Author: neilw

Thales Releases Financial Results

The Thales Board of Directors met on 22 February 2016 to close the financial statements for the 2015 financial year.

The new orders booked in 2015 amounted to a record €18,880 million, representing an increase of 31% compared to 2014 (+28% at constant scope and exchange rates). In all business lines, commercial initiatives launched as part of the Ambition Boost plan have delivered. At 31 December 2015, the consolidated order book totalled €32,292 million, which represents some 2.3 years of sales, strengthening the visibility in terms of activity in the coming years.

Sales amounted to €14,063 million, up 8.4% on a reported basis, and up 4.5% at constant scope and exchange rates (“organic” change). Sales saw a slight upturn in growth on mature markets (organic growth of +0.5%) while emerging markets maintained a high level of growth (organic growth of +16%, after +12% in 2014). As a result, emerging markets represented 28% of 2015 Group sales, compared to 23% in 2013 and 25% in 2014.

For 2015, the Group reported an EBIT of €1,216 million, which represents 8.6% of sales, compared to €985 million (7.6% of sales) in 2014. EBIT was notably driven by a strong performance in the Defence and Security segment. Hence, Thales exceeded all of the financial objectives set for 2015, which were to achieve a low-single digit increase in sales and a level of EBIT between €1,130 million and €1,150 million.

“2015 was an important milestone in the success of our profitable growth strategy,” Patrice Caine, chairman and CEO stated.  “We achieved a record order intake and our sales witnessed solid growth after several years of quasi-stability. Profitability increased in line with our medium-term objectives, while we increased our investments in innovation, marketing and talent development.” He added: “These good results strengthen our belief that Thales is now back on track to deliver sustainable growth. We are upgrading our organic sales growth target for the years ahead and confirm our margin target for 2017-2018. Thanks to the efforts of all its employees, Thales is undergoing a profound transformation which will foster profitable and sustainable growth.”

Cash indicators also witnessed a clear upturn, benefiting from the sharp rise in adjusted net income and advance payments received on orders placed during the year. Free operating cash-flow stood at €1,110 million, which represents a twofold increase compared to 2014. At 31 December 2015, net cash was €1,978 million, an increase of almost one billion euros compared to 31 December 2014.

Thomas Global Systems and Hawker Pacific Announce New Partnership

Thomas Global Systems has signed a partnership agreement with Hawker Pacific for distribution of Thomas Global’s plug-and-play LCD cockpit displays in the Asia Pacific region.

The agreement will grant Hawker Pacific rights for the distribution of Thomas Global’s growing family of innovative CRT-to-LCD cockpit display upgrade products for a range of business and general aviation aircraft.

“We are pleased to be partnering with Hawker Pacific for the distribution of our range of pioneering plug-and-play LCD cockpit displays,” says John Dwyer, Thomas Global Systems’ Director Business Development. “Hawker Pacific’s reputation in the industry is excellent and their geographic reach and focus on customer service are a perfect fit for Thomas Global. In addition to Hawker Pacific’s presence across the region, we hope to take full advantage of Hawker Pacific’s engineering and certification excellence on a broader range of future projects. We look forward to the significant benefits our new partnership will

bring to aircraft operators, owners and lessors across the region.”

Thomas Global has developed a range of CRT-to-LCD cockpit display upgrade products based on their proprietary Thomas ADA 2.0 Adaptive Display Architecture, which the company feels is “an innovative, cost effective, plug-and-play solution for operators of legacy CRT displays.” The practical upgrades offer owners and operators financial and technology benefits – starting with lower costs and increased reliability compared to ageing CRT-based displays. Importantly, CRT obsolescence threat is eliminated, allowing operators to get the most out of their existing airframe investment and avoid costly full cockpit upgrades. The LCD upgrades offer instant conversion with no downtime for installation, and do not require crew retraining or changes to existing cockpit panels or wiring.

Thomas Global Systems offer plug-and-play LCD cockpit displays for the King Air, Beechcraft 1900D, Embraer 120, Fairchild Metro-23, Dassault Falcon, Hawker 800, IAI Astra 1125 and a broad range of other business and general aviation aircraft.

