The Duncan Download Blog: Business Aviation Advice & Observations

Knowing that many potential aircraft buyers don’t want after-purchase downtime, sellers are looking at interior refurbishment and avionics upgrades that will provide them the greatest return on investment (ROI). Duncan Aviation addresses this by providing some guidelines for increasing aircraft interior ROI in the fall 2013 issue of its Duncan Debrief magazine.

Duncan Aviation’s knowledgeable interior specialists weigh in with ideas to update the interior of an aircraft in “Interior Investments” on page 7.  

For example, according to Doug Roth, Aircraft Acquisition and Consignment Representative at Duncan Aviation, “Today’s buyers are looking for a turn-key, ready-to-go, pedigreed aircraft with a current inspection status and a record of who performed the inspections. Although safety tends to trump cosmetics, buyers want an exterior that’s sharp looking and an interior that’s easy to personalize with very little downtime.”

Bob McCammon, an Aircraft Sales and Acquisitions expert, agrees. Just a few years ago, he says, the trend was for business jet buyers to completely refurbish the interior so it reflected their personal tastes. “Not so, today,” says Bob. “Business jet buyers are like current home buyers who want a house that is move-in ready.”

Senior Aircraft Interior Designer Mary Lee suggests that, ideally, an aircraft’s interior color schemes, veneers, and carpet should be less than six years old. She says that busy, patterned carpets in bold colors and light-colored veneers date the interior, so the aircraft won’t enjoy broad appeal on the open market.

Additionally, she says, if replacing or completely refurbishing the interior is not an option, make sure the carpet looks like new—at minimum, remove all spots and stains. As long as the leather on seats is relatively new and the colors are neutral, a thorough cleaning may be all the seats need, too.

Another critical component of an interior is its Cabin Management System (CMS). An aging CMS may detract from the ROI, as well. Steve Elofson, Senior Avionics/Installation Sales Representative, says that today’s business jet owners, and often their families, want the same functionality on their aircraft that they enjoy in their connected offices and homes.

For more information on how to carefully and critically assess an aircraft’s interior with an eye toward maximizing the ROI, read the entire article in the 2013 fall issue of the Duncan Debrief.

The Duncan Debrief is an award-winning business aviation magazine for aircraft owners and operators. Written and designed in-house at Duncan Aviation, each edition includes articles on topics and trends in business aviation. The Duncan Debrief is a free, semi-quarterly publication for aviation enthusiasts around the world.

The Duncan Debrief is available for iPads through Apple’s Newsstand. To install, search for the Duncan Debrief in Apple’s App Store and download by clicking the “Free” button. The app is placed in your Newsstand shelves. Once downloaded, you will receive push notifications each time a new Debrief magazine is published.

Good design is more than skin deep; it communicates emotions and personalities and solves functionality issues in all shapes and sizes. It is an extension of oneself and when done right, it feels right. That’s why, in order to capture the emotions and personalities of customers, Duncan Aviation Designers seek their collaboration and input in all phases of the interior design process.  

That is why Mr. Carlos Otaola, owner of a Venezuela-based Astrjet Services brought an aircraft, not only once but returned with a second, to Duncan Aviation for the same dedication and personal attention he received the first time. You can read the entire story, here in the Fall 2013 issue of the Duncan Debrief.

The Latest In Aircraft Refurbishments

View the latest Duncan Aviation aircraft refurbishment projects in our online portfolio gallery featuring the work of our professional designers and master craftsmen.

Our custom interiors aboard all major business aircraft are admired across the industry and around the world not only for their beauty but also for their durability, which is proven by our ever-growing list of clients and awards.

Duncan Aviation's aircraft interiors include custom designs by professional designers, quality products and meticulous attention to detail. Our capabilities include headliners, softgoods, custom cabinetry, articulating chairs, executive tables and more. For information about how Duncan Aviation can bring life to your aircraft interior, contact a Duncan Aviation Completions Sales Rep today. 

Contributed by Kaela Paseka, graphic design lead

At static on the first day of NBAA, business aviation owners, operators and enthusiasts continually flowed through this Falcon 900B aircraft on display and were impressed by its transformation with a stunning interior and avionics package upgrade.

Avionics Transformation

Duncan Aviation and Universal Avionics partnered to transform a Dassault Falcon 900B by installing Universal’s EFI-890 glass box cockpit. This cockpit upgrade replaced 25 older instruments, significantly improving reliability and situational awareness, and offers advanced capabilities like WAAS-LPV and FANS 1/A.

