Duncan Aviation Paints First PC-24 Outside Pilatus Production Facility

Duncan Aviation announces that the company recently painted the first PC-24 outside of a Pilatus production facility. The aircraft was brought to Duncan Aviation’s full-service facility in Lincoln, NE, 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,” says Duncan Aviation Completions & Modifications sales rep, Adam Beach. “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 with the extra time required 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,” says Beach. “He was a great partner throughout the entire process.”

Duncan Aviation Paint team leader, Brandon Mares, says having an open-minded customer who was willing to assist made the situation much easier. 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, Cody Hasse, walked through and detailed the entire paint 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.  

“We had open communication and navigated together throughout the entire process,” explains Mares. “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.” 

During the planning and research, Duncan Aviation noted guidance in the maintenance manual that 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.

Mares says this project shows the commitment, knowledge and experience that Duncan Aviation team members have, and that each team member can take a little pride knowing they were behind the success of this project, demonstrating how team members rally within the different departments to overcome hurdles and ensure a satisfied customer. 

Duncan Aviation project manager, Janet Beazley, says she kept calm and worked through each challenge as it arose. “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,” says Beazley. “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!” 

Hardy Hay, the director of maintenance/chief pilot with Det 9 Aviation, was more than pleased at the time of delivery. “Being a new design aircraft to the industry with very little history, this turned out to be a challenging project,” he says. “Janet (Beazley) and her team took the responsibility very seriously, preparing and finishing the aircraft. 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.”

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