Partnering With The Right MRO Can Help You Get More Of What You Buy A Business Aircraft For

Whether they’re operating a single-engine turboprop or an ultra-long-range business jet, there’s one thing that every aircraft owner has in common: They don’t want to waste time and money while the aircraft waits for maintenance.

That’s why savvy owners stay on top of which MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) providers deliver the best service experience and value. And when they ask other operators whom they recommend, there’s a better than average chance they’ll say Elliott Aviation.

“Having the right MRO can play an important role in increasing the aircraft’s availability, reliability, and long-term value of a business or private aircraft,” explains Elliott Aviation’s President, Michael Parrish. “We take pride in the fact that many of our customers rely solely on Elliott Aviation for all of their MRO requirements, and we’ve continued to build our services to meet their growing needs.”

Evolving to meet customer expectations is in the company’s DNA. Herb Elliott started Elliott Flying Service in 1936 at a grass airstrip, and the family-owned company has literally grown up right along with business aviation and has continually expanded its service offerings to meet evolving customer needs.

Elliott Aviation’s portfolio of MRO services now includes avionics services and installations, airframe maintenance, engine overhauls and upgrades, interior completions, exterior paint, accessory repair and overhaul, and aircraft sales for an extensive list of piston, turboprop, and jet aircraft.

Paralleling this service growth has been the company’s strategic addition of MROs in areas of the country where its customers are located. Today, in addition to its headquarters in Moline, Illinois, Elliott Aviation has facilities in Georgia, Iowa, and Minnesota.

The more things change...

Parrish says that since the pandemic, they’ve seen a marked increase in how and how often their customers are using their aircraft. And more flying means more frequent inspections and maintenance, which is putting a strain on many MROs’ ability to meet delivery deadlines. But not at Elliott Aviation.

“More people are flying now, and we can’t expect them to accept longer downtimes for services,” he explains. “That’s why we are proactive in our training, programs, policies, and procedures to ensure we have the trained technical talent on hand to meet the need.”

“When aircraft owners ask me why they should choose Elliott Aviation, I tell them to talk to our team leaders and technicians who do the work,” Parrish continues. “What is their experience on a particular aircraft? What are our processes? There are no secrets. We want our customers to be totally confident that we can do the work they need.”

“I’ve got no problem allowing customers to talk to our technicians, Crew Chiefs, or anyone in our organization,” he says. “We consider our customers to be our partners in the entire process, and we want them to feel comfortable with our people and processes.”

Parrish furthers his point with, “When you have proof of the technical resources that can guarantee that the work can be done correctly and on time, that lends credibility to the conversation. I’ve been doing this for decades, and I can tell you that DOMs (Directors of Maintenance) and Chief Pilots are aware of the shops they want to work with.”

Speaking of being “aware,” Parrish says that with so many new-generation aircraft owners entering business aviation, it's far too easy to fall into the “master-of-all” trap.

“I’d be very cautious when someone claims to be an ‘expert’ at everything. That’s a danger signal,” he says. “If they make that claim and can’t show me the documentation to back it up, that’s a cause for concern. The information is not proprietary. It’s not something to hide. We’re conscious of privacy and all, but most customers are willing to act as references. If they had a good experience, they want to share their story.”

“When I sit down with a customer and we claim to be ‘the best’ at something, I have the documentation, customer resources, and references at the ready,” Parrish continues. “For example, I have all the data to support us saying that we’re a leading Garmin avionics dealer and we’ve done over 50% of the Garmin retrofit market. Now customers know who they are dealing with, and there is no question of our expertise.”

Honesty is the best policy.

With so many decades of experience in all aspects of the business aviation MRO services, Parrish knows that not every experience goes well. Unexpected supply-chain issues, or other delays, are part of everyday life. Nobody likes them, but they’re not unique to aviation.

“How we react to a situation is what makes the difference in the customer’s experience,” he says. “Communication is key. If something is going wrong, customers can sense it in the tone and frequency of messages from the MRO. Transparent, honest communications are important, even if it’s not what the customer wants to hear.”

That’s why Parrish stressed that, along with documentation of all the technical equipment and experience needed to work on their aircraft, owners should ask how and how frequently a particular MRO provides project updates.

“We provide frequent updates, and I make it a point to follow up with customers—even if they choose to go to another MRO for a particular project, I want to know how that experience went so we can continue to improve ,” Parrish adds. “Customers tell us it’s how we communicate and embrace the overall customer experience that keeps them coming back to Elliott Aviation.”

Make sure you’re getting what you pay for.

Okay, so your bizjet needs some TLC, and you’ve sent out RFQs to a few MROs you found online. Now, the bids are in, and you’re ready to sign the contract. Well, as the axiom goes, Not so fast, my friend.

“Choosing an MRO, or any service provider, solely on price, may not always end well,” Parrish cautions. “It eliminates the need to do all the required due diligence on the owner’s part, and they put themselves in a situation where they learn the ‘industry expert’ may not actually be who they said they were.”

“There is a value associated with excellence, and you have to make that determination.”

“Do you want to go to a MRO where you know they have the factory authorizations, training, tooling, documentation, and infrastructure that’s needed to protect the value of your aircraft?” Parrish asks. “Or are you just looking to pay a little less and be subject to the unknowns that the facility has to offer?”

“In the MRO business today, there is a clear price connection to the value of having all the authorizations, training, certifications, and accreditations required to ensure that the work is done to the highest quality and safety standards,” he says. “From a value perspective, the quality of the maintenance often contributes to the pedigree of the aircraft, and who performed the work can impact the resale value.”

“For nearly 90 years, aircraft owners have relied on Elliott Aviation to be their trusted MRO partner,” Parrish concludes. “They know that when they drop their airplane off at one of our facilities, whether it’s a scheduled inspection or a major repair or upgrade, we are going to do what we say we are going to do.”