July 12, 2018 - No. 055 In This Issue Fairmont State and WVU Tech partner to benefit aviation students Aviation Technical Services (ATS) Acquires Ranger Air Liberty University's School of Aeronautics Offering Tuition Discounts During July's EAA Fly- in Cutter Aviation Initiates Pilatus Maintenance Operations in Denver Colorado at Centennial Airport. EasyJet Rolls Out AI-Based Tool To Aid MRO Planning Bigelow plans to grow in North Las Vegas with $158M in tax abatements Aviation Week Network Announces Fleet Discovery Military, See it at the Farnborough International Air Show Cold Spray Progressing for Structural Repairs Russo-Italian JV to launch MRO centre in Moscow Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association complaint exposes Key West violation Hospital Wing Becomes First U.S. HEMS Operation to Eliminate Paperwork with Flightdocs Israel plans to launch moon mission on SpaceX rocket this year Fairmont State and WVU Tech partner to benefit aviation students FAIRMONT - An agreement between Fairmont State University and West Virginia University Institute of Technology allows aviation students the ability to take classes from either program in order to complete their degree. Fairmont State Provost Dr. Richard Harvey said this is the first step in creating a college-based flight instruction aviation center at the facility in Bridgeport. While they are hoping to establish additional collaborations, this is a great starting point. "We're really excited to be able to support West Virginia University Institute of Technology flight students for the flight portion of the program," he said. "What we hope to take advantage of most of their curriculum is online, so some of our students can take advantage of online course offerings. It's a win-win, it's a nice marriage of programs." "This means a tremendous amount for our institution and it's an opportunity for us to have resources available to us that we don't currently have as well as providing resources to Fairmont State that they don't necessarily have," said Dr. Joan Neff, WVU Tech provost. The agreement offers new opportunities to students on both campuses, Neff said, which will allow them to build a skill set that doubles what they might have had otherwise. "It's a good example of how when we partner together and collaborate we can have something more than when we're each trying to develop different programs on our own," she said. "I think that's great." Fairmont State University offers a bachelor of science in aviation technology with three speciality areas including aviation administration professional flight option, aviation administration management option and aviation maintenance management option. The university also offers an associate of applied science degree in aviation maintenance technology. Graduates who complete this degree meet all the prerequisites for taking the Federal Aviation Administration's Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) Certification exams. Aviation courses are taught on site in Bridgeport. The center is FAA approved to administer all A&P certification exams on site. More information about the Aviation Technology programs through Fairmont State, visit www.fairmontstate.edu/collegeofscitech/academics/aviation-technology-program. https://www.wvnews.com/theet/news/fairmont-state-and-wvu-tech-partner-to-benefit-aviation- students/article_ef6a4ea6-c783-56bf-8880-3ba3a44ec1e7.html Back to Top Aviation Technical Services (ATS) Acquires Ranger Air EVERETT, Wash., July 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Aviation Technical Services (ATS) today announced that it has acquired Ranger Air, a premier supplier of aircraft component and inventory solutions located in Lewisville, Texas. For over 16 years, Ranger Air has introduced innovative inventory management programs and has stocked and traded parts for virtually every commercial airframe and engine platform in the world. This acquisition launches ATS into the parts trading business and provides Ranger with access to ATS' comprehensive repair capabilities to enable a quick return-to-service. "ATS is focused on growing our business both organically and through strategic acquisitions that add new capabilities needed by our customers in locations that are convenient to them," said ATS President Brian Hirshman. "The acquisition of Ranger Air meets both of these requirements and will allow us to better serve our existing customers with a more comprehensive set of solutions." The ATS group of companies offers Component Services, Airframe Maintenance, Engineering Support, and Alternate Solutions in ten locations across the United States. Ranger Air is the fourth acquisition for ATS in the Dallas-Fort Wortharea over the past five years. "Ranger Air is a well-known, established global leader in the competitive Used Serviceable Material (USM) business," said Paul Dolan, ATS Chief Operating Officer. "Joining Ranger with the ATS Components offerings supports our company goals of continued targeted and strategically focused growth in the Dallas-Fort Worth area by adding a whole new level of capability