October 12, 2017 - No. 080 In This Issue SpaceX successfully lands another reused Falcon 9 rocket Delta Air Lines & PIA Partner to Spur Interest in High Demand Careers Sikorsky's New Support Portal Goes Live NBAA: Rolls-Royce beefs up service coverage, updates app TRU Simulation + Training Partners with Global Jet Services, Inc. to Provide Maintenance Training NASA Funds Continued Development of D8 Airliner Concept Air France Tests the Blockchain to Trace Aviation Supply Chain Textron Introduces ProMaintenance for Operators JSSI and Metrojet Announce New Airframe Maintenance Agreement SpaceX successfully lands another reused Falcon 9 rocket SpaceX has successfully landed another reused rocket, as billionaire Elon Musk's firm pushes forward to make space flight cheaper and more frequent. Late on Wednesday, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launched the EchoStar 105/SES-11 satellite, before returning back to earth and landing on the droneship station in the Atlantic. The rocket launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The Falcon 9 that was used for the launch was previously involved in a resupply mission to the International Space Station in February. Tuesday's launch marked SpaceX's 15th launch of 2017, and was the second one this week. The portion of the rocket that lands on the droneship is called the booster. It's the third time that SpaceX has used one of its landed boosters for another flight. This will give a lift to the company which is on a mission to make journeys to space cheaper and more frequent by reusing rockets. Earlier this year, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell told Reuters in an interview that the company was aiming to launch missions every two-to-three weeks. But Musk and SpaceX also have bigger ambitions to take people to Mars. The tech entrepreneur has previously laid out a vision to build a self-sustaining human colony on Mars. Last year, Musk laid out his plan to build a 42-engine rocket capable of holding around 100 people. He said that Interplanetary Transport System will launch people to and from Mars. The booster system was referred to as the BFR. https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/12/spacex-successfully-lands-another-reused-falcon-9- rocket.html Back to Top Delta Air Lines & PIA Partner to Spur Interest in High Demand Careers PITTSBURGH -- Delta Air Lines and Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics (PIA) have announced an education partnership designed to fill demand for qualified aviation maintenance technicians. PIA's campuses in Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Hagerstown and Myrtle Beach have been selected as four of approximately 40 aircraft maintenance schools to partner with Delta in an effort to find the schools whose graduates are able to meet or exceed their high expectations. Over 100 criteria were used in Delta's selection process including equipment and facilities, level of hands-on-training, and quality of teaching. Industry growth, increasing retirements, a decline in students seeking an education in skilled trades are factors contributing to an increasing demand for aviation maintenance technicians (AMTs). PIA strives to provide successful career opportunities for graduates and this joint effort with Delta will continue to support the school's mission. "Our agreement with Delta shows the quality of our program at PIA and emphasizes the need for trained technicians. The partnership program is a great way to think outside the box to attract technicians to Delta Air Lines," Peg Skalican, Myrtle Beach Campus Director said. In order for an aircraft to leave the ground, whether it is a blimp, helicopter, or fixed-wing aircraft, any maintenance must generally be signed off by a certified FAA Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) technician. According to Boeing's 2016 Pilot and Technician Outlook, over 118,000 newly hired A&P technicians are needed by 2035 in North America alone. "As baby boomers are retiring, Delta and other companies recognize the need to have quality technicians in their pipeline. Although this partnership is in its infancy stages, the opportunity for PIA students to fast-track to Delta main line is fantastic," Butch Adams, Hagerstown Campus Director said. The Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics cites a median salary for aircraft mechanics and service technicians at $60,270 (medians are not reflective of starting salaries). Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics was recognized among the top schools fighting the nation's skills gap in a list published in 2017 by Forbes. The Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics lands as the No. 11 Two-Year Trade School in the U.S. and is the top school on the list for technical trades. Niche rankings place Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics in the #8 position among 619 trade schools in the United States for 2017 and #2 of 23 in Pennsylvania. Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of data and reviews. Additionally, in 2017, Zippia placed PIA among the top 10 best U.S. junior colleges for jobs based on a variety of score card data including emphasis on job placement results. Since 1929, Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics campus has been training certified and work-ready aviation maintenance technicians in high demand with programs in Aviation Maintenance Technology and Aviation Electronics. PIA's flagship program, the Aviation Maintenance Technology program, has been providing quality aircraft mechanics for over 85 years. This program provides students with the opportunity to test for the prestigious FAA's Airframe and Powerplant Certification. ABOUT PITTSBURGH INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICS The school was opened by Glenn Curtiss and Orville Wright in 1927 as Curtiss-Wright Flying Service, and became PIA in 1929. PIA offers "hands-on" training for traditional and non-traditional students in Aviation Maintenance and Aviation Electronics. The instructional staff combine real world experience with class room instruction for an outstanding education. PIA also provides a wide range of student services while the student is in school, and after graduation. The Career Services Department works one on one with students to reach their employment goals. PIA is often the first stop for many employers looking for quality employees. PIA offers an Associate in Specialized Technology Degree at its West Mifflin, PA location and Diploma/Certificate programs in Youngstown, OH, Hagerstown, MD, and Myrtle Beach, SC. There is open enrollment through the year accompanied with admissions requirements. For more information, call 1-800-444-1440, or visit www.pia.edu. ABOUT DELTA AIR LINES Delta Air Lines serves more than 180 million customers each year. In 2017, Delta was named to Fortune's top 50 Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the sixth time in seven years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for an unprecedented six consecutive years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 335 destinations in 62 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs more than 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading transatlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including Amsterdam, Atlanta,Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products and services, and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on the Delta News Hub, as well as delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub, Google.com/+Delta, and Facebook.com/delta. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12374029/delta-air-lines-pia-partner-to- spur-interest-in-high-demand-careers Back to Top Sikorsky's New Support Portal Goes Live Sikorsky launched its Next Generation Customer Portal on October 11 at the NBAA convention. The new portal consolidates a number of support websites that have served Sikorsky operators for many years, including the Sikorsky360 content library and the former customer portal. Sikorsky (Booth 12901) also unveiled the NextGen Helotrac Maintenance Management System, which is integrated with Sikorsky's interactive electronic technical manuals (IETMs), maintenance planning, parts ordering and health and usage monitoring services. Now customers can access a variety of content via a single website, including technical content, publications and notifications and viewing subscription-based services. Operators can also order parts, make claims, search for parts and check inventory, request quotes and shipments, view historical data and report AOGs. All transactions with Sikorsky can also be done online. "We've been working on this a while," said Simon Gharibian, Sikorsky director, fleet management. "This is the center point for technical data to support helicopters." Using the new portal, operators can use Helotrac, for example, to generate a to-do list for upcoming maintenance, view IETMs, create work cards and maintenance instructions and then use that information to specify parts and consumables needed for the work, add those to a shopping cart and place an order. "This connects the dots between maintenance data and the ability to order parts," he said. "It is allowing customers to leverage all the [improvements] we've been doing." More than 4,000 users are registered with Sikorsky360, and an average of 2,500 use it every day. An important factor in putting the new portal into place is to make safety data more widely available. "Our motivation for doing this," Gharibian said, "is our philosophy is that a well-sustained aircraft is safer. Linking data and linking systems, making it as easy as possible for operators to get information and place orders as quickly and efficiently as possible, all just increases the safety of operations. Coupling our sites together and making them as user-friendly as possible is a safety benefit for operators, whether they're operating one or 80 helicopters." Anyone who owns or is associated with the support of a Sikorsky aircraft can access basic Sikorsky360 material for free. That applies to customers of service centers, Sikorsky- authorized service centers and even third-party maintainers contracted to service Sikorsky helicopters or approved for maintenance by a regulatory authority. "As long as you can correlate your activity with a tail number, that's good for us," he said. "We want information to be as broadly disseminated as possible and we're not going to charge for it." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2017-10-11/sikorskys-new- support-portal-goes-live Back to Top NBAA: Rolls-Royce beefs up service coverage, updates app Engine maker Rolls-Royce has added more aftermarket service centers and rolled out a new application to help the company better respond to aircraft stuck on the ground, R-R announces at NBAA. The new service centers include Bombardier's site at London Biggin Hill airport and ExecuJet Aviation Group's sites in Australian. Bombardier's London site will maintain BR710A2 engines, and ExecuJet, which has sites in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, will maintain BR710A1/C4/A2 engines, R-R says. Rolls Royce also announces it has renewed and expanded a service contract with Dallas Airmotive to include maintenance of Tay 611-8/8C engines. R-R also unveils a new "Business Aviation Availability" mobile app that can help the company better respond to instances where aircraft are stuck on the ground. The app, which will be active starting 1 December, allows aircraft operators to issue an "AOG alert", which is picked up by Rolls-Royce, enabling the company to respond more quickly, R-R says. Rolls-Royce makes the app available to customers of its cost-per-hour maintenance support programme CorporateCare, it says. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/nbaa-rolls-royce-beefs-up-service-coverage- updates-442052/ Back to Top TRU Simulation + Training Partners with Global Jet Services, Inc. to Provide Maintenance Training Services for Textron Aviation AVON, CT, USA: October 5, 2017 - Global Jet Services, Inc., a leading innovator specializing in onlocation aviation maintenance and professional development training, has been selected by TRU Simulation + Training, a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company as a strategic partner to expand its aviation maintenance training capabilities. Global Jet Services is a factory-recognized technical training provider for Textron Aviation customers, employees and affiliates. Headquartered in Goose Creek, SC, TRU Simulation + Training is a total training solutions partner that uses innovative solutions and strong relationships with aircraft manufacturers like Textron Aviation to make its customers' aviation goals a reality. It is known for its high-fidelity training devices, pilot and maintenance training, military mission training, and aviation training services and support. This working partnership will increase the options for aviation technicians seeking to improve their knowledge, familiarity, and skills for servicing Citation, Hawker, King Air and Premier business type aircrafts. Quality training from Global Jet Services, with its access to over 200 years of total Textron Aviation product expertise within its own staff, will further strengthen TRU's commitment to providing superior technical support, customer service, and customizable advanced training solutions to a global audience of aviation maintenance professionals. To learn more, visit the Global Jet Services website at: globaljetservices.com or contact GJS via email at sales@globaljetservices.com or by phone at 860-651-6090. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12373621/tru-simulation-training-partners- with-global-jet-services-inc-to-provide-maintenance-training-services-for-textron-aviation Back to Top NASA Funds Continued Development of D8 Airliner Concept MANASSAS, Va., Oct. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aurora Flight Sciences has been awarded a twelve-month contract from NASA for continued development of the company's subsonic D8 X-Plane (XD8). The XD8 is designed to demonstrate the key enabling technologies of the D8 commercial aircraft concept, which could yield substantial fuel, noise and operational efficiency improvements within the next decade. The objective of the competitively awarded contract is to assist NASA in reducing the risk and cost of future X-Plane procurements through the design of critical building block tests that will precede the XD8 first flight. This contract will simultaneously mature the XD8 aircraft along three dimensions. First, XD8 aerodynamics will be further developed through the design of a transonic wind tunnel test. Second, the readiness of the Boundary Layer Ingesting (BLI) propulsion system will be advanced via the design of a transonic BLI fan test. Lastly, the complex propulsion-airframe structural integration will be matured through the design of a large-scale structural test article. The D8 evolved from Aurora's early work on the NASA N+3 Program. In 2009, a combined team of Aurora, Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT), and Pratt & Whitney was awarded a contract to study technologies and designs for transport-class aircraft that could enter service during the 2030s. The D8 has since gone through two wind tunnel test campaigns, and the XD8 has completed both a System Requirements Review (SRR) and Concept Design Review (CoDR). Aurora will continue to work with this same team during the current program. In 2016 NASA launched the "New Aviation Horizons X-Plane Initiative," one part of which is the "Ultra-Efficient Subsonic Flight Demonstrator" program. "New Aviation Horizons will demonstrate transformational