Aviation Maintenance: Intelligence: Briefs

MRO System Chosen

Lufthansa Systems has agreed to provide Saudi Arabian Airlines with a new IT system for maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO). Following its restructuring into nine independent subsidiaries, the airline is implementing a group-wide business process platform. As part of a consortium of IT providers, Lufthansa Systems will optimize the carrier’s aircraft maintenance processes with its MRO solution. Partners in the consortium include SAP, InfoTrust and Atos/Hewlett-Packard. The MRO solution includes a rotation planning system that calculates the best time to take an aircraft out of service for maintenance. The system also provides a complete overview of current maintenance events and any steps that still need to be taken, and it shows when an aircraft can be put back into service based on its current maintenance status.

Aero Gear Expanding

Aero Gear has unveiled plans to expand operations at its production facilities in Windsor, Conn. The first phase of the project, scheduled to start in May, involves a $3.25-million, 16,000 sq. ft. expansion projected to open in Oct. 2008. President Douglas Rose notes the building will increase Aero Gear’s space by 25 percent. A second phase calls for 20,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space at the Windsor facility in 2 – 3 years. According to company plans, another 25,000 sq. ft. of space will be added a few years later. Aero Gear expects the additions to create around 70 new jobs at the plant, bringing its employment from 130 people to over 200.

KC-135 Contract Awarded

Under a $64.6-million Lot VI contract, Rockwell Collins will provide Global Air Traffic Management (GATM) systems for U.S. Air Force C/KC-135s. The add-on agreement includes hardware kits and installations, bringing the total contract value to more than $555 million. Through March, Rockwell Collins has handed over 229 GATM-equipped C/KC-135s to the Air Force.

Source One Adds Reps

AOG support provider Source One Aircraft Repair (SOAR) has incorporated two new satellite representatives into its network, in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong, China. Roger Thompson will run operations in England, while Anthony Chan will support the company’s aircraft recovery efforts in Hong Kong. A division of Source One Aviation based in Newport Beach, Calif., SOAR offers aircraft evaluations, modifications, repairs and recovery.

Ameco, KrasAir Forge Deal

Russian carrier KrasAir has selected Ameco Beijing to perform engine repair and overhaul support services on 4 Rolls-Royce RB211-535E4s. Plans call for the first engine to be delivered to Ameco’s facility in Beijing in May. Both companies say they are working toward expanding their agreement to include Boeing 757 heavy maintenance and field support in Moscow.

Repair Station Helps Racers

Following 14-time Funny Car Champion John Force’s dramatic crash last September in Dallas, John Force Racing (JFR) made a decision to develop a composite safety structure that could be mounted into the existing steel chassis to provide additional protection to the driver’s lower extremities. Through the Eric Medlen Project (TEMP), JFR used FAA repair station Aerodine Composites Group of Indianapolis, Ind. to design a safety structure. TEMP Director John Medlen had previously worked with Aerodine on another project. With input from JFR crew chiefs and chassis builder Murf McKinney, Aerodine developed a lightweight two-piece composite footbox structure using carbon fiber and ballistic fiberglass. "The use of advanced composites allowed us to add the additional protection required inside an already cramped cockpit, while minimizing weight that could adversely affect the performance of the car," notes Chief Engineer Craig McCarthy.