The Aeronautical Repair Station Association elected Dave Latimer president to fill the post left open by Ian Cheyne. Latimer, current vice president of regulatory compliance for TIMCO Aviation Services and ARSA's former senior vice president, will serve in the position for a one-year term, effective Oct. 29, 2007.
Bell Helicopter and the U.S. Army Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD) have signed an agreement to develop condition-based maintenance (CBM) technology. The 50/50 cost sharing agreement calls for developing and putting into action an integrated set of diagnostic, prognostic and system health technologies to help the U.S. Army transition from condition-based maintenance to a CBM-centered philosophy.
Lufthansa Technik Shenzhen and Shenzhen Airlines inked a 10-year Total Component Support contract to cover the carrier's A320 fleet, currently numbering 13 aircraft. Under the agreement, Lufthansa Technik Shenzhen is to supply components locally, including more than 500 line replaceable units, for up to 70 of Shenzhen Airlines' aircraft.
Composite materials now are ubiquitous in aircraft repair and production (see "Carefree Structures," p. 46), and the need for new technology to monitor repairs and material conditions has grown right along with them.
H.I.G. Capital finished acquiring Flight Options from Raytheon, and at that same time, Flight Options ordered 100 Embraer Phenom 300 light jets, with options for 50 more. The deal is worth $746 million but could climb to $1.12 if the operator exercises all options. Flight Options has service and maintenance operations in Cleveland, Ohio; Las Vegas; Sacramento, Calif.; Teterboro, N.J.; and West Palm Beach, Fla.
AERO Vodochody in late November formally delivered to the Czech government four L-159T1 two-seat advanced training and light ground-attack aircraft, following factory conversion from their original single-seat configuration. With a design airframe life of 32,000 flight hours, the four L-159T1s incorporate MIL-STD-1553B Advanced Human Machine Interface, with head-up and color multi-function displays; hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) controls; and an autonomous navigation system, with ring laser-gyro based inertial navigation system (INS) and GPS.
Nationwide Airlines and its maintenance unit Nationwide AMO Dec. 5 concluded a Framework of Compliance with South Africa's Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), to "ensure adherence to the applicable regulatory framework," according to a press release issued jointly by SACAA and Nationwide Airlines.
Manufacturers and operators are incorporating a series of new requirements for maintaining aircraft wiring under a rule the Federal Aviation Administration implemented last month. The "Enhanced Airworthiness Program for Airplane Systems/Fuel Tank Safety" rule was published Nov. 8, a little more than two years after the FAA proposed changes to the certification and maintenance requirements for wiring systems (O&M, Dec. 2005, p. 21). The rule took effect Dec. 10.
SR Technics appointed Dirk Meier vice president procurement. Most recently engineering & maintenance manager for TUI Airline Management, Meier took over the position from Javid Karim on Nov. 1.
In a further boost to the RAF's Typhoon program, BAE Systems and the UK MoD's Defense Equipment and Support organization have taken another significant step toward establishing a Partnered Through-Life Availability Support solution for the new combat aircraft system.
Air France Industries added 200 apprentices, bringing its 2007 total to 400 -- a 25 percent increase from 2006. AFI added that it offers nine out of 10 trainees employment following their training.
Duncan Aviation appointed Dan Arrick manager of engine services at its Battle Creek, Mich., facility and added Andy Fernandes to its Lincoln, Neb.-based installations sales team.
Christophe Bernardini has been CEO of Sabena technics and president of TAT Industries board since May 2006. He joined Sabena as president and managing director following its acquisition by TAT in July 2005. His MRO experience started with TAT European Airlines, where he created a maintenance center at Paris Orly airport after British Airways took a stake in the airline. He recently talked to O&M about integrating various MROs within TAT and reorganizing Sabena technics. Edited for length and clarity.
Alaska Airlines completed the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and renewed its place on the IOSA registry, on which it has been listed since 2006.
CTRL Systems was contracted by U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marines aviation to provide its kit configuration CTRL UL101 as the new ultrasound test kit for multiple aircraft, including the KC-135, C-130 Hercules, AV-8B Harrier, F-16 Falcon, F-18 Hornet, H-60 Black Hawk, P-3 Orion, F-22 Raptor and others.
Lockheed Martin's maintenance and modification facility in Greenville, S.C., recently redelivered a U.S. Navy P-3C that had undergone phased depot maintenance and a special structural kit mod at the same time. The company said this is the first time the two tasks have been completed simultaneously. The aircraft was completed on-time in November. The P-3 Orion, a four-engine turboprop aircraft, entered Navy service in 1962 as an anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft, but its mission has been expanded to include battle space surveillance over land and sea.
AMETEK Aerospace & Defense and Macrolink have developed an actively cooled Mil-Spec ATX server, with a rugged design for use in extreme environments. The 1.5 ATR-long enclosure is designed to withstand extreme temperatures, altitude, humidity, shock and vibrations, as well as EMI and chemical exposure, and it is self-contained and sealed to keep dirt, sand, humidity, salt and other contaminants out of its electronics department.
Shanghai Technologies Aerospace Company (STARCO), a joint venture of Singapore Technologies Aerospace and China Eastern Airlines, inducted the first of 30 Airbus A320 family aircraft it will maintain for All Nippon Airways. The Shanghai MRO facility signed a letter of intent in October to provide C check inspections and modifications for the ANA A320 fleet over the next three years.
MTU Aero Engines promoted Dr. Stefan Weingartner to president and CEO, Commercial Maintenance, effective Nov. 1. Weingartner has served as MTU's senior vice president, Defense Programs, since 2002. In his new position, he succeeds Bernd Kessler, who will join SR Technics as CEO.
Imagine talking with an expert hundreds (or even thousands) of miles away via the Internet to get the information you need to solve a problem, including real-time video, voice over IP and data files -- while he's commuting to work, and you're miles away from a landline. The technology sounds far-off, but it's more accessible than you might think.
Precision Conversions redelivered a 757-200PCF freighter to DHL-European Air Transport, which it said is the carrier's first full 15-pallet position converted aircraft.
Pratt & Whitney and United Services signed an agreement to give the MRO provider capability to sell P&W CFM56-3 parts to third-party customers, making it the first MRO operation aside from P&W itself capable of providing the Pratt-made parts, according to United Services.
Fleet Readiness Center Southeast won the Shingo Bronze Medallion for Excellence in Manufacturing for its EA-6B aircraft depot level maintenance program.
Turkish Technik and Goodrich signed a memorandum of understanding to form a joint venture, Goodrich HABOM, in Istanbul to perform nacelle work for Turkish Airlines and carriers in neighboring regions. The companies anticipate opening the 43,000-square-foot facility at Sabiha Gokcen International Airport in 2009.
