THE
Spring 2012 / ISSUE NO. 7
GLOBAL CUSTOMER SUPPORT MAGAZINE
Quality Product, Support Means He’s a Hawker for Life As a 30-year-old based in Monaco and working for U.S.based hotel brands Sheraton and Loews, Willy de Bruyn spent a lot of time at 40,000 feet. He frequently traveled via commercial airline back to the United States, throughout Europe and in the Middle East building his reputation as an international executive in the hotel and hospitality industry. So imagine the predicament Willy found himself in when at age 30, he suddenly and inexplicably developed a fear of flying. Fortunately, two events occurred. First, there was no snow that year in the nearby Mediterranean Alps, so rather than his usual one-hour drive to fulfill his passion for skiing, he had to drive more than six hours to the north. While there, he noticed a small airplane take off nearby and discovered that if he could overcome his fear of flight, he could reach snow-packed slopes in an hour’s flight. “I also happened to be reading a book at the time and was inspired by the author’s ability to cure himself of a phobia,” Willy said. “The key was that instead of running away from your phobia, you must face it.” That’s exactly what he did. The first few flights were frightening but soon he discovered a second passion in flying. So much so, that he quickly progressed from his private pilot’s license to a commercial license, then an
What’s Inside?
Airline Transport Pilot License. Wanting to fly as often as possible but unable to afford his own airplane, Willy was spurred to operate an executive charter company in Nice, France. Eventually, he did purchase his own jet, a 15-year-old Hawker 3B that he acquired around 1980. “In my charter life, I had the opportunity to fly and experience many other jets but I stayed with Hawker,” Willy said. Not only did he stay, he settled in and made himself comfortable.
“I’ve stayed with Hawker because they make a solid airplane and because maintenance is very well controlled, especially with Support PLUS™.”
Continued on Page 3
Chester facility named as authorized Continuing Airworthiness Management Organization — Pg. 7
Two new service centers to open this year — Pg. 9
Composites expertise since the 1980s — Pg. 4
1
FlightPath
Grading our growth
FEATURES
Since the launch of this publication in 2010, we’ve packed the pages of of FlightPath with customer features, industry news, technical updates and articles about Global Customer Support’s latest service and support introductions all aimed at simplifying your ownership experience, reducing operating costs and increasing resale value.
Table of Contents Pages 1, 3
Customer Testimonial
Quality product, support means He’s a Hawker for life Page 4
Technology
Years in the making, Hawker Beechcraft has been refining its composites expertise since the 1980s Page 5
Product Upgrades
Hawker XPR Safety and capabilities upgrade through synthetic vision systems Pages 6, 7
Customer Service
Chester Service Center adds King Air and Premier certifications Chester refashions the customer experience Chester facility named authorized Continuing Airworthiness Management Organization Pages 8, 9
Hawker Beechcraft Services
Demand surges for special mission conversions Two new service centers to open this year
DEPARTMENTS Page 10
Support PLUS™
Page 10–11
Technical Publications
Pages 11–13
Technical Team Updates
OUR TEAM
2
Page 14
People and Places
Page 15
Meet Our Team
This issue is no different. You’ll read about added capabilities for upgrades including the latest information regarding the two Hawker XPR programs, the latest special mission conversions, new services from our Hawker Beechcraft Services facility in Chester, U.K., as well as new and improved facilities in the U.S. and Mexico. Fortunately, there’s much to share. Hawker Beechcraft continuously makes significant investments in its Global Customer Support network. Consider that over the past two years, we’ve: • Developed a mobile services support program for AOG and routine maintenance • Added remote stocking locations in Beijing and Johannesburg to improve parts distribution • Increased our technical field support staff by 32 percent across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, and by 16 percent in the Americas • Invested over $5 million and 90,000 man-hours in technical training for our employees • Achieved the Diamond Award network-wide, meaning that each employee at every factory-owned service center exceeds FAA training requirements • Committed to investing $7 million in new factory-owned service facilities in Wilmington, Del., and Monterrey, Mexico (opening this summer) With these investments, we measure our success based on how we serve you, the customer. An important part of this measure is the feedback we receive from you after each service event through our company survey process, as well as through the annual industry product support surveys. These avenues provide a voice for you to let us know how we’re doing. Two of the industry’s leading surveys — Professional Pilot magazine and Aviation International News (AIN) will soon be asking for participation from their subscribers. We encourage you to share your opinion about how we are doing on these surveys. The data provides meaningful feedback for us to improve our support services year after year and helps us achieve our goal of providing you with the best support in the industry. Contact Christi: christi_tannahill@hawkerbeechcraft.com
Christi Tannahill Senior Vice President Global Customer Support
Let Your Vo Product Support Surveys Invite Participation Let your voice be heard in 2012 by participating in industryleading support surveys. Professional Pilot and AIN provide opportunities to voice your likes and dislikes about the aircraft service and support you receive. The survey data provides meaningful feedback used by Hawker Beechcraft to improve our support services year after year.
