Alan Aircraft Takes Off with Purdue MEP's Assistance!

Alan Aircraft Services Inc. of Huntington, Indiana, has been serving the aviation community since 2002. They offer many aviation services along with the parts and the ground support required to keep them flying. Alan Aircraft Services is the U.S.-based distributor for Unique Broadband Systems Ltd. (UBS), a leader in the communication industry, providing tactical air navigation (TACAN) solutions. In addition to a broad range of services, they install automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B), which will eventually replace radar as the primary surveillance method for air traffic control monitoring and separation of aircraft worldwide.

Alan Aircraft desired to grow their US Department of Defense (DOD) business by conducting Pratt & Whitney PT6 Large Engine Series overhauls, but their technicians did not have the required certifications such as master technician, engine rigging, and non-destructive testing (NDT). For help Alan Aircraft turned to Purdue MEP, part of the MEP National Network™.

By employing grant funding provided by the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC), Purdue MEP supported advanced technical skills training in Pratt & Whitney PT6 Large Engine Series for the following courses for two employees:  Master Technician Certificate - PT6A Large Engine, PT6A Maintenance Update, PT6A Operation Maintenance Procedures, PT6A Engine Rigging. In the area of non-destructive testing, the following training was supported: Visual Inspection Course Levels 1 and 2, Magnetic Particle Inspection Levels 1 and 2, and Liquid Penetrant Inspection Levels 1 and 2.

Acquisition of the certifications to serve the large engine overhaul sector is expensive and difficult, so many DOD/DOD prime contracts go unfulfilled for 12-18 months due to the lack of capacity in the market. With the training supported by Purdue MEP and funded by the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation, Alan Aircraft Services is progressing to bid on DOD large engine overhaul contracts. Alan Aircraft Services would not have been able to fund the required training without this financial support. Now that the required training has been conducted, Alan Aircraft is in the final preparations for FAA (Part 145 Repair Station) approval. The large engine overhaul work has already increased their revenue by 10%, and in the next 12-18 months, it is projected to increase by 50-70% and double their workforce from 5 to 10 people. Alan Aircraft has opened a new 12,000-square-foot facility to support the large engine overhaul work.