Duncan Aviation Announces Team Member Transfers to Duncan Aviation-Provo

LINCOLN, NEB. — Duncan Aviation has announced that several team members have been selected for its Duncan Aviation-Provo, Utah, team.

Duncan Aviation-Provo will open in August and has an agreement with Million Air-Provo to lease hangar space from Million Air at the Provo Municipal Airport. The leased hangar will give Duncan Aviation 15,000 feet of space, a hangar footprint that will allow the equivalent of four Learjets or one Challenger and two Lears at a time.

When Duncan Aviation-Provo opens its doors, it will have service center authorizations from both Bombardier and Embraer. The facility will be a Bombardier Authorized Service Facility (ASF) for Learjet and Challenger aircraft as well as an Aircraft On Ground (AOG) Line Maintenance Facility (LMF) for Global aircraft.

As an Embraer Authorized Service Center, Duncan Aviation-Provo will provide support for the Embraer Legacy 600, Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 aircraft.

The Duncan Aviation team, which will consist of about 25 technicians experienced in Bombardier and Embraer aircraft, will provide full airframe services including major and minor hourly and calendar inspections as well as pre-purchase evaluations. Duncan Aviation-Provo will also offer line-level engine, avionics and interior support.

“In order to ensure that business processes and practices are consistent at all of Duncan Aviation’s facilities and that customers have an experience at Duncan Aviation-Provo that is similar to the experience customers have when they visit Lincoln or Battle Creek, many of the Duncan Aviation-Provo team members will transfer from Nebraska or Michigan to Utah,” says Bill Prochazka, Executive VP and General Manager of Duncan Aviation-Battle Creek.

The transfers that have already been announced include the following:

Bill Prochazka, Executive VP and General Manager. Bill currently holds the same title at Duncan Aviation-Battle Creek and has more than 30 years of experience in aviation, including various positions at Gates Learjet and Cessna Aircraft Company in Wichita. In Provo, his responsibilities will include general oversight of day-to-day operations and repair station requirements.

Mike Griffiths, Production Team Leader. Mike is a native of Wyoming who joined the U.S. Navy after graduating from high school. Upon discharge, he earned his A&P License and joined the Duncan Aviation team in 1983. He began his Duncan Aviation career in the parts department and soon advanced to the airframe shop, working as a mechanic, lead man and team leader. In 1994, Mike left Duncan Aviation to pursue other interests, but returned to the company’s airframe shop in 2005. Mike has been FlightSafety trained on the Lear 25, 35, 55, 60, Westwind 1124/1224A, and Astra 1125/1125SPX.

Matt Cooper, Second Shift Supervisor. Matt is currently a Lead Mechanic on our Bombardier team in Battle Creek. He came to Duncan Aviation nearly six years ago from Bombardier Aviation Services in Indianapolis and has 11 years in the industry, with virtually all of that time focused on Lear and Challenger aircraft. Matt holds an associate’s degree in aviation technology, is an A&P and has an extensive list of formal training on many of the airframes we will specialize in at Provo.

Mitch Robson, Weekend Shift Supervisor. Mitch is also from our Bombardier team in Battle Creek and has been with Duncan Aviation for nine years. Mitch came to Duncan Aviation from the Navy and has extensive training on Challenger 300s and 600s, including run qualification on the 604. He holds an A&P license and completed significant courses on structures and hydraulics while with the Navy. In addition to Mitch’s Bombardier background, he brings significant experience in Citations ranging from the 525 through the X.

James Holmes, Lead Engine Mechanic. James has been with Duncan Aviation since his graduation from Colorado Aero Tech in 2001. He has worked in the Engine MPI Shop and the Engine Line area in Lincoln and, most recently, has been with Duncan Aviation’s Rapid Response engine team based in Florida. With this team, he has ad the opportunity to service customers around the world, travelling to places like Venezuela, the Turks and Caicos.

Chad Prins, Avionics Technician III. Chad is a native of Michigan who joined the Air Force after graduation. He served as a Tactical Armament Systems Specialist working on F-15 and B-1 aircraft. Once separated, Chad went to school at Michigan Institute of Aeronautics where he earned his Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) Certificate. He then worked at USA Jet as an aircraft refueler and avionics technician. Chad joined Duncan Aviation in 2001 as an avionics install technician; he has been a crew lead for the last four years.

Alan Huggett, Project Manager. A native of Battle Creek, Alan left Michigan after high school to join the Air Force as an F-15 Mechanic. That is where he, as a dock chief, began developing his program management skills. After the Air Force, Alan worked at Flight International as an A&P Lear team member for 12-Year and 12,000-hour inspections. His professional aeronautics training helped him expand his management skills and he worked for a time as a maintenance sales rep and then a program manager. He came to Duncan Aviation in 1998 and worked as a Tech III on a Learjet team, a project manager and a service sales rep.

Todd Walker, Airframe Tech III. Todd began his career in the Army, working in food services. He earned his Culinary Arts degree from Johnson and Wales University in 1990. Todd left the food industry in 2000 to come to work for Duncan Aviation and has held positions including Airframe Mechanic Apprentice and Sheet Metal Tech I through III. He currently takes frequent trips in support of avionics installations work for Duncan Aviation’s satellite shops.

For more information about the Provo facility, please call Alan Huggett in Battle Creek at 269.969.8400 or Brad Homeyer or Brad Lennemann in Lincoln at 402.475.2611.

Duncan Aviation is an aircraft service provider supporting the aviation needs of government and business operators and other service providers. Services include major and minor airframe inspections and maintenance, engine services, major retrofits for cabin and cockpit systems in addition to full paint and interior services and aircraft sales and acquisitions. Duncan Aviation also has aircraft components solutions experts available 24/7/365 at 800.228.1836 or 402.475.4125 (international) who can handle any aircraft system problem with immediate exchanges, rotables, loaners or avionics/instrument/accessory/propeller repairs and overhauls.

Complete service facilities are located in Lincoln, Neb., and Battle Creek, Mich. Additional locations include more than 20 satellite avionics facilities strategically located throughout the United States.