MAY 20, 2019 - No. 040 In This Issue IBS Software to Acquire Canadian Aviation Software Major. Europe ADS-B Mandate Coming June 2020 Cirrus Aircraft Announces New Facility in the Dallas Metroplex Area Continuum Applied Technology and QCM Announce Collaborative Partnership Cambridge, UK to close to all traffic by 2030 EASA To Codify and Expand Aircraft Cybersecurity Requirements Navy Awards Sikorsky $1.13B for Next 12 CH-53K Heavy-Lift Helicopters Iraqi Airways flights to Damascus postponed indefinitely Dassault Strategy Expands MRO Footprint Wise Guy Back in the Sky NASA Picks SpaceX, Blue Origin, And 9 Other Firms For $45.5 Million Moon Lander Study. IBS Software to Acquire Canadian Aviation Software Major MONTREAL, May 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Travel technology specialist IBS Software (IBS) has entered into a definitive agreement with Massachusetts-based Kronos Incorporated to acquire AD OPT, a market leader in aviation software that provides crew management solutions to some of the biggest names in the global airline industry. AD OPT (www.ad-opt.com), founded in 1987 in Montreal by a group of mathematicians and operations research experts, was acquired in 2004 by Kronos, a multi-national workforce management software and services company employing nearly 6,000 professionals worldwide. The cutting-edge crew planning and optimization platform of AD OPT currently powers some of the top airlines in the world including Air Canada, EasyJet, Emirates, FedEx, Garuda, Lion Air, and Qantas. The multi-million dollar acquisition is an integral part of IBS' growth strategy to become the leading technology provider to the airline industry worldwide. Prior to this, IBS has made six strategic acquisitions - three in the USA, two in Europe, one in India - in its 21-year history. IBS is a specialist in aviation software, supporting flight operations of large airlines including British Airways, KLM and Emirates. This landmark acquisition will help IBS leverage AD OPT's deep domain expertise to provide the most advanced, end-to-end, integrated digital solution for the highly complex task of flight and crew management. The coming together of the assets, expertise and capabilities of IBS and AD OPT will bring to the market a state-of-the-art, holistic software for crew planning, pairing, rostering, optimizing, tracking and managing the entire operations of large and complex network carriers. The acquisition of AD OPT will add more than 20 airline customers to IBS, significantly widen IBS' footprint in North America, boost IBS' go-to-market capabilities and enhance IBS' addressable market. The move will also deepen IBS' managerial bandwidth by bringing into its fold AD OPT's team of highly skilled subject matter experts, some with more than 25 years of airline operations experience. AD OPT is a widely recognized name for over 30 years in the global aviation industry for digital innovation, and its progressive crew optimization technology helps airlines assign cockpit and cabin crew to the flights in the most optimal manner to achieve operational efficiency, maintain full regulatory compliance, reduce operational costs and at the same time improve quality of life of the crew. In 2015, AD OPT was awarded the prestigious CORS Omond Solandt award in recognition of 'substantial contribution to operational research in Canada'. Post the acquisition, IBS will take over the office of AD OPT in Montreal and evolve it into a modern Centre of Excellence dedicated to crew optimization technology. An aggressive R&D investment strategy is envisaged to make the solution a market leader in fleet and crew management, helping clients innovate at speed and execute at scale. "IBS represents a well-established and logical acquirer of AD OPT - a game-changing combination which will bring meaningful expertise and complementary benefits to employees and customers of both organizations. AD OPT employees will be joining a thriving company dedicated to the travel industry. Customers will also benefit from IBS' and AD OPT's shared commitment and passion for innovation. Even though we plan to transition the AD OPT division to IBS, Kronos will continue to provide airlines with world-class solutions for workforce management and human capital management," said Bob Hughes, Chief Customer and Strategy Officer, Kronos. "Acquisition of world-class travel technology companies has been a deliberate strategy of IBS to fulfill its commitment to the aviation industry. AD OPT offers a sophisticated suite of airline crew planning and optimization products, a sizeable customer base and a highly experienced team of professionals. The coming together of IBS and AD OPT is, therefore, extremely relevant for the industry as it enables us to create the most advanced digital platform, delivering a holistic solution for flight operations and crew management. We will continue to pursue our inorganic growth strategy to expand our solutions landscape and deliver outstanding value to our customers," said VK Mathews, Executive Chairman, IBS Group. About IBS Software: IBS is a 3,000+ employee, multi-national, vertical SaaS software company, providing new-gen solutions that manage mission critical operations of some of the best airlines, busiest airports, leading cruise lines, top oil & gas companies and renowned travel distributors & hotel groups in the world. IBS also offers consulting and domain-led software services in these business verticals. IBS is a Blackstone invested company and operates from 9 offices across the world serving 170+ customers. To the aviation industry, IBS offers IT systems for passenger services (including Loyalty and staff travel), cargo operations, flight and crew operations, airport operations and aircraft maintenance engineering, making it the enterprise that offers the widest range of technology products to the aviation industry. