The Duncan Download Blog: Business Aviation Advice & Observations

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:

Reykjavik, Iceland; Stockholm, Sweden; St. Petersburg, Russia; Moscow, Russia; Warsaw, Poland; Budapest, Hungary; Istanbul, Turkey; Dubai, India; Mumbai, India; Delhi, India; Hanoi, Vietnam; Seoul, South Korea

“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.

Today, Duncan Aviation team members across the country are celebrating Duncan Aviation’s Founder’s Day. Saturday, August 22, marks the 93^rd birthday of our founder, the late Donald Duncan.

That day is made more special as it is also the birthday of his grandson Todd Duncan, Chairman Duncan Aviation. And keeping with the theme of family birthdays, in the not too distance future on September 24^th, Chairman Emeritus, J. Robert Duncan will be celebrating his birthday.

And so we celebrate!

Founder’s Day gives us all the opportunity to pause and reflect on Duncan Aviation’s past while also looking forward to a promising future. This would not be possible without the hard work, dedication and attitudes of each of our team members. Thank you to all of your contributions to the success of Duncan Aviation.

We also want to thank our many customers, partners and friends throughout the aviation world. We appreciate your business and friendship. 

In 1939, President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed this day, August 19, to be National Aviation Day to celebrate the history and development of aviation. This date coincides with the birthday of Orville Wright who, together with his brother Wilbur, made significant contributions to powered flight.

Today, like every other day of the year, Duncan Aviation celebrates aviation as the largest, family owned business aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company in the world, with over 2,000 employees. We celebrate with gratitude, as the perseverance of the Wright brothers has made a huge impact on the lives of everyone within business aviation. 

For the next two days, Duncan Aviation will celebrate its Founder’s Day, commemorating Donald Duncan’s birthday. Donald is the company’s founder and the grandfather to Duncan Aviation’s Chairman, Todd Duncan. This is a day for Duncan Aviation team members to pause and reflect on Duncan Aviation’s rich history while looking forward to a promising future.

That history is based upon a set of ideals passed down from Donald through Robert Duncan, Duncan Aviation’s Chairman Emeritus, and now to Todd Duncan. These values are dedicated to keeping a family culture as the company grew, no matter how many employees or locations. From the beginning, Duncan Aviation’s Core Values were not something that had to be memorized or learned by employees because they were simply a description of who they were and how they did business every day. Duncan Aviation team members embody excellence and a passion for aviation that shows in their work every day.

Duncan Aviation Across Six Decades

Duncan Aviation was established in 1956 in Clarinda, Iowa, during the prosperous years after WWI and earliest years of business aviation. You could say they have been in the business from the beginning and played a major part in its early development.  

Over the next six decades, Duncan Aviation grew from a single location in Omaha, Nebraska, to an international business aviation pioneer with locations all across the United States and team members around the globe.

Duncan Pride

Aviation is obviously very important to us. We live it every day. For many team members, who hold personal and commercial pilots license and still go flying on evenings and weekends after they have spent their entire day or week working on someone else’s aircraft, it is a passion. They say it’s in the blood.

Watch Duncan Aviation’s Core Values video, as team members express why the company’s Core Values resonate so much with their teams and how they can be seen in every aspect of their workday.

Let’s All Scream For Ice Cream

Every day is the National Day of something. And because there are so many things wanting their day in the spotlight, some have to share. So while we reminisce about aviation history, how it’s changed and where it’s headed, go out and grab your favorite soft-serve because it’s National Soft Ice Cream Day too!  

"As we grow, our issues are not just our issues, but issues we share with others. By becoming active members of our industry associations, we have an opportunity to be side-by-side with our industry peers, competitors and customers, to learn their concerns and needs so that we can come alongside them and help them exactly when they need us. It is only through the conversations and relationships we gain by being active in these associations that we move our industry forward."  

Todd Duncan, Duncan Aviation chairman

Duncan Aviation has been a member of the Aviation Electronics Association (AEA) since 1970 after Ron Hall (above), a retired Duncan Aviation avionics sales rep, attended his first AEA convention in Kansas City.

According to Ron, those early conventions were small, with only about 150 people and booths consisting of little more than cardboard structures with a table.

In those early days, AEA drew companies together to discuss their frustrations and share their ideas and successes with the latest technical information. Even though many were competitors, they shared anyway in order to make the industry better. Ron says it was this collaboration that helped Duncan Aviation to grow from a small radio and instrument shop into an experienced facility with technicians specializing in the maintenance, repair and installation of the latest in avionics technology.

Duncan Aviation Avionics Sales Rep Ron Hal was an AEA board member for 20 years.

Shortly after his first convention, Ron joined the AEA Board of Directors and stayed for 20 years. During those two decades, Duncan Aviation hosted three regional meetings in Lincoln, Nebraska.

In 1985, Ron was named the AEA Member of the Year. And because of his dedication and continued involvement in AEA during his entire career, he received the AEA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011—the highest honor bestowed on an AEA member.

Duncan Aviation's AEA involvement and influence didn't end with Ron's retirement. Gary Harpster, avionics installation sales rep, stepped up and actively participated at several regional and national AEA events. As a well-known expert in the industry on NextGen technology, he has presented educational sessions to operators around the world.

Gary was an active board member, serving as vice chairman and chairman of the board for several years. He also served on the AEA Trusteeship Committee and was named 2008 AEA Member of the Year.

Another chapter in Duncan Aviation's AEA history unfolded in 2014, when Mike Minchow, manager of completions and avionics sales, was among the newly elected directors selected by the members of AEA.

Today, AEA boasts nearly 1,300 member companies in 43 countries.

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.

AEA Subcommittee

Mike Chick, manager of engineering certification—SMS/21

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.

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.

