Recip Technology: Mobile Maintenance Service

Cessna Aircraft’s goal is to have customers feel confident that wherever their aircraft operates or is based, they will get the same quality of maintenance service and support that is provided in a Regional Citation service center. Cessna’s ServiceDirect offers customers a range of maintenance options, such as posting independent technicians with the customer for a short period of time, or embedding them long term. Cessna can also become the customer’s complete in-house maintenance department. Whatever option is selected, the corporate customer’s scheduled and unscheduled maintenance is delivered by either Cessna trained maintenance specialists, the mobile service units (MSU), or the Air Response Team (ART).
The age, location, and condition of the customer’s aircraft generally determine the type of service provided. If the AOG is in a remote location, and the necessary LRU is in another country, then ART is quickly on the way. Last year, ART flew about 160 such missions. Or, if the AOG is in a local airport that does not have maintenance service, then an MSU can be dispatched.

MSUs are full-size service trucks that perform a variety of diagnostic and maintenance functions. Today, Cessna has four MSUs located in North Carolina, Texas, Arizona, and Southern California. According to Matt Melillo, general manager of ServiceDirect maintenance operations, Cessna plans to add additional units in the Midwest, Central Texas, the South, Great Lakes, Northern California, the Northeast/New England, Florida, the Rockies, and Canada.

According to Stan Younger, vice president service facilities, Cessna is able to provide this service because it has a staff of well-trained and dedicated maintenance technicians. Last year Cessna delivered around 7,000 man-hours of training to its maintenance technicians. When hiring local technicians for a service center or to work independently in the customer’s organization, Cessna looks for motivated self-starters that have both business and service experience. Per Younger, Cessna carefully recruits, hires, and develops AMTs that will deliver the Cessna brand promise. “It is essential that our global customers know that when they buy a Cessna aircraft they will get cradle to grave service and support from professional maintenance technicians.” This concept has been a business success, and has received positive reviews from both owners and operators. The bar is being raised on both aftermarket maintenance service and for AMTs that will deliver this service.
— Charles Chandler