“If you want an aircraft that’s predictable to operate, properly supported and can hold its value this newly retrofitted aircraft is the way to go,” says Gary Harpster, senior avionics installation sales rep for Duncan Aviation.

Additional avionics installed include Rockwell Collin’s Venue Cabin Management System that allows passengers to watch movies on demand on high-definition displays and conduct business, seamlessly. With Collin’s new Skybox cabin sharing, passengers can securely share movies, TV shows and music wirelessly between the on-board Apple iTunes library, Apple iOS devices and the cabin displays.

Interior Transformation

In addition to the avionics installations, Duncan Aviation completed several interior upgrades, including complete soft good refurbishment, new cabinet veneer, Duncan Design Collection PSU overlay panels, EMTEQ LED lighting and much more.

You still have time to visit and walk through this Falcon 900B today and Thursday. The aircraft is currently at NBAA static display #140 at the Henderson Executive Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gary Harpster and Duncan Aviation’s Avionics Tech Rep, Chris Christenson, will be on-site for a personal tour and demonstration.

Click here to view more NBAA photos on Duncan Aviation's facebook page.

Kaela Paseka is Duncan Aviation’s Graphic Design Lead at its Lincoln, Nebraska, headquarters. She is responsible for all elements of visual communication, including publication design, industry advertising and companywide branding. She is currently attending NBAA 2013. Her aviation career began 2006.

Interior engineers often need to think outside the box to come up with one-of-a-kind solutions for customers, and one of those solutions—a forward lavatory conversion to a storage space in two Dassault Falcon models—has caught on among Duncan Aviation customers.

A portion of Falcon 900 and 2000 aircraft have two lavatories. In those aircraft, the front lavatory often remains unused for its intended purpose and is transformed into a makeshift storage compartment. Duncan Aviation’s design and engineering teams collaborated to craft a custom cabinet to replace the forward lavatory in both Falcon aircraft so customers could choose from a variety of dedicated storage options or a preparation station instead of struggling to utilize it as a provisional closet.

“The problem is a lot like your closet at home. If you just stack and throw things in there, an avalanche of belongings is always looming,” says Jeff Beaudette, engineering team leader.

The collaboration resulted in a cabinet solution that completely replaced the lavatory while retaining the plumbing. Duncan Aviation has modified three aircraft since creating the solution.  

“We capped all the lines from the toilet and built a cabinet insert that molded around the old chute just in case the next owner wanted to reinstate the lavatory,” says Steve Rosenow, cabinet team leader.

The lavatory is nestled between the galley and the jump seat, and the space is anything but standard.

Steve says the initial Falcon 900 customer requested a large ice drawer in the bottom and a coat closet up top, but the space looks a bit like a soda bottle, so it took a bit of finagling to ensure they utilized every square inch.

“Customers just want the option—the opportunity to define that space when they sell the aircraft or if their needs change while they own the aircraft,” says Rosenow. “And that’s what we’re here to do. We create a custom solution that affords them countless options.”

As for the Falcon 2000, the modification was very similar to the previous 900 storage swap.

Duncan Aviation provided a cooled catering box storage, crew closet, upper storage and a lower drawer. The storage conversion was done in addition to a partial paint, left-hand forward crew closet modification, left-hand entertainment cabinet modification, removal of tray storage, removal of a microwave and the addition of a passenger coat closet.

Duncan Aviation will accommodate almost all requests and provides customers versatility in both design as well as engineering. The company requesting the modification owns another Falcon 2000 with significantly more storage and preferred those capabilities.

“All three of the modifications we completed are similar, but differ greatly in their final function. There is no such thing as a standard part or design. Many items may be very similar, but the customization for the customer is the key,” says Beaudette.

Duncan Aviation's custom interiors have come to be admired around the world not only for their beauty but also for their innovative style and durability. View Duncan Aviation's interior galleries here. 

Submitted by Kristi Steward, Interior Modifications/Completions Manager

Frequent customer requests led Duncan Aviation to create the SWAT service to ensure that the interior of every aircraft that comes to one of our facilities—even those scheduled for only maintenance or avionics installation—leaves looking better than when it arrived; the ultimate goal being to improve your aircraft with minor interior repairs.

