As the business aviation industry moves into a new year, one trend in the maintenance sector that is unlikely to ease in 2023 or beyond is the mechanic shortage. That’s why some of the country’s biggest, independent MROs are addressing the issue directly by starting their own paid airframe and powerplant (A&P) apprenticeships.
The positives of such programs for MROs are security in knowing that they have a pipeline from which to draw and engender employee loyalty. It’s also an effective recruitment tool. For apprentices, it’s an opportunity to make a living wage while learning a technical trade that would otherwise cost tens of thousands of dollars. According to Southern Utah University, aviation maintenance technician training can cost anywhere from $8,000 to $80,000.
But for MROs developing such programs, it hasn’t been easy. There’s a learning curve and commitment associated with taking on an apprenticeship program, not only from the C-suite but at the employee- and apprentice-level as well.
Yet with a shortage of A&Ps unlikely to ease for years, those MROs that have taken on apprenticeship programs said the effort and cost are more than justified. “You have to invest in people. They don’t just materialize,” West Star Aviation’s v-p of human resources Katie Johnson told AIN. “There’s definitely a cost to train, but there’s definitely a cost to not train.”
Luxaviation Group has partnered with Vietnam's Thien Minh Group (TMG), focusing particularly on its Hai Au Aviation (HAA) subsidiary—the country’s largest private jet operator—to share expertise on aviation, travel, and hospitality services. The deal marks the first step on a path toward future collaboration between the two companies.
In addition to assisting HAA with the sales of aircraft block hours through its own distribution channels, Luxaviation will provide TMG with operational capacity, networks, and relationships with aviation authorities. TMG, which has nearly three decades of experience, will support Luxaviation with IT, digital marketing, and flight operations.
“We are very excited about this future collaboration, as it underlines our strategy to work together with local partners to accelerate our global expansion,” said Luxaviation Group CEO Patrick Hansen. “We are impressed by TMG’s extensive experience in the travel and hospitality sector, and we are certain that we can continue to grow together in this market.”
TMG is one of Asia’s leading all-inclusive travel services providers and has more than 2,500 employees worldwide. HAA was established in 2014 providing commercial seaplane service and expanded its portfolio in 2020 to include aircraft management and jet operations.
TMG CEO Tran Trong Kien added, “This partnership brings together two market leaders in the aviation sector, and combines their expertise to expand Hai Au Aviation’s offering.”
Embraer Aircraft Maintenance Services (EAMS) has secured two maintenance contracts with American Airlines subsidiary Envoy Air and public charter operator JSX worth $72 million. Under the contracts, Macon, Georgia-based EAMS will provide airframe maintenance and repair services.
Envoy has been an EAMS customer since 2002 and has outsourced maintenance lines to EAMS off and on since 2011. This contract with Envoy provides one nose-to-tail heavy maintenance line. Under the JSX contract, EAMS will provide two nose-to-tail heavy maintenance lines.
“We welcome Envoy back to EAMS as a recurring customer of heavy maintenance and look forward to the start of new partnerships with JSX for our support,” said Frank Stevens, Embraer Services & Support v-p of global MRO centers. “Macon continues to expand, and these new lines will promote growth within the area and open job positions for qualified talent. Overall, these contracts are mutually beneficial for our partners as we can provide exceptional service while expanding our operations.”
On December 22, Robinson Helicopter issued a triad of service bulletins (SB-41, 112, and 120) mandating recurrent flight-day inspections of tail rotor blades on all of its models beginning within 10 flight hours or Jan. 15, 2023, whichever comes first, and replacement of these blades for helicopters stored outdoors in corrosive environments by Dec. 31, 2024.
Robinson said the SBs were prompted by reports of “tail rotor blade tips coming loose due to corrosion at the bond. Helicopters operating near salt water are particularly susceptible to corrosion, especially if stored outdoors. A debonded tip can cause severe vibration and possible failure of the tail rotor gearbox housing.” Robinson noted that F029-1 revision I blades have tip caps with “an alternative alloy to reduce the likelihood of corrosion.”
Helicopters or parts under factory warranty will have affected blades exchanged without charge and blades beyond the warranty period can be replaced at a substantial discount provided the aircraft is airworthy, has not exceeded its 12-year calendar life limit, or is not within 100 hours of its life limit. The discount only applies to blades replaced by Dec. 31, 2024, and normal service center discounts do not apply.
Following the continued post-pandemic rise in private aviation, the business aviation industry is looking to close out the year on a high note, according to market analyst Rolland Vincent. Speaking at the recent NATA Aviation Business Conference, he told the audience, “I think this is going to be a very busy Q4, and maybe busier even than last year.”
The last quarter of the year is typically the largest in terms of deliveries, Vincent noted, and added other factors will be in play this year to provide a boost. “We’re going to see the end of 100 percent bonus depreciation this year in the U.S.” As a result, he sees customers eager to receive their aircraft by year-end.
While the OEMs have seen their book-to-bill ratios climb to 2:1, Vincent expects strong fourth quarter deliveries will lower that number. “We’re going to see that book-to-bill drop to about one by the end of the year,” he said. “We’ve been expecting it for a while.”
Though the business jet makers sit on a backlog that increased by 20 percent over the past six months to $50 billion, Vincent expects the volume of incoming orders will not be sustainable, as indications point towards a looming recession. As well, he believes the current wait will temper the enthusiasm of some customers and inflation will also play a role.
ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia has completed a 2C heavy maintenance check on a Dassault Falcon 2000 twinjet registered in the Phillippines. A 2C check is carried out every 12 years and involves extensive removal and reinstallation of the entire cabin, airframe panels, and detailed inspections to detect corrosion.
This particular project also called for the landing gear to be removed and overhauled. Ivan Lim, ExecuJet MRO Services regional v-p for Asia, credited Dassault Aviation in France and the U.S. for collaborating on the check. ExecuJet MRO Services is a subsidiary of Dassault.
“The Falcon 2000 is Dassault Aviation’s most prolific aircraft in Asia,” Lim said. “We see enormous potential for this super-midsize aircraft in the Asian markets, especially Southeast Asia. Coincidentally, these are markets where we have established a significant presence and reach over the years.”
In addition to training on Dassault airframes, engines, and avionics, ExecuJet MRO Services technicians can also perform work on Bombardier, Embraer, Gulfstream, and Hawker business jets.
Polaris Aero has launched advanced features for its FlightRisk safety app, expanding its Vocus app suite of aviation safety software. FlightRisk is designed to raise pilots’ awareness of potential aircraft, airfield, environmental, and human hazards that are relevant to the flight with built-in advisories generated by an advanced rules engine.
“Using FlightRisk’s extensive library of rule-trigger conditions, pilots and dispatchers can supplement these built-in assessment advisories with their own custom advisories,” said Steve Bruneau, Polaris v-p of aviation services. “FlightRisk assessments go beyond traditional hazard scoring by giving pilots clear, contextual information to improve awareness and make better decisions. Polaris Aero understands the value of safety collaboration, and we are working on expanding sharing functionality within the Vocus application suite. Customers have asked for sharing features and we’ve delivered.”
Advisory sharing provides a way to increase pilot knowledge of airfields or procedures with which they are unfamiliar and allows new pilots to benefit from the knowledge of more experienced pilots. “FlightRisk rule sharing not only benefits your operation, but enhances risk mitigation for the entire business aviation community,” said Andrew Sedlacek, a user of the app and the safety manager for H-E-B Flight Operations.
As aircraft paint trends shift, Sherwin-Williams has been highlighting how customers can test any of its 333 colors through its visualizer, available online.
While the options vary, there are some trends that rise above the normal ebb and flow of color choices, Julie Voisin, global marketing manager, told AIN, among them semi-gloss or matte finishes in grays and blacks.
“[The trend] is a little all over the place,” Voisin said. “It’s splitting down the middle. A lot of people like the regal look of white with accent stripes. The other 50 percent are going a little more colorful, and we’re seeing more effect finishes such as metallics and micas, a lot more gray shades instead of white overall.”
Some of the more unique paint jobs, she added, include camouflage patterns and aircraft body colors in flashy shades such as bright green. “Some people are trying to be not noticed and some are [saying], ‘Hey, if I’m going to have a business jet or general aviation airplane, I want to be recognized and noticed and take risks with color and design.'”
Maintaining a paint job in peak condition isn’t hard, according to Voisin. “Our No. 1 tip for keeping it looking good is don’t put too much product on it. Waxes can end up doing more damage to the coating over time.” The recommended treatment is simply washing with Dawn dish soap and water.
Textron Aviation has adopted Garmin's integrated avionics suites for most of its new production airplanes. Surprisingly, though, one of its most popular and long-produced models, the Citation XL/XLS, still comes off the assembly line without the Garmin treatment. But with about 700 of these models already flying, Garmin saw an opportunity to offer a retrofit, and now owners can replace their original Honeywell avionics with a modern G5000 flight deck. AIN editor-in-chief Matt Thurber goes for a flight to experience the setup.
Requires initial and repetitive borescope inspections (BSIs) of the dilution tube weld areas of the combustion chamber outer liner and, depending on the results of the inspections, replacement of the combustion chamber outer liner with a part eligible for installation. This AD was prompted by reports of cracks in dilution tube weld areas of the combustion chamber outer liner.
Supersedes an AD requiring replacement of affected fuel pump splined couplings. Since the FAA issued AD 2013-05-13, the manufacturer has revised the time limits manual (TLM), introducing new and more restrictive instructions, including the replacement of the fuel pump splined coupling. This AD is prompted by service experience that demonstrated premature wear of the splined coupling on the fuel pump and subsequent manufacturer revision of the TLM to incorporate revised life limits and updated mandatory inspection intervals, including replacement of the fuel pump splined coupling. This AD expands the applicability by adding a model turbofan engine and also requires revisions to the airworthiness limitations section (ALS) of the operator's existing approved aircraft maintenance program, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency AD.
Supersedes an AD that required removing from service a certain part-numbered main gearbox (MGB) spherical bearing lock nut that is installed on certain part-numbered MGBs and replacing it with a newly designed MGB lock nut. AD 2021-20-10 also prohibited installing any MGB with the affected MGB lock nut and prohibited installing any affected MGB lock nut on any helicopter. Since the FAA issued AD 2021-20-10, it was discovered that a part number (P/N) was incorrectly listed and that the applicability needed to be clarified. This AD retains the requirements of AD 2021-20-10 and clarifies the applicability.
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