Flying Colours Corp. the North America-headquartered refurbishment, completions and MRO specialist has redelivered a matching pair of Bombardier Challenger 850 aircraft for an undisclosed Fortune 500 company. The return of the second aircraft in late August – the first was delivered in July – is the conclusion of a project that began with Flying Colours identifying, sourcing, and supporting the initial negotiations for the aircraft purchase, on the client’s behalf. Once the acquisition completed the two aircraft were delivered to the Flying Colours St. Louis KSUS facility. Extensive maintenance work, avionics upgrades, and a complete interior reconfiguration began on both aircraft in early 2017.
The Flying Colours’ design team also created the cabin scheme in response to the client’s specific request for two identical interiors that would be durable, but comfortable. An interior conducive enough for passengers to work and relax in had to be matched by one that was resilient enough to withstand the five to six legs the aircraft are scheduled to fly on a typical day.
The outfitting also incorporated a number of firsts for Flying Colours. It was the first installation for the engineering team of the fully provisioned infrastrucutre to support the GoGo 4G next generation solution. This equips the cabin with the advanced version of the provider’s air to ground communications system which serves North American business aviation. Flying Colours also made the first ever installation of the new ALTO Cadence Switch System™, (CSS) which, with its discreet easy to install design, provides a comprehensive cabin management system.
The interior overhaul required a complete remodelling of the cabin. A four place club format with built-in side counter work tables at the front, a middle segment of three rows of two-plus-one, and an aft club conference group of four, with a half club arrangement opposite, fulfilled the need to change the aircraft from a 15 to 19 seat corporate shuttle. Standard business class seats were fitted with USB ports for in-seat charging. The Rockwell Collins Airshow 500 is displayed via monitors at the front and back of the aircraft. To accommodate hot and cold drinks the galley was modified to offer maximum storage, and two lavatories feature at the fore and aft of the cabin.
Flying Colours undertook a series of maintenance activities including 12/24/48/96-month airframe inspections on both aircraft, as well as landing-gear overhauls, and additional miscellaneous inspection tasks. The maintenance objective was to mitigate any need for maintenance scheduling during the first two years of service. The aircraft underwent a complete fuselage respray to deliver a custom brand livery at the Flying Colours Corp. Peterborough facility. “The story of these two aircraft perfectly demonstrates the full service offering that Flying Colours Corp. offers,” says Sean Gillespie, Executive VP. “We helped the client find the right aircraft, ensured no hidden surprises would come up after purchase, and created a customized interior to match the client’s mission. We maximized the downtime by conducting maintenance and interior work under one roof. Finally, we finished the paint specification in Peterborough. There are not many companies that can see the project through from A to Z but we are well positioned to do this ».
The aircraft replace two older turboprop aircraft in the corporate fleet. “We believe the client chose to renew existing aircraft, as opposed to buying new, as they recognised the benefits and value of upgrading an existing airframe to deliver a customized aircraft to fulfil their corporate travel needs,” added Gillespie.
