The Duncan Download Blog: Business Aviation Advice & Observations

April 2018 Duncan Intelligence

Aircraft Battery Storage
Aircraft batteries have a shelf life and maintenance requirements while in storage. The maintenance intervals and level of maintenance are directly related to the temperature at which the batteries are stored.

KFC 400 Autopilot: Common System Squawks
As an authorized BendixKing service center, we have seen this system in our avionics repair shop many times.

Hawker: Troubleshooting Inefficient Cabin Cooling
Have you ever experienced poor cabin cooling on the ground while the APU was in operation? Keep reading...

ADS-B And Non-Performing Emitters
According to the most recent data from the FAA, slightly less than 10% of all U.S. registered ADS-B-equipped aircraft are NPE, or non-performing emitters.

Aircraft For Sale: New Offering 1Q 2018
Duncan Aviation has a large selection of business aircraft for sale. View the latest offerings for 2018 and see what is coming soon.

In The News

After A Little April Fool’s Joke, FAA Reiterates ADS-B Deadline Firm
Read more.

Duncan Aviation’s Parts Search & myDuncan Translate to Several Languages
Read more. 

Early on, when the Duncan Aviation avionics, instrument and accessory component repair shops were established, we recognized that our success wasn’t going to come on its own just because we opened our doors. From the beginning, we have developed connections and nurtured relationships with many of our OEM industry partners.

Since 1973, we have signed partnering agreements with more than 25 OEMs. These connections are a priority for Duncan Aviation because they lead to a better experience for our mutual customers.

Watch Competitive Advantage-OEM video

It was important to build those relationships in the 1950s when Founder Donald Duncan was selling aircraft, and it is crucial today as we continue to grow our components repair services.

Below are three of our valued OEM partnerships

ACSS/L3

As a result of their vast experience with and knowledge of legacy instruments and components, L3 Aviation Products was pleased to sign a service agreement with Duncan Aviation, allowing them to provide service and support of legacy mechanical gyros and power supplies.

ACSS and Duncan Aviation also collaborated on the development of the AML STC in support of the ADS-B Out program, providing a turnkey solution for business jet operators. 

—Dennis McCole, ACSS/L3Strategic Marketing & Business Development

Dan McKenzie, Duncan Aviation Team Leader

The alliance between L3 and Duncan Aviation spans nearly 45 years. My L3 contacts are quick to answer any questions I have and are committed to making sure we are up-to-date on all the latest repair procedures, offering factory training anytime we request it. When it comes to parts, L3’s response time is reliably quick, allowing us to be more responsive to our customers. We see many L3 units in our shop. 

Honeywell

There are many benefits to aligning ourselves with authorized channel partners such as Duncan Aviation. Chief among them is that our mutual customers have a better experience. Duncan Aviation has collaborated with Honeywell for more than 40 years, delivering a consistent message, pricing, and quality component service. The relationship between Honeywell and Duncan Aviation is extremely good regarding our sales and customer business team. Our ability to communicate candidly and work together is remarkable. I credit Duncan Aviation’s sales staff and leadership team for helping us grow the partnership. 

—Mike Marcum, Honeywell Sr. Manager

Rick Conner, Duncan Aviation Team Leader

Having an established, trusted relationship with the OEMs always benefits the end-user. In many cases, we openly collaborate with manufacturers to provide new services or work though problems that result in improved product quality and better customer relations. By giving us access to updated OEM manuals and access to parts for older units, we provide quicker turntimes, higher quality repairs, and a resource that helps keep legacy aircraft flying.

Rockwell Collins

Installing and maintaining aircraft avionics and cabin systems is complicated business. To best serve our mutual customers’ needs and wants, Duncan Aviation and Rockwell Collins have forged a 50-year working relationship based on a foundation of trust and effective communication. By sharing our collective knowledge, technical information, and skills, we serve our common customers as a team. To demonstrate this, we recently named Duncan Aviation an authorized service provider for repair, service and modification of the Collins TDR-94 and TDR-94D transponders. They are able to repair, install and upgrade modifications of these units at their main facility in Lincoln, Nebraska, as well as through their satellite avionics facilities located throughout the United States. Together we make the business of maintaining aircraft avionics and cabin systems easier to navigate.