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ibs-software-acquire-canadian-aviation-140000339.html Back to Top Europe ADS-B Mandate Coming June 2020 While much of the discussion around ADS-B Out mandates has focused on the massive fleet of U.S.-registered aircraft that much comply by midnight December 31, 2019, another big date is looming for European aircraft operators: June 7, 2020. After this date, aircraft flying IFR or general air traffic in Europe with a maximum certified takeoff weight of more than 5,700 kg (12,566 pounds) or a maximum cruising true airspeed of more than 250 knots must meet the ADS-B Out equipage requirement. The U.S. mandate applies to all aircraft that fly in ADS-B airspace, which is generally where transponders are currently required. Once equipped according to the latest U.S. and European ADS-B Out standards-basically a GPS sensor with at least WAAS accuracy coupled to a 1090 Extended Squitter transponder-these aircraft will be able to fly in ADS-B airspace anywhere in the world. One major difference between the U.S. and Europe is that the U.S. is the only country offering a network of ground-based ADS-B stations that can also broadcast free weather and traffic information to aircraft carrying ADS-B In receivers using the 978UAT frequency. No other countries are offering such services, although Garmin recently did a test in Friedrichshafen, Germany, where local aircraft could tap into a special ground station to receive weather information. According to Eurocontrol, about 8,000 aircraft in Europe will be affected by the European ADS-B mandate and as of mid-May, one-third of that fleet is equipped (this includes business aircraft and airliners). Flight-tracking provider FlightAware has been monitoring rates of ADS-B equipage, and in Europe its numbers show nearly 1,000 turbine-powered business aircraft already compliant. Major avionics manufacturers have prepared for the demand for equipment to meet the mandates. Honeywell, for example, has solutions for most business jets that carry its avionics equipment, as does Collins Aerospace. Universal Avionics has updated its flight management systems to meet the latest NextGen and Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) standards, and its products provide the necessary GPS accuracy for ADS-B installations. The Thales/L3 joint venture ACSS has been manufacturing ADS-B-qualified transponder for many years and filling the ADS-B needs of business jets and airliners equipped with ACSS products. Most modern Garmin flight decks are ADS-B-compliant from the factory, but the company also offers a number of solutions for Garmin ADS-B upgrades. The problem now that deadlines are nearing is how to get the remaining aircraft equipped in time. According to Honeywell, "many operators are behind the curve when it comes to making installation plans. Our advice is that operators take action now to avoid the last-minute scramble that will almost certainly impact installation cost, wait time, and potentially restrict airspace." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2019-05-19/europe-ads-b-mandate- coming-june-2020 Back to Top Cirrus Aircraft Announces New Facility in the Dallas Metroplex Area Duluth, Minn. & Knoxville, Tenn., May 17, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cirrus Aircraft announced today a new facility at the McKinney National Airport (KTKI) in McKinney, Texas that will provide a world-class customer experience for Cirrus aircraft owners in the Dallas Metroplex Area. Factory Service operations will be offered to customers beginning in August 2019, and in late 2020 the facility will expand to include a new, dedicated Cirrus Aircraft facility on site that offers flight training, maintenance and aircraft management. "Cirrus Services continues to transform the way we deliver factory-direct service and support," said Todd Simmons, President, Customer Experience at Cirrus Aircraft. "We recognize the importance of developing a world-class, comprehensive owner and operating experience, and our new location in McKinney, Texas is the latest step in providing factory-direct support to our customers in the south- central area of the United States." Announced in late 2018, Cirrus Services marks another milestone as Cirrus Aircraft continues to redefine general aviation by providing broad, world-class customer service for life through training, service and more. The Cirrus Services group focuses on growing capabilities and offerings at the company's expanding customer experience centers, like the Vision Center Campus in Knoxville, Tennessee and the new location in McKinney, Texas, as well as through a network of authorized service and training partners across the globe. Cirrus Aircraft conducted a nationwide search to identify the most ideal location for its first factory- direct satellite Cirrus Services facility outside of Knoxville, ultimately landing at McKinney National Airport. In addition to the heavy concentration of Cirrus customers within the region, McKinney National Airport offers optimal accessibility in a business-friendly environment. Cirrus Aircraft is also working with local partners, including Western, LLC, on the design and build of the new facility, with construction set to begin in early 2020. "Our goal is to expand the premium experience our customers expect from our flagship Vision Center Campus in Knoxville, and we have found that opportunity