focused on customers while introducing additional flexibility for our current operation's needs." Ranger Air will continue to operate under its own brand name. Aviation Technical Services (ATS) provides a broad and growing portfolio of technical services in MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul), Engineering, Component Repair and Parts Development world-wide. ATS supports both narrow body and wide body aircraft operators in the commercial and military aviation markets. Since its founding in 1970, ATS has received numerous industry awards for its support of turn-key fleet transition and integration, aircraft modifications, aircraft heavy maintenance, design services and component repair of accessories, structures, complex composites, hydraulics, pneumatics, heat exchangers and electrical components. ATS is headquartered in Everett, Washington. For more information, visit atsmro.com. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aviation-technical-services-ats-acquires-ranger-air- 300678996.html Back to Top Liberty University's School of Aeronautics Offering Tuition Discounts During July's EAA Fly-in LYNCHBURG, Va., July 10, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As the Liberty University School of Aeronautics gears up for another fantastic Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in in Oshkosh, Wis., July 23-29, it has announced that Liberty will award a 15 percent discount on tuition to anyone who enrolls in its online B.S. in Aviation or B.S. in Aviation Maintenance Management degree program. This discount will apply to their entire degree. Other tuition discounts are also available, including discounts for military service as well as for Police, Fire, EMS, and Civil Air Patrol service members. Liberty offers both residential and online aviation degrees. For its online B.S. Aviation program, Liberty partners with 54 Flight Training Affiliates in locations from Honolulu to Miami. Jim Molloy, dean of the School of Aeronautics, said that Liberty achieved a new milestone recently by exceeding 1,000 students enrolled in the B.S. in Aviation degree and earning their flight ratings at a Flight Training Affiliate. "The Flight Training Affiliate program allows these students to realize their dream of becoming professional pilots by studying and learning where they live and work. People who never thought they would have the opportunity to become a career pilot are now doing it through our online B.S. in Aviation degree program." For those who already have their flight ratings and desire a bachelor's degree, the B.S. in Aviation program recently gained approval for worldwide applicants. Now, pilots from around the world may receive credit for their flight ratings and finish their degrees online. All attendees are invited to visit Liberty's tent to learn more about the aeronautics program. Visit Liberty.edu/FTA for more information about Liberty's Aeronautics program and the many discounts available. About Liberty University Liberty University, founded in 1971, is the world's premier Christian university, the largest private, nonprofit university in the nation, and the largest university in Virginia. Located near the Blue Ridge Mountains on more than 7,000 acres in Lynchburg, Va., Liberty offers more than 600 unique programs of study from the certificate to the doctoral level. Approximately 350 programs are offered online. Utilizing its world class infrastructure and Christian faculty, Liberty's mission is to train Champions for Christ with the values, knowledge, and skills essential for impacting tomorrow's world. http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/liberty-university-s-school-of-aeronautics- offering-tuition-discounts-during-july-s-eaa-fly-in-1027356601 Back to Top Cutter Aviation Initiates Pilatus Maintenance Operations in Denver Colorado at Centennial Airport Cutter Aviation, the oldest family owned and operated general aviation company in the US and currently celebrating its 90th anniversary, has initiated operations in Denver, Colorado at Centennial Airport (APA). Cutter recently was awarded the Pilatus Sales & Service Center dealership for the region of Southern California, Texas, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. Cutter Denver- Centennial is a Pilatus Authorized Sales & Service Center fully equipped to serve the Pilatus line of aircraft. This new location is another example of Cutter's pledge to provide exceptional service to the aviation community. "Cutter is proud to be associated with Pilatus, one of the finest aviation names in the world. We are also very excited to make this investment at Centennial Airport and to become a long-term tenant. We look forward to continue providing the highest level of service to the region," said Will Cutter, President and CEO of Cutter Aviation. The Cutter Aviation Denver APA Service Team is an Authorized Pilatus Service Center that offers comprehensive full-service airframe services, inspections, support, avionics and interior refurbishment. Cutter Aviation also provides comprehensive avionics and instrument overhaul and repair