1. Cold Starter Supplier: AIR BP Lubricants Offering: BPTO 2389 is a low-viscosity, gas-turbine oil, offering exceptional cold-start capability. Many airlines rely on BPTO 2389 in their auxiliary power units (APU) because it gets them started after long cold-soaks at altitude. BPTO 2389 is the only MIL-PRF-7808 Grade 3 qualified oil that is fully approved in all Honeywell and Hamilton Sundstrand APUs. www.airbp.com/lubricants Link 601
On the sidelines of the Aviation Suppliers Association's (ASA) annual conference in Las Vegas this month, a few parts distributor executives told me that they have been receiving partnership, joint venture and/or acquisition offers in the last several months.
Landing gear overhaul is experiencing a spike thanks to aircraft delivery cycles. The aircraft made as a result of the 2004-05 order boom are coming due for gear overhauls. The Aviation Week commercial aviation forecast shows demand for overhauls of nearly 4,100 nose gear and more than 4,000 shipsets of main gear for that fleet through 2015. 1. Gear and More Supplier: Iberia Maintenance
Setting up a component repair facility halfway around the world is no small undertaking, but SR Technics is on track to open its new repair facility in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in December. The new shop will complement the company's existing repair network with locations in Switzerland, Spain and Abu Dhabi, as well as support the growth of its Integrated Component Services (ICS) business.
What started in the cockpit and on the hangar floor is now touching the tarmac, making its presence felt in line maintenance and ground operations. The migration of mobile information technology is something short of a torrent, but “I think it's going to accelerate very quickly,” says Freelon Hunter, Boeing's director of fleet and maintenance solutions for Commercial Aviation Services.
Congressionally mandated budget cuts that prompted the FAA to put a hiring freeze in place created an additional challenge for the safety agency's inspector workforce, which was already hampered by an ineffective staffing model, a government audit found.
If there are winners in a high-stakes, high-expectations program that generated a mere 262 orders in its first 13 years, then the engine OEM with a 55% share of the business would qualify. Measuring by total aircraft in service and awaiting delivery, the Engine Alliance (EA) GP7200 is the preferred powerplant for Airbus A380 customers, winning 134 of 243 orders with engine choices specified. (Three orders on the books—officially, at least—totaling 19 aircraft remain without engine choices.)
An oft-overlooked but crucial link in the MRO chain is tooling. Having proper tools—and keeping track of them—is a necessary element to every repair station's success. Here is a look at a few companies that are helping the industry get it right. 1. Safety First Supplier: CEJN
The aircraft brake market—like much of the rest of the industry—is changing rapidly. New materials and new technologies are allowing operators to gain improved useful lives out of lighter-weight products without sacrificing performance. Here are a few companies that are keeping the aircraft brake world moving forward. 1. Coast to Coast Supplier: Heico
As airlines continue to watch engine expenses, MROs are being asked by their customers to design customized approaches to service and provide material solutions. The conversation is forcing MRO vendors to search for answers outside their facilities.“A decade ago, the focus of engine maintenance contracts was on supporting the customer—at the time of the shop visit,” says Kristin Kenny, director of Pay Per Hour Programs for Pratt & Whitney Canada. “Now, contracts must be structured to take into account a complete understanding of the customer's operation.”
1. Parachutes To Pontoons Supplier: Aerazur Offerings: Aerazur, part of the Zodiac Aerospace group, has been supplying emergency survival gear for more than 60 years. The company makes everything from parachutes and pontoons to life jackets and life rafts for commercial, general aviation and military aircraft. www.aerazur.com
Travel around the world, or even within a single country, and you'll find human factors principles applied unevenly in aviation maintenance due, in part, to uncertainties among maintenance leaders and inspectors as to what this field is all about.