London Summer Olympic Games Generate Aircraft Activity Customer Feature: Quality Product, Support Means He’s a Hawker for Life — Continued from page 1
Since his first Hawker, Willy has continued to move up: Hawker 700, Hawker 800, Hawker 800XP and currently a Hawker 900XP that he took delivery of in November 2008. “I’ve stayed with Hawker because they make a solid airplane and because maintenance is very well controlled, especially with Support PLUS,” said Willy, who has accumulated about 4,500 flight hours in Hawkers. “I know the airplane well, I know the people who look after my airplane, and I don’t see myself going anywhere else. It’s a comfortable feeling.” Willy owns the Hawker 900XP with a partner who uses it to fly his team to visit sites and distributors throughout the U.K., Europe, the Middle East and beyond. Sometimes Willy’s passengers include members of the royal family. With his early success in the hotel industry, Willy built a career through diversified business interests. He brokers and develops real estate, offers management consulting and still has ties to the recreational industry through an interest in the Mamounia resort and casino in Morocco and a distributorship for IGT gaming equipment. Typical missions for Willy include Nice to Morocco, Nice to London and various European destinations. In addition to the maintenance cost predictability, cost containment and ease of use that Support PLUS offers, Willy appreciates the convenience of Hawker Beechcraft’s Chester U.K. Service Center — the only factory-owned service center dedicated to Hawker and Beechcraft aircraft in the eastern hemisphere. “We can fly the aircraft to London on Monday for a week of business there, and leave the aircraft for service until we are ready to leave on Thursday or Friday,” Willy said, adding that spare parts availability is improving and he hopes to see further improvement. Willy maintains a relationship with Sean McGeough in sales, and he credits vice president of international support Steve Porte for driving recent improvements he’s experienced at Chester and in the field. He also named Pete Hall as his go-to resource in technical and field support. “Pete is wonderful,” Willy said. “He’s loyal and good at what he does. I can reach him in the middle of the bush, and he’ll make telephone calls and get me going again.” “It’s not just Pete, though. I’ve developed very good relationships with the technical reps in the field. I know them all and they are very responsive to any problem that pops up. I consider them family.”
Steep approach upgrade provides direct access to London City Airport Not only is London City Airport (LCY) quickly becoming the hotspot for business jet activity in London, it is also one of the airports with access to the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in London. Flying direct to London City provides central access to London and the Canary Wharf — eliminating travel time from traditional airports surrounding the City of London like Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, Biggin Hill, Farnborough and Oxford. Hawker Beechcraft Services, located in Chester, can provide a London City steep approach modification for the Beechjet, Hawker 400A/XP, and Hawker 750, 800, 800XP, 850XP and 900XP. The modification provides steep approach for any airport with an approach of up to 5.5 degrees. Hawker operators can enjoy the speed and range of these amazing aircraft with the added convenience of direct access in and out of London City Airport and others with a steep approach. This STC includes hardware modifications and classroom instruction. Alternatively, if you plan to attend one of the nine Olympic football matches in Manchester, Old Trafford, just 45 minutes away from Hawker Beechcraft Services, Chester can provide an array of services for your aircraft while you enjoy the games. Hawker Beechcraft Services’ Quick Response Team (QRT) will be on hand to provide on-site technical expertise for customers flying in to attend the Olympic games, and will accommodate AOG requirements or any additional support for customers in the area. For more information about the steep approach upgrade or maintenance services, contact John Mitchell, Director of Sales, at +44.1244.523.778 or email john_mitchell@hawkerbeechcraft.com. To reach the Quick Response Team call +44.1244.523.654 or email emea_qrt@hawkerbeechcraft.com.
