March 8, 2018 - No. 019 In This Issue ARSA-Supported Bill Takes Aim at Aviation Maintenance Skills Gap GE's ATP Engine Becomes Catalyst Aero engine maker Safran planning for worst-case cliff-edge Brexit Contemporary Aviation Training Business Launched Gulfstream Ups the Ante on Support with AOG Call Center RFD Wins ACEC National Recognition Award for MRO Facility S7 Technics introduces predictive maintenance Able Aerospace Signs Bell Mx Agreement with AVESA SBAIR is the new distributor and service center of Airbus Helicopters in Turkey Boeing Global Services Seeks Efficiency in Training Realm SpaceX has launched its 50th Falcon 9 rocket to orbit ARSA-Supported Bill Takes Aim at Aviation Maintenance Skills Gap WASHINGTON - Legislation introduced on March 7 by a bipartisan group of U.S. senators aims to address a major threat to the long-term health of the U.S. aviation maintenance sector: the persistent technician shortage. The bill authored by Senators James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) would establish a new pilot program to train maintenance professionals, help veterans transition to civilian careers and recruit new technicians. Grants of up to $500,000 per year would be available to business or unions, schools and governmental entities that partner to pursue creative solutions to one of the aviation community's most pressing strategic challenges. "We're extremely grateful that Senators Inhofe, Blumenthal, Cantwell and Moran have taken up this cause," Christian A. Klein, executive vice president of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association, the nonprofit organization representing the aviation maintenance industry, said. "If there's one issue keeping ARSA's members awake at night, it's where to find the next generation of technical talent. This bill is an important step in the right direction. It will incentivize local cooperation to develop new aerospace professionals and help veterans and others transition to careers in this high-tech, growing industry," Klein said. The aviation maintenance industry employs more than 275,000 American workers, contributes $44 billion to the U.S. economy and helps ensure the safety of civil aircraft operating world-wide. The industry's global footprint is expected to grow from around $77 billion to more than $114 billion over the next decade. However, a shortage of technical workers could make it difficult for U.S. firms to capitalize on those opportunities. Oliver Wyman's CAVOK Division, a leading aviation consulting firm, projects that demand for technicians will outstrip supply beginning in 2022. Data from ARSA suggests that the impact is already being felt: More than 80 percent of respondents to ARSA's 2018 member survey report difficulty finding qualified technicians and more than two thirds of responding companies have unfilled positions. As a result, companies say it is taking longer to complete work for customers, that their companies are not adding new technical capabilities and in some cases are turning down new business. Given the scale of the threat to the industry, 17 leading aviation industry organizations, representing all segments of the aviation industry joined a letter coordinated by ARSA in support of the bill and delivered to the sponsoring senators on March 5. "The U.S. aviation industry is a diamond in the crown of our economy. Working together, manufacturers, operators, maintainers, labor organizations, schools and workers have built an industry that provides unprecedented mobility for people and goods. Your legislation will help ensure our member organizations have the technical professionals they need to grow, compete globally, and, most importantly, continue to ensure the safety of civil aviation aircraft," the organizations said. ARSA is now working with its members and allied organizations to build support for the legislation and get it enacted this year, likely as part of the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill. In addition to ARSA, the following industry organizations signed on to the March 5 support letter: Aerospace Industries Association Aerospace Maintenance Council Aircraft Electronics Association Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Airlines for America Aviation Suppliers Association Aviation Technician Education Council Cargo Airline Association General Aviation Manufacturers Association Helicopter Association International Modification and Replacement Parts Association National Air Carrier Association National Air Transportation Association Professional Aviation Maintenance Association Regional Airline Association To review the bill, click here. ARSA is the only association devoted to the unique needs of the global civil aviation maintenance industry. It is dedicated to helping member companies operate more efficiently and effectively, while continuing to ensure the safety of aircraft worldwide. To learn more about the association's work on behalf of both industry stakeholders and the flying public, please visit ARSA.org. