Bombardier marked the grand opening of its Melbourne service center at Essendon Fields Airport in Australia on Wednesday local time in a bid to increase the business jet manufacturer’s Asia-Pacific footprint. Once fully operational, the 50,000-sq-ft center will create 65 new jobs, including 48 aircraft technicians.
A 4,000-sq-ft parts department is included in the new facility, which will provide scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, modifications, avionics installations, and AOG support for Bombardier’s aircraft family, including the recently introduced Global 8000.
“The addition of the Melbourne service center is the latest in a series of worldwide infrastructure investments aimed at enhancing Bombardier’s customer service capacity in line with our 2025 plan,” said Bombardier president and CEO Éric Martel. “In the past year, we have added close to one million square feet of service capacity in several key locations, solidifying our plan to bring more Bombardier jets home no matter where they operate.”
Bombardier has more than 80 aircraft operating in Australia, representing 31 percent of the business fleet (47 percent of midsize and large business jets). The Melbourne center builds on the opening earlier this year of the airframer’s expanded Singapore service center, and grand openings planned later this year of an expanded service center at London Biggin Hill in the UK and a new service center at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport in Florida.
Florida-based FBO operator Sheltair partnered with Women in Aviation International (WAI) this past weekend to celebrate the 8th annual Girls in Aviation Day. WAI launched Girls in Aviation Day in 2015 with a mission to educate young girls about possible careers in the aviation industry.
Saturday’s events at Sheltair facilities in Florida and Georgia attracted more than 1,200 guests, who were able to interact with flight crews, tour aircraft, engage in STEM activities, and find mentorship opportunities. Among the guest speakers were former NASA astronaut Nicole Stott, Air Race Classic pilot Bunnie Ambrose, Lakeland air traffic controller Chelsie Baskins, and Shelter president Lisa Holland.
“We know that introducing the next generation to positive female models in all areas of aviation will help move the needle to break barriers for women in all aviation and aerospace careers,” said WAI CEO Allison McKay. “With the generous support of WAI corporate sponsors, dedicated WAI chapters, and corporate members, we are delivering an experience of a lifetime, opening doors of previously unimagined opportunities in aviation and aerospace for girls around the globe.”
At the session held at Sheltair’s Tampa FBO, the Tampa Bay Aviation Association awarded its first Betty Skelton Scholarships, which were first announced in March at the Girls Achieving Leadership in Aviation event. Five young women were each awarded $4,000 to help pursue their career goals within the industry.
ExecuJet MRO Services in Malaysia has expanded its in-house airframe and engine MRO capabilities to include zinc-nickel and cadmium electroplating technology. It also added engine fan case removal and installation.
With the ability to offer zinc-nickel and cadmium electroplating—which involves applying a thin layer of the material to metal airframe parts to protect against surface corrosion—the company no longer has to outsource that work, explained ExecuJet MRO regional v-p for Asia Ivan Lim. “Having this technology in-house allows ExecuJet to have better control over the workflow for airframe heavy maintenance checks and ultimately provide better turnaround times,” he added.
The company also bolstered its engine maintenance capabilities after technicians there completed the first removal and installation of the engine fan case on a Dassault Falcon 7X, which was done in tandem with the trijet’s base maintenance check. “The team performed the task smoothly,” Lim noted. “We have invested in the necessary tools and spare parts to perform this critical maintenance task, among others.”
Hurricane Ian strengthened overnight to a near-Category 5 storm that was expected to make landfall this afternoon on the west coast of Florida near Port Charlotte. The storm has already spawned several tornadoes in the area, one of which struck North Perry Airport in Hollywood, Florida, last night, damaging several light aircraft. As of this morning, more than 200,000 residents were without power.
The 80-mile-wide storm is packing maximum sustained winds of 155 mph with gusts up to 190 mph, and if it maintains that ferocity, it would be the strongest hurricane ever to hit the state’s Gulf Coast. Much of Central Florida will remain under a hurricane watch until at least 5 p.m. this evening but given the slow movement of Ian, that could last longer with tropical storm force winds persisting for as long as 24 hours.
Many airports and FBOs have already issued closure notices, with the latest being Naples Airport, which closed its tower and FBO last night until further notice. The Naples Airport Authority anticipates the closure to last throughout Wednesday and into Thursday, pending an examination of the airport for any damage. NBAA’s air traffic services desk has published a complete list of airport closures.