—John Spellmeyer, Rockwell Collins Central US Regional Sales Manager

Dustin Johnson, Duncan Aviation Team Leader

As I work with Rockwell Collins, it is easy to see they have the end-customer’s best interest in mind. Our authorization to perform the upgrade on the Rockwell Collins TDR94/94D units speaks volumes about the trust they have in our capabilities to support the Rockwell Collins brand. They go out of their way to make sure we have what we need in order to meet the needs of our customers. I would stand by Rockwell Collins all day long. My contact there has never failed me.

Do you know how to close the outside baggage door on your Falcon 900 without having to turn on any generator or battery switches? Or have you heard we expanded our Honeywell Primus II Capabilities? No? Then you haven't read the December issue of the Duncan Intelligence.

December Duncan Intelligence

Falcon 900: Closing the Baggage Door
Want to know how to close the outside baggage door on your Falcon 900 without having to turn on any generator or battery switches in the cockpit?

Citation Sovereign Inspection Safety
Citation Sovereign has many items that come due at high hours/cycles. We have performed work on items that the rest of the fleet has yet to realize will be required.

CASP Elite And ADS-B
There are many advantages offered with the CASP Elite aftermarket warranty program that specifically target ADS-B upgrades.

Cessna CIL-21-03: Water Separator Corrosion Repair
Duncan Aviation has the proper tooling to provide Cessna operators a more cost-effective option with a reasonable turntime on Cessna CIL-21-03.

Duncan Aviation Adds To Honeywell Primus II Capabilities
We've added repair and overhaul capabilities for the primary interface used to control the Primus II radio system in the Primus 1000 and Primus 2000 flight decks.  

 

Scott Kruce Joins Duncan Aviation’s Avionics Install Sales Team Read more.

Duncan Aviation Parts & Rotables Sales Open 24/7/365 Search Now

The Duncan Intelligence is a free, technical newsletter for business aircraft owners and operators. Written in-house by Duncan Aviation's technical representatives, each edition includes technical tips and advice on topics and trends in business aviation. It is a free, monthly e-mail subscription for aviation enthusiasts around the world.

Are you aware of the reletively new 7X task card 53-60-00-900-601?  No? Then you haven't read the September issue of the Duncan Intelligence.

September Duncan Intelligence

Falcon 7X Body Fairing Screw Installation Duncan Aviation Falcon technicians have noted a few Falcon 7X aircraft with screws pulling through the composite fuselage body fairings. Hawker Corrosion Control: Don’t Let Out of Sight Be Out Of Mind Whenever access to the upper surfaces of your aircraft is possible, inspect and remove minor corrosion. Bombardier Learjet: Piston Care on Main Landing Gear Actuators During recent inspections, Duncan Aviation Accessory Technicians have found corrosion on the pistons in the Main Actuator of a Bombardier Learjet 55 aircraft. ART-2000/2100: Proper Shutdown Procedures to Prevent Unwanted Squawks If your ART 2000 or ART 2100 screen is blank, only showing half a screen, sending you FAIL messages, or creating a noise/vibration when getting powered down, you may not be following proper shutdown procedures.

Susie Corn Joins Duncan Aviation’s Turbine Engine Service Sales Team Read more.  Duncan Aviation CJ3 Pro Line Fusion® Integrated Avionics Upgrade Program in Full Swing Read more.

We sat down with Duncan Aviation International Parts & Rotables Sales Rep, Hannah Bodenstab as she recounted her recent experience traveling to South Africa to visit aircraft parts customers.

Hannah, you recently traveled to South Africa to meet with customers, tell us about your trip?

This was my first visit to South Africa. I traveled there to meet with a very important customer of mine, Execujet after attending EBACE (European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition) in Geneva, Switzerland. I also met with Absolute Aircraft Parts, MCC Aviation, and Bhakari. I wanted to visit others but had some time constraints. Maybe next time.

What were your goals?

My primary goal was to have that face-to-face interaction with customers I’ve only met and worked with over the phone for the past few years. I also wanted to provide information on all the services Duncan offers, and I believe it was paramount to thank them for choosing to do business with Duncan Aviation.

Were there any challenges?

Being halfway around the world, it is a challenge to convince customers that Duncan Aviation should be their first choice for aviation parts or services. Lead times with shipping and deliveries or delays with customs and returns are just a few obstacles that we deal with every day. Two days is the minimum for a part to travel from our Lincoln, NE, facility in the U.S. to South Africa. That’s a very long time in the aviation industry.

