September Issue
INVENTORY SYSTEM JUST FOR SHOPS ? GMA leads the way Learn their secrets to success
CLOSE CALL:
- Pilot narrowly avoids ‘greatest aviation disaster in history’
It’s about you. Only one MRO has the expertise, experience and purchasing power that comes from keeping more than 800 planes up and flying for the world’s #1 airline. And, we can put that power to work for you, every single day.
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Letter from the Editor Hey 145 readers! I hope everyone is doing well! 145 Magazine have been thinking about those of you that live in Texas, Florida, the Caribbean and Mexico. We pray that all are safe and that things get back to normal as soon as possible for everyone involved. We’re excited to have a lot of you participating in our Top Shop Winner’s promotion! If you’re a 2017 Top Shop winner and would like more details about the promotion, you can contact our advertising guy, Taylor at taylor@the145.com. As always, we’ve got another fun read for you all. Nothing boring in here! You can read about an Air Canada pilot that avoided what could have been the “greatest aviation disaster in history.” Or, why it’s time to travel more, even though air travel is at an all-time high. With ticket prices plummeting around the world, 2017 is shaping up to be the best travel year yet. With those reads, and an interview with GMA’s leardership and the secrets to their success, you’re bound to have your eyes glued to this months issue. Once again, we love hearing from our readers! Reach out if you think you have a fun article to share, or if you’re interested in advertising with us. We’re growing fast, so take advantage of our low cost advertising rates before prices go up. Editor-in-Chief
145 Magazine
Ashley Fox
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September Volume 4 Issue 4
CONTENTS
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Scaling Back
11
Aviation Trivia
12
Travel Spike 2017
15
Give me a break!
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GMA’s leads the way
24 Name that Airport 26 Close Call
Email: info@145magazine.com Tel: +1.888.820.8551 Ext. 704 Fax: +1.801.772.1947
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SCALING BACK ON AVIATION SAFETY RULES? R ecently, an influential panel within the aviation industry recommended the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) either scale back or completely abolish dozens of safety regulations, including one of the current rules surrounding the qualification of airline pilots.
In February 2009, the captain of Colgan Flight 3407 made a fatal mistake in response to the aircrafts safety systems, causing the plane to stall and crash just outside of Buffalo, New York killing all 49 people on board. In the wake of the crash, Congress passed a new law in regard to aviation safety and pilot qualifications which was soon adopted by the FAA. This law has been hard-fought by regional airlines ever since. Before this new law was passed, airlines were permitted to hire pilots with as little as 250 flight hours as first officers, who were then promoted to the captain’s seat once they had achieved the minimum of 1,500 hours of flight experience. After the crash of Colgan Flight 3407, lawmakers began pointing a finger towards the minimum standard of flight hours to become a first officer; a trend heavily correlated by some of the rapidly growing regional airlines. Today’s law mandates first officers must have a minimum of 1,500 flight hours, the same amount as captains, resulting in a more seasoned and experienced crew.
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The report also recommends there be changes made to other safety rules and regulations regarding aircraft. These suggestions could affect a wide range of mandates including emergency exits, hinge strength and much more. However, the law requiring first officers to have a minimum of 1500 flight hours is in jeopardy. In response to President Trump’s call to cut government regulations, a new recommendation can be found in a report to the FAA’s Rulemaking Advisory Committee which would allow pilots with less than 1500 flight hours to qualify for an “air transport” license. The license would allow pilots to fly passengers provided they complete additional academic training from their airline. To date there’s no indication what this academic training is, or what it would entail. Regional airlines have fought tooth and nail to abolish the law because they believe it’s causing a pilot shortage among regional operators. They argue the 1500 flight hours is too excessive and directly reduces the amount of prospective pilots. Pilots unions, as well as safety advocates argue the pilot shortage experienced by regional airlines is more a result of their low pay practices for entry-level pilots than the requirement of 1500 flight hours. The report also recommends there be changes made to other safety rules and regulations regarding aircraft. These suggestions could affect a wide range of mandates including emergency exits, hinge strength and much more.
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Aviation Trivia Douglas Douglas-Hamilton and David McIntyre accomplished what aviation first? A. B. C. D.
