November 9, 2020 - No. 84 In This Issue : FG Moves to Establish Aircraft Maintenance Facility : ProSafeT - SMS, Quality & Audit Management Software : Hologram AR Black Technology Applications in Aircraft Maintenance : ExecuJet MRO Services celebrates 20th anniversary in Australia : Lockheed Martin company achieves DASA Training certification : Hainan's first business jet repair base begins operating : New Irish Carrier Seeks Aer Lingus Regional Contract : Sanad, GE Aviation celebrate 100th GEnx engine maintenance milestone : Aerospace Mogul Thales To Comply With NATO Standards Using Blockchain : Air Transport Training College acquired by Vaayu Group : Brazilian Air Force Flies First Modernized Tucano Trainer : The next astronauts to ride a SpaceX rocket arrive at Florida launch site FG Moves to Establish Aircraft Maintenance Facility To make it easy, cheaper and timely for Nigerian airlines to maintain their aircraft, the federal government plans to establish a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) in Abuja. It has also concluded plan to establish an Aviation Leasing Company (ALC), in order to enable Nigerian airlines lease aircraft at cheaper rate. Government said this was part of its efforts to optimise business opportunities in the Nigerian aviation value chain. The government had earlier requested for pre-qualified bidders to submit their bids in response to the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the establishment of an Aviation Leasing Company (ALC) and establishment of a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) centre at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja. According to information from the Ministry of Aviation, the bidders who had already bided for these projects were qualified having passed the Request for Qualification (RFQ) stage of the procurement process, disclosing that the RFP submission deadline closed on Friday, October 30, 2020 and Tuesday November 3, 2020, respectively. The Ministry said the evaluation of the bids commenced immediately, after which the preferred bidders would be announced and invited for contract negotiations. “Thereafter the Full Business Case will be developed and submitted to the Federal Executive Council for approval and subsequent agreements will be signed between the investors and the Federal Government of Nigeria represented by the Ministry of Aviation,” the Ministry said. According to the Federal Ministry of Aviation, the objectives of the projects are multi-pronged. “These include curtailment of capital flight, easing the leasing process for domestic airlines, encouraging foreign investment (FI), enhancing technology transfer to Nigerians, improving aircraft maintenance turnaround time, localizing aircraft maintenance in compliance with regulation, and generally develop the aviation sector in the country,” the Ministry also said. The Ministry explained that there is no Aviation Leasing Company in Africa at the moment, as the existing ones are owned and run by major international lessors who are reluctant, and rightly so, to lease aircraft to African airlines due to the perceived risks, principally revenue, maintenance and legal risks. “For the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, which will be sited at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the plan is to have in place an independent MRO facility that will cater to West and Central Africa market. Also importantly, the MRO facility will service the proposed National Carrier and the Aviation Leasing Company. “The business justification for the proposed MRO is the fact that there is no facility of this nature in West and Central Africa to address aircraft maintenance challenges. Most airlines in Africa ferry their aircraft overseas for maintenance and the huge cost of scarce hard currency is enormous,” the Ministry also said. According to Catamaran Nigeria Limited, one of the transaction advisers for the projects, the proposed ALC will be structured as a Joint Venture (JV) between the Federal government and the private investor. The business model would be, in the short term, to lease aircraft from international lessors and subsequently sub-lease to African airlines while long-term plan is to acquire, own and lease aircraft directly to African airlines. “The proposed MRO which will also run through Public Private Partnership (PPP) using the Build, Operate and Transfer model is expected to have the capacity to service both Narrow Body (Jet and Turboprop) and Wide Body aircraft. “Government, on its part, is willing to support the initiatives by establishing a Free Zone at the airports and has initiated the process for approval. The MRO will also enjoy maintenance exclusivity for the proposed National Carrier and the Aviation Leasing Company as well as some land lease relief considerations,” the Ministry added. https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/11/08/fg-moves-to-establish-aircraft-maintenance-facility/ Hologram AR Black Technology Applications in Aircraft Maintenance HONG KONG, Nov. 