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August 1, 2009
A recent article in AM (See Congress: Enough is Enough, July 2009) details a clash between the U.S. and the European Union over the pending FAA Reauthorization Bill. Among other issues, one sticking point appears to be the provision in the reauthorization bill to require drug and alcohol testing at foreign FAA-certificated repair facilities. According to Sarah MacLeod, executive director of the...July 1, 2009
Reference Pressure Recorder Measures Various Parameters Crystal Engineering Corp. has introduced nVision, a reference-grade field pressure calibrator that measures and records current, temperature and voltage. The information is displayed graphically on a high-resolution screen. Tom Halaczkiewicz, president of Crystal Engineering, explains that "stored data, or data being recorded, can be displayed...July 1, 2009
Those of us who love baseball use an expression called "The Mendoza Line," a reference to when a player’s batting average falls below .200. If a hitter’s performance sinks beneath this threshold, he’s considered unworthy of the Major Leagues. The term is named for former shortstop Mario Mendoza, who hit .198 in the 1979 season. My point, as it relates to the MRO industry, is...July 1, 2009
Few elected officials understand how to run a business or that laws being passed will turn into directives (namely regulations). Fewer still comprehend that there are usually laws and regulations already covering the very subject of the "new" legislation. Case in point is section 303 of H.R. 915, the "FAA Reauthorization Act," pending in the House of Representatives. The legislation...July 1, 2009
AM: The economic downturn has reduced new aircraft sales. How has it affected Hawker Beechcraft’s support business? Brown: The customer support segments have done well. First quarter 2009 compared to 2008, we actually sold probably two to three percent more hours. What’s really changed is the mix sold — not a lot of upgrades. It has been pure maintenance, keeping the aircraft up and...June 1, 2009
Gas Transfer & Charging System Supports Various Aircraft Types Hamilton Sundstrand unit Haskel International has unveiled its Model 87114 and Model 82880 high-pressure gas transfer and charging systems. Model 87114, designed for any inert gas, accepts inlet pressure up to 3,500 psig and outlet pressure up to 4,000 psig. Intended for oxygen, Model 82880 can handle inlet pressure up to 4,000 psig. The...June 1, 2009
The adoption of composites represents a revolution in aircraft manufacturing — a change as significant as the switch from wood to aluminum in the 1920s. However, the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) sector is still grappling with how this historic trend will change conventional ways of doing business. What do composites mean for mechanics and MRO procedures? These issues were discussed in my...June 1, 2009
Ever watch the TV series "House"? For those who never have, this is a program about an MD named Gregory House, who is chief diagnostician at a major metropolitan hospital. He and his staff follow a logical progression in every episode to arrive at a correct diagnosis of rare afflictions. The most interesting part is that they accomplish this task within an hour, including commercials, every time...June 1, 2009
Aviation Maintenance recently had the opportunity to hear from key executives at engine manufacturer, Pratt & Whitney, including Paul Adams, senior vice president for engineering, Bob Saia, vice president of next generation product family, and John Saabas, president of Pratt & Whitney Canada, about the geared turbofan (GTF) and other subjects. AM: We’ve heard a lot about the new geared...May 1, 2009
Wiha Tools Easytorque Features Comfort Grip, Replaceable Blades Monticello, Minn.-based Wiha Quality Tools is offering its easyTorque line of drivers. With nine preset values from 4.4 to 26.6 inch/lbs, the torque drivers meet ASME, EN ISO and BS EN standards. They feature replaceable blades, plus or minus 10 percent repeatability and torque accuracy up to 5,000 cycles. Wiha Quality Tools, 800-494-6104 or...May 1, 2009
Competition is heating up among airline shops, OEMs and independent providers to give customers faster turnaround times for MRO. At the same time, the supply chain is spreading to increasingly remote regions around the globe. To meet these twin challenges while keeping a tight rein on costs, MRO managers are turning to radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. The commercial aviation sector now uses more...May 1, 2009
Hello, I am Andrew Smith; I will be giving your tour today. It is good to meet you Roger Ratchet, I understand you are interested in our Bachelor of Science degree in aviation maintenance. What brought you to tour and consider our aviation programs? "I want to get my A&P license," says Roger. "Oh, I understand, you want to study to earn the FAA Mechanic certificate with airframe and...May 1, 2009
Aviation Maintenance: Tell us about Aircraftlogs. Stewart: We are a Columbus, Ohio-based technology company providing aircraft management services to corporate and private aircraft operators. The three main areas are flight operations, maintenance management and financial management. It is a subscription-based service. AM: How old is the company? Stewart: A little over four years old, starting in January...April 1, 2009
Headset Reduces Engine Noise for Aircraft Mechanics, Crews Pro Tech Technologies’ NoiseBuster active noise reduction (ANR) safety earmuff is designed to filter aircraft engine noise, providing ear protection for maintenance technicians and airport ground crews, as well as passengers. The unit combines an ANSI-rated 26NRR passive earmuff and ANR electronics to provide up to 20 decibels of...April 1, 2009
While I was glad-handing at February’s Heli-Expo 2009 in Anaheim, the incessant need for helicopters to undergo intensive maintenance emerged as a major topic of discussion at the show. As one wag said to me: "Helicopters don’t so much fly, as beat the air into submission." Every time the maintenance issue is broached at Heli-Expo, it stimulates a flurry of promises and plans of...April 1, 2009
ICAO, the International Civil Aviation Organization, a group that provides aviation safety standards, requested its participating nations to require safety management system (SMS) of its "service providers" by the first of this year (for more on ICAO’s SMS standards, see http://www.icao.int/anb/safetymanagement/). The FAA and most other nations’ regulatory agencies requested waivers...April 1, 2009
AM: Chromalloy has kept a fairly low profile over the years. Tell us what the company’s core business is. Lauzon: Chromalloy is an independent supplier of technologically advanced repairs, coatings, and FAA-approved replacement parts for turbine airfoils and other critical engine components for commercial airlines, the military and industrial turbine engine applications. We have more than 4,000...March 1, 2009
Misting System Aims to Reduce Bird Strikes Bird-B-Gone, which designs and manufacturers various bird control products, is offering its new bird misting system as part of an overall strategy to deter the animals from loitering near aircraft flight paths. Following the Jan. 15 crash landing of a US Airways Airbus A320 in the Hudson River after bird strikes apparently disabled both engines, Bird-B-Gone issued...March 1, 2009
According to FAA records, Wesley R. Bowen received his engine rating in May 1946 and airframe rating in March 1947. He was granted inspection authorization (IA) in Oct. 1957. Bowen is a recipient of FAA’s Charles Taylor Master Mechanic award for more than 50 years of service. He started his career with the U.S. Naval Air Transport Command before working at Pan American Airways and Lockheed Missiles...March 1, 2009
Predictions tend to be the pastime of fools. As Wilbur Wright admitted in 1908: "I confess that in 1901, I said to my brother Orville that man would not fly for 50 years. Ever since, I have distrusted myself and avoided all predictions." Nonetheless, here’s a prediction that you can take to the bank (that is, if you still have any faith in banks): The transition in the aviation sector from...
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