Fly over the Alps Fly over the English Channel Fly around the world without refueling Fly over the top of Mt. Everest Answer: D
Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, also known as the 14th Duke of Hamilton headed an expedition known as the Houston-Westland Expedition that set out in 1933 to fly over the top of Mt. Everest, on the border of Tibet and Nepal. The expedition was funded by Lucy, Lady Houston, a philanthropist in England, whose reason for funding the expedition was, unfortunately, in protest of India seeking independence. In preparation for the flight, a Westland PV-3 biplane was chosen because it had the highest rate of climb of any airplane ever tested by the Royal Air Force. The PV-3 also had a maximum speed of 163 mph (262.3 km/h) and a service ceiling of 35,000 ft. (10,668 m). Unfortunately, the PV-3 had an open cockpit, so the problems of altitude, air pressure and oxygen supply experienced by the pilots were quite different to those flying in later years in pressurized cabins. The group dressed in multilayers of sheepskin from Lalbalu airstrip in the Indian state of Bihar, at about 8:30 a.m. on April 3, 1933. A little after 10 a.m. they ar-
rived at the top of Mt. Everest, circled for about 10 minutes and then flew back. In actuality, it was a little more eventful than that. A downdraft almost blew them into the summit, and a broken oxygen line almost cost them their photographer, but for the first time in human history, man looked down on the summit of the top of the world. They came home with some pictures, but not as many as they wanted due to mechanical issues. Douglas-Hamilton was given the Air Force Cross for his achievement and a short documentary titled Wings over Everest was made the following year. The expedition led to the formation of Scottish Aviation Ltd., which is now part of BAE Systems. To glide above the highest point on earth was for the 1930s what the moon landing was for later generations. This really was an incredible achievement.
145 Magazine
By: Zeke Christensen
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travel Spike 2017 AIR TRAVEL EXPERIENCES ALL-TIME HIGH IN 2017
S
ummer means vacation; and with each new year we usually see new records being set for summer air travel. Summer air travel in 2017 was at an all-time high, but surprisingly, it wasn’t just the summer that experienced heavy traffic. Only in 2017 it’s not just the summer traffic reaching all-time highs. In fact, over the first half of 2017, the commercial airline industry saw its largest spike in traffic growth in 12 years as well as a record high first half load factor of over 80%. New data released by the IATA (The International Air Transport Association) shows that air travel across the globe, increased nearly 8% in May and June compared to those same two months back in 2016. Additionally, June’s travel capacity rose by 6.5% while the load factor jumped to 81.9%. Now, if you’re like us then you’re probably wondering what’s behind this spike in air traffic. According to IATA the growing demand is due largely to a currently optimistic economy in addition to low airfare rates. Be warned though, IATA also believes this trend in traffic won’t last forever.
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“As costs rise, this stimulus of lower fares is likely to fade,” says Alexandre de Juniac, Director General and CEO of IATA. “And uncertainties such as Brexit need to be watched carefully. Nonetheless, we still expect 2017 to see above-trend growth.” Airline’s in North America experienced an increase in air traffic of 4.4% in the month of June compared to last June 2016. However, IATA data suggests inbound tourism to the US has been hindered due to the increased security measures. Across the globe, the African region experienced the largest spike in demand, where air traffic demand jumped by 9.9% in June. Travelers are finding round-trip tickets from the US to Europe in the ballpark of $175 or from the US to Asia and back for around $375. The increase in air travel traffic for 2017 should come at no surprise with ticket fares this low. We certainly hope this trend in low cost fares and increased travel is something we all get to enjoy for a long time. Fingers Crossed.
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GIVE ME A BREAK!
INVENTORY SYSTEM JUST FOR REPAIR CENTERS?
I
t may seem hard to believe, but it’s true, The 145 released a beta version of a new inventory system back in July of this year that was built exclusively for repair centers. Now that the beta testing phase is coming to a close, the company has announced the system will go live to all users beginning November 1, 2017. You may be asking yourself “How could this system possibly be different from all the other inventory systems out there?” In all honesty, it’s very different and it’s very efficient. As far as we can tell, there isn’t another working inventory system out there that can hold a candle to this one. Here’s a look at how the system works, what makes it special and what customers are saying:
HOW’S IT DIFFERENT?