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mobius Trend releases a research report "Hologram AR Black Technology Applications in Aircraft Maintenance". HNA Aviation Technology Co., Ltd, with the support of China Mobile, will combine 5G and AR technology to assist the company's aircraft maintenance, and plans to promote it to its nine aircraft bases. In the next step, HNA Technology will continue to promote the application of 5G technology in many aspects such as industry resource sharing, expert back-end technical service mutual assistance, front-end service sharing, which helps the construction of Hannan Free Trade Port. The "5G+AR" technology can be used in aviation maintenance precisely because of the characteristics of 5G high bandwidth, low latency, and large connections. In the transmission pictures under the condition of 4G, the display image freezes quite badly, and all parties cannot communicate in real time according to the on-site situation. However, under the condition of 5G, the picture is clear and smooth, and the front and rear staff can achieve "seamless docking". At the same time, maintenance technical experts can see the same perspective as the wearer on the computer or mobile phone, and guide them to complete each maintenance step through voice, picture, document, text, and other information to ensure troubleshooting. With the help of AR smart glasses, experts can lock the suspected fault points on the remote screen, mark them with a red frame, and give feedback to the maintenance personnel's smart glasses in real time. The marked suspected fault point will be dynamically tracked and locked even if the maintenance personnel move the field of view, so that on-site maintenance personnel can quickly lock the position of the component for processing. The marked suspected fault points will also be recorded and included in the review list. The system will automatically generate the review list to review and confirm the key points of the entire troubleshooting process to ensure maintenance safety. Meanwhile, each "remote consultation" will also be recorded in the form of video, as a backup of maintenance data, can also be used as maintenance case analysis or teaching. From 2015 to 2016, VR/AR has become a highlight of consumer electronics. However, in the actual experience, the shortcomings of dizziness, low resolution, large size, and high price have made AR/VR products not popular. After five years, with the continuous advancement of chips, display technology, communication means, algorithms, and other technologies, AR/VR will become a hot topic again in 2020. Major manufacturers have also made their efforts in the AR/VR field. With the arrival of 5G, AR/VR will become the most anticipated application scenario. There are certain differences between AR/VR application scenarios and interaction methods. VR pure virtual scenarios focus more on entertainment and game experience, while AR has more interactive features with reality, which makes it the potential to become a next-generation information platform. In the 5G era, cloud computing can be used to do a large amount of processing on the edge cloud. Using the high CPU/GPU to do this kind of processing will not consume too much power. Through the fast connection of 5G, it can be quickly transmitted to the local area, which will strongly support the improvement of users' VR/AR product experience. The frequency used by 5G is much higher than the 4G networks. By widening the frequency band, the unit transmission volume can be greatly improved, which in turn brings about an increase in the ultra-high-speed transmission rate. As a leading company in the field of holographic vision, WIMI focuses on computer vision holographic cloud service. WIMI's business covers from holographic computer vision AI synthesis, holographic visual presentation, holographic interactive software development, and holographic AR online and offline advertising. Its business application scenarios are mainly concentrated in five professional fields, such as home entertainment, light field cinema, performing arts system, commercial release system, and advertising display system. By constructing a multi-angle shooting real-time modeling system, WIMI Hologram Cloud conducts a full-dimensional image scanning of the collected objects and synthesizes them into a three-dimensional model in real time. Meanwhile, it has a six-degree matrix optical field system: the imaging field of the holographic virtual image is constructed by the comprehensive application of multiple light sources. It also has a binocular disparity intelligent enhancement system: it dynamically tracks the object trajectory and adjusts the light during the acquisition process to maintain the balanced value of binocular disparity. In addition, WIMI also has a multi-image dynamic fusion system, the holographic image high-speed processing algorithm, the stealth polyester optical imaging film, and the holographic virtual character voice reconstruction technology. The holographic cloud platform is an interactive platform covering the whole country for image collection and restoration, with data