services, specializing in custom installations and retrofit systems. Cutter is an authorized avionics service center for all the top equipment manufacturers. Cutter Aviation invites you to visit our Denver facility at Centennial Airport (APA) today to experience the world-class service we've dedicated ourselves to for the past 90 years http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12419811/cutter-aviation-initiates-pilatus- maintenance-operations-in-denver-colorado-at-centennial-airport Back to Top EasyJet Rolls Out AI-Based Tool To Aid MRO Planning While most of EasyJet's maintenance for its aircraft fleet takes place outside of its hangars using third-party providers, its investment in technology across its UK facilities has remained consistent. In 2014, it began trials using drones for inspection work on airframes to identify potential damage after events such as lightning strikes. More recently, it has explored predictive analytics, and this year it signed up to Airbus' Skywise platform aimed at helping its engineers anticipate problems by removing and replacing at-risk components ahead of failure. With operational and cost advantages important for any airline, particularly low-cost carriers, EasyJet is now using an artificial intelligence-based simulation tool to help with the day-to-day maintenance planning for its entire fleet of Airbus A319-100s, A320-200s, A320neos and, starting in July, the A321neo. Last year, it teamed up with London-based logistics software startup Aerogility to roll out the system, which went live last November. Operational data about each aircraft in the fleet is extracted from EasyJet's existing AMOS management software system and integrated into Aerogility's system. Aerogility says the planners can then forecast when heavy maintenance must be scheduled, factoring in existing plans with third-party suppliers while incorporating other fleet upgrades and modifications programs. The first discussions about a possible collaboration took place in 2014, with EasyJet looking for more effective ways to manage its maintenance workload given the anticipated expansion of its fleet in 2017-22. In the development phase, Aerogility built a test system for the British low-cost carrier, which allowed it to explore the capabilities of the software at its Luton headquarters before committing to it long-term. "The test environment allowed us to implement different scenarios and explore what various outcomes would arise from them," says Swaran Sidhu, head of fleet technical management at EasyJet. EasyJet's planning requirements for its maintenance operations are perhaps less standard than for most carriers. The airline's MRO strategy previously focused on operating on an equalized maintenance schedule-combining A and C checks into a schedule of work packages performed overnight, rather than the more common block maintenance workload. However, as of last year, this was adjusted somewhat, Sidhu says. "Last year we carried out another detailed review of our maintenance philosophy and took the decision to convert aircraft to a block program after six years," he says. Despite a relatively smooth implementation process with the Aerogility tool, Sidhu says there were some challenges, which is not uncommon in IT-related projects. One of these was around standardization with the AMOS interface. Another was inputting some scheduling data into the existing IT system. "Given our equalized maintenance philosophy, the combined A and C check packages are classified as light base maintenance inputs performed overnight at our five MRO network stations," Sidhu says. "The number of inputs ranges from 25 to 45 packages per week based on our 300-aircraft fleet size, and factoring them through the planning tool in addition to the heavy base maintenance inputs would have created a very congested view of the plan." He adds that EasyJet is working with Aerogility to develop the software's capability to include the equalized checks. EasyJet is also implementing plans for its engine fleet and its landing gears using the Aerogility tool, with the latter set for completion first. "This will be an enhanced version of the software delivered last November but with this added capability," says Gary Vickers, CEO of Aerogility, who previously worked on military aviation maintenance planning projects, including Lockheed Martin on the F-35 and F-22 fleets, as well as BAE Systems, before expanding into the civil segment. Having linked up with EasyJet for its first commercial aviation collaboration, Vickers believes Aerogility has been on a learning curve but is continuing to build a solid foundation. Talks are now ongoing with airline operators. In the future, he predicts software innovations will have an ever- greater role to play in commercial aviation. "Airline operators work in a business involving competitive pricing through to managing complex engineering assets that have to be maintained to critical levels of safety, availability and cost management," he says. "Airlines have to be innovative with the software they