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.

Did you know Rockwell Collins TDR-94D transponders upgraded in 2014 or before may not be in compliance with the ADS-B mandate? No? Then you haven't read the August issue of the Duncan Intelligence.

August Duncan Intelligence

Falcon 7X: Frame 33 Cabin/Baggage Compartment Door During your next 36 month/2400 hour inspection, pay particular attention to the hinge area of the door that leads from the cabin to the baggage compartment. Pratt & Whitney Canada Service Information Letter Update Update on current P&WC SILs TDR-94D Transponders: Are You Compliant? Owner/operators who upgraded their Rockwell Collins TDR-94D transponders in 2012 or 2013 may not be in compliance with the FAA’s ADS-B Proper Alignment of the SP-101 Spoileron Computer Sometimes assisting customers means helping them identify when a unit needs to be sent in for repair and when it doesn’t. Environmental Testing Beneficial For All Radar Units Our years of experience have taught us it is in the best interest of our customers and the reliability and performance of their units, to run every unit through temperature and altitude tests.

Duncan Aviation Expands Mobile Engine Services to the Ohio River Valley Read More.  Duncan Aviation’s Fort Lauderdale Satellite Shop Upgrades Challenger 604 for ADS-B Compliance Read More.

Did you now the U.S. House of Representatives are expected to vote on the privatization of the ATC? How about how to help prevent corrosion to the avionics units in the radome? No? Then you haven't read the July issue of the Duncan Intelligence.

July Duncan Intelligence

You Have 48 Hours To Stand Against The Privatization of ATC    The General Aviation industry stands against the privatization of ATC. They need our help.  Honeywell Issues Reliability Service Bulletin AS907-73-9005 This Honeywell SB replaces the main fuel control on the AS907-2-1G model engine found on the Gulfstream G280 aircraft. Pratt & Whitney Canada Service Bulletin Update This is a brief update and guidance on maintenance topics for Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PW500 engine family. Is Your Radar Unit Always Corroded? Check the Radome. A solid seal around the radome will help prevent corrosion of the avionics units inside. Intermittent Switches on JET Yaw Damper Computers  The Yaw Damper switches are well known for becoming intermittent and stuck causing the unit to not function.

Duncan Aviation’s First Honeywell TFE731 CZI Event Lands in Lincoln Read More. Duncan Aviation Assigns Dedicated Program Admin for After Market Warranty Programs Read More.

Lyn Johnson, Director of Maintenance for Gaughan Flying for the last 29 years, has done business with the Duncan Aviation Las Vegas Satellite Shop since it opened in 1995.Additionally, Lyn has been friends with Duncan Aviation’s Engine Tech Rep Bill Walker from Battle Creek, Michigan, for nearly 15 years.

Lyn and Bill have been friends for years.  Before coming to work at Duncan Aviation in 2004, Bill was an engine mechanic for a company near his home in Granite City, Illinois, where Lyn took his Challenger for maintenance. After moving to Duncan Aviation as an Engine Tech Rep, Lyn and Bill have maintained contact and their professional friendship. Lyn considers Bill a CF34 guru, and Bill continues to do the engine work for the Challenger 850 SE.

In early 2017, Bill and two Engine Techs, Team Leader Jeff Lowery and Tech Dave Cordova from the Scottsdale, Arizona, Rapid Response Team performed a borescope on the Challenger’s CF34s, also in its own hangar in Las Vegas. 

Bill is always happy to get together with Lyn to talk and work on the Challenger’s engines.

“Lyn is a mechanic’s mechanic. He's one of those guys who has encyclopedic knowledge of aviation; he has an answer for everything. He’s a great guy who’s been in aviation long enough that he's seen it all, and he takes it all in stride,” says Bill. “Running a flight department and managing a big jet is a challenge, and Lyn does it with ease.”

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"Everything works as advertised,just like everything Duncan Aviation does." -Lyn Johnson, DOM, Gaughan Flying. Read more about this project in the Spring 2017 Duncan Debrief Magazine. 

 

Denver? Chicago? Lincoln? It doesn't matter where you go. You're going to get the same great service. 

It was the Sunday night before Thanksgiving; Mark Tucker, Director of Aviation and Chief Pilot for WC Aviation, LLC was flying into Centennial Airport (APA) in Denver, CO, with his company’s Falcon 50 aircraft. The Honeywell TFE731 engines were scheduled for major overhaul and a team of Duncan Aviation Engine Rapid Response (RRT) Technicians were waiting for him to land to get started on the triple R&R. The event required a tight turn-time due to the approaching holiday and an international trip scheduled to leave on that Thursday. The aircraft was already several hours behind schedule.

When Mark landed, he expected to be met with grumblings and frustration. But what he got was a team of men who shook his hand, introduced themselves, and went to work.

“They swarmed the aircraft immediately and got down to business,” said Mark. This was at 7 pm, a time when most have already put in a full day at work and are headed home. “I have witnessed several times when the 6 o’clock bell sounds signally quitting time the teams drop everything and leave. Not his team. They didn’t hesitate and went straight to work. They stayed late to get it done and always with a great attitude.”

