Category: Editor’s Notebook

As we enter the holiday season and speed toward the new year, 2025, I wanted to take a moment to recap some interesting developments in the aviation maintenance business this past year.

After the pandemic, air travel rebounded fast. Pent-up demand to travel whether to see family, to see clients for business or simply to explore the world and have fun, was enormous. It has shown no signs of slowing down yet either, and perhaps even continued growth. MRO spending is projected to reach record levels, and managing costs and operations efficiently is more challenging than ever.

At the same time, even before 2020, inklings of a true shortage of aircraft mechanics in the workforce was becoming reality. A large portion of certified A&P mechanics is retiring or nearing retirement, intensifying the need for recruitment and upskilling of new talent. The confluence of these happenings made the mechanic shortage clear and top of mind for all.

Redoubled efforts by everyone in aircraft maintenance to reach out to youth and try to entice them into the industry started happening. High school and community college outreach to funnel kids into the technical trades is happening and many are doing a great job of it. But it takes a long time to fill that pipeline and see the fruits of that labor turn into truly qualified, experienced workers in the form of A&P mechanics on the hangar floor.

Retention and attrition are issues. Wages in the industry need to rise to meet this demand and the sector struggles to retain qualified technicians due to competition from other industries and the complexity of modern aircraft systems.

Aircraft increasingly rely on sophisticated electronics, emphasizing the demand for technicians skilled in avionics and software, along with more traditional mechanical expertise. These skills gaps are challenging the industry as well and will continue to do so for years to come as retirements increase and new, inexperienced workers enter the workforce.

These truths have spurred shifts in the aircraft maintenance industry, and it has begun to look to technological innovations as they can assist in these evolving workforce dynamics like never before.

Technological advancements are helping the aircraft maintenance industry in multiple ways, but most importantly as force multipliers. Programs for predictive maintenance, driven by huge fonts of data, are helping enable operators to anticipate and address maintenance needs, improving cost efficiency and reducing aircraft downtime.

One cool development that is being embraced these days is the use of drones in the hangar. Drone technology is increasingly used for inspections, making maintenance quicker, safer and more thorough by accessing hard-to-reach parts of the aircraft. You can read about one use case for drones in our story on dent checking, starting on page 42.

Perhaps you have seen or read about the integration of augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) in our niche market. These tools promise to enhance training, repair accuracy and reduce reliance on manual inspections, which will eventually — hopefully — lead to increased safety and speed of service. The promise is there and now we need to see how it will play out.

What about AI — artificial intelligence? Will that be integrated even more deeply into the daily lives of maintainers, planners and related areas like operations? After all, it is a key component of predictive maintenance, the use of which is going to be crucial going forward. Other nuanced areas where AI will be key are condition monitoring, fault diagnosis and data analytics. Yes, there are legitimate concerns about the implications of AI use in aviation maintenance. But proactive measures can and must be taken to mitigate risks and maximize the benefits of AI technology to ensure safe and efficient aircraft operations.

Every maintenance operation is concerned with compliance. Modern digital solutions must come with the ability to meet regulatory requirements more efficiently. Robust security features will also be key. These can help companies protect sensitive data and avoid legal issues.

The convergence of technology adoption and labor strategies is critical for the future competitiveness and continued safety of the aviation industry. Embracing these changes offers opportunities for innovation but requires strategic investments in workforce development and technological integration.

Some say technological adoption remains slower in the maintenance sector than other areas of aviation due to regulatory and business challenges. But investment is clearly on the rise as companies seek to streamline operations through digital tools and process innovations.

Embracing technology also comes with challenges such as costs, cybersecurity risks and potential resistance to change. Companies must carefully plan and manage their digital transformation efforts to ensure they align with their overall strategy and receive buy-in from employees. But our industry must embrace it.

Those that embrace technology and digitization will gain the competitive advantage by becoming more efficient, utilizing data-driven decision-making and becoming more agile, all of which will lead to better customer experiences. Better customer experiences will lead to repeat customers and continued full hangars.

The dawn of the digitization of aviation maintenance is upon us.

In the closing days of August, a tragedy happened at one of the premier MROs in the world, Delta TechOps. Two people were killed, and another seriously injured, during what should have been a routine procedure in a wheel and brake shop.

Mirko Marweg, 58, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, and Luis Aldarondo, 37, of Newnan, Georgia, were the Delta employees who died. Another employee was injured but not identified. Delta didn’t directly state what happened in the incident. But the company did say in a statement, it was “working with local authorities and conducting a full investigation to determine what happened.”

A report from Atlanta Fire Rescue contained a written narrative from workers who were there when the situation unfolded. “I heard an explosion behind me and saw my co-workers running away from the direction of the explosion. I realized they were running to get help,” the eyewitness report stated. Additionally, the witness reported seeing a body with blood, according to the report.

