SAVANNAH, Ga., May 16, 2011 — Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. today announced the growth of its mobile product support network, with the introduction of Field and Airborne Support Teams. Known as Gulfstream FAST, these dedicated groups will ultimately combine maintenance expertise with the resources of the company’s Airborne Product Support (APS) unit and its on-the-road mobile support vehicles to create fast-moving, responsive mobile repair teams.
Gulfstream FAST members can be dispatched by airplane, train, automobile or van to tackle maintenance issues for Gulfstream aircraft around the world. They are an integral part of the largest company-owned product support network in business aviation, with more than 3,300 professionals. It is also consistently ranked by trade publications as the premier organization of its kind.
“Whether the job is as big as removing an engine or as small as changing tires, the Gulfstream FAST specializes in getting to AOG (aircraft-on-ground) situations quickly and completing their work efficiently,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream Product Support. “The international growth we’ve seen demands that we continue to give operators the best support possible, and this team is all about excellence.”The first FAST is based in Europe, with two maintenance engineers in Geneva, one in Altenrhein, Switzerland, and one in Greece. The mobile team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond to maintenance requests in the field.
Each of the four Europe-based engineers is type-rated on multiple Gulfstream aircraft models. Three in the group are European Aviation Safety Agency-licensed mechanical and electrical engineers. All of them have earned a Federal Aviation Administration airframe and power plant license.
“These individuals could be called ‘super engineers’ because they have the credentials of a group twice as big,” said Greg Hammerstein, director, Field Services, Gulfstream. “In addition to being extremely well-trained engineering-wise, they are also bilingual, and in some cases, speak three or more languages. They are able to go anywhere, anytime, and put an aircraft back into service. Over time, what we have in Europe will be duplicated in North America, South America and elsewhere.”
Traditionally, engineers and technicians based at Gulfstream’s service center in Luton, England, supported European, Middle Eastern and Asian operators facing an AOG situation. Now, Gulfstream FAST members are the primary responders. The members can easily access more than $1.2 billion in parts and materials around the world, with more than $100 million of those at Gulfstream warehouses in Madrid and Luton. The team can also draw upon the resources at Gulfstream’s Luton service center and 11 authorized warranty repair and warranty line-service facilities across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
The FAST in North America will have access to APS, the first of its kind airborne aircraft maintenance and support program. The 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week operation uses two dedicated G100 aircraft to deliver flight-essential parts or engineers to customers whose aircraft are under warranty in North America and the Caribbean. FAST members can also use mobile support vehicles, including specially outfitted trucks and vans that are strategically located across the U.S.
Gulfstream FAST members can work in conjunction with one or more of the 14 Gulfstream field service representatives, who provide technical support to operators in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, serving as their liaison to Gulfstream.