“Maximizing the life cycle of legacy aircraft is a key priority for our aircraft operators,” says Doug Park, Hawker Pacific’s COO for Asia Pacific. “Our new dealership agreement with Thomas Global for their innovative range of cockpit display upgrade products is the latest example of how we are meeting this need and making it easier for our customers across the region to keep their fleets flying and up-to-date.”

Astronics Max-Viz Commends FAA for Supporting Enhanced Vision Systems to Improve General Aviation Safety

Astronics Corporation through its wholly-owned subsidiary Astronics Max-Viz, commended the Federal Aviation Administration’s General Aviation Joint Steering Committee (GAJSC) for recent statements in support of enhanced vision technology to improve general aviation safety in situations involving weather, night, smoke and other obstructions to vision. Max-Viz develops Enhanced Vision Systems (EVS) that enable increased pilot visibility, especially in darkness and adverse weather conditions.

“In a recent Safety Briefing from the Federal Aviation Administration, the GAJSC wrote it had concluded that Enhanced and Synthetic Vision technology can significantly improve general aviation utility and reduce the chance of accidents during night and instrument metrological conditions,” said Elliott Troutman, Astronics Max-Viz EVP.

“This official FAA recognition of the safety advantages of enhanced vision and the attention it brings to this potentially lifesaving technology is very important for all general aviation pilots,” Troutman added. “Getting this word out to the pilot community and the fact that this relatively inexpensive flying technology can save lives is really crucial for all facets of general aviation.”

The FAA’s recent statements indicated, that enhanced vision “technologies fall into two categories, Enhanced Vision (EV) and Synthetic Vision (SV). EV systems use sensors to provide a better view of the outside world. These sensors can be something like infrared or radar, each of which have their own advantages and disadvantages. Of course, it’s nice to be able to see wildlife and other obstructions on the runway, but they’re also quite useful in depicting terrain in bad weather or on a dark night…”

Per the FAA, “SV differs from EV in that it doesn’t use sensors to ‘see’ outside. Instead SV relies on GPS information and a database to create a virtual representation of the world outside… Almost as important as what you are displaying is how you are displaying it. A Head Up Display (HUD) is an ideal way of displaying EV/SV information, but these are expensive and fairly rare in most of GA. Most GA systems are displayed through a cockpit Multifunction Display (MFD) or Primary Flight Display (PFD). No matter which display method you use, be sure you train with it enough to be proficient before taking it out ‘in the soup.'” For the complete briefing go to: https://www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/2015/media/SE_Topic_15-12.pdf.

Workshops Train Law Enforcement on How to Respond to Illegal Drone Activity

DroneThe Unmanned Safety Institute, a professional organization dedicated to the safe and responsible integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into the U.S. National Airspace System, announced a joint partnership with the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) to provide educational workshops to the law enforcement community throughout the United States. The purpose of the educational workshops will be to train federal, state, and local law enforcement officers on proper techniques for responding to unauthorized or unlawful UAS flight operations, including intrusions within the operating vicinity of airports around the United States.

The workshop, “Responding to UAS Intrusions” will cover a variety of topics related to the UAS and its components, threats posed by UAS to critical infrastructure, types of UAS users, response protocols and best practices, legal enforcement authorities, and creating an agency standard. The first workshop will be held at AAAE Headquarters in Alexandria, VA, on March 14-15, 2016. Additional workshops around the United States are planned for 2016.

In recent years, unlawful drone activity has rattled the international community. In 2015 an operator lost control of their drone, which crashed on the White House lawn triggering a large response by law enforcement.  In that same year, a drone was used to transport a radioactive substance onto the roof of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s office building prompting a large security response and a review of legislation governing the use of drones in Japan.