According to reports, Marweg and Aldarondo were killed just after 5 a.m. while working with wheel components that were being disassembled for maintenance. This work was being done off the aircraft, not on the aircraft. However, a report from Atlanta Fire Rescue listed a narrative from a worker who was there when the situation unfolded. In the report, AFR also said they responded to a “tire explosion.”

While this kind of accident is rare, it is important to remember that it can happen any time, to anyone. Even with safety management systems in place, things can go awry quickly. One thing is certain, this event will be thoroughly investigated to determine exactly what happened, where the chain of events broke down and how it can be avoided in the future.

It must have been devastating for all who work there and certainly for those who knew the mechanics who were killed and injured. A Delta spokesperson said counseling will be made available.

Marweg was known in his family as a “Mr. Fix-It” and a loving man who helped all. Marweg’s son, Andre Coleman, said in local news reports that he could not believe that this happened to his father and that he would no longer have him by his side. “I’m in a state of shock,” Coleman said. “I wanted to view the body because I didn’t believe it was true. Neither did my mom.” However, when they tried to view the body, the Clayton County Medical Examiner said Marweg’s body was “unrecognizable,” and they couldn’t. It is reported that they identified him by tattoos and the Mississippi State lanyard around his neck. “My dad was an amazing guy, wonderful father, wonderful husband. I just saw him Sunday after I told him I needed an oil change. That’s the kind of dad he was. He was always there,” Coleman said.

Delta Air Lines said in a statement that the accident involved “aircraft wheel components.” It also stated it is investigating. OSHA confirmed it is investigating as well.

Former National Transportation Safety Board member and former airline mechanic John Goglia said in a news interview that he believes the incident could only happen one of two ways: “Either proper procedures failed to be followed, or the tire had weakened from repeated landings and cracked and burst.” Goglia said the latter is a “very rare event.” “So it’s more likely that the procedures were not followed, and a very catastrophic event occurred,” Goglia said in the 11Alive news report.

“With at least 200 pounds of nitrogen in that tire, any failure to the wheel halves, it’s going to disintegrate rapidly, and it’s going to shatter,” Goglia said. “So that means small pieces traveling at a pretty good rate of speed, and that’s typically the cause of most of the injuries.”

Goglia also called airline maintenance a “risky business,” and said that the “people that write workers compensation once told me it’s among the riskiest jobs that they insure.”

John Laughter, president of Delta TechOps, E.V.P. and chief of operations, said this in a letter released to all Delta employees: “I’m deeply saddened to share that three TechOps team members were involved in an accident that took place early this morning in Atlanta TOC 3, Dept. 391 – Wheel & Brake Shop. Tragically, two of our team members involved passed away and one other team member was seriously injured. We are extending our full support to their families at this difficult time and conducting an investigation to determine what happened … Please know your safety and wellbeing comes first — always, and that your leaders are here for you. Please continue to take good care of yourself and one another. We’re all in this together, and we’ll get through this by supporting each other.”

Soon we’ll be able to review reports about this incident.

A likely contributing factor will be failure to follow procedures (FFP) which is one of the most pervasive human factor issues in aviation maintenance, contributing to a majority of all accidents/incidents, according to the FAA. If you would like to review some information on procedural compliance with your teams, the FAA.gov website has some great resources. You can find them at https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/maintenance_hf/procedural_non-compliance

The title says it all. Go ahead and admit it out loud. Male maintenance professionals don’t like women maintenance professionals and don’t want them in the industry. They do everything they can to make the work experience of women in the hangar miserable, or worse, untenable so they will quit or move on. Convince me otherwise. Men don’t even want women to be aircraft mechanics at all. All the talk of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the aviation maintenance industry is BS. If you are not a Caucasian man, you aren’t welcome in aviation maintenance. I can’t say it any more clearly than this.

There’s no doubt that being a female mechanic comes with a set of challenges like no other. In this largely male-dominated profession, women may find themselves facing stereotypes and discrimination, and they may find it difficult to find mentors and role models who can help them navigate their career. And those are the good and easy parts of being a woman in aviation maintenance.

Women working in male-dominated industries face a variety of challenges in addition to sexual harassment. Some of those challenges include societal expectations and beliefs that question women’s leadership and managerial abilities. Still to this day, deeply ingrained stereotypes exist, even though companies talk about how welcoming and open they are. It often leads women to take on necessary but rarely rewarded ancillary duties like “office housework” that can take away from their real job duties.

Here are some lived examples of things women have experienced in our beloved industry as stated by women in the industry. “Finding a job where a female feels welcome is a challenge,” said one woman who runs a training business and is both a pilot, flight instructor, and A&P mechanic. “I rarely feel welcome as a customer so feeling welcome as an employee is a real challenge.”

