Duncan Aviation marks the 20th anniversary of the 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, Texas, area, becoming Duncan Aviation’s first Engine Rapid Response launch office. Other teams quickly followed in Chicago, Illinois; Denver, Colorado; Phoenix, Arizona; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 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 the word got out each team developed relationships with local customers. Business started trending closer to home as more calls came in for small, routine inspections for the TFE731. At the same time, the teams were being asked to perform more work on the Honeywell AS907, as well as additional engine platforms like Pratt & Whitney, Williams, and GE.
Today, engine RRT support at Duncan Aviation has 16 launch sites and 30 factory-trained technicians. They travel more than 500,000 land miles annually in 23 fully stocked service vehicles, performing nearly 2,000 AOG and in-field events per year. They are strategically positioned across the United States from Seattle to Fort Lauderdale and Long Beach to New York. And yes, they are still in the Dallas area located at the Addison, Texas, airport. All are well-equipped with the necessary tooling and a long list of capabilities that include troubleshooting, routine periodic inspections, vibration surveys, on-the-wing repairs, engine removals and reinstallations, and line maintenance that includes LRU (Line Replaceable Unit) changes and borescope inspections.
The RRT road capabilities have 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. They work with the full support of Duncan Aviation’s MRO locations in Battle Creek, Michigan; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Provo, Utah; providing additional tooling and technicians as needed.
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, this time specializing in airframe services, were formed and based out of Duncan Aviation’s MRO (maintenance repair, & overhaul) facilities in Battle Creek, Lincoln, and Provo. In all, an additional 18 airframe technicians and eight fully stocked service vehicles are now on-call for airframe inspections, maintenance tasks, and discrepancies.
Andrew Arcuri and Shane Heier, RRT Assistant Managers in the East and West, respectively, and Tyler Spurling, RRT Assistant Manager—MRO, are leading Duncan Aviation’s Rapid Response network across the country. They all actively receive phone calls from customers requesting airframe, engine, and avionics services. Together they make sure the customer is put in touch with the appropriate team in closest proximity to the aircraft’s location. They create a united front to meet the customers’ needs wherever they are and with whatever they need.
All three agree the future of Duncan Aviation’s Rapid Response Teams will be one of unity among disciplines.
“It doesn’t matter what the needs of our customers are,” says Arcuri. “When we get the call, we will respond accordingly.”
Although the primary focus of these teams is on airframe and engine work, if a customer has avionics needs, they will coordinate with the nearest Duncan Aviation Satellite avionics shop and help the customer get the issue fixed.
Future growth plans are to have more airframe-qualified technicians in-the-field at the RRT launch locations around the country.