This isn’t your traditional inventory system where suppliers list their part numbers and buyers search for availability. The 145’s inventory system is built on a reverse auction platform, which means the roles of the buyer and seller are reversed. In a traditional auction, buyers compete to purchase an item and as a result the price of the item increases with each buyer’s bid. In a reverse auction, however, the opposite occurs, so the more sellers that participate in the auction the less expensive prices become. Buyers tend to benefit most from this type of system because it forces sellers to submit competitive prices relative to their competitors. Additionally, buyers can set their target price, and purchase criteria, which gives them more control over the buying process. When a buyer has parts they need to buy, they simply specify the required part numbers, descriptions, quantities, condition, trace, lead-times and target prices. Once that’s done they just click “Send” and kick back and watch the show - as sellers work to meet their purchase criteria.
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WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL FOR SHOPS? During the building of the system, The 145 went out and visited several repair centers asking them to identify inefficiencies within their parts procurement processes that were negatively impacting their Turn-Around-Times. The shops were instrumental in helping pinpoint six items to reduce
• TIME SENSITIVE RFQS
• COD’S AND CERTS
All RFQs on the Inventory system are time sensitive, meaning buyers set the response deadline so users get quotes back in hours rather than days.
If a seller specifies that the buyer must pay COD, the seller is obligated to provide all documentation at the time of sending the quote. This saves buyers from placing POs for parts, paying for parts when received, and then later learning that all the documentation isn’t sufficient.
• APPROVED VENDOR RFQS It’s common for repair centers to be restricted to buying parts only from companies that are on their customer’s approved vendors lists. This system allows repair centers to upload their customers’ approved vendors lists, so RFQs only go to sellers flagged in the customer’s approved vendors list.
• AUCTION EARLY TERMINATION With one click buyers can close an auction early and make a purchase immediately.
• WORK ORDER REFERENCE TRACKING Shops input their Work Order Reference Numbers prior to sending out RFQs so they can quickly and easily refer to them during and after the auction process.
• PO’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT When a buyer clicks the “BUY” button an email goes out containing their PO number and all their shipping details. The sellers receive the email which contains a button that allows them to immediately confirm receipt of the PO, so the buyers is confident the PO has been received.
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Maximize Profit Margins Reverse Auction platforms, by nature, foster competition which results in better prices. The more quotes submitted, the more competitive prices become. Of the auctions that have been processed through the system to date, buyers have achieved, or exceeded, their target prices 60% of the time!
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WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING? The company intentionally limited the number of buyers during the beta testing phase to help tweak and refine the system to the point it could be opened up for more buyers to use. Here’s what users are saying: • JUST CHECKED IT OUT, THIS IS OUTSTANDING. I GET TO SEE EVERYONE’S QUOTES IN REAL TIME! • LOVE IT! THE145.COM WILL BE MY GO-TO WHEN I NEED TO MAKE A PURCHASE! • JUST GOT ANOTHER ONE THAT MATCHED MY TARGET PRICE. BOOM! DOESN’T GET EASIER THAN THIS. • THE SYSTEM IS BETTER USED FOR EASY TO FIND PARTS WITH LOTS OF SUPPLIERS. NOT VERY GOOD FOR HARD TO FIND PARTS. • I WAS VERY SURPRISED AT HOW EASY IT WAS TO SELL PARTS THROUGH THE SYSTEM. I WAS ABLE TO SELL PARTS FOR A LOT MORE THAN I EXPECTED. • NICE TO GET REAL RFQS INSTEAD OF COMPANIES JUST PRIC ING US OUT.
Only time will tell if The 145 is onto something that the aviation market will adopt over the long term as a tool to purchase parts. The company still has a very long way to go, but based on their track record for releasing new products, and the initial feedback customers are giving, they definitely have a shot.
INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS Engineering better options.
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People In Aviation
GMA leads the way S outh Florida, already rich in aviation history, continues to be a hub of innovation for the 145 industry and General MRO Aerospace (GMA) helps lead the way. Just 11 years young, GMA sets the standard for excellence in repair with a tireless dedication to workmanship and customer support. We recently interviewed the founders of GMA; Lester Kamberger CEO, Cristian Munoz COO, Alexander Kamberger V.P of Customer Service & Marketing, and Darius Davis, V.P. of Quality at GMA, on the inspirational origins of their company – it turns out GMA has a rich history if its own.
How did GMA begin?
GMA was incorporated on the 6th of September 2006; when four individuals had the vision to create their own repair station – one that would ensure the highest quality repairs and superior customer service. Two of the original four were technicians who knew they could offer more and improve the way things were typically done in the 145. At the time of GMA’s inception, we knew the only way to achieve our goals of excellence, innovation and quality was to surround ourselves with a team just as passionate about raising the bar as we were.
