Author: neilw

Avtrade Celebrates 30 Years in Aviation

Component service provider Avtrade is celebrating 30 years in aviation. Avtrade was established in 1985 by founder and CEO, G.F Brooks. The company say it has grown rapidly over those years and its expansion is demonstrated by the recent completion of phase two of the new 300,000 sq. ft. UK global headquarters located in the South of England. With the development of operations in Dubai, Singapore, Moscow, China, South Africa and Miami. Avtrade says it provides an extensive range of component services to customers worldwide, 24/7.

Avtrade says it has developed a wealth of aviation knowledge and experience during the past 30 years and has multilingual and multicultural staff, representing 22 different nationalities, and speaking 26 different languages. Much of its growth has occurred in the last five years. Avtrade says it has more than doubled within that time frame. The company says it is supporting more than 3000 customers worldwide including 500 airlines, asset management and multimillion dollar investment in inventory enables support across a wide range of fleet types.

Air Capital Interiors Receives FAA Repair Station Certificate

Air Capital Interiors, Inc. received its Federal Aviation Administration repair station certificate on July 1, 2015, for maintenance, repair and refurbishment of aircraft interior panels, cabinets, seats, floor coverings and interior-related components.

“This represents a major milestone for Air Capital Interiors,” stated Rodney Wilson, company president. “Having the repair station certificate and the FAA’s approval to sign our own work back into service is a huge step forward. Now our work can go straight to the airplane and that makes us more efficient and effective for our customers in a very time-sensitive marketplace.”

Air Capital Interiors has performed a variety of aircraft interior repairs—ranging from simple component refinishing to complete interior refurbishment/replacement—on 35 different aircraft models since its inception in late 2013. In addition to the FAA repair station certificate, numerous Air Capital Interiors employees have received FAA repairman certificates.

“The process for obtaining an FAA repair station certificate is very rigorous and validates our processes and commitment to providing the highest quality craftsmanship possible,” said Wilson.

Two More Huge Schweiss Bifold Doors Destined for Cape Canaveral

Space X door open251x192SpaceX is getting to be a name as identifiable as NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) was. Ever since government funding was cut for NASA, SpaceX has been in the forefront of space exploration. They have already developed expendable rockets able to deliver cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) and are most likely going to provide satellite launch services, passenger tourist flights and cargo delivery to orbit sooner than you think.

“SpaceX is like Special Forces… we do the missions that others think are impossible. We have goals that are absurdly ambitious by any reasonable standard, but we’re going to make them happen. We have the potential here at SpaceX to have an incredible effect on the future of humanity and life itself,” noted Elon Musk – SpaceX CEO and chief designer.

The same goes for Schweiss Doors, an established 35-year-old company that specializes in large custom-made doors that many other companies wouldn’t dare to make. Schweiss doors destined for SpaceX locations is nothing new. Schweiss has built large doors installed at various SpaceX locations going back to 2008 for Cape Canaveral, Waco, Texas and Vandenberg AFB in California, and they keep coming back for more.

According the Schweiss the doors required by SpaceX are not your run-of-the-mill doors; they say there are a lot of specialized things associated with the doors that Schweiss Doors has to conform with.

Their latest orders just left the Schweiss Doors factory. They will soon be installed on a new steel hangar at Cape Canaveral. The largest of the two is a Bifold Liftstrap door 90 ft. wide x 61 ft. tall. The second door on that shipment is 40 ft. wide x 69 ft. tall. Each of the doors is equipped with automatic latches and are windrated to 150 mph. After they arrive at the site they will be clad in 26 gauge sheeting and have 4-inch blanket insulation. Bottom-drive 480 volt, 3 phase motors and patented Schweiss liftstraps will do the lifting of these doors that exceed 46,700 lbs.

SpaceX maintains launch sites at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, and Boca Chica, Texas. Each location offers key benefits to support our customers’ missions. SpaceX tests its engines and structures at a 4,000-acre state-of-the-art rocket development facility in McGregor, Texas.

