GKN Aerospace has launched a “one stop” repair facility for fixed and rotary wing flexible fuel tanks in Portsmouth, U.K. It hopes to halve the repair times that operators in Europe and the U.K. normally experience. The EASA Part-21 repair services will encompass all types of flexible fuel tanks, including self-sealing, crashworthy and explosion suppressing products.
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
Avionics Support Group amended STC to install an Adam Communication and Information Management System with Iridium satcom system and three Class 2 electronic flight bags on various McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and MD-11 aircraft, STC ST03046AT
Beginning this month, FAA inspectors will have to wait two years after they leave the agency before they can take certain industry jobs. While the new “cooling off” period—imposed through a recent rulemaking—will only impact a limited number of agency employees, it closes another chapter in the spring 2008 controversy surrounding Southwest Airlines management of airworthiness directives (ADs).
Emteq Engineering amended STC to install provisions for the Flight Deck Resources SkyTab 3200A electronic flightbag system on ATR 42 and 72 aircraft, STC ST03846AT
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.
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.
Satair USA has acquired aviation battery distributor Aero Quality Services for $30 million. Atlanta law firm Chamberlain Hrdlicka assisted in the sale, which involves the acquisition of assets in the United States as well as the shares of Aero Quality Sales' U.K.-based subsidiary.
A.J. Walter Aviation has purchased four Boeing 737-300s from Pembroke Capital Aircraft to part out. The aircraft were last operated by Berlin independent airline Germania, which also chose A.J. Walter to provide power-by-the-hour support for its new Airbus fleet.
Vistagy's AeroSuite software tools are designed to address the challenges of repairing composite structures. FiberSIM, Vistagy's computer-aided engineering software, integrates with the CAD and PLM systems that airframe and component manufacturers use the most: CATIA V5 and V4, SiemensNX and PTC's Creo Parametric. The current version is FiberSIM 2010, which provides composite engineers an environment specialized for advanced composite materials.
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.
Kubotek makes CAD products that embrace the direct modeling concept, a method of computer-aided design that replaces traditional parametric history-based CAD. In direct modeling, the engineer creates the geometry of a part without needing to refer to previous history of the creation process. The software adjusts the size of a feature while maintaining the other features of a part when the engineer is working on it, making it easy to change designs during the creative process.
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.
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.
FL Technics plans to build an $18 million aviation support complex in the free economic zone in Ulyanovsk, Russia, that consists of two 5,000 sq. m hangars and one 6,400 sq. m hangar. It is scheduled to build one hangar every two years, with the first opening in 2014 and providing aircraft maintenance for short- and medium-range aircraft.
Merger mania is gripping the airline industry, with high profile consolidations taking place in the U.S. and Europe over the past two years. In the U.S., United Airlines and Continental Airlines expect to operate under a single operating certificate (SOC) and the United name before year-end 2011. Southwest Airlines, which purchased AirTran Airways in May, aims for an SOC for the two companies by March 2012—under the Southwest brand.
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
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.
StandardAero signed a service agreement with Russian regional carrier, Ak Bars Aero, for aftermarket support of its General Electric CF34-3B1 engine fleet and Honeywell GTCP36-150RJ auxiliary power units. The engines and APUs power Ak Bars Aero's fleet of Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft. StandardAero will perform the engine work at its engine facility in Winnipeg and it will support the APUs at its Maryville, Tenn., location.
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
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
EASA has taken steps to codify its rules on major aircraft type design changes impacting noise and emissions, incorporating guidance into the regulations that include specific examples of each type of change. The changes, introduced in November 2010 as notice of proposed amendment 2010-13, were adopted in August. They modify paragraph 8 (“environment”) of Appendix A to GM 21A.91, “examples of major changes per discipline.”
Dassault Systemes will continue to provide MROs with CAD, data and 3D environments for simulating maintenance work with its upgraded PLM 2.0 concept, available across the releases of its major project portfolios. PLM 2.0 is based on the idea of offering a 3D environment for all teams across a company to innovate products. Operators can use Delmia to schedule and plan maintenance as well as define and manage the manufacturing bill of materials. Enovia, another product within the PLM suite, is the product data management system in a 3D environment. www.3ds.com
