Precision Aircraft Solutions

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Volume 5 Issue 2 The Kaplanian Report February 2018

On the Boeing Front


Customer Support is the Backbone to Selling Commercial Aircraft

One of the key successes of the Boeing Company Commercial Division in selling commercial jetliners beginning with the introduction of the 707 is the support for their aircraft. I thought it’s time to share with my readers the inside look at the operations of Boeing’s Spare Distribution Center  (SDC located very near to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.)

The 700,000 sq.ft. facility ships more than one million spare parts each year. It handles receipts, shipments and repairs of thousands of parts needed to keep Boeing Aircraft aircraft flying every day.

As an ex VP of spares in the car and Heavy Duty Truck industries, I took a detailed tour of the facility in 1996. The facility officially opened in 1993 and is one of five regional distribution centers for Boeing.  The other facilities are located in Atlanta, Beijing, Dubai, London and Singapore.

Open 24/7, The the SDC employs more than 245 workers to handle spares and the facilities MRO operations. Approximately 60% of the staff works first shift, which handles AOG  (airplane on the ground) and restocking parts. The remainder of staff (approximately 15%)  work third shift, which focuses on getting parts out the door.

Each day, the Seattle SDC handles around 600 receipts and ships 2,000-2,200 orders.  Annually,  the SDC has around 300,000 receipts and issues one million spare parts, including 400,000 AOG shipments.

The SDC has 150,000 sq.ft. bulk floor storage area which contains parts too large to store                   elsewhere  in the building. Boeing has packaging engineers in-house to design boxes,                                  which are made from heat-teated treated wood and shaped for the most efficient fit on cargo aircraft.

Each package leaving the facility includes a Boeing 8130—an FAA form stating that the part  is airworthy.  The SDC’s top priority is AOG. All AOG parts are ready to ship in four hours.  The facility’s mission is “right part, right place, right time.

Source : Personal notes and observations/ Pictures MRO online

 

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

                                  Airbus Rolls Out Higher-Capacity A321neo 

Assembly of the first A321 neo ACF (Airbus Cabin Flex) has been completed in Hamburg,                               the  manufacturer confirms.

The CFM International Leap-1A powered narrow body will undergo ground tests prior to its  scheduled first flight Airbus adds.  It gives “mid-2018” as the time frame for the first delivery to a customer.

The variant’s exits are positioned immediately aft of the wing and can be removed to allow a higher-density seating capability. In the high-density single-class layout, with a space-saving aft galley installed, the aircraft can seat up to 240 passengers.

This total is attained by locating 102 seats ahead of the overawing exits, six at the exits                      themselves, with 59 in the cabin between the wing and repositioned aft exits and 73 in                                                the rearmost section.  Pegasus, Qatar Airways and VietJet are intending to take the A321neo ACF.

Source : Airbus/Picture Airbus

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

Mitsubishi Aircraft Details Latest Organizational Changes

Mitsubishi Aircraft plans to undergo organizational changes that will see MRJ program                        director, Alex Bellamy, run what the company calls its new program management division which started on January 1, 2018.

The division was established to “reinforce the development and management of the MRJ                    program,”  the division encompasses the newly established integrated product team (IPT)                   execution department,  the governance management office, and the product strategy office.

In a recent interview with AIN, Bellamy reported that the program teams had flown four flight-test airplanes a total of some 1,500 hours, while production crews had attached wings and began painting the fifth flight-test airplane.  Bellamy detailed the status of the flight-test program at Moses Lake, Washington, where the four existing flight-test airplanes have completed more than 50 percent of their duties ahead of expected certification in late 2019.  Targeting first delivery to launch All Nippon Airways in mid-2020, program leadership now expects the MRJ flight-test airplanes to clock as  many as 3,000 hours, some 500 hours more than originally allocated.

Source : AIN/Photo Mitsubishi Aircraft

 

GE Completes First Ground Test of Advanced Turboprop Engine

Aviation completed the first test run of the new Advanced Turboprop (ATP) at GE’s Prague engine manufacturing facility in the Czech Republic. The first application for the 1,240-shp ATP is the Cessna Denali single-engine turboprop, which is scheduled to fly late this year. Engine certification testing begins this year.

With a 16:1 overall pressure ratio, the engine is expected to offer 20 percent lower fuel burn and 10 percent higher cruise speed compared with competing engines. Time between overhaul is set at 4,000 hours. The ATP is part of a family that will include engines in 1,000-to 1,600-shp range.

