Corporate jets are flying higher and further than ever before. This means that the windows — all of them — are exposed to increased pressure. Therefore, inspections for damage must be performed more frequently, and any damage should be addressed immediately.
With a Gulfstream back in the 1970s, the range was 3,300 miles with a max altitude of 43,000 feet. Today, many of them fly halfway around the world at close to 50,000 feet. “The difference is the cabin air pressure has to be increased for an extended time for the extended range to keep passengers comfortable,” explained Aircraft Window Repairs (AWR).
Lee Aerospace says it has seen significant growth in the number of owner/operators who have opted to have their windows professionally evaluated and repaired so that they can avoid the associated costs and downtime of window replacement. Additionally, the company is seeing customers having their transparencies inspected as a part of their pre-purchase inspections. “Our trained technicians are able to identify any issues before the aircraft changes hands,” noted Greg Piland, VP aftermarket sales, Lee Aerospace. “This process has proven to be an inexpensive insurance policy for many of our customers.”
One of the areas that Lee Aerospace has focused heavily on in the last few years is providing FAA-approved classes to help educate technicians and owner/operators on how to identify windows that can be repaired. “Many times, a window replacement could have been avoided by a timely repair,” Piland explained.
Product & Service
AWR has been manufacturing the AWR P-17 Inspection Prism Kit (sold by Textron) for 35 years, which is used to inspect windows on the aircraft where the holes and edges are hidden by the aircraft skin or fairings. The prism gets “scratched” in the process of positioning it on the window next to the skin, so it allows the mechanic to see the entire edge of the acrylic, including the mounting holes from top to bottom.
“Operators or pilots would send their prism in to be polished which would cost them time and money,” AWR explained. “In 2019, by popular request, AWR came up with a solution and manufactured a Prism Polishing Kit P/N P1720172 ( sold by Aircraft Spruce) so operators or pilots can polish their prism.”
As for Lee Aerospace, the company says it has the unique advantage of not only being a window manufacturer, but also a FAA/EASA-certified repair station, with repair technicians stationed across the United States. “Over the last three decades, our technicians have been trained to look for repetitive issues so that they can relay that information to our engineering department,” said Piland. “Our engineers then evaluate each issue to see if improvements can be made to eliminate the maintenance and replacement issues that are being seen in the field.”
This was the case for Lee Aerospace’s newly-designed cabin windows for the G150, G200 and G280. “Our technicians identified that the mounting clips were creating undo stress to the edge of the window causing delamination and sub-surface fractures,” Piland explained. Working with the FAA, the company’s engineering team was able to improve on the original design by reducing the side-load pressure causing the issues.
"This certification process has allowed Lee Aerospace to now be able to offer these windows in clear or our newest technology, CoolView. CoolView is one of the most exciting products that Lee Aerospace has introduced to the market,” Piland said. “We are developing windows with an advanced thin metallic barrier system that provides added comfort with cooler cabin temperatures, appearance and protection of your aircraft.”
Challenges
The most common challenge, Piland says, involves someone attempting to repair a damaged or scratched window on their own. “This almost always ends in a phone call to a professional who has a larger task at hand and, in turn, a larger bill for the customer.” He recommends that if you ever find yourself in this position, to seek the advice from a professional before attempting the repair yourself. “We will be glad to offer any advice and assistance to help operators avoid a costly mistake,” he offered. “If it turns out that professional assistance is required, our FAA-certified technicians are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We will be able to dispatch someone to the location or take care of the aircraft the next time we have a technician in the area.”
Customer Requests
When AWR first started the business, customers mostly wanted to know, “how much will that cost?” Today, they still ask that question, but, now they add that they “need it yesterday!” AWR says customers want faster turn-times on repairs in order to keep the aircraft flying and the company to be profitable. “As the old adage states, a charter doesn’t create revenue — if it’s sitting on the ground,” he explained. “Rightly so, today’s customers are very demanding. They don’t ask for exceptional quality or on-time delivery… they expected it.”
Piland says Lee’s customers with legacy aircraft are requesting that the comapny provide solutions for them, as well. The company evaluates the market for each aircraft on a case-by-case basis to see if the design and manufacturing of the windows will be a wise investment. “Becoming an alternate transparency solution to our customers many times allows us to provide the window with a much shorter lead time and at a cost-savings to the end-user,” he explained.
Powering Through, Safely
COVID-19 has changed the way all business are run these days. Making sure employees are healthy and, therefore, that customers are safe.
For AWR, the company has long-term employees who are cross-trained in the event there should be higher than normal absenteeism in the workplace to perform essential functions, so AWR can operate even if key employees are absent. Additionally, AWR has identified alternative suppliers and prioritized existing customers and has identified alternative supply chains for critical goods and services.
As for employees, leave policies are flexible at AWR and non-punitive and allows sick employees to stay home and away from co-workers. Leave policies also account for employees who need to stay home with their children if there are school or childcare closures, or to care for sick family members.
AWR has identified essential employees and business functions and other critical inputs such as raw materials, suppliers, products and logistics to maintain business operations.
“We have daily talks regarding education and any new training about concerns that some employees may have if they are higher risk,” AWR explained.
“Maintaining a healthy environment is essential for the safety of our customers, employees and visitors,” noted Piland. “We have a strict procedure in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We have been spending less time traveling and more time on the phone with our customers to meet their needs.”
