Extensive Domain Knowledge

It's no accident that Airflair's team have such an extensive background in Aviation and Defence. We know full well that without this our chances of fully understanding what you are trying to achieve (and therefore what we need to offer to provide real value) are poor indeed.

Such domain knowledge is drawn from experience; from 'being there'. We've 'been there' in a lot of places: from airliners to aircraft carriers, from AEW to AFV – and much, much more besides. We're in this business today on the back of experience which goes back to when digital computers were first taking to the air. We've put fibre optic links in places which had never seen them before and we've watched the way the industry has changed to adapt to new technology, new management practices and a new World Order.

So, when you talk to Airflair about the challenges of your project you are talking to people with the background to understand (and the maturity to ask, and listen, on the rare occasions when they don't).

Breath & Depth

An understanding of what's required is of limited use if it can't be offered up against potential solutions, in a way which allows viability and cost-effectiveness to be quickly and reliably assessed. For this it is necessary to have the technical knowledge to work on all aspects of proposed solutions, going down into the fine detail where the devils lurk. Airflair has worked hard to acquire this combination of breadth and depth and as a result is able to work quickly and confidently to a low risk solution to just about any problem.

Whilst we appreciate that in many cases the best solution is to use in-house or third party off-the-shelf components and assemblies (in which case this is what we do) we find on many occasions that more is needed. This COTS only approach to test system development can 'get you there' quite quickly, but sometimes it can get you 'not quite there' - and sometimes it won't even get you that close. So, we also have the capability for 'blank sheet of paper' development wherever it is needed, across a wide range of technical disciplines including:

PC Software Embedded Code Hardware/Firmware Coupling Digital Electronics Analogue Electronics Printed Circuit Board Layout Panels and Enclosures

Commercial Awareness

Bringing 'big company' background into a `small company' environment can result in a bit of culture shock – but the result is very useful. The big company background allows us to understand your constraints from capital sanctions/project budgets/requisition sign-off etc etc – and gives us a clear insight into the implications of milestone payments, penalty clauses and the associated pressures to meet project deadlines. A background managing technical work at senior levels in major aerospace companies leaves us very clear about how these things work – and what we need to do to work with them.

The small company environment is rather different, giving staff at every level regular reminders of the relationship between their efforts and company output and between those things and their own future. This keeps everyone sharp, constantly looking for ways to raise our game – not just technically but in terms of the value we offer too.

What all this means to our customers, and to our relationships with them, is that you will find that every member of Airflair's team looks on the work we do not just as a technical process, but as a business relationship which really has to work for all concerned.

Strong, Enthusiastic Team

A strong team comes about as a result of:

Skills - All our technical staff are qualified to graduate level, and all have been honing their skills ever since.

Experience - Our technical workforce have an average of more than 30 years (each) in the business.

Communication - Constant, open, communication within the team spreads the skill and experience about. Not e-mail; not memos; not fruitless `progress meetings', but talking to one another. And the result really is greater than the sum of the parts.

But, most of all, our strength lies in teamwork and mutual understanding. All our people have their specialisations, but they also all understand everyone else's role and work in a way which cuts out a mass of unproductive paperwork and avoids a lot of pointless, seemingly endless, hours round the conference table.

Working like this is only possible when all the team have absolute trust in the others – to know what they're talking about, to pull their weight, to make proper records where they're needed and to follow up the action decisions made. Its largely informal. It's quick and efficient. It works for us – and it will work for you too.

ISO 9001/TickIT

We operate a quality management system in accordance with the requirements of ISO9001 and Software TickIT. If you need a copy of the certificate please contact us.