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12401720/arsa-supported-bill-takes-aim-at-aviation- maintenance-skills-gap Back to Top GE's ATP Engine Becomes Catalyst GE Aviation rolled out the official name for its Advanced Turboprop (ATP) engine, dubbing the new 900- to 1,700-shp family the Catalyst. Speaking to reporters in Prague today, Brad Mottier, v-p and general manager of GE Aviation's Business and General Aviation & Integrated Systems division, said the new name signifies the family is "a catalyst for change [and] for the competition,...for new airframe designs,...for new maintenance,...for new operations,...for better pilot experience, [and] for better service." Stressing the engine was not just intended to provide a means to go faster or be more fuel efficient, Mottier said it is designed to change the pilot experience to that of more a "jet like" environment. This includes a simplified cockpit, thanks to the dual-channel Fadec digital capabilities. Calling the engine a digital design from birth, he added the Catalyst family also will pull down from GE's commercial family the "digital twin" concept, which moves toward on-condition maintenance capabilities, with the ability to track exact flying conditions, from weather and flying environment to how the engine is flown on every flight. GE Aviation's long-term goal is to be able to eliminate service bulletins and unnecessary inspections by knowing the specific operating conditions of each Catalyst engine. "We believe it's a new standard. We're already working on additional applications and additional engines and engine models," he said. The formal naming of the Catalyst comes as GE Aviation has moved into the testing phase, completing first run for the first model-a 1,300-shp variant for the Cessna Denali-in December. The engine had since accrued close to 40 hours of testing at GE's test cell, before moving to a new test cell as part of a collaboration with a Czech Technical University team (CVUT) in Prague. Tests are expected to restart on Monday under the partnership with CVUT, which will be testing that engine over the next several years for health-engine monitoring. The next engine-referred to as number 5-is in assembly, being outfitted with instrumentation and is anticipated to be ready to for testing in a couple of months. That engine, to be used for altitude testing, is slated to head to Canada this summer for trials. Meanwhile, three engines will go to Cessna beginning later this year in preparation for the Denali's planned maiden flight in first- quarter 2019. With a 16:1 pressure ratio, the Catalyst will provide up to 20 percent lower fuel burn and 10 percent higher cruise power, compared with competitors. The engine is designed with two stages of variable stator vanes and cooled high-pressure turbine blades. GE is incorporating additive manufacturing (3D printing) with a dozen key parts that will lower the parts count by 855, reduce weight by 10 percent, and help provide a 1 percent improvement in specific fuel consumption. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2018-03-07/ges-atp-engine-becomes- catalyst Back to Top Aero engine maker Safran planning for worst-case cliff-edge Brexit PARIS (Reuters) - French aeronautics supplier Safran is contingency planning for a cliff-edge Brexit that disrupts cross-border supply chains and could lead to divergence in British and European Union regulations, a senior company director said on Tuesday. Marie de Saint-Cheron, Safran's (SAF.PA) director for European Affairs, said she considered the proposed transition too short a period to negotiate new treaties and added that a hard Brexit, whereby World Trade Organisation rules apply, could not be ruled out. "It's a scenario we are preparing ... hoping that what we get is not as severe," Saint-Cheron told a panel discussion, sat beside a British official from the Department for Exiting the EU. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday said Britain will not join a customs union with the EU after Brexit, worrying businesses such as Safran, whose British activities include the production of landing and transmission systems for jets. May also said Britain would explore how it could remain a member of a handful of specialist institutions like the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Safran's LEAP engine, made in a joint venture with GE Aviation (GE.N), powers all Boeing (BA.N) 737 MAX aircraft. Saint-Cheron described regulatory divergence as the "key risk", despite May's attempts to reassure concerns felt in the aviation industry. "What we worry about is that after the transition period ... regulatory divergence begins. And in that case it will be very difficult for us to work together," she said. Saint-Cheron said Safran did not envisage for