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What was your first location like?
We had a two thousand square foot warehouse, with one test stand that we built. An older repair station was discarding the frame, we took it and built our entire test stand around it from the ground up. There was no business in the beginning, but we kept busy doing anything we could to generate some form of revenue, like parts sales. During some of the down time we built a miniature golf course, hung a punching bag, and had a basketball hoop to keep our spirits up while trying to organize a game plan for building the brand.
How long did it take for you guys to finally get your FAA approval? The process took us nine months before receiving the best Christmas present we’ve ever received. We started in September of 2006 and had our FAA license before Christmas December 2007. That was a great accomplishment, but at this point, we still couldn’t do much because we didn’t have our dual release. It wasn’t until March of 2008 we finally received our dual release and were able to establish ourselves with other companies.
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People In Aviation What was the first part GMA ever repaired? We overhauled a 1U1171-5 actuator for a customer for free. We were trying anything at this time to be able to showcase our workmanship and to start building a reputation for our craft. The idea was to be very aggressive; even though we were making little money, the customer would see our willingness to go above and beyond for their satisfaction. We had to. Any time we’d call or knock on doors we’d try to beat our competitor’s price just to have our name resonate. We wanted our potential clients to know, “those crazy guys from down the street do great work.” There was a trade off: We were doing a lot of work for free but it generated a word of mouth for the company. Soon enough, our reputation began to vouch for us and the respect around the name GMA began creating continued opportunities.
What were some of the things you guys had to do to stay afloat in the beginning? One of the things we’re most proud of is the fact we never took a bank loan to sustain our organization. We had an awesome family that has assumed a great deal of responsibility for our success and we are forever grateful to them (as they know who they are). All of the money we utilized we scrapped and saved. The period of time where we were doing a lot of free work was a struggle; the free work helped create a name for GMA, which was worth it, but as a reult we couldn’t pay ourselves for many months. For a long time we only had $20 a week for each of our lunch budgets. But we knew that if we could repair one unit a week we could afford to keep the lights on – so that was the first milestone. Believing in one another and the brotherhood of a singular focus allowed us to weather the storm together and make it to the rainbow on the other side.
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What was the turning point? When did GMA go from survival mode to becoming successful? The tipping point was 2011. We had fully upgraded our facility and we finally started our business relationship with airlines at the 129 level. This was the stepping stone for the next level of GMA. We put a consistent plan together to visit and sit down with every airline who would allow us in their building. We sold them on the mission of the GMA brand and most of them understood the passion we had for the aviation industry. That’s when the opportunities really began. You have to go through the grass roots before airlines will look at you and that’s the path we took; the long way. This was a huge deal because it put our foot in the door with some of the larger airline companies and allowed us to evolve into what we are today. And what we are today is a family oriented company, giving back to the people, our community, and customer base.
What sets GMA apart from all the other repair centers? Our passion to the craft and dedication to our workmanship will always set us apart. As well as our ability or “know-how” to work on the newest platforms such as the 787 Dreamliner or the A380 Airbus. But honestly, we wouldn’t exist without our employees. From the very beginning we knew that in order for our workforce to invest itself in the mission of GMA, we needed to first invest in the employees. Many of the individuals within our leadership have been with the company for years, starting at an entry level position and promoted from within. Our Business Development
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People In Aviation Manager Ms. Fabiola Ortega, began her journey in the GMA Stockroom and is now Business Development Manager. Mr. Andres Venereo began his career as a technician and stepped up for the challenge of Production Manager during a period of accelerated growth and shop expansion. Lastly, Mr. Lonnie Brownell, who joined the company almost 5 years ago, started out as a Customer Service Representative and is now a crucial part of our leadership as the Executive of Business Development. Essentially, we’ve tried to build a company that could not only affect the 145 industry but also be a launch pad for our employees to further themselves and their skills and passions with aviation and repairs. Each one of our staff is special in their own right and we hold them very dear to the past, present, and future of the GMA brand; and for that we say thank you.
What's the status of GMA today? Worldwide explored and serviced and in our opinion - a true leader of the 145 industry. A company that started with the four of us has expanded into over 65 personnel and two companies. GMA has also given a platform for TKSA, Inc. as our parts sales division. We are currently relocating to our new state
of the art 60,000 square foot facility. This move will allow for better service to our customers as well as a better reach, as we have agents located worldwide.
