Universal Avionics recently received FAA TSO approval for its "W" series WAAS/ SBAS enabled flight management system (FMS). Its space based augmentation system (SBAS) is designed to improve the accuracy, availability and integrity of GPS-derived navigation capabilities for all classes of aircraft in all phases of flight. Universal Avionics' WAAS-FMS makes it possible to obtain operational approvals for all of the 707 FAA published SBAS WAAS/LPV approaches, in addition to accommodating those yet to come.
Fokker Services signed an agreement for the VIP completion of a pre-owned Airbus A321 for an undisclosed customer in the Middle East. It is scheduled to arrive at Fokker Services at Woensdrecht in the Netherlands in July 2008 for delivery in the first quarter of 2009. Fokker Services also began an A318 VIP cabin completion for an undisclosed operator in the Middle East, scheduled for delivery to the customer in mid-2008.
Piaggio America selected Aero Precision Repair and Overhaul (A-PRO) to maintain its Piaggio P.180 Avanti II aircraft. A-PRO, a joint venture of Dassault Falcon Jet and Messier, will service the landing gear and other components of P.180 Avanti II aircraft.
CAE won contracts to provide training and simulation devices to Alteon Training, Virgin Blue and Lion Air. The Alteon order includes 36 virtual maintenance trainers for Boeing 747 aircraft scheduled for delivery in the fall of 2009.
Skyquest Aviation won a design and supply contract for airborne camera and closed circuit television systems on Royal Air Force (RAF) tanker variant TriStar aircraft. Marshall Aerospace of Cambridge, appointed by Lockheed Martin as the design authority for the RAF TriStar fleet, awarded the contract. A trial installation of the equipment was scheduled for October at Marshall's Airport in Cambridge.
Boeing added Kidde, Monogram and Moog to its 787 GoldCare team. Kidde Aerospace & Defense, an operating unit of Hamilton Sundstrand, supplies fire detection and suppression systems for the 787, Monogram Systems provides its complete water and waste systems and Moog supplies the primary flight actuation system, which controls all primary flight control surfaces including spoilers and horizontal stabilizers.
Vertex Aerospace of Madison, Miss., won a $56.8 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-reimbursable requirements con- tract to exercise an option to provide aircraft maintenance and logistics life cycle support for 55 U.S. Navy and 11 U.S. Marine Corps C-12 aircraft. Work is expected to be complete by Sept. 2008.
Adams Rite Aerospace and Satair plan to expand their partnership to encompass aftermarket support of ARA products in North, Central and South America for a group of airlines as well as MRO operations and distributors.
LONDON -- "The Great PMA Debate" was a somewhat ironic title for the Royal Aeronautical Society conference held here in September because arguments over the use of parts manufactured and distributed under FAA Parts Manufacturer Appproval have simmered since the U.S. FAA issued the first PMA in July 1955.
BizJet announced The Maintenance Group joined its partnership network. The Maintenance Group, based in Atlanta, Ga., specializes in corporate aircraft maintenance and will provide ad hoc service to local operators.
LONDON -- Headlines trumpeting huge growth in aviation have been a feature of the past two years, with predictions of the world civil airline fleet growing to more than 28,000 aircraft by 2020. In parallel, business aviation also is booming with the world corporate jet fleet growing by more than six percent to 14,421 from 13,549 in September last year, according to Ascend's CASE database.
Rockwell Collins added a program to upgrade Pro Line 4 Flight Decks with Pro Line 21 displays, designed to integrate features like Jepp View, IFIS-providing electronic charts, XM graphical weather and enhanced maps. The upgrade program is being launched with Duncan Aviation and initially will be available for Dassault Falcon 2000/Falcon 50 EX Pro Line 4 platforms.
BizJet added Joe Sabatini to its sales team as regional sales manager for the West Coast territory, where he will concentrate on the company's Honeywell, General Electric and Pratt & Whitney product lines.
Pinpoint Laser Systems' 2D Microgage Laser alignment tool is designed for precision measuring, machine alignment, calibration and other industrial applications. It combines a laser transmitter with a receiver and large LCD display. As the laser moves across the receiver, it is designed to provide a reading that should be accurate to the 0.0001 inch. The Microgage also should emit a red beam over a distance of 100 feet.
Rolls-Royce Defense Services received a $66.3 million modification to a previously awarded fixed-price, requirements contract to exercise an option to provide Power-By-The-Hour logistics support for approximately 188 F405-RR-401 engines for T-45 aircraft. Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.
Pratt & Whitney Canada Customer Services Center Europe, a joint venture of P&WC and MTU, signed a Fleet Management Program agreement with Sloane Helicopters to provide maintenance for the PW206C and PW207C engines that power its fleet of company owned and client helicopters.
John Holland Aviation Services picked EVO, the latest model of TRAX Maintenance software. The Australia-based MRO operation is the 64 th company to implement TRAX.
STARCO broke ground on a new MRO facility in Shanghai. Located at Pudong airport, the RMB280 million ($56 million) facility should be able to accommodate three narrowbody aircraft and two widebody aircraft, including Airbus A380s. It is scheduled to begin operations by mid-2009.
The sheer magnitude of the fines commanded attention. Roanoke-based ITT Night Vision agreed to pay $100 million and plead guilty in federal court to a pair of felonies. At issue: the firm's unauthorized export of night-vision goggle component parts to China, via a Singapore contractor. If U. S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) weren't front and center before, they certainly are now. The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), the agency that administers the rules for the Department of State, is working more ITAR-related cases than ever these days.
DayJet and Pratt & Whitney Canada signed a Fleet Management Program (FMP) contract, under which P&WC will maintain the PW610F engines powering DayJet's Eclipse 500 very light jets. The FMP agreement includes overhauls, basic unscheduled engine removals and engine trend-condition monitoring.
Singapore Airlines picked Hamilton Sundstrand Power Systems to support the Pratt & Whitney/Hamilton Sundstrand PW980 APUs on its fleet of Airbus A380 aircraft, the first of which was scheduled to begin operations Oct. 28. Hamilton Sundstrand Power Systems will perform shop maintenance and provide spares support for SIA's A380 fleet for up to 17 years.