at McKinney National Airport," said Ravi Dharnidharka, Senior Vice President, Cirrus Services at Cirrus Aircraft. In addition to the growth of amenities and services offered to customers in the region, the Cirrus Services facility in McKinney will eventually bring an additional 30 jobs to the local community. Cirrus Aircraft is actively recruiting for a number of positions, including supervisory roles and A&P mechanics. Current positions can be found at cirrusaircraft.com/careers. About Cirrus Aircraft Cirrus Aircraft is the recognized global leader in personal aviation and the maker of the best-selling SR Series piston aircraft and the Vision JetTM, the world's first single-engine Personal JetTM, as well as the recipient of the Robert J. Collier Trophy. Founded in 1984, the company has redefined performance, comfort and safety in aviation with innovations like the Cirrus Airframe Parachute SystemŪ (CAPSŪ) - the first FAA-certified whole-airframe parachute safety system included as standard equipment on an aircraft. To date, worldwide flight time on Cirrus aircraft has passed 10.5 million hours and 172 people have returned home safely to their families as a result of the inclusion of CAPS as a standard feature on all Cirrus aircraft. The company has four locations in the United States, located in Duluth, Minnesota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, Knoxville, Tennessee and McKinney, Texas. Find out more at www.cirrusaircraft.com. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/05/17/1827043/0/en/Cirrus-Aircraft- Announces-New-Facility-in-the-Dallas-Metroplex-Area.html Back to Top Continuum Applied Technology and QCM Announce Collaborative Partnership Continuum Applied Technology, provider of CORRIDOR Aviation Service Software and QCM, a specialist in the field of training, consultancy, aircraft technical management and design change, announce that through a collaborative partnership, the companies plan to offer regional sales and professional services support for CORRIDOR Software in Europe. The combined knowledge, experience, product offerings, and industry influence of both companies will be beneficial to the efficiency and safety of the aviation maintenance industry across Europe, and together will subsequently define future products and services optimized for both regionally and globally applicable regulations. "We believe that this partnership with QCM will provide a significant benefit to our customers in Europe by eventually establishing a single point of contact for CORRIDOR sales, training, consultation and support activities in the region," says Mike Greig, General Manager of Continuum Applied Technology. "After thorough research on aviation service software providers, we selected Continuum Applied Technology as the ideal partner, not just because of their best-in-class CORRIDOR product, but because they share QCM's mission of improving the safety and efficiency of our industry." - Markus Enck https://www.aviationpros.com/tools-equipment/maintenance-it/press-release/21080882/corridor- aviation-service-softwarecontinuum-applied-technology-continuum-applied-technology-and-qcm- announce-collaborative-partnership Back to Top Cambridge, UK to close to all traffic by 2030 Cambridge International Airport, in the United Kingdom, will close by 2030 at the latest, the owner of the airport, Marshall Aerospace and Defense Group, has said in a statement. Located three kilometres east of the centre of the English university city of Cambridge, the 1,965 metre-long asphalt runway 05/23 and surrounding land will transform into a construction site installing around 12,000 homes. Marshall, which specialises in the maintenance of Lockheed C-130 military transport aircraft, has said it is considering moving its operations to one of three possible alternative locations near the villages of Cranfield, Duxford, and Wyton. At present, Sun-Air operating under a British Airways (BA, London Heathrow) franchise agreement, offers scheduled flights from Cambridge to each of Gothenburg Landvetter (5x weekly) and Manchester Int'l (4x weekly) that primarily cater to demand from its partner, Cambridge-based bio- pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. In addition, the business and private charter carrier ExecuJet (United Kingdom) (LCY, Cambridge) maintains a base there. https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/78174-cambridge-uk-to-close-to-all-traffic-by-2030 Back to Top EASA To Codify and Expand Aircraft Cybersecurity Requirements The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) intends to strengthen aircraft cybersecurity regulations by codifying the requirements into aircraft type certification specifications (CS), replacing the current regulatory process known as special conditions (SC). Also, EASA would expand cybersecurity requirements to more aircraft types. Special conditions mean that regulations must be complied with by individual approval of each aircraft before they are granted airworthiness approval. In a recently issued notice of proposed amendment (NPA) the revised rules would not only replace the use of SCs to mitigate the potential effects of cybersecurity threats on avionics and other electronic systems, but also extend coverage from currently large airplanes to small airplanes, and small and large helicopters. "Such threats could be the consequences of intentional unauthorized acts of interference with aircraft onboard electronic networks and systems," EASA said. These threats have the potential to disrupt or destroy electronic information. All recently designed large airplanes are known to be potentially sensitive to