This new engine is also aimed at the Pilatus PC-12 and Daher TBM900.

Source : GE Aviation/ Ge Aviation Picture

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

            Alaska Airlines Set to Anchor Paine Field Opening Late this Year 

Seattle-based Alaska Airlines is looking to solidify an anchor presence at the redeveloped Paine Field-Snohomish County Airport in Everett, Washington with the January 16 announcement of 13 daily flights to eight cities set to launch in the fall of this year.

Alaska’s new point-to-point destinations from Paine Field will be Las Vegas; Los Angeles;                       Orange County, California; Phoenix; Portland; San Diego; San Francisco; and San Jose, California.    Alaska said it will detail flight frequencies and departure/arrival times in the year, pending  government approval.

Snohomish County is partnering with Propeller Airports to build a new passenger terminal at the  airport for a planned opening in the fall of this year. Paine Field, originally constructed in 1936, is the home for Boeing’s Everett Factory, the manufacturing plant for Boeing’s 747, 767, 777 and 787 aircraft.  The airport is also home to over 650 general aviation, business and historic aircraft.  Of the three runways at the airport, only one— Runway 16R/34L, at 9,010 ft in length and 150 ft. in width— is suitable for large aircraft.  Alaska said last year that it is planning to utilize Boeing  737 and Embraer E175s for the new routes.

United Airlines is also planning for commercial flights at Paine Field. In August 2017 the                      Chicago-based carrier said it will operate six daily flights from the airport to its hubs in Denver and San Francisco.

Source : ATW/Ed’s Research on airport information

 

GECAS Takes Delivery of its 394th—And Last—Next Generation 737  

Culminating a 20-year history of new orders for the type, GECAS has received its 394th and final skyline order of Boeing’s Next Generation 737.

With an initial order placed in 1996, GECAS’ NG order book accounts for roughly one of every NGs delivered to date. Surpassing other lessor’s skyline orders for the type,  GECAS’ placements of NG’s have been leased to 64 operators across 32 countries. Exclusively powered by CFM-56 engines, the narrow body has served the airline industry for decades and is ideally suited for both commercial passenger and cargo aircraft.

“An exceptionally valuable asset in our portfolio, the Next-Generation 737 has been incredibly reliable for our customers,” states Declan Kelly, GECAS Executive Vice President, noting “Much of our success since the 1990’s is in some way attributable to the NG and the relationship we’ve developed with the team at Boeing.”

The Next-Generation 737 has been an icon of the aviation industry for two decades,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President & CEO Kevin McAllister.

“It’s been a workhorse for the airlines and lessors alike and we’re proud to have delivered so many of these airplanes to GECAS. We look forward to beginning a new chapter of success together when   GECAS takes delivery of   its first 737 MAX this year.”

Source : GECAS/Boeing

 

 FAA Approves 787-10 for Airworthiness

Singapore Airlines can take delivery of the first Boeing 787-10 on schedule after the US Federal Aviation Administration approved an amended type certificate.

Boeing announced the entry into service for the 787-10 as broadly the “first half of 2018”, but the approval of the amended type certificate now means that the first delivery could happen by the end of the first quarter.

Four years after Boeing launched the third and largest member of the 787 family, the 787-10 with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000-TEN engines entered flight testing 10 months ago at Boeing’s factory in North Charleston, South Carolina. The smaller 787-8 and 787-9 models will continue to be assembled in North Charleston and Everett, Washington, and the 787-10 is exclusively assembled in South Carolina.

The 787-10 received approval from the FAA after completing about 900 test hours. The aircraft is 5m(16.4ft)longer than the 787-9, but the two aircraft are nearly identical with a few exceptions. To accommodate the longer fuselage on takeoff, Boeing installed a 777-300 ER-style semi-levered main landing gear.

Boeing also increased commonality by moving some design changes made for the 787-10 into the smaller 787-9. The latter is now produced using the stronger wing designed for the 787-10.The 787-9 also uses hybrid laminar flow control in the vertical tail only, after the same system was deleted from the vertical stabilizers in the 787-10.