Another woman mechanic reported being alone in a work truck with another mechanic on the job. He said to her, “Women have no business in aviation, your t*ts and cl*t make you a distraction.” The woman mechanic contacted that company’s human resources department to report the incident, which would have made anyone uncomfortable in a professional workplace. The vice president of the company spoke with the man but did not speak to her. A message was passed down that she must have misunderstood him. Stories like this abound and leaving one toxic environment can mean starting from ground zero at another.

Reports of being harassed, both sexual harassment and general harassment, are part and parcel for women mechanics. Being stalked by fellow employees has been reported. Having co-workers trash the reputation of female mechanics has been reported.

When I reached out to another career female mechanic and asked if she had stories to share about the work environment being difficult for women in aviation maintenance she replied, “Every work night, Joy. [And for] my whole 24-year career. Where oh where to begin. Stronger for it but frankly tired of the BS.”

Another female pilot/mechanic reported that while she was flying an Aztec with some serious issues she had to go to the FSDO. The inspector told her “I’ll give you a ferry permit because I know you can’t find an A&P to sign it off.” He never imagined that a 20-year-old female pilot could also be an A&P. How dismissive.

When one woman became eligible for her IA and went to the FAA to take the test, the inspector refused to administer it. This woman was a pilot, air traffic controller, and mechanic. “I had more than four airplanes registered in my name. [Ultimately] FAA legal ordered him to administer the test.” Can you imagine the wasted energy spent on taking this through FAA legal when all you want to do is improve your standing with an additional qualification that is clearly defined and standardized? Either you can pass the test or you cannot. She passsed.

Many experienced women report being second guessed, talked over, and relegated to tool holding and doing documentation. “It’s been a struggle for me since I started in the field,” said another woman A&P. She is now wondering how long she can hold on to the dream of working in this field.

“I will forewarn [any woman entering the aviation maintenance field] should be prepared for pervy looks, jokes, and harassment,” one woman mechanic replied to my query. Why is this necessary? Are we pledging a fraternity or keeping aircraft safe to fly?

As a lead mechanic, one woman reported taking new hires up to the flight deck to talk to the crew about issues and saying that the pilots will talk to the new person who is male. The new guy doesn’t know the answers to the questions, so the pilot will ask to talk to the lead. There she is, standing right in front of them with LEAD MECHANIC on her shirt. She said most pilots see straight through her, like she is a ghost. So it is not just other mechanics but pilots as well.

One company, SR Technics, recently introduced the “Women on Wings” (WOW) initiative, an endeavor aimed at promoting the growth of a diverse, and inclusive workforce within the company. “By offering a network platform, mentoring programs, and increased visibility within the company, SR Technics aims to support its current and future female workforce in reaching new heights of success,” the company says.

“We are committed to fostering an environment where every individual’s talents and contributions are valued and encouraged,” says Caroline Vandedrinck, chairwoman of WOW and senior vice president of SR Technics. “Collaboration is key to our success and it’s inspiring to see so many talented women leading the way.” The company says it believes that by nurturing an environment where every voice is not only heard and valued then possibilities for growth and innovation will be unlocked. I hope this program soars and inspires others like it. See more from Caroline Vandedrinck in my interview with her starting on page 44.

Male maintenance professionals don’t like women maintenance professionals. Convince me otherwise.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is being talked about everywhere now, whether related to uses in business, investing, the future or more specifically, how AI will impact our corner of the world. How will AI impact the world of aviation maintenance? Some say it will be by enabling proactive and data-driven approaches to ensure aircraft safety, reliability and cost-effectiveness. As technology continues to advance, we can expect more sophisticated AI applications to be developed rapidly for use in aviation maintenance.

What is AI? AI refers to computer systems that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as understanding natural language, recognizing patterns, learning from experience and making decisions. AI encompasses a broad range of techniques and technologies, including machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision and robotics.

Some have asked, isn’t it the same as data analytics? Not exactly. Data analytics focuses on extracting insights and knowledge from data through techniques such as statistical analysis, data mining and predictive modeling. Data analytics involves processing large volumes of data to identify trends, patterns, correlations that can inform decision-making and drive business outcomes.

AI does rely on data analytics techniques for tasks such as learning from data or making predictions, but it extends beyond data analytics to include capabilities such as reasoning, planning and perception. In other words, AI encompasses data analytics as one component of its broader scope.

AI may bring significant advantages to aviation maintenance, but there are concerns about potential risks and challenges. One of those concerns is the reliability of the data quality. AI systems rely on data quality and accuracy for effective operation. Errors or biases in the data can lead to incorrect predictions or decisions, posing safety risks in aviation maintenance. AI has already caught off guard some folks in different business areas but here is one aviation adjacent example.