SpaceX or Space Exploration Technologies Corporation is a space transport company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. Their launch manifest is populated by a diverse customer base; including space station resupply missions, commercial satellite launch missions, and US government science and national security missions.

Cape Canaveral on the southeast coast of Florida provides access to a wide range of low and medium inclination orbits frequently used by communications and Earth-observing satellites and by supply missions to the International Space Station. The site also allows access to geostationary orbits, as well as departures to the Moon and interplanetary destinations.

SR Technics and AerFin Ltd to launch BEYOND.FLEET.SERVICES

SR Technics and AerFin announced that they had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which underpins their intention to manage and market a joint solution branded Beyond.Fleet.Services. This bundle will extend the life of the aviation industry’s maturing fleets of Airbus A340-200/300 aircraft by

reducing their operational costs, including engines, airframe and component maintenance, as part of a flexible and comprehensive set of end-of-life managed services.

Beyond.Fleet.Services is designed specifically to reduce the costs incurred by A340 operators as they seek to both maximize the life span and revenue potential of their existing fleets, while they manage their eventual withdrawal from service. Beyond.Fleet.Services combines flexible leasing schemes and other attractive cost saving service options for managing engines, airframes, components and inventory challenges. It will guarantee fixed-priced engine and component MRO services. There is also going to be the option for operators to sell-and-leaseback aircraft and engines or for Beyond.Fleet.Services to commit to purchasing aircraft at the end of its lease or working life.

As part of the partnership, SR Technics will provide the MRO services for CFM56-5C engines and AerFin Ltd the finance and leasing schemes. In addition, the two firms will cooperate to ensure that customers get a steady supply of components. Beyond.Fleet.Services’ customized packaged solutions will be wrapped into one contract, which will provide customers with one single point of contact and will deliver an integrated and bespoke end-of-life solution.

As part of its committed preparation for the launch of Beyond.Fleet.Services, AerFin Ltd recently secured eleven A340-300 aircraft, which will be disassembled to provide a comprehensive, cost-effective pool of components to its customers.

“SR Technics is pleased to be cooperating with AerFin and this joint offering will extend the appeal and reach of both firms in the marketplace. Beyond.Fleet.Services will provide what we know our customers want most,” said SR Technics, Klaus-Peter Leinauer, vice president Commercial and Product Sales Engine Services. “That is a comprehensive set of end-of-life MRO services and financing solutions for A340-200/300 aircraft that are designed to maximize their revenue potential as they are progressively eased out of commercial operation. Beyond.Fleet.Services will eliminate most of the risk aircraft operators fear when they seek to ensure the continuous operation of

the A340-200/300 aircraft as they near the end of their viable lifecycle.”

“We are very proud to have signed this MOU with SR Technics. The proposed combined SR Technics and AerFin solution, Beyond.Fleet.Services, marks an innovative breakthrough for the maturing A340 sector,” Bob James, managing director, AerFin, commented. “Indeed, we are certain that Beyond.Fleet.Services will give operators and other stakeholders an all-important and increasingly

sought-after competitive advantage. In short, with our solution operators will be able to reduce their fleet’s running costs and maximize their earnings potential both of which are of significant interest to charter operators looking at the A340 as a low cost, high density cabin option. We are therefore delighted by the prospect of further strengthening our relationship with SR Technics through the launch of Beyond.Fleet.Services.”

Tradewind Int’L. Now Has Airbus, Boeing, Fokker and F-16 Parts

Tom Huismann162Expanding from what was its core business in serving the light and medium turbine helicopter industry, Tradewind International recently purchased a diverse inventory of parts from International Defense Systems US (IDSUS). The recently received inventory includes parts for Airbus, Boeing, and Fokker aircraft, and some F-16 parts and accessories. In accumulating an inventory of over a period of 25 years, some airplane parts have found their way into the inventory from different purchases the company has made through the years. However, this is the first significant purchase the company has made outside of its usual pursuit of parts and accessories for small and medium turbine- powered legacy helicopters.

