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House supports "Goals and Ideals" of National Aviation Maintenance Technician Day - Now it's on to the Senate

The House of Representatives voted April 30, 2008, in support of the goals and ideals of National Aviation Maintenance Technician Day, which we celebrate each May 24 on the anniversary of Charles Edward Taylor's birth in 1868. The resolution was introduced in the House by Representive Bob Filner (D-CA) and it was Mr. Filner that rose in the chamber to ask for approval by the full House. Mr. Filner's remarks were thoughtful and supportive and in genuine praise of the contributions Charles E. Taylor made to enable the Wright brothers' first powered controlled flight on December 17, 1903.

Also rising in support of HR 444 was Representative Sam Graves (R-MO). Mr. Graves was very passionate about his support for recognizing Charles Taylor and the work of all aviation maintenance professionals. At one point he waxed nostalgic about having seen and heard a replica of Charlie Taylor's third engine run at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis. He seemed carried away by the connection to our proud past.

After both men spoke for several minutes there were no speeches in opposition. Then a voice vote of those in attendance was conducted. Only "yea's" were heard in support. There were no "No's."

Many members of the aviation maintenance community, including many PAMA memebrs, participated to ensure passage of this resolution. Many called their representatives in Congress and it is because of their efforts that we have gotten this resolution through the House.

Now, we will take this resolution to the Senate for their support and then to the President for his signature. We have already begun to have this resolution introduced in the U.S. Senate and we now want to encourage each of you to nenew your support for this continuing effort by contacting your Senators and urging their support. To find your Senator, visit the Senate website and please email and call them both. Urge them to support the Goals and Ideals of National Aviation Maintenance Technician Day.

Watch this space for more info on our progress.

Nigeria: Poor Aircraft Maintenance Hinders Aviation Safety

Daily Trust (Abuja) - Lagos

The air transport sector plays a crucial part in the world economic activities and has been identified as the fastest growing sector of the global economy. In like vein, a safe system of operation is an essential requirement in the aviation industry, because airlines' safety records facilitate passengers' confidence in their operations, thereby boosting the airlines' profitability.

Whatever the case may be, safety is paramount to the aviation industry and this why good maintenance of aircraft is required to make it airworthy for safe flight operations. However, aircraft maintenance is not just carried out by engineers at any workshop, and the parts are not something available as auto spare parts that could be found in market closed by.

It has been discovered that most the airlines operating in Nigeria always face problems when it comes to carrying out major checks on their aircraft as the country lacks a standard hanger for these checks much less overhaul. The Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Giovanni Bisignani, disclosed last week that in 2007, African airlines recorded losses amounting to US$400 million compared to $5.6 billion profit made by airlines globally.

ICG Donates $2,000 To Fund PAMA Foundation Scholarship

Award May Be Used For Supplies, Tuition For A&P Students

Global voice and data communications developer ICG announced at AEA 2008 last week it will donate $2,000 to the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA) Foundation, to fund its annual Brian Bennett Scholarship. The contribution was presented by ICG Vice President of Product Sales Jeff Saucedo to PAMA Board Chairman Clark Gordon and new PAMA President John Casker during a ceremony at ICG's exhibit.

"ICG is pleased to offer a tangible example of our strong support for PAMA and its educational and certification programs," Saucedo said. "This check, which has been designated for this year's Brian Bennett Scholarship, actually represents the generosity and creativity of our Marketing Department and the respondents who took part in a product and services survey they conducted earlier this year. ICG's
surveyors agreed to donate $50 to the fund for each person who participated in the telephone survey. We thank them--and the people who took the time to answer their questions for making this
donation possible."

EAA Announces Free Wi-Fi For AirVenture 2008

Campers By Plane Or RV, You'll Ne Able To Access ANN and Aero-TV
The Experimental Aircraft Association will supply one of most-requested items for campers at AirVenture 2008, with an expansion of free wireless Internet access this summer.

Wi-Fi access will be available in many areas of the North 40 aircraft camping area, the drive-in Camp Scholler campground, and in the vintage aircraft and ultralight camping areas.

This access is provided free of charge to EAA members and their guests in those campgrounds, though EAA notes signal strength may vary because of computer type and setup, weather conditions and
other factors.