Voice Be Heard
To request a free subscription to Professional Pilot magazine, go to www.propilotmag.com and click on “Subscriptions.” The Professional Pilot Product Support Survey will be distributed to subscribers in April. The AIN Product Support Survey will be distributed in May. The survey goes out only to subscribers, so if you would like to receive a free subscription to Aviation International News, go to www.ainonline.com/subscribe. You can also email subscribe@ainonline.com and reference Hawker Beechcraft FlightPath.
3
Years in the making, Hawker Beechcraft has been refining its composites expertise since the 1980s The Hawker 4000 and Beechcraft Premier/Hawker 200 programs are heralded around the globe for their advanced technology and performance. The innovation for these business jets is centered on their composite fuselages — a technology that Hawker Beechcraft Corp. has been honing for some three decades and in which it can claim a level of expertise sought by others in the aviation industry today. HBC’s carbon-fiber/Nomex honeycomb/carbon-fiber sandwich construction is 20 percent lighter, three times stronger and 70 percent stiffer than aluminum — enabling Hawker Beechcraft’s engineers to design aircraft with improved performance, comfort and durability. This technology is a culmination of nearly 30 years of composites research and development by HBC. The company first partnered with Burt Rutan’s Scaled Composites in 1982 on full development of the Beechcraft Starship. The aircraft, which featured a canard design and pusher propeller configuration, contained an unprecedented 80 percent carbon-fiber content. Lessons learned on that program helped spawn composite processes that today are used on the successful Beechcraft Premier series of light jets and the super-midsize Hawker 4000. “There’s a considerable learning curve if you’re building aircraft out of composites material,” said Mike Haenggi, director of product marketing. “Many of our competitors are just beginning that process. Hawker Beechcraft has been making composite airframes for nearly 30 years and there are many lessons that have been learned over that time. We now have a tremendous knowledge base.” HBC’s Composites Center of Excellence at its world headquarters in Wichita, Kan., uses automated fiber placement machines, laser projection systems and autoclaves to manufacture composite structures and components that meet rigorous standards for quality, accuracy and structural integrity. HBC uses the same raw carbon material found in commercial airliners like the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 XWB. During application, HBC uses an epoxy resin that is even more resilient to dings than the processes used for the airliners and adds a thicker layer of carbon fiber for additional toughness. The carbon-fiber/epoxy honeycomb composites used to make the fuselages have undergone thousands of physical and computer load combination tests
4
to prove their safety and durability. “We’ve made a considerable investment in the Composites Center of Excellence at Plant III on our Wichita campus,” said Patrick Buckles, Hawker Products aircraft sales engineer. “We’ve developed composites expertise as an in-house competency, and it has slowly developed into something that far exceeds what the rest of the industry is doing. We’re taking advanced composite technology and building a great airframe with real benefits that you can’t get when using aluminum.” Lighter and stronger than aluminum, composites allow for enhanced speed and range performance while increasing comfort and safety. Among the benefits: • Weight savings for greater speed and increased range • Unprecedented structural strength • Efficiency in design • Excellent aerodynamic properties • Quiet cabins • Extremely high resistance to fatigue and corrosion • Reduced maintenance costs over the life of the aircraft • More internal volume than a metal fuselage with the same outside diameter, which means more space inside for passengers, in-flight movement and luggage, and robust operational systems that enhance safety and reliability • Smooth, sleek exteriors and interiors Many leading companies, engineers and entrepreneurs have placed high value on HBC’s composites expertise when choosing to purchase a Hawker 4000 or Beechcraft Premier. Outside of HBC, the proven performance of composite materials is drawing increasing attention. Composites continue to be evaluated and used for military and space applications as well as a number of non-aviation industries. “The increasing use really says a lot about how great composites are,” Buckles said. “Others are recognizing their benefits and some are now learning the same lessons we learned years ago. Looking forward, our challenge is to continue to innovate and to find new ways to use composites to deliver even more benefits to our customers.”
