Category: BizJet

AEPA Seeks Congressional Legislation to Address Workforce Challenges 

The Aerospace Education Program Alliance (AEPA) is urging industry to support the enactment of legislation that would, for the first time, bring government, industry and education together to address critical shortages in the aviation and aerospace workforce. Support for the Aerospace Workforce Development Program would grow the workforce and increase access for those interested in aviation/aerospace careers.

The organization, which arose out of the Youth Access to Aviation Jobs in America Task Force, is urging aviation, aerospace and defense companies and associations to support the Aerospace Workforce Development Program which is on the cusp of being introduced in Congress. 

“While educational funding for aviation/aerospace education is a major issue for aerospace education programs, funding alone will not solve the workforce problem,” said AEPA CEO Dr. Ralph K. Coppola, in describing the reason behind the initiative. “The key to solving the workforce problem is a developing a process to focus resources on the programs that are successfully addressing the workforce issue.”

The Aerospace Workforce Development Program has two parts. (1) Modification of Department of Defense aerospace contracts to include aerospace education programs as subcontractors; and (2) Establish an Aerospace Education Program List on the DoD website where companies will find effective education programs to partner with and invest in as subcontractors. The list will rank aerospace education programs based on their contribution to the workforce.

The legislation grew out of the Congressionally mandated youth task force. To be eligible for education subcontracts, aerospace education organizations must show that they are effective in addressing workforce shortages in pilot, aircraft maintenance, aerospace engineering, manufacturing and other technically related fields. 

The proposed legislation is the second, industry-wide initiative bringing task force recommendations to fruition with the first being the creation of AEPA itself. 

AEPA is asking Aviation, Aerospace and Defense companies and organizations to join more than 20 organizations and businesses who have already signed on to a letter supporting this program which is below.

To view the letter click here. 

To support the introduction of this legislation: Click the link to the Google form to add your organization’s name to the letter. https://forms.gle/Ag5rJW4e5LNPTeRy7

Service Electrical Vehicles Safely with the New Electric Vehicle General Maintenance Kit from Snap-on Industrial

The new Electric Vehicle General Maintenance Kit from Snap-on Industrial provides technicians with all the hand tools they need to service electric vehicles safely and reliably.

The Electric Vehicle General Maintenance Kit (EVTECHCARTO) contains an assortment of 270 hand tools, which are composite in design to prevent electricity from reaching the technician’s hand, ensuring excellent protection without compromising on performance. Composite tools are IEC60900 compliant; composite sockets and extensions are UL rated. 

The kit also includes a toolbox and tool control foam. The Electric Orange Roll Cart (KRSC46HPJK) comes with six 35” wide drawers and a top compartment housed in a one-piece fully welded box designed to hold 120 pounds per drawer (240 pounds with double sides). The top compartment stores a battery charger and can be used as a charging station while locked. Additionally, every tool has a specific place in the box, thanks to pre-cut foam for maximum organization, tool identification, inventory, and storage. 

Tool assortment includes:

  • Composite 3/8” metric sockets from 8mm to 19mm
  • Chrome 6-point 1/4″ sockets, shallow and deep from 4mm to 15mm
  • Chrome 6-point 3/8” sockets, shallow and deep from 6mm to 21mm
  • Composite ring- and open-ended wrenches from 6mm to 19mm
  • Flank drive 12-point combination wrenches from 6mm to 23mm
  • Composite pliers
  • Composite hex keys from 3mm to 12mm
  • 1/4″ torque wrench rated from 15-300 in-lbs.
  • Digital hybrid multimeter
  • 12V DC circuit tester

Boise Hangar Under Construction Collapses Killing Three

An investigation is underway to find the cause of a hangar collapse at the Boise airport that killed three people and injured nine others this week. Five of the injured were in critical condition Wednesday, according to the local fire department.. Authorities said. workplace safety officials are investigating the accident.

The hangar was under construction, according to the fire department. A press release said the city’s building division had found no concerns or issues at a recent inspection at the site. The collapse required an “incredibly large emergency response,” according to Aaron Hummel, Boise Fire Division chief of operations.

Investigators from OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) are trying to determine what caused the collapse, officials said Thursday. The site is fenced off and nearby streets are closed.

“Our thoughts are with the families who lost loved ones and those who are awaiting news on those still in critical conditions,” said Mayor Lauren McLean. She added the community is facing “a profound loss.”

