GE Aviation named Sid Ashworth VP of its Washington, D.C. operations. She has 25 years of experience in the legislative and executive government branches, including tenures as a professional staff member with the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, and as the majority staff director and minority staff director of the Defense Subcommittee, and as majority staff director and minority staff director of the Military Construction Subcommittee.
Houston Precision Fasteners earned Lockheed Martin Aeronautics general quality systems approval. It also added series approvals supporting aeronautics and space systems platforms, including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, F-22, C-5M and Atlas V.
HVOF Tape Protecting components during hot, abrasive high-velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) thermal spraying work requires resilient thermal spray tape. DeWal has developed a new type of tape called D-Max that it has tested to temperatures more than 1,000F and forces greater than Mach 2 for better performance during processes such as grit blast, ceramic spraying, plasma spraying and arc spraying.
Texas Aero Engine Services Ltd (TAESL) 50:50 joint venture of Rolls-Royce and American Airlines in Fort Worth, Texas Founded in 1998 Repairs and overhauls the RB211 engines that power American Airlines' Boeing 757s and the Trent 800s that power American Airlines' Boeing 777s Inducted its 1,500th engine in 2007
Ramco released two tool kits to complements its new Aviation Series 5 maintenance enterprise management software. The extension development kit and implementation tool kit help Series 5 users make changes to existing screens such as adding or hiding data collection fields, editing screen callouts, adjusting menu structures, enhancing work flows or creating new transactions.
Lufthansa Technik will support Spanair’s Airbus A320 family fleet for another 10 years per an extended agreement between the two companies. Lufthansa Technik has supported Spanair’s 24 A320 family aircraft since 1999 under a total technical support agreement. The German MRO will continue to provide Spanair with component support, V2500 engine maintenance and engineering/logistics, and spare engines.
In the aircraft disassembly and parting out business, this is both the best of times and perhaps the most challenging. “Parked aircraft are at historic levels,” says Steve Connolly, president and CEO of GE Capital Aviation Services’ Asset Management Services division. “There are about 2,900 aircraft that are currently parked worldwide,” echoes Tom Stewart, president and CEO of Stewart Industries. Historically, Stewart says about 80% of aircraft that enter a storage program never emerge whole again. “They’re parted out and eventually scrapped.”
The international aviation community is making strides toward sharing safety-related information as a way to improve accident rates. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Federal Aviation Administration, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the European Commission have begun working through issues to facilitate global data-sharing.
Rolls-Royce has received contracts worth $120.1 million—and with a potential value of more than $600 million—from Naval Air Systems Command, for engine maintenance and support of Marine Corps and Air Force aircraft. A $75-million contract covers logistics support for the manufacturer’s AE 1107C-Liberty engines used in the Marine Corps Bell Boeing MV-22 Osprey and Air Force Special Operations Command CV-22 Osprey tiltrotors. The deal eventually will cover more than 250 aircraft at six bases. It initially runs for 11 months but includes four option years.
Elbit Systems will continue to be responsible for the maintenance and support of Grob G-120-AI trainers in use by the Israel Air Force (IAF) until 2022. The announcement comes after the company reported that the defense ministry awarded it a 10-year follow-on contract that takes effect when the current agreement expires in 2012. The new contract is valued at $20 million. Elbit Systems in effect rents flying time in the trainers to the IAF under a program known as the private finance initiative.
Boeing ’s maintenance software tool for improving dispatch reliability and efficiency is going into service at two African carriers, Kenya Airways and TAAG Angola Airlines. Each ordered the Boeing Maintenance Performance Toolbox software suite for use on multiple Boeing aircraft models: Kenya Airways will put three of the Boeing Toolbox modules to work for its 13 737NGs, seven 767s and four 777s, and TAAG will use four to maintain its seven 737NGs and three 777-200ERs.
Eurocopter Group brought Christian Gras onboard as executive VP for customers and as a member of the group’s executive committee, reporting to CEO Lutz Bertling. Gras most recently was senior VP for Latin America in EADS’ strategy and marketing organization.
Data Link Solutions won a $20-million contract from the U.S. Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command to provide Link-16 terminals to U.S. and coalition forces. The award includes radios for U.S. platforms—such the MH-60R, MH-60S and F/A-18—and foreign military sales customers, including Finland, Saudi Arabia and Japan. This award also includes additional equipment for U.S. applications and customers, including the U.S. Army, Battlefield Airborne Communication Node and Joint Forces Command.
Singapore Technologies Aerospace will maintain 143 CFM56-7B engines for India’s Jet Airways and subsidiary Jetlite under a maintenance-by-the-hour contract valued at S$1 billion ($750 million). The work includes off-wing, on-wing and on-site support plus fleet technical and asset management support. The engines power 67 Boeing 737s operated by Jet Airways and its subsidiary. Avionics/IFE
The defense and aviation ministry has awarded a $43-million contract to Hellenic Aerospace Industry of Tanagra, Greece, and Middle East Propulsion Co. of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for maintenance of the Rolls-Royce T56 turboprop engines in use on C-130 aircraft flown by the Royal Saudi Air Force. The three-year deal calls for MRO and testing of engines, modules and components.
Associated Air Center added Boeing Business Jet SFAR-88 mandatory fuel tank modification, main landing gear forward trunnion pin and gear replacement, and lower cabin altitude modification capabilities.
StandardAero plans to close its Little Rock, Ark., engine shop and transfer the Honeywell TFE731 work to its Springfield, Ill., facility in the third quarter of the year. Initially, it will provide major periodic inspections and a mobile service team, but over time StandardAero plans to reassess its capabilities to add potential new engine types and services, says senior VP business aviation Scott Taylor. The Springfield operation is one of StandardAero’s largest business aviation shops. Training
Atlantic Fasteners ’ military aerospace division relocated to a larger facility in West Springfield, Mass. It says the new headquarters is 70% more efficient and offers room for expansion.
Longbow LLC, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, received a four-year, $86-million contract from AgustaWestland to support Longbow Fire Control Radar (FCR) systems on Apache AH Mk-1 helicopters. The award covers engineering services, integrated logistics and in-country repair at Wattisham Airfield, at the Lockheed Martin facility in Florida, and at the Northrop Grumman plant in Baltimore. The Longbow FCR, the circular component on top of the rotor, provides target detection, location, classification and prioritization.
The U.K. Ministry of Defence (MoD) plans to upgrade its current engineering and asset management system, WRAM Online, to Miro Technologies’ GOLDesp package. By migrating to the new system, the MoD hopes to reduce overall lifecycle program costs as well as adding more capabilities. GOLDesp is already in use by some of the largest military aircraft manufacturers and support agencies, with the Royal Saudi Air Force being the latest user (O&M, March 2010, pg. 49). Contracts Commercial
L.J. Walch Co . received a 2009 Boeing Performance Excellence Award for suppliers with a minimum silver composite performance rating. Boeing recognized 486 suppliers who achieved either a Gold or Silver level Boeing Performance Excellence Award this year in total, and L.J. Walch Co. is among 358 suppliers to receive the silver recognition level.
Satcom Direct received Federal Aviation Administration certification for its Inmarsat satellite communications training course to count toward requirements for inspection authorization renewal.
Fokker Services ’ remarketing support center won an exclusive contract to remarket two Fokker 70 aircraft configured for corporate shuttle service and support them through at least 2020 under its Fly Fokker total support program.
