Duncan Aviation installs and flight-tests Gogo 5G connectivity on its own Citation Excel

Duncan Aviation installed a Gogo 5G air-to-ground (ATG) connectivity system aboard its own Cessna Citation Excel, tail number N1KD, the aircraft it uses to move vice presidents, managers and other personnel among its facilities, and then flight-tested the system in the air. A test flight ran from Lincoln, Nebraska, to Houston, Texas, with several Duncan Aviation team members aboard evaluating performance, and 16 devices were simultaneously connected to the network during the flight.

Team members tested video calls, VPN access, streaming services including YouTube, Netflix and Instagram, WhatsApp voice and video calls, email with large PDF attachments, and productivity applications including Microsoft Outlook and an internal platform called myDuncan. Kramer Lyons, VP and general counsel at Duncan Aviation, said he logged into the company VPN, downloaded documents, and sent and received emails throughout the flight. Bruno Mazzani, business development manager for Duncan Aviation satellites, tested the system on an Android phone and said streaming and calling applications worked without glitches. Nate Klenke, manager of the Lincoln completions and modifications service sales team, said the system met and in many cases exceeded expectations even with 16 devices connected and consistent use.

Gogo's 5G ATG network provides coverage across the contiguous United States and parts of Canada. Duncan Aviation said the Gogo 5G system is available for installation at its satellite shops throughout the United States, and that equipment is currently in stock with certification paths already established for many business jet models.

Using a company aircraft as a live test bed rather than relying solely on bench data or a single demo flight reflects a broader pattern in cabin connectivity rollouts, where installers want operational proof before recommending a system to customers with mixed fleets and varied usage habits. Running real applications — VPN sessions, video streaming, voice calls and large attachments — at once, across 16 devices, gives a completions shop a reference case it can point to when a customer asks whether a system will hold up with a full cabin of passengers working simultaneously.

For MRO and completions shops, having certification paths already established and equipment in stock shortens the gap between a customer's decision to upgrade and an aircraft returning to service, which matters in a segment where downtime cost often outweighs the installation price itself. Ground-based ATG coverage tied to the contiguous United States and parts of Canada also frames where this system fits operationally, since it does not address routes outside that footprint.

What happens next will show up in how quickly other operators or fleet managers request the same installation at Duncan's satellite shops, and whether the multi-device, multi-application test becomes the standard demonstration other completions centers adopt for connectivity upgrades.