Idaho Gov. Brad Little said on X (formerly Twitter) that state officials were monitoring the situation “to find out how we can assist” and asked that people “keep the victims … in your prayers.”

Jelmar Launches New Industrial-Strength Cleaning Solution Delivering Advanced Results

Jelmar, maker of CLR Brands, CLR PRO and Tarn-X, announced the launch of a new industrial cleaning product CLR PRO MAX Industrial Descaler. The cleaner is specifically engineered to deliver faster, deeper results and dissolve and eliminate scale and rust build up from drains and industrial equipment that heats and cools liquids.

“In independent laboratory testing, the proprietary patent pending CLR PRO MAX Industrial Descaler was found to outperform all competitive products, some by as much as two times greater descaling power,” according to Rafael Ortiz, director of research & development at Jelmar.

The increased cleaning power and speed of CLR PRO MAX Industrial Descaler delivers improved operational efficiency of industrial equipment, resulting in overall improved energy consumption and utility savings. It achieves this by reducing buildup, which, if present, is known to block water flow, cause pressure drops, and reduce heat transfer efficiency, resulting in the equipment working harder for longer. CLR PRO MAX Industrial Descaler boasts the capability to help restore equipment to peak condition, ultimately preserving and prolonging the lifespan of costly industrial machinery.

“The innovation of CLR PRO MAX Industrial Descaler is in direct response to our customers expressing their need for more power, efficacy and speed in their industrial-strength cleaners,” said Dan Bucci, director of B2B sales at Jelmar. “While our CLR PRO line is optimal for routine industrial cleaning, the new CLR PRO MAX offering delivers greater efficiencies for our customers operating equipment and facilities at major size and scale.”

The product is suitable for a wide range of applications from heat exchangers, cooling towers, die cast lines, quench tanks, evaporators, chillers, wastewater buildup, radiators, dishwashers and urinals. It will be available starting February 1, 2024, through B2B distributors and wholesalers.

Jelmar says it will continue to release new products alongside the new CLR PRO MAX Industrial Descaler in 2024 and beyond to build a CLR PRO MAX product portfolio with cleaning solutions made to tackle tough, heavy-duty industrial cleaning challenges.

Veryon Diagnostics Touts 50% Faster Maintenance Troubleshooting

Veryon, a leading provider of information services and software solutions for the aviation industry, recently announced the combined power of its Defect Analysis and Guided Troubleshooting tools into a single, seamless software solution designed for commercial operators and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). Championed by 25 percent of the worldwide commercial fleet, Veryon Diagnostics sets the industry standard in improving aircraft availability by reducing troubleshooting time by nearly 50 percent and lifting first-time fix rates by over five percent.

“Delays and cancellations mean lost revenue, decreased customer satisfaction, operational impacts and unanticipated and unnecessary parts and labor expenses,” said Norman Happ, chief executive officer for Veryon. “Our solutions are already used by the largest airlines and major OEMs in the world, and we’re excited to combine these trailblazing platforms into one powerful solution.”

Analyzing over 765,000 maintenance events monthly, Veryon Diagnostics accelerates customer responsiveness in unscheduled maintenance by leveraging machine learning, natural language processing (NLP) and a custom case-based reasoning engine. The result is swift identification, analysis and remedy at both the tail and fleet levels.

“This is a game-changer for operators and OEMs of all sizes,” said Happ. “By combining 50 years of aviation expertise with AI innovation, Veryon empowers maintenance teams to diagnose issues with unparalleled speed and precision, setting a new benchmark in efficiency.”

By automatically identifying new or changing chronic issues as early as the second repeat, Veryon Diagnostics offers a 33 percent reduction in chronic and repeating defects. Maintenance technicians can substantially enhance their initial fix rates by utilizing a proprietary real-time diagnostic reasoning engine, which optimizes aviation troubleshooting based on real field experience, reducing overall equipment downtime and repair expenses, including a 20 percent reduction in unscheduled part removal rates, and ultimately, reducing delays and cancellations by 10 percent or more.

“Veryon Diagnostics represents a transformative leap forward in reliability and maintenance operations for airlines and OEMs,” said Fedor Gorin, senior director of engineering for Veryon. “Operators and OEMs can shift from a reactionary approach to unscheduled maintenance to a proactive and even predictive approach.”