XPR Upgrades Are in Demand
From certification efforts to substantial orders, the new Hawker 800XPR and 400XPR programs are making progress and proving popular in the marketplace. Hawker’s XPR programs offer more power with new engines, improved aerodynamic performance with Genuine Hawker™ winglets, as well as optional upgrades to avionics, interiors and paint. They are available exclusively through factory-owned Hawker Beechcraft Service facilities worldwide. “We launched the XPR upgrade programs because there was customer demand for factory — authorized, OEM-engineered upgrades that are fully supported through the Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support network,” said Christi Tannahill, division vice president. “The response from Hawker owners and operators has been incredible. We’ve recently increased our planned production for the Hawker 400XPR upgrade to meet demand.” The Hawker 400XPR is the only Hawker/Beechjet 400 factory-designed, engineered and supported upgrade of this kind. It is on track for certification later this year. HBS received approval from the FAA and EASA for the installation of the Rockwell Collins three-tube Pro Line 21, and approval on the four-tube flight deck is imminent. Certification of the Hawker 400XPR engines and winglets is expected in the third quarter of 2012. The engine has been installed on the test aircraft, and first engine run is slated for April on the Williams International FJ44- 4A-32 dual FADEC high-bypass turbofans, which replace the original Pratt & Whitney JT15D-5 engines. The Hawker 800XPR upgrade is certified by the FAA and EASA, and deliveries began last fall. Late last year, leading private aviation company XOJET placed an order for 12 Hawker 800XPR aircraft, citing the value proposition of the upgrade. The Hawker 800XPR offers significant performance and capability improvements by replacing the aircraft’s original engines with new-technology Honeywell TFE731-50R powerplants. Seventy design and material enhancements to the engine greatly improve performance, durability and maintainability while lowering cost of operation. For more information on the XPR programs, visit xpr.hawkerbeechcraft.com and contact Randy Znamenak at 316.993.7409 or email randy_znamenak@hawkerbeechcraft.com
Safety and Capabilities Upgrade through Synthetic Vision Systems Hawker Beechcraft, in an exclusive agreement with Rockwell Collins, now offers a significant safety and capabilities upgrade to all Pro Line 21-equipped Hawker Beechcraft platforms with the aftermarket installation of a synthetic vision system (SVS). The upgrade, available later this year through Hawker Beechcraft Services, will give pilots improved situational awareness of runway presentation and terrain, as well as towers, buildings and other environmental features in relation to the aircraft.
Synthetic vision systems use terrain, obstacle, geopolitical, hydrological and other databases to provide real-time, computer-mediated, 3-D simulated terrain. The Synthetic vision system information is superimposed on the aircraft’s primary flight displays as well as multi-function displays and provides the flight crew with a clear-blue-day image in all weather conditions. The upgrade will also enable additional new features including Integrated Flight Information Systems, an Enhanced Vision System video window, and wall-to-wall Attitude Director Indicator displays. SVS can boost pilot performance, especially during IFR approaches, by reducing pilot workload. Regardless of the weather or time of day, pilots can use SVS to see surrounding terrain and airports up to 40 miles away. “Synthetic Vision is a significant safety upgrade that underscores our commitment to support customers well into the future of their ownership experience,” said Christi Tannahill, vice president, Global Customer Support. “The ability to have real-time references to terrain and airport features, no matter the weather conditions, adds a whole new level of safety to our customers’ operations.”
New service facility opens at PDK A second Atlanta-area Hawker Beechcraft Services facility is now open at the DeKalb Peachtree Airport (PDK). This new facility is capable of servicing any aircraft in the Hawker Beechcraft fleet, including Beechcraft Baron, Bonanza and King Air, Premier, Beechjet and Hawker aircraft. From unscheduled maintenance and aircraft-on-ground support to avionics checks and annual inspections on piston aircraft, Hawker Beechcraft Services at PDK will be the perfect complement to the existing full-service facility at the Fulton County Airport (FTY) on the southwest side of Atlanta. DeKalb Peachtree Airport is the second-busiest airport in Georgia, with over 200,000 takeoffs and landings per year and consistently ranks in the top ten busiest general aviation airports in the U.S. As a general aviation reliever airport for the Atlanta metropolitan area, PDK is a convenient secondary location. For more information or to schedule service, contact Donna Gillow, facility sales manager, 404.699.9215, Donna_gillow@hawkerbeechcraft.com or Keith Moss, service manager, 404.699.9222, Keith_moss@hawkerbeechcraft.com.
