Author: neilw

Rockwell Collins recently completed the Production Readiness Review (PRR) for Common Range Integrated Instrumentation System (CRIIS), paving the way for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to award Production Lot 1. The PRR was done in cooperation with the Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) and CRIIS System Program Office (SPO) at Eglin Air Force Base.

Rockwell Collins is the prime contractor and systems integrator for the next-generation military test range system that will replace the Advanced Range Data System (ARDS) currently in use at major U.S. military test ranges. CRIIS equipment will support a variety of platforms, including advanced fifth-generation aircraft, and implements the DoD’s vision of common test and training infrastructure for improved operational realism.

The PRR milestone included a review of Rockwell Collins’ manufacturing readiness status, quality management system and production planning capabilities to assure schedule, performance and cost requirements will be achieved in the upcoming Production phase, which will be performed at Rockwell Collins facilities in Richardson, Texas and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The CRIIS program fulfills critical DoD requirements to provide Time, Space, Position Information (TSPI), additional platform test data, and employs a more robust, spectrally efficient data link including multiple independent levels of security (MILS). Formal contractor and government testing of the system was conducted over several years at the Eastern Iowa Test Range (EITF – comprised of Rockwell Collins facilities), Patuxent River NAS and Eglin AFB. EITF has also been used extensively for LVC test and training experiments and demonstrations.

The CRIIS system will be initially fielded at seven major ranges: Eglin AFB, Nellis AFB, Edwards AFB, NAS Patuxent River, NAS Pt. Mugu, NAWS China Lake and White Sands Missile Range.  CRIIS provides for secure range-to-range data exchange and handoff, so that an aircraft configured and starting a mission on one range can seamlessly join the network on another range to complete the mission. To further enhance operational test and training instrumentation capabilities, the CRIIS SPO and Rockwell Collins recently signed a 5-year, $83 million ID/IQ contract to support development of alternate configurations and system enhancements.

Thomas Global Systems, a leader in the design, production and support of innovative electronics solutions for aerospace and defense applications, celebrates 60 years at the forefront of its industry.

From 1956 to 2016, the Company has built an industry-leading reputation for practical innovation, offering sophisticated products and solutions that are relied upon by customers around the world. Celebrating its 60^th year at the 2016 Avionics Maintenance Committee (AMC) / Airline Electronic Engineering Committee (AEEC) Conference in Atlanta, Georgia with partners, customers and friends, the Thomas Global team can reflect on significant milestones in the Company’s history.

Founded in 1956, Thomas Global Systems was initially established as a manufacturer of monochrome television picture tubes, becoming one of Australia’s major electronics enterprises. The Company steadily grew and by the late 1960s was the largest Australian manufacturer of cathode ray tubes (CRTs). In the 1980s and 90s, Thomas Global specialised to become a major producer of special CRTs for commercial avionic and military applications, manufacturing and supporting cockpit displays for significant programs such as the F/A-18 Hornet and Seahawk Helicopter, and winning service agreements with major international airlines with its pioneering cost-effective support solutions for CRT-based cockpit displays. In the 2000s, the Company undertook further strategic developments including the creation of a defence projects business in support of major Australian defence programs such as Collins Class submarine, Anzac Frigate and Australian LAV (ASLAV), the establishment of an operation in Irvine, California and a new division focused on the development and integration of displays and electronics for military ground vehicles.

In 2015, Thomas Global launched an innovative family of plug-and-play LCD EFIS upgrade solutions to replace existing CRTs for business, commercial and regional aircraft, eliminating the need for full cockpit upgrades, accommodating NextGen growth and extending the life of legacy cockpits. The Company went on to establish an alliance with L-3 Communications to cooperate in the development of certain CRT-to-LCD upgrade solutions for other aircraft platforms. 2016 saw Thomas Global establish agreements with Saab AB, as well as Hawker Pacific and DAC International for distribution of its CRT-to-LCD avionic display products.

“From the very beginning, practical innovation has been at our core,” William Hutchinson, Chairman of Thomas Global, says. “As we celebrate our 60^th year, we look back at the Company’s achievements with great pride, and look forward to the future with excitement and confidence in our solid foundations.” He goes on to say, “We recently welcomed the Australian Minister for Defence, Senator the Honourable Marise Payne, to our Sydney Headquarters to open our new Electronic and Embedded Systems Innovation Hub [EESI-Hub], a Centre of Excellence which will be the focus of our New Product Development initiatives, as we continue to place engineering, innovation and research at the heart of our business.”

TÜV SÜD Product Service says it has launched its new fast rate of change facility to help aerospace equipment manufacturers meet the requirements of RTCA DO-160 for environmental testing of avionics electronic, electrical and mechanical systems.

