Activity has picked up in recent months on several key rules and proposals that have been quiet for months. The agency scheduled a June 2007 release of a final rule that would change wiring system and fuel tank system requirements for transport category airplanes. FAA is hoping to complete the rule, called the Enhanced Airworthiness Program for Airplane Systems, and ship it to DOT in February. The proposed rule was published a year ago and the comment period ended in February.
Flight Display Systems' "The Flipper" adds cockpit panel space where none exists. The small five-inch LCD display installs on most glareshields and flips into position when needed. It can be viewed in the cockpit by both pilots. The Flipper is a solution for displaying new sources of cockpit data, including enhanced vision systems, flight cameras and moving maps. It mounts on existing instrument panels with a low-profile attachment bracket. When pilots don't need it, the display flips to a horizontal stowed position using a half-inch of visual panel space.
Northrop Grumman's Electronics Sensors Systems Section won a $11.3 million firm-fixed-price contract to provide 81 receiver subassemblies, in support of B-1B aircraft. At this time, no funds have been obligated. This work will be complete April 2009. Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center is the contracting activity.
Discussions are under way to establish a number of MRO companies and facilities in India. Below is a sample of some of the ongoing efforts. * Delhi International Airport plans to float a global tender, inviting international players to set up the facilities on a revenue-sharing basis with the airport operator.
The Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) recent $80.7 million contract with Boeing for four C-17 Globemaster III heavy-lift transports for delivery from this December includes comprehensive logistics support services. The RAAF will undertake flight-line maintenance, with Boeing performing heavier depot-level service support, including spares management for Australia's C-17 fleet. Boeing has similar responsibilities for USAF and U.K. C-17s, through its Globemaster III Sustainment Partnership (GSP).
Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Co. (HAECO) signed a memorandum of understanding with Taikoo (Xiamen) Aircraft Engineering Co. (TAECO), Cathay Pacific Airways, Shaanxi Liaoyuan Hydraulic System Co. Ltd., Xiamen Aviation Industries and Xian Aircraft International Co. Ltd. to establish a landing gear joint venture at Goaqi International Airport in Xiamen. The landing gear MRO facility is scheduled to open mid-2008 and initially focus on Boeing 737, 777 and 747 gears.
TAAG Angola Airlines is the 22 nd airline to join Boeing's Component Services Program, but only the third airline to sign up for both the 777 and 737 CSP.
Modern digital aircraft have central maintenance computers that generate fault codes to show a system's status, onboard sensors that diagnose and help predict failures, and avionics that can be updated via loadable software. At the same time, ground support is starting to use wireless devices to bring work orders and maintenance documents right to the technician, so the paperless maintenance environment -- including electronic signatures -- is accepted and flourishing.
SkyEurope selected Snecma Services to maintain, repair and overhaul the CFM56-7B engines that power the airline's Boeing 737NGs via an engine service per operation contract for eight years.
Boeing has named Italy's Alenia Aeronavali to provide its warranted conversion of 767-300 passenger aircraft into dedicated freighters. The program is patterned after the 747-400 Boeing Converted Freighter program, which has accumulated more than 40 orders. The 767-300 BCF program has had a slower start, with All Nippon Cargo the sole customer. It placed three firm orders and holds four options. Work on the first aircraft is to begin next spring; delivery will be in December 2007. The other two aircraft are to be finished in 2008.
Southwest Airlines named Greg Wells as senior vice president of operations, reporting to Mike Van de Ven, the airline's new executive vice president and chief of operations.
Aeroflot-Don selected Lufthansa Technik's Total Component Support program for its two 737-500s and additional four on order. The six-year contract also includes MRO services for APUs and special services during the early phase.
Kansas City Aviation Center expanded to Spirit of St. Louis Airport by opening the Midwest Aviation Center, the facility of which consists of a six-year-old hangar with an attached office structure.
Alaska Airlines completed the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), which serves as a worldwide benchmark for airline safety and quality. To achieve IOSA Registration, Alaska Airlines satisfied more than 700 standards in eight operational areas, including aircraft engineering and maintenance, flight operations, operational control and flight dispatch, cabin operations, aircraft ground handling, cargo operations and operational security.
Loos signed a data license agreement with Boeing to allow Loos to use detail engineering design to obtain PMA for wire rope flight control cable assemblies. Loos will manufacture the PMA parts under its quality system, and it can distribute the assemblies directly to operators. Loos manufactures 5,000 items used on Boeing aircraft.
XIAMEN, CHINA -- Boeing continues to enthusiastically promote passive radio frequency identification (RFID) smart tags for use on commercial aircraft. The 70 Boeing 787 component suppliers that must incorporate smart labels on about 1,750 parts are entrench- ed in the smart labels details, as Boeing prepares for the aircraft's first flight next year.
Rolls-Royce Defense Services won a $65.3 million fixed-price modification to a previously awarded requirements contract to exercise an option for power-by-the-hour logistics support for 188 T-45 F405-RR-401 engines. Work is expected to be completed in September 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
ATA Airlines appointed Gary Ellmer as senior vice president of operations and general manager of charter. He most recently was president and COO for American Eagle's Executive Airlines/American Eagle Caribbean unit.
Pratt & Whitney Canada named John Saabas as executive vice president and Benoît Brossoit as senior vice president of service centers and operations. Saabas most recently was senior vice president of engineering and operations, and Brossoit previously was vice president of service centers.
Air France Industries appointed Pierre Bosse senior vice president of its Components and Logistics Services business unit. He succeeds Pierre Reville, who has left the company to go to Sabena Technics, where he is executive vice president and director of operations. Bosse, who has been with Air France since 1981, most recently led AFI's new narrowbody overhaul site at Toulouse/Blagnac.
The Flight Safety Foundation and three other internationally recognized aviation safety groups recently issued a joint resolution condemning the increasing criminalization of accident investigations. We as an industry should embrace the resolution and do everything in our power to spread the word.
China Airlines will use Mxi Techno- logies' Maintenix software, via Boeing's Enterprise One solution, as its integrated solution for its maintenance and engineering needs. CAL will use Boeing's Enterprise One suite, which includes maintenance program management; configuration management; engineering; planning, control, and execution for line, heavy, and shop maintenance; and materials management, for its Boeing and Airbus aircraft.
Thales in France selected Barco's brand-new CHDD-254 cockpit head-down displays (HDD) for the electronic warfare upgrade of the Belgian air force's (FAeB) 11 Lockheed C-130H transports. Designed to DO-254 and DO-178B standards, the 5-by-4-inch CHDD-254 lightweight low-power display is the first of Barco's innovative CHDD-2000 family and will be linked to Thales new electronic warfare suite scheduled for Belgian C-130H installation.
Two contracts to provide enhan- ced logistic support for bombs carried by RAF and Royal Navy fast-jets were awarded by the MoD's Defense Logistics Organi- sation to EDO MBM Technology Ltd. and Portsmouth Aviation on Aug. 21. Under the new arrangements, EDO MBM will provide technical support, repair and procurement for Tornado, Jaguar, Hawk and Harrier bomb carriage and release equipment. Meanwhile, Portsmouth Aviation will provide similar services for practice bombs, bomb tails, bomb fuze 951 and ancillary equipment.