Based on extensive feedback, research and aligned to real-life workflows, Initial Symptom Profiles gives technicians the information they need to get the aircraft back in service as quickly as possible. The modular ISP page provides quick access to tech pubs, fleet and tail history, potential solutions and other critical information as configured, similar to a Wikipedia page specific to the symptom.

“We’re aligning cutting-edge technology and big data with the real-world need to reduce delays and cancellations and maximize aircraft uptime,” said Gorin.

Other features of Veryon Diagnostics include customizable chronic validation workflows and alerting and collaboration tools for seamless communication across reliability, maintenance control and technicians. This cloud-based SaaS solution is available on mobile apps and the web, allowing operators to implement Single Sign-On (SSO) for seamless user management. The solution boasts sophisticated dashboard functionalities meticulously crafted to cater to the unique requirements of every operator.

IAI Announces Launch of U.S. Innovation Center and Unveils Debut Program, IAI CATALYST

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced the launch of its first innovation center in the U.S. and the debut program within it – IAI CATALYST. The innovation center is a groundbreaking initiative of the company alongside the decision to expand its business activities and presence in the U.S.

The American defense market is a leading knowledge-hub for pioneering technological and military infrastructure development regarding the future battlefield. IAI’s new innovation center and the IAI CATALYST program will foster cooperation between IAI and American startup companies while providing them the opportunity to develop technologies alongside our world-renowned experts and partners.

Operated by Starburst Aerospace, IAI CATALYST is a unique five-month business accelerator program, tailored to support emerging startups on their journey to success. The program will focus on several key sectors critical to the future of aerospace innovation including Trusted AI & Autonomy, Quantum Science, Sustainability and Energy Technology, and Space Technology. Selected companies will receive technical and business support and mentorship in addition to financial incentives to accelerate market entry and growth.

IAI already operates a highly successful innovation center in Tel-Aviv, Israel, in which the company is developing new and advanced technological capabilities that integrated into existing and future projects. The center encourages a range of technologies in conjunction with open innovation and organic creativity while supporting intra-organizational innovation and cooperation with the entire Israeli ecosystem, including academia, startup companies, and the IAI’s engineers. IAI invests in companies that demonstrate cutting edge advancements in sectors such as space and satellites, sustainability and renewable energy, biotech, autonomous systems, and artificial intelligence.

Chairman of IAI’s Board of Directors, Amir Peretz: “As a global company, which sees the United States as not only a major target market in our worldwide business activities, but also as a partner and ally during the current iron swords war and since the establishment of the state of Israel, IAI is acting to increase connections and collaborations between it and American companies, with the aim of encouraging groundbreaking innovation. The innovation center is an important pillar in deepening the relationships between IAI and American technological companies, and of course with government officials and the country’s armed forces.”

“The innovation that has characterized IAI throughout its seventy-year history now has an important additional platform from which to showcase its capabilities and secure its future, by means of the inauguration of the center in Virginia, which that reflect the company’s strength and is the basis for extensive collaboration in the future,” said Boaz Levy, IAI President and CEO. “I am confident that through this center we can promote joint business and technological activities for the benefit of both Israel and the United States of America, which continue together to pave the way of partnership through respect, collaboration, and support.”

IAI vice president of North American affairs, Amir Geva: “The opening of an innovation center in Virginia, reflects the company’s strategy, namely, to work to deepen business and technological activities with our partners in the United States. These ventures demonstrate a combination of the IAI’s rich history with the American defense market alongside joint future initiatives, and their launch is a proactive step to strengthen IAI’s business activities in the U.S.”

IAI’s vice president of innovation and R&D, Eitan Eshel: “After the international success of IAI’s innovation center in Tel Aviv at the heart of the “Start-Up Nation”, the innovation center we are now establishing in Virginia is another expression of IAI’s commitment to the research and development of innovative technologies, in which hundreds of millions of dollars are invested every year. The uniqueness of the innovation center is embodied in the working model of a startup, providing startups and entrepreneurs from academia, accompanied by experienced engineers from IAI, with a path that leads them to develop unique technologies and demonstrate their capabilities within weeks. Israel Aerospace Industries continues to be at the forefront of technology and provide its customers and the world with products of the future using the most advanced technologies.”

