The Duncan Download Blog: Business Aviation Advice & Observations

When it comes to comparing aircraft maintenance quotes, you should be more concerned about what is not listed than what is.

When comparing maintenance quotes from different MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) facilities, there are a staggering number of variables to consider. It is always unwise to assume the final number on each proposal represents the same level of detail. You should always be asking, ‘What does the quote include?’

To help make this process easier, we have compiled a list of questions and discussion points to help you get the details behind the numbers. This is not an all-inclusive list, but it is a great place to begin.

Here are some things to begin the proposal conversation with your sales rep.

Airframe

• Is the interior R&R included? This is often required to gain access below the cabin floor.
• What about paint touch-up? And if so, is touch-up completed by spray or brush?
• Are there state taxes on parts and labor? Consumables and freight charges? Are they included?
• Are support services like NDT, machining services, hydrostatic testing, included?
• Is tool rental included or an additional charge?

Avionics

• Are engineering fees included?
• Are any additional mods required to complete the workscope, like relocating antennae?
• Does the proposal include just the baseline package or does it outline optional features of the system being installed?
• Is the MRO including other recommended options based on feedback from other operators who have installed the system?

Paint

The number of variables that impact a quote for paint and interior completions work is nearly inexhaustible.

• In addition to the base paint quote, does the proposal include painting the entry air stair?
• Does that include replacing the step tread or masking around it?
• How many stripes and stripe colors are included?
• Are metallic stripes an up-charge?
• Is there design support if the paint scheme is changing?
• What are the options if you request a custom or second base color, wing color, tail color, or logo?
• Is painting of the wheels and landing gear included?
• What is the warranty?

Interior

Aircraft interiors is an area where it can be difficult to gauge the extra effort and care that might go into the project but that isn’t clearly represented by a number. Clarify if your interior proposal includes:

• Is the foam replaced during the seat upholstery or just the dress covers?
• What type of material is being quoted for upholstery of the divan, leather or fabric?
• Is rewebbing of the seatbelts included in the upholstery of the seats and divan?
• If it is a partial interior, and the leather color is changing, are all the leather items quoted for recovery (curtains, entry door shrouds, lavatory seat, etc.)?
• Is the carpet being replaced hand-made or machine-made? Is the carpet pad being replaced and if so, is the new pad being installed equivalent to the existing pad or does it provide additional thermal or acoustical qualities?

Engine

Always provide your logbooks up front. Doing so will get you an accurate quote on Service Bulletins, life-limited component replacements, and required Airworthiness Directives.

For non-program engines determine what level of service is being quoting. If only quoted the lowest minimums available for the engine, you can bet you will end up paying more in the end. Always ask the MRO to be up front about the expected expenses and the parts and other components that typically need replacement.

In addition to the base engine overhaul price, ask if the quote includes:

• Service Bulletin status
• Life-limited component replacement
• Airworthiness Directives
• Shipping charges
• Discrepancies

Landing Gear

Landing gear quotes can be offered in a variety of pricing structures. NTE (Not To Exceed) is the most popular and the structure used most often at Duncan Aviation. With NTE, you are provided with the maximum quote and an assurance your final bill will not exceed that quote. Often, the final bill is under the NTE price.

Other options are Firm Fixed and Standard. With Firm Fixed, you are provided with the final bill before your gear arrives. It comes with a no bill-back guarantee, regardless of the condition of the gear. Standard Pricing includes all labor required to perform the normal inspection or overhaul and required parts. Any discrepancies found during the inspection that require additional parts and labor will be quoted over and above.

Whichever pricing structure you select, pay close attention to the exclusions on the contract. They can add extensive additional costs not included in the quote. These include additional customer requests, optional Service Bulletins, missing or abused parts, replacement of life-limited parts, and engineering fees, if required.

When reviewing your landing gear proposal, ask the following:

• Does it include shipping costs for outsourced components?
• Are parts or other special programs included in the pricing?
• What are the contract exclusions?
• What parts are considered over and above?
• Are discrepancy and repair costs included in the labor flat rate?

You Play A Part

Evaluating the many quotes an operator receives in the course of preparing for an aircraft service event can be an overwhelming experience.

