Flying Colours Corp. strengthens footprint in Africa with multiple deliveries

Monday 24th March 2014

Ahead of this year's Nigerian Business Aviation Conference, Flying Colours Corp. the Canadian headquartered MRO, completion and refurbishment specialist has announced delivery of a reconfigured Bombardier Challenger 604 destined for a Nigerian-based client. The aircraft was redelivered to the client earlier this year following extensive maintenance, refurbishment, and reconfiguration work.  The process took 14 weeks and included a major pre-purchase inspection undertaken on behalf of the client, a number of calendar inspections including a 96 month inspection, complete service bulletin reviews, in addition to major interior changes and modifications. IFE upgrades included installation of new HD monitors, Blu-ray DVD player, iPod integration options, and an Aviator 300 Broadband system. Externally the fuselage was given a completely new modern paint design complementing the luxurious interior.

The modifications, which were completed at the Peterborough, Ontario facility, were implemented in close collaboration with the client who worked with the Canadian company's in-house design team to create a singular interior suited for their specific needs. Interior details included the refurbishment of the eight club seats, of which four are in conference club formation, a three place divan, customised seat piping detail and for the first time in a Challenger 604 the laying of a LIST stone floor in the galley and lavatory areas.

"We are really pleased to have completed this Challenger 604 for the Nigerian market. It's a great step forward in our plans to expand our African presence. Importantly the new client was referred to us by a preferred partner who recommended us because of their experience working with the Flying Colours team;  and the fact that we are a Bombardier Authorised Service Facility," said Sean Gillespie, Executive Vice President, Flying Colours Corp.

Learjet 35 due for delivery to late April.

In addition to the Challenger 604 completion Flying Colours Corp. is close to finalising major reconfiguration and maintenance work on a Bombardier Learjet 35 for another private African client.  The work schedule includes extensive maintenance and avionics upgrades featuring Satcom/wifi, WAAS, dual communication transceivers, single GWX 70 colour radar, Honeywell TCAS II, along with numerous phase inspections.

The interior upgrades include customized wood veneer side-ledges with new integrated pull-out tables between each seat grouping, a unique lavatory pocket door assembly to enclose the lavatory, complete soft furnishings and wood veneer refurbishment. The exterior of the aircraft is also undergoing a complete paint overhaul.  The work is being carried out at Flying Colours Corp.'s USA based facility in St Louis reflecting the dual capacity of the Canadian company's North American bases. The Learjet 35 work is scheduled to finish in April after five months when it will be delivered back to the client for private usage.

"We hope these will be just the first of a number of African projects and we're already in discussions with numerous other potential clients from the continent. The Bombardier product is popular in the region and with our status as a Bombardier ASF, our extensive experience on the Lear Jet, Challenger and increasingly the Global families, we are particularly excited about the possibilities from this burgeoning business aviation sector," added Gillespie.

About Flying Colours Corp:

Flying Colours is a global aviation service company which specialises in Green Completions, Interior Refurbishment, Maintenance, Component Services, Auxiliary Fuel Systems, Exterior Paint and Avionics Installation and Upgrades.  Flying Colours' US operation is an FAA-licensed Class III and IV Part 145 repair station based in St Louis, Missouri.

Flying Colours and its subsidiaries are proud of their worldwide customer base which has grown these past few years owing to its dedication to safety, quality and customer support.  Flying Colours specialises in all mid-large sized business aircraft including the Global Express series, Challenger, Dassault Falcon, Beechcraft/Hawker and Gulfstream models. Flying Colours is an authorized service centre for both Bombardier and Beechcraft