those security threats due to the interconnectivity features of some of their avionics systems. In addition to incorporating requirements into the CS of both large and small aircraft to reflect the state-of-the-art protection of products and equipment against cybersecurity threats, the amendments also are expected to improve harmonization with FAA regulations. WHY AMEND REGULATIONS NOW? In the context of aircraft certification, cybersecurity is commonly understood as the protection of aviation information systems from intentional unauthorized electronic interference. Over the last few years, "Electronic-based systems have been advancing at a rapid rate resulting in aircraft systems and parts being increasingly connected, and those interconnections are susceptible to security threats." Further, "These threats have the potential to affect the airworthiness of an aircraft due to unauthorized access, use, disclosure, denial, disruption, modification or destruction of electronic information or electronic aircraft systems," EASA warns. The EASA proposal is also the culmination of the findings of an FAA aviation rulemaking advisory committee (ARAC). In November 2016, the ARAC provided recommendations regarding aircraft information security protection of aircraft systems and networks, or cybersecurity, "Rulemaking, policy, and guidance on best practices, including for initial and continued airworthiness." EASA participated in the ARAC for regulatory harmonization purposes. The ARAC final report contains regulatory recommendations that affect large airplanes, general aviation, rotorcraft, engines, propellers, portable electronic devices, field-loadable software, commercial off-the-shelf equipment, and communication, navigation and surveillance/air traffic management products. Via EASA guidance materials and acceptable means of compliance (AMC), aircraft owners and operators would be responsible for maintaining procedures to ensure the continued cybersecurity of targeted equipment. As well as avionics, other electronic equipment such as engine and propeller controls must be protected. RISK-ASSESSMENT PROCESS Before a new TC or STC is awarded, applicants must perform a "product information security risk assessment" to cover the following aspects: Determination of the operational environment for the information security of the product; identification of the possible attack paths; and the difficulty of performing a successful attack. After any necessary mitigation measures have been incorporated into the systems, it must be shown that vulnerabilities "cannot be exploited by any known security threat to create a hazard or generate a failure condition that would have an effect that is deemed to be unacceptable against the certification specification of the product considered." When a risk needs to be mitigated, the applicant should demonstrate, as described in EASA AMC documents, that the mitigations provide sufficient grounds for evaluating that the residual risk is acceptable. Once the overall risk has been deemed to be acceptable, the applicant should develop instructions, as described in the relevant AMC, "to maintain the information security risk of the systems of the product at an acceptable level after the entry into service of the product." If information security risks that are identified during the product information security risk assessment need to be mitigated, security verification should be used to evaluate the efficiency of the mitigation means. "This verification may be performed by a combination of analysis, security- oriented robustness testing, inspections, and reviews" and if necessary, by testing that addresses information security "from the perspective of a potential adversary." It is the responsibility of the aircraft owner or operator to report any information security issues to the designer of this product or part, "in a manner that would allow a further impact analysis and corrective actions, if appropriate." If this impact analysis identifies a reasonably high potential for an unsafe condition, the designer of that part should report it to the competent regulatory authority in a timely manner. Comments on the NPA are due by May 22. A decision is expected in the third quarter on whether to drop the proposals entirely, revise them based on the submitted comments, or enact them as originally proposed. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2019-05-19/easa-codify-and-expand- aircraft-cybersecurity-requirements Back to Top Navy Awards Sikorsky $1.13B for Next 12 CH-53K Heavy-Lift Helicopters The Department of the Navy awarded Sikorsky a $1.13-billion contract for 12 CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopters, the Defense Department announced on Friday. The contract to the Lockheed Martin-owned company covers Lots 2 and 3 of the helicopter, which will replace the aging CH-53E Super Stallion. The Navy plans to buy 200 CH-53Ks over the life of the program. This award comes after an overhaul of the helicopter's test program, which had fallen behind due to inefficiencies in the test plan and technical problems in the design of the aircraft. Those problems included an exhaust gas reingestion problem in the helo's three-engine design. A recent Pentagon Selected Acquisition Report noted 126 design deficiencies, Bloomberg has reported, and the Department of the Navy has since worked with Sikorsky to restructure the remaining test program. After cost growth in the Lot 1 contract for the helicopters, the Navy and Marine Corps reduced this contract to 12, compared to a previous plan to buy 14 under Lots 2 and 3. "The aircraft quantity was negotiated for 12 