Summer 2012 HBC FlightPath Global Customer Support newsletter

the

global customer support magazine

Summer 2012 / issue no. 8

Our Commitment is Unchanged: Providing Top Products and Service the new Hawker 900XP we were about to take delivery on and one was the 2009 Hawker 900XP we flew to Little Rock, which completed its 1,600–hour inspection during the time we were on the ground for the final acceptance process.

Global Customer Support Management Team — Left to Right: Bob Recchio, Brian Howell, Roger Smeltzer Sr., Greg Graber, Mike Sloan, Christi Tannahill

As you may know, Hawker Beechcraft Corporation recently announced the terms of a financial restructuring plan that has already strengthened the company for the future. As we continue this process, I wanted to take the opportunity to tell you what this means for our customers.

During the early days of this process, we experienced a few unfortunate challenges with parts availability that created longer than usual turn times. We acknowledge those challenges but want to reassure you that those days are past us. Most importantly, HBC continues to conduct business and serve customers around the world. All orders for available products are being fulfilled and our commitment to providing the best products and service in the industry remains unchanged.

I’d like to illustrate that by sharing this story from Suran Wijayawardana, president of aircraft management company ACP Jets.

“It was an amazing moment, in late June, sitting on the ramp in Little Rock looking at two identically painted aircraft. One was

what’s inside

“I felt at that moment that I was the most important customer for Hawker Beechcraft. The team there had just delivered an aircraft, which was built and presented perfectly, and it was clear to me during my interactions that the employees at HBC are some of the hardest-working people in the industry. They take great pride in the product, the service they deliver and most importantly the company, even in difficult times.”

You can read more about Suran's experiences inside this issue.

The Global Customer Support organization, including Hawker Beechcraft Services and Hawker Beechcraft Parts & Distribution, is a core part of the company’s business, supporting more than 36,000 aircraft flying around the globe today.

Each and every day, our team is focused on building and improving the services and infrastructure that enhance your resale value, decrease your operating expenses and increase mission capability.

With more than 600,000 square feet of hangar service space and 1.8 million available man-hours, as well as $375 million in parts inventory at 17 warehouses and distribution centers worldwide, this team is well positioned to provide any inspection, installation, part or modification you may require.

This combined with 24/7, live expert technical and field support, as well as strategically located mobile service and quick-response teams, is designed to instill confidence and peace of mind that no one will take better care of your airplane.

Christi Tannahill Senior Vice President Global Customer Support

ACP JETS/ hawker partnership

chester masters quick conversion

400XPr upgrade progresses

pg. 2-3

pg. 6

pg. 7

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Tab le of C ont e nt s features Pages 2–3

customer testimonial

ACP Jets Builds Business with Hawker Partnership Page 4

product upgrades

Page 5

customer service

Blackhawk/G1000 Upgrades Transform King Airs Northeast U.S. Service Center Opens Page 6

technology

Chester Facility Masters Quick Conversion Page 7 product upgrades

400XPr Upgrade Progresses Towards Certification Page 8

customer service

Page 9

hawker beechcraft services

An Aviation Treasure Chest Demand High for In-House Repair Design Expertise

DEPARTMENTS Page 10–13

our team

technical publications

Page 14 Meet the Team Page 15 people and places

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ACP Jets Builds with Hawker Pa ACP Jets started its operations in March 2009 and has quickly grown into one of the premier charter management companies, and achieved ARG/US Platinum and IS-BAO approvals. Three separate times during a 45–minute conversation with cofounder Suran Wijayawardana, the company’s story leads him to recalling the names of employees who have played an important role in making the startup a success despite launching during an economic downturn.

But these aren’t names of some of the 35 employees at the West Palm Beach, Fla.–based operation. These are the names of Hawker Beechcraft employees—from sales support to field service representatives to service technicians and more.

“I always feel Hawker Beechcraft is an extension of our company and part of my team,” said Suran, ACP’s cofounder and president. “We started with two Hawker 800As to get us off the ground and push our concept. Since then, we’ve grown our Hawker fleet and we rely on the Global Customer Support team to keep the aircraft readily available to go to work for our customers. Hawker is the backbone of ACP Jets.”

When Suran says that Hawker is the backbone of the company, he’s talking about the aircraft and he’s talking about the service and support that keep the aircraft flying.

ACP Jets, a Part 135 aircraft management company, started in 2009 with seven employees and the two Hawker 800As. “I like to say that in lieu of funding in what was a tough economic climate and a tough time in general aviation, we put the two Hawkers to work for us,” Suran said. “Their dispatch reliability rates gave us a good foundation to move forward with our goals to grow the company when others were downsizing.”