“With over one million drones projected to be flying in the United States this year, the threat of an incident occurring increases exponentially,” said Aaron Greenwald, President of the Unmanned Safety Institute. “We think it is absolutely vital that all law enforcement officers across the country have a deep understanding of this technology and how to appropriately respond to unauthorized activity in the event an incident occurs.” Justin Towles, Staff VP for Regulatory and Legislative Affairs at AAAE stated how this partnership will provide important education and training on the enforcement of unauthorized UAS activity across the United States.  “This collaboration between AAAE and USI allows us to address industry’s critical need for specific guidance on UAS enforcement issues as both consumer and commercial drones proliferate across the country.”

To request further information or to attend this workshop, please e-mail info@unmannedsafetyinstitute.org.

Tigerair Upgrades to Rockwell Collins’ Latest Iridium SATCOM on 34 A320s

RockwellCollinsSingapore-based Tigerair will be upgrading 34 Airbus A320 aircraft (21 firm orders and 13 optional) with the latest version of the Rockwell Collins Iridium satellite communications (SATCOM) system. Deliveries will begin later this year.

Rockwell Collins says their Iridium SATCOM system provides flight crews with reliable long-range voice and data communications over the global Iridium satellite network and supports both the Future Air Navigation System (FANS) and Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS).

Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics Achieves AS 9100C and ISO 9001:2008 Certification

Mid-Continent251Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics has received AS 9100C and ISO 9001:2008 certification for its exceptional quality management system following an assessment by Orion Registrar, Inc.
“Achieving AS 9100C and ISO 9001:2008 certification provides a highly-credible basis for maintaining quality and consistency in the design and manufacturing of our products,” explained Mark Smith, Quality Assurance manager for Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics. “The certification is universally recognized in the aerospace industry and demonstrates to all of our customers, suppliers and regulatory agencies that we are committed to a comprehensive quality management system. Collectively, we all benefit from improved efficiencies and productivity, elimination of waste, and process consistency,” Smith added.
AS 9100C and ISO 9001:2008 quality management standards were specifically created for the aerospace industry with inputs
and controls from aerospace industries in America, Europe, Japan, and Asia under the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG). The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the American Aerospace Quality Group (AAQG) support the IAQG and the AS 9100 series of standards from the United States. AS 9100C is
specifically designed to meet the complex demands of the aerospace industry, including business and commercial aviation, special missions and defense. The accreditation requirements emphasize areas that impact process and service safety, quality and reliability of aerospace products.

Can Batteries Be Maintenance Free?

by David Jensen

Battery251Well, perhaps not totally so. However, one manufacturer is applying a chemistry and design that takes battery operation a step closer to a maintenance-free goal.

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries have become ubiquitous, powering everything from smart phones to electric-powered automobiles. They can be found in aircraft, too, in portable radios, electronic flight bags and the laptop computers pilots bring on board for flight planning and check lists. Li-ion batteries have been used in military aircraft for years—for engine starts, emergency power and other functions—and they have become widely employed in unmanned air vehicles. They serve as main-ship batteries in the Boeing F-18, Lockheed Martin F-35, Sikorsky CH-53K and Northrop Grumman Global Hawk, among other aircraft.

However, Li-ion batteries have yet to reach their full potential in the civil aviation arena. This is primarily because new-technology batteries require extensive effort and money to prove they meet certification requirements.

But the use of Li-ion batteries in aircraft may soon become widespread after more light is shed on their benefits. These rechargeable power units—in which lithium ions move from the negative electrode to the positive electrode during discharge and move the opposite direction during charging—represent the latest generation in the evolution of aircraft batteries. They succeed those utilizing lead-acid and nickel-cadmium (NiCad) chemistries, both more than a century old.

Improved battery technology has become more and more vital, not only to perform conventional functions such as engine starts, power stabilization and running onboard electrical systems, but also to supply an ever-growing number of systems in what many commonly call “the more electric airplane.” To give just one example of this trend, Honeywell and Safran have partnered to develop electrically controlled taxiing for commercial aircraft, to allow engine startups away from the gate thus reducing fuel consumption.

