What if an aircraft engine had a Facebook page? And what if that engine could update its status from the time it arrives in the overhaul shop until it ships to a customer? What if it could communicate how it's performing while it is in flight and let technicians know what needs to be done as it is coming in for a check?
Nordam named Steve Pearson VP sales and marketing for Asia Pacific. Pearson joined Nordam in 2000 as a project engineer and most recently served as managing director sales and support services in the Asia-Pacific region.
Belac shipped its 50,000th parts manufacturer approval high-pressure turbine blade in April to a customer in Europe. The joint venture of Chromalloy, Lufthansa and United Airlines began manufacturing and shipping the components in 2002.
Elixair International's SkyFamily is a system of sealant removal products designed to tackle both cured and partially cured polysulphides. SkyWipes are used to remove wet and tacky polysulphides and come in packages of 300 or 100 solvent-free wipes. They are non-hazardous and do not require additional hand protection. They are used with SkyWash, a solvent-free surface cleaner. The package also includes SkyRestore, a thixotropic gel, which allows cured sealant to be scraped off with SkyScrapes.
Historically, the sealant industry hasn't been too environmentally friendly. Sure, chrome and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) do a really good job of bonding quickly to fuel tanks, fuselages, landing gear and windshields, but a host of companies are changing the way the chemicals are manufactured and distributed to comply with emerging regulations and to waste less.
AC Tech added Martin Barila as VP operations at its Garden Grove, Calif., headquarters. Barila joins the aerospace sealant and specialty chemical product provider from Air Industries Co.
Barfield plans to open a component repair shop in Bogota at mid-year to serve customer Avianca-TACA and its Airbus A320 fleet as well as other operators in South America.
Delta TechOps signed a five-year component maintenance and exchange agreement with Skymark Airlines to provide advance exchange power-by-the-hour services to Skymark's fleet of 25 CFM56-7B-powered Boeing 737NG aircraft. The agreement expanded Delta TechOps' current five-year pact with Skymark, under which it partners with Evergreen Aviation Technologies to provide engine maintenance.
Flexible Lifeline Systems offers a range of fall protection systems for aircraft hangars, including lifeline and platform installations. It works with aircraft operators to design, fabricate and install customized systems and provide on-site training. Along with its overhead fall protection systems, the company has products that anchor to the wing when it is not possible to anchor fall protection devices in the ceiling. www.fall-arrest.com
Parker Hannifin has just started offering barcode and optional radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies to keep track of its hydraulic assemblies through the supply chain, as well as a new, on-site container service for emergency hose repairs. The hydraulic components manufacturer is adding these options to its network of 330 ParkerStore distributors near major North American airports.
Transparency manufacturers constantly search for ways to improve the materials and designs of their cabin windows and windshields. Pairing new load-bearing structures with advanced sealants and coatings, for example, helps to eliminate moisture penetration and cracking.
Like many major carriers, United Airlines had developed its own in-house tools for doing diagnostics on its fleet. But around 2005 and 2006 the airline was starting to fly more routes to very distant destinations where the costs of having a grounded aircraft, and ferrying parts and repair crews, could be very high. So it took a look at Boeing's Aircraft Health Monitoring, speaking both to the airframe manufacturer and early adopters of the system.
Turkish Technic will repair two Hamilton Sundstrand APS3200 model auxiliary power units (APU) owned by major lessor GE Capital Aviation Services (Gecas) in Istanbul under a March contract. The Turkish MRO recently signed additional APU repair agreements with Thomas Cook Airlines, based in Belgium; Air Via, based in Bulgaria; and Russia's Oren Air. The APS3200 APU equips Airbus A320 family aircraft, of which Gecas owns and manages more than 500, according to Ascend fleet data. Joint Ventures/ Acquisitions
Solo Aviation in Ocumare del Tuy, Venezuela, became a GE Aviation authorized service center for M601 and H80 turboprop engines. Solo Aviation now offers line maintenance, removals and re-installations of engines and LRUs and engine spares for the M601 and H80 engine families; GE Aviation will provide Solo Aviation with comprehensive material support and training.
Super98, a group of mostly ex-McDonnell Douglas and Boeing engineering veterans, said in March that it is in discussions with potential launch customers for an aerodynamic improvement kit designed to reduce the drag of MD-80 family twinjets by at least 3.5%. The kit is about to be certificated and offered for retrofit for both passenger and converted freighter models. It is the first of a potential two-phase improvement plan that could ultimately see MD-80 drag reduced by as much as 7.5%.
Companies specializing in FAA parts manufacturer approval (PMA) seem more confident than ever about the willingness of airlines to use PMAs, and new reports from strategists suggest a surge in PMA growth. But some industry heads disagree and say that PMA penetration can only go so far before OEMs become smarter about tweaking their business models to regain the aftermarket share lost to competitors.
AAR's commercial and military mix has changed recently. How are the pieces coming together? Storch: First of all, I believe that the acquisitions we've made and the kind of organic growth that we've achieved come together quite well in terms of creating balance in our portfolio. I'm comfortable with the mix. We're approximately 50% government and 50% commercial, and commercial aftermarket activities represent between 45% and 50% of total revenues.
Air BP Lubricants launched software that helps customers measure how high-performance lubricant BPTO 2197 is performing in their engines. Air BP says the BPTO lubricant is in use on more than 9,000 installed engines and more than 30,000 engine accessories.
GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems offers transparencies for Airbus, Boeing and Embraer aircraft that guard against “crazing,” fine cracks that form during flight as the window material's water content changes. To guard against this cracking, GKN coats its windows with CrystalVue coatings. GKN has been the sole OEM for new cabin transparencies on the Boeing fleet since 1996, and it offers OEM programs for Embraer and Airbus long-range aircraft. GKN plans to unveil new CrystalVue transparencies for the Bombardier CSeries and the Airbus A350XWB.
STS AeroStaff Services promoted Brian Boje to director of technical recruiting. Boje jointed STS in 1992 as an aircraft maintenance contractor and most recently was manager of recruiting.
United Airlines promoted Michael Lorenzini to managing director of United Technical Operations, maintenance control. He also serves as director of maintenance. Airframes
Pratt & Whitney’s first PurePower PW1000G engine is “doing very well” at the OEM’s West Palm Beach, Fla., facility, where it just left the test stand after running well for more than 200 hr. This engine, destined for a Bombardier CSeries installation, now heads to Plattsburgh, N.Y., for icing tests. A second PW1000G, designed for the MRJ platform, moves to the test stand. It is targeted to run for fewer than 200 hr., but as Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners VP Tom Hutton says, “We'll let it run as long as it’s giving us good data.”
