Step into the world of innovation and excellence with “Industry Champions”! Join us as we celebrate the trailblazers who are redefining success across diverse industries, sharing their journeys, strategies, and secrets to thriving in competitive landscapes. Today, our host Miranda Gahn spoke with Thomas Chatfield.
Thomas Chatfield
CEO at Camber Aviation Management
Website Address: www.camberaviationmanagement.com
Short company description:
We are a small team of highly skilled professionals that manage the process of turning a client’s vision of their perfect private jet into reality. We take the initial spark, the idea, and by working with the world’s best designers, engineers, completions centers, suppliers and artisans, we collaboratively create a masterpiece. Our clients are wealthy individuals, companies and heads of state.
What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?
To have built a company whose team is highly respected in our niche of the private aviation industry
What’s The Biggest Challenge you are facing in your business or industry?
The limited flow of talented and experienced professionals to teach, nurture and coach into becoming truly exceptional members of our completion management team.
How do you see your field evolving in the next 3-5 years
An even greater focus on exceptionally high-quality private jet completions, not only in terms of quality, finish and ergonomics and features, but a desire to from owners to have the latest consumer trends incorporated.
Transcript:
Miranda:
Hi, good morning. Welcome to another episode of Aviation Champions. I’m your host, Miranda Gahn, founding partner of Lex Aero Aviation Law Firm. This morning we have with us Tom Chatfield. He’s the founder and CEO of Camber Aviation Management. Welcome, Tom.
Tom:
Hi. Good morning. How are you doing?
Miranda:
Well, I’m well, thank you. Why don’t you go ahead and tell us a little bit about your business?
Tom:
Well, I’m the CEO of Camber Aviation Management. We’re a small company based in Vancouver, Canada. Our specialty or focus of our business is completion management of large private jets for networks, corporations, and heads of state. We work with clients from all over the world who have a vision of what their perfect jet looks like, and we work together with the client, the designers, and the completion centers to create that vision and deliver that aircraft.
Miranda:
Well, it’s really fascinating. I’m curious about the people at Camber. What are their backgrounds?
Tom:
We’re a small group of eight people. Each one of us holds an aircraft maintenance engineer license, whether it’s in Canada, the United States, or Europe. Some of us have advanced degrees in aeronautics. In addition, one person on our team is a test pilot who handles flight testing aircraft. So it’s a very strong technical team.
Miranda:
Wow. That’s really impressive. So tell me, what is the difference between a business jet purchased from Bombardier or Gulfstream and a private jet purchased from Airbus or Boeing?
Tom:
That’s a good question. If you buy an airplane from Gulfstream or one of the major manufacturers, you purchase an aircraft with an interior and features that are, let’s call it off the rack. You have an options palette, whether it’s the layout of the aircraft, the systems you have on board, or the colors and fabrics you choose. But it’s pretty well standardized because those manufacturers are producing a relatively large number of aircraft each year.
It’s a lot like buying a BMW or a Mercedes when you spec it out. It’s done very nicely, but you’re within a limit of what you can do. With regards to an Airbus or a Boeing, we start with what’s called a green aircraft. That’s literally the color of the airplane, green primer on the outside and empty on the inside.
We start with that empty aircraft and, within the constraints of certification, we work with the designer and the client to deliver an airplane where the layout matches their requirements. In the case of a narrowbody, you may want to have a bedroom from front to back. You may want to have a shower on board, a stand-up bar, or a dining area. All of those things can be positioned and designed within the cabin the way you like to have it.
Miranda:
That’s really amazing. What does cabin outfitting entail?
Tom:
Cabin outfitting means you start with an aircraft that’s generally airworthy at that time. As I said, it’s called a green aircraft. Following the design and engineering work, the infrastructure gets installed. If you want to put a shower in the middle of the aircraft, a commercial aircraft isn’t normally set up that way, so we have to run water lines to that location and drainage coming out of it.
The infrastructure includes wiring, plumbing, air ducting, and everything required to support what you’re going to install inside. Once that is installed, we put in bespoke sidewalls, ceiling panels, bulkheads, and monuments, which are furniture pieces such as beds, couches, tables, and anything else you want within the aircraft.
When it’s all finished, we install carpets, complete the flooring, and prepare the aircraft for paint.
Miranda:
Wow. I bet the sky’s the limit. Give me an example of something you’ve seen that’s outstanding.
Tom:
We were the team that did the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner completion in the world. Instead of well over 300 passengers, the aircraft was set up for 42 passengers. It had a large bedroom with a changing room, a large washroom with a shower big enough for two people, and vanities clad in marble. It looked incredibly beautiful. It also had a very large dining area that could comfortably seat 16 to 18 people.
Miranda:
That is so impressive. How long does it take to outfit an airplane?
Tom:
A narrow-body aircraft generally requires about 12 months to complete once inducted. However, if you order an airplane today, the lead time is about two years before you receive the green aircraft due to demand.
That time allows us to design the interior, complete engineering, order parts, and begin building monuments and seats. Once the aircraft arrives, we install infrastructure first, then sidewalls, interior panels, and furniture. We would be done about 12 months after arrival.
Miranda:
I imagine it’s not like remodeling a home where clients can choose anything they want because safety is involved.
Tom:
Yes, that’s correct. We conduct stringent burn testing. Materials such as wood, leather, and fabrics must be tested to ensure they don’t burn quickly and will self-extinguish. Wool tends to perform well. There’s a joke in the industry that it’s rare for a sheep to catch fire.
Synthetic fabrics can be more difficult and often require treatment. Wood veneers and clear coats must also meet flammability standards. In general, the more natural the material, the easier it is to incorporate. High nylon content materials can be more challenging.
Miranda:
And you also have to consider weight and balance.
Tom:
Absolutely. A commercial aircraft has a wide weight and balance envelope, but when adding showers, water tanks, and heavy galleys in new locations, we must evaluate it carefully. Generally, our interior weighs similarly to a commercial configuration, but in different locations, so analysis is required from the beginning.
Miranda:
How did you get into this business?
Tom:
I’ve been in aviation all my life. My background is avionics engineering. I did my apprenticeship in Toronto, Canada, at a company that built aircraft like the Dash 7, Dash 8, and the Beaver. From there, I worked in Europe with a subsidiary and later joined DaimlerChrysler Aviation, building up their private jet operation.
Part of my role involved accepting aircraft from Bombardier and Airbus. During that process, conversations evolved into how we could do things better. I later joined a team that set up Qatar Executive and accepted numerous aircraft. In 2013, I started my own company after completing many projects for different operators.
Miranda:
I bet you have a client waiting list.
Tom:
We’re fortunate to have more demand than capacity. The team has agreed that we don’t want to necessarily get bigger. We have a great team and enjoy working together. We focus on quality versus quantity.
Miranda:
What are your biggest challenges and goals for this year?
Tom:
The biggest challenge is bringing new talent into the industry. You can’t take someone straight from engineering school into this work. They need experience first. It involves travel and long nights overseeing work at completion centers, so we need engineers who are also strong communicators.
Our goal this year is to deliver the aircraft we have underway on time and continue working closely with completion centers to produce the best possible aircraft for our clients.
Miranda:
Anything else you’d like to share?
Tom:
There is huge opportunity in business aviation. While there are concerns about AI taking jobs, our niche industry is hands-on and knowledge-based. It requires good thinkers and problem solvers. I encourage young people to consider joining this industry.
Miranda:
Tom, it’s been great having you on the show. Thank you for sharing more about your company and your experience in aviation.
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