Duncan Aviation’s Rapid Response Team Marks 25th Anniversary of Mobile Engine and Airframe Service

Duncan Aviation marks the 25th anniversary of its first mobile Engine RRT (Rapid Response Team) located at Dallas Love Field.

In 2000, a dedicated team of mobile-ready turbine-engine technicians was formed in the Dallas, TX, area, becoming Duncan Aviation’s first Engine Rapid Response launch office. Other teams quickly followed in Chicago, IL; Denver, CO; Phoenix, AZ; and Fort Lauderdale, FL. The teams provided mobile troubleshooting and AOG engine support for the Honeywell TFE731 engines. The goal was to support operators with much-needed engine support in the field.  

As time went on and word got out, each team developed relationships with local customers. Business began trending closer to home as more calls came in for small, routine inspections. At the same time, the teams were being asked to perform more work on the Honeywell AS907 and on additional engine platforms, including Pratt & Whitney, Williams and GE.

In 2019, the RRT experienced a transformation and expansion. Due to increased customer demand for more mobile airframe AOG and inspection services, three more rapid response teams specializing in airframe services were formed and based at Duncan Aviation’s MRO facilities. In all, an additional 18 airframe technicians and eight fully stocked service vehicles were added for on-call airframe inspections, maintenance tasks, and discrepancies.

Today, Engine RRT has more than 30 factory-trained technicians who travel more than 250,000 land miles annually in 27 fully stocked service vehicles, performing nearly 1,500 AOG and in-field events. Strategically positioned across the United States, from Seattle to Fort Lauderdale and from Long Beach to New York (and still active in the Dallas area at the Addison, TX, airport), the teams are well-equipped with the necessary tooling and a long list of capabilities, including troubleshooting, routine periodic inspections, vibration surveys, on-the-wing repairs, engine removals and reinstallations, and line maintenance, including LRU (line replaceable unit) changes and borescope inspections.

The Engine RRT road capabilities have also grown to include all Honeywell engine and APU (auxiliary power unit) models; Pratt & Whitney JT15D, 300 and 500 series; General Electric CF34; Williams FJ44; and the Rolls-Royce Spey/Tay/BR engine models. The teams work with the full support of Duncan Aviation’s three full-service MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facilities in Battle Creek, MI; Lincoln, NE; and Provo, UT, providing additional tooling and technicians as needed.

Shane Heier, RRT manager, Engine, and Russ Haugen, RRT manager, MRO, are leading Duncan Aviation’s Rapid Response network across the country. Together, they ensure the customer is connected to the appropriate team closest to the aircraft’s location, creating a united front to meet the customers’ needs wherever they are and with whatever they need. Both agree that the future of Duncan Aviation’s Rapid Response Teams will be marked by unity across disciplines. Although the primary focus of the RRT teams is on airframe and engine work, if a customer has avionics needs, the teams will coordinate with the nearest Duncan Aviation Satellite shop and help the customer get the issue fixed. 

“It doesn’t matter what the needs of our customers are,” says Heier. “When we get the call, we will respond accordingly.”

Future growth plans include additional airframe-qualified technicians in the field at RRT launch locations across the country.

To connect to Duncan Aviation’s AOG RRT service and support, complete the online AOG form at https://duncan-dev.dotcms.cloud/services/aog. Within 30 minutes, a Duncan Aviation RRT member will respond.

For more information, visit www.DuncanAviation.aero.