As the FAA's mandate deadline for Automatic Dependent Survelliance-Broadcast (ADS-B) approaches, Duncan Aviation's Sacramento satellite shop manager Bob Hazy says that the shop is already booking upgrades through March 2020.

Hazy and his crew moved into a spacious new hangar at the Mather airport in late June 2019, and the shop has been busy ever since. For the entire fourth quarter of 2019, the Sacramento satellite shop is booked with work to bring aircraft into compliance for the ADS-B mandate.

“We've found a nice little niche out here; nearly all of our ADS-B upgrades have been on either turboprops or small jets,” he comments.

Many of the aircraft Hazy and the team are working on are equipped with the Collins Aerospace ProLine avionics suite, and they're using the CMD Flight Solutions STC for those upgrades. “We send the transponders to the Duncan Aviation facility in Lincoln, Nebraska for the upgrade,” continues Hazy. “And because we've done so many of them, we're turning these aircraft around in as little as a week and a half.”

Although the schedule at the Sacramento satellite avionics shop is not yet completely full for 1Q 2020, Hazy has quoted several additional aircraft for ADS-B upgrades, including a Learjet 45: “Before the FAA's deadline, we have scheduled ADS-B upgrades on two King Air B300s, a King Air B200, three Pilatus aircraft, a Cessna 500, a Cessna 560 and a Premier. In January and March, we'll be working on a King Air 200 and a Pilatus.”

Hazy says all of the customers who have scheduled their upgrades for 2020 are aware that they won't be flying until they complete the upgrade to ADS-B.

“One customer would like to get his airplane upgraded before the January 1, 2020, deadline, but he knows we just have no capacity in our schedule. I've spoken to numerous operators who have not yet upgraded, and I'd guess we're going to be busy through June 2020 with ADS-B work.”

Elsewhere, Duncan Aviation has also named Sandra Phelps as its international parts and rotables sales representative dedicated to European Union member states. In this role, Phelps will specialise in aircraft parts sales in the European market, managing work orders, parts exchange transactions and international shipments, including hazardous material.

“Many of our EU customers have requested one point of contact for their aircraft parts support needs,” says Chris Gress, Duncan Aviation parts and rotables sales business development manager. “Sandra is familiar with European business, culture and aviation. Having lived in Europe for several years, she is a perfect fit to help these customers with their parts solutions.”

Since joining Duncan Aviation in 1999, Phelps has taken two leaves of absence to move to Europe with her husband, who served in the US Army. They lived in Germany and Italy and after his service there, they returned to the United States, where Phelps returned to Duncan Aviation. In 2016, she joined the parts and rotables international sales team.

“As the dedicated EU parts and rotables sales representative, I can respond to our customers' needs even quicker and will continue to provide the best customer service support possible,” she says.