As far as challenges visiting customers, security is very strict on the airport. The requirements for permits and/or escort to approach the facilities created some delays. Time constraints also limited the amount of people I could see but those that I did get to visit were very successful.

Why do you think, or why do your customers do business with a company in the middle of America rather than one closer to Home?

Customer service. The aircraft parts industry is so competitive, especially in a time when price is increasingly valued over support; Duncan Aviation offers the whole package.

One thing I am able to offer my international customers is consolidated shipments. Whether they have repair units, exchanges or piece parts, Duncan Aviation offers one shipment at their convenience. This saves them time and money with customs and leaves less room for error.

In addition to customer service, we also have to offer convenience. Accessibility and being a one-stop-shop attracts international customers; going the distance for parts and repairs ends up saving them money in the long run.

What was most rewarding?

Finally meeting the Execujet team in person. I have a very strong relationship with them and they have a long-standing relationship with Duncan Aviation. The reception I received was absolutely wonderful.

What did you learn from this experience?

I gained more confidence from this trip. Being a female in the aviation industry has its challenges but traveling and representing Duncan Aviation abroad has given me confidence. Being able to share my knowledge of the industry with customers not only offers affirmation that they made the right choice coming to Duncan Aviation but also inspires customer confidence that I am able to support them now and in the future.

What is your impression of the international aviation marketplace?

It is ever changing but I don’t feel that we are in any way behind or ahead of it. There are a lot of companies that are unfamiliar with Duncan Aviation and our services. I am working to keep the name Duncan Aviation in front of potential customers and am taking every opportunity to share who we are and what we do.

Also, the value of the dollar always seems to find its way into every discussion. I was constantly reminded how far our USD will stretch in South Africa. Just goes to show how important customer service is when customers are paying for parts from the United States.

What do you feel international aviation/parts customers are wanting?

Everyone wants cheap prices and parts delivered yesterday. This is why we orchestrate order delivery that is seamless, keep costs down and do our part to get every customer the best price.

When you think of the future of aviation and International sales, what gives you a sense of hope? What makes you concerned or worried?

I’ve only been in aviation for five years so it’s hard for me to imagine not having a solid international customer base. Prices are getting more competitive and margins are disappearing but customers keep coming back to Duncan Aviation.

What are some takeaways or lasting impressions from this experience?

This being my first trip to South Africa, I was overwhelmed by how welcoming and helpful everyone was and I’m ready to go back. Even though this was a business visit, it allowed me to get to know my customers on a more personal level which has improved our business relationship. I was shown great kindness and before I was out the door, I was already invited back on the next visit.

Anything else you’d like to add about this experience?

I am so grateful that I was able to have my husband Devon travel with me. He handled the logistics on the trip so I could focus on setting up meetings and visits. All my customers were so happy to meet him and were so impressed that I worked for a company that supported family in that way. I am so thankful for the experience, it was amazing.

During the trip, Hannah and her husband Devon were able to do some exploring. Including the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve in Krugersdorp and Table Mountain in Cape Town. 

Aircraft landing gear overhaul is often viewed as a behind-the-scenes inspection and scheduled alongside, but taking a backseat to, a major airframe inspection. However, it can have a huge impact on the entire project's schedule if the landing gear restoration runs into major squawks. Because an aircraft can't go anywhere without its legs.

XOJET is a leader in private jet travel that is personal, flexible, and on-demand. Headquartered in Brisbane, California, the company operates a fleet that includes Bombardier Challenger 300 and Cessna Citation X aircraft. Although XOJET has only been in business since 2006, this modern alternative to fractional ownership is definitely in demand.

According to Carlos Partida, Senior Maintenance Planner at XOJET, the company’s fleet flies 40% more flight hours per aircraft per year than their closest Part 135 competitor. "Our fleet is smaller by comparison to our competitors," says Carlos. "Making sure the aircraft are available as much as possible is one of my top priorities." Needless to say, that makes downtime very important. And if you ask Carlos, no one manages downtime better than Duncan Aviation.