A relatively new (introduced as a product in the 1970s) and therefore emerging technology, Li-ion offers advantages over lead-acid and NiCad technologies. Newer aspects of Li-ion technology can provide greater energy density, more consistent power delivery, environmental benefits and reduced weight, among other gains. They also can reduce battery maintenance significantly, in part by simplifying and reducing the required number of battery checks. Indeed, new versions of Li-ion chemistry may some day reduce the need for dedicated battery shops at fixed-base operations (FBOs).

Bit of Controversy

A relatively new technology invariably draws controversy, however. In the field of consumer goods, a spate of incidents occurred late last year in which the Li-ion batteries on hoverboards—essentially self-balancing, powered scooters—burst into flames during recharge mode. It prompted airlines to bar stowing hoverboards on board their aircraft.

In the aviation field, two operators of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, made emergency landings in January 2013 because the lithium metal oxide batteries in the new-design aircraft overheated, released electrolyte vapors and created oxygen within their cases. The incidents resulted in internal thermal runaway, or accelerated heat buildup, that created fire outside the batteries’ steel cases. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) cited “deficiencies in the [battery’s] design and certification processes” as the overall reason why the incidents occurred.

The 787 has two lithium metal oxide batteries onboard that provide backup power. Their malfunction invoked a three-month, fleet-wide grounding. Boeing had the battery installation redesigned, and in April 2013 the FAA gave the 787 fleet the green light to fly.

[fullwidth background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20px” padding_bottom=”20px” padding_left=”0px” padding_right=”0px” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][title size=”1″ content_align=”left” style_type=”double” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]CURRENT ISSUE[/title][one_third last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][imageframe lightbox=”no” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”bottomshadow” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”center” link=”https://avm-mag.com/wp-content/mag/flipbooks/AVM-2016-02-DIGITAL/index.php#Aviation_Maintenance_Magazine/page2-page3″ linktarget=”_blank” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/imageframe][separator style_type=”none” top_margin=”” bottom_margin=”20″ sep_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”” class=”” id=””][/one_third][one_third last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”underline” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]IssueHighlights:[/title][checklist icon=”” iconcolor=”#81d742″ circle=”no” circlecolor=”” size=”18px” class=”” id=””][li_item icon=””]Getting schooled by Robinson[/li_item][li_item icon=””]The Care and Feeding of Batteries[/li_item][li_item icon=””]Lithium Ion Batteries[/li_item][li_item icon=””]Intelligence: News[/li_item][li_item icon=””]Intelligence: About People[/li_item][li_item icon=””]Intelligence: Aviation Electronics News[/li_item][li_item icon=””]2016 Aviation Maintenance Repair Center Directory[/li_item][li_item icon=””]NEW! Aviation Maintenance Buyer’s Guide[/li_item][/checklist][/one_third][one_third last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][imageframe lightbox=”no” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”bottomshadow” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”center” link=”https://avm-mag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AVM_Calendar_2016_FINAL_v10_LORES.pdf” linktarget=”_blank” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/imageframe][separator style_type=”none” top_margin=”” bottom_margin=”20″ sep_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]NEW – the large fold out 2016 Wall planner was inserted into the Dec/Jan issue but you can also click/view above.[/fusion_text][/one_third][/fullwidth]

Drones in Maintenance: The New Frontier

By Ryan Aggergaard

After a flurry of activity at the end of 2015 and the beginning of 2016, the United States finds itself in the midst of an emerging (if slowly) regulatory regime governing the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, also known as UAS or, more commonly, “drones.” Although the FAA is still working through the process of integrating UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS), a regime is beginning to emerge that gives UAS operators a better idea of what is expected of them in order to operate UAS safely and remain compliant.

For those in the maintenance world, there are a few now-established rules and guidance that one should be aware of if seeking to work with or on drones in the future. Note that these requirements apply to small UAS (those under 55 pounds) where the FAA seems to be currently focusing most of its attention.

Use in Maintenance

There have been a number of stories recently of drones being used to perform inspections of aircraft as part of the maintenance process. The appeal of this method is quickly apparent, as it allows an individual to rapidly inspect an aircraft from the ground without the need for mechanical lift equipment or stands that must be moved along the length of the aircraft in order for an individual to see all angles of the aircraft. However, before grabbing a drone and a GoPro and going to work, it is necessary to consider a number of practical and legal issues presented by this technology.

