The Duncan Intelligence is a free, technical newsletter for business aircraft owners and operators. Written in-house by Duncan Aviation's technical representatives, each edition includes technical tips and advice on topics and trends in business aviation. It is a free, monthly e-mail subscription for aviation enthusiasts around the world.
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As 2025 comes to an end, ACS Rep Rene Cardona reflects on what shaped this year’s preowned business jet market. The fourth quarter is always busy, but this year brought a unique level of intensity, driven by economic uncertainty early on and a surge of confident buyers later. Here’s his perspective on what we experienced in 2025—and what to expect as we head into 2026.
Don't get grounded by confusing nose wheel vibrations! A true nose gear shimmy—that rapid, side-to-side oscillation—is a serious issue often linked to play in the torque links, requiring immediate mechanical attention. In contrast, a simple vertical shudder felt during taxi or initial climb is often just an easily corrected wheel imbalance. This quick guide details the key differences and the essential steps to accurately troubleshoot the condition, starting with a simple inspection of the nose gear scissors.
Is your aircraft compliant? Missing small inspections tied to STCs or life-limited parts can lead to costly downtime and mandatory replacements. Learn why detailed records research is essential.
Don't Let Your Spare Aircraft Batteries Go Flat! Keeping a stock of essential aircraft batteries is crucial for operational readiness, but did you know that improper storage can drastically cut their lifespan and capacity? While temperature affects performance in the air, the storage environment is key to minimizing self-discharge and maintenance needs. Discover how optimizing storage temperature—from the effects of higher heat to the benefits of cold storage—can save you money, extend battery life, and ensure your spares are ready to deliver maximum performance when you need them most.
Honeywell has issued two Category II Reliability Service Bulletins, TFE731-79-3070 R1 and TFE731-79-5120, for the installation of new instruction plate decals on oil tanks to help prevent oil over-servicing.
Extreme temperatures affect the accuracy of the Air Data Computer altitude display. With WAAS / LPV approaches, this is no longer a factor.
GE is recommending the replacement of the fuel valve thrust bushing be complied with as soon as possible before the fuel control has accumulated 10,000 hours.
A number of KHF-950 HF components have been squawked as being stuck in transmit mode, or the frequency is changing on the controller every time a transmit is attempted. However, there were no faults found with the suspected units.
The glow-in-the-dark Tritium "EXIT" signs that may be installed in Falcon aircraft are being phased out due to the emission of low levels of radiation. These emissions have been deemed sensitive to some local regulations.
November 3, 2012, is the date that operators are required to be in compliance of AD 2010-07-02. It addresses possible erroneous glide slope or localizer display indications.
General Electric Service Bulletin (SB) CF34-72-0252 replaces the #5 bearing that was introduced on newer production engines, starting with engine S/N 950333, or with the incorporation of SB 72-0176.
Insects on the windshield can be dealt with, but in the pitot static system they can be truly maddening. Bugs, like birds, can build a nest overnight.
It was determined that the epoxy ramp installed to prevent water accumulation could deteriorate with time. A dry ice blasting machine removes the epoxy ramp efficiently without collateral damage.
Bombardier has issued a recommended SB 45-56-3 that calls for the inspection of the windshield coupe rails on all Learjet 45 models.
TCAS 7.1 is being offered as an upgrade by all of the major TCAS manufacturers and makes two important safety enhancements.