5
Chester Service Cent King Air and Premier Hawker Beechcraft’s factory-owned service center in Chester, U.K. continues to grow its capabilities. The service center now has EASA and FAA approvals on the King Air 200/300 series and the Beechcraft Premier, allowing it to provide routine service, install upgrades and paint aircraft. The Chester facility also has been authorized as a Continuing Airworthiness Management Organization by EASA (see related article, at right). With the FAA and EASA certifications for King Air 200/300 series and the Beechcraft Premier, support personnel at Chester can now perform routine maintenance, repairs inspections. They also can paint aircraft and install upgrades — from avionics and safety upgrades to cabin comfort upgrades to engine upgrades. In fact, in January technicians at Chester proudly delivered their first Blackhawk engine upgrade on a U.K.-based Beechcraft King Air 200 series aircraft. The conversion, from PT6A-42 to Blackhawk PT6A-61, also included the Hawkeye DigiLog instrument gauges and Frakes exhaust modifications.
Blackhawk Upgrade Across the Hawker Beechcraft Services network, more than 75 King Air 200 series operators have already upgraded their early-generation 40 series engines to factory-new Pratt & Whitney PT6A-52 or PT6A-61 engines, complete with a new-engine warranty (2,500 hours/5 years coverage on primary parts). The Blackhawk XP52 and XP61 engines have a larger, improved gas generator so they run cooler and more efficiently, providing increased power at altitude. The result is better climb and cruise speeds, allowing for an increase in maximum range coupled with reduced operating and maintenance costs. The Blackhawk upgrade provides proven elevated performance levels and safety in a simple bolt-on package requiring minimal airframe modification.
Chester refashions the cu
Refurbished facility and expanded cap If you haven’t visited the Hawker Beechcraft Services facility in Chester, U.K., recently, Stuart McNeilis invites you to be his guest. McNeilis is HBS Chester’s new customer experience manager, and he’s eager to show off the facility’s expansion of its customer service role and capabilities. “Recent investment and refurbishment at the Chester Service Center gives our team the ability to exceed customer expectations,” McNeilis said. “We’ve got an exceptional team and facility in place to allow us to forge new relationships and build on the long-established relationships with our loyal customer base.” When customers bring their aircraft to HBS Chester, they use a new airside path leading directly to a recently remodeled, secure customer lounge with entry phone and swipe card access. The refurbished lounge gives customers a sophisticated and secure environment to relax or work. There are common areas with comfortable seating for reading or watching television or a movie. Separate individual offices provide privacy and fully equipped workstations. Wi-Fi is available throughout the lounge area. Lunch is provided to customers, and a kitchen is always well stocked with a selection of snacks, fresh fruit and beverages — from chilled drinks to assorted teas to a gourmet machine serving bean-to-cup coffee, cappuccino, café latte and espresso.
6
ter adds r certifications King Air 200 series
Blackhawk engine upgrade benefits: • Factory-new Pratt & Whitney PT6A-52 or PT6A-61 engines • Factory warranty • Generous core engine credit for hours remaining to factory TBO • Price comparable to overhaul in many cases • At least 50 percent less downtime as compared with overhaul • Increased true airspeed, rate of climb, single-engine service ceiling • Decreased time and fuel to climb • Lower operating cost • Higher resale value • Worldwide certification
Additional upgrade opportunities include: Avionics and Safety • Garmin G1000 • Garmin G600 • WAAS/LPV • Max-Viz EVS-1500 Enhanced Vision Cabin Comfort • Ground Cooling • EMTEQ Elements Heated Seats • InspecTech Electronic Window Shades
ustomer experience
