Bell Helicopter Training Academy Announces a New Course Offering
March 31, 2009
FORT WORTH, TEXAS (March 24, 2009) – Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, today announced that the Bell Helicopter Training Academy recently launched its first on-line course for Customer Service Facilities (CSFs) that maintain the Bell 412 product line.
The 412 – CSF Field Maintenance Refresher course is available through Bell’s Learning Management System (LMS) and is intended to provide refresher training for Bell’s CSF maintenance technicians. The course offers the flexibility to be taken at any time and location convenient for the technician. Since it is web-based it does not require technicians to travel to the Bell Training Academy in order to complete their refresher training requirements and earn their full Bell Achievement Ranking System (BARS) training credit. BARS is an internal ranking system developed by Bell to promote superior product support and CFS continuous improvement.
Pat Crippen, marketing and sales manager at the academy said, “As we continue to expand our curriculum, we are looking at ways to increase the access to our courses. This 412 field maintenance refresher course is a good example of that and we hope to provide more courses using this method in the future.”
Bell Receives Contract to Modify 27 More Aircraft in OH-58D Safety Enhancement Program
March 31, 2009
FORT WORTH, TEXAS (Mar. 19, 2009) – Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today that it has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Army to modify an additional 27 OH-58D aircraft under the Kiowa Warrior Safety Enhancement Program (SEP).
These 27 aircraft will form Lot 12 of the Kiowa Warrior SEP program. Work on the aircraft will begin in April 2009. Completed aircraft are scheduled to be delivered back to the Army at a rate of three per month beginning in September 2009.
Bell is currently modifying aircraft in Lot 11, and is on track to complete all work on that lot in June, ahead of contract schedule. “So far, we’ve been able to deliver every aircraft in Lot 11 two months ahead of schedule,” said Amy Tedford, Director of Military Fielded Systems at Bell Helicopter. “Our goal is to continue delivering ahead of schedule as we modify the aircraft in Lot 12,” she added.
The Kiowa Warriors are being upgraded with an improved engine, along with improved computer control systems that include related new wiring harnesses. The improvements are part of a series of safety and performance modifications the Army has implemented to keep the OH-58D armed reconnaissance helicopter safe and mission effective until it is retired. Once the aircraft in Lot 12 have been completed, Bell will have modified a total of 253 Kiowa Warriors on its SEP program line.
All work is being done at Bell Helicopter’s Plant 1 facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Work on the Lot 12 aircraft is scheduled to be completed in mid-2010.
The US Army fleet of Kiowa helicopters has accumulated more than 1.7 million flight hours and 460,000 combat flight hours. Despite high usage rates, daily combat scenarios and harsh environmental conditions, the OH-58D continues to achieve readiness rates above 80 percent.
Cirrus Aircraft Announces Partnership With Garmin For Vision Avionics
March 31, 2009
Duluth, MN (March 31, 2009) Today Cirrus Aircraft announced the selection of Garmin as its avionics provider for production models of the Vision SF50 personal jet. The current Vision flying test aircraft, V1, will have the Cirrus Perspective by Garmin™ avionics system installed in early April – the same as is currently available on the SR-series of piston aircraft by Cirrus – and continue its rigorous flight test schedule.
Cirrus Aircraft President and CEO Brent Wouters expressed the importance of the announcement and the milestone it represents. “Avionics are the key component of the pilot-aircraft interface. Cirrus and Garmin are both recognized as leaders in their respective fields and share a common vision to bring innovative technologies and continuous product improvement into the GA cockpit. Today we have taken another significant step forward in both our partnership with each other and with Vision customers by bringing avionics continuity and consistency to Vision and the entire Cirrus Aircraft lineup.”
Wouters continued, “The response to Cirrus Perspective by Garmin in our piston aircraft has been extremely positive. With Cirrus Perspective, Garmin and Cirrus worked together to develop the right avionics solution for our customers in a new Garmin system. Our joint development approach was the hallmark of Cirrus Perspective and we’ll go down a similar path as we evolve that same platform for the Vision personal jet. This is great news for present and future Vision jet and SR22 Perspective owners because the SR22 and TURBO with Perspective and Known Ice Protection is the natural training and transition aircraft in preparation for flying the Vision.”
