June 1, 2020 - No. 039 In This Issue Constant Aviation reaches maintenance milestone on Challenger 300 series Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics to hold virtual open house Metrojet Completes G650 4C Inspection During COVID-19 Desert Jet Announces James McCool has Acquired Sole Ownership of the Desert Jet Group of Companies How far can airborne covid germs really spread on a plane? Mitsubishi struggles to realize its jet globalization plans Coronavirus: Air Charter Association slams UK quarantine rules Keeping Flight Crews Sharp is a Covid Concern EmpowerMX launches Contact-less MRO Solution for post-pandemic operations Here's what the Goodyear blimp has been doing during the coronavirus pandemic SpaceX 'stowaway' revealed by crew as sons' dinosaur toy 'Tremor' Constant Aviation reaches maintenance milestone on Challenger 300 series Constant Aviation has now undertaken 17 7,500-cycle inspections on the super midsize Bombardier Challenger 300. The company says that many of this type are now reaching 7,500 flight cycles - nearly 800 of the series have been delivered since 2004. "There have been fewer than 20 7,500-cycle inspections completed worldwide to date, so, with 17 of them performed by us, our experience and expertise are unmatched," said David Davies, CEO at Constant Aviation. "With every inspection, we have gained knowledge and found ways to make the process more efficient. As more Challenger 300s come due for this inspection and maintenance process, Constant Aviation is in the best position to do the work and return aircraft to service with as little downtime as possible." The extensive 7,500-cycle inspection requires more than 8,000 man-hours to complete. Specially trained technicians at Constant Aviation's full-service facilities in Cleveland, Ohio, and Orlando, Florida, remove the aircraft's horizontal stabiliser, engines, interior, APU, windshields, landing gear, flaps, winglets, baggage door, panels and many other components. Some are removed to be tested, while others are removed to provide the technicians with access to specific areas of the aircraft. Once disassembled, the airframe and components are inspected for corrosion, cracks and other defects. Non-destructive testing is done in-house by Constant Aviation's team of Challenger 300 experts to streamline the inspection process. For components that are most susceptible to wear and corrosion, such as inlets, landing gear, thrust reverser doors, interior finishes and avionics, Constant Aviation engineers and designers are on hand to offer long-lasting overhaul and repair solutions. Further inspections are conducted during reassembly before each aircraft is returned to service. The entire 7,500-cycle inspection process can take two to three months to complete, although Constant Aviation says its experience is making the process more efficient. "If you operate an early-model Challenger 300, now is the time to start planning for this inspection," said Davies. "There are nearly 800 Challenger 300 series aircraft flying today, and Constant Aviation is the aviation industry's go-to resource for completing the 7,500-cycle inspection and maintenance process expeditiously and with maximum focus on safety." https://www.businessjetinteriorsinternational.com/news/cabin-completion-refurbishment-maintenance/constant-aviation-reaches-maintenance-milestone-on-challenger-300-series.html Back to Top Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics to hold virtual open house Aircraft maintenance has been an essential service throughout the coronavirus pandemic, with planes delivering critical supplies across the world. Officials from the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics will host a virtual open house Saturday to encourage potential students to consider it as a career. "May 30 will be an all-new experience for all of us, as we've never attempted a virtual open house before," said Suzanne Markle, president and CEO of the nonprofit PIA. "But we believe it it's imperative to continue for both PIA and our employers that we deliver critical information about career demand to potential students." Rather than the typical setup, where prospective students would meet with air industry employers, Saturday's virtual open house will feature PIA faculty offering virtual walk-through tours of their facilities, along with virtual skills demonstrations. Prior to the covid quarantine, employers across diverse industries invested in PIA open house events for the opportunity to have first-hand conversations with prospective new workforce, Markle said. Many factors, including an aging aviation maintenance workforce and shortage of trained air-frame and power plant technicians, have employers investing in recruiting serious candidates as early as pre-enrollment, she said. "Employers have historically traveled to PIA to begin the recruiting process as early as first semester and even partnering to raise career awareness prior to enrollment which is