pabilities highlight changes If customers need to leave the premises, a courtesy car is available or the Customer Services team can arrange for a chauffeured vehicle to provide local transportation. “Besides a new look, Chester has developed its customer service team and added more capabilities — such as aircraft deliveries,” McNeilis said. In addition to being a factory-owned service center location, Chester also houses Hawker Beechcraft international sales offices. In mid-October, these two groups teamed to execute the first delivery of an HBC demonstration aircraft — a Hawker 750 to a customer from Poland. “The customer experience, delivery and handover on display for this special event was a huge success, and we’ve since completed two more demonstrator aircraft deliveries to customers from the U.K. and Denmark,” McNeilis said. HBS Chester’s goal is to mirror the experience customers find at the Hawker Beechcraft factory delivery centers in Wichita, Kan., and Little Rock, Ark., for new owners throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Chester facility named authorized Continuing Airworthiness Management Organization Now owners can designate Hawker Beechcraft Services for EASA service requirements A new authorization will provide a trusted source for Hawker and Beechcraft owners and operators in Europe to meet EASA airworthiness requirements. Hawker Beechcraft Services in Chester, U.K. — the only factory-owned service center dedicated to Hawker and Beechcraft aircraft in the eastern hemisphere — is authorized as a CAMO (Continuing Airworthiness Management Organization) by the European Aviation Safety Agency. This new organizational structure introduces the ability to issue and extend an Airworthiness Review Certificate to EASA aircraft. Aircraft over 12,500 pounds (5,700 kilograms) are mandated to contract with an approved CAMO for their Airworthiness Review Certificate, which replaces the older annual requirement, the Certificate of Airworthiness. Christi Tannahill, senior vice president of Global Customer Support notes that, “The Chester CAMO simplifies the maintenance and airworthiness certification process for owners of EASA aircraft. Anytime we can help our customers minimize aircraft downtime and increase availability, we help ease their operational challenges.” Use of the Hawker Beechcraft Service CAMO in Chester provides customers with a comprehensive aircraft maintenance program including: forecasting, planning and scheduling maintenance to minimize aircraft downtime, and management of technical records and logbooks. Benefits also include safe storage, management of all Airworthiness Directives and other mandatory requirements, life-limited service-components tracking and control, import and export of the aircraft, and use of the CAMP maintenance-tracking provider on behalf of the owner. The scope of Chester’s new CAMO authorization includes the Beechcraft King Air 200/300/350, Hawker 750/800/800XP/850XP/900XP, Hawker 1000, Hawker 400/400A/400XP and Hawker 4000. For more information regarding CAMO services, contact John Mitchell at +44.1244.523.778 or email john_mitchell@hawkerbeechcraft.com.
7
Demand surges for special mission conversions HBS Chester facility delivers first VIP/Medevac Hawker 900XP Every current Hawker Beechcraft production aircraft, from Beechcraft Bonanza to Hawker 4000, is suitable for special missions. A particularly critical special mission is safely and comfortably loading, transporting and unloading a stretcher-bound passenger. Hawker Beechcraft products have proven track records when it comes to air ambulance and medical evacuation operations. Of all fixed-wing turboprop and jet aircraft currently registered to air ambulance operators worldwide, 38 percent are Hawker and Beechcraft products. HBC has more than twice as many air ambulances as the nextlargest manufacturer. The vast majority are King Airs and Hawker 900, 800 and 700 series aircraft, however any Hawker or Beechcraft aircraft can be converted to an air ambulance, and it can be done at any factory-owned service center. While short-range air ambulance missions of 100 miles or less are generally made by helicopters, the responsibility for most medium-range missions — those between 100 and 600 miles away — falls on turboprop aircraft. The King Air 350ER special mission demonstrator is equipped with two complete and fully functional medical stations and medical storage cabinets provided by Spectrum Aeromed of Fargo, N.D. While many companies manufacture aircraft medical stations, Hawker Beechcraft selected Spectrum Aeromed because the company has been cost effective and has responded quickly to demanding program requirements. Longer air ambulance missions — those 600 miles away or farther — are usually made by jet. Recently HBC has experienced a surge in demand for Hawker jets for these long-distance air ambulance missions. To meet the increased demand for jet air-ambulance conversions, two of our Hawker Beechcraft Service Centers — one in Little Rock, Ark., and another in Chester, U.K. — have collaborated to develop and certify air ambulance interiors for installation in new-production Hawker 900XPs.