Manufacturers of commercial aircraft equipment must meet the minimum standards of environmental test conditions and procedures of RTCA DO-160. The newly upgraded TÜV SÜD facility includes a second fast rate of change test chamber that will increase capacity to minimise test waiting time and help manufacturers across the world decrease time to market for new equipment.

TÜV SÜD’s new facility will also cover a wider range of temperature fluctuations, in order to accurately replicate the rapid and extreme temperature variations experienced during flight, from minus-70 °C to plus-160 °C, with temperature change rates up to 10°C per minute. The fast rate of change facility complements a comprehensive selection of environmental (such as climatic and vibration) and EMC tests (such as lightning and power supply) to deliver aerospace manufacturers the full range of avionics testing in a single location.

“Aerospace manufacturers must cope with the demands of a safety critical industry, where reliability is paramount but competition to deliver value for money is also a key driver,” says Martin Foley, Business Line manager for Aerospace & Defense at TÜV SÜD Product Service. “Our service will help them to ensure that their products achieve the right balance of reliability in extreme conditions, whilst complying with regulations and minimizing time to market to remain competitive.”

The test requirements of RTCA DO-160 are applicable to most types of commercial aircraft, including small aviation aircraft, helicopters, jumbo jets and supersonic aircraft. It covers a wide range of equipment, such as sensitive avionics and safety critical equipment, as well as in-flight entertainment and cabin systems. The standard sets out the minimum required environmental test conditions and procedures to assure the performance of avionic equipment in airborne environmental conditions, including temperature, altitude, shock, vibration and susceptibility to RF emissions.

L-3 Communications has reinstated the name of its Madison, Mississippi-based aerospace sustainment and support services business to L-3 Vertex Aerospace.

“The L-3 Vertex Aerospace name stands for our legacy of delivering sophisticated and customer-focused services and support that provide consistent, measurable value,” said Mark Von Schwarz, president of L-3 Aerospace Systems, which includes the L-3 Vertex Aerospace business. “Vertex Aerospace goes well beyond providing logistical support, specializing in targeted technical services that require comprehensive expertise and an unwavering commitment to helping our military and government customers successfully complete their missions.”

L-3 Vertex Aerospace is widely known as a premier provider of specialized aerospace sustainment and support services and as a pioneer in the field of contractor logistics support and aerospace services. Its unique expertise is sought after for a broad range of programs, from aircraft maintenance programs that support thousands of mission and training sorties daily, to supply chain management and quick-reaction field teams that rapidly deploy globally to fulfill exacting customer needs.

“The name Vertex Aerospace resonates with our customers and employees because it has long been synonymous with our hard-earned reputation for expertise, competitiveness and total commitment to our customers,” said John E. ‘Ed’ Boyington, president of L-3 Vertex Aerospace. “We work with our customers as true business partners, so we understand their specific requirements and tailor our solutions to achieve successful outcomes. Our dedication to building and maintaining long-term customer relationships is both our legacy and our future.”

As one of four sectors within the L-3 Aerospace Systems business segment, L-3 Vertex Aerospace comprises the business areas that were previously called Logistics Solutions, which include aircraft and base maintenance programs, Contract Field Teams, Army Fleet Support and Flight International.

L-3 Vertex Aerospace, based in Madison, Mississippi, is a worldwide provider of aerospace sustainment & support and aviation & aerospace technical services for the U.S. Department of Defense, government agencies and foreign governments. Its workforce of 7,300 professionals at 136 locations offers integrated logistics support, contractor logistics support, component repair and overhaul, in-house component repair, supply chain management, repair station support, pilot services and contract field services. L-3 Vertex Aerospace also provides turnkey customized solutions, contractor-operated and -maintained base supply services, supplier and vendor base services, and quick-reaction global deployment team support services.

Esterline Corporation has announced the appointment of Michel Potvin, effective May 2, 2016, to the position of president of its Avionics Systems business group, which includes Esterline’s CMC Electronics (CMC) product brand and the newly acquired Simulation Visual Systems capability, featuring TREALITY display products.

Potvin succeeds Greg Yeldon who has left Esterline after a distinguished career of more than 22 years with the company.

Potvin has been with Esterline for five years, serving first as president of the company’s Control Systems group and later as vice president, corporate marketing & strategy, for the enterprise, based in Bellevue, Washington. Prior to joining Esterline, he held the position of vice president at L-3 MAS, a Canadian division of L-3 Communications, where he was responsible for leading all military maintenance, repair, overall & upgrade (MRO&U) and special mission aircraft (SMA) activities for their global customer base. He also spent nine years with Invensys Process Systems in various general management and corporate roles, including the successful leadership of an international lean enterprise initiative. He spent the first decade of his career in engineering and project management positions with Lockheed Martin Canada (formerly Paramax) and Securiplex Technologies, a subsidiary of SNC-Lavalin.