indicative of high demand," said Markle. The virtual open house will be at 10 a.m. for the main Pittsburgh campus. Additional events will also take place at the school's campuses in Hagerstown, Md. (11:30 a.m.), Youngstown in Ohio (1 p.m.) and Myrtle Beach, S.C. (2:30 p.m.). For more, or to RSVP for one of the events, see PIA.edu. https://triblive.com/local/regional/pittsburgh-institute-of-aeronautics-to-hold-virtual-open-house/ Back to Top Metrojet Completes G650 4C Inspection During COVID-19 Hong Kong - (29 May 2020) - The Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) station of Hong Kong-based Metrojet Limited, proudly completed a 4C inspection on a Gulfstream G650ER in the midst of our battle against COVID-19 and working within all of the unprecedented aviation safety constrains and measures. "Although the COVID-19 pandemic has taken us all by surprise by its severity and resiliency, the Metrojet staff maintained their composure and continued to respond professionally and expeditiously to all of our clients' maintenance and operational requests," says Mr. Gary Dolski, CEO of Metrojet Limited. "I am very proud of our team for their continued high level of service and support throughout these challenging times." Metrojet's HK MRO maintains a wide range of Gulfstream aircraft and are currently in the process of investing in the future G500/600 product lines, under approvals from the Hong Kong CAD, U.S. FAA, Bermuda BCAA, Canada TCCA, Cayman Island CAACI, Isle of Man IoMAR, San Marino SMAR, Thailand CAAT, Aruba DCA and Qatar QCAA. Established in 1997, Metrojet as part of the Kadoorie Group, pioneered business aviation services in Hong Kong and remains one of the foremost safety and customer-focussed business jet operators and maintenance providers in the Asia Pacific region. The company provides all-inclusive aircraft management, maintenance and aviation consultancy services to our growing customer base. https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/business-general-aviation/press-release/21140193/metrojet-limited-metrojet-completes-g650-4c-inspection-during-covid19 Back to Top Desert Jet Announces James McCool has Acquired Sole Ownership of the Desert Jet Group of Companies Desert Jet, the premier full-service business aviation company based in Greater Palm Springs, California, announces that James D. McCool, co-owner of Desert Jet Holdings, the parent company of all Desert Jet entities, has acquired sole ownership of the companies from founder and co-owner Denise Wilson. Desert Jet will continue to be led by its Chief Executive Officer, Jared Fox. Desert Jet was founded in 2007 as an aircraft management company by entrepreneur and aviation professional Denise Wilson. The company expanded to include charter operations as well as aircraft maintenance and FBO (Fixed Base Operator) services and in 2019 opened a spectacular, state-of -the-art,32,500-square-foot FBO facility. The new independent FBO features a modern terminal, conference rooms, offices, and the only air-conditioned hangar in the Coachella Valley. In August 2018, James McCool, a pilot and retired senior executive for Charles Schwab joined the company as minority owner. As McCool became more involved with Desert Jet, he realized the further potential of the businesses, the Thermal airport, and the Coachella Valley and has agreed to purchase the entire company. "I've worked closely with the Desert Jet team since 2018 and have seen firsthand the value these companies hold. This has led me to the decision to acquire full ownership of Desert Jet and to assist in unlocking itspotential." said James McCool. "I congratulate Denise and thank her for building an outstanding team and company known for the delivery of outstanding client service and experience. Desert Jet is well-positioned to become the premier private aviation service provider in the southwestern U.S." Desert Jet CEO Jared Fox added, "The Desert Jet team is excited to begin the next chapter of our history under new ownership. It will allow Desert Jet to grow and pursue new opportunities. We will continue to focus first on our customer and employee experiences' while also finding new ways to provide the best in safety, service, and value." https://www.aviationpros.com/fbos-tenants/press-release/21140233/desert-jet-desert-jet-announces-james-mccool-has-acquired-sole-ownership-of-the-desert-jet-group-of-companies Back to Top How far can airborne covid germs really spread on a plane? The air inside a plane cabin is essentially clean - unless, of course, someone in the next seat sneezes in your direction. That's what experts want you to know as you think about flying again as coronavirus-related restrictions on travel ease. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, people wondered if breathing recycled air at 35,000 feet exposed a person to more germs than they'd encounter walking down the street. And now, during this historic disease outbreak, those concerns seem only to be magnified. Some people are already in the habit of wiping down tray tables and other surfaces in their personal seating bubble on board, and airlines are now going out of their way to make sure passengers have the supplies necessary to carry out their own cleaning routines if they choose. But to the question about air quality: Is the air you breathe on a plane really more likely to make you sick than air on the ground? It's complicated, according to R. Eric Jones, an associate professor and chair of the Aviation Maintenance Sciences Department at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. But the short answer is: The air onboard is clean. "I would say that sitting in an aircraft cabin is probably a lot like sitting in a movie theatre", Jones said. Planes, even those decades-old ones nearing the end of their working lives, are designed to have air quality on board similar to what passengers are used to on the ground. Achieving that is done by continually drawing in air from outside the cabin, forcing it through HEPA filters to remove most particles and germs, and then pushing it out of the cabin in a matter of minutes. Robert W. Mann, an aviation analyst based outside of New York City, agreed with Jones. "I would be less concerned about cabin air (the recirculated portion of which is cycled through HEPA filters) than the hygieneity of cabin surfaces, armrests and tray tables, and anything in the lavs, particularly", Mann said in an email. "A good wipe down between flights and occupancies would help". According to Japanese carrier ANA, cabin air is refreshed roughly every three minutes. So onboard air is recycled pretty regularly. It also flows through the cabin essentially from ducts in the ceiling down to vents near the floor. That means that the cabin air circulates in a way that makes it difficult for airborne germs to spread between passengers - unless your seat neighbour rudely sneezes directly onto you, or participates in some other similarly inappropriate and unsanitary behaviour. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), seats on many aeroplanes can act as physical barriers between you and the passengers seated in other rows. They're mostly tall enough, IATA officials said during a media briefing earlier this month, to prevent droplets from spreading between rows. Essentially, they act as a blocking agent similar to the plexiglass shields that many airlines and airports are installing at check-in and gate counters. But that doesn't mean aeroplanes are totally germ-free either. So passengers should still take some health precautions when they're travelling. "You've got people that are in highly condensed areas, that are sitting inches apart", Jones said. "Colds, flu, any virus is going to transmit in that environment, but airlines and commercial and business operators, as a result of COVID, are taking very extreme measures to try to sanitize that environment as best they possibly can". Though he emphasized that he's not an infectious-disease expert, Jones pointed out that the real risk of catching something on a plane seems to come from proximity to other passengers or coming into contact with a contaminated surface, not because of the quality of cabin air. "For me, the cabin air, I'm much more comfortable with than I would be going through a TSA line. I would probably be more worried about eating at an airport restaurant", Jones said, pointing out that surfaces in the airport or bins at the TSA checkpoint may be sanitized less regularly than aircraft interiors. And while airlines are going to great lengths to assure passengers that they're stepping up cleaning procedures, Jones said he still worries more about surfaces on board than the air in the plane. "I cannot speak to the cleanliness of a cabin for contact spread", he said Mann added that cabin air quality ranks low on his list of aviation-related health concerns. "More than air and surfaces, my concern would be the health status of passengers in close proximity. Until we all have a way of knowing and ensuring that we are all free of transmittable disease, this will probably be a concern". https://thepointsguy.co.uk/news/fresh-clean-airplane-air/ Back to Top Mitsubishi struggles to realize its jet globalization plans TOKYO -- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries marks a milestone in its aviation ambitions on Monday by integrating the commercial jet business of Canada's Bombardier, even as doubts grow about the Japanese company's ability to keep its own commercial jet program on track at a time of airline industry upheaval. MHI's $550 million purchase of Bombardier's global network of service centers was meant to secure a foothold in the aircraft servicing business and provide a maintenance platform for its own Mitsubishi SpaceJet family of next-generation regional aircraft under development for 12 years. But MIH's ability to finance the much delayed program is under renewed scrutiny as the short-term challenge of the