employ." http://www.mro-network.com/technology/easyjet-rolls-out-ai-based-tool-aid-mro-planning Back to Top Bigelow plans to grow in North Las Vegas with $158M in tax abatements In the summer of 2007, Blair Bigelow's name was sewn onto the exterior of the Genesis II spacecraft shortly before it was lauched into space. Eleven years later, the name is still floating up there along with the rest of Genesis II, but it won't last for long; the spacecraft just passed its half- life and is slowly beginning its descent back toward Earth. As vice president of corporate strategy at the namesake company founded by her grandfather, Bigelow hopes to see the company launch more spacecraft in the future with the help of tax abatements. Maybe more that carry her name. Bigelow Aerospace, a space technology company that manufactures and develops space station modules, is considering expanding its current operations in North Las Vegas through about $158 million in tax abatements, which were approved Wednesday by the Governor's Office of Economic Development. The expansion is slated to help the company's newest project: the development and manufacturing of its flagship spacecraft, the B330. Floating in space The autonomous, stand-alone space station can house up to six crew members at a time. Bigelow said tax abatements will help the company invest in additional staff and equipment for the B330 project. Bigelow said the development of the space station requires millions of dollars in equipment and machinery, including laser cutters. "We've been expanding for a while now," she said. "The more that we can benefit, the more we can put back into the company." Bigelow Aerospace has already successfully launched three spacecraft. Genesis I and II were launched into orbit in in the mid-2000s, and the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, or BEAM, was carried up by SpaceX in 2016 and is currently attached to the International Space Station. Nevada "is not known for its space program," Bigelow said. "We're hoping that someday that's not the case. ... We're working on things right now that are potentially really exciting. If we're successful, we could be a company that helps change the image of Nevada." Impact on Nevada Through the $158,724,438 awarded in abatements, the company plans to hire five employees over the next year of operations, 30 over the next five years and 100 over the next 10 years. Bigelow said they are looking to hire engineers and scientists, and would pay an average hourly wage of $25. Bigelow currently has a 160-person team. "We're a small company trying to achieve something relatively significant," Bigelow said. As Bigelow Aerospace continues to grow, it could have a positive impact on the local workforce and economic diversity, said Jared Smith, chief operating officer of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance. "This sector has the potential to develop into one of the major drivers in our economy, as its continued expansion is helping to bring more companies to Southern Nevada," Smith said via email. "There are also opportunities to expand this sector into our education ... This would lead to a more educated, higher skilled and higher paid aerospace workforce coming out of our market." The company estimates it will have new tax revenue of about $98.8 million over the next 20 years. "That is a fabulous outcome," Gov. Brian Sandoval said at the GOED board meeting on Wednesday. "To have a resource and a company like this in North Las Vegas is really great for the state." According to Bigelow, the company has nowhere to go but up. "Space is something that is universally liked. It requires a lot of skill sets, especially in the commercial space industry," she said. Approved abatements In other action Wednesday, GOED approved more than $6.8 million in tax abatements for G4 Works, a subsidiary of Allegiant, in return for more than $4 million in new tax revenue. The company is considering establishing an aircraft maintenance and distribution center in Southern Nevada that would house aviation parts and tools necessary to keep Allegiant aircraft flying. The company would hire seven employees in the first year at an average hourly wage of $20.52. https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/bigelow-plans-to-grow-in-north-las-vegas-with-158m-in- tax-abatements/ Back to Top Aviation Week Network Announces Fleet Discovery Military, See it at the Farnborough International Airshow 2018 NEW YORK, July 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Aviation Week Network, the largest multimedia information and services provider to the global aviation, aerospace and defense industries, announced today its new Fleet Discovery Military database. This further expands Fleet Discovery, its acclaimed online tool providing global in-depth commercial, helicopter and executive aircraft fleet information, to include data on global military aircraft. Fleet Discovery Military builds upon the strengths of Aviation Week Network's existing Fleet Discovery product, which provides unparalleled perspective and accuracy in tracking individual aircraft, collated and verified by Aviation