Safe stands for Regional Jets
SAS builds safe, efficient maintenance stands for regional jets as well as those for large commercial aircraft. Here’s an example of a multipurpose stand built for PSA Airlines being used to access the windshield and front cabin, as well as the engine and tail areas. We provide stands for Embraer E175 and 190 and Bombardier CRJ 700 aircraft, the most popular planes in use for regional routes that may encompass up to 45,000 domestic flights each month.
Because they offer cost-savings, access to smaller markets, and efficiently feed the hub networks, regional jets remain a key component of the industry and are expected grow significantly over the next 10 years. Embraer projects adding up to 5,500 new planes worth $350 billion over that period. (Regional jets are usually defined as those with 100 or fewer seats although that number may be inching up as airlines look for a greater balance of size/economy.)
At SAS, we are proud to be working with PSA and look to extend our presence in the regional jet market, knowing all those aircraft need quality, consistent maintenance and the equipment to accomplish that job.
Custom services save airlines’ money
SAS isn’t only about manufacturing custom aircraft stands. We also provide an array of on-site and specialized services. Our crews are in Charlotte, NC this week, disassembling a large tail dock stand, then reassembling it at a new location. It’s patient work where remembering every piece and connection matters. SAS has moved stands just feet away, and others across the entire country. Our company also provides modifications and refurbishments which extend the useful life of ground servicing equipment. In the airline business, every dollar counts. When you help stretch those dollars, clients appreciate it.
Our 1st Catalog issue
SAS designs and builds custom aircraft maintenance stands and industrial platforms. You won’t find a warehouse full of pre-manufactured stands at SAS because our products are built one-at-a-time, unique to every client’s needs. Our goal is offering full solutions versus selling products that “kind of” do the job. As we work with customers to create unique stands, we add to an arsenal of products that can be further tailored for different aircraft, and differing maintenance practices. Our engineers have scores and scores of designs on file, but we wanted to showcase a few of them in what we call our 2024 Product Catalog. Please take a look. This is only a sampling of products we offer (for example, we’re not showing the many defense related products we’ve done) but it does show the variety and scope of equipment SAS offers. Let us help you provide safe, ergonomic, long lasting equipment that can add efficiency to your ground servicing operations.
Looking back and ahead, with thanks.
Growth, loss, and new opportunities marked 2023 for Simpson Aerospace Services (SAS) and as the year ends, we feel profound gratitude to our staff, our suppliers, and our customers. You made it happen. We opened the year in San Francisco and before it ended had crisscrossed this country with installs, relocations, and refits. Along the way, we met scores of new faces and deepened our relationship with those we already knew. Our work involves pieces of metal, but our business is really helping people solve problems and meet new challenges.
JANUARY
Moving a nose dock and wing stand set for United Airlines (San Francisco to Houston} is no small order. It involves detailed disassembling and labeling, packing, and shipping and unpacking thousands of parts to assure they arrive, then putting them all together again in a new home. Our crew was more than up to the task, getting the work done accurately and ahead of schedule. On top of that, SAS installed Wi-Fi stands for Delta at LAX and DFW, just a hint of things to come.
FEBRUARY
We’re back in Atlanta to deliver and install dual wide body Wi-Fi stands for Delta Airlines. Our innovative Wi-Fi stand might be product of the year for SAS. Ground operations crews certainly feel good about the safety and utility it offers. Marcus Kembel’s design provides for a self-functioning stand that eliminates the need for other equipment like cranes and bucket lifts and tethering. Ground crew members smile when they’re on it. We close the month with a Wi-Fi installation at JFK.
MARCH
Growth in business and new opportunities on the horizon have us “noodling” both more space and more staff. Plans are moving forward on a 12,000 ft addition to our production facility.
APRIL
Four general access stands are delivered to PSA Airlines, an American subsidiary that operates an all-jet American Eagle fleet. While we do build stands for the largest aircraft, we also serve the regional carriers, and are glad to do so.
MAY
It was a month for gains and a terrible loss. In early May we welcomed Design Engineer Gary Adkins to SAS, glad to add his experience in troubleshooting and finding solutions. Then, we suffered a deep loss when crew member and skilled welder Gary Graf passed away in a motorcycle accident on May 25. We miss Gary to this day and will always remember his contributions and good spirit.
JUNE
We’re back in San Francisco disassembling and moving a United narrow body tail-dock which is being purchased by another airline. SAS will manage the move and relocation – on time
JULY
SAS celebrated the 4th of July completing a narrow body Wi-Fi in Pittsburg then moved on to Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love, which beckoned us for a 7017 Wide Body Wi-Fi stand. We chomped into a Philly or two and were off again to Chicago for another Wi-Fi installation.
AUGUST
Stops in Los Angeles, and Miami for Wi-Fi installations. Plus, construction is underway on the shop expansion. Let’s just say it was a busy month. Our team is gathering experience and Randy Ball has stepped up to be a great leader on these installs. We can’t say enough about Amber, Gary Adkins and all the crew back at home who keep things moving while we’re away.
SEPTEMBER
SAS stepped out in Las Vegas where we participated in our first major aircraft industry trade show, the GSE Expo. We confess to being “oddballs”. While most have their eyes on the new Sphere or the casinos, we’re talking lift capacity, towing, and minimal footprint. Thanks Antonello Davi of American Airlines for dropping by our booth and giving us a good word. Not to forget, we also placed a widebody WI-Fi stand in Minneapolis.
OCTOBER
The shop expansion is well under roof, and we receive our Mazak tube laser which adds to our metal cutting and shaping capabilities. Laser cutting has revolutionized tube and structural processing, and SAS now offer those services.
NOVEMBER
There’s always transition in this business, so moving into our new space and taking on new projects, like stands for our military partner become the order of the day. Being a smaller and growing company, SAS must keep open to new opportunities, even when they’re a bit unknown and challenging. But that keeps us fresh and on our toes.
DECEMBER
Goodness, where did it go? Just 12 months ago, we were scrambling through the Detroit airport trying to beat a blizzard home for Christmas. Now we’re past Christmas again and grinding hard to complete a Wi-Fi order for Feb. delivery (the fastest we’ve ever done) because that’s what our client needs.
SAS has experienced a record year, and we owe thanks to our staff members for their commitment and to our customers for their trust in us. The projects and people mentioned here are but a snapshot of activity we saw in ’23. We look forward to seeing a lot more in 2024. Happy New Year.
Introducing Our Latest Product
SAS introduces Model 7111, an Extended Cabin Entry Stand for servicing 737NG and 737Max, that offers safety and reliability. Click below to see all the details.
SAS Now Offers Tube Laser Services
SAS now offers tube laser services.
Steel and other metals formed and cut to precise specifications.
SAS is now offering tube laser cutting services that provide custom sizes or shapes required for your specific metal applications.
That means you save time and money developing your material.
Any way you want it, need it.
These lasers have revolutionized tube and structural processing by offering an endless variety of applications and design freedom. Tube laser cutting is an excellent choice for processing round tube or pipe, square tube, rectangular tube, and structural shapes including channel, angle, beams, and T’s.
SAS can help your businesses meet its demands.
- SAS can perform angle cuts, coping, mitering, slots, holes, and any pattern or feature your part requires.
- We can process carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminum.
- And handle materials up to 26’ in length (in and out).
- Tube laser cut parts can be designed to eliminate or reduce weld fixturing by precutting bend lines and implementing male and female tabs to hold parts together in downstream manufacturing.
- Tube lasers also provide angle cuts, coping, mitering, slots, holes, and any pattern or feature that your part requires. The possibilities are almost endless.
CALL FOR DETAILS AND QUOTES ON YOUR MATERIAL (812) 969-2766
OR CONTACT [email protected]
GSE Expo Helps Match Needs With Solutions
GSE Expo helps match needs with solutions.
Everyone has business challenges. They walk around with them on their shoulders but often conceal them from others, until someone shows an interest.
That, friends, is the essence of a trade show.
At our booth at the GSE Expo in Las Vegas, we spent 3 days opening conversations and came home with a list of folks we can potentially provide business solutions. Now, our effort requires initiating deeper lines of communications, working through timing and budgets, establishing greater definition on projects, and involving others.
There’s a lot of work to be done but we left Las Vegas feeling good about raising our company profile, establishing new business contacts, and showing visitors what SAS offers.
The amazing thing about a trade show, particularly one for the aircraft industry, is the global nature of the audience. Aircraft maintenance stands are as needed in Abu Dhabi as they are in Atlanta. It also helps that Boeing and Airbus are an international language because everyone worldwide flies their aircraft. Your visitor may hail from Israel or Japan but you both know what a B787 or A350 needs.
Antonello Davi of American Airlines greets visitors at our GSE booth.
That’s not to forget the U.S. is still the center of aviation and our conversations spanned from 100 miles upriver in Hebron, KY to San Diego, Seattle, San Antonio, Minneapolis, Miami, Baton Rouge, Boca Raton, and smaller places like Ludington, MI, Seymour, MO and across the northern line in Montreal. Go to an aircraft trade show and go everywhere.
We cannot discount the presence of our defense partners either. We enjoyed meeting a large contingent from Robins AFB in GA and others. While winning defense contracts is a bid process, those who purchase have still got to get out and “kick the tires” so to speak. We enjoy talking with them and are always wowed by the competence and class they demonstrate.
A strong element of any presentation, or exhibition of your product, is whether your customers speak well about it. We were delighted to have Antonello Davi, GSE Sr. Specialist, of American Airlines join us in the booth on Wednesday to talk about our Wi-Fi Access Stand. American was an instrumental partner in its development and has installed several stands already. Antonello told others that our stand has met and even exceeded American’s expectations. We appreciate those words and value the relationship even more.
For our first major show, the GSE Expo was a success for SAS. We’re still a new company to the greater aviation industry and we’re learning. We’re meeting potential customers; discussing potential new business alliances; and discovering processes and technologies that are unfolding.
Walking the show opened our minds to possibilities, things you haven’t seen before, new approaches, fresh conversations, products we use. That sponge time is icing on the cake for four days in Las Vegas, never needing to see a roulette wheel.
At SAS-INC, we believe in running a trusted business that is family-owned and delivers corporate quality services. We pride ourselves on offering custom solutions, prompt delivery, and personal care to each and every one of our clients. We’ve specialized in the fields of aerospace maintenance, ground support equipment, and heat treat services since 1992 and have no plans to stop.