IAI North America president and CO, Stephen Elliott: “We are excited about the opening of this innovation center here in the U.S. It demonstrates IAI’s commitment to promoting cutting-edge technological innovation and opportunities by investing in local U.S. startups. The work we will do there will help create the next generation of leading technology through collaboration with IAI from the very beginning.”

AvionTEq Enters into a Multi-Year Exclusive Agreement with Flight Data Systems for HHMPI and Flight Data Readouts

AvionTEq announced that they have entered into a multi-year exclusive contract with Flight Data Systems (FDS) for supply of HHMPI (Handheld Multi-Purpose Interface) units and flight data readout services.

Flight Data Systems (FDS) stands as a premier provider of readout reports, catering to MRO facilities, commercial airlines, and defense organizations on a global scale. FDS offers a variety of comprehensive FDR, CVR, and DLR readout analysis reports, serving a diverse clientele comprising over 300 customers worldwide. With 440+ databases covering fixed-wing and rotorcraft airframes, FDS offers an extensive range of options. The company possesses the capability to craft databases in-house, ensuring tailored solutions to meet the specific needs of its clients.

“This contract, valued in the millions (USD), shows a significant commitment to Flight Data Systems, the HHMPI, and our Readouts Services,” mentions Shane LaPlante, VP of sales and marketing at Flight Data Systems. “We are looking forward to continuing to build upon our solid partnership with AvionTEq to provide services and products that ensure their customers’ operations are efficient, mission-ready, and safe.”

“I and our entire team look forward to working with AvionTEq for the years to come,” says Scott Warner, director of business development from Flight Data Systems.

Operating as an FAA certified repair station (CRS # 5AXR435B) for the past two decades, AvionTEq has acquired a profound understanding of its clients’ needs. The robustness of AvionTEq’s quality system not only meets but consistently exceeds clients’ most stringent requirements, reflecting their commitment to delivering exceptional service and reliability. AvionTEq continues to solidify its position as the go-to source for avionics tooling and testing equipment, along with comprehensive support services, for aircraft maintenance facilities, operators, and manufacturers.

“We are excited to be expanding our partnership with Flight Data Systems,” mentions Fred Bostani, president, AvionTEq. “This agreement will help us deliver the same high-quality services and solutions our customers and partners have come to expect of AvionTEq.”

ExecuJet MRO Services Australia Ready for Falcon 6X

The Falcon 6X has entered into service with ExecuJet MRO Services ready to support it.

ExecuJet MRO Services Australia (ExecuJet) engineers have completed maintenance training,
approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The training encompasses a six-week
program, that includes four weeks theoretical training and two weeks of hands-on practical
training on the 6X assembly line, enabling engineers to be equipped and trained to provide line
maintenance for 6X aircraft visiting Australia and the Pacific region.

Jason Jia, licensed aircraft maintenance engineer at ExecuJet, travelled from Australia to France where he completed the EASA certified training course in Bordeaux, where Falcon aircraft are assembled. The theoretical training was conducted at international aviation training organization CAE in Bordeaux, while the practical training was held at the Dassault Training Academy there.
The Dassault Training Academy is an EASA Part 147 training organization.

“It was exciting to be in France and in Dassault’s home,” said Jia. “The training was practical and
immersive. CAE provided us with simulator and virtual aircraft to familiarize us with the aircraft
systems.”

“For the practical training, we were trained using virtual reality (VR) as well as actual aircraft. The
Falcon immersive VR training devices allowed us to tour the aircraft from the inside to get a better
understanding of the components, the system, and the wiring.”

All systems were covered in the training: the engines, avionics, digital flight control system, fuel
system, hydraulics, landing gear, lighting, water and waste, structures, CNS (communication,
navigation, surveillance), electrical, cabin furnishing and connectivity, oxygen, and the auxiliary
power unit.

Jia added: “It’s clear that Dassault took the opportunity to include the most modern systems for
maintainability and troubleshooting through the FalconScan diagnostic system. It provides
maintenance engineers an integrated and in-depth tool to isolate faults and test the system.”

IHI Developes Aircraft Engine-Embedded Megawatt-Class Electric Motor

IHI Corporation announced recently it and several domestic partners jointly developed the world’s first one-megawatt-class electric motor mounted inside a jet engine tail cone. This achievement is one fruit of the company’s More Electric Architecture for Aircraft and Propulsion (MEAAP) project. This technological innovation initiative aims to optimize the overall energy management of aircraft systems, including engines, to help cut their carbon dioxide emissions.