Week Network's own teams of experienced researchers and analysts. Fleet Discovery Military includes all military aircraft, piloted and unpiloted, fixed wing and rotary. The product encompasses 70,000 aircraft and 120,000 engines in service with more than 400 military operators. Fleet Discovery Military is searchable and filterable by manufacturer, aircraft, engine, category, mission, lift type, weight class, and more, and includes an order book organized by manufacturer, aircraft family, type, engine, order type, and contract status. The service offers specifications for more than 2,400 aircraft types, including weights, dimensions, performance, and armament. "In our continued commitment to help customers easily track aircraft and find opportunity, we are extremely excited about continuing to expand our fleet products," said Anne McMahon, Managing Director of Intelligence and Data Services. "The global military database is one of several expansions planned for this year." Fleet Discovery is one of a series of industry resources from Aviation Week Network, delivering unsurpassed data and insight to thousands of industry professionals, and supporting and informing business development, market analysis, and strategy. For more information, visit Aviation Week Network at Chalet C21 during the Farnborough International Airshow 2018, call Anne McMahon at +1 646 291 6353 or Thom Clayton +44 (0) 20 7017 6106, or go to https://pgs.aviationweek.com/FDMilitary. ABOUT AVIATION WEEK NETWORK Aviation Week Network is the largest multimedia information and services provider for the global aviation, aerospace and defense industries that has a database of 1.7 million professionals around the world. Industry professionals rely on Aviation Week Network for analysis, marketing and intelligence. Customers include the world's leading manufacturers, suppliers, airlines, business aviation operators, militaries, governments and other organizations that serve this global market. The product portfolio includes Air Transport World, Aviation Week & Space Technology, AC-U-KWIK, Aircraft Blue Book, Airportdata.com, Air Charter Guide, AviationWeek.com, Aviation Week Intelligence Network, Fleet Discovery, Business & Commercial Aviation, ShowNews, SpeedNews, Fleet and MRO forecasts, global maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) tradeshows and aerospace & defense conferences. ABOUT INFORMA Aviation Week Network is part of Informa, the international business intelligence, academic publishing, knowledge and events group. Informa serves commercial, professional and academic communities, helping them connect and learn, and creating and providing access to content and intelligence that helps people and businesses work smarter and make better decisions faster. Informa has over 11,000 colleagues in more than 30 countries and a presence in all major geographies. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 100. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aviation-week-network-announces-fleet-discovery- military-see-it-at-the-farnborough-international-airshow-2018-300679671.html Back to Top Cold Spray Progressing for Structural Repairs Additive metal technologies have received plenty of notice in recent years as processes to transform how aircraft parts are created, but repair methods also can benefit from these techniques. Enter cold spray, an additive surface-repair technique that allows replacement parts to be eliminated without the pitfalls of using traditional metal-repair processes such as welding or thermal spray. Cold spray takes metal particles and accelerates them at supersonic speeds within a jet of expanded gas toward a solid surface, where enough energy is generated for the particles to bond with the surface. As its name implies, cold spray has application temperatures that are much lower than for other thermal-spray and welding processes, which means the distortion and stresses associated with those repair techniques are avoided. The repair technique has been around for well over a decade, but much of its research and development, as well as its usage for airframe component repairs, up until recently has been limited to military applications. The U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) began working on applications for aerospace in 2000 and established its Center for Cold Spray Research and Development in 2001. The center has implemented cold-spray repairs on aircraft such as the B-1 bomber, F/A-18 fighter, and Black Hawk and Seahawk helicopters. According to Victor Champagne, team leader at the ARL Cold Spray Center in Aberdeen, Maryland, the center has been spearheading implementation and development of the technology and works with all of the major companies that use cold-spray repairs. Champagne says many of the military applications have now been spun off to the commercial side. Moog, which has worked with the ARL on the development and qualification of cold spray for civilian and military MRO, has been developing its cold-spray repair techniques since 2007. Its solutions use titanium, stainless steel, copper and other feedstock