MRO 2008 Show News Briefing - April 7, 2008 - (Page 14)

FAA Finds Carriers to Be 99% Compliant as Four Probes Continue Carriers are doing their job—they are 99% compliant with Airworthiness Directives. And the FAA is doing its job overseeing compliance—but it will take steps to improve. Such were the initial findings of the agency’s compliance audit launched March 13. In Phase 1, the agency performed nearly 2,400 audits across 117 airlines, checking ten ADs for each carrier for each aircraft type in the fleet, according to FAA associate administrator for aviation safety Nicholas Sabatini. Only 1%, or 34, revealed discrepancies, 27 of which were resolved. Four airlines remain under investigation for non-compliance. The audit’s more intensive Phase 2 is underway, the results of which will be completed June 30. FAA acting administrator Bobby Sturgell called the results “impressive,” and announced a five-point plan to strengthen the reporting and regulatory process. “We had a breakdown, a two-way breakdown,” Sturgell said in reference to the agency’s fining Southwest Airlines $10.2 million in March for failure to conduct checks for fatigue cracks mandated by an airworthiness directive, He referred too to FAA’s admitted fault. “There is no excuse,” he said. “This chapter is by no means closed and we will take further actions as necessary.” —Aviation Week & Space Technology CLS for the E-6B from L-3 Mississippi’s L-3 Vertex has a nine-month contract worth $27.1 million to provide Contractor Logistics Support for the U.S. Navy’s fleet of E-6B Mercury communications aircraft, and says that if four one-year options are exercised, the business will be worth $142.3 million. L-3 Vertex says it will provide all parts and material services to support 16 Boeing 707based E-6B aircraft, and perform all maintenance and training for associated support equipment. Services will be provided to the Strategic Communications Wing ONE commander at Tinker AFB in Oklahoma, as well as to other facilities. An E-6B about to get a new cockpit in 2003 at the Boeing Aerospace Support Center, at Cecil Field, Fla. is shown here. L-3 Electronic Systems is at Booth 1121. Sabreliner Adds Manufacturing to MRO Sabreliner Corp has embarked on a major expansion as it adds manufacturing of parts to its MRO work. “As the average age of civilian and military aircraft continues to climb, the need for MRO providers to manufacture replacement structures and more quickly process sheet metal and other materials has become critical,” says Ron Herman, svp of operations for Sabreliner. “Today, it’s the ability to manufacture and perform all final processing of that part which keeps the MRO program moving forward on time and on budget.” Sabreliner (Booth 2716) supplies new center wing assemblies and tooling for aging P-3 Orion patrol aircraft, and repairs flight control components for KC-135 and E-6B aircraft. Nordam PMA for the CRJ Nordam (Booth 1321) reports FAA parts manufacturer approval for cabin window assemblies and landing light lenses on Bombardier CRJ700 and CRJ900 regional jets. The transparencies incorporate proprietary acrylic technology and were designed, engineered, and certified by Nordam, the company says. “Our lenses are not simply replacement parts; they provide a significant advantage,” said Nordam transparency vp Hastings Siegfried. “Our Nordex 188 (for windows) and twoply Norstar acrylics (for lenses) provide superior optical characteristics and exceptional resistance to crazing and crack propagation." Tinker & the Primes AeroEOC (the Eastern Oklahoma County MRO and Aerospace Partnership), the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center, and Rose State College are hosting “Tinker & the Primes” as a national business event this fall. The conference, which includes contractor matchmaking sessions and tours of Tinker AFB facilities, will be held November 17-19 at the Midwest City Sheraton and Reed Conference Center in Midwest City, Okla. Booth 517. The 76th Maintenance Wing from the Air Logistics Center at Tinker is at Booth 2723. Green and More from AVIATION WEEK AVIATION WEEK will hold its second Green Aviation conference in Madrid on Sept. 23, with MRO Europe Sept. 23-25. A workshop will focus on alternative fuels and fuel use reduction. MRO Asia will be held Oct. 14-16 in Singapore, and MRO Middle East Jan. 21-22, 2009, in Dubai. MRO 2009 will be in Dallas, April 21-23, 2009, and MRO 2010 in Phoenix, April 20-22, 2010. Booth 201. 14 www.aviationweek.com/shownews April, 2008 http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews

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MRO 2008 Show News Briefing - April 7, 2008 Contents PBL and Partnerships Delta-Chromalloy PMA Reverse Engineering? Straighter, Rounder Regionals Buck the Trend Composites Loom Large Freighters and Cargo

MRO 2008 Show News Briefing - April 7, 2008

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