“Garmin’s avionics are designed to simplify flying and exceed pilots’ expectations for ease of use and reliability,” said Gary Kelley, Garmin’s Vice President. “From the industry’s most powerful autopilot that optimizes performance over the entire airspeed envelope to Garmin’s synthetic vision technology (SVT™) that has dramatically improved safety of flight by replicating what pilots would see outside the cockpit, the Cirrus Vision avionics suite will feature the leading edge technology customers expect from Garmin.”
Cirrus Aircraft and Garmin have been partners in every Cirrus Aircraft model delivered to date. Garmin GNS430’s were standard equipment on the first SR20’s produced and remained standard on all SR20 and SR22 models until the introduction of Cirrus Perspective by Garmin in mid-2008. With Cirrus Perspective, Cirrus Aircraft introduced 12″ screens, dual AHRS, the “Blue LVL” button, IAS select, Enhanced (Infrared) Vision and many other industry-leading features and functions. Given the future delivery of production Vision aircraft, the current Perspective avionics system will naturally evolve to include the latest avionics innovations and developments when delivered on production Vision aircraft.
The Vision development program continues to make measured progress in many other areas as well. V1 is averaging five flight tests per week through the winter in Duluth and now has completed more than 200 engine run hours and nearly 140 actual flight test hours. Significant flight test milestones near the end of 1Q’09 include finalizing power on and power off stall tests; establishing the full CG range; assessing anti-ice system characteristics; further refining aircraft stability and control for V1; and evaluating wing root vortex generators.
Short-term design evaluation items include wing tip and flap optimization, additional structural materials selection and part trial testing. With the Vision personal jet program now progressing from its R&D phase toward mainstream Cirrus operations, the Vision engineering and flight test team is also transitioning into a corporately integrated development and certification program in Cirrus’ main production facilities on the south side of Duluth International Airport.
328 Support secures new Dornier 328 Jet 12-seat VIP conversion contract
March 31, 2009
328 Support Services GmbH has commenced work on an N-registration airliner-configured Dornier 328 (Serial No 3209) at its hangar at Operpfaffenhofen Airport, near Munich. This aircraft is to be converted into a luxury 12-seat VIP business layout. The aircraft, operated by Aviando Services from Miami, FL, will re-emerge in six months’ time with the most state of the art interior ever to be applied to the Dornier 328 Jet.
Special features will include new sidewall with electric window blinds, a noise reduction kit and a Sat phone system with two handsets. Additionally it will feature a digital IFE system from Audio International with eight individual TV monitors mounted next to each VIP seat, two 20in monitors mounted on the forward and aft bulkheads as well as a new 32in widescreen TV with drop down mechanism housed in a crezanda. De Crane soft leather seats have again been selected. 328 Support Services’ engineering team will also fit long range fuel tanks to the aircraft, enabling a 2,000 nm range. The organisation will also be carrying out a series of heavy maintenance checks and other modifications prior to its return to service in its new guise.
The aircraft, which previously saw revenue service with US carrier Atlantic Coast Airlines has been flying with its existing owner for the past year operating throughout North and South America as a highly valued company transport. The company’s owner first discussed the possibility of reconfiguring the aircraft into a 12-seat business version at the 328 Operator’s Conference in Palma, Mallorca in April last year.
Dave Jackson, Chief Executive of 328 Support Services said: “We are very pleased to take on another 328 conversion contract. This aircraft should be extremely special with a number of ‘firsts’ with its unique specification tailored to the Customer’s wishes.”
A spokesman for Aviando said “The choice of 328 Support Services to be our conversion partner was based on the fact that they are the only D328 conversion centre offering the long range tanks and their flexibility in matching our requirements”
Overseeing the work will be 328’s newly appointed Head of Design Jorg Gorgenant who joined the company earlier this year. He was formerly Director of Avionic and Electrical Engineering at RUAG Aerospace. Jorg will join Head of Sales Ray Mosses and Head of Production, Karl-Heinz Klein at the Aircraft Interiors Show in Hamburg next week (March 31-April 2). 328 Support Services has again retained UK-based CTM Design, headed by Robin Dunlop, will be responsible for the interior colour scheme.
328 Support Services has also just completed work on the conversion of 328 Jet (Serial No 3139) for Cirrus Aviation, part of the newly expanded DC Aviation Group – from a 32-seat airliner layout to a 12-seat VIP aircraft as well as the first “stand alone” retrofit of a D328 with long range tanks for Welcome Air.
