If you are a helicopter A&P mechanic, there is an outstanding possibility that either now or somewhere during your career, you have worked or will work on a Turbomeca engine. For those of you that have not, Turbomeca is part of the Safran group. Safran is an international high-technology group with three core businesses: aerospace, defense and security. Operating worldwide, the group has...

By: Fred Polak Night vision imaging systems (NVIS) aren’t just for military or police units anymore. In January 1999, NVIS entered the world of commercial aviation for the first time. The FAA issued a supplemental type certificate (STC) that allowed the use of night vision goggles (NVG) by a civilian helicopter operator who was providing emergency medical services (EMS). The advantages that NVIS...

Today’s helicopters are painted with polyurethane type paints. Whether it is DuPont, PPG or Sherwin Williams, the same basic rules apply. Urethane paints cure from the bottom out, as opposed to lacquers which cure very quickly and from the top. When urethane paint cures, it skims the top layer to become dust free, and takes 30 to 90 days to fully cure in many cases. When a helicopter is painted,...

Once upon a time, the U.S. helicopter industry was doing great — not just with aircraft sales and technology, but with jobs, specifically A&P mechanics to maintain helicopters. It started in the late 1970s when many helicopter mechanics left the military after the Vietnam War ended and they brought their considerable talents to the private sector. Today, most of those “baby boomers” have...

LiveTV, a wholly-owned subsidiary of JetBlue Airways Corporation, and Greenwich AeroGroup Inc. have entered into a distribution agreement wherein Greenwich Aerogroup Inc. and its affiliates will sell, support and install the Iridium OpenPort-AeroSM broadband aviation communications platform. Iridium OpenPort-Aero is the only aviation broadband solution that works everywhere in the world,...

Aircraft Lighting International (ALI) announces it has received FAA-PMA approval for its 12mm LED replacement lights. These LED lights are direct replacements of B/E Aerospace and Aircraft Lighting International’s fluorescent lamps. Requiring no new wiring, no new lamp holders, no new dimmers or new controllers, these innovative and fully dimmable LED replacement lights are 100-percent...

Max-Viz Inc. has received STC approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for installation and operation of the Max-Viz EVS-1500 real-time infrared enhanced vision system on a number of Eurocopter twin-engine helicopter models. Eurocopter EC135 T1, T2, T2+, P1 and P2 are included in the EASA STC. The Max-Viz enhanced vision system is already operational on an emergency medical...

All Metal MS, a developer and manufacturer of custom maintenance stands, maintenance support equipment and hangar equipment, has delivered the set of prototype Safety First maintenance stands that were custom designed to outfit the U.S. Coast Guard’s Dauphin helicopter. The prototype stands have been delivered and will maximize efficiency while increasing safety for the maintenance crew. All...

The National Air Transportation Foundation (NATF) announces the Navigate Your Future scholarship, the newest addition to the foundation’s scholarship program. This scholarship is offered to a graduating high school student continuing his or her education in the general aviation industry. The scholarship applicant must be a graduating high school student planning a career in the general aviation...

Avtrak announces a new reporting feature in its GlobalNet maintenance tracking system, helping Mexican operators meet DGAC compliance requirements. Operators who use the company’s maintenance tracking system now have the ability to automatically generate the SB/AD report required by the DGAC every six months to maintain compliance. “With one simple click of a button, our customers have a report...