Lufthansa Technik's nice cabin management and IFE system has been installed on eight Bombardier Challenger 300 aircraft delivered since August. nice technology includes an iPod docking station in addition to an Ethernet network with 20-inch LCD screens, amplifiers for its flat panel speakers and an interface to other aircraft systems to support cabin lighting, temperature control and a DVD player.
Boeing shipped a CH-47D Chinook helicopter maintenance trainer to the U.S. Army National Guard. Modified from a retired Army CH-47D, it was expected to be ready for use in training soldiers, technicians and other flight personnel by the end of October.
Kafko's Oil Eater Cleaner-Degreaser is designed to remove oil, grease, grime and dirt from maintenance facility floors by encapsulating them in a solution that should rinse off easily and leave no residue. The water-based cleaner is biodegradable and non-flammable. It also contains no acid, abrasive or petroleum solvents, so it should not harm the skin. Oil Eater also may be used to clean tools and equipment, and it is designed to serve as a concentrate for parts cleaning and pressure washing machines, as well.
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.
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.
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.
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.
On Sept. 21, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible foreign military sale to Iraq of logistics support worth up to $172 million for three C-130E tactical transports, plus associated equipment and services. In addition to supply and maintenance support, flares, electronic warfare support, software upgrades, pyrotechnics, spare and repair parts, support equipment, publications and documentation, personnel training and training equipment, fuel and fueling services, these will include U.S.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
American Eagle Airlines plans to expand its Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) maintenance facility, driven in part by American Eagle's recently added service from XNA to Miami, Fla., Washington, D.C., and Raleigh/Durham, N.C. The $10 million investment in a larger hangar should allow American Eagle's XNA-based maintenance crew to take on more maintenance responsibilities.
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.
DeWalt launched its first cordless 18 gauge XRP brad nailer, the DC608K. Powered by an 18V cordless battery system, it features a mechanical flywheel system designed to accommodate users' needed nailing rates and drive up to two-inch 18 gauge nails into hardwood. Its box-style magazine also should prevent dust and debris from clogging it.
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.
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.