storage, image restoration, and holographic social attributes. Through the combination of the above systems, WIMI has constructed a complete 5G holographic communication application platform to support various online terminals and personal devices. In the meantime, it expands various mainstream 5G holographic applications, such as holographic social communication, holographic family interaction, holographic star interaction, holographic online education, and holographic online conference. Due to the changes in the bandwidth of 5G communication networks, high-end holographic applications are increasingly applied to social media, communications, navigation, home applications, and other application scenarios. WIMI Hologram plans to provide holographic cloud platform services through a 5G communication network on the basis of two core technologies: holographic artificial intelligence face recognition technology and holographic artificial intelligence face modification technology. Currently, China is making a comprehensive plan to accelerate the construction of new infrastructure represented by 5G. The "new infrastructure" will gradually be upgraded to "new consumption", and a "new momentum" will be formed to promote high-quality development. In the future, people's lives will be more intelligent and convenient. About MobiusTrend MobiusTrend Group is a leading market research organization in Hong Kong. They have built one of the premier proprietary research platforms on the financial market, emphasizing on emerging growth companies and paradigm-shifting businesses. MobiusTrend team is professional in market research reports, industry insights, and financing trends analysis. For more information, please visit http://www.mobiustrend.com/ https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/11/09/2122625/0/en/Hologram-AR-Black-Technology-Applications-in-Aircraft-Maintenance.html ExecuJet MRO Services celebrates 20th anniversary in Australia ExecuJet was established in Sydney in October 2000 as an Authorised Service Centre for Gulfsfstream and Bombardier business jets. Since then the company has seen continuous growth, opening new maintenance facilities in Melbourne in 2008; Wellington, New Zealand in 2010; and Perth in 2012 to meet customers needs. The most recent facility opening was in Brisbane in 2019 which recently provided a successful full delivery and entry into service support for a new Dassault Falcon 7X. Over the years, ExecuJet has expanded its MRO capability to provide professional and quality services for local market needs and has played an intregral part in introducing many new aircraft types into the region. Since 2010, it has been an Authorised Service Centre (ASC) for Embraer aircraft and is now Falcon Authorised, being wholly owned by Dassault Aviation as of March 2019. In addition, the company is an ASC for Honeywell, Rolls Royce and GE Engines and is also certified to work on most other business jet aircraft types, including various models of Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker aircraft. ExecuJet’s Australian facilities are certified by seven civil aviation regulators. This includes civil aviation regulators in Southeast Asia, a region that has around 220 business jets. The business has steadily increased its workforce and now has over 70 full-time employees, 40 of which are licensed aircraft maintenance engineers. In its latest expansion, since acquisition by Dassault Aviation, the company has been steadily adding capability on Falcon products and will have full capability in the region on all in-production aircraft and most out-of-production types by the end of 2020. “Apart from local operator support we also form an important part of the international support network for the various OEMs we represent. We offer reliable support for international operators in need when far away from home, regularly dispatching Mobile Repair Teams across the region to support aircraft-on-the-ground (AOG) events,” said Grant Ingall, regional vice president Australasia at ExecuJet MRO Services, who has managed the business from its inception in Australia. “We have proudly supported the Australian business jet community as it has grown over the last 20 years and opened new facilities to meet customer needs. To complement this, we are now also heavily engaged with Asian-based csutomers. For base maintenance projects, the Asia region accounts for nearly half of our revenue and Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific accounts for the other half. Australia is the second largest market in Asia Pacific for business jets with around 200 aircraft. ExecuJet has always recognized the potential Australia has as a centre for business aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) across the wider region,” said Ingall. “Customers from Australia and abroad have confidence in our technical capabilities to deliver quality service, on-time and cost effectively. The fact that we have several heavy maintenance facilities in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth that are all internationally certified across