coronavirus crisis weighs heavily on its finances. Last month, MHI decided to shutter SpaceJet's overseas operations, consolidate activities at its headquarters in Nagoya and suspend all flight testing. Mitsubishi Aircraft, the program operator, has approximately 2,500 workers -- 1,800 in Japan, some 100 at the development center in Montreal, 160 at the U.S. headquarters in Renton and 450 at the flight test center in Moses Lake, both in the state of Washington. MHI fell into the red for the first time in 20 years for the year ended in March and is struggling to shoulder the cost of the SpaceJet program, in which it has invested at least 716 billion yen ($6.7 billion). S&P Global downgraded company debt to BBB plus from A minus on Feb. 19, due to the growing strain the program is putting on finances. The rating company warned of a further downgrade if project costs surge beyond present assumptions.] MHI, also a core supplier to Boeing, says it remains committed to the SpaceJet program, at least in the long-term. "As we consolidate, the hope is to reduce redundancies while still maintaining the core competencies we have developed," said a spokesman for Nagoya-based Mitsubishi Aircraft, which is overseeing the program. That the Bombardier acquisition will have to be written off entirely underscores MHI's financial challenge. There is little demand for new aircraft or maintenance services, as 60% of the world's 26,000 passenger jets are grounded during the pandemic, meaning they require no servicing. Bombardier's network of service centers around the world repairs and maintains 1,250 jets flown by 130 operators. Global passenger jet traffic has been down about 80% from a year earlier since April 1, according to data from aviation analytics company Cirium. A Mitsubishi Aircraft spokesman stressed that the retrench is not the first step in canceling the SpaceJet program. "Because of the cost control measures and budget directives that forced us to close our flight test facility at Moses Lake, we are putting the aircraft into storage," the spokesman said, adding that a small team will continue to maintain the aircraft. "Since we are focused on cost control measures now, we will focus on [the] validation and documentation" portion of type certification, he added, referring to paper work for certification with the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau and work to validate it with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. After more than 3,000 hours of actual flight testing, Mitsubishi Aircraft officials have said that the company's 88-seat aircraft for the Japan market, SpaceJet M90, was close to type certification, and were eyeing that to be achieved in the spring of 2021. The coronavirus, however, upended the plan. "When the whole industry is downsizing, right-sizing and fleet-optimizing, the last thing they need is a brand-new airplane, all new training, all new spare parts," said David Pritchard, associate professor of business at the State University of New York Empire State College. In such an environment, MHI has no choice but to control costs and has frozen its ambition to develop, certify, and mass-produce the SpaceJet M100, a 76-seater for the lucrative U.S. market -- the main target for the SpaceJet program. Mitsubishi Aircraft has company orders for 163 aircraft, options for 124 and letters of intent for another 200, most of them for SpaceJet 100. But those orders could be in jeopardy if the buyers go out of business. Boeing CEO David Calhoun predicted in May that a major U.S. airline could go under, warning that it will take a full-three years for air traffic to return to the pre-crisis level and another two years for the growth rate to recover. With the industry in survival mode, "cash is the king," Pritchard said. "As much as I hate that statement, it's so true." He argues that MHI will have to find a partner to fund the project and said that Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, or Comac, is the most logical one, noting the Chinese aircraft maker's deep pockets and its desire to access Bombardier's global service network and Mitsubishi's experience in FAA certification. Comac will form a joint venture either with Mitsubishi Aircraft or its rival Embraer of Brazil, and the one that doesn't get such a partner "will not be around," Pritchard predicted. There have already been reports that Comac is reaching out to Embraer for collaboration. The Brazilian company already has over 80% of the Chinese market for planes carrying 150 passengers or less, and maintains a dedicated office for the country. Hirotaka Yamauchi, director of the Japan Transport and Tourism Research Institute, a Japanese government affiliate, says it's highly unlikely that MHI, the nation's top defense contractor, will partner with a Chinese state-owned company. Further, SpaceJet's billing as a 'national project' has also made it difficult to bring in foreign capital. Aircraft manufacturing is a highly concentrated