After my engagement dissolved, and she and I sold our house near Dallas where we’d lived several years together (cue the music: All of My Exes Live in Texas), I rented an apartment while I dreamed of what my next significant place should look like—and as a pilot, those dreams had an aerial view. A…

Mechanics will be in attendance travel from all over the world. Although they don different uniforms and speak diverse languages, they all share one thing in common – a passion for aviation maintenance. And there’s no better place to witness the fervor they have for their craft than at the Aerospace Maintenance Competition Presented by…

The MRO giants are embracing technological change and finding new ways to efficiently and effectively run their businesses. The challenges are plenty. Material costs are rising, labor costs may be increasing as the mechanic shortage grows and the challenge of managing maintenance for legacy aircraft while welcoming next gen aircraft creates a unique dichotomy. Growth…

Would an A&P mechanic make a good aircraft salesman? Skeptics would say he or she would lack the polish and fast talk typical of good salesmanship. But contrarians could logically argue who better knows the aircraft being sold than the person inclusively familiar with it, inside and out? That is the premise followed by Ballard…

As the U.S. economy rebounds, global air traffic mushrooms, and aircraft production sizzles, engine MRO enjoys the best of both worlds – deferred aircraft retirements plus demand for work on newer powerplants. Maintenance providers, including traditional MROs, are adding capacity, expanding cooperation with OEMs, enlarging global networks, customizing workscopes, and acquiring smaller players to increase…

In a visit to the KLM Operations Control Center, Aviation Maintenance Magazine editor-in-chief Joy Finnegan spoke with Boeing and KLM to learn about the RouteSync process and how it is working for the airline. Boeing has introduced a new tool called RouteSync that eliminates manual pre-flight processes for airlines by automating flight planning and performance…

In a visit to the KLM Operations Control Center, Aviation Maintenance Magazine editor-in-chief Joy Finnegan spoke with Boeing and KLM to learn about the RouteSync process and how it is working for the airline. Boeing has introduced a new tool called RouteSync that eliminates manual pre-flight processes for airlines by automating flight planning and performance…

Big data analytics is expanding from engines to all of aviation, as players gear up to compete in an arena viewed as critical to aftermarket success. But the technology is still evolving and not everybody is sold. “The majority of … players still are exploring ways to benefit from big data … that go beyond…

Flying Colours will be adding more than 140,000 square feet to its North American footprint as it continues an ambitious expansion and embarks on its largest infrastructure growth to date. Plans are currently being finalized for the groundbreaking of a brand-new hangar by the end of fall 2018 at the Peterborough, Ontario, Canada facility. The…

In this second part of our two-part series looking at European MROs, we turn our attention to Western Europe (see part one, focused on Eastern European MROs, in the June/July issue). Long-established MROs lead the vanguard of change and innovation not just in the region, but worldwide. Yet, challenges exist, including a lack of skilled…