TAP Maintenance & Engineering Brazil's hangars were full in February thanks to its first Airbus A340 from Europe, steady work from the Air Transat and Centurion Air Cargo, GOL 767s, Webjet 737, growing Embraer aircraft MRO for Trip Airlines and Azul, and MRO for the Brazilian air force. It's also expanding engine MRO: it received Pratt & Whitney PW100 approval in December and hopes for PT6 approval in April, says Nestor Koch, senior VP.
Aeronautical Engineers Inc. (AEI) is converting a Boeing 727-200 to a 12-pallet freighter configuration for an unidentified customer. Commercial Jet Inc. in Miami is doing the conversion. AEI also received approval from the Commonwealth of Independent States for its Boeing 737-300SF and 737-400SF conversions.
Fokker Services lined up Italian start-up Eagle Airlines for a FlyFokker Take Off contract to support the entry into service of its two Fokker 100s. PGA-Portugalia Airlines signed a FLYFokker Take Care contract to support six Fokker 100s.
Pyramex’s dual-pane safety lenses feature a polycarbonate outer lens and an acetate interior lens to trap heat away from a worker’s face. The goggles provide 99% UVA and UVB protection as well as resistance to glare and are secured with an adjustable elastic strap. These goggles can work with prescription frames. www.pyramexsafety.com
Structural health monitoring (SHM) denotes an integrated system capable of facilitating real-time or on-demand nondestructive inspection without manual intervention. These technologies have the potential to transform MRO industry standard practices, improving vehicle safety, reliability and readiness while reducing overall life-cycle costs.
What happens when in-seat power systems go awry? Avionics & Systems Integration Group Managing Director Luke Ribich navigates a typical scenario involving EmPower. Manufactured by Astronics, it’s one of the industry’s most widely used in-seat power systems.
When it comes to supply chain and maintenance software, should you turn to an ERP vendor for all of your solutions, like SAP or Oracle? Or should you add on-point solutions from the likes of Mxi, Trax, Servigistics or their best-of-breed competitors? Both sides make a persuasive case for their approach.
ST Aerospace joint venture ST Aerospace (Guangzhou) Aviation Services Co. received a business license to build an aircraft repair facility in Guangzhou. It should open in the second half of 2013.
What’s your growth support plan? Sayani: PIA has a five-year growth plan that includes increasing our fleet size by 25 aircraft in addition to retiring some of our old Boeing 727s, so we’re looking at increasing numbers on the narrowbody side. We are moving toward an increased frequency model. We would like to do a number of our flights seven days a week.
Air France Industries received renewed approval for its single and global certification for nine sets of guidelines, including the new ISO 26000 social responsibility standard, per Bureau Veritas Certification audits.
Delta TechOps will provide engine overhauls for at least half of GOL's CFM56-7s and maintenance services for various parts and components on GOL's Boeing 737NG fleet. Delta TechOps also will assist GOL as it works toward FAA Part 145 repair station certification. In return, GOL will assist Delta with line maintenance services in Brazil. The five-year contract includes a five-year option.
3M experts recommend the FF-400 respirator for repairs on aircraft components made of glass, boron and carbon fibers. The respirator’s design has features for added comfort such as a soft silicone nose cup, a “cool flow” valve for easier breathing, a large lens and a head cradle. The FF-400 is the only respirator with a Scotchguard-coated lens, which beads coatings and paints on the surface for easy removal. www.3m.com
Timco Aviation Services Co-CEO, President and COO Ron Utecht received FAA’s Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award, which recognizes mechanics with more than 50 years of experience in the industry and a minimum of 30 years as an FAA-certified mechanic. Prior to joining Timco in 2005, Utecht retired from United Airlines, where he had a 39-year career that included serving as senior VP of maintenance and engineering.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) in the maintenance environment is important, but safety devices work best when a strong program is active in the workplace. Common types of PPE include hearing, respiratory and eye protection devices as well as protective clothing. Before using these products in the workplace, consult the technical manual and experts at distributors to ensure best safety practices and the appropriate equipment for specific applications.
Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services Co. will do heavy checks on S7 Airlines’ Boeing 767s for two years and A checks on World Airways’ Boeing 747-400s for an undisclosed term.
Laurentian Aerospace Corp. inked a deal in December 2010 with Verdant Capital Group to back its MRO project in Plattsburgh, N.Y. The Torrance, Calif.-based partner will hold the majority of Laurentian’s shares, says Laurentian Director, President and CEO Robin Wohnsigl. Construction of a $175-million, 273,000-sq.-ft., two-bay, widebody airframe MRO hangar should start in April, pending closing of financing with Verdant and initial engineering work.
ERP software maker Realization received a U.S. patent for its breakthrough in managing complex projects. The breakthrough allows organizations to cut multitasking and maintain synchronization in large and complex projects while allowing resources and tasks to be prioritized in detail. This is the second patent that Realization was awarded in 2010.
PAS Technologies added Dennis Orzel as COO, reporting to President and CEO Phil Milazzo. Orzel most recently was president of Triumph Aerostructures Vought Integrated Programs division. PAS Technologies also brought Robert Suhs onboard as director of business development, reporting to Mark Greene, VP of sales and marketing. Prior to joining PAS Technologies, Suhs was a sales executive for Delta Air Lines TechOps; he also has held management positions at Honeywell Aerospace and Sermatech International. Airframes
Petroferm’s CleanSafe 787C is an aqueous degreaser designed to clean aircraft landing gear, engine components and airframe exteriors as well as to prepare component surfaces for non-destructive testing. It has a “negligible” amount of VOCs and no alkylphenol ethoxylates or nonylphenol ethoxylates. CleanSafe 787C is certified by Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems for use on carbon fiber reinforced plastics and approved by SCAQMD as a Clean Air Solvent. It can be used at ambient temperatures. www.petroferm.com/datasheets/152_TDS.pdf
Turkish Technic signed agreements with Yakutia Airlines for one Boeing 737NG C check and one 737NG A check to be performed in Istanbul. It also grew its work for OrenAir with two Boeing 737-800 C check and painting contracts, plus a VSV bushing replacement on two CFM International CFM56-7B engines and one 737-500 landing gear set overhaul; Turkish Technic provided six C checks, several mod applications and engine/APU removal/installation services to Orenair in 2010.
D-Greeze 7880 from Solvent Kleene is a “VOC-free” degreaser and cleaner. D-Greeze 7880 is non-flammable, non-alkaline degreaser with a neutral pH suitable for use with all ferrous and non-ferrous materials. D-Greez 7880 has a flash point of zero and a boiling point of over 212F. It is designed to perform at room temperature. Solvent Kleene advertises the D-Greez 7880 as the first degreaser/cleaner to outperform trichloroethane, and it requires no rinsing. http://solventkleene.com/newprod.htm
Rockwell Collins amended STC to install in-seat equipment provisions for a Rockwell Collins video entertainment system on Boeing 747-400 series aircraft, STC ST01549LA
Rockwell Collins acquired Blue Ridge Simulation in Leesburg, Va., a supplier of high-performance sensor simulation for U.S. Department of Defense, commercial and international training applications. Blue Ridge Simulation will fold into Rockwell Collins’ simulation and training division.
