May 04, 2017 - No. 036 In This Issue State, Airbus to build Aviation Education Center they say will 'inspire young people' With latency as low as 25ms, SpaceX to launch broadband satellites in 2019 GE Aviation Opens New Brilliant Factory in Muskegon China Seeks Foothold in Aviation With Flight of Its First Big Passenger Jet Stockton Aviation Park groundbreaking set for May 15 Pratt & Whitney Canada Produces 100,000th Engine: Demonstrates Continued Focus on Driving Innovation AOPA PARTICIPATES IN CONGRESSIONAL AVIATION ROUNDTABLE CAE Extends its North American Pilot Training Capacity in Minneapolis St-Paul to Support Regional Airline Customers Lufthansa Technik Expands Air Canada and Shenzhen JV Business Hawthorne Global Aviation Services Acquires JetSun Aviaton Centre FBO in Sioux City, Iowa State, Airbus to build Aviation Education Center they say will 'inspire young people' Alabama and Airbus have joined forces to bring a new Airbus Aviation Center to Mobile, saying it will help "inspire young people to pursue careers in the state's growing aerospace cluster." The plan was announced Wednesday morning by the office of Gov. Kay Ivey, which is providing $5 million of the project's $6.5 million budget. Airbus is contributing $1.5 million "from AIDT reimbursements for job training." According to information provided by the governor's office, the education center will be built near the Airbus Final Assembly Line at Brookley. To be managed by Airbus Americas Inc., it will feature classrooms, workshops and "innovation rooms," along with flight-themed exhibits and education programming, some of which will be open to the public "with a minimal entrance fee." "Airbus strongly supports the establishment of this education center, a facility that will be of great benefit both to the region and to the aerospace industry," said Allan McArtor, chairman of Airbus Americas, in the release from the governor's office. "It will provide Gulf Coast residents, students and visitors a place to learn about the rich history and bright future of aerospace in Mobile, to see themselves as a part of this industry, and to learn more about the ways in which the Mobile Bay area, the state of Alabama and the entire Gulf Coast are benefitting from the aerospace hub at the Brookley Aeroplex at Mobile." "We look forward to working hand-in-hand with Governor Ivey to bring the education center to reality and help ensure its relevance as well as the future of the aerospace industry in Alabama," McArtor said. "Alabama's aviation and aerospace industries are poised to drive economic growth in the state over the next 20 years, and it's important that we prepare for this expansion with game-changing workforce development initiatives," Gov. Ivey said. "With its focus on STEM programming and educational activities, the Aviation Education Center will spark the imagination of young Alabamians and inspire many of them to pursue a career in the fast-growing aviation industry," said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. "We've set a goal of transforming workforce development in Alabama, and the Aviation Education Center will play an important role in our strategic efforts by showcasing the great opportunities available to young people in aviation," he added. http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/05/state_airbus_join_to_build_avi.html Back to Top With latency as low as 25ms, SpaceX to launch broadband satellites in 2019 SpaceX today said its planned constellation of 4,425 broadband satellites will launch from the Falcon 9 rocket beginning in 2019 and continue launching in phases until reaching full capacity in 2024. SpaceX gave the Senate Commerce Committee an update on its satellite plans during a broadband infrastructure hearing this morning via testimony by VP of satellite government affairs Patricia Cooper. Satellite Internet access traditionally suffers from high latency, relatively slow speeds, and strict data caps. But as we reported in November, SpaceX says it intends to solve these problems with custom-designed satellites launched into low-Earth orbits. SpaceX mentioned 2019 as a possible launch date in an application filed with the Federal Communications Commission in November and offered a more specific launch timeline today. Cooper told senators: "Later this year, SpaceX will begin the process of testing the satellites themselves, launching one prototype before the end of the year and another during the early months of 2018. Following successful demonstration of the technology, SpaceX intends to begin the operational satellite launch campaign in 2019. The remaining satellites in the constellation will be launched in phases through 2024, when the system will reach full capacity with the Ka- and Ku-Band satellites. SpaceX intends to launch the system onboard our Falcon 9 rocket, leveraging significant launch cost savings afforded by the first stage reusability now demonstrated with the vehicle." The 4,425 satellites will "operat[e] in 83 orbital planes (at altitudes ranging from 1,110km to 1,325km)," and "require associated ground control facilities, gateway Earth stations, and end-user Earth stations," Cooper