Ultimately, the success and satisfaction of a maintenance event is a team effort. You are as much a part of the team and its success as we are.

Bottom line…call and allow us the opportunity to walk you through the quote so you can better understand the proposal details as well as the ultimate workscope.

The Duncan Aviation in-house professional design team has created five designs specifically for the Citation CJ3 aircraft. The five designs pair light and airy colors that make the cabin appear more spacious and open with darker, complementary colors for the carpeting and lower sidewalls. The beautiful yet neutral hues pull together rich textures, maintenance-friendly materials and subtle patterns that will appeal to most operators and passengers.

“The lighter colors in the upper fuselage help expand the feel of the cabin and transition to a darker base,” explains Rachael Weverka, the Duncan Aviation designer who created the collections. “The patterns add interest and variance to the design without being overwhelming.”

Two of the collections are very neutral and the remaining three options work in more gray, taupe and cream, respectively.

Operators can combine the interior refurbishments with a Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion flight deck upgrade and have their aircraft back in service with the best turntimes in the industry.

 “With the CJ3 Fusion flight deck upgrade installations, we anticipate that operators will want to look at refurbishment options,” says Suzanne Hawes, Duncan Aviation Completions Sales Rep. “Since turntime is always important, we want to ensure efficiency with interior materials. The materials in these packages will be in stock and ready to go.”

In addition to the interior collections, Rachael also designed six fresh paint schemes for the CJ3, consisting of five original, Duncan Aviation-exclusive designs.

To see these collections and three-dimensional drawings of how these interiors will look, visit www.DuncanAviation.aero/cj3interiors.

We recently expanded our 3D design capabilities by adding Dan Ryba, a multimedia artist specializing in 3D illustrations, to our in-house aircraft interior and paint design team. Ryba joins Ken Reita and the design team, who have  been creating innovative designs for clients on all makes of aircraft.

Both Reita and Ryba are focused on creating 3D conceptual illustrations for clients who are looking to make interior and exterior modifications to their aircraft.

“These 3D renderings save a great deal of time and money, so they’re popular with all of our clients , internal sales and production people,” says Ken. “Unlike with 2D drawings, we can draw from our extensive engineering database and generate accurate 3D models of the entire interior that are specific to the actual measurements of an aircraft. You can see immediately what works and what doesn’t.”

There have been times when a client  is torn between two materials. One may be darker than the other, and explaining that the darker material will give the space a dark, closed-in feel isn’t nearly as effective as a 3D image that shows exactly how the space will be perceived.

“When clients look at the illustration, they might say, ‘Whoa! The darker material is too heavy for that space. Let’s go with the lighter color.’ Or, if they really want that dark color, we can suggest other options, such as going with a lighter color on the leather seats or carpet to provide more of a contrast and get the ratio of light to dark correct,” says Dan. “It’s far better to find out on the front end before any work has been done on a project. Our clients especially appreciate being able to see exactly what they’re getting.”

The 3D models are beneficial to our production teams, too. Seeing the model helps everyone with project planning, long before any work begins.

3D Graphics In Work

“Recently, a client, interior team lead, engineer, salesperson, and I were sitting at a conference table with a 3D preliminary concept of a credenza,” says Ken. “Using the 3D model as a focal point for our discussion, we went through each modification. For the cabinet, the client wanted to see where the electronics would plug in and how they’d look sitting on the shelves. The engineer looked over the model to see how to mitigate heat build-up and where to put the ventilation and wiring. The team leader wanted to make sure the Cabinet shop could build the shelves and install pocket doors with the rounded edges and corners in the design. I was concerned about retaining the beauty and balance of the design. With all of our input, we figured it out pretty quickly, before any production was started.”

There are other times when it’s not convenient for the client to meet face-to-face, so the Duncan Aviation sales team can request a 3D image of the design for the client and include it in the sales package, saving everyone involved time and money.

Seeing is believing, so giving clients and production teams a visual representation of the finished aircraft, inside and out, helps prevent surprises along the way. 