 

On February 12, 2015, Gary Harpster, Duncan Aviation Avionics Sales Rep, suddenly fell back in his chair and died. 

In his own words, Gary tells how a day, much like any other, ends with getting a second chance. 

 

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The day began much like any other work day, and I found myself going through my regular routines at Duncan Aviation- a few fire drills for customers who needed things right away, a couple of conference calls and the normal internal meetings.

After 5 p.m., the day was starting to wind down. It was cold outside, so I remotely started my car hoping it would be warm by the time I got in it. I was in the office shutting down my computer when I died. To say the least, it wasn't exactly what I had planned for the evening. But thankfully, there were still two people in the office with me.

While one called 911, the other person jumped up, checked my vitals and started CPR. They also called our company’s First Response Team. In less than five minutes (the typical response time), two individuals arrived and took control of the emergency situation. Both of these individuals previously received training in first aid and CPR from the American Heart Association as well as our local community college. With no pulse and the other symptoms, they made the decision to hook up the automated external defibrillator and push the button as prompted.

Thank goodness for their swiftness and advanced training or this article would certainly have been written by someone else. With the current Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act in place, I'm not at liberty to expound on some of the other success stories the company’s First Response Team has encountered. But I can say that their involvement has made a world of difference in a lot of lives.

In 2012, they responded to 56 calls at our Lincoln, Nebraska, facility; 48 in 2013, and 33 in 2014. With more than 1,200 employees at this facility, this averages to approximately 3.8 percent of our employee count. As you can imagine, the company’s goal is to get this number down to zero.

By implementing safety seminars, enforcing safety procedures and wellness programs, we have all become more cognizant of our surroundings and well-being. But sometimes a little piece of plaque can just break loose and everything changes. The reason for this article, though, is to inform companies of the merits of having a First Response Team within your organization. My doctors unequivocally stated that without our team's involvement, I would not have survived this ordeal.

Developing A First Response Team

So what does it take to put together a First Response Team? Surprisingly, within your organization, you likely may already have what it takes with volunteer firemen or individuals with current first-aid training. These individuals are perfect for this role, as they've already been trained and have the right moral fiber to help others in need. Once you have your team assembled and enough people to cover your current shifts and weekends, you simply need a first-aid kit and, if possible, an AED and/or portable oxygen tank. A company-wide communication tool also is desirable, but a simple public address system is enough to get started.

Even though you may not initially be able to purchase the AED, put one in your budget and plan accordingly; you' II be glad you did if the need ever arises. The ideal situation would be to have one at each hangar to minimize delays in your team's response times.

More often, avionics shops see AEDs in the corporate jets they maintain. As valuable as they can be on the ground, their potential in the air cannot be overemphasized. If a person's heart goes into ventricular fibrillation, you have four minutes or less before you risk potential brain damage due to a lack of oxygen. After four minutes, your primary concern will be CPR.

Survival decreases rapidly with time. After seven to nine minutes, your survival rate is low. As you can imagine in an aircraft at cruise altitude, this isn't much time. Even though we all try to maintain our health, you never know when something like this can happen. When it does, you either concede to be at the mercy of the local emergency services, or you initiate some control of your own destiny and buy yourself some time by implementing a First Response Team.

Speaking from firsthand knowledge, I'm very grateful that 20 years ago our company saw the benefits of such a team and that these individuals gave me a second chance.

 

 

As the fourth generation of  the Duncan family joins the team, the company is focused squarely on the future. 

In this video, listen as Todd Duncan explains the strength of Duncan Aviation and what it means for the long-term.

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“It's a long term prospect for my family. It's a long term prospect for our team members. And for the customers who use us, they understand it's a long-term prospect for our relationship."  

—Todd Duncan, Chairman. 

In celebration of Earth Day, Duncan Aviation in Lincoln, Nebraska, partnered with several businesses and schools, to participate in the Cornhusker State Bank One Day Without Shoes drive to benefit the local homeless shelter, People's City Mission! 

The generosity of Duncan Aviation employees contributed five full barrels of shoes to the more than 16,000 pair of shoes collected across the community.  

In addition to shoes, employees cleaned out their dressers and closets and donated bags of clothing to support another local charity, Catholic Social Services. At the end of this three day event, a trailer full of clothing was pulled away.

All donations were welcomed. Clothing and shoes not fit to be worn will be recycled and any money earned from that recycling will be used to provide counseling, pay utility bills and rent, etc. for those in need.

Five years ago Duncan Aviation brought a group of team members together from all across the company with the goal of researching and implementing "green" initiatives that will save energy and money, reduce waste and give precise focus to innovative efforts, as well as strategic priorities. To this end, at the beginning of this they removed all Styrofoam cups from break rooms and continue to provide education on how to go green.

As a group, they wanted not only to impact change while at work, but also to encourage change in the daily lives of all Duncan Aviation team members. Their message is that even small changes can have a large impact.

“We saw the shoe and clothing drive events as an opportunity to combine our green initiatives with our strong support of volunteerism in the community,” says Kaela Paseka, lead graphics designer at Duncan Aviation and a member of the Green Team. “Each year we plan to pick a different organization in the community to support.”

"Years ago, I told our employees that not only do we want to be the best company in business aviation …but we wanted to be one of the best companies in all of business.” –Robert Duncan

At the recent NBAA Leadership Conference held in Dallas, TX, Robert Duncan, Duncan Aviation’s Chairman Emeritus, was one of nine featured “game changers” delivering inspirational messages via pre-recorded video.

"There are so many great people and businesses throughout our industry, and this is one way we can recognize and tell their story – and the story of business aviation," said Jeannine Falter, vice president of business development at Duncan Aviation and a co-chair of the conference, which is planned by NBAA's Corporate Aviation Management Committee.

View Robert’s video message below.