vice 14 aircraft due to cost growth identified during Lot 1 production as well as the cost of incorporating the correction of known technical deficiencies that have resulted from developmental flight test to date," Navy spokesman Capt. Danny Hernandez told USNI News. "The lower quantity will allow the program to afford the aircraft while preserving planned support efforts within the budget and program schedule." In a Friday news release, Navy and Marine Corps leadership expressed confidence in the program despite the challenges it has faced over the past year or so. "The Marine Corps is very appreciative of the efforts by the Navy and our industry partners to be able to award the LRIP 2/3 contract," Lt. Gen. Steven Rudder, the deputy commandant for aviation, said in a news release. "This is a win for the Marine Corps and will secure the heavy-lift capability we need to meet future operational requirements and support the National Defense Strategy. I'm very confident in the success of the CH-53K program and look forward to fielding this critical capability." "This contract award reflects close cooperation and risk sharing between the Government and industry teams to deliver critical capabilities to the Marine Corps," James Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, said in the release. "Working with our industry partners, the team ensured that solutions for technical challenges are incorporated into these production aircraft. This reflects the urgency to ensure we deliver capabilities necessary to support the Marine Corps and the Department of Navy's mission, while continuing to drive affordability and accountability into the program." In a House Armed Services Committee hearing earlier this spring, Daniel Nega, the deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for air programs, told lawmakers on the tactical air and land forces subcommittee that the upcoming contract would put the onus on Sikorsky to address remaining design flaws and fix any other problems that come up during the remainder of testing. "The flight envelope's been tested to the corners; Gen. Rudder talked about how we've sort of wrung it out," he said at the hearing. "There's a relatively low risk that anything major will be found. However, if nuisance issues come along, we are not going to give those nuisance issues to the Marines, and the Navy and Marine Corps team is not going to accept the full risk of that. So the risk concurrency between the development and the production, that overlap is going to be taken care of." Asked how the contract awarded today would do that, Hernandez told USNI News that "the production contract is structured to ensure a deployable configuration is delivered for fleet use. All known issues are included in the contract, additionally the contract provides provisions for any new issues discovered during flight testing. This will ensure appropriate shared risk between the government and industry." Sikorsky's Path Forward Despite the ongoing technical challenges with the helicopter design and the delays in the test program - which has set back the planned start of initial operational test and evaluation but does not appear to threaten the planned first deployment of the helicopter in 2023 or 2024 - Sikorsky officials remain confident that the aircraft is on the right path following last year's restructure. "The majority of the technical issues that we've discovered over the 1,400 hours of flight test, nothing too terribly different than we would expect to find on a development program," Bill Falk, Sikorsky's program director for CH-53K, told USNI News in an interview earlier this month. "The majority of them are already resolved, already proven and demonstrated in aircraft. We do have a set of issues that we still are in the process of resolving and demonstrating, but we've got a plan in place, parts installing in the aircraft and flight test plans to demonstrate that." Falk said the company has dedicated one of its six test aircraft to tackle the exhaust gas reingestion issue, spending the last four or five months using computer-aided modeling and data from test flights to develop prototype solutions and test them out on the aircraft. "We have enough data that we now understand what solution we need to install on the aircraft, demonstrate and validate, which will become part of the production solution," Falk said. "So we are at a completely different spot: where there was uncertainty four to five months ago, we have complete confidence now." The new test plan is also more focused than the original one, tying each flight test to the delivery of a specific capability rather than just flying for flying's sake, Falk told USNI News. The helicopter has already demonstrated that it meets or exceeds all requirements for speed, range, altitude, lift capacity and more. Sikorsky and the Navy/Marine Corps team have also conducted hot weather and brownout condition testing in Arizona, and they have certified the helicopter can be transported via C-5 and C-17 cargo planes. A key upcoming test will be sea trials, where the CH-53K will have to prove it can fly on and off a flight deck and that Marines can maintain it at sea. Falk said the Navy is looking at a window of late February or early March through May of 2020 for sea trials, and that the tests will take place aboard a yet-to-be-decided amphibious assault ship. Initial operational test and evaluation is set to begin in early 2021, which would allow the Marine Corps to declare initial operational capability in time for the first deployment in 2023 or 2024. Though work still remains to be done, Paul Fortunato, director of Marine Corps