said. By contrast, the existing HughesNet satellite network has an altitude of about 35,400km, making for a much longer round-trip time than ground-based networks. SpaceX has also proposed an additional 7,500 satellites operating even closer to the ground, saying that this will boost capacity and reduce latency in heavily populated areas. But Cooper offered no specific timeline for this part of the project. There were an estimated 1,459 operating satellites orbiting Earth at the end of 2016, and the 4,425 satellites in SpaceX's planned initial launch would be three times that many. Other companies are also considering large satellite launches, raising concerns about potential collisions and a worsening "space junk problem," an MIT Technology Reviewarticle noted last month. SpaceX today urged the government to relax regulations related to satellite launches and to include satellite technology in any future broadband infrastructure legislation and funding. Network design SpaceX's satellites will essentially operate as a mesh network and "allocate broadband resources in real time, placing capacity where it is most needed and directing energy away from areas where it might cause interference to other systems, either in space or on the ground," Cooper said. Satellites will beam directly to gateway stations and terminals at customers' homes, a strategy that will greatly reduce the amount of infrastructure needed on the ground, particularly in rural and remote areas, she said. "In other words, the common challenges associated with siting, digging trenches, laying fiber, and dealing with property rights are materially alleviated through a space-based broadband network," she said. Customer terminals will be the size of a laptop. While speeds should hit a gigabit per second, SpaceX said it "intends to market different packages of data at different price points, accommodating a variety of consumer demands." Current satellite ISPs have latencies of 600ms or more, according to FCC measurements, but SpaceX has said its own system will have latencies between 25 and 35ms. That's better than DSL and similar to several of today's major cable and fiber systems, according to FCC measurements. The measurements show that the Altice-owned Optimum and Verizon FiOS had latencies of just over 10ms, better than what SpaceX is expecting to achieve. SpaceX promised that its satellite technology won't become stale after launch. The company's "satellite manufacturing cost profile and in-house launch capability" will allow it to continually update the system's technology to meet changing customer needs, Cooper said. https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/05/spacexs-falcon-9-rocket-will-launch- thousands-of-broadband-satellites/ Back to Top GE Aviation Opens New Brilliant Factory in Muskegon Muskegon, MI | May 1, 2017 - GE Aviation celebrated in Muskegon today the grand opening of its $14.5 million Brilliant Factory - an investment that will stimulate economic growth in the region and where GE is using data and analytics to run its plants more efficiently. For the event, John Bowman, general manager, Supply Chain for GE Aviation joined Senator Debbie Stabenow, State Senator Goeff Hansen, State Representatives Terry Sabo and Holly Hughes, the Honorable Gary Nelund, Mayor of Norton Shores, The Honorable Steve Gawron, Mayor of Muskegon, Jennifer Nelson, executive vice president Business Development for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and local officials. "The new facility in Muskegon is the first of several GE Brilliant Factories being built throughout the world where machine downtime has been reduced to less than 1%," said John Bowman. The new 35,000-square-foot facility will manufacture parts for the GE90 engine and will perform development work for new programs as needed. The GE90 on the Boeing 777 is the world's most powerful jet engine with about 2,500 engines in service and more than 67 million flight hours. "This state-of-the-art GE Aviation facility is creating new advanced manufacturing jobs and supporting our local economy," said Senator Stabenow. "It's exciting to see Muskegon County and Norton Shores leading the way in making components for GE's most powerful jet engine." "GE's brilliant factories combine the newest technologies, from advanced analytics to 3D printing to collaborative robots that work side-by-side with people," added Bowman. "The facility represents an investment in advanced manufacturing -- our workforce is constantly adapting and updating their skills for the jobs of tomorrow." The new facility located at 6120 Norton Center Drive, Muskegon, expands GE Aviation's foot print in Muskegon to about 220,000 square feet total including three buildings (the new facility in Norton Shores, along with existing manufacturing in Norton Shores and Muskegon). "We are proud of our association with GE Aviation and the GE Aviation-Muskegon team," said Jen Nelson, executive vice president, Michigan Economic Development Corporation. "We are also quite proud of helping to foster an environment that supports growth in the aerospace field, putting us among the most attractive and competitive aerospace