For more information about Duncan Aviation’s modifications services, visit Duncan Aviation at booth #C9125 during this year’s NBAA convention from October 10-12, in Las Vegas, Nevada, or watch for announcements at www.DuncanAviation.aero/nbaa.

Simplifying A Puzzle of Complexity

Ever put together a 1,000 piece puzzle? How about one with no straight-edges or picture on the box? What if you only had a couple of hours to finish and the pieces kept changing shape? Sounds a little daunting, if not impossible doesn’t it. Yet this is a daily scenario at Duncan Aviation.

Getting Downtime…Down

Operations Planning Coordinators, Brian Barto, Doug Schmitt, and Jason Kinnan have the difficult job of identifying and pulling together all the loose pieces of every aircraft maintenance event at our Battle Creek, MI, Lincoln, NE, and Provo, UT, facilities to determine an appropriate downtime. On any given day, they may have 35-40 schedules to plan.

They are only able to do this with the help of a very skilled team members who are aware of every shop’s maintenance capabilities and the capacity of work that can be expected. They communicate directly with Project Managers, Team Leaders, and Tech Reps.

They know the work required, the manpower necessary, and the time needed to satisfy the customer’s need for the shortest downtime, while maintaining the quality of work they expect from us.

Read more Duncan Aviation Airframe Maintenance

Hitting the Ground Running

Because of the hard work these teams do prior to every customer’s arrival, all the factory-trained technicians assigned are knowledgeable and well-prepared to begin work immediately upon touchdown with all necessary tools and parts assembled. This is a result of hours of team members being in constant communication with each other, making sure that all work is done in the most efficient time, with no overlaps and minimal interruptions.

“We are very aware that downtime is of high importance to customers. That makes it a high priority to us, as well,” says Shawn Busby, Project Manager. “Because we are a full-service maintenance facility, we have the advantage of doing all that is required under one roof in the shortest amount of time. It also requires a higher level of communication and teamwork so we are able to reduce downtime, increase efficiency and save our customers money.”

Read more Duncan Aviation Avionics Install

Unmatched

“Our engine capabilities are so inclusive that other FBO operations use Duncan Aviation engine team members to support them,” said Mike Bernholtz, Turbine Engine Service Sales Rep. “It is difficult for them to match our expertise, capabilities and downtime with our factory authorizations for Honeywell TFE731, HTF7000 and APUs; Pratt & Whitney 300 series, 500 series, 600 series, JT15, and PT6; Williams International and General Electric CF34.”

Read more Duncan Aviation Turbine Engine Services

You Get What You Pay For

We understand that budgets are tight and you want the best value, but don’t mistake the lowest price tag as your best option. When it comes to considering an MRO for aircraft paint or interior refurbishment work, you really do get what you pay for. “We have seen customers go with the lowest offer in order to save money. But end up having to pay more for services their chosen facilities are incapable of providing,” says Suzanne Hawes, Completions Sales Rep.

Read more Duncan Aviation Interior Completions

“In the case of hidden damage and corrosion, if the low-cost service provider does not have engineering and structural capabilities, the customer ends up having to hire a separate engineering consultant to assess the damage. And potentially even a third facility to do the structural repairs..  

At Duncan Aviation we have the experience, that if the damage is beyond tolerance, we work directly with the OEMs to create a repair disposition and have a structures team able to complete the repairs in-house.

Read more Duncan Aviation Aircraft Paint Services

We Have Anticipated Your Needs

There is no simple solution to keeping an aircraft airworthy. The regularly scheduled maintenance events and those that are not expected all add to the cost of doing business by air. As an aircraft operator as well as a service provider, Duncan Aviation understands the daily complexities and has already anticipated your needs before you have.

We make it our business to take the complicated puzzle of aircraft operation and ownership and make it as simple as possible for you.

The best and most economic choice for maintenance events, all the time, every time, is Duncan Aviation. The years of experience and the long list of capabilities at all of our facilities has proven that when we promise to do a job, we are promising to deliver on time, at a fair price, and with the highest quality of work.

This isn’t a random guess disguised as a promise; it is the expert opinion of team members who make it their job to know.

