Although FAA wouldn't talk with O&M about the wiring issue in May or June, at AVIATION WEEK's MRO Conference & Exhibition in April, the agency said it found a 99% compliance rate with the first phase of its audit of airworthiness directives, but "it's the 1% that keeps us focused and soul searching" for what went wrong, said Jim Ballough, FAA director of Flight Standards.
Japan Airlines has decided to equip its 40 in-service Boeing 777s with Boeing's Class 3 electronic flight bag (EFB). It began testing the EFB on two 777 aircraft last June. Retrofit installation for JAL's remaining 777s is scheduled to begin in April 2009, with installation across the fleet finished by the end of 2011. Three 777-300ERs JAL is scheduled to receive this year will be delivered with the EFB. Boeing says about 80% of 777 customers have selected the EFB option in production and then retrofitted their existing fleets.
Who will maintain the next generation of aircraft -- or the aging aircraft that linger in both the commercial and military fleets -- is a question few can answer with confidence. Whether they're experienced maintainers with newly honed skills or newbies fresh out of training programs, aviation maintenance technicians are part of a rapidly changing industry. The technologies that training must address are numerous and ever-increasing.
AeroStrategy added Mike Howard to its Ann Arbor, Mich., team as an associate consultant. Howard served the U.S. Marine Corps as a combat mission commander and flight instructor for its F/A-18 fighter aircraft squadron and as a maintenance manager and operations manager. He also was an engineering lead on GE's OnStar engineering development team.
SR Technics extended its existing agreement with Air Arabia to continue providing component support for its 13 Airbus A320 aircraft for six more years. The integrated component solutions contract covers component exchange, maintenance, repair and logistics for Air Arabia's A320 fleet, which is set to grow to 30 aircraft over the contractual period. It further includes setting up a dedicated component consignment stock in Sharjah, UAE.
Stretch panels and color-coding are designed to increase the comfort and safety of Kimberly-Clark's new lines of protective apparel and particulate respirators.
Cascade Aerospace landed a three-year contract to perform heavy checks on WestJet's fleet of Boeing 737NGs. Cascade expects to complete 32 heavy checks for WestJet by the end of 2010. WestJet's fleet currently comprises 75 Boeing 737-600s, -700s and -800s, and the airline has another 33 -700s and -800s on order, according to Ascend's CASE database.
Pemco World Air Services named Kevin Casey president of the company. He previously was president of its cargo conversions division. Patrick Stewart, previously with Texas Aero Engine Services and American Airlines, was named COO. In addition, VP of commercial operations in Dothan, Ala., Dennis Johnson, assumed the same VP position at Pemco's new Tampa facility. Shane King will take Johnson's place as director of production- Dothan.
Current halon-based fire suppression systems only are designed for use in cargo compartments because the chemical is harmful to humans. To increase passenger safety, Life Mist Technologies and Pacific Scientific HTL/ Kin-Tech Division have developed an acoustic water mist/nitrogen technology to replace existing aircraft fire suppression systems with a solution that is more people- and environment-friendly.
BBA Aviation Engine Repair and Overhaul added Martin Maly as regional sales manager for its international sales team, which represents Dallas Airmotive, H+S Aviation and Premier Turbines. Maly is to represent ERO's OEM-authorized service on 21 product lines, covering central and Eastern Europe and Russia.
Barco received TSO-C113 and ETSO-C113 authorization for its 15-in. primary flight display, signaling it meets both U.S. FAA and EASA airworthiness standards. Barco's 10-in. and 15-in. PFDs are marketed by Honeywell as KDU-1080 and KDU-1500 and are integrated into Honeywell's Primus Apex integrated flight deck.
CFM International won a firm fixed price contract for $22.6 million to manufacture F108 turbine rotors, at a quantity of 44 each. All funds have been obligated. Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., was responsible for the contracting activity.
AAR, surrendered STC to install a Brownline lower lobe cargo system on Boeing 747 aircraft, STC SA3381WE AeroMech Inc., one-only STC for non-group approval for Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum for a Lockheed Martin 1329-25 aircraft, STC ST01360SE AeroNautique, to install interior cabinets/components, including a guest lavatory, closet assembly station 400, RH galley, LH galley pantry, lounge area cabinets, guest bedroom, master bedroom, master lavatory and associated pocket doors, on Boeing 737-700 series aircraft, STC ST10826SC
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Global Sustainment was awarded a $142.48 million ceiling-priced modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity multiple award contract to exercise an option for the P-3C sustainment, modification and installation program. Work will be performed in Greenville, S.C., and is expected to be completed in June 2009. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., was responsible for the contracting activity.
Honeywell secured an agreement with AirAsia to supply its 131-9A auxiliary power unit and APU maintenance for the Malaysian carrier's recent order of up to 125 Airbus A320s. The aircraft are scheduled for delivery in 2009 through 2013. The 131-9A, which is an option on all of the A320 family aircraft, is in use on more than 1,400 aircraft operated by 90 customers, according to Honeywell.
Bump a catering truck into the fuselage and you will put a dent in a metal airframe. The damage will be visible, and the consequences clear. Not so with composites. A low-velocity impact that would produce easily detectable surface damage on a metal aircraft could wreak invisible havoc inside a composite structure. Increasing use of the new materials in exposed primary structures such as fuselages is making detecting such damage more crucial. (See this month's Viewpoint, p. 80, for more on composite damage.)
Advance offers a new rider sweeper designed to keep operators comfortable in its climate controlled cab while picking up more dust and FOD from the floors of warehouses, manufacturing facilities, indoor/ outdoor parking areas or other ground surfaces that must be kept clean.
Rockwell Collins announced Denny Helgeson, vice president and general manager, Business and Regional Systems since 2002, will retire this fall. Greg Irmen, formerly senior director, Boeing programs, was appointed Helgeson's successor. effective May 19. Hegelson has been with the company for more than 33 years and will continue to report to Kelly Ortberg, executive vice president and COO of Commercial Systems, as vice president and general manager-special assistant until September.
The dynamics of the helicopter MRO industry are changing. As more operators deploy their equipment for longer stretches at increasingly greater distances from home bases, the focus of maintenance is shifting increasingly to field repairs.
Flight Safety Foundation and AviAssist Foundation will work together on improving aviation safety and security in the East and Southern Africa region. Maintenance and engineering issues could be included. The agreement gives AviAssist access to Flight Safety Foundation's aviation safety information, including best practices and materials, and AviAssist brings 10 years of security expertise to the partnership.
The European Aviation Safety Agency this summer will take another step forward as the primary aviation authority in Europe as it releases proposals that will allow the agency to establish regulation of aviation operations, flight crew licensing and validation of third-country operating licenses.
Executive Jet Management's Michelle Schopp, director of technical services, received the U.S. FAA's "Good Friend" award, honoring her ground-breaking work on the electronic flight bag program.
Eaton Aerospace Operations named Eric Alden director, customer support. Prior to joining Eaton, he was regional aftermarket director for Honeywell for Europe/Middle East /Africa.
Bell Helicopter received FAA's Organization Designation Authorization, which allows an ODA unit within the OEM to act on behalf of the FAA as a certification and airworthiness office. Bell worked for two years to gain ODA.