industry, and only Airbus and Boeing have the financial, engineering and marketing wherewithal to support a major jet program. But both companies reported net losses last year and are now too consumed with their own problems to throw a lifeline to others. Therefore, Yamauchi doesn't expect realignment to happen anytime soon. But, he said, "MHI will eventually need a partner" for the SpaceJet program. https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Aerospace-Defense/Mitsubishi-struggles-to-realize-its-jet-globalization-plans Back to Top Coronavirus: Air Charter Association slams UK quarantine rules The UK Government announced on May 22 that all incoming visitors, incuding UK nationals, will have to observe a 14-day quarantine period upon arrival. The aviation and travel industry has been overwhelmingly critical of the measures, with many close to the industry suggesting it will cause long-lasting damage to a sector already struggling to cope with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Kevin Ducksbury, chairman of The Air Charter Association said, "For charter operators, particularly within the business aviation sector, quarantine stops passengers travelling to the UK for short periods for economically valuable work. "If business leaders, who generate many millions of pounds of investment in the UK economy, and employ many millions of people in the UK, are unable to travel for short periods to the country, we believe this will materially worsen the economic harm for the UK economy and aviation industry and further delay their recovery." Ducksbury said the new policy was being introduced after "virtually no discussions or consultations" with key stakeholders in the most affected part of the aviation industry, the air charter sector. He also highlighted the exemptions list as problematic. "The exemptions for aviation are actually limited to pilots and cabin crew which fail to take into account many other, non 'crew' roles which are vital for aircraft to continue to fly safely," he said. "These new measures serve only to further damage the aviation industry, threatening the future of many airlines, business aircraft operators, airports, handling agents, maintenance and engineering teams, and the wider supporting businesses in the sector. "It is clear that different departments in the UK Government have alternative views on the effectiveness of quarantine at this stage. At a time when the majority of the EU is beginning to remove the restrictions that they implemented at the start of this crisis, introducing these measures now is simply too little, too late," Ducksbury added. https://www.businessairportinternational.com/news/charter/coronavirus-air-charter-association-slams-uk-quarantine-rules.html Back to Top Keeping Flight Crews Sharp is a Covid Concern With most flight departments and aircraft operators seeing vastly reduced flight hours as a result of the Covid-19 crisis, companies are looking for ways to keep their pilots' skills sharp and ready for when demand increases. In a webinar presented by Wyvern on Wednesday, that problem was explored from the perspective of Part 91 and Part 135 operators. Brad Self, chief pilot for VF Corp., noted that the company's Denver-based flight department temporarily shut down on March 12. The flight stoppage was initially expected to be short-lived, but as the goalposts kept moving, Self began working on plans to keep flight crews current using professional flight management (PFM) tracking. The company has two Dassault Falcon 7Xs and a Falcon 900LX based at Denver Centennial Airport and a Falcon 50EX in Lugano, Switzerland. And to ensure night currency after two months of no flying, the department received permission for its crews to roll out one of the 7Xs one night to fly 18 traffic patterns. Such a gap in flying also raises flags under the company's flight risk assessment tool (FRAT), which is part of its safety management system. In response, Self suggested that pilots, especially those who relied on memorization in the past, return, at least temporarily, to following printed or digital checklists and to take their time with them as they shake off the rust upon returning to duty. Self hopes to receive permission for his crews to begin making destination training flights in the aircraft and possibly incorporate the carrying of company employees who would otherwise be flying commercially. "We're in the process now of getting approved where we can actually do flights, go up to altitude, cruise, go somewhere, set down, shut down the airplane, maybe pack a lunch, and then start the airplane back up and then return to base," he said. "That takes care of two things we need to address-currency and recency of experience-and just being in the airplane and flying it." "We have to cycle the airplanes every three days irrespective of the current situation," said Tom Benvenuto, senior v-p of flight operations for California-based aircraft charter/management provider Solairus