Ameco Beijing Engineering Services started to compile Continuous Airworthiness Maintenance Program (CAMP) information as part of the new MSG-3 R2-based maintenance review board report and maintenance planning document for Air China's fleet of 12 Boeing 747-400s. Ameco and Air China hope to finish compiling the information by the end of June to help Air China reduce maintenance costs and improve the 747-400s' operational efficiencies.
TOULOUSE -- Standing by the nose of the Airbus A380, it's easy to be awestruck by its size. Its huge, airship-like proportions challenge perceptions of what a flying machine should be and, more importantly, push the boundaries of acceptability. Step aboard, however, and perceptions are transformed. For unlike other aircraft, there's space in abundance and, for those who must maintain it, accessibility has been optimized wherever possible.
Delta Air Lines selected Air Canada Technical Services and Avborne to perform heavy maintenance work to achieve a 34% cost reduction, or $240 million over five years. Avborne will perform the MD-88 and MD-90 work and ACTS will do 757 and 767 heavy maintenance. Tony Charaf, Delta senior vice president of technical operations, emphasized that the airline did not select the two MROs because they were the lowest cost vendors evaluated.
A $C117 million ($97 million) Boeing contract from the Department of National Defense in Mirabel, Québec, on Feb. 18, launched the second phase of the CAF's CF-18 Modernization Project. Canadian Defense Minister Bill Graham said that the $C2.1 billion ($1.7 billion) CF-18 modernization program would ensure that 80 of 92 operational CAF Hornets remained operationally viable through 2020.
T he squeeze of the fiscal year 2006 budget will cause some programs to go unfunded, could lead to fees for some services and presents a huge overall challenge to FAA. That's the grim but honest assessment that FAA Aircraft Maintenance Division Manager Dave Cann offered delegates at this year's Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) Annual Repair Symposium, held in early March.
PCB Piezotronics offers the Series 106 and 116 pressure sensors that are designed to measure low-level pressure and high-intensity sound pressure levels, including acoustic and ultrasonic. The hermetically sealed microphones are ruggedized and are designed to detect rapid pressure transients, pulsations, turbulence, noise and spikes for troubleshooting equipment and tuning processes. PCB Piezotronics, Pressure Division, Attn: Andrea Mohn, Marketing Coordinator, 3425 Walden Ave., Depew, NY 14043-2495.
Standard Aero received approval from Transport Canada to repair and overhaul CF34-8 engines, which power Bombardier CRJ 700s and 900s, as well as Embraer 170s.
Cathay Pacific Airways selected TELAIR ball mats to replace original equipment on 15 Boeing 747-200s. The modification is designed to improve the operation of the ULDs and ease the loading personnel's work.
The four-year pursuit by Precision Conversions of a supplemental type certificate for a passenger-to-freighter modification of Boeing 757-200 aircraft is coming to a conclusion on a positive note a year after the first scheduled delivery date.
Cessna Aircraft named West Star Aviation as an authorized Citation Service Center. This makes West Star the sixth authorized Citation center in the U.S. that is not owned by Cessna.
U.S. Naval aviation's most maintenance-hungry bird is about to get downright user-friendly. Set to enter full-rate production and fleet-wide introduction, a new Integrated Mechanical Diagnostic System (IMDS), which recently cleared operational evaluation at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, soon will improve flight safety and simplify maintenance of the Corps' Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion heavy-lift helicopters.
Aero Brake & Spares received FAA approval to produce the adjusting pin for the brake assembly on the Dassault Aviation Falcon 20-C5, 20-D5, 20-E5 and 20-F5. Aero Brake & Spares PMA part number is 8535873. Contact Aero Brake & Spares, 15444 Tradesman Dr., San Antonio, TX 78249-1319.
TestMart now offers manufacturer-certified pre-owned test equipment through its website www.certified.testmart.com. TestMart said more than $20 million of pre-owned test equipment, including Agilent Technologies' CertiPrime, Tektronix's TekSelect, Rohde & Schwarz, Anritsu, Fluke, Aeroflex and Colby Instruments. Most of the equipment was used as demonstrators or was leased. All equipment is factory refurbished and comes with test and calibration guarantees, full manufacturer warranty, manuals and standard accessories.
The Transportation Security Agency's (TSA) security guidelines could prompt small airports that are home to maintenance facilities and business aircraft operations to have some form of security systems in the future. "Right now, there is a certain amount of confusion in assessing future security needs the TSA guidelines may lead to," however, said Bob Jandebeur, Navigance Techologies Group president.
FAA proposed requiring operators of several Boeing aircraft with certain types of insulation blankets to replace them over six years. The insulation blankets are coated with a film called AN-26, which no longer meets the standards for preventing the spread of fire. FAA said 1,600 Boeing 727s, 737s, 747s, 757s and 767s fly with AN-26 covered insulation, with 831 aircraft registered in the U.S. Boeing is developing a spray-on barrier, that if successful, could correct the problem as an alternative to replacing the insulation.
National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Ellen Engleman Conners and Vice Chairman Mark Rosenker were slated to be nominated by the White House for additional terms. The moves, if approved, would extend Conners' chairman role and Rosenker's vice chairman role for two more years, and also appoint Rosenker for another five-year term as a board member, extending this service through at least 2010.
DALLAS -- It was suggested here at Aviation Week's 10th MRO Conference and Exhibition in mid-April that the aviation industry ought to stop using the word "outsourcing" because of the perceived negative images the word conjures in the minds of unionized employees, the mainstream press and the watchdogs at the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and other such agencies. Perhaps "subcontracting" would be a better word, some attendees said.
West Air Sweden signed a long-term lease with BAE Systems Regional Aircraft for another ATP freighter. Romaero near Bucharest is converting the twin turboprop to include a large freight door.
Fleet rationalization's impact on maintenance is evidenced by news in early April that American Airlines plans to layoff 500 more people from its Kansas City, Mo., maintenance base. In March, Northwest Airlines announced plans to remove from its fleet 30 DC-9s that were coming due for heavy maintenance. As a result, the airline furloughed 140 mechanics and said up to 800 more could be furloughed this year, 500 of whom probably will be let go around July 1.
NVision's ModelMaker Z laser scanner offers shiny surface scanning capabilities down to 8 microinches. Conventional laser scanners can have a hard time scanning shiny machined surfaces because the surface scatters the laser beam, confusing the sensor that records the position of the surface. The ModelMaker Z overcomes this problem with new features that change the laser intensity and camera sensitivity based on operating conditions. The ModelMaker is a portable laser scanner that is designed to capture complex 3D geometry with a high degree of accuracy.
AAR received a contract from the U.S. Air Force to overhaul certain augmentor module components on Pratt & Whitney F100 engines. The one-year contract has four one-year options, which if all are exercised, brings the contract value to $18.3 million.
LOT Polish Airlines awarded a contract to Goodrich for servicing its Embraer ERJ-145 wheels and brakes. The agreement includes heat sink refurbishment and exchange support, all of which Goodrich will do at its Hatfield, U.K., service center.