Just three years later, the company has 35 employees and a fleet of eight aircraft, five of which are Hawkers: a 400XP, 800A, 850XP and two 900XP, including a newly delivered 2012 model.

ACP has owner profiles up and down the east coast. The owners fly their aircraft less than 100 hours each, and ACP provides turnkey management solutions, including providing charter revenue. Due to the reputation of its charter operation, Suran said, each aircraft averages about 500 flight hours per year, high– capacity utilization that is only possible because the aircraft are always readily available.

s Business artnership

New Aircraft Management Company Considers Global Customer Support Vital to the Success of its Business

“Last year we flew the Hawker 900XP almost 600 hours, with less than 6 percent of those hours being non-revenue. We had 98.4 percent dispatch reliability,” Suran reported. “Besides the great reliability, the Hawkers fit the mission profile we aim for, the operational efficiency required in the on-demand charter environment, and the cabin is very desirable to the typical customers we see.”

“At ACP Jets we’ve built a strong industry reputation for delivering every time we are called upon,” he added, “and I trust Hawker Beechcraft because they do the same.”

According to Suran, the bottom line for ACP is that labor and parts expenses for the fleet of Hawkers has been “way below norms,” and any maintenance — routine or unscheduled — is handled by Hawker Beechcraft’s Global Customer Support team seamlessly.

“The transparency at Hawker Beechcraft really stands out to me,” he said. “If we have an aircraft at a Hawker Beechcraft Services facility or we have an AOG situation, we receive constant communications throughout the day in a timely, forthcoming manner. This mimics the transparency we show our clients, and makes it easy for us to manage our business knowing we will always get the same from HBC.” Among the highlights of ACP’s customer support experiences: • A positive pre-buy inspection conducted by Hawker Beechcraft Services on a pre-owned Hawker 400XP. “All of our Hawker owners are first-time aircraft owners,” Suran reported, and a pre-buy inspection can be imperative for new owners. “There is a difference between merely checking off boxes and truly digging into an aircraft’s pedigree and giving us an evaluation that ensures the aircraft will match the demands of our operation,” he said.

“Randy Deal and the entire HBS team made this happen for us.”

• Hawker Beechcraft Services employees working within the service center network to move a 1,600–hour inspection from Tampa to HBS Little Rock to take advantage of ACP’s schedule.

“Scott Sweeney and his team were very cognizant of our out date and timed it perfectly down to the minute,” he shared. “Not to mention, we departed with a perfect aircraft and zero return items.”

ACP’s routine maintenance trips to nearby HBS Tampa are convenient because of the facility's ability to accommodate a tight schedule. “We fly these aircraft so much, there’s not much notice when we bring them in. I don’t hear ‘no’ from Hawker Beechcraft, whether it’s from the sales side or the service team,” he said.

Field service rep Tim Mau, who is always available no matter the time of day or night, uses his resourcefulness and troubleshooting skills to help keep ACP on schedule. “We take tremendous comfort in knowing he’s there for us,” Suran said.

“I could give you another dozen examples and name many more Hawker Beechcraft employees,” he added. “These are some of the hardest-working people in the industry. They take a lot of pride in the company, in the products they build and in the service they provide. The culture of the company is unique and something ACP Jets gravitates toward.”

Learn more About acp jets at acpjets.com 3

Blackhawk/G1000 Upgrades Transform King Airs Beechcraft King Air 200 and C90 series operators around the globe have discovered that combining a Blackhawk Engine Upgrade with the addition of an all-glass Garmin G1000 flight deck truly transforms their aircraft.

The Blackhawk engine upgrade is currently available for 200 series and C90A/B series aircraft. The G1000 upgrade is available for most King Air 300/350, 200 and C90B series aircraft.

The G1000 gives pilots enhanced levels of operational simplicity and increased situational awareness. By fully integrating avionics functionality, including flight instrumentation, navigation, weather, terrain, traffic and engine data — all on large-format, high-resolution displays custom configured to the operator’s choice — the result is dramatically improved flight deck efficiency, reliability and safety.

} Replaces your aircraft’s mechanical flight instruments with a super-reliable, solid-state Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS) } New integrated autopilot flies your aircraft smoothly to optimize performance over the entire airspeed envelope } Built-in terrain and navigation databases provide a concise picture of where you are and where you’re heading } Graphical color coding alerts you when proximity conflicts loom ahead } Numerous synthetic vision, weather and charting options The Blackhawk Engine Upgrade gives operators similar performance levels as the current production King Air 200GT and C90GT — for a fraction of the cost. The upgrade replaces the original early-generation 40-series and 20-series engines with factory-new Pratt & Whitney PT6A-52, or PT6A-61 engines on the 200 series and PT6A-135A engines on the C90A/B Series, and is complete with a new engine warranty. The new engines can be installed quickly with no need for extended downtime or the inconvenience of returning the aircraft to remove rental engines.

