Duncan Aviation has installed a Gogo 5G air-to-ground connectivity system on its own Citation Excel (N1KD), used to move vice-presidents, managers and team members between the company's full-service facilities and satellite locations.

Gogo's 5G ATG network offers a notable increase in speed over earlier ATG systems, with coverage across the contiguous United States and parts of Canada. Fleet programme manager PK Duncan used the system during a two-hour flight on N1KD, answering emails, updating schedules and managing Microsoft to-do lists through Outlook, while moving between Outlook, the internal myDuncan system and other internal platforms.

PK Duncan, fleet programme manager, says: “The speed and connection were stable throughout the flight and exceeded my already high expectations. It was refreshing to know that a flight would not affect my busy work schedule, but rather it made my busy travel day feel more like a normal work day, which is greatly appreciated in this fast-paced environment of aviation.”

Before Duncan's flight, several team members flew from Lincoln, Nebraska, to Houston, Texas, to test the system, giving managers and vice-presidents the chance to assess its performance ahead of recommending it to customers. Kramer Lyons, vice-president and general counsel, adds: “I logged into our Virtual Private Network (VPN) and downloaded documents, sent and received emails, and listened to an audio book. The Wi-Fi worked great and allowed me to stay connected to my team while we were working on several projects.”

Bruno Mazzani, business development manager for Duncan Aviation satellites, tested streaming and messaging apps on an Android phone, including YouTube, Instagram and Netflix, alongside voice and video calls on WhatsApp, and adds that email and large file transfers via WhatsApp and email also worked without issue.

Nate Klenke, manager of the Lincoln completions/modifications service sales team, connected 16 devices to the network during a full flight to test its capacity, remaining in contact with Gogo representatives throughout. Klenke adds: “I completed several FaceTime calls during the flight, and I feel that my overall experience and that of the other passengers yielded acceptable results. The Gogo 5G connectivity system met and, in many cases, exceeded our expectations.” Equipment is available for a range of business jet models with certification paths already in place.