now moving any of its subsidiaries out of Britain. In the event of a hard Brexit, she added, Safran would likely start by repatriating operations that do not require heavy investments, such as its maintenance operations. Aviation industry players are pressing May for more certainty over the way borders will work. Under a 1980 agreement among 32 members of the WTO, civil aerospace parts are not subject to duties. But the aerospace industry is concerned that extra paperwork caused by new customs borders may introduce expensive delays. Chris Hobley, director for market access at Britain's Department for Exiting the EU, said London wanted a "strong, deep and ambitious" relationship with the EU. He also reiterated May's pledge of a "strong commitment" to regulatory standards that remain as high as those of the EU. Airbus (AIR.PA), which manufactures its wings in Britain, said last week it might have to stockpile parts to cope with potential disruption when Britain leaves the EU. Saint-Cheron said customs data shows Safran makes some 70,000 France-to-Britain cross-border operations annually. "We're thinking about putting people in place, and an IT system, to manage customs clearing," Saint Cheron told Reuters after the event. "One or two additional days (at the border) will be costly so we're trying to put in place a system which would be smooth enough to avoid such delays in the supply chain." https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-safran/aero-engine-maker-safran-planning-for- worst-case-cliff-edge-brexit-idUSKCN1GI1Y5 Back to Top Contemporary Aviation Training Business Launched CD Training Academy launched in October, 2017 and is located in Joplin, Missouri. The company specializes in training for aviation businesses worldwide. They offer a modern approach to training. Their capabilities include one location training retention, reporting features, automated training assignments for recurrent training, training courses ready to use, and capability to record on-the- job and classroom training with the option to upload internal training content. CD Training Academy provides a solution for companies who require a training program and it exceeds the aviation industries regulatory expectations. The instructor, Alaina Yockey, has over 10 years of experience training in the aviation industry. Alaina Yockey, Director of Training, stated "we make the launch of a new training system simple by completing the set up of users with a course library for immediate use for the customer. We help our customers identify training needs if the company doesn't already have it defined.. We want to keep it simple and take a load off of the Quality Manager or designated employee in charge of training." CD Training Academy is a member of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association, which works to ensure the aviation community works effectively with government regulators. ARSA advocates every day on behalf of the men and women who keep the world safely in flight, here in Missouri and around the world. www.cdtrainingacademy.com http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12401677/contemporary-aviation-training-business- launched Back to Top Gulfstream Ups the Ante on Support with AOG Call Center Gulfstream Aerospace has established a center dedicated to the resolution of aircraft-on-ground (AOG) issues to further increase the level of integrated support and ensure faster return to service of customers' grounded aircraft. The technical operations contact center is located within the Gulfstream Savannah Service Center. Incoming calls or messages designated as AOG are routed to the center, where experienced team members can tap into Gulfstream's worldwide resources, including Field and Airborne Support Teams (FAST) aircraft that can quickly deliver parts, tools and/or technicians; more than 150 field service representatives and FAST-dedicated technicians, including 12 mobile repair teams; more than $1.6 billion in spares inventory at some 20 locations; and a network of more than 30 company-owned and authorized service centers and warranty facilities. The center is also equipped with large monitors that provide an up-to-date visual dashboard of Gulfstreams worldwide and the company's maintenance facilities and personnel, along with health updates from aircraft during flight. "This is the first time we've concentrated such a broad team of multidisciplinary personnel together in a space solely dedicated to AOG situations," said Gulfstream product support president Derek Zimmerman. "Co-locating technical experts with cross-enterprise resources, including logistics, materials, and purchasing support, will lead to more coordinated responses to customers, expedite resolution of issues, and get aircraft back in the air faster than ever." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2018-03-07/gulfstream-ups-ante- support-aog-call-center Back to Top RFD Wins ACEC National Recognition Award for MRO Facility Rockford, Ill. - The Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) announced today that it has received a prestigious recognition from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois (ACEC-IL). The airport, along with partners Crawford, Murphy & Tilly and Larson & Darby, received an Honor Award for the AAR Aircraft Maintenance and Overhaul Facility (MRO). The Honor Award is given for those projects which are recognized for exceptional engineering that meet the needs of the owner and benefit the public welfare. RFD and its partners were recognized at the Engineering Excellence Awards banquet on February 8. As an Honor Award recipient at the state level, the project was advanced to the national award program. The airport received notification on February 19th that the project had been honored with a "National Recognition Award" recognizing the exceptional engineering achievement related to MRO development at RFD. "This project displays the dedication of our staff, board and partners and I want to thank them for their commitment to making this possible," said Mike Dunn, RFD Executive Director. "RFD is committed to collaborating with our partners to participate in projects that create jobs and make our region a better place to live, work and play, and we are honored to have received this recognition from ACEC-IL and ACEC." Since 1967, U.S. engineering firms have entered their most innovative projects and studies in ACEC's Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) program - "the Academy Awards of the engineering industry" - which honors the year's most outstanding engineering accomplishments. Projects that are winners at state level EEA competitions are eligible for ACEC's national EEA competition. In August 2016, AAR Corp. and RFD opened the $40 million MRO facility, the largest of its kind in North America. The facility allows aircraft to be serviced efficiently and effectively in the heart of the Midwest. The project was completed on time and on budget and has already brought more than 300 jobs to the region. The project's 52,000 bolts; 1,000 tons of steel; 200,000 sq. feet of PVC; and twin hangar complex makes this one of the largest pre-engineered structures of its kind. The facility is equipped to repair some of the largest aircraft in the world including Boeing 747-8s, 777s and 787s, and wide-body jets including the Airbus A380. It can also handle and repair military jets. Additionally, AAR Corp. plans to provide opportunities for jobs for graduates of the Rock Valley College (RVC) Aviation Maintenance (AMT) Program which was strategically built just across the road from the AAR facility. The RVC AMT Program was designed to promote economic development and position a more strongly educated and aligned workforce for the region. RFD leadership and its partners will be recognized during the Engineering Excellence Awards Gala on April 17 in Washington D.C. The Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) is Chicago's low-cost airport for cargo and passenger services. RFD is served by two passenger airlines, Allegiant Air and Swift Air and serves eight non-stop destinations. RFD is expected to reach the top 20 airports by cargo volume within the next two years. The airport is home to the second largest UPS hub in North America and ABX Air, ATI, and Atlas Air, which supports daily flights from one of the world's top consumer internet companies. For more information on RFD and flight schedules, visit FlyRFD.com. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12401556/rfd-wins-acec-national-recognition-award- for-mro-facility Back to Top S7 Technics introduces predictive maintenance S7 Technics (formerrly known as Engineering Holding) has become the first MRO provider in Russia to introduce predictive maintenance of the fleet operated by S7 Airlines. Both companies are subsidiaries of S7 Group. The provider's deputy general director for finance, Roman Fyodorov, revealed at the recent MRO Russia & CIS 2018 convention in Moscow that a pilot project is being carried out on S7 Airlines' Airbus A319s, which are the carrier's most intensively utilized airliners. As of early 2018, S7 Airlines had 19 A319s. All flight data, including information about any defects and AOG situations for the last five years, were uploaded to S7 Technics' software, Fyodorov told Russian Aviation Insider. Based on this information, the provider jointly with its IT partner Datadvance performed a bulk of calculations, creating models which can forecast technical malfunctions. This new software is critical to the airline's efforts to reduce departure delays due to technical reasons, Fyodorov stressed. Eventually the technology will cover the entire S7 Airlines fleet. http://www.rusaviainsider.com/s7-technics-introduces-predictive-maintenance/ Back to Top Able Aerospace Signs Bell Mx