NBAA Maintenance Committee
The spirit ran strong amongst this volunteer group of seasoned aviation maintenance professionals during the three-day semi-annual full NBAA Maintenance Committee meeting in Atlanta in June. Members include the Executive Director of AMTSociety Tom Hendershot and AMTSociety board member Jim Sparks. Sparks serves as a voting member of the NBAA Maintenance Committee as well. Strategic planning for amplification of the size and influence of the committee as an industry think tank was center stage of topics.
Career transitioning
Jet Professionals has recently introduced its new Career Transition Services program to assist aviation companies and flight departments with improving the job search skills of their displaced workers. The program offers employers a high-quality job search assistance tool at a competitive price. Employers can choose from a menu of services that meet their needs with regard to their financial resources and number of employees involved.
The program features experienced and trained counselors from Jet Professionals who deliver the seminars live. They will travel to an employer’s desired location or have the program conducted at a Jet Professionals location.
The course will also cover the impact current trends will have on careers and discuss options for additional training that may be necessary to secure re-employment. Jet Professionals will provide information regarding industry events, networks, organizations, and agencies that can be of assistance in this transition.
For more information, please visit www.jetaviation.com.
Redstone College receives aircraft
There is good news during difficult economic times for the Spirit of Flight Center. Spirit of Flight has had a historic Lear Jet 24D donated to its collection. It has put the plane on long-term loan at the Redstone College of Aviation in Broomfield, CO, to help in the education process.
The 1976 Lear Jet set four international climb records with owner/pilot Ed Wachs of Chicago. Three of the records still stand. The Lear Jet is being retired by Performance Aircraft Leasing after many years of service.
For more information visit www.spiritofaviation.com.
CRS Harley giveaway
CRS Jet Spares is continuing its annual NBAA Harley Davidson drawing. This year’s prize is a 2009 Harley Davidson Sportster XL1200C which will be driven away by the winner. The drawing will take place at the CRS Booth #5167, on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 3:00 p.m.
IS-BAO accredits Grey Owl
IS-BAO has accredited Grey Owl Aviation Consultants Inc. as a provider of human factors training and safety management system (SMS) workshops.
Richard Komarniski, president of Grey Owl Aviation Consultants, says “It is very exciting to assist flight departments who are working to achieve global recognition and accreditation as offered by International Business Aviation Council.”
PTI facility relocation
Propulsion Technologies International (PTI), a joint venture between Snecma and GE, has recently relocated its two Miami, FL, facilities into a brand new 125K-square-foot facility located in Miramar, FL. PTI provides OEM approved component repair services for both CFM56 and Turbomeca Arriel engines globally. For more information please contact Greg Ryan, director of sales, at (786) 999-0680.
Unapproved parts notification
The Unapproved Parts Notification (Notice Number: NOTC1921) program is now hosted on the FAA web site at http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/safety/programs/sups/upn/. You should refer to this site on a regular basis to get the latest Unapproved Parts Notifications.
In fact, general information and guidance about the Suspected Unapproved Parts Program is available at http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/safety/programs/sups/.
P&W EcoPower engine wash receives award
Pratt & Whitney’s EcoPower engine wash service has been recognized with the 2009 North American Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) Product Innovation of the Year Award from Frost & Sullivan.
“EcoPower engine wash utilizes a unique, patented engine washing technology that sets new standards in the airline industry by revolutionizing the entire approach toward engine washing,” says Nathan Smith, aerospace industry analyst, Frost & Sullivan. “With significant benefits such as cost-effectiveness, reduction in fuel consumption, improvement in engine performance, and contributions toward environmental sustainability, EcoPower has created a milestone in the MRO industry.”
Frost & Sullivan is a research and consulting firm that covers 10 industries and 31 markets. The Frost & Sullivan Best Practice Awards are unique in that they are awarded by a company dedicated to the analysis and forecasting of high-tech markets since the firm’s inception in 1961. Frost & Sullivan’s analysts conduct a rigorous selection methodology unmatched by any other firm.
