Work has begun on the first of four Challenger strip and paint projects awarded to Constant Aviation by the FAA in May 2018. The contracts were won through Constant Aviation’s joint initiative with Nextant Aerospace. The work is being performed at the company’s facility in Sanford, Florida.
“Unlike the business and private jet industry, the government contract sector has a much longer and more complicated business development and request for proposals regimen,” said Stephen Maiden, president and CEO at Constant Aviation.
“It requires a deep understanding of proposal specifications, the ability to craft detailed proposal responses, and the experience to navigate the protocol and qualifications for the competitive government bidding process.
“As such, the efforts of our Government Programs department, led by retired US Air Force Colonel Robert Leonard, are designed to tailor solutions that are best-in-class, competitively priced, and meet technically acceptable criteria to comply with the requirements of the contracts.”
One contract entails full strip and paint service, with a provision for over-and-above repairs as needed, for four of the FAA’s fleet: three Bombardier Challenger 601s and a Challenger 604.
Another contract involves upgrading the Challenger 604 with the latest version of Rockwell Collins’ ADS-B Out system, Pro Line 21.
The first request for information documents were submitted in 2017. The additional aircraft are scheduled to arrive in August and October 2018 with an anticipated four-week completion schedule for each.