Agreement with AVESA Aeroservicios Ave, S.A. (AVESA), Bell's customer service facility in Central America, recently selected Able Aerospace Services as its provider for component inspection, repair, overhaul, and exchange service. This partnership benefits AVESA customers operating light and medium Bell helicopters in Guatemala and Central America, because it improves in-country product availability and cost savings. Guatemala-based AVESA will have access to Able Aerospace's component inspection, repair, overhaul, and OEM-approved replacement parts. AVESA will also have access to the Textron company's exchange pool for Bell models. "AVESA-like Able-is committed to providing the best products and support to its customers," said Gabriel Massey, Able Aerospace's general manager. "This was apparent from our earliest discussions with AVESA, and is something we are eager to continue to develop as we bring our full catalog of repair, overhaul, parts, and exchange capabilities to this very active rotor-wing market." For the past 30 years, AVESA has offered its services to Guatemala and Central America. Meanwhile, Able Aerospace Services offers FAA-approved repairs and exchanges, as well as specialized in-house services such as electroplating, non-destructive testing, hydraulics, and chemical processing at its Mesa, Arizona facility. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2018-03-07/able-aerospace-signs-bell- mx-agreement-avesa Back to Top SBAIR is the new distributor and service center of Airbus Helicopters in Turkey Airbus Helicopters has appointed SB Havac?l?k A.?. (SBAIR) as its new distributor and service center in Turkey. The Istanbul-based company will represent the European manufacturer in Turkey and promote its civil product line. SBAIR was established in 2017 by Ercüment Bayegan (Bayegan Group) and Mehmet Yüksel Hocao?lu (Swan Aviation). Bayegan Group was established in the 1940s, operating in the petroleum and petrochemical industry with 27 offices worldwide. Hocao?lu has over 25 years of aviation experience and over 15 years of sales and management experience in business aviation market through Swan Aviation. SBAIR will act as a distributor and provide after-sales services in the areas of maintenance, logistics support and training support in Turkey for the Airbus civil helicopter fleet. "We are pleased that we have found an experienced partner in Turkey, who will use his local expertise to serve our current and future customers in the best way possible, thus bringing a new dynamic in our approach to the market, particularly the proximity of support and services to our customers," said Mickaël Peru, Airbus Helicopters' head of sales for Eastern EU and CIS. "The technologically advanced helicopters made by Airbus have a great potential in Turkey for commercial air transport as well as private and business aviation," said Hocao?lu, SB Havac?l?k A.?.'s vice chairman. With a share of 50 percent of the global market in 2017 for civil and parapublic helicopters (turbine helicopters >5 seats), Airbus is the market leader in this segment. "We see a huge opportunity for growth in Turkey and our new distributor SB Havac?l?k A.? will help to further develop the use of helicopters in the country by being closer to the customers", said Peru. https://www.verticalmag.com/press-releases/sbair-new-distributor-service-center-airbus- helicopters-turkey/ Back to Top Boeing Global Services Seeks Efficiency in Training Realm As one of the commercial aircraft manufacturers predicting the need for more than a million new pilots and maintenance technicians over the next two decades, Boeing is ramping up its training capabilities. But its focus centers less on volume and more on making the training pipeline more efficient. "What we have chosen to focus on from a strategic thrust is how you increase the effectiveness of training, increasing throughput with technology investment," Stan Deal, chief executive officer of Boeing Global Services (BGS), told AIN. Boeing created the BGS business unit last July. BGS spans the commercial, defense, and space sectors, and involves four areas of capability: supply chain; engineering, modifications, and maintenance; digital aviation and analytics; and training and professional services. "[BGS] is chasing a rather sizeable business," said Deal. "The overall services market in aviation is about $2.6 trillion over the next 10 years. But it's a very fragmented market. Unlike the commercial aircraft market where there are two or three major contenders, in the services segment there are hundreds if not thousands." BGS's share now totals "about 7-plus percent" in the commercial services market and 9 percent on the military side. BGS counts 15 training centers on six continents, delivering courses for approximately 1,200 pilots, maintainers, and cabin crew annually. "We continue to expand each of our campuses," said Deal. Singapore, for