Story ID: 
Delivering a full spectrum of maintenance solutions
By: Martha Jercinovich
Caption: Whether it’s a quick AOG fix or a complex avionics/connectivity upgrade, for over 40 years, Thornton Aviation has continually built upon its reputation for not only providing the highest levels of technical quality but also excelling in the fine art of delivering an exceptional customer experience.
Word Count: 493
When looking for a new maintenance provider, one of the first questions an experienced flight department manager or DOM will ask is, “What sets your MRO apart?”. 
Most answers will include longevity, technical capabilities, FAA and OEM authorizations, and the like. This is all well and good, but only the fortunate few will begin with their people.
“Our people and their depth of knowledge and experience are what sets us apart,” explains Thornton Aviation’s Chief Revenue Officer, Don Milum. “We have nearly 1,000 years of combined expertise with the Bombardier, Dassault, Gulfstream, and Textron models we specialize in. That’s pretty incredible and is a huge benefit to our customers.”
“But it’s not only the technical experience that sets us apart. It’s also the fact that many of our technicians worked for flight departments before joining the Thornton Aviation team,” he continues. “That gives us the unique perspective of being able to look at an aircraft and its operation through the eyes of the owners. We understand their perspectives and the pressures that go along with operating a successful flight department.”
That “operator’s perspective” has been the foundation of Thornton Aviation’s unyielding commitment to exceptional customer service and responsiveness. “If you call us, you talk to someone who cares about meeting your needs,” Milum says. “Our managers can act quickly to provide a solution, and our team will ‘throw everything at a situation’ to get the airplane out when promised.”
When it comes to AOGs, we’ve seen those and fixed that
With locations at Van Nuys and Burbank—two hotbeds of business jet activity—transient aircraft AOGs are SOP for Thornton Aviation’s team.
“It’s not unusual to see 10 AOGs on our ramp in the morning, with half of them gone by midday and the rest gone by the next morning,” Milum explains. “Our AOG experience is phenomenal. There is rarely a problem we have not solved before, and that means our customers can manage their operations with minimal disruptions and downtime.”
Much of the Thornton Aviation team’s ability to solve issues quickly stems from its experience handling large-scale repair and maintenance tasks, such as airframe repairs or completing complex cockpit/cabin electronics upgrades.
Milum explains that when you put it all together, Thornton Aviation “is the right people with the right skills and right attitude—and those aren’t buzz words. Our customers know who we are and what we do,” he says. “And it all starts with putting their needs first in everything we do.”
The Solution
» FAA Part 145 Repair Station Certificate approvals for more than 60 business aircraft types
» Convenient locations at Van Nuys (KVNY) and Burbank (KBUR) airports
» Services range from AOG repairs to heavy maintenance and avionics/connectivity upgrades
(818) 787-0205 
www.thorntonaviation.com