Recently, a lawsuit was filed by a passenger who claimed to have been injured by a drink cart on a flight on Avianca Airlines. The passenger’s lawyers asked the court to throw out the airlines’ defense because it contained references to precedented cases that, upon their research of them, proved to be non-existent. How did this happen? The attorney for the airline admitted to using ChatGPT to conduct his legal research. He even asked ChatGPT if the cases referenced in its response were real, to which ChatGPT replied that they were real. But in fact, ChatGPT had made up the cases it referenced.

Another concern is cybersecurity. AI systems used in aviation maintenance could be vulnerable to cyber threats, such as hacking or malware attacks, which could compromise the integrity of data and operations. This is a real threat that needs to be addressed but that threat already exists in all technology.

The use of AI has also raised ethical concerns related to privacy, accountability and transparency. Ensuring ethical AI practices in aviation maintenance is essential to maintain trust and safety. The public trust is crucial to our industry. Although EASA has a published document called “Artificial Intelligence Roadmap 2.0,” that “sets the pace for conceptual guidance deliverables and anticipated rulemaking activities … [and] serves as a basis for discussions with all of the Agency’s stakeholders,” a search of the FAA website yielded no policy guidance at all on the topic.

Then there is the possibility of job displacement. The automation of some maintenance tasks through AI may lead to job displacement but AI is more likely to augment human capabilities rather than replace them entirely. This may create new roles and opportunities in the field.

There is some fear of the unknown surrounding AI. AI represents a new, rapidly advancing technology. Portrayals in pop culture have shown AI in dystopian, apocalyptic scenarios where intelligent machines rise up against humans. Fear of the unknown can lead to anxiety about the potential implications of AI, but as President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” However, legitimate concerns about the implications of AI in aviation maintenance do exist.

AI systems can operate autonomously and make decisions based on complex algorithms and data analysis. This loss of human control over decision-making processes can feel unsettling, particularly when it comes to critical domains like aviation. People may fear the misuse of AI systems for surveillance, manipulation, discrimination or other unethical purposes, especially when decisions with significant consequences are delegated to algorithms.

Loss of human control over decision-making processes in critical domains like healthcare, transportation, or national security should be looked at carefully and systems designed with redundancies and checks and balances.

There is the pace of AI development that could lead to exponential growth. The potential of AI to surpass human intelligence in the future has raised concerns about the ability to control or contain AI systems once they reach a certain level of sophistication.

While these fears are understandable, it’s essential to approach AI development and deployment with a balanced perspective, acknowledging both the benefits and risks. Responsible AI development involves addressing concerns related to ethics, transparency, accountability and impact to society to ensure that AI technologies serve the best interests of people.

Even without policy guidance from aviation administrative agencies, proactive measures can be taken to mitigate the risks and maximize the benefits of using AI technology in our industry. What is your company doing right now to ensure it is ready and protected as the use of AI becomes de rigueur?

Whether you believe in global warming or not, this is one of the hottest summers on record for the planet Earth. June 2023 was the hottest June on record going back 174 years according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

First, a few stats:

• The month of July was the first time since 1974 Phoenix had 18 days in a row of 110-degree or higher temps. Meteorologists predicted Phoenix would break that 49-year-old record and hit a nineteenth day of extreme high temps.

• The forecast for that day called for a high of 115 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperatures are “very extreme,” said Matt Salerno, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix, in a report in the New York Times. “We’re talking 10 degrees above where they normally are.”

• Another heat record the city of Phoenix set on Monday evening, July 17, was for eight consecutive days in which the overnight temperature never dipped below 90 degrees.

• According to Heat.gov, close to 100 million people across the United States were under active National Weather Service extreme heat advisories, watches and warnings.

• Every June for the last 47 years has been hotter than the twentieth century average for the month.

• This June was the hottest month ever recorded for the world’s oceans.

Elsewhere in the world, things aren’t much better. The Persian Gulf International Airport in Iran reported a heat index of 152°F (66.7 C) on July 16 at 12:30 p.m. A remote town in China set a record temp of 126 F (52.2 C) on Sunday, July 16, that country’s state media reported.

And, according to the European Environmental Agency, “Europe is warming faster than the global average. The mean annual temperature over European land areas in the last decade was 2.04 to 2.10 C warmer than during the pre-industrial period. The year 2020 was the warmest year in Europe since the instrumental records began according to all datasets used, with the range of anomaly between 2.53 C and 2.71 C above the pre-industrial levels. Particularly high warming has been observed over eastern Europe, Scandinavia and at the eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula.”

More than 61,000 people died due to summer heat waves across Europe in 2022 a recently published study in Nature Medicine stated.

Why write about high temps and possible global warming in a magazine about the business of aircraft maintenance? Anyone who has worked in this industry knows exactly why. These high temps are especially concerning for people who work outside or in hangars that are not climate-controlled, as well as for people with any type of chronic illness such as cardiovascular or respiratory disease. This means you or the people who work for you.