example, added 737 Max 8 (its first in Asia) and 787-9 simulators last year and now has commissioned seven full-flight sims on the site. The campus in Shanghai, in partnership with Shanghai Airlines, includes 787, 767/757 and 747 simulators. "We're not going to be the world's largest training campus provider," Deal said. "That's not where we're strategically focused. We want to have more of a technology-based focus on expansion where we innovate new ways to train, to shrink the footprint. [We will] continue to maintain safety while opening the spigot a little bit from a throughput perspective." Deal cited as one example an approach Southwest Airlines has taken for 737 Max training, pairing a captain and first officer throughout the curriculum, from classroom to full-flight simulator. "By optimizing the time in the most expensive assets, you shrink flow and cost. We're rolling this out consistently across our Max operators," Deal said. Boeing has also ventured into the ab initiotraining arena with its purchase two years ago of German courseware specialist Peters Software. BGS is creating a customized, integrated system for managing cadet learning for the new Emirates Flight Training Academy using Peters' EASA- endorsed software, the company announced in November. The Dubai school expects to grow to accommodate as many as 600 students. For 787 Dreamliner maintenance training, Deal said BGS has applied virtual reality "to shorten the cycle time to get a mechanic ready to touch the 787." "The 787 is an innovative aircraft from a maintenance approach," he explained. "The interface is very different from an A320 or 777. The courseware we developed is extremely user-intuitive and effective." Boeing can deliver the transportable vitural reality training at a Boeing training center or at the customer's site. "The cascade of growth across Asia is a little different," noted Deal. "In China, we've seen strong growth but with a heavy regulatory mindset and a culture driven around safety. Obviously one country, one regulatory process. Southeast Asia is more fragmented with a lot of emerging customers, a lot of low-cost carriers. We're making sure we're keeping up with innovations that will allow efficient expansion of these customers in the market while being a responsible manufacturer and make sure they're well-trained and qualified as we deliver the airplanes." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2018-03-06/boeing-global-services-seeks- efficiency-training-realm Back to Top SpaceX has launched its 50th Falcon 9 rocket to orbit In less than a decade, SpaceX has gone from launching its first vehicle into space to flying its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket a total of 50 times. Elon Musk's space company hit the new milestone for Falcon 9 rocket missions early this morning, launching a six-ton satellite the size of a small bus into orbit for Hispasat, Spain's satellite telecommunications provider. It was the fifth launch this year for the Los Angeles-based rocket maker, which in the last 18 months has come to dominate the commercial rocket business, flying far more often than its competitors. SpaceX only flew the Falcon 9 for the first time eight years ago, in a 2010 test mission for NASA. The 70-meter tall vehicle didn't begin real commercial service until 2013, with its first commercial satellite launch. Falcon 9-named for the nine powerful liquid oxygen-and-kerosene fueled engines that carry it into space-was designed as a direct competitor for the Atlas V rocket built and operated by the United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin. SpaceX only flew the Falcon 9 for the first time eight years ago, in a 2010 test mission for NASA. The 70-meter tall vehicle didn't begin real commercial service until 2013, with its first commercial satellite launch. Falcon 9-named for the nine powerful liquid oxygen-and-kerosene fueled engines that carry it into space-was designed as a direct competitor for the Atlas V rocket built and operated by the United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin. ULA's executives brag that their rocket has a proven record that outstrips the Falcon 9, and that is true-though it is rapidly coming to an end. The Atlas V has flown successfully 75 times, but SpaceX's rocket could lap its predecessor in the next year if SpaceX's most ambitious projections hold up, or in 2020 at current flight rates. That assumes, of course, that neither rocket runs into a failure, like the mishaps that shut SpaceX down for months in 2015 and 2016. SpaceX has continued development on the Falcon 9 and hopes to settle on its final version, known as "Block V" and rated to carry humans safely into space by NASA, later this year. The company also flew its largest rocket, the Falcon Heavy, for the first time this year. https://qz.com/1222431/elon-musks-spacex-has-launched-its-50th-falcon-9-rocket-to-orbit/ Curt Lewis