Mark left and went to dinner with the team still hard at work. When he returned at 9 pm, they had two of the three engines off. Within 36 hours, the aircraft was returned to service and ready to fly. Mark was very impressed with the amount of work done in a short period of time with such professionalism. And what made this even more impressive to Mark was that this Duncan Aviation RRT team had not worked together before, but performed as if they had been together for years. They knew what needed to be done, who was responsible for what, and was in constant communication with each other to keep things moving forward.

Only Brian Weathers and Eric Hanson were local from the APA shop. Aaron Hutton and Taurean Midgett work out of the Duncan Aviation RRT shops in Northeast area, and Kevin Watrus was brought in from Seattle.

After the engine overhaul was complete the post-CZI R&R was performed in Alton, IL, by another Duncan Aviation Engine RRT team. Mark witnessed the same great Duncan Aviation work ethic. “Another great group of guys,” said Mark. “It may have been a completely different team, but it was the same level of professionalism and Duncan Aviation service.”

This second team included Tyler Spurling, Rustin McCullough and Warren Wiatrek all from Lincoln, NE. Joining them was Kris Werth out of the Chicago RRT shop.

According to Mark both teams were very customer focused. “I know how difficult it is to find such great talent. They weren’t there to just do a job. They were there to help. And I appreciate that.”

To meet the teams who worked on this project, read the rest of the story in the Spring 2017 Duncan Debrief. 

Have you heard about the Honeywell HTF7500E Stator Vane Seal Inspection Program? How about the cause behind those intermittent software failures on your Avidyne EX-500 MFD? 

No? Then you haven't read the March issue of the Duncan Intelligence. 

 March Duncan Intelligence

Falcon 7X Flap Rigging Precautions  Caution is needed when rigging the flaps on a Dassaut Falcon 7X aircraft. ADS-B Solution for Bombardier Challenger 800/850 SE Aircraft  This was an industry-first installation in the United States and was performed in the customer’s hangar. Honeywell HTF7500E Stator Vane Seal Inspection Program  This inspection program is applicable to the HTF750E model engine. Why Is My Avidyne EX-500 MFD Experiencing Intermittent Software Failures?  Completing a proper shutdown every time will prevent this. Got a crack in your APU Exhaust Support? Don’t Replace It. Repair It.  Duncan Aviation has AWS D17.1 certified welders and inspectors on-site, all capable of welding all types of materials for aerospace applications. The NBAA Tech Committee Wants To Hear From You Progress can only be accomplished if we have regular interaction with and feedback from you, the Citation operator.

For the Honeywell HTF7000 series engine model, there are a number of Service Bulletins that have become hot items. These can be accomplished at our Turbine Engine services shop in Lincoln, Nebraska, or any one of our Engine Rapid Response locations across the United States.

SB AS907-76-9021

Issued on May 13, 2016, this SB addresses the possibility of water entering the ECUs (Electronic Control Unit) after the aircraft is parked in the rain for an extended length of time. This may lead to unscheduled maintenance and expenses, aircraft dispatch delays, Loss of Thrust Control (LOTC) events and the possibility for inflight shut downs.

This is a CAT 1 SAFETY SB meaning it may require urgent action and may be associated with an FAA AD (Airworthiness Directive). Compliance is recommended to be within 400 engine operating hours or 18 months from the date the SB was issued.

This SB is relevant to the following aircraft:

• Bombardier Challenger 300/350 (HTF 7000/HTF 7350)
• Gulfstream G280 (HTF 7250)
• Embraer Legacy 450/500 (HTF 7500)

SB AS907-72-9064

This SB was issued to address instances of corrosion and pitting found in the inner and outer bypass ducts and supports. This SB will inspect and evaluate the corrosion and pitting of the FWD and AFT Ducts as well as the Core Cowls. If corrosion is noted, we will perform a repair to add a coat of paint as a preventive barrier for future contamination.

Because this SB requires the removal of the forward and aft outer fan bypass duct(s) and mid and aft inner fan duct panels, it should be scheduled during a maintenance event that will have the aircraft down for 7 to 10 days. I recommend accomplishing SB AS907-72-9044 at the same time, if applicable and you meet the required interval per the bulletin. Another good time to schedule this bulletin is during a 4000 hour digital borescope inspection. If repairs are noted from the borescope, most of these ducts and panels would be removed for the repair of the hot section components.

The SB applies to the following engines:

• AS907-1-1A (Bombardier Challenger 300)
• AS907-2-1G (Gulfstream G280)
• AS907-2-1A (Bombardier Challenger 350)

SB AS907-72-9044

The SB replaces the engine combustion chamber assembly. I recommend you have this SB accomplished at the same time as the previous SB mentioned (SB AS907-72-9064), if applicable and you meet the required interval per the bulletin. Most of the same panels and ducts need to be removed for both.

SB AS907-76-9013 W5

This SB changes the location of the W5 & OSSD (Overspeed Shutoff Detector) wire harness to increase its reliability and prevent failure in the high-heat environment in the engine.

