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B U S I N E S S A V I A T I O N 10 May 2014 AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY I n keeping w ith our rev iew of changes over the past 25 years, this month we're highlighting the innovative developments in f ield maintenance and the increase in mobile service. The range of maintenance programs and service of ferings available today is incred- ible. An avionics box can be delivered by FedEx, a windshield changed out, your engine washed, compressor blades blended, and carpets cleaned without relocating the plane to an authorized facility. We asked Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, Stevens Av iation, and Duncan Aviation to describe the mobile services they offer, how they deliver, the qualifications of the technical staff that man these mobile operations, and the business drivers that motivated offering mobile support. Gulfstream product support: "Best of the biggest" Gulfstream maintains the largest com- pany-owned product support network in business aviation with more than 4,000 professionals worldwide. The network, which covers North and South America, Europe, India, the Middle East, A frica, Asia, and Australia, includes 11 com- pany-owned service centers, one com- pany-owned component repair facility, seven Gulfstream-authorized ser vice centers, and 14 Gulfstream-authorized warranty facilities. Field and Airborne Support Teams (FAST) According to Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., the dispatch reliability rate for its large-cabin business jet f leet is "in excess of 99.5 percent." Even with this astound- ing figure, sometimes an operator will have an "aircraft-on-ground" (AOG) situation and need ser vice. Product Support President Mark Burns says, "Gulfstream is always looking for new ways to demonstrate our commitment to our customers and FAST is the next step in our evolution as the top product sup- port organization in business aviation." The FAST teams are staffed with more than 30 dedicated pilots and technicians, a full-time manager overseeing the oper- We Make House Calls Mobile maintenance brings service to the customer By Charles Chandler Technicians assigned to Gulfstream's 74-foot tractor trailer can make minor repairs, change engines, replace LRUs, and conduct post flight, unscheduled and storage inspections. The AMTs have an office, computers to access technical data and breakroom complete with lounge, galley kitchen and stocked freezer and refrigerator. GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE CORPORATION AMT_10-15_BusinessAviation.indd 10 4/17/14 4:12 PM