manufacturing states in the nation. GE Aviation's significant investment and job-creation commitment are encouraging signs of the future economic success of Muskegon and the state of Michigan." GE has already hired nearly 90 new employees toward a goal of 100 at this advanced manufacturing facility, bringing the total to almost 800 employees across the three buildings. Bowman continued, "Muskegon is leading the way for GE's transformation in the way we use big data to run our plants more efficiently and effectively." The idea behind the Brilliant Factory is to link design, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, distribution and services into one intelligent system. The system collects and analyzes data from all these disciplines to make factories smarter, combining things like sensor enablement, digital design, and factory and supply chain optimization to improve quality, throughput and yield. By equipping machines with sensors and analyzing the data in real time, GE can determine when a machine might break well before it fails. Sensor-enabled manufacturing lines feed data to GE's cloud-based Predix platform. This has helped reduce unplanned downtime on the shop floor by up to 20 percent and has improved overall product reliability and cost. In addition to advanced processes and tools, there is also a digital thread running through the factory, both horizontally across the company and vertically throughout the value chain, which provides an integrated view of a product throughout the manufacturing lifecycle. Watch a video on GE's brilliant factories here. GE announced plans to expand in Muskegon in 2016. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation encouraged this expansion by providing a grant to GE for $800,000. The City of Norton Shores also provided a 50% property tax abatement to GE for a 12-year period. GE is the world's Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the "GE Store," where each business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. www.geaviation.com/digital http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12330296/ge-aviation-opens-new-brilliant-factory-in- muskegon Back to Top China Seeks Foothold in Aviation With Flight of Its First Big Passenger Jet SHANGHAI - China is expected to pass a technology milestone on Friday with the maiden flight of its first big commercial airliner, launching what Beijing hopes will become a rival to Boeing Co. and Airbus SE. If the flight goes off as planned, and weather permitting, the C919 will be the latest breakthrough for China as it races to upgrade its advanced industrial capacity in sectors including robotics, computer chips, electric cars and renewable energy. Getting airborne is one thing. Soaring in the fiercely competitive commercial-aviation market is a far tougher proposition, aviation analysts say. But with a reported $317 billion set aside to bankroll advanced manufacturing projects, China seems to care less about returns from costly experiments like the C919 than about securing a foothold in high-value industries dominated by foreign players. "Basically, they can deliver jets if they're willing to lose a lot of money," Richard Aboulafia, vice president at Teal Group Corp., a U.S.-based aerospace intelligence company. The C919 project predates the government's Made in China 2025 initiative, which began in 2015, but it falls squarely within the objectives of that program. The plan calls for Chinese products to replace foreign equivalents in the domestic economy and to be exported globally. Efforts at home are being matched by strategic acquisitions abroad, such as last year's $5 billion purchase of German industrial-robot maker Kuka AG by Chinese home-appliance manufacturer Midea Group. In March, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the agency steering the industrial- upgrade program, acknowledged overcapacity risks in some high-tech fields, notably robotics, which at least 800 Chinese companies are busy developing, but claimed steady progress overall. However, the Made in China blueprint has drawn fire from, among others, the European Chamber of Commerce, which contends that state support for local players designed to squeeze out foreign rivals could contravene World Trade Organization rules, not to mention squander resources in a top-down bid to capture market share. Senior officials have denied that China's industrial strategy will put foreign companies at a disadvantage, claiming that outsiders are welcome to participate in China's high-tech industries. To the skeptics, the C919 is indicative of the waste inherent in the domestic-manufacturing push. Though the jet marks a leap forward in China's aerospace capabilities, it is still three-quarters foreign technology and isn't close to matching Boeing or Airbus's newest jetliners, according to Mr. Aboulafia. Most aviation analysts say the jet's technology is a decade or two behind the competition, making it less fuel efficient than its more up-to-date rivals. Once the euphoria of the inaugural flight subsides, China "might be surprised to learn that all the big challenges are still ahead of them: setting up a global support