The Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association has 28 members who annually process about 150 aircraft, 1,000 tons of aircraft specialty alloys and 25,000 tons of aircraft aluminum. AFRA members hope to be recycling 5 tons of carbon fiber daily by 2008.
U.S. Navy won approval for full-rate production of 437 next-generation APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars for its fleet of Block II Super Hornet and EA-18G aircraft.
CAE unveiled Presagis, its new modeling and simulation software company. Combining CAE's acquisition of Engenuity Technologies, MultiGen-Paradigm and TERREX with its existing off-the-shelf software team, Presagis is designed to deliver an integrated suite of COTS software.
1200 G STREET, N.W., SUITE 900, WASHINGTON, DC 20005 PH: 202-383-2431 FAX: 202-383-2440 O&[email protected] EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Frank Jackman, [email protected] MANAGING EDITOR Lee Ann Tegtmeier, [email protected] ASSOCIATE EDITOR Elyse Moody, [email protected] PRODUCTION MANAGER Ron Brown, [email protected] PRODUCTION DIRECTOR William F. Halfpap, [email protected] EUROPEAN EDITOR (COMMERCIAL) Bill Burchell
Rockwell Collins appointed Ken Estelle vice president and general manager of Technical Service Solutions. Estelle will oversee Rockwell Collins' network of service centers providing repair and overhaul of aviation electronics, as well as parts management and logistics for commercial, business and military aircraft worldwide.
Air France Industries received a full airborne warning and control system (AWACS) maintenance contract from the French Defence Ministry through the ministry's integrated aeronautical material support structure, SIMMAD. The contract covers support for AWACS (except for engine maintenance, which AFI already provides), including: the E-3F airframe, mission system, simulator support, technical management and logistics computer system, maintenance and management documentation, related ground components, transport logistics and engineering support.
Jet Source's new facility in Henderson, Nev., will have two 35,000 square foot hangars -- one will handle aircraft management and charter, and the other hangar will handle avionics and maintenance.
The Moroccan air force reportedly is the first customer for major Mil-Std-1553B digital avionics and systems upgrades being offered, with French government support, by SAGEM and Thales for long-serving but still potent Dassault Mirage F1 combat aircraft. Morocco has been operating 30 air defense Mirage F1CHs and 20 multi-role F1EHs since 1978, 27 of which are now scheduled for SAGEM/Thales upgrades.
In early August, Indra Sistemas was granted a two-year maintenance service contract for avionics systems on Rota naval base aircraft and rotary wing aircraft, which include BAe AV-8B Harrier V/STOL fighters and Cessna C550 light jet-transports, as well as Agusta-Bell AB 212, Hughes 500, and Sikorsky SH-3D and SH-60B helicopters. Indra will undertake preventive and corrective maintenance, plus updates, of all aircraft on-board avionics and navigation systems, as well as install its customized Galia integrated logistics management system to monitor the fleet's maintenance.
Mxi Technologies announced the addition of an automated line planning feature to its Maintenix aviation maintenance management software. It is designed to generate and schedule a realistic set of work packages, taking routing, part availability and even weather into consideration.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) recently honored China Southern Airlines with a "Four-Star Flight Safety Award" for four million safely-flown hours. Yang Yuan Yuan, CAAC minister, added that China Southern has maintained the longest safety record of any Chinese carrier. The airline currently operates more than 310 aircraft and over 1,300 daily international flights.
With a tool engineered by Brookhouse Holdings, British Airways Engineering's Fleet Support Facility (FSF) at Heathrow now can perform another costly engine repair in-house. Two years ago, Brookhouse and BA Engineering collaborated to develop a bonding and support tool for damaged GE90 engine D-duct repairs. A similar tool designed to support an inlet skin damaged by a bird strike recently made that repair more convenient and cost-effective as well.