business development at Sikorsky, and John Rucci, the company's senior experimental test pilot for the CH- 53K, said the new helicopter has already proven it is easier to operate and maintain than its predecessor and that its warfighting capability surpasses the requirements for the aircraft. Rucci said pilots have total trust in the fly-by-wire cockpit, which essentially lands the helicopter on its own - meaning the pilots can focus on the mission at hand or evading a threat, or can safely land in a sandstorm or other degraded conditions. And Fortunado said the helo was built with easy maintenance in mind: fewer tools are required, the all-electronic maintenance documents include graphics that maintainers can zoom in on and rotate to help them maintain or repair parts, the logistics footprint is smaller and easier for deployments aboard amphibious ships. The design even includes putting electronic components in "backwards," meaning the connections are facing outwards and easily accessible when maintainers take off a panel, instead of the wiring being in the back like usual and requiring a Marine to use a mirror to see what is going on behind the component. At Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina, Falk said, Marines are using one of the system demonstration test article (SDTA) helicopters to work out any remaining issues in the maintenance manuals and to start learning more about how to fix and sustain the new helo. "There's Marines crawling around that aircraft, taking it apart, putting it back together again, running the maintenance procedures, and basically using what we developed in order for them to be able to maintain the aircraft," Falk said. "So the opportunity for us before we start delivering production aircraft, we can learn from that, we can feed all that back, we can improve our maintenance procedures and basically when the aircraft is deployed deliver a much higher-quality, more efficient set of maintenance instructions. Plus, you've got Marines that have already used it, done it, learned." https://news.usni.org/2019/05/17/navy-awards-sikorsky-1-13b-for-next-12-ch-53k-heavy-lift- helicopters Back to Top Iraqi Airways flights to Damascus postponed indefinitely DAMASCUS, Syria - Syria's transport ministry says Iraqi Airways flights to Damascus expected for the first time since the war erupted in 2011 have been postponed indefinitely. The ministry says the two flights scheduled for Saturday were postponed because of administrative issues between the Syrian Civil Aviation and Iraqi Airways. It gave no further details. The delay was relayed by the Iraqi embassy. Iraqi Airways announced Thursday it would resume flights, making it the first international company to announce plans to return to Damascus International Airport, beset for years by war and blockade. Only Syrian Airlines remained operative at the airport, organizing some international flights. Syria approved in April a request from Qatar Airways to fly through Syrian airspace. Airlines have avoided Syrian airspace since the war broke out, causing long detours. https://www.660citynews.com/2019/05/18/iraqi-airways-flights-to-damascus-postponed- indefinitely/ Back to Top Dassault Strategy Expands MRO Footprint Dassault Aviation's recent acquisitions of ExecuJet's MRO Services and TAG Maintenance Services in Europe represent "a changing strategy" for customer support, according to Jean Kayanakis, senior vice-president of worldwide Falcon customer service and maintenance network. "For 40 years, we relied on third-party authorized service centers. But the market is changing. Customers are expecting OEMs to have better control of their experience as a customer. MROs are becoming more important. The business is becoming more influenced by the aftermarket," he said in an interview at the annual Falcon Maintenance & Operations (M&O) Seminar in Paris. "In days past, engineering input was primary in a new airplane. Tomorrow, it is what the customer may expect in total benefit, including utilization of the aircraft." The Paris event was one of eight M&Os in Europe, North and South America, and Asia from April 9 through May 21. The ExecuJet acquisition from Luxaviation, announced in late January, adds 15 maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) centers across Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East to the five company-owned Dassault Falcon Services locations in Europe and Dassault Aviation Services in North America. Dassault is also in the process of acquiring the European MRO activities of TAG Aviation in Geneva and Sion, Switzerland; Farnborough UK (which Dassault expects to expand); Lisbon, Portugal; and Paris, France. The ExecuJet and TAG centers will retain their identities and management teams, and will continue to service multiple OEM types in addition to Dassault Falcons. For example, TAG has an extensive Bombardier business jet clientele. "For many reasons, it is quite impossible to start from scratch. They know the customers and the vendors, and we hope to teach them more about Falcon," said Kayanakis. Currently about 10- to 15 percent of the business conducted through the new acquisitions is on Dassault models. "We will try to adapt to the competition," Kayanakis added. "The main idea is to extend our network footprint in Asia and Europe, as well as the Middle East, Africa and Australia. This was our first move." Will there be future acquisitions, for example in North America? Of the 2,120 Falcons in service worldwide (1,260 operators, 90 countries), more than two-thirds-69 percent-are in the Americas. Europe, the Middle East, and Africa account for 25 percent, Asia-Pacific