Source : Boeing/Boeing Picture

   

  LATEST NEWS

  • Xiamen Air has committed to purchase 150 CFM LEAP-1B engines and MRO support for 20 engines at $2.05 billion. The engines will be used to power Xiamen Air’s Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

  • Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services has committed to lease the first two Boeing 737-800 freighters(737-800SF) converted by Aeronautical Engineers INC.(AEI) from GECAS, with the first delivery expected in June of this year.
  • Air Astana has taken delivery of the first Airbus A321neo. The aircraft, on lease from AerCap, is configured with 28 business class and 151 economy class seats.

  • Ukraine International Airlines took delivery of a Boeing 737-800 NG in December, completing its 2017 fleet expansion program.
  • Silver Airways Florida-based regional carrier has firmed its order for 20 ATR turboprops

  • KfW IPEX-Bank has financed two Boeing 787-9s, equipped with Rolls-Royce engines for Air New Zealand.
  • Irish Lessor AerCap firmed an order with Rolls-Royce to power 10 forthcoming Boeing 787-9s with Trent 1000-TEN engines. The transition is valued at $450 million at list prices.
  • Emirates Airlines has announced a $16 billion deal for up to 36 additional Airbus A380s.The Commitment is for 20 A380s and 16 options with deliveries to start in 2020.

 

AIR CARGO

 Aeronautical Engineers, Inc Delivers B737F to ASL 

Aeronautical Engineers, Inc, has redelivered a B737-400SF freighter to Irish based ASL Aviation – the company’s one hundredth conversion of this type.

ACL Aviation owns and operates a fleet of nearly 90 jet and turboprop aircraft, providing capacity for up to 147 passengers or 40 tons of cargo.

The delivery represents the thirteenth AEI B737-400 converted freighter that has been re-delivered to ASL over the last few years.

ASL currently has an additional four B737-400SF freighters, either undergoing conversion or scheduled for modification in 2018, at partner Commercial Jet’s Dothan, Alabama facility.

AEI president Roy Sandri said: “This milestone represents another important achievement in AEI’s history”.

“The AEI B737-400SF has been an exceptionally successful fighter for not only ASL, but all our leasing and operator customers worldwide.”

Source : aircargonews/ ASL Picture/Ed’s Research

 

Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul News

Southwest Adds MRO Capacity 

Southwest Airlines is pressing ahead with plans to build a new maintenance facility at Houston Hobby airport.

The new 240,000sq-ft hanger will have space for six Boeing 737 aircraft and will include aircraft wash facilities on the apron outside, taxiway connections, parking and loading docks, as well as offices and parts storage areas. Work on the hanger should begin this spring to ready it for opening in late 2019.

Once the project is finished, SWA will have six maintenance facilities in the US, which should leave it less exposed to some of the mishaps that have resulted from outsourced MRO work in the past.

The new maintenance capacity is also needed to service a growing fleet. Southwest has roughly 200 Boeing 737 Max 7 and Max 8 narrow bodies on order, although it recently deferred deliveries of 23 Max 7s from the 2019-2021 period to 2023 and 2024. In December the airline indicated that it might use gains from proposed corporate tax cuts in the US to further invest in its fleet. Most of its backlog is for the larger Max 8 model, to which 40 more units were added in late December when SWA excessed options with Boeing.

Source : mro-network/Ed’s Research/Picture Southwest Airlines

 

MRO Latest News 

  • LATAM Airlines Group plans to build a maintenance center at Sao Paulo Guarulhos Airport in the second half of this year to simultaneously service seven wide bodies or 19 narrow bodies.
  • Limco Airepair has a Korean Air contract to maintain aircraft heat exchangers.
  • Precision Aircraft Solutions redelivered three Boeing 757-200PCFs in December 2017: two to AF Airlines and the third to YTO. Haeco Xiamen, Ameco each modified one.
  • Bulgaria Air has awarded FL Technics a three-year deal to undertake base checks. Work has already begun on an initial Airbus A319.
  • Eva Air has extended its co-operation with Lufthansa Tecknik to cover component maintenance on its Boeing 777 Freighters. EVA Air took delivery of its first 777F in November 2017 and set to receive four more through September 2019.

 

Researched and Compiled by : Ed Kaplanian

Commercial Aviation Advisor

Contact – ekaplanian@msn.com

P.S. To all my international readers, thank you for following my blog.                                                                 Your comments, questions and suggestions will be appreciated.