multiple OEMs , means we have a depth and breadth of capability that is highly competitive in the Asia Pacific region,” said Ingall. “After an exciting two decades, we look forward to seeing the company continuing to grow and evolve, maintaining its strong service culture in the years ahead to meet the needs and challenges of our customers and market. In a very demanding environment, we sincerely thank all of our staff, customers, suppliers and OEM partners from the past 20 years for their support and contribution to our success and achieving this proud milestone,” said Ingall. https://www.businessairportinternational.com/news/mro/execujet-mro-services-celebrates-20th-anniversary-in-australia.html Lockheed Martin company achieves DASA Training certification Sikorsky Australia, a Lockheed Martin company, has been officially approved as an Aircraft Maintenance Training Organisation (MTO) by the Defence Aviation Safety Authority (DASA). Sikorsky Australia is authorised to deliver type course aircraft training to its staff, defence and industry partners under DASA’s Defence Airworthiness Safety Regulations (DASR) Part 147 requirements. For example, the company can now officially train Sikorsky and defence personnel on MH-60R (Romeo) and S-70A-9 (Black Hawk) helicopter platforms in both the avionics and mechanical trade categories. Dale Hall, General Manager, Sikorsky Australia, said this is a significant achievement. “To be recognised as an MTO and meet Australia’s strict aviation training regulations, which are seen as a benchmark by many nations, is an important outcome for Sikorsky Australia and our customers,” he said. “The MTO certification directly underpins our current operations to sustain the Romeo and Black Hawk helicopters in support of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Fleet Air Arm and the Australian Army. “The Romeos and Black Hawks provide critical defence capability for the RAN and the Australian Army to defend Australia’s national security. Receiving MTO certification means that our training program will provide the highest level of quality and safety assurance in our aviation maintenance training to the RAN, our customers and the wider defence community.” As an MTO, Sikorsky Australia is now certified to issue Romeo and Black Hawk Types Accreditation to participants at the completion of training to a meticulous level of industry qualifications, thereby enhancing the quality and safety standards of military aviation across Australia. Sikorsky Australia’s MTO offers a comprehensive program of theory and practical based training and assessments for aircraft maintenance qualifications that adhere to DASA’s rigorous compliance regulations. Sikorsky Australia’s MTO training program was developed by a team of qualified Sikorsky Australia aviation instructors over 18 months. The team worked in partnership with DASA to ensure all elements of the training program from instructor guides, lesson plans, examinations, theoretical and practical modules aligned with DASA’s Part 147 regulatory standards. “I’m proud of our training team for their sustained focus in successfully delivering a nationally recognised industry training curriculum in collaboration with DASA. DASA’s in-depth advice and ongoing support during our path of creating the training courseware was invaluable in helping us to achieve this positive outcome,” Hall said. Located at Albatross Aviation Technology Park, Sikorsky Australia’s purpose-built Maintenance and Logistics Support facility at Albatross Aviation Technology Park houses through-life-support services for the RAN’s fleet of 24 Romeo maritime helicopters and support for the Army’s Black Hawk helicopters. The Romeo fleet was built by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, with the mission systems integrated and the full fleet delivered to the RAN by Lockheed Martin in 2016. https://www.manmonthly.com.au/news/lockheed-martin-company-achieves-dasa-training-certification/ Hainan's first business jet repair base begins operating HAIKOU, November 9. /TASS/. Hainan's first business jet repair base located close to Meilan International Airport in Haikou, the provincial capital, has begun regular aircraft maintenance, reported the Hainan Daily. According to the newspaper, the industrial site belongs to the commercial carrier Deer Jet, a subsidiary of Hainan Airlines. It is expected that the base will constantly cooperate with both Meilan and another key airport in the region — Phoenix Airport (located in Hainan's Sanya). “Over the recent years, we have continuously worked to create an integrated industry chain, to form which the best global resources were involved,” Deer Jet commented on the official launch of the new program. According to statistics, the airline has about 200 highly professional licensed engineers who are able to organize a wide range of repair work. The local authorities are going to turn the facility into "Asia's largest business aircraft repair base, <...