Avionics Protection Plans Provide the Ultimate Luxury: Peace of Mind

For Charlie Horton, maintenance director for Sky River Management in Honolulu, the peace of mind that comes from the ability to respond swiftly to maintenance issues is a luxury that surpasses even the most opulent accommodations onboard his company’s fleet of Dassault Falcon jets.

"In all my years in this business, I've learned the single most important aspect to maintaining an aircraft is to have the most protection you can," Horton said. "If I'm in Romania with an avionics issue, I want to make just one phone call to get that issue resolved.”

That is why Horton relies upon the prompt service and devotion to customer satisfaction of the Honeywell Avionics Protection Plan (HAPP.) Part of Honeywell’s GoDirect portfolio of value-added aviation services, HAPP provides full coverage for more than 60 Honeywell avionics platforms onboard today's most advanced business and general aviation aircraft and helicopters.

For an incremental increase in per-hour rate, subscribers may supplement their coverage with HAPP Gold, which adds coverage for most of the ancillary charges often tied to avionics repairs as well as around-the-clock Road Crew Service for AOG situations worldwide. This additional level of protection has proven worth its weight in gold – so to speak – not only for operators who rely on their aircraft to be ready to fly at all times, but also for the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) providers tasked with keeping those aircraft on the flight line.

Horton noted the immediate response provided through HAPP Gold has proven particularly useful when the aircraft is based 2,000 miles from the U.S. mainland. "We were definitely concerned with parts availability when the company relocated an operations base out here," he acknowledged. "For in-stock parts, as long as I call by 1:30 pm HST (Hawaii Standard Time) I'll have the part in my hand, ready to be installed, by 11:30 am the next morning.

"Thanks to HAPP, I've never missed a trip due to having to wait for a part," he added.

Fast Response, Excellent Service

Although today’s advanced avionics offer unmatched reliability compared to earlier systems, issues of course may occasionally arise. When they do, maintenance providers appreciate the ability to resolve those issues quickly, with just a single phone call to start that process.

Based at Teterboro Airport (TEB) in New Jersey, Corporate Jet Support specializes in maintaining approximately 1,200 jets throughout the worldwide Gulfstream fleet. The company has developed a well-earned reputation for fast and efficient customer service, and relies on HAPP to meet their clients’ expectations.

"This is not a 9 to 5, Monday to Friday business," said company co-founder Chris Breitweiser. "Even if a customer calls me on Christmas Day we will move immediately to get the airplane fixed right away. These are busy people and if they and their aircraft are stuck somewhere, their only question is, 'when can you fix it for me?' We pride ourselves on being able to say to a customer in this position, within ten minutes of taking their call, precisely when and how we are going to fix their problem."

Among the many benefits of HAPP are full coverage on exchange and repair services at more than 600 authorized Honeywell sales and service centers around the globe, as well as a fixed annual contract price, no-charge loaners, and 24x7 aircraft on ground (AOG) emergency service.

"If we have an AOG situation we need to know that we have the backup support to solve the problem and get in the air again without too much delay,” added Captain Luiz Goldberg, chief pilot for Sao Paulo, Brazil-based World Way Aviation (WWA.)

Avoiding Unplanned Expenses

HAPP also allows owners to avoid unforeseen budgetary shocks, which was particularly important to Goldberg when developing the operating budget for WWA’s Dassault Falcon 900EX, which was also the owner’s very first aircraft. Goldberg saw HAPP as a valuable tool for providing valuable avionics replacement coverage while also controlling costs.

"Because we run on a tight budget, I decided to have the HAPP instead of having surprises like paying $50,000 or $60,000 if something goes wrong," said Goldberg. “It means that I don't have to suddenly go to the owner and tell him that he has a $40,000 bill to pay; I'd rather pay the regular HAPP premium because it's better to put regular fixed amounts on my budget than be surprised with a big bill.”

Armando Lising, director of G450 maintenance at Clay Lacy Aviation based at Van Nuys Airport (VNY) also relies on HAPP to avoid significant, unplanned expenses. "We recently had two problems on the Gulfstream, one with an audio control panel (ACP) and the other an issue with a multifunction control display unit (MCDU), which without our HAPP coverage would have cost in the region of $25-30,000 for the components alone," he explained.

"Of course, we have to pay for our Honeywell programs – but we know precisely how much they are going to cost us each year and that budget certainty is far better than dealing with one-off emergencies that can be extremely costly,” Lising continued. "This way there are no surprises and we know that we have priority access to genuine Honeywell parts and can get hold of them at speed, anywhere in the world.”

Peter Zeeb is director of maintenance for two Gulfstream aircraft based in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. The owners are seeking to maximize their Gulfstreams' availability and minimize aircraft on ground (AOG) incidents, all within a budget that provides cost visibility and control. Peter has seen substantial costs savings, peace of mind and close cost control.

"The owners are very pleased of course,” Zeeb stated. “We have saved a considerable amount of money, [and] we have important additional protection for our Gulfstream, which will ensure enhanced reliability and forward visibility of costs and budget.”

Of course, these advantages are only as good as the company behind them. Horton at Sky River lauded the unparalleled customer service he’s received through HAPP in keeping his company’s Falcon 7X and 900EX aircraft ready to fly at a moment’s notice.

“There will always be glitches, but with Honeywell and HAPP, I know there's someone who will go out of their way to correct it," he concluded. "They are completely committed to providing the premier corporate aircraft experience.