Just six months after the joint venture announcement between China-based Sparkle Roll Technik Co. Ltd. (SRT) and Flying Colours Corp. the North American MRO, completion and refurbishment specialist, three of the eight B-registered CRJ-200 aircraft conversions are already in situ at Flying Colours’ Peterborough headquarters in Canada, with the work schedule well under way.

The initial trio of aircraft is being reconfigured from regional jet layout to a mixed class shuttle format. Each cabin has been divided into three separate areas. The aft section incorporates a 20-seat economy section, the middle section four business class seats in two double club layout, whilst the front cabin will feature a three seat divan alongside a double club business class seat configuration. In addition an aft lavatory will be fitted whilst a small forward galley will be installed.

The first of the aircraft are due to be redelivered to SRT during July 2015, with one being completed every month until February 2016. Supporting the completion activity is a team from SRT who have been shadowing workers in key departments at the Peterborough facility since the beginning of the year. It is planned that the later conversions will have the interiors monuments manufactured in North America, but that the SRT technicians will complete the final installation in China. Training of the SRT technicians formed a major part of the original agreement. However the Flying Colours Corp. team will handle all final aircraft certification and will develop and own relevant new Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) which will then be validated by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, CAAC.

“This continues to be an exciting project for us,” said Sean Gillespie, VP Flying Colours. “We understand that operating in the Chinese market is not always straight forward but our relationship with Sparkle Roll is strong and the project is progressing smoothly. Sparkle Roll values the quality provided by our skilled technicians, and we believe the agreement will expand to include a wider range of models in the future.”

Once converted, the VIP jets will be sold to individual customers and be operated by Sparkle Roll Jet Co. Ltd (SRJ), the CCAR Part 135 operational subsidiary of Sparkle Roll Aviation (Holding) Group and sister company to SRT.

“The Sparkle Roll Group is known as a leading luxury brand in China, and Sparkle Roll Aviation is aiming to be seen as the new benchmark for the business aviation industry in the Chinese market. Our reputation for providing the highest quality is paramount and Flying Colours Corp. was selected because of their reputation for being leaders in their field. We are very satisfied with the progress and quality delivered by the excellent team and are sure our customers will be delighted with the finished products,” commented Mr. Li Xuefeng (Lee Li), Chairman of Sparkle Roll Technik Co., Ltd. and Executive Director/CEO of Sparkle Roll Aviation (Holding) Group.

Paul Dunford appointed General Manager of new Singapore interiors facility

Paul Dunford has been appointed General Manager of Flying Colours Corp. Asia PTE. Ltd's newly opened interiors facility at Singapore’s Seletar Aerospace Park.

Canadian-born Dunford joins the company following a 25-year career within the aerospace industry and was selected for his extensive knowledge of Bombardier Challenger and Global completion programmes. Previously working for Bombardier Aerospace in Montreal, Dunford has relocated to Singapore where he is responsible for managing the progress of interiors completion projects, developing new business and building a robust, onsite interiors team for Flying Colours.

“We’re delighted Paul agreed to join us,” said Eric Gillespie, VP Flying Colours, about the appointment, “his customer facing experience and understanding of the complexity of interior completions makes him a perfect fit for the role. He will certainly add real value to our growing Asian business.

Housed in the Bombardier Aerospace Singapore Service Centre, the Flying Colours facility became fully operational in early 2015 and has already completed its first project since opening; woodwork refinishing on a Challenger 605 model. The team is currently working on two Global models refurbishing and refinishing the woodwork on both aircraft. The cabinetry, finishing and upholstery shops are also active on a variety of Bombardier projects.

“This is a very important geographical area for our company. There are limited facilities in the region capable of refurbishing Challenger, Global or Learjet aircraft to the required standard so this is a great opportunity,” said Gillespie. “Operational costs to fly aircraft back to North American or Europe are high, and down time becomes lengthy, so by having a local base we are fulfilling a strong market demand and anticipate we will continue to grow in the region as a result.”

One of Dunford’s key responsibilities will be to meet Flying Colours long-term aim of employing a mainly local workforce. It has already recruited 12 team members: six local technicians, four Canadian technicians and two administration staff in addition to the General Manager role. The plan is to hire another six to eight technicians in 2015, all of which will go through a specially developed three-month training schedule in Canada. Through on-the-job training and specific aircraft project-led work it is expected they will become proficient in all elements of the interior skills portfolio currently provided by Flying Colours.

“Paul will help us select the right candidates and then ensure their ongoing development supports the business requirements. Right now the skills needed to deliver the quality expected for Bombardier aircraft are rare, which is why we wanted to recruit someone who really understood the challenges and could rise to the opportunities presented. We have that in Paul,” said Gillespie.

Flying Colours Corp. offers a full range of interiors services including preliminary interior inspections, interior removals and installation, interior repair work, interior modification work and interior refurbishment work at the Singapore-based Bombardier Service Centre facility. The full service interior offering complements Bombardier’s comprehensive line and heavy maintenance services at the same facility.