network, arranging for jetliner finance and, most of all, losing money on the first 500 they build," Mr. Aboulafia said. The C919's developer, the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China, or Comac, has one big advantage: a captive market for its creation in the form of China's three large state-run airlines, which have agreed to buy the jet. Whether they commit to much beyond a handful of orders once the plane starts rolling off the production line in the early 2020s remains to be seen. Beijing's expectations are modest: The Made in China plan targets 10% self-sufficiency in passenger jets by 2025, compared with 80% for electric cars and 70% for industrial robots. In 2025, that would equate to 20 to 30 planes, according to jet-market forecasts. Even that could prove challenging. Comac says it plans to build 2,300 C919s over the next two decades, but Teal Group forecasts that it will be lucky to sell more than a few dozen over the lifetime of the program, since the 158-seat single-aisle plane will be competing head-on with Boeing and Airbus's established short-haul jets. Yet securing market share could still qualify as a success in Beijing's reckoning, if the C919 is seen as a first step in a decadeslong project to erode the Boeing and Airbus duopoly, said Jost Wuebbeke of the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin. Moreover, Made in China is a "wish list": China doesn't seriously expect to conquer all 10 targeted industries, Mr. Wuebbeke said. Beijing would probably settle for success in two or three of those sectors, such as electric vehicles, semiconductors and biotechnology, he said, noting that heavy losses in individual programs such as the C919 are tolerable so long as some self-sufficiency benchmarks are being met. "Westerners often underestimate China's top-down approach," Mr. Wuebbeke said. "It wastes resources, but it also produces results." http://www.foxbusiness.com/features/2017/05/04/china-seeks-foothold-in-aviation-with-flight-its- first-big-passenger-jet.html Back to Top Stockton Aviation Park groundbreaking set for May 15 EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP - After years of planning, ground will finally be broken on the first building for the Stockton Aviation Research and Technology park during an event May 15. In late March, the Atlantic County Improvement Authority approved a $17.2 million contract with Hessert Construction Group LLC, of Marlton, Burlington County, for construction of the building. In the past, Hessert has completed projects at Stockton, Rutgers University, the Philadelphia Zoo and the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, among others. The first of seven multistory buildings with more than 400,000 total square feet of research and development space planned for the park will be constructed and owned by the improvement authority. The park is a collaborative effort among industry, academia and government and will focus on research, innovation and commercialization of emerging technologies for aviation. The 66,000-square-foot, three-story building will feature high-speed connectivity to the FAA Technical Center laboratories, state-of-the-art classrooms and conference rooms, and a rooftop lounge. An FAA lab and offices will occupy 7,000 square feet, with rental space for additional labs and offices. The park's campuslike setting is designed to promote collaboration among business, academia and all major research arms of the federal government. Site work and infrastructure improvements at the park began in November following the award of a $1.3 million contract to Command Company Inc. of Egg Harbor City. Construction of the first building is scheduled for completion in mid-2018. http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/atlantic/stockton-aviation-park-groundbreaking- set-for-may/article_e74b0c5f-a1c9-5a4e-91fd-ab682c5b44ba.html Back to Top Pratt & Whitney Canada Produces 100,000th Engine: Demonstrates Continued Focus on Driving Innovation LONGUEUIL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - May 2, 2017) - Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) celebrated the production of its 100,000th engine this month, as a testament to P&WC's longevity and leadership in the global aerospace market. P&WC is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX). Today, P&WC has 60,000 in-service engines operated by 12,300 customers in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. Its engine families span across general aviation, regional turboprops, business aviation, civil helicopters and auxiliary power units (APUs), and total an impressive 730 million flight hours logged. The company has a rich history of innovation, powered by its world-class employees and P&WC investment in technology. Every second, a P&WC-powered aircraft takes off or lands somewhere on the planet. These flights matter: powering humanitarian missions, emergency medical services, search and rescue, reuniting families, driving commerce, and so much more. Operators around the world bring their P&WC engines back home to P&WC facilities for maintenance and repair to sustain these missions. P&WC's success