8
Our Chester facility recently completed its first modified medical evacuation conversion of a Hawker 900XP midsize jet for a customer in Saudi Arabia. The Hawker Beechcraft Services, Chester facility was chosen because of its experience and knowledge of the Hawker 900XP platform. Employees there have been modifying the platform and its predecessors for nearly five decades. The facility was briefed to take a VIP configuration of its best-selling midsize business jet — which can fly up to 5,200 kilometers (3,200 miles) with eight passengers — and design a system enabling it to change out from VIP business jet to a medevac. It was mandatory that this change could be made in less than an hour to keep aircraft downtime to a minimum and ensure quick response time for medevac purposes. Additionally, the design was to ensure that the aesthetics of the VIP layout were not compromised. The HBS team worked closely with Spectrum Aeromed and the customer to ensure all requirements were fully integrated within the design, which required significant changes to the cabin, galley and electrical systems while incorporating the latest safety requirements. The conversion was successfully completed in just two months and received full approval from both the European Aviation Safety Authority and the General Authority of Civil Aviation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia before being delivered to the customer. “This was a very demanding request and our team in Chester responded successfully with the design and implementation of a highly integrated system that fully met the customer’s requirements,” said Christi Tannahill, senior vice president, Global Customer Support. “We expect that with our center of technical excellence in Chester, we will be delivering many similar conversions in the region over the coming years. “We expect the air ambulance and medevac market to remain strong worldwide for the foreseeable future,” she added. “Whether converting a turboprop or jet, we anticipate Hawker Beechcraft products to remain a popular choice for these special missions.”
Two new service centers to open this year Second Mexico facility and a northeastern U.S. site in progress Contributed by Bob Recchio Vice President, Hawker Beechcraft Services
Hawker Beechcraft Services will open two new companyowned factory service centers this year, one in Wilmington, Del., and one in Monterrey, Mexico. Together these two facilities will increase Global Customer Support’s company-owned service center hangar space to more than 600,000 square feet. A significant expansion is underway to transform a 60,000-square-foot training center at the New Castle Airport in Wilmington into the Hawker Beechcraft Services Northeast regional service center. The facility will include 40,000 square feet of hangar space with fully equipped guest offices for customers to use while their aircraft are being serviced. The HBS Northeast service center will offer airframe, engine, avionics and mobile service support for the company’s entire product line from single-engine Bonanzas to the super midsize Hawker 4000 business jet. Centrally located among several key population centers, the Delaware service center is ideal geographically, with exceptional train service to New York City and located within a 30-minute drive from Philadelphia. Practically speaking, it has an established customer base, great shipping, a talented, productive workforce and takes advantage of great opportunities offered by local economic development programs. Also under construction is HBS’s second company-owned facility in Mexico. Hawker Beechcraft is already the only original equipment manufacturer to have a company-owned service center in Mexico — MMTO Aeropuerto International De Toluca just outside Mexico City. The second location will be at Aeropuerto del Norte in Monterrey. General Manager Mauricio Rojo said Aeropuerto del Norte was chosen, in part, to provide a convenient location for a significant base of customers in
northern Mexico. The 48,000-square-foot facility is 120 miles from the U.S. border. The state-of-the-art Monterrey facility will include a 24,000-square-foot maintenance hangar and — in a climate perfect for painting — a much-needed 13,400-square-foot paint hangar that will meet all international environmental standards. “We will be the first general-aviation dedicated paint facility in Mexico,” Rojo said. The factory service center will also include 10,700 square feet of office space and fully equipped guest offices with Wi-Fi Internet access, a comfortable lounge, an extensive on-site parts inventory and a design center for reviewing and selecting interior fabrics and amenities as well as exterior paint schemes and color options. The Federal Aviation Administration and the parallel Mexican authority, the Civil Aviation Directorate, are the certifying agencies for this new service center that will offer maintenance, repair and modification of airframes, power plants and avionics systems and specialize in Hawker and Beechcraft products including the allcomposite-fuselage Premier and Hawker 4000 aircraft. “The growth of the Hawker Beechcraft customer fleet in Mexico and the continuing expansion of market opportunities in Central America have created an obvious need for additional service capacity in the region,” said Christi Tannahill, senior vice president, Global Customer Support. “The addition of a full paint facility, likely the best in Mexico, supplements the maintenance and support offerings at the Monterrey site, and provides another option for owners and operators who are seeking to update and refurbish their aircraft.” Both new service centers are scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2012. The company now leads the industry with a global network of more than 100 factoryowned and authorized service centers.
Mobile Service Team
To schedule call 800.429.5372 • Hawkerbeechcraft.com/get 9