From a practical perspective it is necessary that only individuals with the proper training be permitted to operate a UAS used for inspection. There are at least two reasons for this: first, it is important to avoid a scenario in which a mis-controlled drone strikes the aircraft being inspected, causing or exacerbating damage, or strikes equipment or persons at the maintenance facility causing damage or injury. (A quick YouTube search will reveal the shocking number of ways people can find to crash a drone.) Second, it is vital that the person operating the drone for purposes of inspection is able to satisfy the inspection requirements established by the applicable manuals.

At this point it is necessary to establish an important line of demarcation between practical and legal concerns. If you are seeking to use a drone for inspection purposes in your maintenance facility, and your operations occur exclusively indoors, the FAA’s jurisdiction over your use of drones is practically nothing. This is because the FAA’s authority—and the NAS—do not extend inside of buildings and hangars. It is only when you operate a drone outside that the FAA’s statutory authority kicks in and you become subject to its regulations. Therefore, if you wish to use a drone indoors for the purposes of inspection, you are free to do so, provide you take the necessary precautions to guard against injury and other liability.

Once you step (or fly) outside—and into the FAA’s jurisdiction—a significant set of regulations attach, or will soon attach. This is because the FAA regulates the use of UAS when they are operated for business purposes. The same practical considerations apply.

As of this writing, the FAA’s Small UAS Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is still being dispositioned. That means that in order to operate a UAS for business purposes, you must still obtain from the FAA a Section 333 exemption. This exemption allows a business to legally operate a UAS for business purposes. The exemption includes a blanket Certificate of Waiver or Authorization that permits operation with certain restrictions. However, because most maintenance operations are based on or near airports, a specific COA addressing your particular airspace will also likely be necessary. This COA will spell out the specific operational parameters for your use of drones in the performance of inspection and maintenance.

Spairliners Secures Component Care for Austrian Airlines

Austrian Airlines will begin using Spairliners for

Integrated Component Care Support effective January 2016. The

long-term contract was signed in December 2015 and covers component

pooling and repair solutions of seventeen Embraer E195 aircraft.

“We will deliver the best services and knowledge to Austrian Airlines based on our comprehensive experiences on the E-Jet,” Sven-Uve Hueschler, CEO at Spairliners, says. “As part of the long-term

agreement we established a dedicated IT interface between Austrian

Airlines AMOS maintenance IT system and Spairliners’ SAP system in

order to handle component requests efficiently and reliably.” With

this tailored IT interface all relevant request information can be

accessed directly though the AMOS system which is exchanging data

with Spairliners’ SAP system automatically.

Power Sources Charge Ahead

by Charlotte Adams

Power251Aircraft batteries are too often taken for granted. That is, until a plane loses electrical power far from home and has to switch to its emergency back-up system. Fortunately the prevailing nickel cadmium and lead acid battery technologies are well understood, while evolving lithium chemistries are becoming more acceptable as proper safeguards are applied.

Battery technology continues to improve and batteries last longer. Maintenance and test equipment likewise continues to develop as microprocessors and software make the gear more capable, flexible, and upgradeable.

It’s hard to overemphasize the importance of batteries. As 14 CFR 23.1353 states, in the event of a complete loss of the primary electrical power generating system, the battery must be able to provide electrical power to loads that are essential to safe flight and landing. For aircraft certified to a maximum altitude of 25,000 feet, that means at least 30 minutes of battery power and for aircraft certified for higher altitudes, that means at least 60 minutes of battery power.

Yet batteries are almost an afterthought for some pilots. Battery-related accidents happen all too often, particularly in general aviation, where some pilots may fly their planes just a few hours a year. The rest of the time the battery may just be sitting there, losing charge and deteriorating without regular care and feeding. One day the pilot comes out, finds that the battery is dead, and then jump starts the aircraft from an external source. Up in the air after experiencing electrical failure, and with no backup battery power, the pilot is lucky to return unscathed. His airplane may be less lucky.

