BBA Aviation appointed Ed Chevrestt VP and general manager for Executive Beechcraft. Chevrestt most recently was general manager of American Airlines’ Kansas City maintenance base.
At the beginning of the new year the Nigerian federal government will ban aircraft operating without an emergency locator transmitter, or ELT, according to the Aviation Safety Network. Nigeria also won’t allow aircraft to be registered or to receive an air operator certificate without the device installed. Nigeria’s CAA announced the decision at a meeting to review a search and rescue operation that involved a Hawker Beechcraft 1900 that disappeared in March over Obudu in Cross River State, ASN said.
The Australian Safety Transport Board will take a closer look at a flight control system component in investigating the uncommanded pitch-down event experienced Oct. 7 by a Qantas Airbus A330 flying from Singapore to Perth.
Royal Jordanian Airlines will implement TRAX Maintenance’s EVO application, a suite of software that manages technical records, materials management and production. TRAX says the Amman-based airline is the second Middle Eastern carrier to pick its software this year.
Man Lift Engineering’s new scissor lift is designed specifically for use in hazardous locations such as aircraft painting, oil and gas processing, and dust explosion locations. It measures 32 ft. tall, with a 99.5-in. by 68-in. platform and 1,200-lb. capacity. Other standard features include a 3-ft. roll out, extendable deck and a battery condition indicator. Optional features comprise: Three-way bump protection, a movement alarm, 3/8-in. lines for air to the platform, a 250-amp hr. battery and a 40-amp charger.
Bombardier Commercial Aircraft Customer Services and Support opened a regional support office at Garching , near Munich. The facility is Bombardier’s first customer support office in Europe.
Iberia Maintenance refitted its maintenance hangars for painting new and overhauled aircraft for Iberia and other carriers. The first aircraft inducted into the 2,900-sq.-meter space was a Saudi Arabian Airlines 757-200, followed by a Ural Airlines Airbus A320.
U.S. Airways picked Goodrich to refurbish the thrust reversers on its CFM56-5B-powered Airbus A320s. The custom-tailored program is set to last through 2012, and it also provides initial exchange units. Joint Ventures/Acquisitions
Delta G. Design , issued STC to install an EMS Technologies SATCOM AMT-3800 High Gain Antenna and DLNA on Boeing 757-200 series aircraft, STC ST10920SC
The Helicopter Association International named its 2009 “Salute to Excellence” award winners . HAI’s Aviation Maintenance Technician Award was given to David Vogel, senior technical representative for American Eurocopter in Grand Prairie, Texas. Its Aviation Repair Specialist Award was given to Jeffery L. Peabody, a maintenance technician with Air Logistics of Alaska, in Fairbanks.
O&M: Bedek opened new hangars in July. Are they primarily for passenger to freighter conversions, or do you plan to do heavy airframe work there, as well?
Air China, China Eastern and China Southern signed a cooperative maintenance agreement they hope will improve aircraft service and operational competitiveness, said an airline representative. The deal signed at the Zhuhai airshow is the first such agreement between these carriers and covers line maintenance, parts and material pooling, repairs and even maintenance training. Ameco Beijing could stand to benefit from this agreement because it offers all of the services covered under the three airline’s maintenance pact.
Gulfstream Aerospace won a firm fixed price contract modification for around $10 million to provide continued fleet maintenance support for nine Gulfstream aircraft owned by the Egyptian government.◗
AAR Corp. is carrying out mods on six Allegiant Air MD-80s at its Will Rogers World Airport facility in Oklahoma City. Work on the first aircraft began in October.
Onboard Systems , amended STC to build and install an Onboard Systems Model E-51 cargo hook load cell system on various MD Helicopter 369, 500N and 600N models, STC SH4908NM
Because this is our last issue of 2008, I figured I’d use this space to review the highs and lows of the year, and maybe look ahead to 2009. Turns out, Kerry Lynch and Bill Burchell both beat me to the punch. In Washington In Action, starting on p. 17, Kerry does an excellent job outlining the issues that the incoming Obama administration will face in 2009.
Airbus Americas added Tom Anderson , recently of Virgin America, as SVP, Airbus North America Customer Services. He will report to Airbus Americas President and CEO Barry Eccleston and succeeds Francois Mourareau, who is retiring after nearly 40 years with Airbus.
BorescopesRus offers both portable and tool cart-mounted borescopes, recently picked by Premier Turbines and Dallas Airmotive for inspection operations. Both models are designed to be easy to use and compact with cost-saving features. The portable model is equipped with a handheld display and a shoulder carried, battery powered light source. It also features VPU built-in recording capability and should be suitable for inspections far away from light sources or in difficult to access situations.
Pratt & Whitney Engine Services , issued STCs to install Pratt & Whitney Engine Services hybrid aircraft data acquisition systems and data transmission units on Cessna 560 and 560XL and Raytheon 400A aircraft, STCs ST00279BO, ST00278BO, ST00277BO and ST00276BO
A J Walter Aviation and private Danish airline Jet Time signed a five-year , power-by-the-hour agreement under which A J Walter also will maintain a consignment stock in Copenhagen.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress in September of a potential $115 million foreign military sale to Pakistan for the refurbishment and maintenance of eight Bell AH-1F Cobra attack helicopters, plus associated equipment and services. Also included are system integration, spare and repairs parts, including their transportation, support equipment, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical data, U.S. government and contractor engineering and logistics support services, and related elements of logistics support.
