Duncan Aviation Boosts Technician Certification With New Test Center

Business jet MRO provider Duncan Aviation has opened a new FAA testing center in Battle Creek, Michigan. The company says the center fills a gap in regional testing capacity and is already considerably reducing the costs associated with getting its technicians certified.

Before Duncan Aviation decided to set up its own testing center, technicians at its Battle Creek location had to travel a minimum of 50 mi. to reach the closest testing center. “[For a company], it’s a little bit different than a university [because] I’m paying for their test. I’m paying for their labor while they’re sitting in that car. I’m paying for their time in the test. It adds up quite a bit,” says Michael Couch, Duncan Aviation’s technical training coordinator in Battle Creek.

“That’s been a huge advantage just in the first month. We’ve saved thousands of dollars just in the first 30 days,” says Couch. “The other side of that is the convenience with our students and our apprentices and the familiarity of already being around this building,” he adds, noting that the stress of navigating to a different location adds to the anxiety around testing.

Couch and his team began the process of establishing the testing center in spring 2024, which required submitting large quantities of information and data to PSI, the company contracted by the FAA to manage Airman Knowledge Tests (AKT). This included information about the test center’s computer setup and software, photos of the test center’s location, planned operating times, and even details about building distances and accessibility. Test proctors had to undergo training, submit applications and undergo a background check. Then, a representative from PSI came on-site to perform a quality assurance audit.

The testing center was officially opened in early October, and in its first 30 days, Couch says it has already administered 30 tests. Demand for AKT testing is high in the region, both for Duncan Aviation’s staff and from nearby schools.

According to Couch, the company’s Battle Creek location typically has around 12-18 apprentices testing annually, and this number is further amplified by the demand from its test prep programs for transitioning military veterans and Part 147 school graduates who are not yet airframe and powerplant certified. Between FAA general, airframe and powerplant tests, this could mean demand for well over 100 tests just for Battle Creek staff.

Duncan Aviation also sees testing demand from local schools, such as nearby Western Michigan University, which enrolls a considerable number of students studying to be mechanics and pilots. “We have hundreds of students on the other side of the airfield that have [also been] driving over an hour on their own dime, so the service that we’re providing to our local aviation community can’t be understated,” he says. “It’s going to be a great benefit to the entire community and airport here.”

Duncan Aviation’s Battle Creek testing center can perform all FAA written AKTs, including ones for mechanics, pilots and even flight engineers. Couch says he is pursuing FAA designated mechanic examiner (DME) certification so the company can also start offering oral and practical testing in Battle Creek. Currently, he says there are only four DMEs in Michigan, and only one within a 30-min. drive.

Testing center and DME shortages are reportedly holding back the pipeline of certified technician labor in the U.S. Duncan Aviation’s Lincoln, Nebraska, facility has two staff DMEs, and it is located near a testing center, so that location is already well-positioned to handle its own testing demand.

Like the rest of the MRO industry, Couch says Duncan Aviation has struggled to find enough licensed technicians. The company relies heavily on apprenticeship programs and partnerships with local career centers to recruit new talent. Once new hires are on board, the company’s in-house technical training division prepares staff to work with transport category corporate aircraft.

Although independent MROs have reported struggling to compete with airline salaries, Couch says Duncan Aviation has found success promoting the work-life balance and job security it is able to offer.

For instance, an airline job offer may come with a higher pay rate, but the cost of living in a larger city is significantly higher than in locations such as Battle Creek, Lincoln or Provo, where Duncan Aviation also has a facility, “so we try to educate them on that as a dollar per hour is not necessarily [stretching as far]” in those locations, he says.

Couch says staff at Duncan Aviation also have opportunities for growth and advancement, where employees can “become an expert on [an] aircraft and you’re not pigeonholed into just one area of the airplane or into the tire shop or landing gear shop.”

The company’s 24/7 operation does mean staff may still work weekends or third shifts, but these are typically configured so that technicians work four 10-hr. days or three 12-hr. days, so they get longer periods of time off. At an airline, Couch says a technician could be working weekend or third shifts for a decade before gaining enough seniority “to get onto a normal shift.”