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Volume 3 Issue 9 September 2016

On the Boeing Front

 The 787 is Becoming the Work Horse of the Airlines that Acquired it

In spite of all the initial launch problems with the 787, it is proving that it is a capable, fine aircraft with all the airlines that bought it and are flying it.

Boeing incorporated improvements to the aircraft that include the introduction of simplified display and control(DCA) software, which in mid-2014 was cited as the third largest cause of delays after issues with spoiler control units and brakes.  “Since then, we have rolled a couple of block software changes,” says Mike Fleming, Boeing’s 787 vice president for service & support.

“We continue to track every interruption on the fleet, and the engineering teams review it to understand if it’s a known or new problem. Over the last two years, the rate of new problems has come down on the aircraft. Once we know about them we are devising improvements,” adds Fleming, who says that the main focus for improvements is now on elements of the flight controls, electrical system, software and air conditioning system.

The key issues are “a combination of things. Most are component problems as opposed to system problems or integration issues,” he says.

The following are comments from airlines that are flying the 787:

  • The economics of the aircraft are strong. Air Canada recently told investors that when it switched from the 767 to the 787-8 between Toronto and Tel Aviv, it was able to carry 31% more passengers and 350% additional cargo while using 3% less fuel.
  • After a difficult start, LOT Polish Airlines stated that one of its aircraft, which is wet leased to Air Europa, has enjoyed a dispatch reliability of almost 100%. “As such, it is the most reliable Boeing 787 in the world,” says LOT. In terms of fuel burn against the 767-300 which the airline used before the 787, shows average savings of 10-11% on the same routes.
  • All Nippon Airways (ANA) is the largest airline operator of the 787. On August 17th, the airline took delivery of its 50th 787 Dreamliner, a 787-9.  The airline is pleased with the aircraft and stated that fuel savings versus the 767 are at 21% for the long-haul flights & 17% for short-haul.

As of this writing the fleet has accumulated 1.3 billion revenue miles, saving 9 billion pounds of fuel in the process. The aircraft has opened new nonstop markets that did not exist before this airplane went into service.   An impressive feat.

Source : Aviation Week/Boeing/Ed’s Research from Various Sources.

                      

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

Airbus Decision Concerning the on A380

Qantas Airways said it does not want the remaining eight A380’s it still has on order because the 12 aircraft it operates now are sufficient to meet demand, further dimming future sales prospects for the aircraft.

“Our intention is that we are not taking those aircraft”, Qantas Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce said on Friday August 5th at an airline conference in Brisbane, Australia.

Qantas was one of the original operators of the A380 and looked to become one of the biggest buyers of the A380.Joyce has pushed back delivery of the remaining planes for about two years now, joining customers including Virgin Atlantic, that have not outright canceled orders but are unlikely ever to have them fulfilled. That leave Emirates of Dubai as the one committed buyer of the aircraft.

Airbus announced a drastic cut in production last month of the A380, saying it would build about 12 of the planes annually compared with close to 30 in recent years, Emirates’ orders amount to close to 50 percent of the model’s backlog.

Following Airbus’ latest decrease, it will produce one A380 a month come 2018, more than halving the current rate of monthly jets.

At present,13 airlines operate the aircraft: with Etihad, Qatar and Asiana Airlines most recently taking their first A380s back in 2014.

But while production on the A380 has slowed down, it remains somewhat unclear at this stage how this will impact on the MRO segment, with some of the aircraft now reaching the age for some of their first D-checks.

Source : China Aviation Daily/Ed’s Research

                     

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

                                                       The 100th Series 400 Twin Otter

The 100th series 400 Twin Otter took flight recently from Viking Air’s production facility in Canada. The aircraft, serial number 944, will be operated by Pacific Sky Aviation, Viking’s sister company demonstrator. Headquartered in Victoria, British Columbia, Viking holds the type certificates for all out-of-production de Havilland aircraft, from the DHC-1 Chipmunk through the DHC-7 Dash-7 50 passenger STOL regional airliner, and provides exclusive spare parts manufacturing for the legacy de Havilland fleet.

The company launched the upgraded Twin Otter program in March 2007, the first version flew from Viking’s final aircraft assembly facility in Calgary, Alberta, in March 2010; Transport Canada issued the aircraft’s Type Certification the following June. Series 400 Twin Otters now operate in 29 countries.

Recently Tara the Nepalese regional carrier has signed a purchase agreement with Viking for three Twin Otter Series 400s.

