More efficient engines, significantly lighter aircraft, alternative fuels or some startling new technology that no one has thought of yet likely will have a huge impact on the greening of the aviation industry some time in the future. Who's to know when? But while we wait, it's imperative that the industry realize that there are smaller, less dramatic but still effective steps that can, and should, be taken now.
The U.S. Coast Guard implemented Click Commerce Parts at its Aircraft Repair and Supply Center in Elizabeth City, N.C., which provides depot level maintenance and engineering, supply and information services support for USCG missions. Click Commerce Parts comprises commercial off-the-shelf software for Readiness Based Sparing and Advanced Planning and Decision Support, which facilitate spare parts management and strategic placement in addition to "sense and respond" capabilities for rapid response times to mission changes.
PAS Technologies named Mark Hui senior manager, sales and marketing, for Asian Surface Technologies Pte Ltd. Hui's responsibilities include sales and marketing activities for PAS Technologies in the Asia-Pacific region and sales responsibilities for AST. He succeeds Eric Yeo, who became senior manager oil field and gas.
Jet X Aerospace picked Airpac Enterprises as a priority supplier for its aircraft interior programs. Airpac will continue to work with Jet X to provide spare aircraft seating and seat components, including armcaps, tray tables and seat covers. The MRO also will oversee a rotation of one-off seat repairs and coordinate with Jet X's repair team, located in Bensenville, Ill., for overhauls.
Pratt & Whitney Canada launched the second phase of expansion at its Halifax, Nova Scotia, facility -- part of an investment altogether worth $45 million, the company says. The first phase, begun in 2006, saw new manufacturing equipment installed in Halifax. Sub-assembly of engine components also began there. The current phase of investment will include building a modern engine assembly line and test cell at the facility. The PW617 engine will be the first to be assembled and tested once production begins, P&WC says.
Siemens PLM Software introduced the next generation of its Teamcenter MRO software-based solution. Its service data management module has new features, including a Services Dashboard for value chain, compliance and PBL or SLA contract management, Siemens says. See AviationWeek.com's MRO channel for a podcast with Tim Nichols, head of Siemen's A&D unit.
In March 2007 when Southwest Airlines (SWA) discovered it had flown aircraft that were not in compliance with an airworthiness directive, the carrier took actions to address the problem. SWA reported the error to its Certificate Management Office (CMO), which is responsible for the airline's regulatory compliance, through a voluntary disclosure program and began to take steps to address the AD. But the carrier also continued to fly the 46 Boeing 737 aircraft that were not in compliance for nine days.
The European General Aviation Safety Team (EGAST) elected co-chairs Eric Mandemaker, CEO of the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), and James Black, board member of the European Council of General Aviation Support (ECOGAS) and the European Airshow Council (EAC).
In February, Sikorsky Support Services, Inc., (SSSI) at Chase Field, Texas, announced delivery of the first aircraft to be repaired, upgraded and overhauled at its new field operations maintenance facility in Beeville, Texas. The S-70 helicopter was delivered to the Colombian Air Force under a contract with Sikorsky Aircraft.
MUMBAI -- In an economy ready to take off, one would hardly expect runways -- which should be secure areas -- to face animal incursions, but this is becoming a common occurrence in India. At the end of March, a Kingfisher ATR 72-500 on takeoff to Hyderabad from Bangalore's HAL airport collided with a stray dog. The landing gear was destroyed and the aircraft suffered extensive structural damage. International and domestic flights to Bangalore, the silicon valley of India, were rerouted, causing chaos to schedules.
Israel Aerospace Industries' Bedek Aviation Group delivered its 34th Boeing 767-200 Bedek Special Freighter Configuration (BDSF) aircraft to Cargo Aircraft Management (CAM), following conversion from passenger to freighter configuration. The aircraft is the first of four that CAM has on order for conversion by Bedek.