“Tradewind International has served the helicopter industry for over 25 years, and that will not change. We will continue to serve an industry that has been very important to us,” said Tom Huismann, vice president of Tradewind International. “However, the recent inventory purchase from IDSUS is very significant and exciting, in that it opens up a new opportunity for us. This recent purchase will help us to further diversify our inventory, and enable us to use our capabilities and talents to serve more of the aerospace industry.”

Jet Aviation Basel receives EASA Part-145 approval for Boeing B787 aircraft

JetAviationBasel_Dreamliner_1-251x192Jet Aviation Basel has received approval from EASA to add Boeing’s new flagship B787 Dreamliner to its Part-145 capability list. With this approval the company is authorized to provide warranty maintenance and completions support to the new all-carbon airframe.

“As an authorized Boeing Service Center, we are delighted to expand our service offerings to support owners and operators of the Boeing B787,” says Johannes Turzer, senior vice president and general manager of the Jet Aviation Basel Maintenance Center. “Our goal is to provide business aviation customers seamless maintenance services to the highest standards. This approval attests our ability to do just that.”

Neil Boyle, senior vice president and general manager of the Jet Aviation Basel Completions Center, adds, “We have allocated considerable time and resources the past few years to advancing our capabilities with the new aviation technologies of the Boeing 787. I am very pleased to have our skills and competencies recognized by the regulatory authorities as we prepare to complete our first VVIP Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.”

Gulfstream Opens Additional Maintenance Hangar in Brunswick, Georgia

Brunswick-57-251x192Gulfstream Aerospace has officially expanded its service center in Brunswick, Georgia, with the opening of a newly constructed hangar. The hangar has been fully operational since May 29, 2015.
The nearly 110,000-square-foot/9,290 square-meter hangar at Brunswick Golden Isles Airport complements an adjacent Gulfstream maintenance facility and completions center. The new building accommodates all Gulfstream aircraft models and more than doubles the site’s under-roof capacity from a mixture of seven large-cabin aircraft to as many as 16. The expansion, which was announced in January 2014, has resulted in more than 60 new jobs at the site. Approximately 40 more positions are expected to be added this year.
“This is a very exciting day for Brunswick, Glynn County and Gulfstream,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream. “This hangar is a tremendous asset to our operation here, helping us enhance the reliability and availability of our aircraft, continue to maintain a high level of safety and provide a state-of-the-art workplace for our employees. We’re thankful to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the Glynn County commissioners, the Brunswick and Glynn County Development Authority, and the Glynn County Airport Commission for their essential support.”
Gulfstream announced the hangar opening before an audience comprised of most of the site’s 250 employees along with local dignitaries, including the Glynn County commissioners, Brunswick Mayor Cornell Harvey and Brunswick and Glynn County Development Authority Interim Director Mel Baxter.
Gulfstream Brunswick, located approximately 75 miles south of Savannah and 60 miles north of Jacksonville, Florida, offers a full range of maintenance services, including aircraft-on-ground support, airframe inspections, avionics installations and interior refurbishments. On-site technicians are certified to work on Gulfstream G550, G450, G280, GV, GIV and GIII aircraft. The site is also home to a completions facility for Gulfstream large-cabin aircraft.
Brunswick’s new hangar includes two overhead cranes and a tail dock. It was constructed with several sustainable and green design features, such as recycled content, water-saving lavatories and showers, energy-efficient indoor/outdoor lighting and heating/cooling systems, and preferred parking spaces for low-emission, fuel-efficient vehicles.

Approved Parts: TSO and ETSO Mutual Acceptance

By Jason Dickstein

Just in case you are pressed for time, I will give you the quick summary. The U. S. and Europe are investigating how to accomplish mutual acceptance of TSOAs and ETSOAs. This is a huge advance for the aviation community, that is expected to save both industry and government resources.

Now let’s delve into some details…

What is a TSO?
In the Europe and the United States, many aircraft components are manufactured to a common standard, known as a Technical Standard Order or TSO (an ETSO in the EU). TSOs are typically used for components that may be common to a number of different types. This can include components like avionics, seats, seat belts, and emergency equipment.