Aviation, which has 190 aircraft under management and 70 on its charter certificate. "You get into some issues with warranty programs if you don't exercise the airplanes." He explained that, under normal conditions, a large percentage of the company's operations are international, with some of its 600 pilots racking up 50 to 60 flight hours a month, but that segment has completely come to a stop. "Fortunately, most of our clients have allowed us to take the airplane out and do takeoffs and landings and in some cases a few approaches," said Benvenuto. "That's been keeping our guys somewhat current, or at least fresh, so when we do spool up here in the near future, they'll be ready to go." While Solairus typically conducts ground training in-house with its own instructors, with the shelter-in-place advice in many areas of the country and curtailing of non-essential travel, that has been done online of late. "So from the aspect of keeping current in their so-called 135 topics that they have to review annually, we haven't missed a beat there," Benvenuto said. In terms of flying without passengers on board, Benvenuto said there could be a tendency for some pilots, to put it delicately, "do things that may not be what you would normally do with a passenger in the back." He warned that it is important, particularly in this time of reduced flight opportunities and repetition, to maintain all safety standards and not take unnecessary risks. Most of Solairus's crewmembers take full recurrent training every six months, so the pilots that have come due in the last 90 days are only pushing their training by a few months so far, said Benvenuto. With many operators taking advantage of the enforced downtime to conduct major maintenance and upgrades to their aircraft, that could also limit the availability of the aircraft for pilot currency use, said moderator Andrew Day, Wyvern's senior director of quality and education. In those cases, he suggested some simulator stick time at the very least. Benvenuto advised that operators check their training contracts to see if such currency flights are part of their package. That, however, involves travel to the training centers. Solairus is also doing some of its check rides using simulators. During this period, both VF Corp. and Solairus are combining their pilots' expertise and reduced schedules to help implement and conclude projects such as the rewriting of flight manuals and emergency response plans and, in the move toward paperless cockpits, developing procedures on how to easily locate documents. "We don't want to come out of this downtime still having projects that we had wished we had completed," said Self. He added that as his company continues preparations for a return to flight operations, his department has received many questions on what is expected from the passengers during this period, and that advice is being compiled into a separate document for dissemination. One thing Solairus suggests is having remote-based crewmembers regularly gather online in small groups, with each assigned to talk about various aircraft systems and procedures, to keep their minds aviation active. "That does two things," said Benvenuto. "It gets everybody back in the books, but it also provides the person who is providing the instruction some real insight into the systems. When you teach something, that's when you really learn." One side effect of the pandemic is the end of the discussion on a major business aviation concern about finding qualified pilots, Benvenuto said. "This pilot shortage is over. There is no doubt in my mind that the airlines are going to start laying off guys left and right, thousands of pilots. That is going to be a benefit for us because we have taken a beating the last couple of years competing with the airlines." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2020-05-29/keeping-flight-crews-sharp-covid-concern Back to Top EmpowerMX launches Contact-less MRO Solution for post-pandemic operations EmpowerMX, the leading cloud-based MRO platform for the aviation industry today announced the launch of Touchfree Electronic Task Card (ETC), a contact-less solution for companies that are planning to resume post-pandemic operations. "In the new reality, paper-based operations will subject multiple users to physical contact with a paper trail, leading to potential increased spread of COVID-19" said Dinakara Nagalla, CEO of EmpowerMX. "The EmpowerMX Touchfree ETC is an elegant, mobile-ready solution that can works seamlessly with any existing MRO solution to enable operators on the floor to digitally complete tasks without coming into contact with paper." As a fully integrated digital platform, Touchfree ETC offers engineers and field operators the ability to collaborate with remote support using built-in video technology in mobile devices. It can also record these support calls and permanently save them as part of the aircraft's records. With many MROs launching drone inspections, Touchfree