only 6 percent. "The U.S. market has the same kind of expectation. We don't want to rely only on independent organizations. We will need to be clever, maybe." Kayanakis stated, "We will need some more capacity," citing the new Falcon 6X, expected to enter service in 2022, "and another airplane in the future." The support space needs are also driven by the trend toward larger aircraft. "Capacity has a direct impact on our ability to service the fleet." "We need opportunities to be involved in most aspects with our customers-including maintenance and pilots-to get a more comprehensive experience. We want to strengthen that to improve the product and customer service," he said. Nearly 300 Falcon customer representatives attended the Paris M&O two-day event, 138 with "flight ops" profiles and 154 with "maintenance profiles." There were also more than 200 sponsors, including engine, avionics, communications, training, and other Dassault vendors. Nearly 2,000 attendees are expected across the eight M&O events globally. PROGRAM SPECIFICITY For the first time, a cabin track was incorporated for flight attendants, covering safety events and the new FalconConnect onboard communications and entertainment systems. There was a heavy dose of detail and transparency in the aircraft-specific sessions as Dassault and partner presenters described program updates, regulatory impacts, operational challenges such as cold weather, aircraft system or parts problems customers had experienced and what the OEM was doing to fix them, as well as some new developments. Among the innovations Dassault revealed were drone inspections of aircraft and 3D scanning. The drone would be fully autonomous, preprogrammed to check the entire exterior of an aircraft for damage and defects. Tests are in progress on military aircraft with initial evaluations on Falcons soon. The 3D scan, currently using a handheld scanner (perhaps via drone in the future) measures surface distortion or loss of material and is accurate to 0.005 millimeters. Dassault said the scanner has been deployed at Dassault Falcon Service sites and saves 70 percent of the time required for complex mapping. In the exhibits area, Dassault offered a virtual reality experience of the FalconEye Combined Vision System (CVS) head-up display, which aligns real-world imagery from an array of cameras and sensors with a synthetic terrain map for enhanced situational awareness in low-visibility approaches. FalconEye was certified late last year by both EASA and the FAA for Falcon 8X operational credit for poor-viz approaches down to 100 feet and is expected to be approved soon for the Falcon 2000LX and Falcon 900LX. A dual-HUD configuration and full approach capability are anticipated next year. On the subject of passenger medical care, cabin training partner Aircare demonstrated an upgrade to its portable patient assessment and communications tool-the Aircare Access RVS 6 (Remote Viewing Station) at the M&O meeting. Jake Paini, Aircare International director of sales, said, "The basic premise behind the unit is to provide the flight crew, physician, and patient a means of providing a professional assessment of an ill passenger while in-flight or on the ground. Through the use of encrypted video, doctors have the remote ability to see and talk with your caretaker and send the assessment data to the physician in real time." The RVS 6 combines video, wireless diagnostic tools (blood pressure, glucose meter, thermometer, electrocardiogram, pulse oximeter), and live streaming of encrypted data. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2019-05-19/dassault-strategy- expands-mro-footprint Back to Top Wise Guy Back in the Sky BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. (AFNS) -- In the cockpit of "Wise Guy," a B-52H Stratofortress which had been baking in the Arizona sun at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group since 2008, is a note that reads: "AMARG, this is 60-034, a cold warrior that stood sentinel over America from the darkest days of the Cold War to the global fight against terror. Take good care of her....until we need her again." The plea, scrawled on a metal clipboard in black marker, proved to be prophetic when both Reserve and active duty Airmen flew the jet to Barksdale Air Force Base May 14 to begin the next phase of its life protecting U.S. interests at home and abroad. The note's unknown author probably knew the bomber's chances of returning to active service were slim. AMARG is often referred to as the "Boneyard" because aircraft sent to the desert environment are normally picked over for parts. Most B-52s sent there never fly again. But when the Air Force lost one of its bombers in 2016, it started a chain of events that made "Wise Guy" only the second B-52H ever to be taken from the 309th AMARG for active service. The first, nicknamed "Ghost Rider," was brought to Barksdale AFB in 2015, also by members of the 307th and 2nd Bomb Wings. With more than 17,000 flight hours in its history and more than a decade baking in the desert, getting "Wise Guy" airworthy required help from multiple sources. "This was a command wide effort, with reservists and active duty offering a great deal of experience," said Col. Robert Burgess, 307th Operations Group commander and pilot for the flight. "It took four months to get ready, so it was really a small effort on the aircrew side and a major effort on the maintainer side." The bomber had a team of 13 to 20 maintainers working on it at any given time, said Master Sgt. Steven Sorge, a 307th Maintenance Squadron fuels system mechanic. "The jet had cracks in the rear landing gear and was