In addition, EAA members can log on to their e-mail through computers provided at Internet Cafes located in EAA Member Village and in Camp Scholler. A limited number of Ethernet connections are available for members at those locations as well.

"We're expanding wireless access because we know that many members want to stay connected during their trips to EAA AirVenture," said Tom Poberezny, EAA president and AirVenture chairman. "We're happy to respond to the requests from our members and supply this resource without charge in our camping
areas."

EAA AirVenture, "The World's Greatest Aviation Celebration," will be held July 28-August 3 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.
FMI: EAA Airventure, Aero News Network

FAA calls for heightened 737 trim actuator vigilance

By John Croft
The US FAA wants operators of a wide variety of Boeing 737s to perform repetitive inspections, lubrications and repairs or overhauls to the horizontal stabilizer trim actuators on the aircraft to prevent possible loss-of-control accidents.

FAA’s proposed airworthiness directive (AD), issued today, comes as a result of a Boeing design review and safety analysis of the trim units on all its aircraft following the January 2000 loss of an Alaska Airlines MD-83 and all 88 passengers and crew due to an improperly lubricated jackscrew.

During Boeing’s review, one operator reported “extensive corrosion” of the primary load path ball bearings in the ballscrew assembly of the trim mechanism of a Boeing 757, according to the FAA.

The agency says the trim mechanisms in the Boeing aircraft, although different in design to the failed MD-83 system, perform “similar functions and have the same airplane-level effect following failure”.

Aircraft maintenance firms bullish about their future

Demand Strong; Airlines are turning to more outsourcing as they search for cost-saving steps
ALLISON LAMPERT, The Gazette
A U.S. airline client might have put off an important heavy maintenance deal, but Chahram Bolouri says he's not worried about his firm getting stuck with empty hangars. As airlines struggle to cope with soaring oil prices, demand is strong for cost-saving options like the outsourcing of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) work, said Bolouri of ACTS Aero Technical Support & Services Inc.

Facing internal pressures - including a $10.2 million fine from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration for allegedly failing to inspect aircraft for structural cracks - Southwest Airlines Ltd. recently put off a deal to have some of its B737 aircraft serviced by ACTS's Latin American subsidiary, Aeroman.

In December 2006, Montreal-based ACTS bought 80 per cent of Aeroman, the narrowbody aircraft maintenance division of El Salvador's national carrier Grupo TACA. Despite Southwest's decision, a new hangar with two lines now under construction at Aeroman's San Salvador facility won't stay empty for long, Bolouri said.

"The reason we built a hangar was not for one given customer. It was because of demand," Bolouri said in a recent interview. "We haven't seen any slowdown of future clients into El Salvador. They have to reduce costs and (with Aeroman) they're not reducing quality with the cost," he said. "I will fill both of those (lines) by the end of the year."

Part of what makes Aeroman cost-competitive is its labour costs.

House schedules vote on National Aviation Maintenance Technician Day!

Today House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer released next week's voting agenda in the House of Representatives and I am very pleased to report that H.Res. 444 - recognizing the contributions of Charles E. Taylor with National Aviation Maintenance Technican Day, is finally coming to a vote. Here is Steny's email exerpt:

On Wednesday, the House will convene at 10:00 a.m. and recess immediately. The House will then reconvene at approximately 10:40 a.m. in a Joint Meeting with the Senate to receive His Excellency, Bertie Ahern, Prime Minister of Ireland. On Thursday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for legislative business. On Friday, no votes are expected in the House.

H.Res. 444 - Supporting the goals and ideals of National Aviation Maintenance Technician Day, honoring the invaluable contributions of Charles Edward Taylor, regarded as the father of aviation maintenance, and recognizing the essential role of aviation maintenance technicians in ensuring the safety and security of civil and military aircraft (Rep. Filner - Transportation and Infrastructure.)

(My read on this note is that the vote will be on Thursday Wednesday.)

As most aviation maintenance technicians know, May 24 is the birth date of Charles E. Taylor, the builder of the engine that powered Orville Wright on history's first powered flight on December 17, 1903. Because of his achievement, and the Wright brothers' subsequent reliance on his maintenance skills to keep their birds ready for flight, Charlie is recognized by many of us as the Father of Aviation Maintenance.