powders for repairs on a wide variety of components such as wheels or body panels. Moog says its most common cold-spray application is for restoring material lost to wear or corrosion-often on magnesium and aluminum substrates. Transmission housings and gearboxes of all types have been popular items. "Although the technology is robust, we are still early in its lifespan," a company spokesman notes. "As more and more repairs are developed, more aviation maintenance professionals will see those repairs and want to use cold spray for their own needs." One company following suit is GE Aviation subsidiary Avio Aero. The company began researching cold spray in 2010 in partnership with various universities and research centers in Europe. Right now, Avio Aero's research is focused mainly on aluminum components, but the company is looking into increasing the range of materials and components it uses for cold spray. It also hopes to replace legacy repair techniques. StandardAero has been conducting in-depth testing of cold spray for a variety of components and metals since 2016. According to Keegan Smith, a special process engineer there, the company has been looking at the viability of cold-spray repairs for various parts within turbine engines. "Because the process is still new and unproven, the substantiation has required StandardAero to continuously work with various OEMs in order to investigate repairs," he explains. "StandardAero hopes to turn more and more of these repair investigations into standard repairs that can be located in any engine manual for use across the industry." Smith adds that as standard practice manuals evolve along with the technology, this evolution could drive the industry to accept both softer metals such as aluminum and copper and more complex materials such as nickel-based alloys. Another company that has become heavily involved in cold-spray repairs is Honeywell. According to Daniel Greving, Honeywell Aerospace's director for global repair and overhaul engineering, the company began investigating the technique as early as 2004. "Over the course of four to five years, we developed a better understanding of the process, and more capable equipment became available. Much of the development was done with capable suppliers who possessed the most modern cold-spray equipment," says Greving. Honeywell put its first cold-spray repairs into service in 2009 and now has approximately 70 parts that are repaired that way. These include aluminum and magnesium static structures such as gearboxes, pump housings and valve bodies for turbine engines-all of which are dimensional and not structural in nature. "High-pressure cold-spray technology will be the breakthrough that enables structural applications," notes Greving. One project that incorporates research into making cold-spray repairs for structural applications a reality is underway at the University of Akron's National Center for Education and Research on Corrosion and Materials Performance. Through funding from the State of Ohio, the university is partnered with Airborne Maintenance and Engineering Services (AMES) and SAFE Inc. to obtain FAA approval for cold-spray repair of corroded and worn parts on commercial aircraft. According to Greg Smith, director of engineering and manufacturing at AMES, approved cold-spray repaired aircraft parts have been limited to accessory components such as gearboxes or housings. "What we're trying to prove is that it can be used for actual airframe components. The premise is that we can restore those to an airworthy condition-to meet or exceed the original design strength of each item," he says. For the first phase of the project, secondary structural items with a lower impact on airworthiness were chosen, among them panels, an air load rib and a Boeing 767 wheel. "The other piece that made this somewhat unique is that most all previous applications of cold spray were done using helium, whereas the application we are seeking approval for uses nitrogen," notes Smith. He says the project is using nitrogen because of its lower cost and greater environmental availability. Although it has been used for cold spray in military applications, SAFE Inc. President Scott Fawaz says this project to their knowledge represents the first commercial cold-spray application of nitrogen. According to Rex Ramsier, the University of Akron's executive vice president and chief administrative officer, nitrogen's lower cost also fits with the project's goal of receiving FAA approval and then helping to create jobs and grow the local economy. With all research and testing completed, the project's repair specifications have been submitted, and the team is awaiting the FAA certification office's final review. Smith says they hope the review will be completed soon so cold spray can be added to AMES' repair-station capability list. "This is a first step. The next step will be taking it into primary structural elements," says Smith. "That will make it more attractive because those are typically the more expensive components on an aircraft." Once cold spray moves into primary structural