SAVANNAH, Georgia, November 16, 2015 — Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. today announced it will further strengthen its support of operators in North America with a major expansion of its Field and Airborne Support Teams (FAST).  The company will deploy three new custom-equipped vehicles to the Seattle, Chicago and Washington, D.C., metropolitan areas by year’s end. With these additions, Gulfstream will have eight rapid-response vehicles available to complement the maintenance provided by the company’s eight service centers across the U.S.

“We are bringing our support and talent to our operators,” said Derek Zimmerman, president,Gulfstream Product Support. “Offering plane-side service to our largest customer bases saves our operators time and money. We can get their aircraft back in service faster and save them the fuel and crew relocation costs incurred by traveling to a service center.”

 

Each custom-designed FAST vehicle is typically manned by a team of avionics and mechanical technicians. These teams are particularly effective in supporting operators in aircraft-on-ground situations because of their quick response time and ability to transport the required equipment. FAST vehicle support is also ideal for customers who need line-service repairs, minor inspections, minor cabin interior repairs and compliance with service bulletins.

The three new FAST vehicles are expected to be based at King County International Airport, also known as Boeing Field, in Seattle; Illinois’ Waukegan National Airport near Chicago; and Washington Dulles International Airport just outside of Washington, D.C., in Northern Virginia.

 

“The Seattle-based truck will also serve the Portland, Oregon, area, while the other trucks will assist customers in nearby cities such as Indianapolis and Baltimore,” said Darrell Frey, director, FAST, Gulfstream. “Overall, these mobile resources will give us quicker access to the home base of more than 100 operators and hundreds of others in transit.”

 

Gulfstream FAST combines a U.S.-based airborne unit with on-the-road vehicles. Gulfstream’s other U.S.-based FAST vehicles are located in and around Savannah, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Houston.

 

Seven of the FAST vehicles are medium-duty box trucks equipped with technical data access, a consolidated toolbox, replacement parts, a generator, a ground power unit, a lift, a hydraulic mule, an air compressor and jacks. The Savannah FAST vehicle is a 74-foot/22.6-meter tractor-trailer manned by several technicians and stocked with enough tooling and parts to support multiple operators simultaneously at events such as large business board meetings, the Super Bowl and Daytona 500.

 

The airborne FAST unit comprises two G150 aircraft and more than 40 technicians and pilots that provide parts and personnel to customers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean   24 hours a day, seven days a week.

 

Gulfstream FAST also has 12 dedicated technicians based in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, along with a specially equipped van that operates out of Gulfstream’s service center at London Luton Airport.Behind-the-scenes logistical support for FAST comes from several Gulfstream departments, including Technical Operations, Flight Operations, Spare Part Sales and Field Service.

 

NOTE TO EDITORS

 

Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), designs, develops, manufactures, markets, services and supports the world’s most technologically advanced business-jet aircraft. Gulfstream has produced more than 2,400 aircraft for customers around the world since 1958. To meet the diverse transportation needs of the future, Gulfstream offers a comprehensive fleet of aircraft, comprising the Gulfstream G150TM, the Gulfstream G280TM, the Gulfstream G450TM, the Gulfstream G550TM, the Gulfstream G500TM, the Gulfstream G600TM, the Gulfstream G650TM and the Gulfstream G650ERTM. Gulfstream also offers aircraft ownership services via Gulfstream Pre-Owned Aircraft SalesTM. The company employs more than 16,000 people at 12 major locations. We invite you to visit our website for more information and photos at www.gulfstreamnews.com.

 

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