When you’re a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) solutions provider like Able Aerospace Services (a Textron company), the word ‘Able’ sticks in people’s minds.
It means that when a customer has a maintenance- or repair-related need, you have to be ready and ‘Able’ to help, either through a catalog of existing capabilities or–if a solution doesn’t exist–by doing your homework to come up with the repair, overhaul or parts resolution that a customer needs.
Being ready and able to solve customer roadblocks, no matter what those roadblocks are, has helped Able Aerospace Services stand out from the crowd since it was founded in 1982.
“This has been our philosophy for decades,” said Able general manager Gabriel (Gabe) Massey. “It has fueled Able’s business line growth over the years and it underlies the company’s continued success across a full range of rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft.”
In addition to having one of the industry’s largest catalogs of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved component repair, overhaul and replacement parts, Able is home to a highly experienced, on-site engineering and designated engineering representative (DER) team.
“You can’t do extended repairs without engineering support, so having this resource in-house really matters. It sets us apart,” said Able vice president of business generation John Celigoy.
“When there isn’t an existing solution on the books, we can make one; even if that means reverse-engineering a legacy part that is no longer available and manufacturing our own.”
“That’s what we are known for,” said Massey. “Being a unique full-service MRO that offers and applies the best solutions to our customers. It gives us the ability to solve problems no one else can. We call it the Able advantage.”
This advantage is backed by the qualities that make Able a true go-to, one-stop shop for aircraft component repair and overhaul, approved replacement parts and completion services.
Expanded repairs
Able’s commitment to providing out-of-the-box options for fixed- and rotary-wing operators spans more than 30 years and thousands of FAA-approved repairs and overhauls, most of them considered “expanded repairs” because they give operators the ability to maintain their aircraft with lower-cost but equally safe and FAA-approved solutions.
“We do our best to save our customers money, without sacrificing quality or safety,” said Massey. “Take a corroded helicopter transmission casing, which would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to replace. Rather than scrapping it, which is what an operator might have done in the past, Able removes the corrosion, then uses an FAA-approved, high-tech robotic cold spray process to rebuild the thickness of the metal, layer by layer.”
If the casing is aluminum, Able’s technicians cold spray more aluminum on the component. If it is made of magnesium, then they spray magnesium. In both cases, the cold spray repair restores the casing’s thickness without melting the original metal, thus preserving its strength and giving the product a new lifecycle without having to scrap and buy new.
On-site engineering and DERs
No MRO can become pre-eminent in expanded repairs without having an experienced engineering department and aircraft-manufacturer-approved DERs on site.
Able has both, and it sets the company apart from its competition, providing customers with experts who can navigate (and often fast-track) new repair developments through airworthiness approvals. For operators who are grounded–waiting for a part that is stuck in the supply chain in perpetuum–Able’s engineering and DER advantage can be invaluable.
Multiple OEMs
From day one, Able has operated under a multi-original equipment manufacturer (OEM) strategy, meaning it develops maintenance and overhaul solutions for not just one aircraft type, but many aircraft across both civil and military platforms–including Airbus, Bell, Boeing, Leonardo and Sikorsky.
“It is not uncommon for owners to fly a mixed fleet,” said Massey. “We give these customers the ability to build a relationship–and trust–with one single company who can support their multiple platforms. That is a big convenience for busy operators. It makes it that much easier to keep their aircraft flying in a safe and streamlined way.”
Robust quality system
Able’s certifications include airworthiness authorities from across the globe, including the FAA, European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC), Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB), and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India, among others.
The company also holds multiple ISO certifications and is working toward attaining a prestigious National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (NADCAP) global certification.
“These certifications are just another differentiator,” said Celigoy. “They prove out our desire to be the best at what we do and they fuel our growth, ensuring that wherever in the world a customer flies, Able can support their aircraft according to local regulations and airworthiness expectations.”
Defined areas of improvement
“When multiple customers came to Able seeking completion services–from paint through to avionics upgrades that would prepare them for imminent FAA safety requirements–we took notice,” said Celigoy.
The result was the Able Maintenance Center, which, since opening just a few years ago, already has completed large contracts with major global operators and expanded to serve some of the industry’s newest helicopter models. This includes the brand-new Bell 505 Jet Ranger X.
On all fronts, Able is committed to constantly improving its process, delivering better value and faster turnarounds to customers without ever compromising quality or safety.
“This commitment to continuous improvement–including listening to customers, watching market trends and getting out ahead of them with new and needed capabilities–spans every area across the company, and gives us continual and defined areas of improvement,” said Massey.
In the past two years, Able’s research into continuous improvement has led to the introduction of hydraulics and bearings programs, international export best practices and, most recently, new clean room protocols that even further reduce the threat of foreign object damage (FOD) during the component repair and overhaul (CR&O) process.
“It also applies to our environmental sensitivity, positioning our plating process division as one of the most sensitive and modern facilities in the country,” said Celigoy.
Simply put, Able Aerospace Services has built its success on being ‘Able’ to meet–and often exceed–whatever MRO challenges its customers throw at it.
“It really does make us a true one-stop shop,” said Massey. “And the ability to grow and excel in that kind of an environment is endless.”