Alteon changes name
Boeing announces that the company’s training organization, Alteon, will be renamed Boeing Training & Flight Services. The new name will be phased in across the organization’s global network in the months ahead. The name reflects the organization’s expanded capabilities for providing customized flight and dispatch documentation, airplane performance data, operational consulting, and safety analysis.
College-owned airport receives funding
The FAA will invest $1.85 million for the design and installation of an Instrument Landing System (ILS) for the John Bell Williams Airport. The funding is a collaborative result between U.S.
Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS), the FAA, and Hinds Community College, owner of the airport. The FAA award will help complete a six-year, $11 million capital improvement program at the airport, which is also the base for aviation-related courses.
The airport is owned by Hinds Community College, the largest community college in the state of Mississippi serving approximately 19,500 students annually at six different locations. Hinds offers aviation technology programs at the airport — pilot training, aviation management, avionics, and airframe and power plant certification.
P&WC appoints Motorflug RMF
Pratt & Whitney Canada Customer Service Centre Europe GmbH, a joint-venture between Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) and MTU Aero Engines, has appointed Motorflug Baden-Baden GmbH as a recognized maintenance facility (RMF) to provide maintenance support for PT6T and PW200 series engines.
With facilities in Rheinmuenster, Baden-Baden, and Schoenhagen, Motorflug has been in business for more than 50 years and is one of the largest helicopter repair stations in Europe, serving more than 400 customers in 40 countries. Besides helicopter airframe, engine, and components maintenance, it also offers a wide range of additional services, from flight training to spare parts sales, historical records monitoring, and mobile service teams. It also holds EASA Part 145 certification for fixed-wing aircraft maintenance and avionics services.
Chromalloy to be part of Northrop Grumman team
Chromalloy announced today that it will provide aircraft engine and auxiliary power unit (APU) maintenance, services, and replacement parts as a member of the Northrop Grumman team on the KC-10 Extender Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) program.
The Air Force announced its selection of Northrop Grumman as the prime contractor for comprehensive depot maintenance and logistic support for the KC-10 CLS program. The program will operate in direct support of the U.S. Air Force KC-10 air refueling fleet of 59 aircraft.
Chromalloy’s portion of the contract is valued at $540 million over nine years and covers engine maintenance and component services for 204 of the CF6-50C2 engines and 77 APUs.
Supporting Chromalloy will be the company’s team member, MTU Maintenance, a global provider of CF6-50C2 commercial services. Engine maintenance will be provided by the MTU North America CF6-50C2 facility.
Chromalloy will establish a KC-10 engine program office in Oklahoma City, with component support provided by its network of repair and manufacturing facilities.
A supplier of advanced repairs and services for turbines used in aviation and land-based applications, Chromalloy intends to also provide support to the KC-10 program through its design and manufacturing of FAA-approved replacement parts.
WestWind opens new hangar
WestWind Technologies Inc. celebrated the grand opening of its new Huntsville Aircraft Modification & Integration Center the end of September. It marks the first time the Huntsville International Airport has partnered with a small business to offer such sophisticated services to the aviation industry.
The new 62,000-square-foot facility provides engineering, manufacturing, electronics integration, and structural modifications — all on site — and can accommodate large fixed-wing (C-130s) and multiple rotary-wing aircraft simultaneously. The hangar has been designed to meet growing demands in both military and commercial aviation.
WestWind designed the hangar to accommodate every type of helicopter in the Army’s inventory as well as a large number of fixed-wing aircraft with sizes up to the Air Force C-130s. The aircraft center also offers full maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) capabilities for a broad spectrum of military and commercial aircraft.
NTSB nomination
Mark R. Rosekind, Ph.D., an expert on fatigue and its effects on productivity and safe flight operations, has been nominated to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Dr. Rosekind, who has gained international recognition for translating sleep and circadian (body clock) science into practical, effective strategies that enhance performance, safety and health, currently serves as president and chief scientist of California-based Alertness Solutions. If confirmed, his term would expire Dec. 31, 2014.
A former director of the NASA Fatigue Countermeasures Program, Dr. Rosekind has more than 25 years’ experience in conducting scientific research in aviation, the military, healthcare and energy.
