AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2015 - 38

PILOT BRIEFING
PILOT PRODUCTS

VIEW THE

VIDEO

Ramp appeal
Move your airplane
in any direction
B Y I A N J. T W O M B LY
PILOTS ARE A NOTORIOUSLY

thrifty bunch, which is why it's not
unusual to see multiple airplanes
in one hangar. Why waste all that
extra space?
For this application, and pretty
much any other hangar-related
movement, there's now Red Viper.
Don't let the ferocious name fool
you. These so called "aircraft positioning devices" are nothing more
than well-built ramps with castering wheels.
Simply roll the airplane on,
push any direction you like, and
roll it back off again. At less than
an inch off the ground, airplanes
nicely slide right up onto the platform. That low clearance makes
the ramps ideal for any type of
wheel-faired or not-but it can
cause problems in the hangar,
where a smooth surface is a must.
Each ramp holds 2,000
pounds, and you will obviously
need three. The set is reasonably
priced, and if it allows you to split
the cost of a hangar with a new
friend, it's money well spent.
EMAIL ian.twombly@aopa.org

Price: $200 each; $585 for three
Contact: www.red-viper.com

Aircraft Spruce marks 50 years
Grows from one product to 75,000
BY MIKE COLLINS
WHEN AVIATION SUPPLY COMPANY Aircraft Spruce and Specialty
was launched 50 years ago June 2015, it sold only one product:
aircraft-grade spruce lumber. "It was much like we do today-we
get it in large pieces and cut it into small pieces, whatever the customer wants," explained Jim Irwin, company president and oldest
son of its founders, Flo and Bob Irwin. They started Fullerton Air
Parts at Fullerton Municipal Airport in 1956, grew the business,
and sold it in 1965-when they started Aircraft Spruce.
ROB, JEFF, MIKE, Nanci,
Today, the company publishes a catalog with nearly 1,000 and Jim Irwin (top).
The Corona store
pages. "We have about 75,000 different products," he said. "I (above) has been
think we'll hit 1,000 pages with our fiftieth anniversary catalog." rearranged with more
Its headquarters in Corona, California, is near Corona Municipal apparel.
Airport-a shuttle van picks up fly-in customers-and there are facilities in Peachtree City,
Georgia, and Brantford, Ontario, Canada. Employment has grown from two to about 150.
Irwin's wife, Nanci, is vice president of the company, and their three sons are involved
in the business as well-Mike is purchasing manager, Jeff is operations manager, and Rob
is brand development manager. "It's been a family tradition for some time," Jim Irwin said.
Aircraft Spruce's expansive inventory, combined with the multiple locations, dictates
a sophisticated order management system that's normally invisible to the customer. About
half of Aircraft Spruce's orders are made online; the rest are placed by phone. "That phone
call will ring to any available agent," whether in California or Georgia, Irwin said. "The
computer system tries to ship from the closest warehouse."
The completed order is sent to the printer in the warehouse closest to the aisle where
the parts are located. Merchandise is pulled, checked, packaged, and shipped-usually the
same day it's ordered. Aircraft Spruce places many special orders, as well. "Many times,
we will drop ship that directly to the customer," Irwin said.
A wiring harness department was recently created, offering standard and custom
harnesses; each is bench tested before shipment. The Corona store has been rearranged,
with more apparel and an interactive headset display featuring 20 different models. The
company offers about 45 video product reviews on its own YouTube channel. They have
received more than 300,000 views, Irwin noted. Each October, Aircraft Spruce holds a
customer appreciation day at all three locations. "It gives us a great opportunity to meet
and greet our customers," Irwin said.
EMAIL mike.collins@aopa.org

38 | AOPA PILOT February 2015

http://www.red-viper.com

AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2015

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