Honeywell Engine Technical Support

Shawn Schmitz

Engine Technical Representative

+1.402.479.8166 office

+1.402.730.8767 mobile

Shawn.Schmitz@DuncanAviation.com

Did you know that we have the exclusive rights to reconfigure AIM® 1100/1200 series attitude indicators and gyros to meet your platform requirements? 

Have you heard that legacy aircraft operators have another transponder option to meet the ADS-B mandates?  

No? Then you haven't read the December issue of the Duncan Intelligence.

Didn't receive the Duncan Intelligence? 

HTF7000 Service Bulletin Update There are a number of Honeywell HTF7000 SBs that have become hot items. These can be accomplished at our Turbine Engine services shop, or any one of our Engine Rapid Response locations across the United States. Don’t Delay When Sending Control Rod Assemblies In For Repair/Overhaul If these units are ever pulled for operational failure, they should be sent in immediately for evaluation. The longer they sit, the more likely corrosion will invade causing more problems at disassembly. NXT-700 Mode S Transponder Satisfies the DO-260B Mandate for ADS-B The ACSS NXT-700 AML STC is complete and ready to meet the ADS-B mandate for many legacy aircraft operators. AIM (Extant) Attitude Indicators Repair/Mod/Loaner Capabilities We have the exclusive rights to reconfigure these loaner units to meet the lighting, power configurations, and tilt angles based on your platform requirements. Keeping Out-Of-Production Parts Available When these units require replacement, your only options are to: 1) buy a whole new servo unit or 2) upgrade the entire avionics package of the aircraft.

Earlier this year at our Lincoln, Nebraska, facility, we re-installed three Honeywell TFE731-60 engines fresh from their initial 3,000 hour MPI on their Falcon 900EX, that delivered on-time from its major C-inspection. The aircraft’s first scheduled flight back in rotation was a trip to Europe.

With decades of honed turbine engine skills, we experience very few surprises when it comes to Honeywell TFE731 engines and MPIs. However flying that far right after a major inspection is significant.

According to Jeff Schwebke, Duncan Aviation Engine Project Manager, most operators fly locally around their home base after MPIs are performed to make sure there are no minor squawks to work through. “This simple action by a long-time Duncan Aviation customer says more about their trust in our work than glowing words of praise,” he says.

With an average of 192 MPIs a year for the last 15 years, experience has told us which parts should be ordered in advance, what components need a closer look, and how to put together a team of trained turbine engine technicians ready to get to work for every customer.

With the triple MPIs completed, engines re-installed, and post-MPI performance runs, the customer’s aircraft departed with better engine performance than it had when it arrived.

Watch this time-lapse video and follow along as the engines make their way through the Duncan Aviation turbine engine shop for this triple MPI event.

35+ years

Duncan Aviation began servicing the first generation TFE731-2 engines in the early 1970s. In 1981, we received two major level authorizations to work on the Honeywell (then AiResearch) TPE331 and TFE731 engines. Over the years, as Honeywell added different TFE731 model engines, each was added to our capabilities.

Duncan Aviation's Honeywell Engine Authorizations, include: 

• Heavy Authorization on TFE731-2,-3,-4,-5,-20,-40,-50,-60 engines
• Minor Authorization on Honeywell AS907 (HTF 7000) Series 
• Line Authorization on CFE738 Engines, GTCP36-100/150, RE100 series and RE220 series APUs.

Here’s to another 35 years of dedicated Honeywell service!

Within 24 hours of Duncan Aviation’s Honeywell Heavy Maintenance Authorization announcement, my cell phone and email blew up with messages of congratulations from friends, colleagues, and industry contacts.

They were all happy for us!

“Great news!”

“Congratulations!”

“Excellent news.”

Most were not surprised.

“Congratulations on the Heavy Maintenance! It has been a long time coming.”

“Congrats to Duncan Aviation getting the heavy ticket, I knew it was just a matter of time.”

“About time, Duncan Aviation.”

“Congratulations. This will be great for Duncan Aviation, Honeywell and the CUSTOMER!”

“This is a game-changer!”

And this guy is ready to ink the deal!

“Wonderful news! When can I send my engines for a Core Zone Inspection? I want to be the first engine in the door!”

I’ve been in this industry for a LOT of years and talked to even more people. But it never gets old to hear appreciation from your peers. It’s having friends and business associates like these that continued to drive us towards expanding Duncan Aviation Turbine Engine Services knowing full well that if "we build it" they may come.

Speaking of building things, did you hear our other Minor announcement?

Our MRO in Lincoln, Nebraska, is now a Honeywell AS907 (HTF 7000) Series Minor Maintenance facility.

We have been a Honeywell Authorized Service Center for more than 30 years. Now we have Heavy Authorization on TFE731-2,-3,-4,-5,-20,-40,-50,-60 engines and Line Authorization on CFE738 Engines, GTCP36-100/150, RE100 series and RE220 series APUs.

Thank you for your support.

Thank you for your business.

Most importantly, thank you for your friendship.

If you happen to be at NBAA in Orlando, Florida, this week, I would love for you to stop by and see me.