Gulfstream Stengthens Support for U.S. Operators

Oct. 21, 2013
It has added three specially outfitted Field and Airborne Support Team (FAST) vehicles and two field service representatives (FSRs), Kevin Volland and Tony Tommasino.

LAS VEGAS, October 21, 2013 — Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. today announced it has bolstered its support of U.S.-based Gulfstream aircraft operators with the addition of three specially outfitted Field and Airborne Support Team (FAST) vehicles and two field service representatives (FSRs), Kevin Volland and Tony Tommasino.

The new rapid-response Gulfstream FAST vehicles were deployed to Houston and the New York and Los Angeles metropolitan areas. Each custom-designed vehicle, which typically has a team of two or three technicians, is particularly effective in supporting operators in aircraft-on-ground situations because of its quick response time and the tooling it transports.

The new FSRs will support operators based in or traveling through the Pacific Northwest, Arizona and Nevada.

“We have more than 250 operators combined in the areas where we’ve added these resources,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream Product Support. “The first FAST vehicle has been well-received by customers. These additional trucks and the FAST technicians who work out of them have had the same kind of impact in other areas with a high concentration of Gulfstream aircraft. Going to the customer saves time on their end, which enables the aircraft to make its next scheduled flight and reduces downtime.”

The onboard capabilities of the FAST trucks include:
• Line-service repairs
• Engine changes
• Post-flight and storage inspections
• Minor scheduled inspections
• Minor cabin interior repairs

Two of the new vehicles feature a 24-foot-long by 8-foot-wide box on a medium-duty commercial chassis cab. The other new truck has a slightly smaller box attached to a medium-duty commercial cab and frame. Inclement weather is not a deterrent to the work scope on these vehicles since technicians work directly out of the box or work station. The vehicles are equipped with technical data access, a consolidated toolbox, replacement parts, a generator, a ground power unit, a lift, a hydraulic mule, an air compressor and jacks.

The three new FAST vehicles are based at Van Nuys Airport near Los Angeles, William P. Hobby Airport in Houston and Teterboro Airport just outside of New York in Teterboro, N.J. The first FAST truck was launched in northern California in December 2012.

“These FAST teams are self-sufficient entities, plus our company-owned service centers in Long Beach, Calif.; Westfield, Mass.; and Dallas are not far and can easily supplement personnel, tooling and materials,” Burns said.

Gulfstream’s FAST program in North America includes two dedicated G150 aircraft and more than 20 technicians and pilots. Parts and personnel are transported to customers in need 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Adding further depth to Gulfstream’s customer support efforts in the U.S. is the addition of Volland and Tommasino to the FSR team.

Volland covers Washington state, Oregon, Alaska and British Columbia. Approximately 30 Gulfstream aircraft operate in this region.

Volland, a 20-year aviation professional who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, was most recently a member of Satcom Direct’s Technical Support staff in Savannah. The former Gulfstream avionics technician and instructor is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Tommasino covers Arizona and Nevada. Gulfstream has more than 45 operators based in the Phoenix and Las Vegas areas. The company’s support network includes a service center in Las Vegas.

Tommasino has 28 years of experience in aviation. Before joining Gulfstream, he was maintenance manager for Executive Aircraft Maintenance in Scottsdale and Glendale, Ariz. He earned a bachelor’s degree in aeronautics from Embry-Riddle.

“Kevin and Tony are great additions to our well-trained and highly skilled team of FSRs,” Burns
said.

Gulfstream has nearly 45 FSRs strategically positioned worldwide.

Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD),
designs, develops, manufactures, markets, services and supports the world’s most technologically advanced business-jet aircraft. Gulfstream has produced more than 2,100 aircraft for customers around the world since 1958. To meet the diverse transportation needs of the future, Gulfstream offers a comprehensive fleet of aircraft, comprising the wide-cabin, high-speed Gulfstream G150®; the new large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G280®; the large-cabin, long-range Gulfstream G450®; the large-cabin, ultralong-range Gulfstream G550® and the ultra-large-cabin, ultra-long-range G650®. Gulfstream also offers aircraft ownership services via Gulfstream Pre-Owned Aircraft Sales®. The company employs more than 13,500 people at 12 major locations. We invite you to visit our website for more information and photos of Gulfstream aircraft at www.gulfstream.com.

General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies. More information about the company is available on the Internet at www.generaldynamics.com.