The theory of a TSO is that a part that meets the minimum standards of a TSO ought to be able to function appropriately in aircraft that needs a component of that sort. A company that wants to produce parts that meet the minimum standards of a TSO must apply for government approval in order to do so. In the United States this is called a TSOA or Technical Standard Order Authorization. Generally, the TSOA applicant must self-certify design compliance, although the FAA is permitted to check compliance to the extent that the FAA believes necessary. In addition, the TSOA applicant must have a production quality assurance system that meets FAA regulatory requirements and that will be subject to FAA inspection through FAA Manufacturing Inspection District Offices, known as MIDOs. An FAA-approved production quality assurance system helps to ensure that each component that is produced under the TSOA design, will meet the specifications of the TSOA design.

Because a TSOA article is theoretically installable in any aircraft, it carries no inherent installation eligibility. So if an installer gets a TSOA article with no other data, the component may not be able to install the article in any aircraft. The path toward installation of a TSOA article typically involves additional scrutiny and data that shows that the installation in a particular aircraft or type meets FAA regulatory/safety requirements. Where the TSOA article reflects a major change to type design, it may require a supplemental type certificate (STC) in order to approve the installation/modification data.

Measuring Quality
One of the ways that companies measure the quality of an aircraft part is through the strength of the system that stands behind it. The system is always going to be made up of multiple parts. They will include the company’s own quality assurance system as well as the oversight that helps to ensure the integrity of that quality assurance system. Oversight can be internal, through internal auditing that helps to ensure that the company operates the way that management expects. Oversight can be external, through other-party auditors who are brought in to ensure that the company meets the standards that it expects to meet. And external oversight can include regulatory oversight by the local civil aviation authority.

In the United States, regulatory oversight by the local civil aviation authority (the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA) has been considered to be important since the beginnings of commercial aviation. FAA oversight helps to make the public comfortable with the idea that the aerospace industry remains compliant with safety standards.
As a consequence, the FAA is loath to surrender any of its approval authority. Not because the FAA is power-mad like a Bond villain … but rather because the FAA does not want to betray that public trust.

Acceptance of Foreign Components
The FAA approves components manufactured under TSOA; components produced under foreign standards are not inherently acceptable to the United States. The United States may accept foreign-produced articles when the FAA itself has approved the design (using a Letter of Design Approval or LODA) AND the United States has signed a bilateral agreement with the foreign nation that accepts LODA designs that are produced under the foreign airworthiness authority’s manufacturing oversight.

AFI KLM E&M to Merge Barfield and AMG

AFI KLM251AFI KLM E&M continues to strengthen its offerings to customers worldwide, and particularly in the U. S. The company has, during the last several years, acquired several key companies and says that allows it to better serve current customers and positions itself to gain additional business in the largest MRO market in the world and the U. S.

And, as we went to press, the company announced that after a year at the helm of Barfield, Johann Panier has now been appointed CEO of Aero Maintenance Group (AMG) in order to lead the merger of these two subsidiaries in the Americas. Panier succeeds Christian Tallec who has led AMG for the last five years.

Barfield was acquired by AFI KLM E&M in 2014. Barfield’s support services are organized into five main activities: component services, airline programs, distribution, ground support test equipment (GSTE) and rotables and trading. Barfield is also an authorized repair facility for more than 30 OEMs. Barfield has 250 employees across its 3 facilities in the United States: Miami (FL), Phoenix (AZ) and Louisville (KY).

The Miami-headquartered subsidiary, AMG, provides component repair and supply services for the commercial aviation sector from three regional locations. “This local presence affords AFI KLM E&M the ability to perform and develop repair capabilities locally, enabling effective solutions tailored to the unique needs of its North American customers,” the company stresses.

Initially back in 2005, AFI took a 40 percent stake in AMG but it eventually became a wholly owned subsidiary.  AMG is comprised of AMG Aero Technologies, AMG Air-Pro and AMG Precision Electronics.