Chris Swan Named Vice President and General Manager of StandardAero’s Component Services Operation
March 31, 2009
TEMPE, Ariz. – Mar. 31, 2009 – StandardAero announced today that Chris Swan has been appointed Vice President/General Manager of its Component Services operation in Cincinnati, Ohio. In his new role, Swan will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the former TSS facility.
“Chris has demonstrated considerable leadership capability in his management of our Augusta, Ga facility over the past six years,” said Rob Mionis, President and CEO of StandardAero. “I am confident that he will take our Component Services operation to the next level.”
Prior to joining StandardAero, Swan served in various field service roles with GE Aviation including Regional Director, Americas for Commercial Field Service. In these roles, he established the OEM support model for field service’s commercial customers, and also established the model for airframe OEM flight test and production support. Swan also is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt, and while at GE, worked extensively on CFM56 gate-process improvements.
Swan holds a bachelors degree in Aviation Technology from Purdue University.
StandardAero, a Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) company with $1.4 billion in annual revenue, specializes in engine maintenance, repair and overhaul, and nose-to-tail services that include airframe, interior refurbishments and paint for business and general aviation, air transport, and military aircraft. The company, part of the DAE Engineering division, forms a global services network of 12 primary facilities in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Singapore and Australia, with an additional 14 regionally located service and support locations.
About DAE: DAE is a fast developing global aerospace, manufacturing and services corporation made up of six divisions – DAE Airports, DAE Capital, DAE Engineering, DAE Manufacturing, DAE Services and DAE University.
Headquartered in Dubai, the group is growing through a series of phased developments and acquisitions to become a global player and to produce an integrated aerospace cluster, based at Dubai World Central – the new 140 square kilometer airport and logistics city being constructed in Jebel Ali, Dubai. It is forming international partnerships at the highest level of industry with the aim of establishing one of the most innovative and successful businesses in the global aerospace industry within the next decade.
DAE’s shareholders include EMAAR, ISTITHMAR World, Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), Dubai International Capital, DIFC Investments LLC, the Government of Dubai and AMLAK Finance.
CAE to invest C$714 million in research and development
March 31, 2009
MONTREAL, QUEBEC–(Marketwire – March 31, 2009) – (TSX:CAE)(NYSE:CGT) CAE announced today that it will invest up to C$714 million in Project Falcon, a research and development (R&D) program that will span five years. The goal of Project Falcon is to expand CAE’s current modelling and simulation technologies, develop new ones and increase its capabilities beyond training into other areas of the aerospace and defence market, such as analysis and operations.
The Government of Canada will participate in Project Falcon through a repayable investment of up to $250 million. This investment is being made through the Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative (SADI), which supports strategic industrial research and pre-competitive development projects in the aerospace, defence, space and security industries.
“Innovation is essential for CAE in order to sustain its leadership position in modelling, simulation and training. We will therefore, continue to invest in R&D, even in these challenging times,” said Robert E. Brown, President and Chief Executive Officer of CAE. “This new Project Falcon will allow us to continue diversifying our revenue base by leveraging our core technologies into adjacent segments.”
Project Falcon will focus on applying investments into six main technology thrusts. Among these will be the development of an augmented visionics system-a technology enabling a pilot to take off and land safely even when visibility outside the cockpit is restricted. CAE will expand its research and development initiatives in its traditional training markets, including simulation and modelling for new types of aircraft, unmanned vehicles and replacement models for current aircraft. CAE will also develop networking technologies to allow defense forces of many nations to participate simultaneously in real time training and mission rehearsal exercises.
Through the course of the program, approximately 1,000 jobs will be created or maintained. CAE will carry out Project Falcon in Canada, utilizing its R&D laboratories, and test and integration facilities in Montreal. CAE’s highly skilled workforce will continue to partner with universities and key research organizations in Canada, as well as innovative small and medium-sized suppliers across the country.
CAE is a world leader in providing simulation and modelling technologies and integrated training solutions for the civil aviation industry and defence forces around the globe. With annual revenues exceeding C$1.4 billion, CAE employs approximately 7,000 people at more than 75 sites and training locations in 20 countries. We have the largest installed base of civil and military full-flight simulators and training devices. Through our global network of 27 civil aviation and military training centres, we train more than 75,000 crewmembers yearly. We also offer modelling and simulation software to various market segments and, through CAE’s professional services division, we assist customers with a wide range of simulation-based needs.