Every aircraft that arrives at Duncan Aviation in Lincoln, Neb., and Battle Creek, Mich., is subjected to an “Interior SWAT Team Analysis.” Offered without cost or obligation, this in-depth examination is conducted and items that can be corrected, cleaned, updated or otherwise improved to beautify the aircraft interior are identified. The inspection, combined with flight crew interviews, reveals specific areas the SWAT Team can improve while the aircraft is down. On-the-spot quotes are created and, once approved, are incorporated into the existing scheduled work without extending downtime.

Duncan Aviation holds service center authorizations for several major airframe manufacturers, including: Bombardier, Dassault, Embraer and Cessna. We are also an Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) and an FAA/EASA approved Class 1-4 airframe rated repair station. Our interior project portfolio and capabilities fact sheets are available online.

Tips and Tricks

• Perform regular cleaning and conditioning of all leather
  and wood surfaces with approved products.
• Avoid cleaning products that will cause a build-up and give
  surfaces a cloudy appearance.
• Clean any inadvertent ink marks immediately with Isopropyl alcohol and a cotton swab. Once set, an ink stain cannot be removed.
• Always cover seats when bringing luggage through the cabin.
• Close drawers and doors softly, without slamming.
• Perform regular interior maintenance at least every other year during service center visits.

The Hit List

The most common items addressed by the SWAT teams are: carpet cleaning, leather chair re-dye, re-webbing seat belts and cabinetry hardware adjustments.

Cabin

• Seat adjustments
• Seat cleaning and conditioning
• Carpet cleaning
• Leather re-dye
• Cabinet touch-up
• Install new-style vinyl carpet runner
• Install new cork in cupholders
• Re-web seatbelts
• Cabinet and card table adjustments

Cockpit

• Instrument panel touch-up
• Pedestal touch-up
• Install new sun visor assembly
• Re-web seatbelts

Other Areas

• Replace entry step tread
• Replace baggage step tread
• New baggage load covers
• Requested touch-ups

 Kristi Steward is a the Manager for interior modiciations and completion services at Duncan Aviation's Lincoln, Neb., facility. Her aviation career began in 1992.

Today's aircraft operator considers their aircraft not just a mode of transportation, but an extension of their office and their home. That mindset affects the way aircraft interior designers combine aviation materials, fabrics and paint to create the overall aircraft design, both inside and outside the fuselage.

Duncan Aviation aircraft design experts share their insights and observations about the current interior design trends of business aviation.

A new variation is a take on a European method of using non-standard materials, like leathers, in cabinet construction and designing drink rails that use contrasting woods and undertones.

Functionality

The latest in personal technology is beginning to show up in the interior design of the aircraft. For example, it is becoming standard to incorporate iPad technology and personal monitors into the design of each passenger seat, especially in the smaller business aircraft. Operators of larger business aircraft are still opting for full monitors to take advantage of the high-definition (HD) technology, and they want large but thin monitors mounted in their aircraft. Many operators also expect the convenience of using Wi-Fi for personal and seamless carry-on technology.

Bolder Accent Colors

Operators today want practicality in their aircraft interior, while at the same time, being stylish and personal. Some customers are choosing to make a statement and really show off their individuality with the accent colors in the aircraft. Grass green, turquoise blue, oranges and yellows are some of the latest accent colors adding a nice, extraordinary finish to aircraft interiors rolling out of Duncan Aviation hangars.

Eco-Friendly Products

Another fairly recent change is consideration for the environment when choosing interior products for an aircraft. Duncan Aviation customers are demanding more “green” products and processes. And, it’s not all about the carbon footprints. They’re also concerned with the toxins and gasses emitted by manufactured products and materials.

Aircraft operators have options for composite and reconstituted wood veneers that replicate the wonderful veneers produced from natural woods. These veneers are equally durable and upkeep and care is comparable to that of the natural wood veneers.

Wood Veneer

For those customers who prefer the natural wood veneer, straight-grain species such as a walnut or eucalyptus are very popular for their neutral brown color and availability of high-quality logs. A new variation in cabinet construction is a take on a European method of using non-standard materials, like leathers and designing drink rails that use contrasting woods and undertones. Overall, operators want clean, simple, tailored lines in their cabinets.

Seat Designs

Aircraft seat design trends are currently being influenced by the auto industry. Operators are opting for perforated leathers, contrasting leather stitching, and seats covered with two complementing leather colors, which many manufacturers are using in the new aircraft coming out of production as well.

