Category: PRs

Engineering students from the South Dakota School of Mines & Te chnology and business students from Black Hills State University are partnering on an aviation project to develop technology and prepare a business plan to meet new FAA safety requirements at lower cost.

The presidents from the longtime rival schools, both general aviation pilots who each own light aircraft, are challenging their students to develop an affordable version of air-tracking technology known as ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) that will be required by the Federal Aviation Administration in 2020.

Black Hills State University in Spearfish, led by President Tom Jackson, Jr., is a comprehensive liberal arts university with an internationally recognized business program, and South Dakota Mines in Rapid City, led by President Heather Wilson, is a top-ranked engineering and science university. Jackson flies a Grumman Cheetah. Wilson owns a Cessna 152.

Faculty members from the two campuses have already been collaborating. Next fall Black Hills State business students and SD Mines engineering students will team up on a senior design project to build and test an ADS-B system that complies with the technical requirements set out by the FAA at a significantly lower cost than currently on the market.

“President Jackson asked me if I thought that innovative engineers from Mines might collaborate with business students at BHSU to meet a safety need at a more reasonable price for the general aviation community,” said Wilson, president of the engineering school. “It sounded like an interesting project and worth a try.”

The BHSU business administration, professional accountancy, and MBA programs are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Less than 5 percent of the business schools in the world are accredited by AACSB. This accreditation is considered the “gold standard” in terms of business school accreditations.

“We’re linking the knowledge of our students at BHSU with students at Mines and challenging them to solve a problem together, a problem with awesome potential in the aviation industry,” said Jackson, president of BHSU. “We’re looking forward to seeing the results of this collaboration.”

On the technical side, Scott Rausch, acting head of SD Mines’ Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, is a former engineer for avionics manufacturer Rockwell Collins. Avionics and antennas are a strength of the electrical engineering program. This project will use the department’s new flight simulator for testing and integration of the ADS-B system. Rausch is also a private pilot and prior owner of a Grumman Tiger airplane.

Wilson and Jackson may fly the equipment as part of the test program. Aircraft currently are required to have transponders in some busier airspace so that air traffic control can see them. This new technology will allow aircraft to “see” each other in the air, a major safety advancement. It would be similar to vehicle navigation systems that visually show all the other cars on the road as well as all of the weather up ahead. The project will try to significantly reduce the cost of a compliant, reliable system.

“This joint project addresses a real industry and consumer need and draws on the strengths of the two universities. It’s a great opportunity for planting the seeds of entrepreneurship in the Black Hills,” said Darren Haar, an entrepreneur-in-residence at the School of Mines who helps to drive technology developed at Mines into the marketplace. Jeff Wehrung, Ph.D., director of the Center for Business, Entrepreneurship and Tourism and an assistant professor of management/entrepreneurial studies, will serve as the lead faculty member from BHSU on the collaboration.

Dean of the College of Business and Natural Sciences at BHSU, Priscilla Romkema, Ph.D., said the project will enable business and engineering students to work together on a mutually-beneficial opportunity.

“We know this partnership will create a collaborative spirit among students as they apply the knowledge, skills and abilities learned at their respective institutions (BHSU and SD Mines),” said Romkema.

When the SmartSky 4G network takes flight later this year, West Star Aviation will participate as an authorized dealer for hardware sales and installation of SmartSky’s innovative technology. West Star will sell and install SmartSky equipment across many business jet models using STC licenses obtained from SmartSky’s earliest distribution partners.

“West Star is pleased to partner with SmartSky in order to continue to provide the latest technologies and services to our customers. In-flight Wi-Fi has become a ‘must have’ in today’s competitive environment and West Star continues to expand capabilities and relationships in order to provide solutions tailored to our customers’ specific needs,” says Bob Rasberry, West Star Aviation CEO.

SmartSky’s patented 4G beamforming technology delivers a secure signal that locks onto each aircraft in the network. Its broadband connectivity system will provide service over the continental United States using an air-to-ground (ATG) platform with 60 MHz of spectrum that opens up full-throttle, unrestricted access to the web. Passengers can do it all: stream, chat, text, call, game and videoconference.

