WestWind Technologies broke ground on a new modification and integration center at Huntsville International Airport. The 65,000-sq.-ft. hangar will have MRO capabilities for military and commercial aircraft, as well as on-site manufacturing. Capabilities also will include integrating new technologies into existing aircraft platforms with full engineering, electronics integration, and structural modifications. Close to the U.S.
Annual spending on Embraer 190/195 MRO, including airframe, engines, components and line maintenance, will grow to more than $1.15 billion within the next 10 years as the size of the operational fleet grows rapidly, according to AVIATION WEEK’s MRO Prospector (MROP).
Marshall Business Aviation opened a £5 million facility in Cambridge, U.K., to provide executive handling and MRO services. Maintenance facilities comprise 50,000 sq. ft. of the new center.
A solid sector of the aviation aftermarket not slipping is buoyed by money, and lots of it. Narrowbody and widebody VIP/VVIP aircraft completions seem to be sheltered from the economic turbulence, sheltered because of the owners and operators of these large luxury jets.
Following checks, rectification and upgrade work at the Aerospace Maintenance Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., deliveries started in August of four surplus U.S. Navy Sikorsky S-61D-4/UH-3H Sea Kings, plus two recently retired from NAS Pensacola, Fla. They are being shipped to Argentina’s Naval Aviation Command for scheduled completion next March, although two are being supplied as spares sources.
Global Jet Services launched its first e-learning course, Barfield 450 for AMTs. Students can use the interactive program to gain Inspection Authorization and eight hours of FAA Awards Program credits. This particular course teaches the fundamentals of pitotstatic systems; courses in Human Factors Awareness and Aircraft Electronics Technician training will be available in the first quarter of this year. IT
Northrop Grumman Systems was awarded a $5.6 million firm fixed price delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement to provide sustaining engineering support to the Taiwanese Air Force E-2C program. Work will be performed in Bethpage, N.Y., and is expected to be completed in December 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
For all of us who make our living in the aviation industry, today’s challenging economic climate is compelling us to focus on decision making that drives efficiency and maximizes our performance. Whether in our personal lives or at work, we continually seek out opportunities to make faster, smarter choices. In the process, we are often hampered by time constraints and impaired by the lack of robust information sources. Many of us also struggle with siloed organizations unprepared to adapt their operating rhythms to the changing times.
Embraer will implement Quantum Control ’ s enterprise resource planning software for its new U.S. Embraer Executive Jets service centers, set to open this quarter. The OEM also uses Quantum software at its Windsor Locks, Conn., and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., executive jet service centers.
Sabena technics will provide full support to French civil security agency la Direction de la Sécurité Civile for its Canadair CL-415 water bomber and Tracker S-2T fleet and for its Beechcraft B200 liaison aircraft under a new, 12-year contract. Services include line maintenance from DSC’s base at Marseille Provence airport and from fire season deployment bases, in addition to other missions; heavy maintenance at Marseille for the S-2T Trackers and Beechcraft B200s, and at Nimes for the CL-415s; engineering services, component repair and logistics.
The International Air Transport Association may be forced to dismiss 20 airlines from its ranks next year for not meeting safety criteria.The association requires all members to pass the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), said Gunther Matschnigg, the organization’s SVP for safety, operations and infrastructure. Likely dismissals are spread around the world, with Africa dominating slightly, but Asian, Middle East, former Soviet states, and Latin America also at risk.
Innovative Power Solutions will support aircraft electric turbine starters and generators for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and Boeing under three new, long-term agreements worth more than $10 million. It will upgrade the electric DC starters on the U.S. Navy’s AH-1 Cobra Attack helicopters under a Logistics Engineering Change Proposal, in addition to follow-on repair and overhaul activities. A five-year repair and overhaul agreement also covers the 60KVA AC generators on the Navy’s P-3 aircraft. For the U.S.
Jet Aviation Basel opened a 3,300-sq.-meter (35,520-sq.-ft.) hangar extension that will be used for Dassault Falcon completions. Jet Aviation said the hangar was completed in just seven months and cost CHF6 million. The hangar will boost completions and free up space for maintenance in other hangars.
Air France opened its new H6 hangar at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport in late November. Air France built the 25,800-sq.-meter hangar to maintain an A380 and two medium-haul aircraft simultaneously.
The Indonesian Air Force awarded a $51 million contract to Singapore Technologies Aerospace to maintain and modify four C-130Bs over 30 months. ST Aerospace Engineering will perform the work.
Onboard Systems , amended STC to fabricate Onboard Systems Model 200-264-00, 200-264-01, and 200-264-02 cargo hook kits for various MD Helicopter 369, 500N and 600N helicopters, STC SR00892SE
American Airlines VP-Line Maintenance Danny Martinez is retiring and will be succeeded by Ken Durst, former managing director-line maintenance for American’s Southwest division. Durst formerly was general manager of American’s MRO base in Tulsa, Okla.
Goodrich decided several years ago to enhance its global support infrastructure. And that included the Middle East, where it didn’t have a strong presence. Goodrich targeted the region because of its ongoing relationship with Emirates and other airlines, and because of the orders for hundreds of new aircraft, on which there is a good deal of Goodrich content. “Our goal was to position ourselves with the long view of growing our infrastructure in Dubai,” said Paul Snyder, president of Goodrich Customer Service.
The Helicopter Association International announced winners of its 2009 Salute to Excellence Awards. HAI recognized Tony Cramp , senior advisor air safety and global projects for Shell Aircraft International in Rotterdam, with its Joe Mashman Safety Award. Rich Higgins , helicopter crew chief for Cablevision Systems Corp. in Farmingdale, N.Y., won its Helicopter Maintenance Award. And, Jeffery L. Peabody , a maintenance technician with Air Logistics of Alaska, in Fairbanks, Alaska, will receive the Aviation Repair Specialist Award. HAI will present the awards on Feb.
Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT) is expected to survive and possibly thrive once the dust settles. The company, now controlled by Mubadala Development Co., the investment arm of the emirate, seems to have a renewed purpose and a realistic view of the services industry in the Middle East. With annual revenue of around $320 million, ADAT is profitable, said CEO John Byers, a veteran of Air New Zealand Engineering. ADAT accumulates around 1.9 million man-hours of heavy maintenance annually.
Olympus’ new EPOCH 1000 series of digital ultrasonic flaw detectors with phased array imaging offers three instrument configuration levels for different inspection applications. Each product in the line can be integrated into small systems for high-speed scanning and single channel imaging, Olympus says.
“Many defense organizations are outsourcing maintenance and modification programs to the industry on availability and capability contracts,” IFS CEO Alastair Sorbie said in a company statement. “The industry has a lot to gain by improving the turnaround times by introducing more sophisticated planning,”
