Compared to FAA’s plan, Eurocontrol’s project for next-generation air traffic management differs in details, priorities and timing. In March, Eurocontrol published the first update of its European ATM Master Plan, which incorporates SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) program.
Most aviation maintenance workers and their managers can tell tales of long work hours, most often associated with an aircraft on ground situation. Determination to get the job done and the motivation of overtime pay contribute to the work hours mentioned in off-the-record boasts. The result? Mechanics who perform safety-critical tasks in a mental and physical performance state match that of an alcohol-impaired driver. These employees are not fit for duty.
N3 Engine Overhaul Services received German aviation authority Part 145 certification to service Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, an Airbus A380 powerplant.
LONDON—Ireland’s place in world aviation took off in 1975 with the creation of Guinness Peat Aviation (GPA), a commercial aircraft sales and leasing company that went on to become the world’s largest commercial aircraft lessor. Since the late 1980s, GPA’s fortunes and ownership have fluctuated, forcing many of its former staff to find work with the other aircraft lessors that followed it to Dublin.
Aircraft Systems & Manufacturing amended STC to install a Teledyne Controls Airborne Wireless LAN unit and enhanced airborne data loader on Boeing 737-800, 900 and 900ER series, STC ST10819SC
Ameco Beijing’s Civil Aviation Calibration & Test Center developed new calibration and repair capabilities and received China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment certification.
Decreasing foreign object debris (FOD) is a constant challenge in MRO, and industry experts say that left-behind tools cause approximately $5 billion in damage to avionic parts each year. Surprisingly, organization methods intended to solve the FOD problem can generate some of the most troublesome issues.
A J Walter Aviation added work for Royal Jet to its Dubai hub’s customer base with a July agreeement for one Airbus A319 aircraft. AJW also plans to invest $10 million in Airbus A320/A330 inventory in Los Angeles, and it gained a Delta TechOps spares deal worth more than $10 million. In Europe, Dutch carrier Jet Time picked AJW support for its Boeing 737-400s in addition to six already covered 737-300s.
Aviation Capital Group ordered two Boeing 737-400SF 11 pallet passenger-to-freighter converted aircraft from Aeronautical Engineers Inc. The first aircraft started undergoing freighter modifications and heavy maintenance in July; the second should be inducted by the end of the year.
Dunlop has 500 different tire types listed in its catalogue, including those for historic aircraft such as Spitfires. Like other aircraft tire manufacturers, it produces types in batches, even for high-demand tires such as those for Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s, which are produced in almost continuous batches. But Dunlop’s Ian Edmondson maintains that volumes still not are sufficient to justify investing in automated production lines. “That would require volumes way beyond our current highest runners,” he says.
Flight Dynamics Division reissued STC to install head-up guidance system Model 4200 on Bombardier CL-600-2C10 (Regional Jet Series 700, 701 and 702), CL-600-2D15 (Regional Jet Series 705) and CL-600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900) series aircraft, STC ST01390LA
EASA recently published its latest four-year plan for progressing its backlog of requirements and moving ahead with new ones—a plan that some critics have said will more likely take 15 years. Why the procrastination? Because in the current economic climate, the agency may struggle to get sufficient funding from the European Commission to complete this work in the planned timeframe.
The EU-U.S. bilateral has been signed, at least in principle, but it remains subject to the deliberations of U.S. Congress on FAA reauthorization. At press time, the two houses of Congress held different opinions on the final look of the bill. When they reach a compromise, Congress will produce a consolidated document.
Lufthansa Technik Logistik and SuperJet International signed a five-year contract for spares distribution at Frankfurt, where it will stock 800 Superjet 100 items.
CFM partners GE Aviation and Snecma are fine-tuning CFM56 aftermarket support to prepare for next-generation Leap-X engine support and to respond to requests for integrated support packages. One step is joint venture CFM Materials, created to offer used serviceable CFM56 parts. The second step is rebranding the Snecma Services and Air China MRO joint venture in Sichuan under the CFM name.
These three products have similar goals—measuring the length and quality of your sleep—but take different approaches. This discussion is not an endorsement of a particular product. The ZEO Personal Sleep Coach (about $200, myzeo.com) is a monitoring device that includes access to sleep-coaching software. It collects data through a headband with a brain-activity sensor on your forehead. The accompanying support software aims to help you understand the data and your sleep patterns.
Hamilton Sundstrand is simulating transactions with All Nippon Airways to ensure operational readiness for its nine systems on the Boeing 787. The company is printing airworthiness approval tags, shipping boxes and moving hardware to double-check that new part numbers and nomenclatures will work before ANA receives its first 787. Hamilton Sundstrand has a 10-year supply chain contract with ANA.
