Signature Flight Support named Lori Arnold general manager of its Santa Barbara, Calif., fixed based operation. Arnold most recently was assistant GM at Signature's Las Vegas facility.
One way to build a customer base is to specialize in highly complex repairs that require special skills and expensive machinery to accomplish. That's the route chosen by Barnes Aerospace's Windsor Airmotive Division. Windsor specializes in sophisticated engine case repairs and other high-tech fixes for turbine engine components and boasts of having the largest electron beam welder on the U.S. East Coast. ``Our strengths are showcased with complex weld repairs,'' said Bob Picard, president of Windsor Airmotive.
TRAMOS Products developed AeroTech 2000, which supplies precision cleaning for aircraft engines without using soap, detergent or solvents. Product removes oils, grease, exhaust residue, carbon build-up, molybdenum and other tough contaminants without stock loss. Product conforms to specification ARP 1755B. Product can be used in sensitive areas that could not be cleaned with solvents that degraded parts, such as at etched identification numbers. Product is distributed through Bergdahl Associates, Inc., 2990 Sutro St., Reno, NV 89512-1616.
SR Technics plans to extend its powerplant service center this year and add a new hangar for Airbus A330/A340 widebody maintenance. A new engine test stand with sound mufflers is scheduled for 2004. Extension of the powerplant center will cost $8.5 million, and will add capacity for the new Rolls-Royce Trent 500 intended for the Airbus A340-500/600.
There is no question that aircraft aftermarket support represents a lucrative business for the OEMs,'' said Ric Peri, manager of technical services for the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), which counts component repair specialists among its members. ``But at the same time, the OEMs -- due to their large infrastructures -- realize that they cannot always participate in the repair business as cost-effectively as the smaller shops. This is why we believe that the future role of the OEMs in component repair will be decided on a case-by-case basis.''
Time was when new aircraft dominated the Salon de l'Aeronautique et de l'Espace, to give the Paris air show its formal handle. Public debuts were not lacking from such newcomers as the Antonov An-70, Beriev Be-200, Boeing 717, CASA C-295, Fairchild Aerospace 328JET, Galaxy bizjet, Scaled Composite's bizarre Proteus, and Sikorsky S-92, at the recent 43rd show at Le Bourget. But the unprecedented number of new military upgrade projects demonstrated the explosive growth in this particular sector of aerospace business.
Lockheed Martin Aircraft and Logistics Centers, Greenville, S.C., will perform phased depot-level maintenance for the U.S. Customs Service's fleet of P-3 Orion aircraft. Under 10-year, $75 million contract, Lockheed Martin will inspect, maintain, paint and modify the aircraft.
Airline Maintenance Training, Inc., named Ken Tragar to the post of vice president-technical operations. Trager previously was with Continental Airlines.
Airline Rotables Ltd. will provide full component support for Titan Airways' newly acquired Boeing 737-300 aircraft for four years under a $2 million contract.
The O&M Guide to MRO Companies Worldwide, Part II, comprises contact and capabilities information on hundreds of companies involved in the maintenance, repair and overhaul of engines, landing gear, and other major components and systems.
Innotech-Execaire named Nigel Argent sales and marketing director for its Execaire unit in Toronto; Chris Heredia to replace Argent as GM of the group's Vancouver base; Rob Brooks vice president of technical operations; Richard Zalac director of engineering; and Howard McEachern director of operations of the group's maintenance and interior refurbishing facility at Montreal.
The traditional business plan for aircraft engine OEMs has been called the Gillette model: ``Give away the razor; sell them the blades,'' in which the enginemaker makes its money selling new spare parts for its products. But Pratt&Whitney Canada, which produces a wide variety of turboprop, turbofan and turboshaft engines for the regional and corporate markets, has turned its back on that philosophy.
Rolls-Royce named Dennis Duke general manager, engine services at its Indianapolis facility. Duke most recently worked with the Rolls-Royce aftermarket strategy team.
FLS Aerospace (IRL) Ltd., formerly TEAM FLS Aerospace Ltd., named Bernard Hensey managing director. Earlier this year, Hensey was appointed executive president-aircraft overhaul for the FLS Aerospace Group.
Secureaplane received FAA PMA for its wireless smoke detection system for use on Boeing 727-100 aircraft for D and E class lower cargo compartment upgrades.
Honeywell has combined a GPS navigation system with a laser gyro to provide a solution to the performance and reliability problems of current-generation ARINC 561 inertial navigation systems. The so-called ``Classic Navigator'' is available for Boeing 747-100/200/300s, Douglas DC-10s, Airbus A300-B4s and Lockheed L-1011s.
GE Engine Services will maintain, repair and overhaul Pratt&Whitney JT9-7 engines on PeaceAir's fleet of five Boeing 747-200 aircraft under a 10-year, $35 million contract. Work will take place at GE Aircraft Engines' facility in Nantgarw, Wales.
Raytheon will provide contractor logistics support for USAF's fleet of 180 T-1A Jayhawk trainers under a one-year $32.5 million contract. The deal includes nine one-year options that could be worth $491.1 million.
Cathay Pacific selected AlliedSignal to maintain APUs for its Airbus A330/A340 and Boeing 777 aircraft. AlliedSignal will do the work at its Singapore repair facility.
Work has started on the first of five from Brazil's dozen or more Lockheed C/KC/RC-130E/H Hercules scheduled to begin a $50 million avionics and structural upgrade program with Milwaukee-based Derco Aerospace. Originally scheduled in November 1998, as part of Brazil's $1.4 billion Amazonian defense (SIVAM) program, implementation has been delayed by other funding priorities, but first deliveries are expected before year-end.
Boeing Airplane Services signed letters of intent with several international MRO operations to develop retrofit packages for Boeing aircraft. Companies include Aeronavali of Italy, BFGoodrich, Israel Aircraft Industries, Singapore Technologies Aerospace and a new consortium of Taiwanese companies. The group will work with Boeing to develop, design and produce freighter conversions, avionics enhancements, interior reconfigurations and in-flight entertainment system installations.
British Airways selected its wholly owned subsidiary BAAE Ltd., South Wales, to maintain avionics on BA's new Airbus aircraft. The airline has placed 59 firm orders and 129 options for A319/A320 aircraft. Also, BAAE purchased Aerospatiale Matra's ATEC test benches and test program sets to help maintain the avionics on the Airbus narrowbodies.