> create an eco- friendly industry that will hold a leading position on the international market." It is expected that such a project will have a boosting effect on the development of the entire aviation industry of Hainan's free trade port. The Haikou Daily newspaper reported earlier that a modern repair area for passenger liners has been set up in the Meilan airport area recently. The complex "will support the development of the adjacent aviation industrial park and the economy of the Jiangdong New District," a special development zone established in June 2018. The aviation industrial zone located there is considered a key strategic object, thanks to which the Hainan government plans to create more than 100,000 new jobs. https://tass.com/economy/1221523 New Irish Carrier Seeks Aer Lingus Regional Contract Aer Lingus is seeking tenders for its regional operations in Britain and Ireland and a new carrier has entered the bidding for the contract which will be effective from December 2022. The Irish carrier relies on the regional connections to feed its international route operations which will play a significant part in its restart strategy. The incumbent carrier undertaking these routes for Aer Lingus is Stobart Air but a new local player in the form of Emerald Airlines has entered the picture. The new carrier is backed by Conor McCarthy, the chairman and chief executive of aircraft maintenance specialist Dublin Aerospace. According to the Irish Times, Emerald Airlines has applied for an Air Carrier Operating Licence (ACOL) to the Irish Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR). The commission states that the operating license applicant ‘must, among other things, have its principal place of business and registered office (if any) in Ireland and its main occupation must be air transport in isolation or combined with any other commercial operation of aircraft or repair and maintenance of aircraft.’ To have applied for an ACOL the applicant must have an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC). The ACOL would allow Emerald Airlines to operate to most routes within the European Economic Area (EEA) without the requirement to obtain further authorization. The EEA incorporates all European Union countries and Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The U.K. remains a member of the EEA until 31 December of this year and it is uncertain as to whether this will continue to be the case after this date. Emerald Airlines would also need to meet European registered carrier ownership rules that require a majority of European ownership. The Irish Times was unable to gain comment from Mr. McCarthy regarding the carrier’s ownership structure but did report that Dublin Aerospace counts Airbus and Air Asia founder Tony Fernandes as investors. The news of a new carrier seeking to enter the Irish aviation market comes at a time when the CoVid-19 pandemic has impacted the global industry. The Irish government has implemented severe travel restrictions on citizens to limit the spread of the virus with the whole country being at the highest level since 21 October and expected to remain so until 01 December. In addition, passengers who arrive in the country through the European travel corridor are required to limit their movements for 14 days after arrival. Irish airlines have been re-evaluating and amending regional schedules as a result of the continuing travel restrictions. Aer Lingus has reduced services from Cork and Dublin and Ryanair will cease operations into and out of Cork, Knock and Shannon airports from 14 November to 13 December. Hope that Irish passenger demand will return for the Christmas holiday season took a further hit at a recent meeting of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament) Joint Committee on Transport and Communication Networks. Ireland’s chief medical officer Dr. Tony Holohan told the committee, “International travel is not safe and movement of people around areas with a high incidence of this disease, particularly in Europe and North America, in and out of this country, is not safe.” https://airlinegeeks.com/2020/11/07/new-irish-carrier-seeks-aer-lingus-regional-contract/ Sanad, GE Aviation celebrate 100th GEnx engine maintenance milestone Sanad, an industry leader in aerospace engineering and leasing solutions, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala), has successfully completed the maintenance of 100 GEnx engines on behalf of GE Aviation (GE). Sanad was the first MRO partner within GE Aviation’s global services network to obtain MRO certification for the GEnx engine and remains the only certified GEnx MRO partner in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region. In 2021, when the GEnx reaches 10 years of operation, Sanad will expand its existing maintenance and repair services to include the full overhaul of 315 GEnx engines until 2035, a statement said. “This achievement evidences Sanad’s distinguished engineering capabilities and our ability to continue providing the highest quality MRO service to global OEM partners,” said Mansoor Janahi, Deputy Group CEO of Sanad. “Despite current challenges facing the sector, we have strengthened our ability to meet the MRO