Work Completed Quickly

Since 2014, Carlos has been sending all of XOJET’s Citation X oleo sets to Duncan Aviation for inspection. They are nearly always returned to service and headed back to XOJET within a week. Prior to using Duncan Aviation, Carlos was used to waiting months. "It takes Duncan Aviation a week, including shipping, to do something that previously took two months for completion."

Of course, Citation X oleos are not the only gear Duncan Aviation services for XOJET. Our Accessory shop regularly has a complete set of the fleet’s Challenger 300 gear in the shop for 96-month inspections.

Switching to Duncan Aviation was not only a time saver, Carlos says. It has had a positive impact on XOJET’s bottom line. "When our aircraft are not flying, they are not producing revenue." 

Work Completed Well

Carlos also expresses his appreciation for the level of customer service he has received from everyone at Duncan Aviation. "They always deliver the highest in quality work at the best possible downtime savings, served up with a level of customer service that is first rate. Everyone on the Duncan Aviation team is so willing to accommodate all of my requirements. I can’t speak highly enough about the customer service," he says.

Chris Fields

Chris Fields is a Duncan Aviation Master Technician working on the landing gear team since 2008. He knows a thing or two about landing gear and he knows a lot about the Challenger 300 and Citation X gear that come off of XOJET aircraft.

When XOJET sends their gear sets to Duncan Aviation, Chris often takes the lead, especially when it comes to the Citation X main gear oleo doc inspections.

"XOJET takes great care of their gear. They schedule inspections on time and everything is well-documented," says Chris. "We see several sets of oleos every year and typically will have them completed and returned within four days."

This story was recently published in the Spring 2017 Duncan Debrief magazine. Follow the link below to find more stories like this or subscribe to receive your own copy. 

Duncan Aviation set out once again to make its presence and services known to the larger helicopter world at the 2017 Heli Expo in Dallas, Texas.

Just like 2016, we were greeted with enthusiasm, professionalism, and curiosity. But two things stood out to Ken Hurd, Duncan Aviation Accessories Technician that made this year’s show different.

1. A Lot More People

“This year's show was promoted as bigger than ever, and the size of the crowds seems to confirm the show as one of the best attended.”

2. More People Recognized Duncan Aviation

“During the show we were more widely recognized as a company that supports rotor wing accessories and avionics. Attendees visited the Duncan Aviation booth and shared their ideas on how we could take advantage of our impeccable reputation and abilities in the business aviation industry to expand our presence in the helicopter industry.”

Although we have been Heli-Expo attendees for several years, 2017 is the second year we had a show booth with team members representing areas that often touch helicopters or helicopter components. These areas include component repair and overhaul, parts sales and exchange, as well as the Government and Military contracts.

“I didn't know Duncan Aviation worked on helicopter components” was heard over and over again during the show. While it is true Duncan Aviation’s history is firmly grounded in the fixed-wing industry, we have been working on helicopter avionics for decades and the business is growing. 

Read about Duncan Aviation in the 2017 HAI Insight Magazine

According to Karl Detweiler, Duncan Aviation Components Business Development Manager, several attendees and exhibitors were glad to see Duncan Aviation expanding into helicopter components. “They expressed the need to have more long-term stability in the available service shops. To them, Duncan Aviation represents stability and quality."

Since purposefully promoting the Duncan Aviation helicopter component business in 2016, the projected growth for 2017 has a positive outlook. In fact, by the end of Heli-Expo, every Duncan Aviation representative found new helicopter business for the company to add to its already expanding portfolio.

We will continue to work hard and continue to build our reputation into the helicopter industry.

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.

An aircraft can't go anywhere without its legs. Landing gear are an integral part of the whole operation, yet their overhaul and inspections are more often viewed as something that is taken care of behind-the-scenes; scheduled alongside, but taking a backseat to, a major airframe inspection. Yet, it can have a huge impact on the entire project's schedule if the restoration runs into major squawks.

So who’s taking care of your aircraft’s legs?

Although landing gear overhaul and repair services are not available from everyone from coast-to-coast, it has a bit of a reputation of being a commodity in the business aviation industry. There are almost too many choices on where to send your gear when it comes time for inspection.

It is fair to think with FAA regulations, Chapter 5 requirements, and access to the same maintenance manuals, that all facilities are equal. You would be wrong.

In reality, landing gear overhauls are not created equal, and there are often many differences among the maintenance facilities and the quality of work performed, and out-the-door price.