AFI KLM2250The two announced a common integrated sales team in May under the direction of John Rogers. The company said in May that the integration initiative was “fully in line with the AFI KLM E&M sales policy, with the objective of reinforcing a customer-centric approach and maximizing sales momentum. “The company also said at that time i twas working on strengthening the synergies of the two subsidiaries.

Bonus Aerospace and Bonus Tech are additional concerns in the AFI KLM E&M portfolio. It is a joint venture between AFI, KLM and Centurion Cargo created in March of 2013. Formerly known as JB Power, the company was dubbed Bonus Aerospace in 2006. This company grouping is also located in Miami, Fla. Bonus Aerospace focuses on specialized P&W engine repair, overhaul and after sales services. Sister company Bonus Tech specializes in engine teardown and parts sourcing. This company is led by Vincent Benoit, CEO.

Today’s Cutting-Edge Borescopes: A Sampling of What’s Available

Borescope251Camera-equipped borescopes­—also known as endoscopes and videoscopes­—are among the most useful tools in an aviation technician’s toolbox. Their thin, flexible and steerable extension arms with camera/light-equipped tips provide inside views of airframes and engines in the tightest of spaces and allow diagnoses to be made without having to tear down the section under inspection.

There are many suppliers of professional-quality endoscopes on the market today. Aviation Maintenance got in touch with the vast majority of them, to find out what new and useful products they have to offer. Here is what they told us!

GE Measurement & Control
GE Measurement & Control’s Mentor Visual iQ VideoProbe borescope is specifically designed for the aviation maintenance industry. The Mentor Visual iQ comes with a wide range of connected features to make measurement easier and more accurate. They include a touch-screen user interface and guided workflows to improve inspection ease and productivity; on-demand measurement that allows inspectors to measure indications without removing the probe and changing tips; and 3D measurement/surface scanning for multiple probe diameters down to 4.0mm.

Now the connected part: the Mentor Visual iQ borescope can be Wi-Fi connected to any wireless-enabled computer. This “allows remote experts to watch and guide live inspections in real time from any PC, anywhere in the world,” said Tom Ward, product manager for Mentor Visual iQ. “This is particularly helpful for customers with large fleets.”

All told, “Mentor Visual iQ offers on-demand 3D measurement and surface scanning to allow inspectors to view indications from multiple perspectives and make precise measurements of length and depth, which improves probability of detection,” Ward said. This capability is a boon at a time when the aircraft industry is facing a shortage of skilled inspectors and experts, while managing large global fleets.

“Mentor Visual iQ allows inspectors to share live video of inspections with remote experts who can provide a second opinion or direct critical inspections in progress,” said Ward. “For large global fleets this can be invaluable in terms of getting assets back into service faster, or avoiding false calls. It certainly can save on travel time and avoid having to ‘scramble’ experts to the scene.” Details at http://www.gemeasurement.com.

radient Lens Corporation
Gradient Lens Corporation’s patented endoGRINS gradient-index lens technology is built into its Hawkeye Borescopes, providing what the company says is “excellent image quality at prices one-third that of comparable visual inspection instruments.” (Source: http://www.gradientlens.com)

Recently, Gradient Lens added notation capability to the still and video images shot using the company’s Hawkeye V2 Video Borescopes. Known as the V2’s Annotation Feature, this capability allows inspectors to add their notes to the images/footage they capture, for later review and archiving. “This function will be key to those who are conducting mission-critical inspections, like aircraft maintenance, wind turbine and power-gen maintenance, and any transportation-related inspection,” said Dr. Douglas Kindred, president and chief scientist of Gradient Lens Corporation.

Hawkeye V2 borescopes is also being sold with a new LED light source that is 1.45 times brighter than its predecessor in the 4mm diameter V2, and 2.1 times brighter in the 6mm V2. “One and a half to two times more light makes a huge difference to users,” said Dr. Kindred. “Furthermore, the intensity of the new V2 LED Light can be adjusted more much finely than the previous model, giving users more flexibility inside either small, or large, inspection areas.” More details at http://www.gradientlens.com/V2.