“Just more than 200 Blackhawk King Air engine upgrades have been completed worldwide, making it the most successful King Air engine upgrade program by far,” said Christi Tannahill, Senior Vice President, Global Customer Support. “The Blackhawk upgrade provides proven elevated performance levels and safety in a For more information contact: simple bolt-on package requiring minimal airBill Cadow at +1.813.340.0248 frame modification for a little more than the bill_cadow@hawkerbeechcraft.com cost of an overhaul.”

Mobile technical support Bringing the service center to you Expedited on-site minor unscheduled maintenance, parts changes and troubleshooting at

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get.hawkerbeechcraftinfo.com or 800-429-5372, Prompt 8

Northeast U.S. Service Center Opens

Experience “Hands-On” Training with Actual Aircraft Interface.

Contributed by Bob Recchio Vice President of Operations and Quality The newest Hawker Beechcraft Services company-owned factory service center opened in April at New Castle County Airport (KILG) in Wilmington, Del., bringing world-class customer service and support to a very convenient location for many of our customers in the northeast region of the United States.

HBS Wilmington offers airframe, engine, avionics, modifications and mobile service support for the company’s entire product line, from single-engine Bonanzas to the super-midsize Hawker 4000 business jet.

The facility is approximately 60,000 square feet, including 40,000 square feet of hangar space, 8,500 square feet of back shop space and 10,000 square feet of office space.

Delaware is home to a productive and talented work force and it’s a state that has no sales tax. It’s also ideal geographically as it’s centrally located among several key population centers representing a large Hawker Beechcraft installed base. FlightSafety International currently offers Hawker and Premier training at KILG, which is easy to get into and out of by business aircraft.

Wilmington also has exceptional train service to New York City and it’s only 30 minutes from Philadelphia by car.

With the addition of HBS Wilmington and the impending grand opening of the facility at Aeropuerto del Norte in Monterrey, Mexico, Global Customer Support’s company-owned service center hangar space surpasses 600,000 square feet, and leads the industry with a global network of more than 100 factory-owned and authorized service centers.

Classes forming now for: Hawker 750, 800XP, 850XP, 900XP, 4000 King Air C90, 300/350 Series To enroll or for more information, contact FlightSafety Learning Center:

316.612.5400

Left to Right: Alan Levin, Secretary–Dept of Economic Development; Jack Markell–Governor of Delaware; Christi Tannahill, Sr. Vice President–Global Customer Support; Bill Lowe–Delaware River and Bay Authority Commissioner; Robert Recchio, Vice President–Operations and Quality; Mike Johnston, General Manager– HBS Wilmington; Allen McReynolds, Director–HBS Operations; Randy Blad–Real Estate Manager

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Chester Facility Masters Quick Conversion Time is Essential When An Aircraft Must Convert From Business Jet to Air Ambulance Recently, the owner of a Hawker 900XP had a challenge for Hawker Beechcraft Services: design a system enabling the midsize business jet to undergo a role change from its VIP layout to a medical evacuation ­— or air ambulance — configuration.

The customer had two key requirements: retain the style and comfort of the VIP interior and ensure the conversion could be made

version include equipment for basic and advanced life support, stretcher kits for stable patients on medical transfers, infant transport decks, accessories for securing medical equipment and monitoring devices, and customized patient-loading systems designed specifically for each aircraft. Medical equipment is seat-rail mounted, and can be easily removed.

Hawker Beechcraft has a long history in medevac production,

in less than an hour. The aircraft had important business trips to make and also conducted medical emergency flights. Minimum having manufactured nearly 40 percent of all airplanes currently downtime was critical for a quick response to medical situations. registered to air ambulance operators around the globe­ — almost The challenge was brought to the Hawker Beechcraft Services twice as many as the next manufacturer. The majority are King team in Chester because of employees’ experience and knowlAir and Hawker 900, 800 and 700–series aircraft; however, edge of the Hawker platform. The facility has been modifying nearly all Hawker and Beechcraft products can be converted for Hawker 900, 800 and 700–series aircraft for nearly 50 years. air ambulance service and completed at the company’s factoryThe team came through, developing a solution and performowned service centers. ing the modifications in just two months. The system received For more information contact: full approval from both the European Aviation Safety Authority John Mitchell at +44 (0) 1244.52.3778 and the General Authority of Civil Aviation of the Kingdom of john_mitchell@hawkerbeechcraft.com Saudi Arabia, where the customer operates the Hawker 900XP. “This was a very demanding request and our team in Chester responded enthusiastically with the design and implementation of a highly integrated system that fully met the customer’s requirements,” said Christi Tannahill, Senior Vice President, Global Customer Support. “With our center of technical excellence in Chester, 900XP Before 900XP After we expect to be delivering many similar converVIP/Air ambulance quick-conversion platform options: sions in the region over the coming years.”