The shortage of licensed engineers remains a growing issue because many airlines have cut their apprenticeship schemes. As a result, the process of gaining an aircraft engineer license has grown quite tortuous. In the U.K. today, any would-be aircraft engineer would have to self-fund his or her way through college and then do the required modules at a recognized university. Following that, she or he would need to find a company to provide them with work experience -- so those who want a career in aircraft engineering have to be very determined.
The National Business Aviation Association's Forum for Enhanced Reliability and Maintainability Standards (FERMS) slowly is gaining traction in the business aviation community. Since being rolled out in January 2006, the Web-based tool has provided business aircraft manufacturers and operators with real-time information about aircraft maintenance and performance.
Bell Helicopter Textron plans to test condition-based maintenance technologies it is developing with partners Honeywell International and Goodrich Corp. to support the U.S. Army by the end of this year. The program, conducted with the U.S. Army Aviation Applied Technology Directorate, aims to help Army Operations Support and Sustainment (OSST) transition to a condition-based maintenance philosophy with new diagnostic, prognostic and system health assessment technologies, according to Bell.
Ineffective Or Inadequate Maintenance Control: * Airworthiness data that is ambiguous, incorrect or conflicting * Airworthiness directives and other mandatory tasks that have been incorrectly or improperly controlled * Component robbery: e.g. inadequate control of parts removed from one component or aircraft to be fitted to another * Configuration control: e.g. inadequate control of the design or build standard of the aircraft or component such that it remains within the approved Type Design Standard
Iberia Maintenance signed a five-year contract with Spanish carrier Air Europa to repair and maintain the CFM56-7B engines that power Air Europa's fleet of 33 Boeing 737-800s.
Hawker Beechcraft's Support Plus program celebrated its fifth anniversary with the enrollment of its 500th aircraft customer. The program, introduced in 2002, provides scheduled and unscheduled maintenance services, including components and consumables, at a fixed cost per flight hour, and is available for new and in-service aircraft.
Pratt & Whitney's Global Material Solutions received an FAA supplemental type certificate (STC) covering three CFM56-3 fan module life limited parts. The three parts -- the fan disk, booster spool and fan shaft -- are the first of 19 CFM56-3 LLPs for which Pratt & Whitney is developing STCs. The OEM expects the three additional STCs covering the remaining 16 LLPs to be certified by mid-year, according to Matthew Bromberg, vice president and general manager, Global Material Solutions.
Iberia will inspect, maintain and repair components for Ljubljana, Slovenia-based Aurora Airlines' fleet of three current MD-80 aircraft, plus the two others it soon expects to receive, under a new contract.
KLM Engineering & Maintenance received authorization from Japan's Civil Aviation Bureau to carry out Boeing 747-400 base maintenance in Amsterdam, making it the first European company, and only the second outside Japan, to be authorized for the work, according to the MRO. Authorization applies to aircraft registered in Japan.
Canada-based Flying Colours picked Audio International to exclusively supply the AI Select digital cabin management and inflight entertainment system for its CRJ Execliner conversion program.
The Indian Navy recently reported availability problems with its BAE Sea Harriers, from spares shortages and attrition of its original fleet of 23 single-seat FRS.51s acquired from the U.K. by 1983, some of which are currently undergoing local systems upgrades. Fewer than 15 Sea Harriers now are thought to be in current IN service. The contract for limited Sea Harrier upgrades signed with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) in March 2005, is expected to be completed by 2009, according to a recent statement by India's Defense Minister Shri A.K. Antony in the Lok Sabha.
Circor Aerospace appointed Hangxin Aviation Engineering Group as an authorized repair center for its hydraulic, pneumatic and fuel system control valves in the Asia-Pacific region.
COVER STORY: ERP For MRO: An Alternative Perspective MROs interested in software to integrate information systems, illuminate operations and improve planning, coordination, and effectiveness can choose from many ERP options. Departments From the Editor 4 Biznet 9 Interview 14 Tay Kok Khiang, ST Aerospace Safety & Regulatory News Washington in Action 19 Human Factors 24 International Safety & Regulatory Briefs 26
