Views from the Hangar

We asked companies to discuss their views of the maintenance marketplace:

Walter Rittenhouse, senior vice president technical services, Banyan Air Service (turbine aircraft maintenance, avionics, modification services):

"Our maintenance workload has increased dramatically during the past year. All departments are busy. Our facilities are adequate to meet the need, but we are working hard at bringing on additional technicians. This is no easy task, as most general aviation maintenance facilities are working at capacity today and most talented technicians are employed. The biggest problem we have faced has been the peaks and valleys of work flow. Right now we can see activity well into the future, but there are still in recent memory periods when we were hard-pressed to keep the technicians busy and the shops profitable."

Ian Walsh, vice president, general manager Lycoming Engines (piston engine manufacturing and overhaul):

"We are making substantial process improvement on the aftermarket line. The purpose is to eliminate waste and thus improve cycle time and cost, while also improving safety. Part of this process improvement also encompasses improved forecasting. This helps reduce variation coming into the plant. The largest growth opportunities for us are making our engines smarter and more economical. From a maintenance perspective, this means carefully evaluating how we improve all aspects of the engine such as accessories versus new engines. Systems integration fore and aft of the firewall is also a place we are exploring growth opportunities. An engine is the hardware, and it is time for the hardware to outpace the software. The biggest opportunity for Lycoming is to reduce our cycle time in the maintenance side of our business. Customers demand faster turn times on their aftermarket engines.

Paul Fanelli, president and CEO, Aerospace Products International (parts distribution and supply chain management):

"[Business is] up double digits. Some of our customers have said that they are having a hard time finding qualified mechanics, which is hurting their business. [Largest growth opportunities are] corporate aviation, regional airlines. We're tailoring an exchange pool, and providing more personal attention through an expanded field sales force. [Customers] are looking for reliable service with consistent performance and quality. They need to be able to count on the turnaround times so they can meet their commitment to their customers."