Source : Business & Commercial Aviation/ Picture

                                                                       

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

 Alaska Airlines Breaks Ground on New Aircraft Maintenance          and Engineering Facility in Anchorage, Alaska

On August 22nd Alaska Airlines broke ground on a new $40 million aircraft maintenance and engineering facility located at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. The design of the new 105,000 square-foot facility by Anchorage based artifact firm McCool Carlson Green was also unveiled.

The new facility will be more than double the size of the current hanger and holds two 737-Max 9 aircraft, which will be the largest and widest in Alaska Airlines fleet. The current facility, located about a half mile from the new site, measures only 37,500 square feet and is unable to accommodate the newer, larger aircraft.

Construction will begin in the fall of 2016 and is scheduled to be complete in the second quarter of 2018. The new facility will house 80 engineering and maintenance employees in Anchorage,” said Kurt Kinder, Alaska Airlines Vice President of Maintenance and Engineering.

Source : Alaska Airlines Press Release

 

      American Airlines Retiring 20 MD-80s in One Day 

American Airlines retired 20 of its MD-80 jets on Tuesday August 23rd. All 20 aircraft were sent to Roswell, New Mexico, as part of what American called “one of the largest single-day aircraft retirements in airline history.”   

Of the 20 planes headed to the New Mexico desert, 17 were originally delivered to American Airlines.  The three others were inherited by American via acquisition of TWA. The average age of the 20 retiring jets is 28 years old. The 140-seat MD-80 arrived to Roswell throughout the day arriving at a clip of about one every five minutes during an 85-minute window starting at 11:20 a.m. local time. Still, American Spokesman Josh  Freed said, “Today’s 20 retirements do not indicate an acceleration of MD-80 retirements.”

“It’s just that we have a long-term MD-80 retirement plan and with the busy summer flying season winding down, August 23rd was a good day to take care of these,” Freed adds.

American had 87 MD-80s remaining in its fleet as of the second quarter of 2016.  By the end of the third quarter, American says that number will have dropped to just 53 – aided in large part by this mass retirement.  Freed said some MD-80s will remain in the carrier’s fleet “through at least summer of 2018.”

In Roswell, two full-time American employees processed incoming aircraft as they arrived. Planes can sit indefinitely in storage in Roswell, where the desert air helps keep the idle aircraft from corroding. Some find second lives, taken to cargo carriers or by smaller airlines in the developing world. Others face a stark end – raided for parts or scrapped altogether.

Source : USA Today/American Airlines  

 

 Rockwell Collins Nears Finish Line with Cockpit Displays  

Rockwell Collins is planning to deliver the final software load to Boeing for the 737 MAX cockpit displays in the middle of this month, followed by initial deliveries of the final hardware components by year end.

The handover will wrap up four years of design, development and test work made more challenging by Boeing’s goal of maintaining maximum commonality between the 737NG and the 737 MAX, in part to retain common type ratings between the two minimal “differences training” for pilots.

Boeing is targeting 2017 for first deliveries of the re-engined and otherwise modernized 737, for which it has garnered more than 3,200 firm orders.

“One of the things that has been a challenge for us and for Boeing is that we are taking a 2015 display system and sticking it on an airplane that was designed in 1964,and has not changed all that much in terms of hydraulics, electrical and air conditioning systems,” Keith Stover, MAX program chief engineer for Rockwell Collins, said.

Source : ATW/Rockwell Collins Picture

                 

LATEST NEWS

  • Albawings Albanian start-up based in Tirana, Albania has taken delivery of its first aircraft, A Boeing  737-500.
  • Armenia Air has taken delivery of its first two aircraft. The carrier, which launched services earlier this year using a Boeing 737-700 leased from Georgian Airways has acquired two of its own-former Westjet 737-700 and a 737-500.
  • Precision Aircraft Solutions completed its 50th Boeing 757-200 freighter conversion.
  • Rolls-Royce has won a $1.5 billion order from China Eastern from China Eastern to power 15 Airbus A330 aircraft.
  • Thai Airways has take delivery of its first of 12 Airbus A350s.The aircraft, an A350-900,is on lease from US-based CIT.