configurations and technologies that will revolutionize flight and keep the U.S. at the forefront of aviation," said Associate Administrator for Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Dr. Jaiwon Shin, discussing the program at the recent AIAA AVIATION 2017 conference. "The recent first flight of the Chinese C919 shows other nations want to tap into the huge commercial airliner market," said Aurora Chairman and CEO John Langford. "The D8 is part of a sustained innovation initiative aimed at keeping world leadership here in the U.S." About Aurora Flight Sciences: Aurora Flight Sciences is an innovative technology company which strives to create smarter aircraft through the development of versatile and intuitive autonomous systems. Operating at the intersection of technology and robotic aviation, Aurora leverages the power of autonomy to make manned and unmanned flight safer and more efficient. Headquartered in Manassas, Virginia, Aurora operates production plants in Bridgeport, West Virginia and Columbus, Mississippi, has Research and Development Centers in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Dayton, Ohio and Mountain View, California, and a European office, Aurora Swiss Aerospace, located in Luzern, Switzerland. To view recent press releases and more about Aurora please visit our website at www.aurora.aero. http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/NASA-Funds-Continued-Development- of-D8-Airliner-Concept-1003777412 Back to Top Air France Tests the Blockchain to Trace Aviation Supply Chain Air France KLM, the holding company of one of the largest airlines in the world, is set to test blockchain technology and decentralized applications to automate its aviation supply chain. At a webinar participated by Microsoft and software company Ramco Aviation, Air France KLM business unit director of innovation James Kornberg revealed the company's plans to investigate the potential of blockchain technology and the use cases of the decentralized technology in sustaining aviation supply chains. Kornberg emphasized the use cases of blockchain technology must be realistic enough for the company to pursue the phases of implementation and commercialization. He noted that in the upcoming months, the Air France innovation department would focus on testing the four advantages of blockchain technology in resilience, traceability, integrity, and disintermediation. "The use case has to be realistic. The four features of blockchain are resilience, traceability, integrity, and disintermediation are well suited to the aviation supply chain," said Kornberg. For the maintenance of aviation supply chains, without the utilization of off-chain solutions such as side chains and two-way pegged smart contracts blockchains like RSK, it is difficult to use public blockchains due to their fixed capacity and current scalability issues. Instead, Air France could investigate into the integration of permissioned blockchains that are not immutable in nature but which could employ a certain level of decentralization by distributing the authority of network administrators across the network. Specifically, in a permissioned blockchain network designed for aviation supply chains, at every stage of the chain, node operators could be required to verify and confirm certain contracts or transactions. Even if the administrators or authorities within the blockchain network verify certain contracts, node operators can refute contracts which they deem as fraudulent and inaccurate. Such consensus protocol was demonstrated by Intel's Sawtooth Ledger and its Proof-of- Elapsed Time (PoET) consensus protocol. The whitepaper of Intel read: "Every validator requests a wait time from an enclave(a trusted function). The validator with the shortest wait time for a particular transaction block is elected the leader. One function, say 'CreateTimer' creates a timer for a transaction block that is guaranteed to have been created by the enclave. Another function, say 'CheckTimer' verifies that the timer was created by the enclave and, if it has expired, creates an attestation that can be used to verify that validator did, in fact, wait the allotted time before claiming the leadership role." But, Kornberg explained that the aviation industry still needs to undergo the first phase of digitization; converting analog data into digital information and storing them in secure databases and servers. Once existing data is converted to a compatible type of information which new technologies can interpret, then blockchain technology can be implemented to distribute the information in a decentralized manner. "In the aviation industry, we still have a lot of our data that is not digitized, still a lot of analog data, the first step, and that's what we're doing at the moment," Kornberg stated. Air France and other leading companies in the airline industry have a variety of selections in regards to the types of blockchain technology and distributed ledger platforms they can use to automate and secure the aviation supply chain. As BTCManager previously reported, Pfizer and Genentech, two of the largest companies in the global pharmaceutical industry with over $300 billion in combined market cap, integrated JPMorgan's Quorum blockchain, an enterprise-grade