elements, Smith says, it may become more commonplace within the industry-especially for aging aircraft that are expected to be in service for longer periods. As a believer in cold spray's structural applications, Honeywell sees the technology as having more substantial use in the future, including development of environmental coatings for hot-section protection. "Honeywell will continue to aggressively develop cold-spray repair technology," says Greving. "Cold spray is considered a primary repair technology and a focus area for our development efforts." He adds that the company this year plans to install a high-pressure system at its Phoenix repair station to enable structural repairs and allow for continued development of new opportunities. http://www.mro-network.com/technology/cold-spray-progressing-structural-repairs Back to Top Russo-Italian JV to launch MRO centre in Moscow In an effort to create a dominant force in the business of Russian aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, whilst at the same time re-establishing a once strong partnership with the Italian aerospace industry, Russia's state mega-corporation Rostec and its MRO arm Technodinamika has signed an agreement with Italy's Atitech Spa to build an aircraft, engine and component maintenance centre in Moscow. The initial memorandum of understanding for the project was originally signed by Sergey Chemezov, the general director of Rostec , his Technodinamika peer Igor Nasenkov and Atitech's executive director Gianni Lettieri in January, with a joint venture set up in Moscow in accordance with Russian law on June 7, 2018, reveals Atitech's Facebook post. The project's roadmap includes the construction of a new MRO centre within a two-year timeframe. At present, the project's partners are reviewing several potential locations in the Moscow region. The centre will possess equipment and competences offering both line- and base-maintenance of western-built jets, such as Boeing, Airbus and Bombardier, as well Russia's advanced MC-21 narrowbody airliner, and the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ 100) regional jet and their components. An engine and gear strut repair business would be the next step in the JV's business development, the Technodinamika's statement claims. Also, Russian engineers and technicians will receive training at Atitech's Naples-based Part 147-approved training centre. "Technodinamika has accumulated extensive experience in providing aircraft maintenance and repair services. This cooperation with Atitech will help strengthen its market position and expand its presence in the Moscow region, where demand for MRO services is the highest in Russia. The new service centre will also become an important link in the aftersales support chain for the new MC-21 airlines," explains Rostec's Chemezov. In a recent move, ACS, which is part of Technodinamika, was appointed as a main logistics operator for the MC-21 aircraft. ACS expects to receive its EASA Part 21 certification in two-to-three years time, allowing it to service aircraft interiors. Also, the company plans to expand its production facilities at Moscow's Vnukovo airport, with the launch of a new site expected in 2018. In addition, ACS intends to become the second Russian company offering servicing of CFM International CFM56 engines. This is not the first attempt of Rostec to create a joint MRO business with international partners. In 2013, it planned to set up an MRO facility together with Aeroflot and the Swiss' SR Technics. Current Russian and CIS clients of Atitech include NordStar, Royal Flight, iFly, VIM-Avia(now defunct) and Kazakhstan's SCAT. http://www.rusaviainsider.com/russo-italian-jv-launch-mro-centre-moscow/ Back to Top Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association complaint exposes Key West violation A complaint from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) garnered an official response from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) this week, leading them to find Key West International Airport in violation of grant assurances. Those grant assurances - specifically, Grant Assurance 22(f) - give pilots the right to self-service their own aircraft, such as aircraft maintenance, repair, and fueling operations, which the AOPA noted is not currently allowed at Key West. Assurances like this are required for airports to gain access to federal funding through the Airport Improvement Program. For their part, the AOPA is not considering this finding a win. As they see it, this is just one piece of a far more extensive problem. "While the self-service aspect of the decision is a step in the right direction, it certainly does not solve the problem in terms of access and transparency," Ken Mead, AOPA general counsel and former Department of Transportation inspector, said. "Why is it that other industries can be transparent and readily post their fees and prices but the FBO industry cannot?" The AOPA's complaint against Key West had ended up divided into four separate issues by the FAA, who ruled in favor of the AOPA for the self-service issue but ruled