Duncan Aviation’s aircraft paint experts never cease to amaze. Watch this time-lapse video of our team in Lincoln, Nebraska, as they create custom ghost artwork on the left- and right-hand fuselage of BurgerFi’s Bombardier Global.

Look close. Can you see the company name and logo in silver sparkle flake?

Colors used:

AkzoNobel Matterhorn White
Axalta Carbon Black
Axalta Gray
Axalta Silver Sparkle
House of Kolor Silver Mini Flake
House of Kolor Ice Pearl
Sherwin Williams Acry Glo Clear

“I love turning flying machines into eye candy.”
—John Stahr, Artist

When aircraft owners come to Duncan Aviation with a paint idea, whether it’s digital camo, Matterhorn white with a stripe or a concept that belongs in a Jackson Pollock exhibit, our team makes it happen.

With a team full of talented artists and detail-oriented paint experts, Duncan Aviation can produce almost any aircraft paint work in-house. Sometimes, though, projects come up that, due to schedule and workloads, require collaboration with outside artists. When those extra-special projects pop up, Duncan Aviation’s paint team often calls up artist John Stahr.

“When we scheduled the paint job for Virgin’s Galactic Girl at our Battle Creek, Michigan, location, we knew John was the extra team member we needed to complete the paint scheme the way we envisioned it,” explains Completions Sales Rep Nate Darlington.

John has 40 years of custom paint experience and can airbrush the most intricate designs. He started in the mid-1970s working on vehicles, adding vans, motorcycles, race team trucks and luxury coaches to his portfolio. In 2003, he started painting aircraft exclusively.

“Painting something unique on a business jet brings me a great deal of satisfaction, especially when I see my creation parked next to the traditional white aircraft with three stripes,” explains John. “I love turning flying machines into eye candy.”

Watch a time-lapse video of Virgin’s Galactic Girl’s paint process.

While each airbrushed paint scheme is wildly different, the backend process is fairly standard. For this paint scheme:

1. Nate collaborated with Duncan Aviation’s in-house design team to develop a detailed rendering that fit the aircraft. The customer wanted the Dassault Falcon 900EX to mesh well with the rest of Virgin’s aircraft fleet, specifically SpaceShipTwo. Duncan Aviation Designer Lori Browning collaborated with the customer to craft several interpretations that incorporated a handful of SpaceShipTwo characteristics, including the black belly and strategically placed logos.
2. John and the paint team created full-scale patterns by projecting layout sketches onto white paper.
3. The paint crew prepped a substrate surface for John to transfer the drawings, using his pattern.
4. Duncan Aviation’s paint layout team constructed two graphics: one showcasing the evolution of spaceflight and another displaying the Galactic Girl herself.
5. Then, the fun began.

“I paint by hand, using spray guns and airbrush. Sometimes I’m very precise with measurements. Other times, I paint by eye. I do whatever it takes to make the final piece turn heads,” says John.

Painting large aircraft like Virgin’s Galactic Girl requires two sets of skills: artistic and physical.

John and the rest of the paint team do a lot of climbing and balancing. Operating a lift or climbing a ladder while wearing fall protection isn’t easy. Sometimes, it’s downright unnerving for an artist who needs a steady hand.

After John completed the Virgin Galactic eye logo on the aircraft’s belly, he added two more to either side of the vertical stabilizer. Duncan Aviation’s paint layout team added graphics to the forward portion of the aircraft, completing the artistic aspects of the paint design.

The paint team added clear coat to preserve the delicate airbrushing and graphics, as well as set off the detailed artwork. They sprayed a urethane clear coat to shield the artwork from extreme flying conditions.

Then, the aircraft entered its final step: the detailing phase. Duncan Aviation’s paint team reviewed every square inch of the aircraft, correcting any minor errors. After buffing the jet one last time, the team delivered the aircraft. With the Galactic Girl, they did so ahead of the original schedule.

“The people at each of Duncan Aviation’s locations must be from special aviation bloodlines or something,” explains John. “They all really care about their work, and they make sure every aircraft they touch has the highest level of attention to detail and quality.”

And that’s why when John and several Duncan Aviation teams collaborate, the customer wins.

Read more from the Duncan Debrief Magazine