Officials recommend learning the signs of heat exhaustion, heatstroke and other heat-related illnesses, staying hydrated and taking time to adjust and acclimate to the environment when temperatures rise. Signs of heat exhaustion include sweating, fatigue, dizziness and headache. A person experiencing heat exhaustion might experience nausea or lightheadedness, muscle cramping, increased fatigue and accelerated heart rate. See image.

Know when to seek medical attention. This would be necessary when a person begins to show signs of heat-related illness. First, it is recommended to move the person to the coolest place possible, give them water or an electrolyte drink and keep skin moist with a wet washcloth. Remove unnecessary clothing such as shoes, socks and jackets. Then, observe and monitor their symptoms which will hopefully improve within 30 minutes, experts say. If they don’t get better or start having worse symptoms, seek medical help. Heatstroke looks like rapid breathing and rapid heart rate, confusion and loss of consciousness/passing out. This is a serious, life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical assistance.

It’s important to stay hydrated with water or electrolytes (like sports drinks). If you don’t want to consume the sugar in sports drinks, make your own electrolytes at home. An easy electrolyte recipe would be lemon and pink salt in water. If you want to get a bit fancier, add potassium chloride (a quick source is Lite Salt) and magnesium (in the form of magnesium citrate) as well as a sweetener, like stevia. There are recipes on the internet.

For those of you working in this heat — take care of yourselves. For those of you supervising a workforce in this heat, please be proactive about taking care of your people.

Good luck and stay cool!

Hardly anything surprises me about aviation anymore. But I have to say, I have been pleasantly encouraged by how quickly the airline sector has bounced back from the brink of the worst days of Covid-19. Each time I traveled in the last year, I was amazed to see how strong the load factors are and how eager everyone is to get somewhere.

The decrease in air travel that resulted in a reduction in demand for maintenance services and aircraft repairs, and led to layoffs and furloughs for many in aviation is over and we are now experiencing a shortage of people, especially aircraft mechanics. Some of those that were laid off won’t be returning for various reasons.

For example, some took a package deal and fully retired. Others looked for, and found, better opportunities in other sectors. Some have said they needed more stability and would never come back to aviation due to the disruption to their finances and families. We’ll see.

But this, coupled with the already-in-progress wave of retirements of both maintenance professionals, pilots and others, has left a deficit of people. According to the Aviation Technician Education Council, more than a quarter of maintenance professionals are 64 years old or older.

Airlines are stepping up hiring again across the board. In our cover story this issue, we take a look at the aviation maintenance skilled workforce shortage and what is being done to improve the situation. It isn’t going to be easy. The pipeline takes a long time to fill, but it must be done. See our story, “Help Really, Really Wanted” starting on page 16.

One of the biggest challenges facing the aviation maintenance industry is the need for digitization. It should be a no-brainer. The use of digital technologies can improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance safety in aircraft maintenance. The adoption of technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning and predictive maintenance can help identify potential problems in aircraft before they occur, minimizing the risk of safety incidents and increasing operational efficiency.

But where to start? For one idea, take a look at our story on electronic logbooks. As our writer, James Careless, puts it, the “volume of advantages associated with migrating from paper-to digitally-based maintenance tracking may well astound you.” Integrating these tech logs with airline maintenance and flight operations will provide the most up-to-date, accurate picture of what is happening with the aircraft and gives maintenance the best chance to service it properly. A win-win. That story begins on page 24.

In another feature, I had the opportunity to speak with Jean-Marc Lenz, CEO of SR Technics, recently. Lenz became CEO in September of 2019, just before the pandemic struck. I had a wide-ranging talk with him in Atlanta, Georgia, recently to learn how the company navigated the past several years and about their big plans for the future. See my interview with this quietly confident MRO leader starting on page 38.

I also want to call your attention to our regular On Guard feature. This issue, former NTSB and FAA investigator, Jeff Guzzetti, examines what many believe is the most striking example of an airline accident caused by systemic deficiencies in maintenance and safety culture. The piece looks at Continental Express Flight 2574, an Embraer 120 Brasilia turboprop that broke up near Eagle Lake, Texas, killing the two flight crewmembers, one flight attendant, and 11 passengers. This accident helped introduce the topic of safety culture as an essential tenet in aviation safety because although there were clear missteps by certain individuals, the entirety of the events leading up to the accident were complex and multifaceted.

Failure to follow procedures, shift changes, a lack of quality control inspections, lack of equipment and poor communications were all factors in this tragic and preventable event. It is a fascinating case study and the stuff of maintenance nightmares. There is so much to learn in Guzzetti’s recap of this classic case. Please read it starting on page 40, share it with your team and make it discussion starter at your next safety meeting.

For those of you who joined us in March at our Aerospace Tech Week event in Munich, thank you so much for coming and making it our best event ever. We hope you will consider coming to our next event, Aerospace Tech Week Americas, which will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 14-15. Please mark your calendars and make plans now to attend.