High resolution photos of the event with the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry at CAE will be available later today at www.cae.com/photos.
TSA’s Secure Flight Begins Vetting Passengers
March 31, 2009
WASHINGTON, March 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced today the implementation of the Secure Flight program, which shifts pre-departure watch list matching responsibilities from individual aircraft operators to TSA and carries out a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission. To date TSA has assumed the watch list matching responsibility for passengers on domestic commercial flights with four volunteer aircraft operators and will add more carriers in the coming months.
“The implementation of Secure Flight is a critical step towards mitigating threats we know exist in our aviation system,” said TSA Acting Administrator Gale Rossides. “Secure Flight improves security and protects passenger privacy and civil liberties by ensuring the confidentiality of government watch list matching protocols.”
Under Secure Flight, airlines will gather a passenger’s full name, date of birth, and gender when making an airline reservation to determine if the passenger is a match to the No Fly or Selectee lists. By providing the additional data elements of gender and date of birth, Secure Flight will more effectively help prevent misidentification of passengers who have similar names to individuals on the watch list.
In addition to addressing misidentification, Secure Flight protects sensitive watch list data and enables officials to address security threats sooner, keeping air travel safer. By implementing one watch list matching system, the program provides a fair and consistent matching process across all airlines.
TSA continues to provide a robust redress process through the Department of Homeland Security’s Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP) (www.dhs.gov/trip), a single portal for travelers to seek redress for adverse screening experiences and resolve possible watch list misidentification issues. Secure Flight uses the results of the redress process in its watch list matching process to prevent future misidentification of passengers who may have a name that’s similar to an individual on the watch list.
The second stage of implementation, which is expected to begin in late 2009, will assume the watch list matching function for passengers on international flights from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and international air carriers.
TSA’s goal is to vet 100 percent of all domestic commercial flights by early 2010 and 100 percent of all international commercials flights by the end of 2010.
NASA Honors Gemini and Apollo Astronaut James Lovell
March 31, 2009
WASHINGTON, March 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — NASA will honor astronaut James “Jim” Lovell, Jr., with the presentation of an Ambassador of Exploration Award for his contributions to the U.S. space program. During a ceremony Friday, April 3, Lovell will accept the award at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum in Lexington Park, Md., and present it to the museum for display.
NASA is giving the Ambassador of Exploration Award to the first generation of explorers in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs for realizing America’s goal of going to the moon. The award is a moon rock encased in Lucite, mounted for public display. The rock is part of the 842 pounds of lunar samples collected during six Apollo expeditions from 1969 to 1972.
Lovell was born in Cleveland and received his bachelor’s degree from the United States Naval Academy in 1952. He spent four years as a test pilot at the Naval Air Test Center, now the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. Lovell was the pilot for the Gemini 7 mission and the command pilot for Gemini 12. He and fellow crewmen, Frank Borman and William A. Anders, became the first humans to leave the Earth’s gravitational influence and travel to the moon during the Apollo 8 mission in 1968. On Lovell’s fourth mission, he was the commander of Apollo 13.
Houston Welcomes Qatar Airways to Bush Intercontinental Airport
March 31, 2009
Qatar Airways launched new daily non-stop flights between Houston and Doha on March 30, 2009.
HOUSTON, March 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Houston gave Qatar Airways a big Texas welcome as the inaugural flight of the Boeing 777-200 Long Range aircraft touched down at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). The special airport celebration began with a classic water cannon salute as the jet pulled up to the terminal.
A crowd of Houston business professionals, government officials, city employees and economic development leaders gathered in a lounge at Houston’s hub airport as Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker addressed everyone who gathered for the festive celebration of the new international air service.
“Passenger demand prompted this new route and I am absolutely thrilled we are able to bring our award-winning Five Star service to this wonderful gateway,” says Al Baker. “Houston is the first new route for Qatar Airways in a robust year of growth.”
To celebrate the occasion, Houston City Controller Annise Parker presented Al Baker with an official proclamation declaring it as “Qatar Airways Day.”
Air passengers who travel frequently between the United States and the Middle East will benefit from the new route. The catalyst for the new international air service is the connection of two important energy capitals. As Houston’s sixth largest trading partner in the Middle East, Qatar was considered one of the top underserved international markets.