New Flooring Options

Operators are also pleased with the introduction of new flooring products that simulate wood and stone, and requesting that these materials be added into their aircraft. Manufacturers are applying new, non-slippery finishes that make these products adaptable to aircraft. These new flooring products are a nice complement to the fabulous carpet options that are available.

Duncan Aviation Design Galleries

Need to refresh an outdated interior or worn paint? We specialize in custom designs, and we provide a three-year/1,500 hour warranty on paint, interior and avionics installation workmanship. Talk to a Duncan Aviation Design Professional today.

View Duncan Aviation's latest aircraft refurbishment projects in our online paint and interior galleries. 

The interior refurbishment included new carpet, lower sidewalls, seat tailoring and cabinet touch-up. The paint was completed in Duncan Aviation’s new state-of-the-art paint facility in Lincoln, NE, and featured an overall white with Black Pearl and Platinum Pearl Stripes.

“Working with Duncan Aviation to complete this refurbishment has been a pleasure. The project was completed on time and on budget and right on time to present at NBAA,” says Jim Beckstein, Vice President - PreFlown Aircraft Sales. “This is our first Embraer-Certified PreFlown Legacy 600 (note new registration number N974EC). It highlights our PreFlown’s commitment to bringing the highest pedigree aircraft to the marketplace.  Partnering with Duncan Aviation on this refurbishment only accentuates that point."

PreFlown is a division of Embraer that receives aircraft that have been traded in, assess their condition and identify the most cost effective plan to prepare them for the business jet secondary-market. “We were happy to work with PreFlown and hope that we can continue to partner with Embraer to refurbish more of their aircraft,” says Matt Spain, Completions and Modifications Senior Sales Rep.  “Having an aircraft that has been painted and the interior refurbished by Duncan Aviation is an advantage to selling the aircraft quickly.”

If you are attending NBAA in Orlando, Florida, plan to visit Embraer’s static display at the Orlando Executive Airport. Or stop by Duncan Aviation’s NBAA booth (#5580) and visit with Matt Spain about the new Duncan Aviation paint facility with multiply bays and new down-draft airflow technology

Contributed by Chris Christianson, Avionics Tech Rep

Installing HD cabin displays alone isn’t enough to get HD video in the cabin. Why? HD won’t work with legacy Cabin Management Systems (CMSs) because they use an old technology platform that isn’t compatible with HD signals. This has come as a surprise to more than one operator that I’ve talked to.

For a long time, core aircraft systems didn’t need modification to modernize the cabin because the technology never changed. Manufacturers just made better equipment using the same technology. A lot of airplanes migrated to better equipment to keep the cabin up-to-date, but they never migrated away from the old technology. It still used the same signal.

Video Quality Factors

The first thing people expect from an HD upgrade is a new monitor. What they don’t understand is that the monitor alone won’t give them HD video. Somewhere between the monitor and the Blu-ray player is an impressive amount of wiring and the aircraft’s CMS. Both directly affect the quality of the video that appears on the cabin monitor, and the ability to add on new equipment in the immediate future.

HD is a new technology, a new signal, and we can’t integrate it correctly until we upgrade the entire platform that connects the majority of systems in the cabin. It all comes back to the fact that the old technology can’t support the new signal.

For cabin monitors to reach their maximum potential, the wiring installed in the cabin must be able to support the HD signals sent by the CMS. The analog wiring interface may need to be (or should be) replaced with a digital wiring interface. Ideally the CMS, monitors and wiring should all support the same video signals. This reduces transmission delays and switching issues, which are common problems for legacy systems.

Duncan Aviation has a chart of video resolutions supported by different cable types available in a field guide to HD cabin entertainment upgrades.

Upgrade Alternatives

There are HD upgrade alternatives, like creating one-off, workaround solutions for each new component, such as a Blu-ray player. Additional units can be bolted on to translate between the old and new technology, but it tends to create more problems than it solves, like switching and latency issues. In the long term, the amount of downtime, troubleshooting and repair costs can easily become more expensive than the initial cost to upgrade the CMS.

If passengers want HD, and they want it to last, they need to be prepared to pay significantly more than what their home entertainment system cost. The reason is upgrading to HD involves much more than just upgrading to HD monitors.

For more information about cabin HD upgrades, read “HD Cabin Entertainment Upgrades: Requirements, Upgrade Paths and Alternatives” at www.DuncanAviation.aero/fieldguides.