Finally, I want to take a moment to remind everyone still here in the aviation maintenance business how critically important your work is. Even though I know you know it, it is important to hear or see it periodically and to appreciate the importance of what you do to keep the aviation industry thriving.

First and foremost, you provide an essential layer of safety. Without proper, regular maintenance checks potential issues can quickly escalate and lead to serious safety incidents. Next, in our highly regulated industry, compliance is crucial. Though rare, failure to comply with FAA regulations can result in severe penalties, including fines and the revocation of operating licenses. The work you do makes reliability possible.

Operators rely on their aircraft to meet their schedules and maintain their reputations. Regular maintenance helps to ensure that aircraft are in good working order and reduces the risk of unexpected breakdowns and delays. And one more thing: proper maintenance can actually save operators money in the long run by reducing the risk of expensive repairs due later. Identifying issues early on when they are easier to repair and less complicated saves money (not to mention lives).

Thank you for all you do.

Aerospace Tech Week is an event that has been held in one form or another since its origins, when it was known as the “Avionics” show in 2001. It has been expanding the technology sectors that it covers since that first one and it now covers connectivity, MRO IT, flight ops IT, testing, MRO, space and sustainability. This event has grown and developed in new and wonderful ways recently, with a sister event being held in the U.S. in Atlanta, Georgia, this past November and we will hold it again in Atlanta in November of this year.

But now, we invite you to join us in Munich, Germany, on March 29 and 30 for the upcoming European Aerospace Tech Week event. The event is specifically designed to bring together airlines, aircraft operators, maintainers, OEMs, innovators and aerospace developers in one easy-to-get-to location to share ideas, learn from one another and see what is coming next in our industry. One thing we have learned during the past several years is there is nothing like being together, face-to-face, to spark creativity, learning and advancements.

There will be speakers from the likes of The European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation, commonly known as Eurocontrol, which is an international organization working to achieve safe and seamless air traffic management across Europe which currently has 41 member states and is headquartered in Brussels; The European Space Agency, an intergovernmental organization of 22 member states dedicated to the exploration of space; as well as The European Organization for Civil Aviation Equipment which deals exclusively with aviation standardization, for both airborne and ground systems and equipment.

One topic at the event will cover growth areas like EVTOLs, UAMs and drones. EVTOLs/air-taxis and drones are an area to watch in the near future. All require airspace and air traffic management in the shared airspace with commercial aircraft and around airports. What is the future of the air taxi service, how will they operate near and within commercial airspace (UTM) and how does the current infrastructure need to evolve (including TCAS)? All of this will be discussed at the event.

Another topic will cover trends in data and cybersecurity. Data is the new lifeblood of any aircraft that the operator or OEM can use to analyze and find areas for improvements, efficiencies and cost savings. But how do we decide what data is first required — can data structure hierarchy assist? How do we get that data to the ground securely, with the prevalence of cyber threats, and within the bandwidth (on-board vs. on-ground computing)? How do EASA and FAA guidelines compare for consistencies? This will be debated at the event.

We will also have a look at how innovation can assist in aviation sustainability. With the need for the aerospace sector to reduce emissions by 55% by 2030, innovation and technologies will continue to play a major role in the development for a sustainable aerospace industry. What innovations are already being deployed, and what developments are around the corner? During this track there will be presentations from leaders like Marylin Bastin, head of aviation sustainability at Eurocontrol and Mattia Nurisso, Airbus Air traffic management program manager in charge of the SESAR Very Large Demonstrator Albatross managing ATM related projects in close cooperation with the major stakeholders of the worldwide ATM community, in Europe, focusing on supporting SESAR program. We hope you will come and learn about some amazing developments that can help your company achieve their sustainability goals.

Connectivity has become de rigueur in modern air travel both in the flight deck and the cabin. In Europe alone, skies are expected to see a large increase in flights in the next 20 years.

Systems such as Iris and Certus are designed to help the air traffic modernization program, which can also adopt System Wide Information Management (SWIM) applications to facilitate greater sharing of information such as airport operational status, weather information, flight data, and status of any airspace restrictions. There will be a session looking at use case examples and how airspace modernization can work for the airline. Speakers from the likes of The Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO), a representative body of companies that provide air traffic control, and others will discuss the coming challenges and what needs to be done to keep up with this phenomenal growth. If connectivity is of concern to your operation, this is the track for you.

There will also be certified training at the event. Some sessions will cover Aircraft-Cybersecurity Certification for Airlines: The DO-326/ED-202-Set Operational Aspects; Applying DO-178C / ED-12C (Europe) Avionics Software Guidelines and The New Aviation Safety Paradigm ARP4761A Is Coming – What’s Next?