Hawker 4000 / Hawker 800 & 900 Series / King Air 200 & 300 Series Features of the VIP/air ambulance quick con-

Life-saving missions In addition to medical missions, many Hawker and Beechcraft aircraft are used in supporting roles such as this rescue in the Solomon Islands east of Papua New Guinea: According to Australian officials, in late May an island trading vessel carrying 49 people failed to arrive at port as expected. Aircraft were summoned to look for the ferry. Four days after the search started, a Hawker 850XP operated by the Queensland Government Air Wing was the first to spot possible life rafts. The sighting was quickly confirmed by a low-pass of a Royal Australian Air Force aircraft, and all 49 people, including children, were rescued.

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400XPr Upgrade Progresses Toward Certification First flight of engine test article achieved May was an eventful month for the Hawker 400XPr and 800XPr programs: the first flight of the 400XPr engine test article was successful and an 800XPr customer provided a strong endorsement for both programs by ordering a 400XPr. Hawker’s XPr programs offer more power with new engines, improved aerodynamic performance with Genuine Hawker TM Winglets, as well as optional upgrades to avionics, interiors and paint. They are available exclusively through factory-owned Hawker Beechcraft Service facilities worldwide. FAA and EASA certification of the Hawker 800XPr upgrade was achieved in 2011. Certification of the Hawker 400XPr engines and winglets is expected later this year.

On May 3, the 58-minute first flight of the 400XPr test article featuring Williams International FJ44-4A-32 engines occurred in Uvalde, Texas, with the aircraft/engine combination performing flawlessly.

Later that month at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition, Nordic-based JoinJet ordered a Hawker 400XPr to expand its charter services.

“JoinJet has been so pleased with the performance and operating costs of the Hawker 800XPr, they took delivery, in the third quarter last year,” said Christi Tannahill, Hawker Beechcraft Senior Vice President, Global Customer Support.

Kristoffer Sundberg, general manager of JoinJet, said, “We wanted to purchase a segment-leading aircraft with unmatched technology without having to sacrifice efficiency, so we are

delighted to confirm the purchase of the Hawker 400XPr. With its greater range, increased performance and state-of-the-art technology ­­­­— integrated with outstanding payload flexibility and value — we are sure the 400XPr will prove an invaluable addition to our fleet.”

Hawker Beechcraft offers customized XPr upgrade packages for existing Hawker/Beechjet 400 owners, as well as XPr Factory Completed Aircraft for those who do not currently own an aircraft. Both the XPr upgrade and Factory Completed Aircraft include performance, cost and reliability enhancements that are available only through Hawker Beechcraft. Importantly, the enhancements are the exclusive factory-designed, engineered and supported upgrades available for the Hawker/Beechjet 400.

On July 21, 2012, the Hawker Beechcraft Services facility at Fulton County, GA in Atlanta received the first customer conversion aircraft in the 400XPr program. This aircraft is taking advantage of the certified 4-tube Pro Line 21 avionics from Rockwell Collins, offered for the first time on 400-series aircraft direct from the manufacturer. Operators all over the world will immediately benefit from the enhanced situational awareness, greater functionality such as WAAS LPV, and optional IFIS.

For more information on the XPr programs: visit: xpr.hawkerbeechcraft.com contact: Randy Znamenak at +1.316.993.7409 randy_znamenak@hawkerbeechcraft.com 7

An Aviation Treasure Chest Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tennessee offers one-of-a-kind experience of airplanes. It also has a mission to promote aviation education to youth and adults.

With 60,000 square feet of exhibit space on its campus, the museum houses 30 aircraft: Staggerwing, Twin Beech and Bonanza are the main collections, then there are other aircraft sprinkled in such as Travel Air, Twin Bonanza, Baron and Starship.

“No question, the centerpiece of the collection is the first Staggerwing and the first Beechcraft product produced — a Model 17R,” McNabb said. “We have some other really neat machines

Visitors have come from Europe, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, China, South America, Central America and, certainly, throughout North America.

They might be in the area on business or vacation, they might deviate from their flight plan 200 miles to stop in, or they might be participating in a fly-in, as did the pilot who flew his Staggerwing in from western Canada last year.