Never, ever jump start or hand-prop start an aircraft that is certified with a starting battery if the aircraft has a dead battery, warns Skip Koss, vice president of marketing with Concorde Battery, a leading manufacturer of sealed lead acid (SLA) batteries. He attributes “at least half a dozen” accidents to flying with dead batteries that were not properly recharged before flight. A dead battery’s state is unknown. It needs to be removed, checked, and charged before takeoff.

Lead Acid Batteries

Lead acid batteries have been around for more than 100 years and are still being used in one form or another by general aviation, military, and some smaller executive aircraft, not to mention conventionally powered automobiles. Unlike car batteries, however, aviation batteries are designed to be lightweight. They can’t take the level of abuse dealt out to automotive equipment. And they need more regular test and maintenance.

Over the years wet cell, vented lead acid batteries have been giving way to sealed, recombinant-gas lead acid batteries. The latter type has the advantage of not requiring to be opened. Sealed lead acid batteries also have a higher energy density than the flooded lead acid devices, according to Concorde. The company supports more than 30 airframe manufacturers, including Piper, Cessna, Diamond, Dassault, and Gulfstream, Koss says. It has more than 100 battery models for use in more than 200 aircraft, according to the company.

Lead Acid Battery Test and Maintenance

Maintaining sealed lead acid batteries is pretty straightforward. You don’t open them, but you do have to check them for airworthiness. “It’s like a tire – you can have a fully charged tire that is worn out,” Koss says. With a new sealed lead acid battery, “you have to check the capacity of the battery at least annually to verify the storage ability for essential power.” Subsequent checks could be as frequent as every three months, depending on factors such as the battery, its percent of capacity, the aircraft, and the usage profile. After a capacity test is completed, the battery should be immediately recharged. A lead acid battery, however, should never be discharged to zero during testing because of the risk of damaging the unit, warns test equipment maker, JFM Engineering. JFM’s test equipment can be used with NiCad or lead acid batteries.

VDC Electronics and COFKO Electronics are among the companies providing test equipment for lead acid batteries. VDC’s BatteryMINDer line of products can be used with either SLA or wet cell batteries. These products can trickle-charge batteries to maintain capacity when the aircraft are not being used.

[fullwidth background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20px” padding_bottom=”20px” padding_left=”0px” padding_right=”0px” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][title size=”1″ content_align=”left” style_type=”double” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]CURRENT ISSUE[/title][one_third last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][imageframe lightbox=”no” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”bottomshadow” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”center” link=”https://avm-mag.com/wp-content/mag/flipbooks/AVM-2016-02-DIGITAL/index.php#Aviation_Maintenance_Magazine/page2-page3″ linktarget=”_blank” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/imageframe][separator style_type=”none” top_margin=”” bottom_margin=”20″ sep_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”” class=”” id=””][/one_third][one_third last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”underline” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]IssueHighlights:[/title][checklist icon=”” iconcolor=”#81d742″ circle=”no” circlecolor=”” size=”18px” class=”” id=””][li_item icon=””]Getting schooled by Robinson[/li_item][li_item icon=””]The Care and Feeding of Batteries[/li_item][li_item icon=””]Lithium Ion Batteries[/li_item][li_item icon=””]Intelligence: News[/li_item][li_item icon=””]Intelligence: About People[/li_item][li_item icon=””]Intelligence: Aviation Electronics News[/li_item][li_item icon=””]2016 Aviation Maintenance Repair Center Directory[/li_item][li_item icon=””]NEW! Aviation Maintenance Buyer’s Guide[/li_item][/checklist][/one_third][one_third last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][imageframe lightbox=”no” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”bottomshadow” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”center” link=”https://avm-mag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AVM_Calendar_2016_FINAL_v10_LORES.pdf” linktarget=”_blank” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/imageframe][separator style_type=”none” top_margin=”” bottom_margin=”20″ sep_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]NEW – the large fold out 2016 Wall planner was inserted into the Dec/Jan issue but you can also click/view above.[/fusion_text][/one_third][/fullwidth]