Expansion Hangars Provide Mobile Maintenance Workstations

Mahaffey Fabric Structures, Memphis, Tenn., has unveiled Xtension, a retractable hangar door that can be set up as a temporary location for MRO work, aircraft on ground (AOG) situations and aircraft storage. Set to debut during the 2009 Branson Air Show in early May, Xtension uses an electric winch system to open and close. Available in a range of widths to extend aluminum hangars, the retractable doors can also attach to the Mahaffey Tension Series (MTS) of permanent hangar structures. An MTS structure set up to house seven military fighter jets during the Branson event will serve as an MRO station at the airport for two years. According to Beth Wilson, marketing manager, Xtension is applicable to all aircraft maintenance markets (military, commercial and general aviation). It is particularly useful for routine maintenance and interior modification projects, she adds. Customers for the temporary hangar structures have included Midcoast Aviation in St. Louis, Mesaba/Northwest, Airbus/Air Tran, FedEx and various divisions of the U.S. National Guard.

DAS Reno Service Center Open For Business

Dassault Aircraft Services (DAS) has opened its new Falcon service center at Reno/Tahoe Intl Airport (RNO) in Nevada. Robert Candler, vice president and general manager, will oversee an initial staff of 18 technicians and specialists that will perform scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and inspections up to B-checks for Falcon 50 through 7X operators in the western U.S. Dassault intends to add C-checks at the facility in the future and increase staff to around 40, according to Candler. RNO will also have technicians, parts and tools ready for aircraft on ground (AOG) situations. Candler comes from Landmark Aviation, where he was vice president. He has also worked for Bombardier Aerospace as director of operations.

CRS Jet Spares Stocks Drain Masts

CRS Jet Spares is now a stocking distribution center for drain masts, which is a heated tube that allows the elimination of water from an aircraft. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based company is offering drain masts for Bombardier, Dassault Falcon and Gulfstream aircraft. Other aircraft types are being considered for future inclusion. CEO Armando Leighton notes that customer requests drove the decision to become a distribution center.

Vector Delivers Short S-61 to Billings

Vector Aerospace Helicopter Services has handed over a modified Sikorsky S-61 to Billings Flying Services in Montana. The project involved reducing the size of the helicopter and its engines. The modification included removal of the plug — a 50-inch section of the cabin fuselage behind the cockpit and in front of the engine intakes. Phil Kemp, vice president of sales, explains that removing the plug "transforms the S-61 into a shorter helicopter, yielding a lower empty weight and resulting in increased external lifting capacity and enhanced flight performance." The project also involved removal, shortening and re-installation of all engines, the tail rotor and emergency throttle cables. Fluid lines had to be modified and internal aircraft wiring adjusted. Following hover checks and test flights, Vector delivered the S-61 to Billings on March 4.

West Star Adds Landing Gear Inspections

West Star Aviation is offering 96-month detailed inspections and 120-month restorations for the Bombardier Challenger line through its accessory shop at Grand Junction Airport (GJT) in Colorado. Steve Goede, shop manager, says the decision to increase capacity is based on a projected 250 Challenger landing gear inspections over the next two years. Todd Burkey, Challenger program manager, adds that West Star can "maximize downtime" during an inspection "by simultaneously performing corresponding airframe inspection and additional maintenance due, as well as providing avionics, interior or paint refurbishments."

Yingling Delivers 100th Oasis-equipped Caravan

In a March 28 ceremony in Wichita, Kan., Yingling Aviation handed over a Cessna Caravan modified with an Oasis interior to Commtech Communications Technologies President Arthur Alvis. The aircraft represents the 100th Oasis-equipped Caravan for Yingling. President Lynn Nichols says the company anticipated a strong response to the Oasis program from its late 2003 launch "but we had no idea we would reach the 100th unit in less than five years." He adds that Commtech, which manufacturers computer products, is a good example of the type of operator that is well suited for the multi-functional Oasis interior because of the need to transport engineers to remote sites.



The Caravan is the second company aircraft for Commtech, which operated a Cessna Turbo Skylane from 2000 to 2008. From left to right, Cessna CEM Jack Pelton, Barbara Alvis, Commtech’s Arthur Alvis and Nichols during the delivery ceremony.

JSfirm Expands Job Search Programs

A website dedicated to helping aviation company employees find jobs has added a new service. JSfirm’s "E" program assists with resume posting, interviewing, searching for openings and other tasks related to securing a job. "This is not an outplacement program," explains Sam Scanlon, managing partner. "This is a less expensive and more effective way for aviation companies to help employees find work when they downsize."

Falcon Operators Forum

Dassault recently hosted its first E-Forum, a web-based seminar for Falcon operators to exchange information and best practices. Participants in the initial seminar included 32 Falcon 7X operators from the U.S., Brazil, France, Mexico, Switzerland and the U.K. The one-hour sessions focus on a particular topic or aircraft model. For more information about upcoming E-Forums, contact customer.service.communications@falconjet.com.

Parts Exchange Program

Gulfstream Aerospace has reactivated its "Meet the Quote" price match program through July 2009. The manufacturer originally launched the initiative in March 2004. It offers price matching on many popular exchange parts, including regulator and brake assemblies, actuators, alternators, display units and valves, for GII thought GV, G100 through G550 and IAI Astra aircraft. Gulfstream will also offer a two-year or 2,000-hour warranty program. In order to participate in the parts program, an operator is required to submit a competitor’s price for a specific exchange part.

Aero Products Establishes New HQ

Helicopter support provider Aero Products Component Services has opened a new corporate headquarters at the Show Low Regional Airport (SOW) in Arizona. The move consolidates the company’s overhaul, parts and accessory divisions — previously housed in two separate buildings in Tempe — into a single location. The two-story, 26,000-square-foot facility has more warehouse space, a larger overhaul shop with eight workstations, a citrus-based parts cleaner and a paint booth with more capacity than the previous location. Brad Martin, director of marketing, notes that Aero Products made a long-term investment with the new facility despite the worldwide economic slowdown.

Certification, Airworthiness Focus of FAA Magazine

The May/June issue of FAA Aviation News will highlight the agency’s role in setting standards for airworthiness and certification, including features on aircraft certification basics and airworthiness directives (ADs). It will also cover the role of mechanics and pilots in monitoring and assuring safety. To view the issue online, visit www.faa.gov/news/aviation_news/