In addition to the incredible content at this event, consider the setting. It’s being held in Munich, in the German state of Bavaria, which is home to gorgeous centuries-old architecture, museums and rich history. The city is known for its beer halls, including the famed Hofbräuhaus, founded in 1589. In the Old Town, the central Marienplatz square has landmarks like the Neo-Gothic Neues Rathaus (town hall), with a popular glockenspiel that chimes and reenacts stories from the 16th century. There is something for everyone here so stay a few extra days and plan a few excursions. Day trips abound, like to the fairy tale castle, Neuschwanstein or over the border to Salzburg, Austria.

Register online now at www.aerospacetechweek.com, book your flight and hotel, bring your partner and we will see you there in March.

For years, the parent company of this magazine has been hosting a conference and exhibition annually in Munich, Germany. Years ago it was called The Avionics Show but most recently it was dubbed Aerospace Tech Week and we launched a magazine to go alongside of the event called Aerospace Tech Review. Both the event and the magazine cover areas like avionics, connectivity, flight operations IT, MRO IT, aerospace testing, space and aerospace innovations. You can check out the sister publication at www.aerospacetechreview.com.

During the pandemic days, the European event was postponed and finally ran in March of this year in Toulouse, France. Before the shutdown of travel in 2020, we were making plans to have a U. S. version. Those plans were put on hold but, happily, they finally came to fruition this month on November 8 and 9 in Atlanta, Georgia. We had a great event with some truly amazing speakers, presentations, training and exhibitors. Most of all, it was wonderful to be back together, in person, to learn and grow.

One session talked about the benefits of blockchain technology for MRO. Another session included speakers from United Airlines, INFORM — a German company specializing in artificial intelligence and machine learning, Colombian engineering firm SkyOn Aeroengineering and IATA’s head of operational cost management, Dr. Chris Markou.

One track focused on sustainability with numerous sessions, including one that targeted optimizing fuel efficiencies and featured presentations from Collins Aerospace, GE Digital and Honeywell Aerospace, while other tracks looked at the latest in connectivity, testing and avionics.

In our opening keynote session we heard from Rick Uber, managing director of airframe maintenance at Delta Air Lines. Rick gave his insights on the state of our industry, talking about where the industry stands with the challenges of labor force shortages, capacity shortages and supply chain bottlenecks. He shared lessons learned from the airlines’ response to covid and the drive to digitize in MRO.

We were fortunate to have Dr. Alicia Taylor, program director of the Open Group FACE Consortium. The Open Group is an international vendor- and technology-neutral consortium leading the development of technology standards, certifications and best practices. The Future Airborne Capability Environment, or FACE Consortium, collaborates on developing open software standards to innovate processes and practices, and accelerate FACE adoption. It was announced that they are opening membership internationally, with Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom eligible for membership. The move came in response to a growing demand from both businesses, the U. S. and other governments, as international cooperation grows in importance.

Another one of our keynote speakers was Skyler Shuford, founder and COO of the company Hermeus, located in Atlanta. Hermeus is working towards creating a hypersonic aircraft that will fly at Mach 5, more than twice the speed of the supersonic Concorde. Their goal is to make flying from New York to Paris a quick 90 minute hop.

Within the last 18 months Hermeus has built a 110,000 sq ft. factory, transformed an open field into a test facility, conducted more than 100 engine tests, designed and constructed a prototype of its first aircraft, and tested a full-scale proprietary Mach 5 engine. The company also raised $100 million to continue on the difficult journey of design and creation.

Seeing Skyler Shuford speak about his, and his co-founders’ passion, inspired me. He was matter of fact and frank about the fact that along the way, there will be failures. But, he also reminded all that we learn from our failures.

His words made me remember a story from the history of manned powered flight. In October of 1903, a mere two months before the Wright Brothers successfully flew at Kitty Hawk, N. C., Samuel Langley, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, conceived and built a full-scale aircraft that was named the Great Aerodrome. It was loaded on a tall houseboat on the Potomac River, and made ready for takeoff. Smaller versions of it had flown briefly, unmanned, twice before. With news reporters watching and photographers taking pictures, it was launched, but sadly collapsed and fell into the water. Less than 10 days later, the Wright brothers flew.

As a well-known public figure, Langley was excoriated by the press for his very public failure. But Wilbur Wright, when asked about this attempt and the subsequent humiliation of a fellow inventor, called it “shameful.” And added that, “His work deserved neither abuse nor apology.” I hope all will keep this in mind as we head out into new unknown territories whether it be in hypersonic attempts or advanced air mobility. We need to encourage growth, development and invention at the highest levels. Even when that includes failure. As Benjamin Franklin said, “Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.”

If you weren’t able to join us in Atlanta this time, please consider coming to Munich on March 29-30, 2023 or once again in Atlanta on November 14-15, 2023.