So how do you decide? Let’s begin with what’s most important to you.

Video: View the entire process of a 192-month inspection of a Challenger 604 landing gear here.

Downtime

Ask nearly every aviation service sales person what the top deciding factor is for their customers when choosing an MRO for service and they will tell you Downtime.

No one looks forward to having their aircraft down for inspection. Time is money and your aircraft needs to be available at all times. That is why your time requirement is one of our requirements.

At Duncan Aviation, we continually examine our processes to find more efficient avenues to deliver landing gear faster. However, we will never sacrifice quality or safety for the sake of time.

In 2015, our landing gear shop met quoted turn times a near perfect 98% of the time on scheduled, complete landing gear sets. In 2016, we are on track to improve that number even further thanks to a more efficient process and interactive calendar.

Experience

When it comes to overhauling, inspecting, and repairing landing gear assemblies and subassemblies, we’ve been doing it since 1978. The shop started out modestly as a bench at the back of our main hangar but has since grown to a 6,000-square-foot facility equipped with an overhead crane, dedicated paint booth, and cure room.

Are we the largest landing gear shop in the industry? Possibly not, but to the nearly 500 operators who rely upon us each year, we are big enough.

With capabilities on more than 50 different make/model aircraft and 3,143 unique landing gear parts, we’re confident we’re big enough for you, too.

Video: Embraer Landing Gear Before and After

Warranty

By the very definition, a warranty is a promise of continued support and service even after the project is over. We believe so highly in our own work, that our warranties cover everything. Parts, labor, and not just our work, but the work of others...covered.

I know what you’re thinking! How can Duncan Aviation possibly offer a warranty on work they didn’t perform?

It’s simple. Through our experience, we’ve been able to identify high-failure parts and will take the extra time during overhaul to make sure those parts are able to last.

We think we’ve done a pretty good job at it because our warranty claim rate in 2015 was less than 1%, 0.6% to be exact.

Pricing

Although price is likely not the most important factor in your buying decision, it still is an important one. That is why we offer three different pricing structures to fit your budget requirements.

Firm Fixed. Before your gear gets to Duncan Aviation, you will know what you are paying. Firm Fixed guarantees one price with no bill-back, regardless of the condition of the gear. We have heard from several operators who chose a lower-cost provider that with additional billing based on the gear’s condition, their final invoice was higher than our Firm Fixed quote.

NTE (Not To Exceed). With NTE, we will provide you with the maximum quote. Your final bill will not exceed that quote. It could even be less. There will be no additional billing that will drive the invoice over the NTE maximum price.

There could be some exceptions to the above pricing structures of which you will need to be aware. These include additional customer requests, optional Service Bulletins, missing or abused parts, and replacement of life-limited parts and engineering fees, if required.

Standard Pricing. Standard Pricing includes all labor required to perform the normal inspection or overhaul, and required parts. Any discrepancies found during the inspection that may require additional parts and labor, will be quoted over and above.

Each pricing structure has its advantages. We will work with you to identify which makes sense for you.

We realize that you have a lot of choices when it comes to servicing your landing gear. We know you want more than the minimum required.

• You expect your downtime requirements to be respected
• You require quality and experience
• You demand a guarantee of a job well done
• You want flexible pricing options to meet your budget,

Seems like an easy decision really. Duncan Aviation.

Securaplane (Meggitt) has released Service Letter, SL-9750W0370-24-13,1 which changes the cell block nut installation process to help prevent over torquing of the studs when installing the reblock kits in Securaplane batteries.

The heart of the revised procedure is to reduce the running torque, the torque needed to turn the Binx nut onto the stud until it contacts the washer on the cell to 15 in-lbs. If, during the installation, the running torque reaches 15 in-lbs., then the nut is to be removed, its threads cleaned, and reinstalled.

The final tightening torque remains the same as originally called for in the CMM (usually 32 or 35 in-lbs). The final torque becomes the sum of the running (twisting) torque, and tension torque as the nut tightens.

Originally the running torque to install the Binx nut was the same as the final torque. It was possible the running torque could reach the 35 in-lb. limit while installing the nut, with none of the torque being final, tightening torque. If this would happen, the running torque could create a broken stud.

This Service Letter procedure should eliminate any risk of a broken stud.