“Houston is honored to become the newest U.S. destination for Qatar Airways,” says Rob Wigington, Houston Airport System deputy director of Marketing, Communications and Community Affairs. “This new route is not only great for business and leisure travel between Houston and Doha, but it is going to generate more traffic for our global gateway.”
Qatar Airways serves more than 80 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, the Far East and North America. Besides Houston, Qatar Airways also serves New York (JFK) and Washington, D.C. (Dulles) in the U.S.
The flight schedule for the Houston to Doha route is below:
- Depart Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport — QR078 daily at 20:30 hrs, arrive Doha at 19:40 hrs the following day
- Depart Doha International Airport — QR077 daily at 09:50 hrs, arrive Houston at 18:10 hrs.
EADS Innovation Works Europe Adds HyperWorks to Their Set of Preferred CAE Tools
March 31, 2009
Strategic decision for HyperWorks helps to enhance modeling and optimization, saving development time, costs and material in aerospace industry
TROY, Mich., March 31 /PRNewswire/ — Altair Engineering, Inc., a leading global provider of simulation technology and engineering services that empower client innovation and decision-making, announced today that EADS Innovation Works, the EADS corporate research and technology organization, has increased its use of HyperWorks throughout its European operations and has added Altair’s simulation suite to its preferred set of CAE tools. EADS Innovation Works will use HyperWorks to optimize aerospace structures, with a specific focus on composite material systems, to further the company’s technical innovation potential. The group also plans to use HyperWorks pre-processing technology to streamline the complex meshing process for acoustic finite element (FE) models. EADS Innovation Works has been using Altair’s software for several years already and has recently consolidated licenses.
“In Germany, we were looking for good optimization and meshing tools,” said Dr. Peter Middendorf, Head of Structure Integration & Mechanical Systems, EADS Innovation Works, Germany. “HyperWorks, with OptiStruct and HyperMesh, offers exactly the tools we were looking for to meet our needs. We like the open architecture of the product suite and we appreciate the high meshing quality of HyperMesh. In a benchmark, we ran with several meshing tools, HyperMesh produced excellent results, especially for volume meshes, which we need to automate our interior acoustic simulation efforts. Also, optimization is of growing importance in the aerospace industry and in all EADS Business Units. We are using OptiStruct for our optimization tasks because of its leading performance in optimizing composite structures. With Altair’s tools and support we can save time, money, and material.”
“I’m very pleased about EADS Innovation Works’ decision for HyperWorks and Altair support,” said Dr. Michael Hoffmann, Altair Vice President EMEA. “During the last twelve months, we have seen a tremendous growth of HyperWorks in the aerospace industry and throughout different EADS Business Units. I’m sure this trend will continue due the industry’s high interest in adopting HyperWorks’ superior modeling, visualization and optimization technologies, which include customized solutions for the aerospace industry, such as the optimization of composite structures. I am looking forward to a long and fruitful partnership with EADS Innovation Works.”
About HyperWorks
Built on a foundation of design optimization, performance data management and process automation, HyperWorks is an enterprise simulation solution for rapid design exploration and decision-making. As the most comprehensive, open-architecture CAE solution in the industry, HyperWorks includes best-in-class modeling, analysis, visualization and data management solutions for linear and non-linear, structural optimization, fluid-structure interaction, and multi-body dynamics applications.
About EADS
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2008, EADS generated revenues of euro 43.3 billion and employed a workforce of about 118,000. The Group includes Airbus as the leading manufacturer of commercial aircraft, with Airbus Military covering tanker, transport and mission aircraft, Eurocopter as the world’s largest helicopter supplier and EADS Astrium, the European leader in space programmes from Ariane to Galileo. Its Defence & Security Division is a provider of comprehensive systems solutions and makes EADS the major partner in the Eurofighter consortium as well as a stakeholder in the missile systems provider MBDA.
About Altair
Altair Engineering, Inc. empowers client innovation and decision-making through technology that optimizes the analysis, management and visualization of business and engineering information. Privately held with more than 1,300 employees, Altair has offices throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia/Pacific. With a 20-year-plus track record for enterprise analytics, product development, and advanced computing, Altair consistently delivers a competitive advantage to customers in a broad range of industries.
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