has been built through numerous achievements in all of its 14 engine families: * The PT6A engine helped define General Aviation and ushered in a new generation of fast and versatile small aircraft. While PT6A technology has powered 128 different applications since its introduction, its benchmark reliability enabled the PT6A to be the only engine to achieve single-engine IFR status for passenger revenue activity in North America, Australia and now Europe. * P&WC has been a leader in the Regional Turboprop segment for more than 30 years and counting with the PW100/150 family of engines. * P&WC's industry-leading families of helicopter engines include the PT6T Twin-Pac®, the PT6B/PT6C, as well as the PW200/PW210. * P&WC pioneered the light business jet market with the JT15D engine and then redefined it with the PW500 engine. The PW300 engine, the heart of mid-size and large cabin business aircraft, introduced full authority digital engine control (FADEC) technology on business jet engines, and features low emissions combustor technologies, while the PW600 drove a series of innovative manufacturing changes at P&WC, such as the moving line concept. P&WC's latest addition to its turbofan engine offering, the PurePower® PW800, brings fundamental change to the large business jet segment, powering the Gulfstream G500 and G600 next- generation long-range and ultra-long range business jets. At the heart of the PW800 is the durable, rigorously tested core technology shared with Pratt & Whitney's award-winning PurePower Geared Turbofan™ commercial aircraft engines. * Introducing a new standard of reliability with its PW901, P&WC's fleet of auxiliary power units (APUs) equip a variety of commercial aircraft including jets and turboprops flown by regional airlines, and narrow and wide-body aircraft flown by major commercial airlines. In the coming weeks and months, P&WC will continue to celebrate its 100,000th engine milestone, recognizing all the families of products and many accomplishments that have marked P&WC's journey. About Pratt & Whitney Canada Founded in 1928, P&WC is a global leader in aerospace that is shaping the future of aviation with dependable, high-technology engines. Based in Longueuil, Quebec (Canada), P&WC is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. United Technologies Corp., based in Farmington, Connecticut, provides high-technology systems and services to the global aerospace and building systems industries. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12330836/pratt-whitney-canada-produces-100000th- engine-demonstrates-continued-focus-on-driving-innovation Back to Top AOPA PARTICIPATES IN CONGRESSIONAL AVIATION ROUNDTABLE The panel discussion in Washington, D.C., was moderated by subcommittee Chairman Mario Diaz- Balart (R-Fla.). The session was intended to help subcommittee members understand GA's needs when setting priorities for fiscal year 2018. Coon reviewed AOPA's advocacy priorities, giving subcommittee members a GA perspective on aviation-related decisions in which Congress could become involved in the next round of budget making. AOPA members have not expressed concerns about the air traffic control system, he said, noting that the system works well for GA despite calls from other segments of aviation for an ATC privatization effort. AOPA does not believe the FAA has a funding problem. At $16.1 billion, the committee has provided the agency with adequate resources to complete its mission, he said. He reiterated AOPA's long-held view that GA sees no need for additional revenues being extracted from users, and remains strongly opposed to user fees of any kind, on any segment of GA. The current fuel tax structure for funding aviation programs is fair and efficient, he said. Coon added that AOPA President Mark Baker serves on the NextGen Advisory Committee, and believes that the group, made up of airline, general aviation, government, and other representatives has done a good job helping direct the FAA in setting priorities and time lines for deployment of NextGen technologies. He urged the subcommittee to recognize the importance of protecting and funding the nation's "ecosystem of airports" that serve as "economic engines for many communities, provide GA access, and serve as gateways for companies to locate in small communities, creating job opportunities." Another example of the value of community airports is the role they play helping save lives and property in times of disaster, when airports quickly become transformed to staging areas for relief efforts, he said. He added that with many community airports served by a full or part-time air traffic control tower, the Contract Tower Program maintains a proven, cost effective solution for maintaining air safety. Coon explained how under Baker's leadership, AOPA in 2015 launched multiple efforts to help grow the pilot population with the You Can Fly initiative. You Can Fly is AOPA's umbrella program that pursues targeted efforts to build the pilot population by supporting flying clubs and flight schools; advancing high school science, technology, engineering, and math education; and getting lapsed aviators flying again through