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Hartzell Engine Tech’s Quality Aircraft Accessories (QAA) officially reopened its general aviation MRO and parts distribution facility following a doubling of the company’s footprint in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
A more than year-long expansion added 13,000 sq ft to QAA’s facilities for a total of 25,500-sq-ft. Expansion of the facility also has enabled the company to transform its MRO and parts distribution processes and streamline operations. “QAA’s MRO customers and recipients of the products we distribute will benefit from improved product availability, service lead times, and quality as the result of new streamlined process flows, standardization of processes, and planning systems,” said Hartzell Engine Tech director of operations April Reid.
An FAA- and EASA-approved repair station for general aviation parts and components, QAA also operates a smaller sister facility in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In addition to the expansion, company officials are working to shorten QAA’s turn-times and increase throughput for repairs and overhauls.
The TBM Owners and Pilots Association (TBMOPA) drew more than 320 attendees and 85 TBM turboprop singles to its 2022 annual convention held from September 21 to 25 in Nashville, Tennessee. Sponsored by manufacturer Daher, the event at Smryna/Rutherford Airport hosted the range of the TBM family, from the earlier-production 700s and 850s to the newer 900-series up to the latest TBM 960.
TBMOPA’s annual convention provided a venue for operators, Daher, and the supplier community to gather for four days of informative sessions, safety briefings, and networking. Along with providing briefings and updates on the TBM aircraft program, Daher exhibited a “digital corner” and information desk staffed by members of its TBM Care team.
Other sessions covered performance-based navigation, interpreting weather, and maintenance tips. In addition, a live auction at the convention raised $120,000 for the TBMOPA Foundation, which provides scholarships for aspiring pilots.
Since Daher has acquired the Kodiak program, TBMOPA is opening the association’s membership to owners/operators of those models, offering an initial six-month complimentary membership. The association said 15 Kodiak owners and operators have so far accepted the offer.
TBMOPA has scheduled its 2023 annual convention from September 6 to 10 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Magnetic Engines in Tallinn, Estonia, has more than doubled the size of its aircraft engine shop. With the expansion, the shop has grown from 300 sq m (3,229 sq ft) to more than 1,000 sq m (10,764 sq ft). The larger facility provides for more shop and office space, as well as engine and engine components storage.
“This is, indeed, an important strategic step for Magnetic Engines,” said executive sales director Alexey Ivanov. “Moreover, it is welcome news for our customers, too, as we had experienced a surge in demand for a while now. Thus, the ability to serve more customers and offer increased flexibility is just a natural way to fulfill the requests from customers who entrust their assets with us.”
Magnetic Engines also has more space to complete “Lego projects,” in which the company assembles a serviceable engine using modules of engines that are no longer serviceable. “Such a concept was popular for years on the CFM56-3 and now gaining popularity on CFM56-7B/-5B engines,” Ivanov added. With the increased space, the company also plans to add new tooling and offer room for customers to store their engines before or after repair.
Luxaviation has launched an integrated online management system that will provide real-time travel management for its clients, the Luxembourg-based charter operator announced this week.
The system was designed to provide clients with a single point of contact for information and services. Those services accessible through the system include an advanced application that provides aircraft-model-specific information including photos, capacity, range, cabin size, and in-flight amenities such as available entertainment. The system also integrates empty-leg management with social sharing and seamless booking, as well as a hub to view and manage requests, quotes, and bookings in real time. Additionally, clients can carbon offset flights and book flights using sustainable aviation fuel through the system.
The scalable system was developed partly by Luxaviation through research into leading airline platforms. “Our new one-stop online client platform with its wide range of applications is a significant achievement in the ever-changing aviation world,” said Luxaviation chief information officer Pieter Steyn.
Supersedes but retains requirements of AD 2021-19-20, which mandated amending the airplane flight manual to include a check and an operating limitation regarding the O2 saver function. Updated AD requires physical deactivation of the O2 saver function and also limits the installation of affected parts under certain conditions. Prompted by reports of defects that may prevent efficient deactivation of the O2 saver function of crew oxygen masks and a determination that the AFM amendment required by AD 2021-19-20 may not be sufficient to mitigate the risk.
Requires modifying the oxygen service compartment door to introduce a means of water drainage. Prompted by reports that significant water accumulation was discovered in the oxygen service compartment access panels of multiple airplanes.
Requires incorporating new revisions to the aircraft limitations section of the existing airplane maintenance manual or instructions for continued airworthiness to establish a five-year life limit for certain main landing gear actuator bottom attachment bolts and new life limits for the rudder bellcrank.
Requires incorporating into existing maintenance records new requirements for airworthiness limitations. Prompted by the identification of certain parts needing maintenance actions, including life limits and maintenance tasks.
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