No matter where they come from or how they get there, they leave the Beechcraft Heritage Museum adjacent to the Tullahoma, Tenn., Regional Airport (KTHA) with a unique history lesson on not only Beechcraft but also early general aviation.

“I’m sitting in my office looking at a field full of Meyers airplanes

as well. Of 20 rare G-Model Staggerwings produced, we currently have two in the same hangar right now. One is ours and one is on loan. I consider the G-Model to be another gem in our collection.”

Beyond the aircraft, there are exhibits showcasing one-of-akind artifacts and memorabilia. Company drawings, wind tunnel models, aircraft cutaways, Louise Thaden’s flying trophies (she flew Travel Airs while beating out Amelia Earhart in numerous races), furniture from Olive Ann Beech’s office and much more.

While the Beechcraft Heritage Museum is not directly supported by Hawker Beechcraft Corp., the museum had Olive Ann Beech’s blessing when it started 40 years ago and still enjoys a supportive relationship with the company, the Beech family and Beechcraft enthusiasts everywhere.

right now,” said Wade McNabb, curator and CEO of the museum, and son of one of the organization’s founders. “We attract many people with or without a specific interest in aviation, and those with an aviation interest aren’t always Beechcraft owners.

“Anyone interested in airplanes will find it fascinating,” he added. “The artifacts, the airplanes themselves, the architecture of our buildings and the campus — we have a comfortable place to come and see some really neat stuff.”

As Hawker Beechcraft Corp. celebrates its 80th birthday this year, the museum is preparing to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2013. Museum members will start the celebration at the annual Beech Party this October.

The museum began as the Staggerwing Museum Foundation in 1973, formed by Staggerwing Club enthusiasts who had a connection to the Tennessee area. Today, it’s a living and working aviation museum that traces the lineage of the Beechcraft family

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Learn more: BeechcraftHeritageMuseum.org

Demand High for In-House Repair Design Expertise Every year, Hawker Beechcraft’s Repair Design Office (RDO) has roughly 2,000 requests to help owners and operators develop creative, workable solutions to get their aircraft back in the air, safely and quickly.

When an aircraft is grounded for any reason, and part replacement is not feasible or published repair options are not available, the RDO team develops a temporary or permanent repair, as appropriate.

“Our goal is to use our unique expertise and knowledge base to help get damaged aircraft flying again, so the airplane is available as a business tool in the near term and so its value is protected for the long term,” said Scott Lysen, business development manager, RDO. “By coming directly to Hawker Beechcraft’s RDO, owners are assured they are getting the best repair design because we are the only ones with access to HBC’s extensive technical documentation, factory data and design drawings.”

Based in Wichita, the RDO team has seen increased activity of about 10 percent per year recently, in part because owners are keeping their aircraft longer due to the economic climate.

Protecting the aircraft’s value has never been more important.

To handle the increased workflow and to better serve customers, RDO is improving the initial damage reporting process.

“The damage report is the most critical aspect of the entire process,” Lysen said. “If it is filled out correctly and thoroughly,

we can trim hours and, in some cases days, off of developing the repair drawing. Our new online procedure guides mechanics through an efficient and factual process of documenting the damage so RDO can assess the repair correctly and efficiently.”

Another option for owners is to contract with HBC to have a member of the RDO team come on-site to conduct the damage assessment.

The RDO department consists of 12 engineers, including a Structures Unit Member (UM) — the same as an FAA Designated Engineering Representative (DER) but under HBC’s Organization Delegation Authorization, ODA — and two customer service representatives. The team also has access to as many as six engineers at the company’s Hawker Beechcraft Services facility in Chester, England. Requests are often coordinated through Global Customer Support, Hawker Beechcraft Services or Hawker Beechcraft Authorized Service Centers, but RDO provides service to all owners, operators and repair facilities, too.

In the development of repair solutions, RDO’s engineers evaluate the damage impact on the affected parts of the aircraft, including operational stress, functional requirements and available serviceable life.

For more information contact: csd_rdo@hawkerbeechcraft.com

YOUR AIRCRAFT SHOULD REFLECT YOUR IMAGE AND YOUR BRAND Now is the time to update your image at Hawker Beechcraft Services. We provide full-service interior customizing and refurbishment as well as aircraft paint services within today’s most advanced paint facilities. The highly-trained designers and technicians at Hawker Beechcraft Services are well known for their flawless paint results. From the latest factory styles, to edgier custom designs — nothing is too mild or too wild for the artisans at Hawker Beechcraft, regardless of the aircraft make or model. Update your image today!

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