The cyclical nature of our industry has been borne out again with the last two — almost three — years of crisis and rebound. For those “youngins” who are experiencing their first taste of the way aviation works, I say, welcome to the most interesting industry in the world. It has been impressive to watch the industry cope with the dire nature of the past years — almost as if they have figured out a few things or remembered what worked in previous crises.

The industry survived an almost complete shut down for months and to me that shows one thing is for sure, aviation will survive anything. We have gone from pilot and mechanic shortages and intense hiring to layoffs and early retirement offers to get those close to that milestone to leave and now back to worries about shortages in the seeming blink of an eye. It’s enough to make your head spin.

For those who took the packages and retired just a bit early, I hope you are enjoying your time now and have no regrets. Those offers to end lifelong careers in aviation early were tempting enough to lure thousands of people at all the airlines to leave. 17,000 employees, or 20% of its workforce, took buyout packages or early retirement, Delta reported in August of 2020. Thousands also took deals at United and American.

Now, we are back to worries about not having enough mechanics (not to mention pilot crew shortages that are limiting full recovery schedules at the airlines). As AIA puts it in one of their policy statements, “A highly skilled and robust aerospace workforce is essential to our national security and economic prosperity. Yet today the industry faces impending retirements and a shortage of trained technical graduates, which is a situation that is forecasted to worsen within the decade.” There are just no easy answers to the radical impacts to flying like those of the COVID crisis.

But now that we are through the worst of it, most folks are vaccinated and we are moving on as a nation and industry, we wanted to take a look at a few things that can help and see how some niche areas of our industry navigated through the troubled waters of the past several years.

In our cover story we examine how the engine leasing sector survived a near shutdown of operations. This crucial sector has a bird’s eye view of the industry and often sees the impact of the economy before others. These folks are eminently able to comment on the impacts of both the downturns and the recoveries.

We asked engine leasing experts not only how they managed through these times, but what they are seeing now that times are better. Tadhg Dillon, chief commercial officer at Shannon Engine Support, Patrick Biebel, managing director of MTU Maintenance Lease Services, Oliver James, VP Commercial Trading at AerFin and Anthony Spaulding, EVP at Magellan Aviation Group gave us an insider look at what happened and where we are headed. In short, Spaulding says the recovery has been “substantial” and that prices are rebounding. See more in this feature story starting on page 28.

Next, we got an update about PMA parts from several key manufacturers of these replacement parts. They are more important than ever with the ongoing supply chain challenges facing the entire aviation and wider world economy. PMA parts can be a saving grace when parts are needed quickly and with competitive pricing.

“PMA parts, by their nature, are a natural mitigation strategy for airlines. As a direct replacement for OEM parts, by including PMA parts in their maintenance programs, airlines are immediately opening up a second FAA-Approved source,” HEICO’s Pat Markham, VP of Technical Services for HEICO Parts Group, said in the story, specifically referring to airline supply chain challenges.

You can learn more from the PMA experts, including the Modification and Replacement Parts Association (MARPA) president, Jason Dickstein, quoted in this feature story starting on page 16. By the way, if your company is not a member of MARPA already, please contact them to join ASAP.

We also had a great opportunity recently to speak with Johann Bordais, president and CEO of Embraer Services and Support. Bordais is one of those rare eternal optimists who always sees the bright side — a perfect outlook for the leader of Embraer’s efforts to keep their customers in the air and happy. See Ian Harbison’s story resulting from his sit down with this global leader.

That interview also led us to learn more about Beacon. Beacon is the EmbraerX (a disruptive innovation subsidiary of the Embraer Group) new web-based system that offers the potential for substantially reduced maintenance delays. The product started out in the executive aviation sector but is rapidly expanding and has achieved considerable success with airlines in the last nine months. Learn more from Bordais and about Beacon in stories starting on page 24 and 26.

One final standout story in this issue is safety expert Jeff Guzzetti’s On Guard series entry. Guzzetti usually highlights an aircraft incident or accident that has a specific lesson for maintainers. And that holds true for his latest piece. But in this case, the tale, entitled “The Day the Nine-O-Nine Died,” has a personal twist that left me hoping the remaining B-17s of the world continue to survive and filled me with pride for our WWII veterans. Read more starting on page 48.

Finally, we invite you to join us soon for Aerospace Tech Week Americas which takes place in Atlanta, Georgia on 8-9th November 2022. The event provides a unique opportunity for the aerospace industry to focus on eight core technology areas like MRO and MRO IT, Avionics, Flight Ops IT, Testing and more. There is a main conference track for each sector which you can mix and match as well as a free central exhibition. Registration is open now at www.aerospacetechweek.com/americas/register. The early bird savings on the main conferences as well as a 3 for 1 offer make it a great value for groups. We are inviting all airlines, military/defense and government to attend for free. Airlines can also can apply for a hosted place including free accommodation. You can see excerpts from the official pre-show guide starting on page 33. We hope to see you there as an attendee, sponsor or exhibitor!