ETC delivers the ability to stream the drone footage directly into the mobile device and onto the task card, as well as photos taken with hand -held devices. This will allow the MRO organization to maintain a single point of storage for all aircraft maintenance activities. EmpowerMX Touchfree ETC is an industry-first electronic task card solution that helps MRO organizations migrate to digital operations in a very short time. Legacy PDF and images that are currently the norm are rapidly digitized with the Touchfree ETC conversion engine, which then makes all data available for any hand held digital device. Powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence, Touchfree ETC can auto recognize the correct signatories, where they should sign, and if they are qualified to sign, irrespective of the document format. It can seamlessly deliver any technical document that engineers and field service personnel use today-including forms-through mobile devices and can be executed electronically, enabling a fully digital operation. "Having been in the airline industry for decades, I was excited by the EmpowerMX vision to transform a paper-based operation to a fully digital process, irrespective of the source documents," said Jim Sturgis, COO at EmpowerMX. "Our product design focus has been to help MRO shops start off using ETC with current projects on the floor, even as they work to bring their legacy paper-based data to the digital realm. It is time for the industry to embrace this path towards a complete digital operation that helps minimize the impact of current pandemic crisis as well as saving very significant costs through improved operational efficiencies and increasing regulatory compliance." EmpowerMX Touchfree ETC will meet all regulatory mandates for Clean Operations in the MRO industry, reduce the risk of contact-based virus spread, and help shops provision for workspace employee safety in a frictionless manner. For more information, contact sales@empowermx.com About EmpowerMX: Based in Frisco, TX, EmpowerMX is a leading cloud-based software platform that is designed to accelerate digital adoption in the Airline, MRO, and Defense establishments. Its product suite helps Engineering and Compliance, Heavy and Line Maintenance, Shop and Materials Management. https://www.prweb.com/releases/empowermx_launches_contact_less_mro_solution_for_post_ pandemic_operations/prweb17152772.htm Back to Top Here's what the Goodyear blimp has been doing during the coronavirus pandemic With sports coming to a halt, what is going on with the Goodyear blimp? Turns out, a lot. On Friday and Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, May 22 and May 23, one of the three blimps in the United States flew over 11 hospitals. The electronic sign on the blimp had supporting words for hospital workers. This was a way to be able to say thank you to frontline workers in hospitals, Michael Dougherty, chief pilot of operations, said. "Thank you healthcare workers! Thank you essential personnel!" and "Thank you first responders!" is what hospital employees were able to see in the Florida sky. Dougherty worked on the logistics and planning of the flight over the hospitals. It was a similar route to what the Blue Angels have been doing, he said. "We have that iconic value and we are really proud of that," Dougherty said. "Being able to get back out there and provide some normalcy is important to us." Residents were instructed to watch the blimp from their homes and to not travel to see the flight. The blimp was supposed to be at Tiger Woods' and Phil Mickelson's May 24 match at Medalist Golf Club, but because of weather, the blimp did not fly. The Goodyear Blimp team has been monitoring the sports landscape for their opportunity to make a return. Close attention has been paid to golf, Emily Cropper, senior manager for airship communications for Goodyear, said. The company is also looking at professional hockey, baseball and basketball leagues for opportunities. Cropper said Goodyear wants to have the blimps in Ohio and Los Angeles fly over hospitals, but since Los Angeles County is still under a stay at home order, the blimp is not able to fly yet. Wingfoot One, the blimp stationed at Wingfoot Lake in Suffield Township, is still undergoing maintenance. In a normal year, the blimps would be able to go to about 100 different events, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there won't be as many opportunities to go to charity events. The break from sports has allowed the blimps to get a jump on their annual maintenance. Like any aircraft, Dougherty said, they are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration. Each aircraft goes under relatively substantial maintenance. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. announced this week that another blimp will be added to the fleet. This one, though, will be in Europe. This is the first time a Goodyear blimp has flown over Europe since 2012. The blimp will fly in the Friedrichshafen, Germany area, which is where it is based, and more widely around Germany. The Goodyear blimp is more than a sports mainstay, it's actually a Hall of Famer. In 2019, the National Football Federation announced that the blimp would be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame includes 1,027 players, 221 coaches and a blimp, including the 2020 class. The blimp's college football career started in 1955, providing aerial coverage to the Rose Bowl. The oldest ship in the fleet is Wingfoot One, which was launched in 2014. It has covered the Daytona 500, NBA Finals, PGA Championship and the Stanley Cup Finals. Its stationed at Wingfoot Lake. Wingfoot Two, the second blimp of the fleet, was built at Wingfoot Lake in 2016. It is the only airship that has been stationed at all three of Goodyear's bases. Wingfoot Three completed the current fleet in 2018. It is stationed in the Carson, California base. In just its first year of operation, it covered Ohio State and Michigan State college football games, the MLB Home Run Derby and All-Star Game programming in Cleveland. People can ride the blimps, but it is an exclusive club. Rides are only available through the invitation of the company. Because of the limited number of seats, most people who can get a ride are Goodyear customers through dealers, winners of local charity auctions, local dignitaries or media members. "We are excited to get back up there and start waving to folks from the sky again," Dougherty said. https://www.beaconjournal.com/news/20200529/heres-what-goodyear-blimp-has-been-doing-during-coronavirus-pandemic Back to Top SpaceX 'stowaway' revealed by crew as sons' dinosaur toy 'Tremor' A stowaway aboard SpaceX's first mission to launch astronauts to the International Space Station may have set a new record - the most sequins to enter Earth orbit. Formally revealed a few hours after Saturday's (May 30) launch, but spotted mere seconds after NASA crew members Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley began to circle the planet on SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, the sparkly third passenger sent "tremors" across social media. "We did end up with one stowaway on board our vehicle when we launched today. It was not just Doug and I who accomplished the launch here," said Behnken, addressing the reported sighting of a blue and pink creature on the ship. "We do have an Apatosaurus aboard." A long-necked, four-legged dinosaur that walked the Earth during the late Jurassic period 150 million years ago, the Apatosaurus had now achieved spaceflight. Or at least a sequin-covered doll of the sauropod had, as one was now floating on board the commercial space capsule. "We both have two boys who are super interested in dinosaurs," said Behnken. "We collected up all the dinosaurs between our two houses and 'Tremor,' the Apatosaurus, got the vote from the boys to make the trip into space today with us." Made by Ty, the same company that made Beanie Babies, Tremor was one of the first dolls introduced in 2018 as part of the Flippables line. Tremor is covered in hundreds of small, dual-color sequins. Flip the sequins to one side and the dino turns a sparkly light blue. Flip them the other way and the Apatosaurus takes on a shiny shade of pink. Although Ty probably did not have spaceflight in mind when creating the toy doll, Tremor made for a very visual "zero-g indicator." At the point that the Demo-2 mission's Crew Dragon (named "Endeavour") reached orbit, the dinosaur began to float. A video camera aboard the capsule caught the scene as Behnken gave Tremor a nudge and sent it tumbling across the cabin (the doll was tethered to the empty seat next to Behnken's to keep it from going too far). Zero-g indicators are a tradition that date back to the first person to fly into space, Soviet-era cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who launched with a small doll on board his Vostok spacecraft in 1961. In the decades since, Russians and international crew members launching on Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan have often flown small toys to serve as a visual cue for microgravity, a good luck talisman and a treat for their children. Behnken and Hurley are each married to fellow astronauts. Behnken and Megan McArthur have a 6-year-old son, Theodore (Theo), and Hurley and Karen Nyberg have a 10-year-old son, Jack. When Nyberg last flew in space in 2013, she made for Jack a stuffed dinosaur out of scraps of fabric that she found around the space station. Now it was Jack's and Theo's turn to send their Apatosaurus into space. "That was super cool thing for us to get a chance to do for both of our sons, who I hope were super excited to see their toy floating around on board," said Behnken. "I am sure they would rather be here, given the opportunity, but hopefully they are proud of this as well." https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-dragon-tremor-dinosaur-doll.html Curt Lewis