“West Star Aviation, voted the No. 1 Preferred MRO in the 2014 and 2015 Pro Pilot PRASE Survey, will provide an outstanding avenue for clients to purchase and install SmartSky 4G in a variety of business jet aircraft,” says SmartSky Networks President Ryan Stone. “West Star’s sales and technical expertise complements the seamless connectivity technology that SmartSky 4G will deliver to customers. This agreement is a natural way to augment SmartSky’s expanding distribution network.”

SmartSky 4G with beamforming stands apart as the only in-flight network capable of offering services where bi-directional high bandwidth and low latency are essential. This includes the use of two-way, live streaming video or in support of advanced applications such as Panasonic Weather Solution’s industry-leading 4DAero application, an electronic flight bag tool for aviation-related weather forecasting.

Leonardo-Finmeccanica, through its aircraft division, and Canada-based Esterline CMC Electronics (CMC) have strengthened their relationship as part of Team Spartan through an agreement for the supply of high-performance avionics systems for the C-27J Spartan fleet.

Team Spartan, led by General Dynamics Mission Systems-Canada, Leonardo Aircraft Division and DRS Technologies-Canada, is competing for Canada’s Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue program with the C-27J Spartan aircraft.

Under the terms of the agreement, Esterline CMC Electronics will supply its high-performance CMA-9000 Flight Management System, CMA-5024 GPS Landing System Sensor and TacView® Portable Mission Display to the C-27J Spartan fleet.

“It is a great honour for Esterline CMC Electronics to reach an agreement with Leonardo Aircraft, a world-class Aircraft OEM,” said Michel Potvin, president, Esterline Avionics Systems. “This is a gratifying endorsement of our core navigational systems expertise and pedigree.”

Umberto Rossi, Leonardo Aircraft Division FWSAR campaign leader, “The collaboration with CMC Electronics is another tangible initiative of the Team Spartan’s commitment to provide the Canadian Industry with a real incremental value. With the C-27J FWSAR, Team Spartan will create and support additional work, jobs and opportunities within Canada’s aerospace sector.”

The latest generation CMA-9000 Flight Management will provide the C-27J aircraft with multi-sensory based navigation and enhanced operational capability. Its unique combination of civil certification with advanced tactical functions, radio management and Night Vision Goggle-capability make it the product of choice for military and commercial operations. The CMA-9000’s large navigation database capability offers flexible global operations and will allow the aircraft to make the most efficient use of the airspace as it is modernized over the next 20 years. The C-27J fleet will comply with the forecasted Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards for the Communication, Navigation, Surveillance and Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) system.

Esterline CMC’s high-performance FMS systems are in service with over 60 military and civil operators, including the recently upgraded Canadian Department of National Defence A310 Polaris fleet.

The high-performance CMA-5024 GPS Landing System Sensor provides RNP-RNAV and LPV GPS Approach capability, and meets the requirements for an Instrument Flight Rules, civil certified Global Navigation Satellite System. The sensor provides Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) GPS capability from departure to approach and complies with published CNS/ATM navigational mandates.

The compact TacView Portable Mission Display facilitates airborne mission effectiveness through improved real-time situational awareness and paperless cockpit applications. TacView offers a rugged, NVG compatible smart display interface for real-time communications.

Rockwell Collins has delivered 1,400 Remote Secure Receivers as part of a follow-on order from the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and Air Combat Command (ACC). To date a total of 1,800 RSR’s have been delivered for AFSOC and ACC.

The increasing use of enemy jamming and spoofing, along with soldiers now using a combination of commercial smartphones, tablets and military off-the-shelf devices such as radios and vehicle computing platforms, has driven a need for Rockwell Collins’ proven and fielded RSR to secure these systems.  RSR is the first of its kind and features the world’s smallest, lowest power, secure and trusted military Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) GPS solution.

“RSR’s small size and very low power is the perfect solution for soldiers that need high assurance PNT (positioning, navigation and timing) for their commercial devices,” said Mike Jones, vice president and general manager, Communication and Navigation Products for Rockwell Collins. “And the global demand for this technology is growing significantly. Since launching RSR in 2015, more than 8,000 have been ordered, and several thousand are effectively being used in the field by JTACs, TACPs and dismounted soldiers. This technology takes the mental and physical burden off soldiers by providing them with worry-free confidence that they can execute all of their operations without being spoofed or jammed.”