“Michel’s experience and background are a perfect fit for taking on this role. He understands the technologies and markets that will best serve our customers,” says Esterline CEO Curtis Reusser. “He knows how to advance our sales and business development efforts across the corporation, and he is well versed on our overall strategy, so I have confidence he can successfully lead and grow our business with the CMC avionics team and the new Simulation Visual Systems team.”

Potvin has an industrial engineering degree from the University of Quebec. He also completed an executive management program at the Queen’s University School of Business in Ontario and has completed graduate-level studies in project management.

Headquartered in San Diego, Component Control serves more than 1,100 companies, the majority of which are third-party repair providers, says Andrew Valley, senior vice president of sales. Also among its customers are parts traders and distributors, as well as FBOs and companies that combine some of these functions. Recent additions include Air Atlanta Avia Services and CRS Jet Spares. Other users include AJW Technique. One differentiator, Valley notes, is relatively high revenue per capita among Quantum Control customers.

All Quantum Control customers get a broad set of core modules and a choice of optional modules. The software can be installed as a client/server application or hosted remotely via Amazon or other services. But Quantum Control is not a browser-based application, he says.

A Mobile MRO app is planned for release this year. The touchscreen-enabled, device-agnostic software will allow technicians to see their work assignments, record their time, and sign off on maintenance operations.

Component Control also offers StockMarket.Aero, an e-commerce, parts trading platform. Unlike some competitors in this area, Component Control uses an “advertising-based” model. It’s free to search the data, list your inventory, and send requests for quotes, Valley says. “If you want to show up first or second or in the top five, you can sponsor a group of part numbers—it’s like a Google ad.”

Aircelle (Safran) began the manufacturing of titanium engine exhaust systems for Boeing’s new 777X airplane, marking an on-time industrial activity start-up on Aircelle’s first major role as a supplier to the U.S. aircraft manufacturer. This first exhaust system will be used as part of the overall engine development program in partnership with Boeing and GE.

Inaugurating this activity was the laser cutting of a titanium sheet at Aircelle’s Le Havre, France production facility, performed in the presence of Boeing representatives from the 777X program’s nacelle, supplier management and engineering functions. The first-cut titanium sheet will be used in the initial 777X exhaust system to be assembled by Aircelle.

Aircelle’s industrial kick-off followed the exhaust system’s critical design review (CDR) at Le Havre, which confirmed the company’s design work and enabled Boeing to give the manufacturing go-ahead.

“These two major milestones were achieved on schedule and are fully aligned to Boeing’s program standards, underscoring Aircelle’s commitment as a world-class designer and supplier of nacelle systems,” explained Aircelle President Jean-Paul Alary. “We have mobilized our teams and made the investments to ensure Aircelle continues its performance on the 777X program.”

Alary said the successful working-together relationship of Aircelle and Boeing teams contributed to the on-time accomplishment of the critical design review and industrial kick-off.

Aircelle’s exhaust systems will equip the 777X’s two GE Aviation GE9X turbofan engines, providing the benefits of lower mass, along with increased resistance to heat with the use of Aircelle processes for titanium high-temperature applications. These exhaust systems are among the largest of their type ever produced for civil aircraft, and include acoustically-treated areas for a reduced noise level signature.

Aircelle says it has optimized the design and manufacturing of titanium nacelle components, applying its expertise and proprietary database in defining and validating the metal’s performance for exhaust systems. The company has invested in new and upgraded production resources for the 777X program, while also working with Boeing in ensuring routines and procedures are fully compliant with the U.S. aircraft manufacturer’s production requirements.

Textron Aviation announced the opening of its newest European line maintenance station in Bremen, Germany. The company says this will enhance its service offerings for Citation, King Air and Hawker operators in Germany and throughout Europe. The company is leveraging facility space from Lufthansa Flight Training’s Bremen facility to bring line maintenance to customers in the northern region of Germany.

As two of the industry’s leading aerospace companies, Lufthansa Flight Training and Textron Aviation have enjoyed a long and successful relationship since 2008, when Lufthansa took delivery of its first Citation to provide jet training for its flight training program.

“With more than 250 jet and turboprop customers throughout Germany, we remain committed to making quality, factory-direct support convenient and accessible,” said Brad Thress, senior vice president, Customer Service, Textron Aviation.  “Offering line maintenance at Bremen is further evidence of the significant investment we’ve made in our service network in Germany and throughout Europe.  From the addition of a dedicated support aircraft to the expansion of our service center authorizations, the level of factory-direct support solutions we offer is unmatched in the industry.”