the seminars of the Rusty Pilots program. AOPA will examine all proposals to make sure they help the FAA become more efficient, less bureaucratic, and at the same time help GA grow, and will comment on specific proposals when they are available for review, he said. Other aviation associations participating in the roundtable included the National Business Aviation Association; the National Air Transportation Association; the Experimental Aircraft Association; Helicopter Association International; and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/may/02/aopa-participates-in-congressional- aviation-roundtable Back to Top CAE Extends its North American Pilot Training Capacity in Minneapolis St-Paul to Support Regional Airline Customers ORLANDO, FLORIDA--(Marketwired - May 2, 2017) - (NYSE:CAE)(TSX:CAE) - CAE announced today at the 2017 World Aviation Training Conference and Tradeshow (WATS) the extension of its North American training footprint in Minneapolis St-Paul, Minnesota, USA. Through this centre, CAE has extended its ability to support regional airline customers, including Endeavor Air and Compass Airlines, as well as Sun Country Airlines with their growing pilot training needs. "We are delighted to extend our training footprint in Minneapolis and to offer state-of-the-art training to our longstanding partners and regional customers in North America," said Nick Leontidis, CAE's Group President, Civil Aviation Training Solutions. "As training partner of choice, CAE is committed to providing our airline customers with an excellent training experience, including high- quality training equipment and professional CAE instructors and personnel." With six full-flight simulators, including four Bombardier CRJs, one Boeing 737NG and one Embraer E170 FFS - the CAE Minneapolis Training Center has the capacity to train more than 20,000 pilots every year. About CAE CAE is a global leader in the delivery of training for the civil aviation, defence and security, and healthcare markets. We design and integrate the industry's most comprehensive training solutions, anchored by the knowledge and expertise of our 8,000 employees, our world-leading simulation technologies and a track record of service and technology innovation spanning seven decades. Our global presence is the broadest in the industry, with 160 sites and training locations in 35 countries, including our joint venture operations, and the world's largest installed base of flight simulators. Each year, we train more than 120,000 civil and defence crewmembers, as well as thousands of healthcare professionals. www.cae.com http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12331000/cae-extends-its-north-american-pilot- training-capacity-in-minneapolis-st-paul-to-support-regional-airline-customers Back to Top Lufthansa Technik Expands Air Canada and Shenzhen JV Business Lufthansa Technik has won a 10-year contract from Air Canada to provide Total Component Support (TCS) for the airline's future fleet of up to 109 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Air Canada also has extended the existing CFM56-5A and CFM56-5B engine services contract it has with LHT for another eight years, to 2026. Montréal-headquartered Air Canada has 61 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft--33 73708s and 28 737-9s--on firm order and has secured options on 18 more 737 MAXs, as well as purchase rights for 30 more. Its newly extended Air Canada CFM56-5 maintenance contract will include the services of Lufthansa Technik's Hamburg facility, as well as its on-site mobile engine team in Montréal, according to Frank Berwerger, LHT's senior vice president corporate sales Americas. LHT has been providing MRO services for Air Canada's CFM56-5A and -5B engines since 2012. Separately, on the 15th anniversary of the establishment of Lufthansa Technik Shenzhen, the joint venture's managing director has announced that the company plans to offer repair services for additional parts beyond the 3,000 part numbers it covers now. Lufthansa Technik Shenzhen also plans to expand its portfolio of mobile Airline Support Team (AST) services. At an anniversary celebration at Lufthansa Technik Shenzhen's workshops at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, Detlev Jeske, the company's managing director, said that by adding more part support and mobile services, "Our aim is to become the central point of contact for our customers in every aspect of the reliable technical operation of their fleets." A joint venture 80% owned by Lufthansa Technik and 20% owned by Beijing Kailan Aviation Technology, Lufthansa Technik Shenzhen was initially established only to provide repairs within the Asia-Pacific region of difficult-to-transport thrust reversers. However, today the company employs about 600 people, to support customers throughout the Asia Pacific region with component repairs, airframe components repairs, engine part repairs and Airline Support Team services, which Lufthansa Technik Shenzhen provides at its customers' own sites. Nowadays Lufthansa Technik prides itself on its skills and knowledge in repairing complex components made of carbon-fibre composite