Flyaway Kits Improve Mission Confidence for Bizjet Customers
BY PRATT & WHITNEY CUSTOMER SERVICE
Our exclusive Flyaway Kits support operators’ maintenance needs by letting them bring commonly needed parts on board, which can be used to drive rapid return to service and minimize downtime.
Instance Access to Critical Engine Parts
Think of it as a Swiss Army knife for your business jet’s engines. The Flyaway Kit (also known as Remote Maintenance Kit) is a portable case packed with strategically selected parts and line maintenance items that you can bring on board and take with you whenever you fly.
For Fimco Industries, the advantages of having a kit for its Gulfstream 200 jet powered by two PW306A engines are clear. “The kit contains the very parts that could avert an AOG event. In fact, we had one incident where having this kit would have salvaged our trip. We had an event in which I could not start the right engine due to the igniters. Had we had this kit that evening we could have been airborne within the hour,” explains Charlie Polkinghorn, Chief Pilot.
I was pleasantly surprised when we received the kit. It is professional looking and very well laid-out and organized. It has an information sheet just inside with contacts to replenish any part that is used. It’s a very well thought-out and executed product.
- Charlie Polkinghorn, Chief Pilot, Fimco Industries
As Ridha El-Khairy, Senior Manager, Commercial Business Development, explains, these engines are as reliable as any in the industry, but the Flyaway Kits provide a valuable backup option in certain unusual situations.
For instance, there could be an aircraft-level issue such as fuel contamination that requires the fuel filter on the engine side to be replaced unexpectedly.
There have been a few occasions when operators needed parts and they were not readily available in their location. When that happened, the customer was able to use parts in their Flyaway Kit to accelerate their return to service and maintain their flight schedule.
- Ridha El-Khairy, Senior Manager, Commercial Business Development
Rolling Out Flyaway Kits to More Customers
The Flyaway Kit, an OEM exclusive offer, was first introduced in 2017 for customers operating Falcon jets powered by PW307A/D or PW308C/C+ engines enrolled on our Platinum Eagle Service Plan™ (ESP™) maintenance program.
Operators have made it clear that they appreciate the improved mission confidence and dispatch flexibility that the kit gives them, especially in remote parts of the world where there are sometimes logistical issues in obtaining parts because of delays clearing customs.
That’s why we’re now making the kits available to operators on ESP Gold and Gold Light maintenance plans. We’ve also introduced a smaller Flyaway Kit for PW306A-powered Gulfstream G200 customers.
“The majority of these business jet operators are enrolled on our pay-per-hour program, so by including Flyaway Kits as part of ESP we’re ensuring these customers have express access to this new service offering,” notes Christophe Deveaux, Senior Customer Manager, Turbofan Segment.
It’s part of a series of steps designed to integrate various value-added services that support proactive maintenance and availability into customers’ ESP coverage. Other recent additions include our Oil Analysis Technology and Global Engine Connectivity.
Tailored Parts for Each Engine Model
Each kit contains a custom mix of “common-sense parts,” which typically come in handy during maintenance, and model-specific parts, which are identified by analyzing trend data and pinpointing the components that are most likely to be of use. They also have to be small enough to fit comfortably inside the case.
Some examples of what you may find in a Flyaway Kit include oil and fuel filters, oil chip detectors, igniters and various seals.
While the parts may differ from one engine model to the next, the fundamental appeal is the same for all operators, notes Ridha. There’s added peace of mind in knowing you have the kit on hand if any issues arise.
Parts are often a critical item when resolving or avoiding an aircraft on ground event. Having the Flyaway Kit on board helps to mitigate these events and significantly decrease the return to service time."
- Christophe Deveaux, Senior Customer Manager, Turbofan Segment.
Flyaway Kit 2.0 Design Inspired by Customer Feedback
The original Flyaway Kit was a single large case. Based on feedback from those users, we’ve revamped the design. The kit is now split into two cases with a smaller footprint, which is the new standard for all Flyaway Kits.
This improved form factor occupies up to 25% less total volume with each case size matching that of standard luggage for more convenient baggage bay storage. He adds that the streamlined design is driven by customers’ practical needs.
The new version is a more optimal solution in that it allows customers to make more efficient use of their baggage bay, which is considered very valuable ‘real estate’ on an aircraft. The footprint of each smaller case is the same as standard luggage, so you can store them in different areas of the baggage bay.
- Ridha El-Khairy, Senior Manager, Commercial Business Development
There’s nothing arbitrary about how the parts have been divided between the two cases. One contains the parts that rank highest in terms of necessity, while the second is for extra parts with lower criticality that may come in handy under certain circumstances. This way, if the baggage bay is unusually crowded and there’s no space for both cases, you can just bring the one with the highest-priority parts.
Like to order your own Flyaway Kit under your ESP plan or at list price? Contact us at [email protected]. We will do our best to accommodate requests for expedited delivery, so let us know if you need it sooner rather than later.
Discover another service that’s helping our business jet customers improve availability and maintenance planning in Proactive Help Desk Delivers High-Tech, Personal-Touch Support.
