Every Duncan Aviation Location Now United Under First-Ever Single FAA-Issued Certificate

Avionics Technician Joshua Hernandez at Duncan Aviation's Houston Satellite builds a wiring harness. The Houston Satellite and Duncan Aviation's other 23 certificated repair stations are now all under the FAA Repair Station certificate issued to Duncan Aviation's Lincoln facility. Click image for high-res download.

LINCOLN, NEB. — Duncan Aviation is excited to announce it has received the first-ever FAA-issued Repair Station certificate, uniting all of its facilities and Satellites under a single Repair Station number (JGVR194F). On October 29, the Duncan Aviation Satellites and Additional Fixed Locations (AFLs) in Oxford, Connecticut; Bedford, Massachusetts; Teterboro and Morristown, New Jersey; and White Plains, New York; began operating as AFLs under the Duncan Aviation Repair Station certificate in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The remaining main facilities in Battle Creek, Michigan, and Provo, Utah, as well as the rest of Duncan Aviation’s Satellites and AFLs, transitioned to the Lincoln Repair Station certificate on December 10. The Quality team at Duncan Aviation, lead by Enterprise Quality Manager Mike Mertens, transitioned the first five Satellites, resolved issues, and transitioned the wider enterprise prior to surrendering the dozens of separate repair station certificates.

In addition to this being an exciting, memorable, and monumental change for Duncan Aviation, it’s also the first time ever that the FAA has granted a single repair station certificate for multi-location facilities. Now, instead of consulting dozens of FAA Flight Standard District Offices (FSDO) representatives in dozens of different locations throughout the country, every Duncan Aviation location will consult the FSDO in Lincoln, Nebraska.

“Although, briefly, the transition complicated things on our end because the Satellites have been operating the same way for more than 38 years, it will actually make our goal of meeting our customer needs much easier,” says Enterprise Manager of Satellite Operations Matt Nelson. “We’re now able to send technicians from one location to another without worrying which repair station number they’re working under. It will also allow us more flexibility in the addition and removal of certain capabilities.”

The greatest benefit to our customers is that with one group overseeing and supporting all of the Duncan Aviation locations, the service will be the same at every location.

“Theoretically, the service we provide has been the same no matter the location, but with each location dealing with different FAA personnel, there was always the possibility of slightly different interpretations of rules,” says Mertens. “Now, with only one person, there will be one interpretation. As a result, we will be even more consistent in providing the same service at every location.”

The single repair station number will allow the FAA to shift its focus from administrative tasks to safety issues.

“A further benefit Duncan Aviation’s customers is that the FAA will look at workorders for technicians on the floor,” says Mertens. “Roughly one-third will be looked at by the FAA FSDO team in Lincoln, one-third will be looked at by the local FSDO team at the request of Lincoln, and one-third will be inspected by Duncan Aviation’s Enterprise Manager of the Safety Management System Mike Brown and Quality Chief Inspector Jeff King. This allows inspectors at all of the locations to focus on airworthiness instead of administrative issues.”

The reality is Duncan Aviation had been operating under the same Repair Station manual, but up until December 10, 2023, there were dozens of FAA inspectors overseeing the 23 different certificated repair stations, all of which required a separate review.

“This unification will simplify things dramatically for the FAA, by having only one group inspecting the standard requirements,” says Mertens.

About Duncan Aviation

Duncan Aviation is an aircraft service provider supporting the aviation needs of business aircraft operators, government agencies, and other aircraft service providers. Services include major and minor airframe inspections, engine maintenance, major retrofits for cabin and cockpit avionics systems, full paint and interior services, engineering and certification services, fabrication and manufacturing services, and preowned aircraft sales and acquisitions. Duncan Aviation also has international aircraft components solutions experts available 24/7/365 at +1 402.475.4125 who can handle any aircraft system problem with immediate exchanges, rotables, loaners or avionics/instrument/accessory repairs and overhauls. Complete service facilities are located in Battle Creek, Michigan; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Provo, Utah. We also have dozens of other facilities strategically located throughout the United States to provide customers with scheduled regional support and the quickest response possible to avionics, engine and airframe Aircraft On Ground (AOG) situations.

For more information about any of Duncan Aviation’s services, call +1 402.475.2611 or visit https://www.DuncanAviation.aero/services