Ametek Ameron (d/b/a Mass Systems) reissued STCs to install Mass Systems fire extinguishers, cartridges and/or other systems on various 328 Support Services, Short Brothers, Eurocopter France, ATR, Airbus, BAE, Boeing, Bombardier, McDonnell Douglas, Saab and other aircraft models, STCs ST01708LA, SR01343LA, ST00952LA, ST00961LA, ST00885LA and SR01344LA
Wire Masters provides wires and cables in standard and custom sizes. Its custom inflight entertainment cable, MasterFlight, comes in a version with a fluorinated ethylene propylene jacket and a ethylene tetrafluoroethylene jacket. Wire Masters also stocks a collection of connectors, termination sleeves, braid, tapes, cable ties and accessories. It also has laser marking and laser stripping capabilities with legible print in four sizes. www.wiremasters.net
Mentor Graphics' new product Capital Publisher is a set of electronic tools for creating technical publications specified to the needs of each service technician repairing a wire harness on a unique aircraft.The product streamlines technical publications preparation by assembling design information like schematics, wire lists and location views into electronic document packages. Mentor Graphics says that this will reduce costs, improve accuracy and speed up troubleshooting for MROs dealing with AOGs. www.mentor.com
Paul Scherrer, the airline's managing director, engineering & planning, reports that the carrier rents hangar facilities in Zurich and Geneva, but it has no overhaul shops of its own. It performs light maintenance up to and including A checks, and other tasks such as engine and APU changes. It sources all heavy maintenance.
Delta TechOps OPERATIONAL SINCE: 1929 HOME BASE: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport FACILITIES: 51 maintenance stations: 29 domestic, 22 international APPROVALS: FAA 121 and 145, TCCA/FAA 145, EASA 145, ISO 9200 (covers components, engines and landing gear), CAAC, ANAC, many more in Asia and Latin America.
Precision Castparts has completed its acquiring Primus International, a supplier of aerospace components and assemblies including swaged rods, advanced composites and machined aluminum and titanium.
Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT) opened its 46,200-sq. meter (151,575-sq. ft.) hangar, which provides capacity to double the company's heavy maintenance business. ADAT announced at the opening that it has struck a deal with U.A.E. national carrier Etihad Airways to expand the operator's maintenance agreement.
Aircraft electrical wiring systems can be complicated, but new tools are helping maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities quickly and easily obtain the materials in the case of an aircraft on ground (AOG) situation.
Virgin America has selected Lufthansa Systems' BoardConnect platform as the technology partner for the latest version of its Red inflight entertainment system, which will launch in late 2012. Back-end testing of the new system is underway, and the airline says that the new platform will provide entertainment in each seatback as well as connectivity to passengers' own personal electronic devices. Parts/Components
Air Panama has become the fourth operator to use Fokker Services' FlyFokker program, which it will use for its two newly acquired Fokker 70 aircraft. The program will offer on-site technical training and a modification to change the aircraft from 48 to 72 seats. The operator also will use Fokker Service's Abacus per-hour lease and exchange program for major rotables, APUs, landing gear and brakes.
Something big is on the horizon: current orders stand at 1,624 for the next-generation, composites-intensive commercial aircraft, and that's just counting the obvious short list of Airbus A380, A350 XWB and Boeing 787 models. Monolithic structural components—which could reach an estimated 100 plies or up to 2 in. of thickness—will dominate on these aircraft, with total composites content by weight ranging from 25% (A380) and 50% (787) to 53% (A350).
Co-Operative Industries has an AS9100 facility to manufacture and design wiring harnesses, cable, ignition leads and flexible conduits. Its repair station is certified by the FAA, EASA and CAAC and provides customers such as Delta TechOps with check and testing of accessories, repair and overhaul services. Co-Operative Industries repairs harnesses and cables for GE's GE90 and CF6-80C engines, the CFM International CFM56-5A/5B/5C/7B models and the Pratt & Whitney PW4000 QEC. www.coopind.com
FL Technics performed cabin interior modifications and reconfigurations on two Boeing 737-800s and a Boeing 737-300 aircraft for Transaero Airlines. The MRO did the modifications at its hangar in Vilinus, Lithuania. FL Technics installed new business and economy class seats, installed a new IFE system in the business class, changed the emergency floor path lighting and performed cabin refurbishment services on the three aircraft.
Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services has received a maintenance certification for the Ukraine and will support charter airline Air Italy's fleet of Boeing aircraft. The certification, from the Aviation Administration of Ukraine, will allow Boeing Shanghai to do line and base maintenance work on Boeing 767-200/-300 aircraft for Ukraine-based customers. Boeing Shanghai will support Air Italy with maintenance services for its Boeing fleet for up to two years, starting with a C check on a Boeing 767-300ER scheduled for this month.
Chromalloy has established Chromalloy Korea, a new subsidiary in Seoul, South Korea. The new company will serve as a sales, marketing and customer support office. Chromalloy has been establishing itself in Asian markets, opening a new Beijing office in 2010 and doubling capacity at its turbine engine repair and manufacturing facility in Bangkok.
Innotech-Execaire Aviation Group has appointed Ken Moon to the position of regional manager of its aircraft sales division for western Canada. Moon comes to the position with 32 years of experience in aircraft logistics and management.
AeroSoft Systems will provide its DigiDOC content management environment to Icelandair Technical Services. The MRO will use the software to support the Icelandair fleet as well as its third-party MRO business. AeroSoft will implement DigiDOC for task card management and then functions such as interactive technical publications and OEM digital content revision management.
GA Telesis believes the Airbus A340-300 is a top disassembly pick because acquisition costs are low, parts have commonality with the other A340s and the A330, and the CFM56 engine has a large operator base, says Stefan Kageman, VP aircraft sales and marketing. In addition, because the aircraft is powered by four engines instead of two, its powerplant maintenance costs are higher, which also means there's a demand for used serviceable components.
Avtrade has made several new appointments: Tay Kay Lai will join its Singapore office as regional sales director, Asia. He comes to the position after 30 years of experience in an MRO environment. Daphne Teo will assume the role of Singapore office manager and Martin Assmann will join Avtrade as director of marketing.
TP Aerospace will provide a 5-year, full-service wheels and brakes cycle flat rate program for Polish charter operator Enter Air. TP will provide component maintenance, pool access, on-site lease inventory, logistics and warehousing for six aircraft. Joint Ventures/Acquisitions
The holiday season is a time for celebration, family gatherings, shopping, travel—and myriad other distractions that can cause the focus of even the most dedicated technician to waver. It really doesn't matter what your industry or position, in the two-month period between Halloween in October and New Year's, most of us have a portion of our minds on other things—and technicians are no exception.
PTC's design and data management products draw on 3D CAD data and a digital library of maintenance information to quickly isolate the right information for MROs to use in AOG situations. Creo, the suite of CAD software, is available for both parametric and direct modeling applications and integrates with Windchill, PTC's product lifecycle management software. Windchill documents revisions of changes made to products and eliminates design errors early on in the process.
Cascade Aviation Services issued STC to install an electronic remote access system on cockpit security doors of Bombardier DHC-8-301, DHC-8-311 and DHC-8-315 aircraft, STC ST02138SE
Out there, just over the horizon, is what Chris Field calls “the sweet spot” of maintenance planning. Because we inhabit an age in which lots of aircraft are leased, that means they go back to the lessor some day. “You get some fairly strict return conditions for aircraft,” says Air New Zealand's manager of engineering and quality. This makes it imperative that airlines manage their maintenance to optimize their investment when they return flying machines to their owners.
Baines Simmons has appointed John Heather to fill a new business development manager role that focuses on regulatory authorities. Heather comes to the position after serving as training operations manager at CAA International and spending four years as managing partner of Personnel Development Strategies.