requirements of our partners through strict adherence to the highest international standards. Our success underpins Abu Dhabi’s increasing profile as a global aerospace centre in specialised engineering services,” he added. With more than 2,000 engines delivered worldwide on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Boeing 747-8, the GEnx is the fastest-selling, high-thrust jet engine in GE Aviation history. Due to rising GEnx demand, Sanad recently financed and leased its ninth GEnx engine through a sale-and-leaseback agreement with Etihad Airways, the UAE’s national carrier and one of the largest global operators of Boeing 787 aircraft. Adam Boukadida, Chief Financial Officer, Etihad Aviation Group said: "Sanad has supported Etihad with the maintenance of 30 GEnx engines on average per year, which are used on its fuel-efficient fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Etihad and Sanad’s trusted partnership is testimony to the strength of the local aviation infrastructure, and the airline looks forward to continued collaboration as Sanad reaches for its next major milestone.” “On behalf of the GE Aviation team worldwide, I wish to congratulate Sanad on reaching this historic milestone. We look forward to our continued partnership and meeting the MRO requirements of a growing global fleet,” said Dave Kircher, GE Aviation General Manager for the GEnx engine. “The partnership between Sanad and GE Aviation is key to the growth of the region’s aviation industry ecosystem,” added Aziz Koleilat, GE Aviation Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Eastern Europe, Russia, Turkey and the Middle East region. “We recognise Sanad’s efforts and look forward to many more GEnx aircraft engine MRO service achievements in the future.” With the Sanad and GE Aviation partnership dating back to 2013, the pair signed an AED500 million landmark maintenance services agreement for next-generation engines for narrow-body and wide-body aircraft last year. Under the agreement, Sanad will provide performance restoration overhaul services on the GEnx-1B engine, as well as continued, quick turn overhauls on CFM International’s LEAP engines for GE. CFM is a 50-50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines. Boasting the highest-pressure ratio compressor in commercial service today, the GEnx engine has the best fuel efficiency in its thrust class and up to 15 per cent better fuel burn than GE’s CF6 turbofan engine - key attributes enabling the GEnx to power many of the world’s longest aviation routes. Sanad enjoys strong strategic partnerships with the world's leading aircraft engine manufacturers, such as GE Aviation, Rolls-Royce, and Pratt & Whitney, enabling it to provide industry-leading expertise in the field of maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft engines through a variety of maintenance services for various aircraft engines.—TradeArabia News Service http://www.tradearabia.com/news/IND_374911.html Aerospace Mogul Thales To Comply With NATO Standards Using Blockchain The French multinational giant will be integrating Blockchain and Big Data technologies for the company’s digital transformation. The defense and aeronautics enterprise will also use novice technology to comply with NATO standards. A Step Towards Digital Transformation As per a recent report, Thales will be integrating Big Data and blockchain in a new management system, which will lead to the digital transformation of the headquarters’ Production and Maintenance center. The inner company body will have a platform interconnected with all the applications in its network, thus creating internal connectivity of all the workbenches and test means to extract information aimed to be used efficiently. The upcoming platform will also aim at the efficient connection of all processes, improved customer communication, and other maintenance operations. The planned blockchain transformation is to help Thales comply with NATO and defense authorities’ standards, including traceability of processes. “To comply with NATO standards and those of the Ministries of Defence with which the company collaborates, blockchain will be used to ensure the traceability of all parts and products handled in the Production and Maintenance Center”, reads the official Thales announcement. Blockchain Important To The Future Of Aeronautics And Defence Market Blockchain is probably to be implemented in many fields. Aeronautics and defense are amongst them. A recent report states that during the period 2020-2025, blockchain technology in the aerospace and defense market is expected to register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 35%. Forecasts show that the expected growth will be due to an increase in investments in blockchain technology into commercial aviation. Airline companies are showing their readiness to adopt blockchain-based practices as well. In this regard, Lufthansa is among those who have invested in the technology and trying to incorporate it into their business models, including retail, baggage and cargo tracking, distribution, and increasing transparency