Cabin HD Solutions

Duncan Aviation designs and installs complete HD upgrade solutions for a variety of business aircraft, and we offer a three-year warranty on labor and workmanship. We are among the most innovative and experienced with avionics systems modification and installation in our industry, which results in fewer squawks and more on-time and under budget deliveries. Contact an Avionics Installations Sales Rep. for more information.

Chris Christianson serves as an Avionics Tech Rep at Duncan Aviation’s Lincoln, Neb. (LNK) full-service facility, specializing in Astra, Challenger, Citation, Embraer, Falcon, Gulfstream, Hawker, Learjet, Global and Westwind aircraft. His aviation career began in 1997.

 Contributed by Cliff Barker, Flammability Engineer

From 1981 - 1983, there were 277 transport category aircraft accidents in the United States. Of all the accidents that involved a post-crash fire, 34 were determined to be SURVIVABLE, yet nearly 600 passengers still suffered fatal injuries. In an effort to reduce the hazardous risks to passengers and crew aboard an aircraft during a SURVIVABLE accident, in 1984 the FAA began requiring certain materials used within the interior an aircraft to pass more stringent flammability requirements beginning with the materials used for seat cushions.

Today, all materials used in major repairs and alternation of an aircraft must past a series of FAA-approved flammability tests to be cleared for use. Although minor repairs/alterations do not require FAA approved test data, testing must still be provided to show that the proper testing was conducted for the material “As Installed” and that the results of these test are within their passing criteria

As a part Duncan Intelligence LIVE held May 23 in Battle Creek, MI, I will be leading an Inspector Authorization (IA) course on Flammability Testing that covers the FAA’s Flammability Regulations and how they are applied throughout the aircraft.

Duncan Intelligence LIVE

Duncan Intelligence LIVE is a free educational business aviation seminar, hosted by Duncan Aviation's Regional Managers. It is a face-to-face forum discussion with industry experts on hot industry topics as well as courses with Inspector Authorization (IA) renewal credit.

There is no cost for the event or meals and seating is limited. Come early the day before and enjoy an evening of golf and food. Click here to view all the course offerings and register for the event.

Cliff Barker is a Flammability Engineer at Duncan Aviation’sBattle Creek,MI, facility. He specializes in FAA Flammability Regulations. His aviation career began in 1978.

Contributed by Interior Modification Reps. Nate Darlington and Matthew Schepers

With proper planning, a complete interior modification can be effectively phased over several years of regularly scheduled maintenance events.

Interior maintenance plans plans help operators anticipate and plan for aircraft interior maintenance by making note of functionality and appearance, planning interior services and budgeting more effectively. If a plan is followed, it also helps reduce long term costs, avoids extra downtime and keeps the interior in pristine condition.

To develop your own interior maintenance plan, try getting started with these four steps.

1. Assess how the aircraft is used.

Aircraft that fly longer missions with more passengers are likely to experience more damage to finishes and softgoods over a shorter period of time. Anticipate that interior repairs and touch-ups will be needed more frequently.

2. Estimate the lifespan of interior items.

Make a complete list of items that target all aspects of an interior—from softgoods to veneer, from the cockpit to the aft baggage compartment—and estimate how long each item will last before it begins to look worn.

3. Identify required maintenance events.

Identify inspection intervals, estimated downtimes and what (if any) interior items will be affected by each inspection.

4. Match interior repairs with inspections that require similar downtimes.

Inspections that require removal and reinstallation of interior items are a prime opportunity to repair those items. For example, inspections that require the removal of seats and floorboards are a prime opportunity to replace carpet and recover seats without extending the service schedule.

Estimating downtimes and determining what interior services can, or should, be scheduled with which events can get complicated quickly. Duncan Aviation works with operators to create custom interior maintenance schedules for Directors of Maintenance (DOMs) and their aircraft, free of cost or obligation. For more information, or to request a phased interior maintenance schedule, please visit www.DuncanAviation.aero/interior.

Nate Darlington serves as an Interior Modifications Rep. at Duncan Aviation’s Battle Creek, Michigan facility, and began working in aviation in 2001. Matthew Schepers also serves as an Interior Modifications Rep. at Duncan Aviation’s Lincoln, Nebraska facility, and began working in aviation in 2005. Nate and Matthew both work with operators to plan phased interior maintenance schedules for their aircraft.