IHI developed this motor as part of R&D into advanced electric propulsion systems and electric hybrid systems under the Research and Development of Advanced Aircraft Systems for Practical Application Project of Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization.

The global passenger jet fleet should double over the next 20 years on growing travel demand, although the United Nations’ International Civil Aviation Organization targets virtually zero carbon dioxide emissions from these aircraft by 2050. It is accordingly important to improve conventional technologies while innovating aircraft systems that maintain safety and economy and make them more eco-friendly.

The MEAAP project seeks not just to electrify aircraft but also to significantly enhance fuel efficiency by optimizing aircraft systems, including engines, to reuse cabin air, which current designs discharge outside aircraft without using effectively, to cool electrical equipment. This would eliminate the need for complex conventional hydraulic, pneumatic, and other systems, thus boosting design freedom and maintainability while reducing weight. IHI is collaborating with domestic and overseas partners in various R&D efforts to achieve its MEAAP goals.

IHI’s new engine-embedded electric motor could provide power for aircraft and also serve as a key technology in hybrid electric propulsion systems for which R&D is underway around the world.

In March 2020, IHI developed a 250-kilowatt-class engine-embedded electric motor offering the largest generator capacity for currently operating passenger aircraft. At the time, it developed a high-density molded coil technology with a 300°C heat-resistant insulation coating. It has additionally developed an exhaust heat system technology that taps thermal, fluid, and structural technologies that the company cultivated in jet engine R&D. It has augmented these advances to improve efficiency by overhauling the power generation mechanism to create an electric motor that can deliver more than one megawatt of power. The motor offers output scalability as required.

For its new motor, IHI conducted assessments at the Evaluation Laboratory for Next Generation Motors of the Akita University Joint Research Center for Electric Architecture. This is the largest such facility in Japan. This work confirmed that the company could attain the anticipated revolutions per minute when connecting the engine shaft directly to the inside of the tail cone.

IHI will keep developing hybrid electric propulsion systems to electrify aircraft, and looks to demonstrate an engine-embedded electric motor during the middle of this decade. By combining a high-power electric motor for aircraft propulsion, an electric turbo compressor, a high-flux plastic magnet rotor, and an electric hydrogen turbo-blower, which are also under development, IHI will electrify and optimize a range of propulsion systems, including hybrid electric propulsion systems for the future, and aircraft systems overall.

Veryon Wins 2024 Innovation Award for Aircraft Service Center Management Solution

Veryon, a provider of information services and software solutions for the aviation industry, recently announced that Veryon Work Center has been named a winner in the 2024 Innovation Awards in the software category presented by Business Intelligence Group.

According to the company Work Center, a service center solution for business aviation, “streamlines maintenance and return-to-service processes with unified invoicing, robust API integrations and real-time airworthiness data – all in a single platform. It enables efficient coordination of labor, parts and operations, ensuring smooth maintenance execution without delays or disruptions.”

“Work Center’s recognition validates our relentless pursuit of customer-driven innovation, enabling us to empower aircraft operators worldwide with unprecedented efficiency and reliability,” said Norman Happ, chief executive officer for Veryon. “It’s a testament to our dedication to creating industry-leading solutions that not only meet but exceed the evolving needs of our customers so that they can elevate their operations and achieve greater aircraft utilization.”

The solution is tailored for aircraft operators, enabling them to enhance operations, expand their business and ensure precise billing, unlike most service center offerings designed for standalone maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities. Part 135 operators in business jet charter and management, as well as organizations with large fleets, full-time technicians, helicopter operators and emergency medical service operators, will greatly benefit from an end-to-end solution, experiencing significant operational improvements.

The product also allows users to save time, reduce errors and avoid analyst dependency for maintenance revisions. Work Center eliminates integration issues, ensuring a fully integrated flight department, and users can also access their complete aircraft tech pubs and regulatory content library with a single click.

“Innovation is driving our society,” said Maria Jimenez, chief nominations officer for Business Intelligence Group. “We are thrilled to be honoring Veryon as they are leading by example and improving the lives of so many.”

Organizations from across the globe submitted their recent innovations for consideration in the Innovation Awards. Nominations were then judged by a select group of business leaders and executives who volunteered their time and expertise to score submissions.