missing two engines," he said. "It also needed all its fuels cells and hoses replaced, as well as its tires." "Wise Guy" also needed its egress system overhauled, said Master Sgt. Greg Barnhill, 307th Maintenance Squadron egress shop supervisor. An egress system allows the aircrew to bail out of the aircraft in case of an emergency. "All of our parts for repairing the ejections seats were basically in a five-gallon bucket," he said. "It was like putting together a jigsaw puzzle." Fortunately, maintainers like Sorge and Barnhill have a deep well of experience, having worked on B-52s for more than two decades. They also had the advantage of the total force integration system, which combines the experience of Reserve Airmen from the 307th BW with active-duty Airmen from the 2nd BW. "TFI worked great out there for us," Barnhill said. "The active-duty Airmen in our shop and those from 2nd BW worked well as a team and were a big help." Once the maintainers completed the necessary repairs, they ran multiple tests on the engines, landing gear, fuel and egress systems to ensure the jet was flight worthy. From there, it was all up to the air crew to get the bomber to Barksdale AFB. The three-man crew, with more than 10,000 flying hours between them, flew the B-52 low and slow all the way to Louisiana. With the bomber safely at Barksdale AFB, Barnhill had time to reflect on his role in saving "Wise Guy" from becoming a historical footnote. "Bringing a bomber out of AMARG is a once in a lifetime chance and I have been able to do it twice," he said. "It's just an honor to bring it back into service." Fully restoring the jet will require 550 personnel across multiple maintenance disciplines and cost approximately $30 million, according to guidance released by Air Force Global Strike Command. The aircraft is expected to be completely https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/defense/news/21081027/wise-guy-back-in-the-sky Back to Top NASA Picks SpaceX, Blue Origin, And 9 Other Firms For $45.5 Million Moon Lander Study NASA has revealed the 11 private companies it has tapped to research and develop new technology for its planned moon lander. Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin headline the American space agency's partners in coming up with the next lunar lander design. They are joined by two of the U.S. government's oldest space collaborators, Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Other companies working on the project are Aerojet Rocketdyne, Dynetics, Masten Space Systems, Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, OrbitBeyond, Sierra Nevada Corporation, and SSL. The Next Lunar Lander Design The lunar lander project is part of NASA's Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships program. All 11 partners are tasked with studying potential vehicles and refueling elements that are necessary to create a viable moon lander. They will then build prototypes to demonstrate their designs. The American companies will receive a share of the total $45.5 million for the project. However, a NASA spokesperson said the amount that each one of them would get would depend on the proposal submitted to the space agency. The developers will also have to pay at least 20 percent of the total project cost. NASA hopes to use the designs that the companies will produce for its planned manned mission to the moon in 2024. "To accelerate our return to the Moon, we are challenging our traditional ways of doing business," explained Marshall Smith, director for human lunar exploration programs at NASA HQ. "We will streamline everything from procurement to partnerships to hardware development and even operations." Smith added that NASA is looking forward to getting back to the moon as fast as possible. The space agency views its public/private partnerships with the 11 private firms to study human landing systems as an important step in achieving this goal. NextSTEP Option NASA is utilizing what it calls undefinitized contract actions to help expedite work on the lunar lander research. This allows the space agency to authorize its partners to begin a portion of the project even though they are still in negotiations for a contract award. Greg Chavers, manager of human landing system formulation at the Marshall Space Flight Center, said NASA is taking major steps in starting development of technologies as fast as possible. This includes invoking a NextSTEP option to let partner companies start working while they are still negotiating. He said the undefinitized contract action will help the space agency to collect feedback from the industry regarding its human landing system requirements. In April, NASA announced that it plans to team up with American companies to develop an integrated moon lander. It made its intentions known by releasing a pre-solicitation to the U.S. space industry. The space agency will issue a formal solicitation about the project this summer. This will provide the requirements for its planned human landing on the moon in 2024. Industry members will be responsible for submitting their concept proposals, as well as their plans for hardware development and integration. Chavers pointed out that the approach does not prescribe a specific design or a certain number of elements necessary for the human landing system. He said NASA needs a way to send astronauts back to the surface of the moon and have them return safely. The space agency is leaving many of the system's specifics to its private partners. https://www.techtimes.com/articles/243441/20190518/nasa-picks-spacex-blue-origin-and-9-other- firms-for-45-5-million-moon-lander-study.htm Curt Lewis