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Duncan Aviation painted the first PC-24 outside of a Pilatus production facility. The aircraft was brought to Duncan's full-service facility in Lincoln, Nebraska to be repainted to better meet the style of the owner.
"As the leader in painting business jet aircraft, we often take on the challenge to be the first to provide paint services on newer business jet models," said Adam Beach, a Duncan Aviation Completions andamp; Modifications Sales Rep. "It requires a trusted team to perform the additional research and planning on the front end to make sure all of the requirements for the aircraft are met."
The owner was understanding of the extra time needed to plan for the PC-24 as it was the first to be repainted in the aftermarket.
"He gave us his full trust to complete the project and provide him with a design and quality paint completion to meet his expectations," Beach said. "He was a great partner throughout the entire process."
The customer knew he wanted Duncan Aviation to paint his aircraft, and had confidence the extra planning would pay off. Duncan Aviation paint team leader Brandon Mares said that having an open-minded customer makes the situation easier. Team Leader Cody Hasse detailed the process with the owner, giving a clear definition of what Duncan Aviation's paint process included and what the expectations would be, setting the foundation for the customer's confidence. During the planning and research, Duncan Aviation noted guidance in the maintenance manual that a chemical stripper could not be used. To adjust to the manufacturer's requirements, the decision was made to mechanically sand off the old paint by hand. The team effort left the customer happy and the paint team proud.
"We had open communication and navigated together throughout the entire process," Mares said. "Every team member brought their A-Game. Weeks before the aircraft arrived, we had already started chipping away, asking the right questions and getting the information we needed to properly plan for the work. We took great care making sure everyone was on the same page."
Mares said the project shows the commitment, knowledge, and experience that Duncan Aviation team members have, and that each team member can take a little pride in knowing they were behind the success of this project. Out of the many projects that come through the doors, this one truly stood out to the team. It showed how team members rallied within the different departments to overcome hurdles and ensure a satisfied customer."WE did this as a team. It's not just one person. We all had to rely on one another to bounce ideas off one another," said Janet Beazley, Duncan Aviation Project Manager. "It was a fun and challenging project, and I'm glad we could deliver the aircraft to a happy customer as he understood all the challenges involved!"
"Being a new design aircraft to the industry with very little history, this turned out to be a challenging project," said Hardy Hay, Director of Maintenance/Chief Pilot with Det 9 Aviation.
"Janet (Beazley) and her team took the responsibility very seriously, preparing and finishing the aircraft," Hay said. "I've had other aircraft painted by other companies in the past, but the professional service I received from the hospitality suite, fuel, maintenance, project coordination and all the way until delivery was impeccable. Janet and her team went above and beyond coordinating with Pilatus service centers, Pilatus in Switzerland and Pilatus North America in Colorado to ensure every process was done according to the Pilatus aircraft specifications. I will only use Duncan Aviation to paint my aircraft from this point forward."