  • Aseman Airlines of Iran plans to buy 20 Mitsubishi Regional jets. The aircraft will be acquired through a lease-purchase contract.
  • Silk Way Airlines Azerbaijan’s national air cargo carrier received another new Boeing 747-8 F aircraft. This is 4th Boeing 747-8F aircraft operated by the airline.
  • BOC Aviation lessor BOC (Bank of China) Aviation has ordered another five Airbus A321s,to be delivered in 2017,all five are to be leased to an Asian carrier.
  • Aerolease Aviation Miami based lessor has firmed an order for 10 Mitsubishi MRJ90 regional jets with options for 10 more.
  • LATAM LATAM Airline Group has taken delivery of its first Airbus A320neo from the airframe’s facilities in Toulouse, becoming the first Americas operator of the re-engined narrow body.

 

  • Aviall Boeing subsidiary has signed an agreement to acquire up to 36 CF6-80A engines powering the 767 and A310 aircraft from GE Aviation.

                           

IN FOCUS

                         Boeing 747 Designer Joe Sutter Dies at 95

Boeing engineer and aircraft designer Joe Sutter, who achieved aviation icon status as the “Father of the 747”, died on August 30th at age 95. 

Known principally for ushering the West’s first wide body airliner into service in 1970, barely four years after the program launch, despite severe technical, supplier and production obstacles. Sutter also played roles in multiple Boeing aircraft programs spanning seven decades.

Sutter a native of Seattle, began his career with a summer job at Boeing in 1940 while studying for an aeronautical engineering degree at the University of Washington.

In the library of Boeing history books, Sutter’s role in the company is widespread, from delivering the technical data that drove the decision to use a T-tail on the 727 to recommending underwing podded engines on the original 737-100.

His preference for mounting engines underneath the wings would have a lasting impact on the industry beyond Boeing.  Sutter’s legacy, however, is forever linked to the 747, the Boeing aircraft credited with opening international air travel to the masses.

“Joe lived an amazing life and was an inspiration, not just to those of us at Boeing, but to the entire aerospace industry,” Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and chief executive Ray Conner wrote to employees.

AIR CARGO

             Online Retailer Amazon Enters the Air Freight Market 

Amazon signed agreements with Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, parent company of Atlas Air and Air Transport Services Group, under which those companies will each operate 20 767s for Amazon.  Amazon will be operating under the name Prime Air.  Amazon got its first branded 767-300 ER Freighter the company calls “Amazon One”.  The aircraft, registration N1997A, flew on August 5th during the Boeing Seafair show.

Aircraft N1997A was manufactured in 1994 and is powered by General Electric CF6 turbofans, according to Flight Fleets Analyzer. The aircraft N1997A had accumulated 90,000 hrs and completed 17,400 cycles as of November 2015 according to Analyzer.

Atlas expects to have the 20 aircraft flying for Amazon by the end of 2018.  As part of the deal, Atlas gave Amazon the right to purchase up to 20% of Atlas stock over five years, and the possibility to purchase another 10% of shares.

That deal followed an announcement in March that Air Transport Services Group had reached an agreement to operate 20 767s for Amazon. The Air Transport Services deal gave Amazon the right to purchase 19.9% of Air Transport Services shares.

Source : Flightglobal/Photo Amazon

      

                                                 MILITARY NEWS

 Resurrected B-52H Returns to Flight After Eight Years in Storage 

A US Air Force Boeing B-52H is back in flight after spending eight years parked in storage in the Arizona desert. The regenerated Stratofortress, nicknamed Ghostrider, completed first flight on August 30th at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, rising into the sky without a painted livery.

The base’s Air Logistics Center was tasked with restoring the airworthiness of the unretired B-52H, reversing a normally one way trip for aging military aircraft to the “boneyard” at Davis-Monthan AFB near Tucson, Arizona.

The Air Force will use Ghostrider to replace another B-52H severely damaged by fire in 2014, restoring the strategic bomber fleet to approved levels. The Air Force maintains a fleet of 58 B-52s in active duty force and 18 more in reserve units.

Ghostrider, tail number 61-007,arrived at Tinker last fall before entering the boomer’s firsts programed depot maintenance cycle in 12 years.  The Air Logistics Center plans to complete several more flights of the B-52H at Tinker before handing the bomber over to an operational squadron at Minot AFB, North Dakota.

Source : Flightglobal

                         

Researched and Compiled by : Ed Kaplanian

Commercial Aviation Advisor

Contact – ekaplanian@msn.com