Jet Source's new facility in Henderson, Nev., will have two 35,000 square foot hangars -- one will handle aircraft management and charter, and the other hangar will handle avionics and maintenance.
Boeing signed a GoldCare contract with Rolls-Royce, maker of the Trent 1000 engine that is one of two powerplant options on the 787. Under terms of the GoldCare Material Management agreement, Boeing will provide repair and overhaul for underwing rotable airplane components as an option to Rolls-Royce customers who opt for the OEM's TotalCare program to support their Trent 1000s.
Air France Industries received a full airborne warning and control system (AWACS) maintenance contract from the French Defence Ministry through the ministry's integrated aeronautical material support structure, SIMMAD. The contract covers support for AWACS (except for engine maintenance, which AFI already provides), including: the E-3F airframe, mission system, simulator support, technical management and logistics computer system, maintenance and management documentation, related ground components, transport logistics and engineering support.
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The Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association has 28 members who annually process about 150 aircraft, 1,000 tons of aircraft specialty alloys and 25,000 tons of aircraft aluminum. AFRA members hope to be recycling 5 tons of carbon fiber daily by 2008.
CAE unveiled Presagis, its new modeling and simulation software company. Combining CAE's acquisition of Engenuity Technologies, MultiGen-Paradigm and TERREX with its existing off-the-shelf software team, Presagis is designed to deliver an integrated suite of COTS software.
In mid-July, Britain's Ministry of Defense (MoD) welcomed a National Audit Office (NAO) report on successful improvements in MRO and logistic support to Royal Air Force Harrier and Tornado combat aircraft during the past six years. These resulted in overall savings exceeding £1.4 billion ($2.8 billion) and helped improve front-line aircraft availability, reliability and capability. Whereas all repairs had previously been undertaken at multiple sites, the MoD has rationalized how it repairs and maintains its jets to achieve significant economies.
Rockwell Collins appointed Ken Estelle vice president and general manager of Technical Service Solutions. Estelle will oversee Rockwell Collins' network of service centers providing repair and overhaul of aviation electronics, as well as parts management and logistics for commercial, business and military aircraft worldwide.
GE Aviation's CF6-80E1 engine, which powers about 140 Airbus A330-200 and -300 aircraft, completed one million takeoffs/landings, or cycles. In mid-2008, the CF6-80E1 will include Tech CF6 program advancements, including a new high-pressure turbine airfoil, which should lower maintenance costs, improve fuel burn and enhance operational reliability.
Wright Tool offers two 10-piece 12-point 1/4 in. drive socket sets, both with the patented Wright Drive design, intended to provide more torque with less fastener damage. Number 209, the 12-point standard socket set, consists of 3/16 in., 7/32 in., 1/4 in., 9/32 in., 5/16 in., 11/32 in., 3/8 in., 7/16 in., 1/2 in. and 9/16 in. socket sizes on a clip rail. Number 210, the 12-point deep socket set, includes 3/16 in., 7/32 in., 1/4 in., 9/32 in., 5/16 in., 11/32 in., 3/8 in., 7/16 in., 1/2 in. and 9/16 in. sizes on a clip rail. Both sets are made from WrightAlloy steel.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) recently honored China Southern Airlines with a "Four-Star Flight Safety Award" for four million safely-flown hours. Yang Yuan Yuan, CAAC minister, added that China Southern has maintained the longest safety record of any Chinese carrier. The airline currently operates more than 310 aircraft and over 1,300 daily international flights.
In early August, Indra Sistemas was granted a two-year maintenance service contract for avionics systems on Rota naval base aircraft and rotary wing aircraft, which include BAe AV-8B Harrier V/STOL fighters and Cessna C550 light jet-transports, as well as Agusta-Bell AB 212, Hughes 500, and Sikorsky SH-3D and SH-60B helicopters. Indra will undertake preventive and corrective maintenance, plus updates, of all aircraft on-board avionics and navigation systems, as well as install its customized Galia integrated logistics management system to monitor the fleet's maintenance.
Textron's Bell Aerospace Services subsidiary received a $4.5 million contract award for U.S. Marine Corps Bell H-1 helicopter support. This is the fourth year of a five-year contract to provide field-level support for UH-1N and AH-1W helicopters of the 2nd and 3rd Marine Air Wings. BellAero, via its BA Support Services business unit, provides turnkey technical assistance and maintenance support teams at numerous field locations throughout the world, including support teams embedded with operational units deployed overseas.
With a tool engineered by Brookhouse Holdings, British Airways Engineering's Fleet Support Facility (FSF) at Heathrow now can perform another costly engine repair in-house. Two years ago, Brookhouse and BA Engineering collaborated to develop a bonding and support tool for damaged GE90 engine D-duct repairs. A similar tool designed to support an inlet skin damaged by a bird strike recently made that repair more convenient and cost-effective as well.
Mxi Technologies announced the addition of an automated line planning feature to its Maintenix aviation maintenance management software. It is designed to generate and schedule a realistic set of work packages, taking routing, part availability and even weather into consideration.
Further reinforcement of the RAF's support helicopter forces is scheduled from the long-awaited mid-June MoD decision to refurbish and upgrade eight Boeing Chinook HC3 heavy-lift helicopters. These have been grounded since completion of their 2001 delivery from Boeing because of U.K. flight-control software integration problems for originally specified special operations roles. MoD funding finally has been approved for their immediate conversion to operational RAF standards for battlefield support helicopter roles.
The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) named outgoing FAA Administrator Marion C. Blakey its new president and CEO, effective Nov. 12. Since September 2002, Blakey has served as the 15th administrator of the FAA. Her term as Administrator ends Sept. 13. At AIA, Blakey succeeds John W. Douglass, who is retiring.
Clifford Development appointed Threshold Aviation Group of Chino, Calif., as a new service center to support its Cessna Citation II re-engining program. The Supplemental Type Certificate development program, nearing completion, involves re-engining Citation II (CE-550) aircraft with 3,000-lb. thrust Williams International FJ44-3 engines, including integration of the FADEC system.
SAAB Aerospace and its associated companies in the Gripen group are well-advanced in a systems upgrade program for 31 Swedish Air Force JAS 39A/B combat aircraft to JAS 39C/D standards. The first of these are being redelivered this year, and the remainder will follow until 2013, with program unit costs of about SEK130 million ($19.33 million), within an overall SEK4.1 billion ($595 billion) budget.
The "Five Ss." The key pillars upon which Lean MRO stands: sort, set in order, shine, standardize and sustain. To that list add another "S:" safety. That sixth "S" is an organic, virtually axiomatic outgrowth of the first five. Experts think there is no way you can cull it.
European military MRO providers, like their counterparts in other areas of the world, will be faced with a number of daunting tasks over the next several years. They must balance support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, emergency relief and humanitarian aid missions, cost pressures, new generation aircraft coming on line and the increased use of diagnostics and prognostics.
Kent Statler, executive vice president of services for Rockwell Collins, is responsible for the company's global network of service centers that support commercial, business and military aircraft. Statler also leads customer services for inflight entertainment system maintenance and avionics parts management, as well as training businesses. He joined Rockwell Collins in 1987 and was senior vice president of operations before accepting his current position. Edited for clarity and length.