Wright Tool offers two 10-piece 12-point 1/4 in. drive socket sets, both with the patented Wright Drive design, intended to provide more torque with less fastener damage. Number 209, the 12-point standard socket set, consists of 3/16 in., 7/32 in., 1/4 in., 9/32 in., 5/16 in., 11/32 in., 3/8 in., 7/16 in., 1/2 in. and 9/16 in. socket sizes on a clip rail. Number 210, the 12-point deep socket set, includes 3/16 in., 7/32 in., 1/4 in., 9/32 in., 5/16 in., 11/32 in., 3/8 in., 7/16 in., 1/2 in. and 9/16 in. sizes on a clip rail. Both sets are made from WrightAlloy steel.
GE Aviation's CF6-80E1 engine, which powers about 140 Airbus A330-200 and -300 aircraft, completed one million takeoffs/landings, or cycles. In mid-2008, the CF6-80E1 will include Tech CF6 program advancements, including a new high-pressure turbine airfoil, which should lower maintenance costs, improve fuel burn and enhance operational reliability.
Textron's Bell Aerospace Services subsidiary received a $4.5 million contract award for U.S. Marine Corps Bell H-1 helicopter support. This is the fourth year of a five-year contract to provide field-level support for UH-1N and AH-1W helicopters of the 2nd and 3rd Marine Air Wings. BellAero, via its BA Support Services business unit, provides turnkey technical assistance and maintenance support teams at numerous field locations throughout the world, including support teams embedded with operational units deployed overseas.
In mid-July, Britain's Ministry of Defense (MoD) welcomed a National Audit Office (NAO) report on successful improvements in MRO and logistic support to Royal Air Force Harrier and Tornado combat aircraft during the past six years. These resulted in overall savings exceeding £1.4 billion ($2.8 billion) and helped improve front-line aircraft availability, reliability and capability. Whereas all repairs had previously been undertaken at multiple sites, the MoD has rationalized how it repairs and maintains its jets to achieve significant economies.
CAE unveiled Presagis, its new modeling and simulation software company. Combining CAE's acquisition of Engenuity Technologies, MultiGen-Paradigm and TERREX with its existing off-the-shelf software team, Presagis is designed to deliver an integrated suite of COTS software.
European military MRO providers, like their counterparts in other areas of the world, will be faced with a number of daunting tasks over the next several years. They must balance support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, emergency relief and humanitarian aid missions, cost pressures, new generation aircraft coming on line and the increased use of diagnostics and prognostics.
Emirates Airlines chose Boeing to provide in-flight support and maintenance-support systems for its rapidly growing fleet of Boeing 777s and new 747-8s. Boeing will install its Airplane Health Management (AHM) in-flight decision-support system and Maintenance Performance Toolbox, its maintenance-support software, for the aircraft in the Dubai-based carrier's fleet, which is expected to grow to 51 777s by the end of the year.
Clifford Development appointed Threshold Aviation Group of Chino, Calif., as a new service center to support its Cessna Citation II re-engining program. The Supplemental Type Certificate development program, nearing completion, involves re-engining Citation II (CE-550) aircraft with 3,000-lb. thrust Williams International FJ44-3 engines, including integration of the FADEC system.
Flight Support Ltd. And Airbase Interiors recently merged. Isle of Man-based Flight Support offers ground handling services, while Airbase Interiors supplies cabin interior maintenance and support services from its base at Gatwick.
MALTA -- Anticipating a surge in demand for widebody heavy checks, Lufthansa Technik plans to open a new Airbus widebody MRO facility next year by expanding its presence in Malta. The €55 million facility, which will be LHT's largest outside of Germany, is being funded by Malta Industrial Parks Ltd. (€39 million) and Lufthansa Technik Malta (€16 million). Once completed the facility will have two bays for widebody aircraft and two for narrowbodies and is expected to create more than 500 new jobs.
AEROMECH, one-only STC for individual approval of Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum for a Learjet 36, STC ST01753SE AIRCRAFT TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT, amended STC to install an Aerocon Engineering Company Crew Stair in the electronic equipment bay of Boeing 767-200 and -300 series aircraft, STC ST01429LA BE AEROSPACE, to install the B/E Aerospace LED indirect wash lights and/ or reading lights assemblies on various Hawker Beechcraft 800 and 850 models, STC ST03438AT
