AerotechTelub of Sweden, Danish Aerotech and Astec Helicopter Services of Norway are forming a joint venture, the Nordic Support&Service Center, to provide maintenance and logistics support to the Nordic Standard Helicopter Program, which will purchase and operate more than 70 helicopters for use by Denmark, Norway and Sweden in defense missions.
When business aircraft come off the assembly line, chances are they will be flying long after the people who built them have retired. While that kind of service life may not have been envisioned by the builders, the fact is that airframes are being operated for many years longer than their manufacturers may have believed possible. Today, business flying is taking place aboard a considerably older fleet.
EADS Aeroframe Services, which wants to become a major third-party maintenance provider for North and South American Airbus operators, began work at its new Lake Charles, La., facility in March, taking in three Skyservice A320s for C checks, interior work and painting. Skyservice, a Canadian charter operator, is the first customer for Aeroframe, a joint venture between France's Sogerma, a subsidiary of European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., and U.S.'s Northrop Grumman.
Moves by Babcock International engineering services group to widen its military base have resulted in $87.7 million bid for two of the Hunting group's four defense equipment and support subsidiaries. With an operating profit of $8.2 million on a $78.4 million turnover in 1999, these are being offered for disposal to allow Hunting to buy the U.S.-based Vinson company, expanding its specialization in oil and gas drill casings.
Erowa Technology introduced the PreSet 3D CNC machine-tool station that employs Erowa's four-step flexible-productivity plan emphasizing standardization through universal workholding, organization with pre-arranged workpieces, automation and integration through manufacturing communication. PreSet 3D CNC can handle highly irregular parts, and allow easy performance of post-work quality control procedures, since all part clamping, orientation and QA tasks can take place while machines are running. System provides precise 3D position definitions on 27.5 in. X axis, 21.6 in.
The change in administrations likely isn't going to result in a big upward swing in defense spending, at least not in the short term, so depots and other maintenance organizations are going to have to continue to find new and better ways of doing their jobs, according to a ranking Pentagon official.
Derco Aerospace, Inc. signed a three-year Preferred Supplier Agreement with BFGoodrich Co. that will include supplying the GH-3000 Electronic Standby Instrument System (ESIS) for Derco's latest integration effort on the Botswana Defense Force's C-130 fleet.
FAA last month issued an airworthiness directive (AD) mandating a new set of Boeing-recommended inspections on 767 elevator power control actuator (PCA) bellcranks. The immediate-adoptive rule (No. 2001-04-09) calls for a more detailed repetitive inspection than one currently required.
Inventory Locator Service has partnered with IHS Engineering, a content provider of technical, engineering and regulatory information solutions. The alliance provides ILSmart customers direct purchasing access to IHS' comprehensive collection of industry and corporate standards, as well as U.S. military specifications. Additionally, IHS customers are able to access basic parts information on more than 5 billion aviation parts from ILS that will be accessible from IHS' free TechSavvy Parts Center and linked to ILS BidQuest.
SimuFlite named Mike Luckey senior manager of instructor development; Linda Falkenstine process improvement team manager; and Miyanda Wilson manager, account representatives.
Delta Air Lines Technical Operations will use Mxi's Maintenix software to help track and plan key maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) tasks on its fleet to help streamline repair work as the airline looks to turn efficiency into third-party maintenance opportunities. Also, Mxi and Xelus have formed a strategic alliance to push each other's complimentary packages to customers seeking both maintenance tracking and planning help.
Volvo Aero of Sweden and Astec Helicopter Services will form a joint venture for repair and overhaul of turboshaft engines. The move will position both companies for maintenance work stemming from the Nordic Standard Helicopter (NSH) program, as well as international opportunities. Astec is the Norwegian-based subsidiary of CHC of Canada. Under the NSH program, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden are seeking to jointly acquire a multi-role helicopter for their military forces.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University named Barry Benedict, Ph.D., chief academic officer and senior vice president beginning in the fall semester, 2001. He currently is vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
WestStar Aviation named Jerry Pickett service sales representative for the mid-Southern states. He previously was a sales representative for Griffith Aviation.
Spectra Jet, located at Springfield/ Beckley Airport in southwest Ohio, received FAA certification to repair Learjet 31 and 31A business jets. The company is already authorized to maintain Lear 35/36 aircraft. Certification to add the Learjet 60 is expected in mid-2001, and then the company will pursue Lear 45 certification. In its first six months of operation, Spectra Jet completed more than 50 jobs on the Model 31/31A aircraft.
While awaiting deliveries of four leased Tupolev Tu-22M3 ``Backfire'' supersonic strategic bombers from Russia, Indian Naval Aviation is overhauling and upgrading its existing fleet of Russian long-range maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) from CIS contracts. As the IN's longest-serving MPAs, from deliveries of five from August 1977, at least three four-turboprop Ilyushin Il-38 ``Mays'' from INAS 315 at Dabolim, Goa, have been undergoing major overhauls at the Russian Naval Aviation's 20th Repair Plant at Pushkin, St. Petersburg.
Thai Airways International selected BFGoodrich to provide landing gear overhaul services to its fleet of 737-400 aircraft. Work should be complete in November 2003. Contract is worth about $1 million, and is the company's first contract with the airline.
Pentar Avionics opened a new office in Shawnee, Kan. The new site will be known as Pentar Avionics Systems Group, and will serve as the headquarters for the company's test system business.
Roughly 18 months after GE Engine Services (GEES) launched its remote diagnostics program, the OEM is monitoring 3,300 engines and 1,400 aircraft for 17 airlines, the U.S. Air Force and various business jet operators. And though GE officials would not divulge their margins, they said the program was profitable in 2000, and forcast $10 million revenue for 2001.
Tools For Bending, Inc. has introduced a new line of disposable wiper die tips for rotary bending of thin wall tubing used in aircraft-component forming operations. Wiper dies prevent wrinkling and tube deformation during forming. Production rates may show improvement because tooling setups don't need to be changed during tip replacement. Replaceable tips are available in aluminum bronze and alloy steel, in 13 sizes ranging from 1 in. to 3 in. outside diameter. Tube groove has polished mirror surface with 180-deg. tube containment.
With a workforce of more than 4,000, 13 joint ventures and two more in the works, SIA Engineering Co. (SIAEC) is working to win business by expanding its capabilities -- ultimately aiming to become the No.1 MRO operation in Asia. The company's 330,000 sq. ft. of space in two hangars can handle commercial transports up to the Boeing 747. In addition, SIAEC offers 23 back shops and an engine test cell with 150,000-lbs. thrust capacity -- more than enough for any engine in service or planned for service.
