Look to default use of cockpit automation in over-water helo ops

Harris Corp. says it has a critical mass of airlines needed to prove datacomm benefit.

Gulfstream matched last year’s green aircraft delivery output in the third quarter, but a more than doubling of completed aircraft shipments helped propel General Dynamics Aerospace Group’s profit to a 41.4% increase. Gulfstream parent GD reported that Gulfstream delivered 34 aircraft in the third quarter, 28 of which were large cabin aircraft (the 650, 550 and 450) while the remaining six were mid-cabins (the 150 and 280). Not only did the total mirror last year’s third quarter, but so did the mix of deliveries.

Eliminating unplanned aircraft downtime would be a good thing, right? Imagine how operating assets that do not prematurely fail would optimize your operations. The productivity gains and cost savings would be immense. Perhaps you think I am taking a utopian view of operations, but if your company and employees are not striving for innovation at the highest level, will you ever get there?

Cloud computing is considered to be the next major trend in electronic-documents management, but still to be decided is how much data will be controlled by airlines, and how much by original equipment manufacturers. Best practices devised to keep engines on-wing longer is one of the issues, says Paul Mingler, GE Aviation's chief consulting engineer of product safety.

The proliferation of mobile devices and software that enables increasingly more complex data distribution and handling could lead to the most significant evolution in maintenance documents management since the transition from paper to electronic formats.

Evolutions in materials and technology are happening so quickly, one of the big challenges for OEMs is designing a product today that can accommodate unexpected changes tomorrow.

AIM Aviation has begun building a new factory adjacent to its Galleys Div. in Byfleet, England. The new facility will add 31,000 sq. ft. of production and testing capability, bringing total space to 80,000 sq. ft. Completion is targeted for summer 2014.