for flight maintenance. https://cryptopotato.com/aerospace-mogul-thales-to-comply-with-nato-standards-using-blockchain/ Air Transport Training College acquired by Vaayu Group This move will catapult ATTC into the future with the launch of new courses and training programs that are focused on skills training and re-training. This includes investing in courses in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence in aviation and in the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) space. ATTC will leverage Vaayu Group’s international operations in the US and Middle East and apply best practices to refresh its offerings in Singapore. With the latest implications of Covid-19 for the industry, the 21-year-old education institution views the situation as an opportunity to revitalize aviation training. The acquisition furthers ATTC’s commitment to providing lifelong learning and training that results in positive employment outcomes for students. Crucial years for the aviation industry Emad AlMonayea, Chairman and President at Vaayu Group, said: “The next few years are crucial for any aviation institution globally. With our operations across the world and ATTC’s solid foundation in education, we believe that ATTC will be well-positioned to achieve global benchmarks in aviation training. We hope that our insights and experience in the marketplace will help students further their journey in the aviation industry, individually and as a whole.” Colin Koh, General Manager at ATTC, added: “As a Maintenance Training Organisation, we continue to offer fundamental programs that will equip students with skills and basic knowledge to become aircraft technicians. On top of that, new courses offered such as Lean Management and Project Management for Aerospace will focus on soft skills and knowledge that are much valued in the aerospace industry.” New programs are in the pipeline Programs such as European Union Aviation Safety Agency certified courses, Aircraft Spray Painting, and Sheetmetal Structural Repair are in the pipeline to enable students to seek work in international markets. ATTC is also working with several partners to offer experienced Singaporean workers placement in the Middle East and internationally after completing their re-training programs. ATTC also plans to venture into the nascent and highly promising UAV space and hopes to blaze a trail in the area of UAV and its applications in Singapore and Asia. https://www.airmedandrescue.com/latest/news/air-transport-training-college-acquired-vaayu-group Brazilian Air Force Flies First Modernized Tucano Trainer The Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB, Brazilian air force) has started flight testing the new T-27M version of Embraer's Tucano trainer. The maiden flight of the first of two pattern aircraft (serial number 1446), was performed on October 23, Brazil’s Day of the Aviator and of the FAB. The aircraft had been modified by Parque de Material Aeronáutico de Lagoa Santa (PAMA LS), one of the FAB’s major technical centers that performs maintenance on the A-29, T-25, T-27, U-7, U-19, and U-42. The aircraft flew from PAMA LS’s own runway, which is located close to the city of Belo Horizonte in Minas Gerais state. During the two-hour, five-minute flight the T-27M’s emergency and electrical systems were checked, as was the functionality of the new equipment, including attitude reference and navigation. A chase aircraft followed the T-27M throughout. Flying the T-27M was Colonel Aviator Marcelo Zampier Bussmann, a test pilot for Brazil’s IPEV (flight test and research institute), with test engineer Lieutenant Matheus Pacheco Guanabara Santiago in the aft cockpit. “The new avionics behaved very well, despite the integration being quite complex,” reported Santiago. “In general, the embedded system is very robust and modern. It will allow cadets to have contact with a very current platform, facilitating their adaptation to the new aircraft of the FAB, such as the KC-390 Millennium and the F-39 Gripen.” “The backup systems have improved substantially, increasing the safety of the operation of the T-27 aircraft in the AFA [air force academy] and in the current context of air navigation,” added Colonel Bussmann. As well as addressing obsolete items in the Tucano, the T-27M upgrade integrates a new digital avionics suite that features multi-function screen displays and compatibility with the latest navigation and air traffic requirements, including RNAV and RNP performance-based navigation. The FAB plans to upgrade 42 Tucanos—a mix of T-27s and AT-27s—to T-27M standard to equip the Academia de Força Aérea at Pirassununga-Campo Fontenelle. Students at the academy first train on the Neiva T-25 Universal before progressing to advanced training in the T-27. The first T-27M is due for delivery in mid-2021, with all deliveries to be completed by the end of 2022. Embraer flew the first EMB-312 Tucano on August 16, 1980, and it proved to be a considerable success, with over 620 built for domestic use and export. It entered FAB service as the T-27 in September 1983. Over 150 were eventually supplied, including a number of armed AT-27s that were employed for border patrols and the interception of illicit flights. Today the AT-29 Super Tucano undertakes the armed patrol role, leaving the AFA as the sole remaining operator of the Tucano in the FAB, which still has over 100 aircraft in use or in storage. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2020-11-09/brazilian-air-force-flies-first-modernized-tucano-trainer The next astronauts to ride a SpaceX rocket arrive at Florida launch site A crew of four astronauts arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida Sunday (Nov. 8) in advance of SpaceX's second astronaut launch for NASA this week. NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Michael Hopkins and Shannon Walker, along with Japanese astronaut, Soichi Noguchi, were all smiles as they stepped off a plane that was parked on the former space shuttle runway at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Their mission, called Crew-1, will see a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch a Crew Dragon spacecraft on an 8.5-hour trip to the International Space Station. Liftoff is set for Saturday (Nov. 14) at 7:49 p.m. EST (0049 GMT on Nov. 15) from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida — if weather permits. For NASA, this flight marks the highly-anticipated start of regular crew rotations at the International Space Station, with private companies ferrying the astronauts. On this flight there will be double the number of crew members as on the Demo-2 test flight earlier this year, and the mission will span six months. "Today we flew here in a plane, but the plan is to leave on a rocket," Glover said, addressing a small crowd of onlookers. Unlike Hopkins, Walker, and Noguchi, this will be his first flight. When asked how he felt about the upcoming launch, Glover said, "It's hard to put into words, it's surreal. I'm excited just to go to space. We have an amazing spacecraft and are going to join an amazing team." Glover, Hopkins, Walker and Noguchi will be joining three astronauts already on board the space station. NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, along with Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Serchkov launched on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft on Oct. 21. The Crew-1 astronauts will join them on Nov. 15, if all goes according to plan. The quartet of astronauts departed from Ellington Field near the Johnson Space Center in Houston on Sunday morning and flew to Kennedy on a charter plane. Upon arrival, they were greeted by NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, Deputy Administrator Jim Morhard, Center Director Bob Cabana, and manager of JAXA's International Space Station program, Junichi Sakai. "I can't tell you how great it is to welcome a crew here to go to space again," Bob Cabana, Kennedy Space Center director said, greeting the crew. This mission will be SpaceX's second crewed flight for NASA, following the successful Demo-2 flight that launched in May, and is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. This flight is the first operational mission for SpaceX's Crew Dragon, a commercial spacecraft designed to fly astronauts to and from low Earth orbit. It will also mark the first time that an astronaut from one of NASA's international partners will board a SpaceX Crew Dragon. JAXA, the Japanese space agency, is sending one of its veteran astronauts on his third flight to the ISS. "It's such a nice feeling to be here," Noguchi said. "It's been such a long way, but Crew-1 is in town and we are the only game in town this week." "Prime Crew at KSC, is the best part of astronaut life," he added. Originally scheduled for Oct. 31, the mission was delayed two weeks to allow SpaceX to work out an engine issue that cropped up during a recent GPS mission. SpaceX determined that the anomaly was caused by some residual masking lacquer that is designed to protect sensitive engine parts during an anti-corrosion treatment. SpaceX swapped out one of the engines on the Crew-1 booster, which is scheduled for a prelaunch static fire test on Tuesday (Nov. 10). The test was originally slated to take place on Monday (Nov. 9), but slipped 24-hours because of Tropical Storm Eta, which is expected to bring rain to the area this week. The astronauts named their Dragon capsule "Resilience" in light of all the challenges of 2020. "It's been a tough year for everybody for a lot of different reasons," Hopkins said. "We felt like if the name of our vehicle could give a little hope, a little inspiration, put a smile on people's face, then that is definitely what we wanted to do." That sentiment is also represented in the mission's patch. There are no names or flags on the patch. Instead it has symbols on the lower edge to pay tribute to the four prior U.S. spacecraft that carried astronauts ― Space Shuttle, Apollo, Gemini, and Mercury. "Our mission is for everyone," said Noguchi. "All for one, one for all. Let's go fly." https://www.space.com/spacex-nasa-crew-1-astronauts-launch-site-arrival Curt Lewis