What does the future hold for GMA? General MRO Aerospace has attained many achievements throughout the past 11 years and we believe we will continue to achieve much more. Each year we double our previous year’s revenue and we’re pacing to do the same this year. Seeing the company grow from where it once was has been so exciting, possibly the most rewarding experience of our lives. We look forward to continued growth as well preparing to hand the reins over to the next generation of GMA leadership. The key to planning for our future is to know our past and the building blocks it took to gain customers and recognition throughout the aerospace industry.
Hindsight is always 20/20; is there anything you wish you could have done differently? Looking back, you can always say, ‘I wish I could change this decision or that. But we believe it’s having those experiences that shaped us into who we are today. Brotherhood is what brought us together and we have a tremendous amount of respect, admiration and love for one another. But all of the struggles had to happen. All of the disagreements, they had to happen because that’s how you grow and that’s how General MRO Aerospace was created!
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NAME THAT AIRPORT
Which Airport? - Helps facilitate oil production around the Caspian Sea? - Has one 3,000 meter long runway? - Had a new terminal developed in 2007 to accommodate an increase in air traffic? - Is the lowest commercial airport in the world?
Answer: Atyrau Airport
T
he Atyrau Airport in Kazakhstan has the distinction of being the lowest commercial airport in the world at an elevation of -22 meters (-72 feet) below sea level. The airport is situated just north of the top of the Caspian Sea in the Caspian Depression. The region is semi-arid and flat. Because of the unique geography, the region is rich in oil and gas reserves. The Atyrau Airport was built to facilitate oil and gas production in the region, bringing people into and out of the region. The airport consists of one 3,000 meter (9,843 feet) runway with 20-30 arrivals and departures occurring each day. Currently the city of Atyrau houses over 142,000 people with close to half a million people living in the city and surrounding regions. With the growth seen from the oil boom in the Caspian Sea region, the Atyrau Airport is poised to expand in the not too distant future.
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Close Call
Pilot narrowly avoids ‘greatest aviation disaster in history’
O
n July 7th at San Francisco International Airport, an Air Canada Pilot narrowly avoided a collision with four planes after mistaking a taxiway as a runway – barely escaping what could have been “the greatest aviation disaster in history.” The descending Air Canada plane, filled with 135 passengers and five crew members, came within 50 some odd feet of the parked planes below before pulling up. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released new information and images showing just how close the aircraft came to disaster. Other pilots operating a United Airlines plane at the time, quickly contacted air traffic control alerting the Air Canada aircraft was off-course in its decent. Another plane, belonged to Philippine Airlines, flew behind the Air Canada and tried to warn the aircraft of its faulty decent by switching on their landing lights.
An audio recording of who is believed to be another pilot can be heard saying, “Where’s this guy going? He’s on the taxiway!” An audio recording of who is believed to be another pilot can be heard saying, “Where’s this guy going? He’s on the taxiway.” A United Airlines pilot who was positioned on the taxiway at the time says the Air Canada jet “flew directly over us.”
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motivated by passion. driven to achieve. Four companies. One aim — To go above and beyond for you. We are highly skilled and professional teams working to keep you flying. We are experts in component repair and overhaul, DER repair solutions and precision manufacturing of critical components. We are specialists committed to fast turn times, exceptional customer service and proven reliability. And with more than 100 years of providing superior aircraft parts and services, we are as passionate today about aviation as we were then.
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Once Air traffic control became aware of the offcourse decent – a controller ordered the Air Canada plane to ascend and circle back for another approach on the runway. Peter Fitzpatrick, a spokesman for Air Canada, was quick to inform the public that the Air Canada Flight AC759 “landed normally without incident” after circling back. Investigators with the NTSB have not been able to determine any sort of probable cause for the faulty descent which came within mere feet of becoming tragedy. US plane safety officials are also investigating the incident as well as Air Canada. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) official, Ian Gregor, simply stated the pilot of the Air Canada Airbus inadvertently lined up above the taxiway instead of the adjacent runway which runs in a parallel direction. Gregor declined further comment.
“If this is true, what happened probably came close to the greatest aviation disaster in history.” The CEO of Aero Consulting Experts and retired United Airlines Caption Ross Aimer told the Mercury News: “If this is true, what happened probably came close to the greatest aviation disaster in history.” He goes on to say, “If you could imagine an Airbus colliding with four passenger aircraft wide bodies, full of fuel and passengers, then you can imagine how horrific this could have been.”
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