The RSR’s plug and play capability can be tailored to meet individual soldier configurations. A single RSR is capable of providing unhindered use of secure military GPS to multiple systems on the soldier platform, which offers warfighters maximum flexibility while eliminating the need for a unique military GPS receiver for each system.

Vector Aerospace Corporation announced that its Summerside, PE facility has been named as one of the “Best Places to Work in Atlantic Canada” by Progress magazine and Best Companies Group.

This annual survey and awards program, now in its tenth year, was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best employers in Atlantic Canada, benefiting the region’s economy, workforce and businesses. Vector Aerospace’s Summerside facility was one of 30 companies recently honoured during an awards ceremony held in Halifax, NS.

“I am extremely proud that our employees consider us to be one of the best places to work in Atlantic Canada,” said Jeff Poirier, president of Vector’s Engine Services – Atlantic division. “Our success is largely due to the commitment of our employees and our culture of customer service that exists throughout the entire organization.”

To be considered for participation in the The Best Places to Work in Atlantic Canada program, companies had to fulfill the following eligibility requirements:

— Be a for-profit, not-for-profit business or government entity;

— Be a publicly or privately held business;

— Have a facility in the Atlantic Canada region;

— Have a minimum of 15 employees in the Atlantic Canada region;

— Be in business a minimum of 1 year.

Vector’s Summerside facility is this year celebrating its 25^th anniversary. It has been providing world-class engine MRO services since 1991, and today employs over 450 skilled workers at the location.

TE Connectivity Ltd. (TE) announced its Raychem matched impedance splices for aerospace applications. Designed to comply with MIL-PRF-32517 standard, the splices solve the problem of costly removal and replacement of damaged coaxial cable by allowing fast, easy in situ repairs that maintain characteristic impedance and other electrical properties of the system.

Coaxial cables are used extensively within aerospace and avionics systems, yet there has been no effective solution to repair such cables damaged during operational use. Until now, any affected cables within the airframe had to be disconnected, removed and then replaced, which was both time-consuming and costly.

“Our engineers have developed a solution that addresses this common challenge by matching the characteristic impedance of the cable itself and offering the greater capability of in situ repair,” said Janeann Avants, product manager, Global Aerospace, Defense & Marine, TE Connectivity. “Our Raychem matched impedance splices reduce the time and effort needed for repairs and lessen the number of cables that need to be replaced.”

TE’s new Raychem matched impedance splices are designed for the harsh environments of military and commercial aerospace applications and are well suited for extreme temperatures, high vibration, high EMI and corrosive environments. The splice contains three components: a hexagonal crimp barrel for the center conductors, a dielectric shell that helps maintain cable geometry for impedance control, and a heat-shrinkable SolderShield splice that both terminates the cable’s shield and provides sealing to protect the splice environmentally.

FlightSafety International recently introduced FlightBag, a newly enhanced courseware delivery and presentation application for iPad as well as a web-based version for Android and Windows based tablets and desktop computers.

“Our Customers will appreciate the efficiency and ease of use FlightBag offers,” said Daniel MacLellan, Senior Vice President, Operations. “This next generation full-featured interactive courseware app is another example of FlightSafety’s ongoing commitment to enhance the training we provide.”

FlightSafety’s FlightBag App offers innovative features that increase the effectiveness of courseware delivery, presentation, and use. Its interaction with FlightSafety’s courseware includes enhanced annotation capabilities and document organization choices.

The FlightBag App will be available for use in pilot, maintenance technician and flight attendant courses. Publications include digital training manuals, cockpit posters, flashcards, and guides that serve as an excellent resource for post-course review and reference.

FlightBag features advanced capabilities over the existing eReader App, including an enhanced notes functionality that automatically transfers the Customers’ notes and bookmarks to subsequent document versions, as well as a more robust annotation tool kit for highlighting, drawing and grid placement.

In addition, courseware organization capability is enhanced through the addition of “My Favorites”, allowing clients the ability to organize those documents most frequently used in training, while “My Document” allows import and export of Customer supplied documents, via iTunes. In addition to the IOS/ Apple version of the app, FlightBag will also introduce a web browser based version, allowing more clients access to electronic courseware via non iPad devices, such as Windows laptops, Windows and Android tablet devices.

Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI) announced a new Airframe Parts-Only coverage for the MD 500 and 600 series helicopters. Providing the only program of its kind to the MD Helicopter market, JSSI can also include coverage for the Rolls-Royce 250 series engines to create an exclusive Tip-to-Tail maintenance program solution for these operators.

“This is an important accomplishment for JSSI and adds coverage for yet another major Helicopter Airframe OEM to our portfolio,” commented Kevin Thomas, Senior Vice President, Business Development & Strategic Planning for JSSI. “Built from the ground up by the talented JSSI development team, this Program is a result of client demand. MD Helicopter operators now have a solution that will stabilize their maintenance budgets, deliver lower maintenance costs, and enhance the residual value when it comes time to sell.  We also have the MD 900 Series Helicopter Airframe Parts-Only Program under development and near completion, which will expand our offerings to cover the entire line of MD Helicopters,” added Thomas.

JSSI’s existing Engine Programs can be bundled with the Airframe Parts-Only Program for Tip-to-Tail coverage, and range from the comprehensive JSSI Premium Engine Program to Unscheduled coverage that eliminates the risk of unexpected engine maintenance costs. Additional options are also available to design the JSSI Program that fits the needs of every turbine helicopter operator.

FlightSafety International announces that it has been selected by Honeywell as its exclusive maintenance training provider.

“We are pleased and proud to have been selected by Honeywell as their exclusive maintenance training provider,” said Bruce Whitman, Chairman, President & CEO.

FlightSafety will offer training for Honeywell engines, auxiliary power systems, avionics, Satcomm, and environmental control systems. The training will be available starting in June, 2016 at FlightSafety’s Learning Centers in Dallas, Texas and Wichita, Kansas. It will be expanded starting next year to other locations in North America, the Asia-Pacific Region, Europe and Africa.

“Our courseware designers and subject matter experts are working closely with Honeywell to develop new courseware and update existing materials to be aircraft and platform specific,” said Daniel MacLellan, Senior Vice President, Operations.  “FlightSafety’s instructors will deliver the highest quality interactive training utilizing state of the art instructional technologies and equipment including Desktop and Graphical Flight deck simulators as well as other hands-on training devices, training aids, and test equipment.”

Customers will also benefit from online course selection, scheduling and registration for training offered at FlightSafety’s Learning Centers, at their own facilities, and web based courses through the company’s eLearning system.

Lufthansa Technik’s innovative VIP seating solution »chair« has received its ETSO (European Technical Standard Order) certification. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) granted two ETSO’s for the 9g certified and 16g certified »chair« family. This ETSO designation can also be used for FAA TSO certification. With this approval production of »chair« can start.

»chair« is based on an innovative pedestal design upon which is

mounted a baseline core skeleton or structure. This pedestal and

structure is intentionally left incomplete, allowing designers to

create a chair to meet the particular needs of a particular cabin –

dining room, video lounge, office, bedroom, etc. Not only the height,

width, and depth, but also the overall “look-and-feel” can be

configured. The shape, upholstery, and padding can be selected to

allow for an uncompromised interior design under one certification.

The certification process will allow Lufthansa Technik to validate

changes to the »chair« without intensive re-testing.  EASA testing

was designed and passed to maximum dynamic load cases. This enables

changes to be classified as minor deviations under the umbrella the

granted ETSO.

“After achieving this major step, »chair« is now officially available

in the market. »chair« is not just another seat, it’s an innovation

in aircraft seating from many points of view. We now break the

paradigm of designing cabins around bulky seats to selecting the

appropriate chair for any environment, just like at home,” stated

Oliver Thomaschewski, Head of BU Seating and Structures. “I am very

proud of the work performed by our team, which developed intelligent

solutions and gained sophisticated expert knowledge.”

Jacques Pierrejean, renowned aircraft interior designer and Design

Office Manager from Pierrejean Design Studio commented: “Thanks to

the design philosophy of the evolutionary and totally adaptable

»chair«  family, the concept of chair opens up an unequaled degree of

freedom for cabin interior designers and passenger wishes. It can

wear completely different colors, materials, layers and accessories

depending on the level comfort requested. »chair« is really a seat

for all of us.”