Procuring a custom aircraft interior, particular for a narrow or wide body jet requires some well thought out planning in order to ensure smart execution of the project.
- Determine Aircraft Use
- Completion Center Selection
- Completion Cost & Resale Value
- Hire a specialist
- Why your designer needs to pay attention to regulations
- Time allocation
- Inspection & Re-delivery
Determine how you will use the aircraft:
Planning. You don’t want to be disappointed when you have taken delivery that you do not have certain functionality, you have a limit on passenger numbers or that a vial flaw in design doesn’t meet you lifestyle or the majority use of the aircraft passengers needs.
On the same not you don’t want to be over-specifying or making the wrong decisions that will only increase time to completion and cost you money you don’t need to spend.
It’s your money sure, but just be aware your conceived use for the aircraft effects aircraft section (range, cost of operation, runway limitations), if you intend to charter it, if it is for private or business use, if you intend to sleep in it, dine in it, work in it, use it for vacations and so on.
There is much more in this areas a specialist can help you with, but listed here are some basic considerations to start the though process.
Completion Center Selection:
Dependent on the type and size of aircraft will already be a deciding factor in available completion centers.
You need to know who is available, who has slots, their success history, if they have history of your aircraft type and of course cost as part of multiple other considerations.
Project Cost & Resale Value:
Your specification will of course affect project cost. It will also affect potential resale value of your aircraft.
Configuration, furnishing standard, equipment / technology and cost of operation will all effect resale value. In fact think about all your consideration in step 1. A potential customer on resale will ask the same questions to themselves.
Hire a specialist:
The most sensible decision you can make to ensure the complete project is managed to both meet your expectations and ensure that at each step you make the right decisions and that your interests are protected.
The cost of specialist is many times paid back to you. Consider it this way: A completions center will protect their interests, unless you are a specialist here who will protect yours?
Enough said.
Why your designer needs to pay attention to regulations:
Right so you have made your aircraft choice, you have decided on the use of the aircraft, you have even conceived design ideas in your mind. You ask for these to be put to paper. Renderings are produced, even a computerized £d modelling for conceptual walk through. You’re thrilled. You sign on the dotted line with a completions center and they either point at upfront there may be a few issue or you find out that when the certification process comes at the end of the project that there are ‘issues’.
An experienced designer and/or a completions project specialist will be able to identify upfront if your specification is going to cause certificate issues (or potential build issues for the completions center). Your ultra fancy design just cost you in the pocket. A good contract might save you!
With all due respect your favorite home interior designer will likely not know this.
Time Allocation:
How long have you got? Can you charter in the while. A 747-8 isn’t a 12-month turn-around. Just as designer complexity into your project or for example something that hasn’t been done before isn’t the smartest way to ensure your project is delivered on time.
Aircraft completions is a complex industry, good experienced decisions and project management is key. Ask for history of the completions centers last ten projects. What were they? To what complexity? Were there delays? Why?
You need to know.
Inspection & Re-delivery:
Aviation requires several documentation, inspection and test flights steps prior to certification. This stage can hurt if the prior steps were not thought out thoroughly. That said most completions centers are experts in what they do and problems should be minimized as much as possible.
Ensure that a thorough independent inspection is done to ensure specification as signed on contract has been achieved. We all do not want disappointments at this stage of proceedings.
Summary:
We recommend that you make use of a specialist from the beginning of your project. It may seem like extra cash out, but many times over it is wise money spent protecting you from time, cost and potential quality impacts as well as the potential final frustration of receiving something that doesn’t suit your needs or is different to your required specification.
Search for Aircraft Completion Project Management services.
Finally enjoy your aircraft! It is probably why you bought it, you deserve to enjoy all it beings to you!
Aircraft Completion Buyers Guides:
The full collection of aircraft completion buyers guides for custom private and business jets are available here: