Expertise in APUs Leads Gregg Washburn to Train Customers

As Gregg Washburn, crew chief for StandardAero’s Augusta APU shop, stands in front of a group of technicians and mechanics discussing compressor impellers and borescopes, you would never suspect he once had a paralyzing fear of speaking in front of people.

The licensed A&P mechanic has spent 16 years working for StandardAero, formally Garrett Aviation, and is a well-respected expert on Honeywell APUs. Washburn often takes calls from customers across the country, helping them troubleshoot their APU issues. Today, he’s sharing his expertise with corporate operators in Florida, next month it’s New York, then on to Canada.

Starting as a mechanic in the APU shop, Washburn has held several titles at StandardAero, including engine shop inspector, APU shop senior technician, APU shop crew chief and 731 shop crew chief. Before Garrett Aviation, Washburn worked for National Helicopter in Farmingdale, New York, providing line maintenance for a fleet of Bell 206L, 206L4 Sikorsky 58T, Aerospatiale A Star and Twin Star aircraft.

When Augusta began offering an APU training course to customers about three years ago, Washburn led the team in creating the training course, building two cutaway engines, and procuring parts used as examples in the course. For ultimate convenience, the team designed the two- to three-hour program to be held on location in a customer’s hangar.

“The training offers an indepth look at real-life scenarios. Technicians can ask questions, see what a borescope looks like, and hold a compressor impeller in their hands. The training has been well received by our customers, and last year it was approved by the FAA as two hours toward their IA renewal,” said Washburn.

The course, which focuses on Honeywell 36-100 and 36-150 business aircraft APUs, is provided free of charge to all customers. Washburn has already presented the training for small and large corporate flight departments of some of the country’s best known companies. So that smaller companies and owner/operators can benefit, too, group sessions are organized in local areas, bringing diverse entities together under one roof.

Washburn’s passion for APU service has helped him overcome his fear of public speaking. He routinely travels to customers across the United States and Canada, providing the training and demonstrating borescope techniques.

“I love it. I love getting to know our customers better. It helps to put a face with the name,” said Washburn, who has presented the training to groups as large as 300.

While at home or on the road, Washburn freely gives his contact information to customers, encouraging them to call him directly if they have questions or problems. It’s that type of personalized service that brings customers back year after year to Augusta.

“Gregg treats the APU business as his own, and that is what makes him a great crew chief. He is serious about growing the business and he feels customer service is the way to do it. If that means working weekends, taking calls after hours or while on vacation, he does it willingly,” said Tony Gay, engine services manager, StandardAero Augusta.

For information about StandardAero’s APU training in your area, contact your local StandardAero sales respresentative.