Line maintenance stations provide on the ground support and can perform a variety of services, including troubleshooting, minor repairs, component replacement and some service bulletins. With the addition of the Bremen site, Textron Aviation operates six line maintenance facilities across Europe, including year-round service in Luton, United Kingdom; Stuttgart, Germany; and Cannes, France, as well as seasonal service from June to August in Geneva, Switzerland and Nice, France.

The company provides a suite of complete maintenance and support solutions to a European fleet of more than 1,600 Citation, King Air and Hawker aircraft. In addition to six line maintenance stations throughout Europe, Textron Aviation serves its customers in the region with six company-owned service centers located in Doncaster, United Kingdom; Düsseldorf, Germany; Paris, France; Prague, Czech Republic; Valencia, Spain; and Zürich, Switzerland. In the last year, the company’s focused investments in Europe have resulted in a dedicated support aircraft serving the region and a European parts distribution center located in Düsseldorf, Germany, which houses more than 225,000 parts to serve the European fleet. With a team of more than 400 Textron Aviation staff comprised of engineers, service technicians, field service representatives and sales representatives based in Europe, customers in the region have local access to factory-direct expertise.

Embraer announced that it has signed a long-term agreement for the Company’s Flight Hour Pool Program with Colorful Guizhou Airlines, providing a comprehensive components repair package for its E190 fleet. This is also the first contract that Embraer has signed for the program in China for commercial aviation.

“As a start-up airline operating mainly regional lines in the beginning, we need strong and reliable support from the manufacturer,” said Zhai Yan, chairman of the Guizhou Industrial Investment Group and chairman of Colorful Guizhou Airlines. “The pool program offers us a comprehensive materials and services package with a predictable cost, which allows our limited human resources to concentrate on daily operations, which is critical for us at this stage.”

Established in June 2015, Colorful Guizhou Airlines is the first local airline in Guizhou province, and also the first customer of Embraer’s E190 in this province. The airline inked an order for up to 17 E190 (seven firm orders and 10 optional) with Embraer, of which two were delivered and entered operation in December 2015.

“This agreement shows Colorful Guizhou’s trust and confidence in Embraer’s customer services and support,” said Johann Bordais, vice president, Services & Support, Embraer Commercial Aviation. “We have been striving to deliver the best services at the most reasonable rate, and the pool program is among the best-valued products we have developed to reward our customers. This program will help Colorful Guizhou rein in spare parts and services costs while maintaining a profitable and cost-effective operation.”

Siu Ying Yeung, Chief Operating Officer, Embraer China, said that this partnership is a good start for Embraer China CS&S team, indicating that Chinese customers are beginning to realize the advantages of this service. “The pool concept is very popular in Western countries, currently supporting more than fifty airlines worldwide, and I’m sure that will achieve the same success in China, where we are broadening the base of the CAAC component repair capabilities,” Siu said.

Embraer says its Flight Hour Pool Program is designed to minimize an airline’s up-front investment in high-value repairable inventories and resources, while taking advantage of Embraer’s technical expertise and its component service provider network.

Rancho High School’s aviation maintenance students were given the experience of a lifetime on Friday, April 8 as they received an all-access look at Maverick Aviation Group’s corporate headquarters, as well as interacted with pilots and maintenance technicians.

The behind-the-scenes tour kicked off as Bryan Kroten, vice president of marketing at Maverick Aviation Group, welcomed students to the Maverick Airlines terminal and Maverick Helicopters on-site maintenance facility before bringing them inside the hangar. Upon entry, he gave a brief history of the company and how it began modestly with one aircraft and a group of committed flight personnel, approximately 20 years ago. Kroten then introduced the CEO and Founder of Maverick Aviation Group, Greg Rochna, who discussed how he once had a vision to create a company that would provide a true VIP-level experience that was not previously offered in the helicopter industry. Rochna emphasized the constant demand of skilled employees in the aviation field and how the industry is continuously growing each year. He finished by announcing that Maverick Aviation Group will launch an annual scholarship that will be awarded to aviation magnet program students in the Las Vegas community. The scholarship program is under development and further details will be announced soon.

The students were broken up into three groups; one group led by Tim Hoffman, quality assurance manager at Maverick Helicopters; another by Jim Ogletree, chief pilot at Maverick Helicopters; and by C.R. Sherman, chief pilot at Maverick Airlines. Each group leader explained their unique roles in the success of Maverick Aviation Group and the importance of maintenance and flight operations working together. The students also had a chance to get an up-close look at an Airbus EC130 ECO-Star helicopter, tour the facility’s in-house paint shop and go inside a fixed-wing aircraft. The visit concluded with a Q&A session.