacrifice.

This year’s World War II Veteran is Ken Rabbit. He was in the Army Air Corps in the legendary 8th Air Force as a ground crewman, working on B24s, B17s and C47s. Ken was also a pilot, once owning a Stearman Biplane. He just turned 90 years old. 

Ken and his wife, Pat met with Rob prior to the flight in Duncan Aviation’s Battle Creek lobby.

 

To the average person, a 96-month Embraer Legacy 600 inspection looks a lot like organized chaos—organized being the key word.

Neatly catalogued aircraft parts surround a gutted fuselage. Airframe technicians line the interior and exterior of the aircraft, checking and testing every inch, looking for needed repairs.

Add an interior refurbishment, new paint, a Wi-Fi system installation and you'll start to understand why a project of this magnitude takes time to plan and complete.

"Upon delivery, the jet is, in many ways, new again," explains Project Manager Tracy Hein. "Every inch of that aircraft is touched by several professionals—from airframe technicians to interior install experts and paint team members. And before delivery, we go over it again, ensuring the aircraft leaves our facility as flawless as it was on its first flight."

Read more about the Embraer Legacy 600 custom solutions, spot-on paint and final business jet touches here.

Or watch the tip-to-tail refurbushment in the following three-minute video.

 

Duncan Aviation works with a variety of customers. The majority use their aircraft for business purposes, some have personal aircraft and a small portion are pilots themselves. A very select group fit all three categories.

When a customer came to Duncan Aviation's Battle Creek facility with a Dassault Falcon 50EX, his mission was to leave with the best upgrades in the cabin, as well as the flight deck.

"Our customer dubbed the Falcon a Time Machine, and wanted to ensure this time saver was the most comfortable and efficient tool to get from point A to point B," says Completions Sales Rep Nate Darlington, confirming that the creative tail number M-CFLY was, in fact, a Back to the Future time-traveler movie reference.

After completing a pre-buy inspection through Duncan Aviation, the aircraft went directly into an airframe inspection, complete interior refurbishment, complete aircraft paint refurbishment, Cabin Management System (CMS) installation and flight deck upgrades.

Read more about the completed Time Machine in the Spring 2015 issue of the Duncan Debrief.

 

Contributed by Doug Roth, aircraft sales rep

As your business aircraft ages, there will come a point when you begin to ask yourself if it is still worth spending money on it or is it time to sell or trade. This generally occurs about the time a major inspection, engine overhaul, paint/interior refurb or mandatory avionics upgrade is coming due.

There are a lot of factors that go into making the decision to reinvest in the aircraft, but the biggest and most obvious is whether the money is well spent. The answer to this question can actually be quite simple and lies in the aircraft value once the investment is made.

The value of an older aircraft can be determined with this simple formula.

Value= Base aircraft marketable value + engine value + inspection value + paint / interior value

However, all the parts that go into it can be rather complicated. Let me walk you through it.

Base Aircraft Marketable Value

For a quick determination of the base marketable value of your aircraft, you can begin with industry-recognized aircraft value reference guides, such as Vref and Aircraft Blue Book. These books provide recent sales data and information on your specific make model aircraft. However, at the time of their publication the information can be almost six months old so they may not accurately reflect any market changes that are beginning to trend.

If you need accurate market information to make a decision about selling or trading your aircraft, it is wise to consult with an aircraft sales professional for the latest in market conditions.   

Keep in mind, this base value is just a starting point. You still need to take into account how fresh your inspections are or how many hours remain on the engines. These factors will have an impact on the overall value, both positive and negative.

Engine Value

The model of your aircraft and whether or not others like it are typically on an engine maintenance program, will determine how you calculate engine value.

Example of Engines On Maintenance Programs

The majority of aircraft with the Honeywell TFE731-20,-40,-60 engines are typically on an engine maintenance program. If your TFE731-xx engines are on a maintenance program then their value adjustment will be zero, because they are considered base average among those model engines. However, if your TFE731-xx engines are not on an engine program, then adjustment to the base aircraft value will be negative the amount to buy into the program.

Example of Engines Not On Maintenance Programs

For aircraft with engines not typically on a maintenance program, such as aircraft with PW JT15D-5 series, the value adjustment is based on the number of hours remaining, above or below the engine’s mid-life. Take the number of hours above or below mid-life and multiply it by the hourly operating cost of the engine. If the hours are below the mid-life, add this to the base aircraft value. If the hours are above the mid-life, subtract.

Once an aircraft reaches 30 years, engine values are based more often on the life remaining rather than an engine program. Engines with less than 1500 hours will have a negative value adjustment based on the cost per hour.

Inspection Value

An aircraft’s base value on the market typically assumes that the airframe inspection life is at 80%. Therefore, an aircraft with a fresh inspection could add up to 20% of the cost of a typical inspection to this base value. The opposite is also true. If the inspection life is less than 80%, the value will be reduced.

For example on a Falcon 50, a C check can cost in the neighborhood of $250,000 and will add six years until the next major inspection. If there are three years, or 50% remaining in the inspection cycle, then the base aircraft value will be reduced by 30%, or $75,000.

Cosmetics Value

With normal use an aircraft paint and interior can have a life of about 7 and 8 years, respectively. Applying the same rule of 80%, the cost to restore the paint and interior can be applied to the base value in the same way we did with the inspections. 

However, the real value of your aircraft’s interior rests solely upon your personal preference and how you use it, not its age. You may love that 15-year interior because you were involved in the original selection of materials and colors.

Paint is similar, where personal preferences play a part, but to a smaller degree. Having the aircraft painted at major inspection intervals is beneficial to maintaining the value because a fresh coat of paint helps to protect from possible future corrosion.

Nonetheless, if you are considering selling, the value of the paint and interior rests in the personal preference of the buyer. Even a five year interior may be replaced because it is just not the new owner’s style. 

Avionics Updates

Deciding whether or not to invest in the necessary avionics to meet the upcoming mandates on your aging aircraft is a topic for another time. Stay tuned.

However, for the purpose of this example, all values above being equal, an aircraft with WAAS/LPV and/or ADS-B will have a significantly higher value than one without.

Total Aircraft Value

Now you have a snapshot of what your aircraft is worth. What now? Do you spend the money for the upcoming inspection or overhaul? Is it time to sell?

With later model aircraft, the costs associated with major inspections or restoration may be relatively small in comparison to the base market value, making the decision to invest in the work easy.

As aircraft grow older, those costs become larger in comparison to the base market value to the point where the majority of the aircraft’s value will be in the inspections and/or restorations.

This is where you need to take a hard look at and assess your future flying needs. If your aircraft meets payload and range requirements for the foreseeable future, the investment may be worth it.

Especially if your foresee operating the aircraft for at least 40% of the life of the inspections and/or restoration. In the end, when you reinvest, you are building value and life back into your aircraft to meet your future needs.  Your decision to invest should be based on your travel needs and requirements and what is most cost-effective for you.

Duncan Aviation Aircraft Sales

Need help in evaluating the value of your business aircraft? Contact your Duncan Aviation Aircraft Sales Representatives. We'll be happy to help. 

Download the latest business jet model/market summary here. 

http://www.duncanaviation.aero/aircraftsales/model-market-summary.php

 

 

Duncan 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.

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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.”

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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."

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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.