—Operators of mature C-130 Hercules have three good options for upgrading the aircraft’s center wing box, the high-stress area where wings, empennage and landing gear meet. The first option is refurbishing the wing, the second option is installing a new standard wing and the third option is installing the enhanced service life wing, which flies on new C-130J models. Each choice extends the Hercules’ service lives, at different costs.
Russian Helicopters will deliver 20 Mi-171 helicopters in transport configuration to Sharjah, U.A.E.-based Airfreight Aviation Ltd. in 2010. A joint venture of the two companies is to be established to handle service and maintenance. Avionics/IFE
European regulators have spent several months laying the groundwork for potential retaliation to a proposed provision in U.S. aviation legislation calling for the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct twice-annual inspections of foreign repair stations. European legislators have asked that the U.S. exempt repair stations from any new requirements for FAA inspections in Europe because repair station oversight will be covered under the European-U.S. Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement. European regulators feel the U.S.
Boeing has closed a deal with the government for the purchase of 15 CH-147F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters. The program includes a 20-year in-service support and maintenance contract worth about $2.2 billion, almost twice as much as the $1.2-billion price of the helicopters. The contract includes an option to extend MRO to the life expectancy of the aircraft. No word has been released yet as to whether Boeing or a local company will be responsible for maintenance services.
Pacific Aerospace Resources & Technologies (PART) bought out Victorville Aerospace’s assets in August, finally anchoring that company after it filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 last September. PART plans to grow its new Victorville base, where it will offer MRO, modifications, asset and maintenance management, mission critical systems development and integration, platform technologies and flight test services to military and commercial customers from a hangar large enough to host an Airbus A380. Facilities
Mesaba Airlines’ 60 Bombardier regional aircraft will receive avionics maintenance from Rockwell Collins per a 16-year Dispatch agreement. Under the long-term deal inked in August, Rockwell Collins will provide avionics component repairs and inventory for the Northwest/Delta operator’s 41 CRJ900s and 19 CRJ200s at multiple pre-positioned service locations.
Panasonic Avionics and SIA Engineering Co. signed a 10-year agreement for the maintenance of inflight entertainment and communication equipment on Singapore Airlines' entire fleet. Panasonic will work in conjunction with SIAEC to provide a “one-stop-shop” solution covering all on-aircraft labor, logistics, spares, repairs and media loading. Parts/Components
Rockwell Collins reissued STC to install Rockwell Collins GLU-920 multi-mode receivers in place of AlliedSignal or Sextant multi-mode receivers on Boeing 737-700, -600 and -800 series aircraft, STC ST00983LA-D
OGMA recently delivered an SA330 Puma helicopter operated by the French government to SIMMAD (Structure Integree du Maintien en condition operationnele des Materiels Aeronautiques de la Defense). SIMMAD has been a helicopter maintenance customer of OGMA's since 2002.
A J Walter will support another Astraeus Airlines Boeing 757-200 under an existing power-by-the-hour support arrangement with the U.K.-based sub-lease services and aircraft and crew provider, which operates a fleet of five 757s and two 737NGs. A J Walter has supported Astraeus Airlines from its base near London-Gatwick since the carrier's launch in 2002.
Latin American maintenance, repair and overhaul providers continue to expand their offerings in the worldwide MRO market, with new capabilities and certifications coming on line all the time. With increasing numbers of new-generation Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and Embraer jets being delivered into the region, and still hundreds of older-generation aircraft needing more intensive maintenance, the potential market from Latin carriers alone is enough to spur MRO development in the region.
Vector Aerospace has been selected to begin upgrading the Royal Air Force’s fleet of Chinook multi-mission, heavy-lift helicopters next year, by installing the model 55-L-714A engine and spare parts from Honeywell Aerospace. The work is expected to last for five years. The contract, valued at approximately $185 million, was awarded to Honeywell in August.
Consultation periods for an EASA Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA 2009-06) concerning the use of composite materials in aircraft structures ends this month. With new, largely composite jetliners soon to enter the market, NPA 2009-06 aims to create a single Acceptable Means of Compliance chapter (AMC 20-29) to standardize recognized good practices for composite aircraft structure design, manufacturing and maintenance.
Delta TechOps inked a $7 million, four-year component maintenance and inventory logistics contract with Canadian charter airline CanJet. Delta TechOps will take care of component and logistics inventory support for the Halifax, Nova Scotia-based carrier's Boeing 737-800s. The agreement covers avionics, pneumatics, and hydraulics, and it provides access to Delta's inventory of 737-800 components for spare parts. It also signed a $1.3 million, three-year component deal with another Canadian carrier, First Air.
Portable Ultrasonic Flaw Detector A new, portable ultrasonic flaw detector from GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies weighs just 2.2 lb. and is designed for prolonged use in harsh environments. The USM Go inspection tool is equipped with a pressure-responsive, joystick control; ergonomic design features; and a data display screen with the largest pixel count of any instrument in its category, according to GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies.
LONDON—The U.K. Air Accident Investigations Branch (AAIB) has made 14 safety recommendations for changes to equipment, maintenance procedures and operational security for A319 aircraft. These key changes appear in its newly published final report into a serious inflight electrical system failure on an EasyJet A319 in September 2006.
Low-VOC Contact Adhesives, Cements A new line of low volatile organic content contact adhesives and cements is available from Royal Adhesives and Sealants. The new Silaprene brand contact adhesives and cements contain less than 250 grams per liter of VOCs, compared to more than 600 grams per liter of VOCs in traditional solvent-based contact adhesives and cements.
Monogram Systems reissued STCs to install Envirovac toilets, chemical injection toilets or Envirovac vacuum waste blowers on McDonnell Douglas MD-11; Boeing 767-200 and -300, 747-400 and 777-200; and Airbus A319 and A320 series aircraft, Several STCs
Siam Hiller Holdings reissued STC to install Allison 250-C18A, -C18C, -C20, -C20B engine and related changes on various Bell 47G helicopters, STC SH657NW
Premier Air Center amended STC to install a four- or five-display Universal Avionics EFI-890R electronic flight instrument system on Dassault Falcon 50 aircraft, STC ST02226CH
Magellan Aircraft Services will disassemble CRJ100/200 regional jets, refurbishing usable components and marketing them to operators around the world per a new agreement with Bombardier Services. The initial agreement covers 10 CRJ100 aircraft managed by Bombardier Commercial Aircraft's Asset Management Group. Bombardier estimates that each aircraft has about 1,500 parts—including 300 LRUs—that can be refurbished and resold to operators as spares. The spares, including engines, will be available through Magellan for sale or lease.
Aerospace executives hope to continue making inroads on their long quest to simplify and ease U.S. export controls on certain aerospace parts with a White House and congressional review of the U.S. export control system. President Obama in August directed the National Economic Council and National Security Council to undertake a broad interagency review of the U.S. export control system, according to a White House statement. The review is to include both the dual-use and defense trade processes.