NTSB Says Failed Clips To Blame For 757 Wing Panel Shedding

Fastener Change Performed As Part Of 1991 AD

It now appears a Boeing 757 which lost a four-by-five-foot composite wing panel somewhere over Maryland late last month, suffered failed fasteners which were installed as part of an FAA airworthiness directive in 1991.

The National Transportation Safety Board says that missing panel -- which flew off the jet March 22, as ANN reported -- was never located, but adds the Board has found enough evidence in surrounding components to determine what happened to US Airways flight 1250.

"Initial examination of these components revealed that two of the three clips that secured the leading edge of the panel to the wing had failed due to metal fatigue sometime prior to the incident flight," the NTSB noted in an update Tuesday. "The remaining clip failed during flight 1250, causing the panel to separate from the aircraft."

The board added that a fastener change was mandated in an FAA airworthiness directive in 1991, and was completed on this particular 757 by its then-owner, Eastern Airlines. The board says it was the redesigned fasteners that failed on flight 1250.

Since the March incident, NTSB says inspections of all flying 757s has found problems with wing panel fasteners on several other aircraft, which have since been repaired and returned to service.

The loss of the panel has also been downgraded from an accident to an incident in official jargon, since the plane's flight data recorder revealed no adverse affect on the plane's handling after the panel detached. The debris did strike the side of the plane, however, causing minor damage to the fuselage and cracking the outer pane of a cabin window in row 19.

FMI: NTSB, US Airways, ANN

Honeywell licenses navigation system for general aviation

Honeywell International Inc. brought a new system into its Phoenix operations Tuesday by licensing a virtual navigation system built for general aviation. Honeywell is licensing the VistaNav 3D Synthetic Vision from Mercury Computer Systems and will offer sales and support of the product.

"Honeywell's licensing agreement with Mercury provides a synthetic vision solution for general aviation aircraft, which complements our Integrated Primary Flight Display synthetic vision system, currently on business aircraft," said Dan Barks, Honeywell's business director for general aviation operators and dealers

The system displays real-time daylight images of what a pilot could see outside the cockpit window, regardless of weather conditions or time of day. It is designed as a portable solution for general aviation software and equipment that commercial aircraft have used for years.

It also allows users to plan routes, download weather forecasts and perform other flight operations. In ground mode, the mobile computer can be used as a tablet computer, running Windows-based aviation software. Honeywell (NYSE: HON) is based in Morris Township, N.J. Its aerospace business is based in Phoenix.

FMI: Biz Journals

National Aviation Maintenance Technician Day Resolution Nears - We need your support!

It's Now Up to Us

Beginning with the 108th Congress, there has been an effort to pass a resolution in the House of Representatives to support a National Aviation Maintenance Technician Day. A resolution was submitted in the 108th and the 109th Congresses, but these resolutions did not make it out of committee.

The resolution was submitted again last year, this time in the 110th Congress, and this time the resolution made it out of committee with unanimous support. House Resolution 444 supports a National Aviation Maintenance Technician Day, and according to the office of Representative Bob Filner, this resolution should be scheduled for a vote before May 24, already recognized as Aviation Maintenance Technician Day in most states. To read the resolution reported to Congress, click HERE.

As most aviation maintenance technicians know, May 24 is the birth date of Charles E. Taylor, the builder of the engine that powered Orville Wright on history's first powered flight on December 17, 1903. Because of his achievement, and the Wright brothers' subsequent reliance on his maintenance skills to keep their birds ready for flight, Charlie is recognized by many of us as the Father of Aviation Maintenance.

To encourage House passage through scheduling a vote and approving the resolution, the members of Congress need to hear our voices and read our words. I ask that you contact your Congressional Representative and ask for his or her support for HR 444. They cannot know that this is important to us unless we tell them.

If you do not know who your congressperson is, visit the U.S. House of Representatives website and enter your zip code. Then call or e-mail or both.

It's now up to us. Let's make it happen. Pass the word.

Paul Wentz, A&P
Line Maintenance Communications
Maintenance and Engineering
American Airlines

Brian Finnegan, A&P, AME
Aviation Maintenance and Production Certification
PAMA/SAE Institute