By Sylvie Péron – ©Winch Design
Sporting an elegant teal blue and white livery and standing proud on Static display, Alliance Aviation Group’s 9H-ANS caught the eyes of delegates attending EBACE in Geneva last May. The London studio Winch Design had been commissioned to transform the ten-year old business jet into a unique contemporary masterpiece, both inside and out.The aircraft, which is operated under the AOC of Alliance Executive Jets, part of the Alliance Aviation Group of Ireland, landed in Geneva having been freshly painted by General Atomics in Oberphaffenhofen, Germany. It flew directly to Jet Aviation’s FBO for dressing.
«The Winch Design team thoroughly enjoyed the fast turnaround of this bespoke interior and exterior refit and we are delighted with the striking end result,» commented Jim Dixon, Managing Partner and Creative Director, Yachts & Aviation.
Comprehensive refurb
The refit took place alongside the extensive C Check following 10,000 hours of operation. During a C Check, the interior has to be stripped of furniture and carpeting so that inspectors can look for structural flaws in the fuselage and bulkheads, and the exterior paint job is removed for the same reasons. This made it the perfect time to upgrade the interior and exterior. The aircraft cabin interior was thus entirely stripped out and all of the components were sent to F-List in Austria to be remade and fitted out at the Bombardier facility at London Biggin Hill Airport, coinciding with the 120-month maintenance inspection there. The 6,000nm aircraft seats 12 and has been fitted with Ka Band by Satcom Direct. Its bold exterior livery features a pearlescent white graphic pattern emblazed on the rich, metallic teal-colored fuselage and winglets, creating a striking and dynamic appearance. Featuring on the aircraft’s exterior is a QR code, highlighting its carbon capture. The code when scanned is 100% transparent showing which trips have been carbon offset, and which have not. This contemporary graphic pattern also extends to the inside of the winglets, allowing the design to be seen from the cabin and connecting the interior with the exterior. The pattern also features underneath the horizontal stabilizers. General Atomics in Munich completed the exterior paintwork, working closely with the Winch Design team on the design. The team was onsite at the tape-up before the paint job began to ensure the pattern would be applied correctly.
Alluring Interior
The client brief was to create an inviting, relaxed interior, which wouldn’t feel like you were on an aircraft and that had the durability to withstand a busy charter schedule. The new cabin has the same layout and dimensions as the original aircraft, but the interior was completely upgraded from the previous middle-eastern style. Light, neutral-colored leathers, straight-grain walnut timber and gold almond metal accents form the base of the interior palette. The cabinetry was wrapped in a foil imitation of real wood, a technology that has improved to the point where it looks and feels like authentic wood grain. This saved time, cost and weight and the untrained eye can’t really tell the difference. Every other part was resurfaced with new materials, including the headliner and walls, along with new carpeting and remodeled seating. The Aft Lounge bulkhead features a bespoke marquetry of colortinted burr whilst the mid and forward bulkheads are treated as vertical 3D slatted screens of light wood and mirror, providing privacy and transparency. The slatted bulkheads provided a challenge as they involved repositioning switches and exit signs and ensuring the internal vallance panel was still able to hinge down for maintenance. The aft veneer wall was another challenging aspect. The wall is a marquetry veneer pattern in walnut, the only piece of real wood added during the refit. F/List developed an innovative oil finish that had to pass flammability testing and certify as a process, whilst still retaining a natural wood look.
The hand-tufted Tai Ping wool carpet with a wave-like pattern in bright aqua blue, transitions through subtle gradients inspired by natural textures and vibrant ocean colors. The carpet’s colors are reflected in the stitching on the leather inlays of the tables, while the wave-like pattern continues across the upper sidewalls and ceilings, adding depth and character to the area. Aeristo were responsible for supplying the seat leather. A quilted leather pattern was developed featuring a unique perforation design to further complement the interior. The rose gold metal plating seen throughout was retained from the original aircraft.The design process took six months, with the refit taking just over a year to complete. In this time the aircraft was only out of action for three months.
Available for charter
Alliance Executive Jets has operated the aircraft since September 2020, entering service just as Covid struck. Since that time 9H-ANS has logged some 2,000 charter flying hours. Its home (hangarage) base is Alliance’s new Dublin Airport MRO / FBO facility, but it is a floating aircraft and is available for charter.