materials. The company also touts its state-of-the-art repair and test equipment. Its installed equipment base ranges from a large autoclave to test instruments for new-generation avionics components. According to Lufthansa Technik Shenzhen, these capabilities have helped it become the technology center for the Lufthansa Technik Group in Asia. After launching operations in 2002 with 40 employees and a total workshop floor area of 6,300 sq. meters (67,800 sq. ft.), Lufthansa Technik Shenzhen thought it might eventually be able to employ up to 100 people once it had completed its development phase, and planned to repair up to 10 CFM56-3 thrust-reverser halves per month. Now, however, Lufthansa Technik Shenzhen has 25,000 sq. meters (269,100 sq. ft.) of workshop floors and is looking to grow further. In its most recent expansion phase, Lufthansa Technik Shenzhen built facilities to support the Airbus A350 XWB, Boeing 777 and Boeing 787. It recently invested in another autoclave with a diameter of more than five meters, to accommodate the large composite components those aircraft types incorporate. Lufthansa Technik Shenzhen holds repair approvals from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the FAA, EASA and the aviation authorities of almost all the countries in the Asia Pacific region. http://www.mro-network.com/maintenance-repair-overhaul/lufthansa-technik-expands-air-canada- and-shenzhen-jv-business Back to Top Hawthorne Global Aviation Services Acquires JetSun Aviaton Centre FBO in Sioux City, Iowa CHARLESTON, SC and SIOUX CITY, IA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/17 -- Expanding its FBO network, Hawthorne Global Aviation Services ("Hawthorne") today announced the acquisition of JetSun Aviation Centre, a Sioux City, Iowa FBO at Sioux Gateway Airport (KSUX). Hawthorne Global Aviation Services, headquartered in Charleston, SC, is a premier provider of general aviation services, with a rich history in the industry dating back to 1932. The Sioux City FBO has more than 100,000 square feet of hangar space, a robust Part 145 Repair Station, extensive avionics capabilities, a large reception area, conference room, pilot's lounge and flight planning. In addition to FBO services, Sioux City will offer full maintenance and avionics services. "The Sioux City FBO is a key addition to our growing FBO network, now with six FBOs located across the East Coast, Midwest and South," said Bryon Burbage, President and CEO of Hawthorne Global Aviation Services. "We pride ourselves on providing the highest level of service and our new Sioux City FBO will continue to deliver on this promise to our FBO customers." NexPhase Capital ("NPC") and Hawthorne Corporation formed Hawthorne in 2010 to pursue an FBO acquisition strategy. NPC provides the company with strategic advice. Hawthorne Sioux City further expands the Hawthorne network that includes FBOs at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Islip, NY (KISP), Cobb County International Airport in Atlanta, Ga. (KRYY), Chicago Executive Airport in Chicago, Ill. (KPWK), Chippewa Valley Regional Airport in Eau Claire, Wis. (KEAU) and Tuscaloosa Regional Airport in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (KTCL). About Hawthorne Global Aviation Services Hawthorne Global Aviation Services is a premier provider of general aviation services, with a rich history in the industry dating back to 1932. Hawthorne operates six premier Fixed Based Operators (FBO), including Long Island MacArthur Airport in Islip, NY (KISP), Cobb County International Airport in Atlanta, Ga. (KRYY), Chicago Executive Airport in Chicago, Ill. (KPWK), Chippewa Valley Regional Airport in Eau Claire, Wis. (KEAU), Tuscaloosa Regional Airport in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (KTCL) and Sioux Gateway Airport in Sioux City, Iowa (KSUX). Its Long Island MacArthur Airport FBO in Islip, NY (KISP) offers private jet charter, maintenance and avionics; the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport in Eau Claire, Wis. (KEAU) FBO offers private jet charter and maintenance; the Tuscaloosa Regional Airport FBO in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (KTCL) offers private jet maintenance and the Sioux Gateway Airport FBO in Sioux City, Iowa (KSUX) offers private jet maintenance and avionics. For more information on Hawthorne Global Aviation Services, please visit www.hawthorne.aero. About NexPhase Capital Partners NexPhase Capital ("NPC"), formed by former principals of Moelis Capital Partners ("MCP"), is a New York-based private equity firm that targets equity investments in leading middle market, growth- oriented companies. The members of the NPC team have extensive, industry-diverse investing experience and a history of working closely with management teams and boards to drive value creation. As part of any investment it makes, NPC provides management teams, at their discretion, access to a range of resources, known as the NPC toolkit. The toolkit provides management teams support in key functional areas such as strategy, organic growth, operations, people and add-on acquisitions. http://news.sys-con.com/node/4072223 Curt Lewis