against them on the three other points, which included potential pricing and ramp access violations. Such decisions appear to build on previous FAA determinations, which when it comes to pricing and access questions, have traditionally sided with airports, arguing that additional charges are a fair market practice, as well as market domination by what the AOPA calls monopoles in the form of fixed-base operators (FBOs). FBOs are those organizations at airports given the right to provide services like fueling, hangaring, tie-down, maintenance and others. In this case, the FAA said it would follow-up on its violation findings directly with Key West's sponsor, Monroe County, which has spoken in defense of the facility's policies in the past. AOPA, in turn, is calling for more competition to negate the issues about which it has spoken up. https://transportationtodaynews.com/news/9978-aircraft-owners-pilots-association-complaint- exposes-key-west-violation/ Back to Top Hospital Wing Becomes First U.S. HEMS Operation to Eliminate Paperwork with Flightdocs BONITA SPRINGS, Florida, July 9, 2018- Hospital Wing, a Memphis-based air ambulance company, has become the first Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) operator in the U.S. to take its operation fully paperless. Utilizing the Flightdocs HMX platform, Hospital Wing has been able to eliminate all paper-based forms and reports from its operation, significantly increasing efficiency across maintenance and operational processes. Operating five H125 and two H130 helicopters from five bases, Hospital Wing provides 24/7 emergency airlift and inter-hospital patient transfers. In 2016, Hospital Wing first implemented HMX by Flightdocs, a leading provider of cloud-based aircraft maintenance and inventory management software Hospital Wing's Director of Maintenance Nick King notified Flightdocs of the milestone on June 20. "Hospital Wing is live and fully paperless today," he said. "No paper log books or flight logs or aircraft maintenance logs. No more paper - it's all Flightdocs." King emphasized that Hospital Wing's use of HMX goes well beyond maintenance. "It's a complete and very easy-to-use tool that has been implemented in all aspects of our business and has been configured to work really well for us," King said. "It's a great system that enables greater efficiency and effectiveness throughout the organization." "We congratulate the team at Hospital Wing on this important milestone," said Flightdocs Chief Executive Officer Rick Heine. "It's great to see our technology being used to its fullest extent. We've seen more and more operators going fully electronic across different segments of the industry, and they are all seeing some very tangible benefits throughout their organizations. The technology we have today is making a big impact on efficiency, visibility, data accuracy, and ultimately the safe operation of aircraft. We look forward to working with Hospital Wing and other Flightdocs customers on new developments in the future." http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12420057/hospital-wing-becomes-first-us-hems- operation-to-eliminate-paperwork-with-flightdocs Back to Top Israel plans to launch moon mission on SpaceX rocket this year Three countries have landed missions on the moon: the US, the Soviet Union and China. Israel hopes to be the fourth when it launches a spacecraft this December with an assist from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The unmanned mission is a joint effort between private company Israel Aerospace Industries and nonprofit organization SpaceIL. SpaceIL participated in the Google Lunar XPrize competition, which wrapped up earlier this year with no ultimate winner. The people at SpaceIL aren't letting that stop them from completing the lunar journey. On Tuesday, the team announced its goal of a Feb. 13, 2019, moon landing, but it has yet to set a specific launch date in December. It will take about two months for the spacecraft to reach its destination after launch. SpaceIL and Israel Aerospace Industries have raised $88 million primarily from private donors to fund the project over the past eight years. The dainty spacecraft is just about 5 feet (1.5 meters) high and weighs 1,322 pounds (600 kilograms). The team says it will be the smallest spacecraft to land on the moon. Once it touches down on the moon, the spacecraft will use its cameras to take photos and video of the lunar surface. It will also measure the moon's magnetic field at the landing site using a magnetometer. The spacecraft will undergo final testing over the coming months to make sure it can survive the rigors of launch, flight and landing. If it passes, it will head into space from Cape Canaveral, Florida, as a secondary payload along with satellites on a SpaceX rocket. "The launch of the first Israeli spacecraft will fill Israel, in its 70th year, with pride," said SpaceIL President Morris Kahn. "It is a national accomplishment that will put us on the world's space map." https://www.cnet.com/news/israel-plans-to-launch-moon-mission-on-spacex-rocket-this-year/ Curt Lewis