permissioned ledger that was inspired by the Ethereum Go client. https://btcmanager.com/air-france-tests-blockchain-for-aviation-supply-chain/ Back to Top Textron Introduces ProMaintenance for Operators Textron Aviation (Booth N3530) has introduced a new turnkey maintenance program for owners of Cessna Citation, Beechcraft King Air and Cessna Caravan customers. Kriya Scott, senior v-p customer service for the company, said, "ProMaintenance is an ideal solution for the owner-operator or a larger operator that might not have a full flight department." Services included for operators signing up to ProMaintenance include management of scheduled, unscheduled and AOG maintenance events; aircraft pick-up to and from the service center; management of Airworthiness Directives, Service Bulletins and inspections; technical records administration; maintenance tracking and reporting; and coordination of approved modifications and repairs. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2017-10-11/textron- introduces-promaintenance-operators-0 Back to Top JSSI and Metrojet Announce New Airframe Maintenance Agreement NBAA-BACE 2017 - Las Vegas, Nevada - Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI), the leading independent provider of maintenance programs to the business aviation industry, and Metrojet Limited, a business aircraft services provider based in Hong Kong, have signed an airframe maintenance agreement at this week's National Business Aviation Industry Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Las Vegas, NV. "Metrojet has an exemplary reputation providing business aviation services to the Asia market," stated Jaslyn Chan, President of JSSI Asia. "As we continue our growth in Asia, this new airframe maintenance agreement will offer aircraft owners and operators on JSSI programs access to the high level of service Metrojet is renowned for throughout the region." Gary Dolski, CEO of Metrojet Limited, commented, "At Metrojet, we are focused on delivering the highest levels of safety, integrity, customer service and financial performance to business aviation customers in Asia. This agreement with JSSI is a great opportunity for us to extend our services to JSSI customers and deliver greater value to those requiring airframe maintenance at a Metrojet facility." The agreement will secure significant time savings and cost reductions for clients seeking airframe maintenance with Metrojet. JSSI's global purchasing and supply network, and more than 70 strategically located technical advisors who oversee 8,000 events every year, will help ensure turn-around times are as efficient as possible and quality standards are exceeded to return aircraft to service without delay. JSSI maintenance programs cover virtually all business jets, turboprops, and helicopters in operation, in addition to commercial aircraft. JSSI also introduced a new range of consulting services, this week at NBAA-BACE, that utilizes JSSI's global network of technical advisors and operational data collected over three decades. For more details about these programs and more, visit Booth #C8934 at NBAA-BACE 2017, October 10-12, or visit jetsupport.com. About Jet Support Services, Inc. For nearly 30 years, Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI), has been the leading independent provider of maintenance programs to the business aviation industry, covering virtually all makes and models of business aircraft, engines, and APUs. JSSI provides its customers with comprehensive, flexible and affordable financial programs and tools for managing the often unpredictable costs of operating and maintaining nearly all types of turbine-powered aircraft, including business and commercial jets, turboprops and helicopters. As the creator of the revolutionary Tip-to-TailŪ Program, JSSI is the only single source provider of this trademarked service. JSSI serves customers globally and manages maintenance services through its worldwide infrastructure of certified technical advisors. Other JSSI Services: · JSSI Parts gives clients the advantage of JSSI buying power and expertise as the single largest purchaser of parts and maintenance services in the business aviation industry. · Jet Engine Leasing offers engine- and APU-leasing solutions. JSSI owns several rental assets for hard-to-locate platforms and can source rental assets for almost anything that flies. · AMP is JSSI's dedicated Asset Monitoring Platform (AMP), available to business aviation lenders as a tool to assist in the mitigation of risk and the management of financed aircraft. JSSI Advisory Services utilizes JSSI's technical expertise and global network to inspect your aircraft, perform an ASA-certified appraisal, or manage your next maintenance event. Connect with JSSI on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. About Metrojet Established in 1995 and awarded Air Operator's Certificate in 1997, Metrojet is a leading business jet operator and maintenance provider in Asia. The Company provides comprehensive aircraft management, charter, maintenance and consultancy services, and pioneered business aviation services for 20 years in Hong Kong. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12374025/jssi-and-metrojet-announce-new- airframe-maintenance-agreement Curt Lewis