I do a lot of work with Repair Stations/AMOs (Approved Maintenance Organization). For MROs (Maintenance Repair and Overhaul) which do business internationally, the customer’s national CAA (Civil Aviation Authorities) often require that maintenance performed on aircraft based there be performed by MROs certified to their nation’s regulations. Thus, it is common to see MROs with multiple certifications for all the nations they do business with. Each nation typically charges fees, and requires a de...

We need to have a frank talk about a continuing pattern of injustice and seemingly anti-competitive behavior in the aftermarket. I’ll start. Due to the current covid crisis, and perhaps to the delight of OEMs (herein manufacturers who are Production Approval Holders, PAH, or have Production Organisation Approvals, POA) who in recent years have made major forays into the aftermarket, there are many small independent MROs staggering on the brink of business failure. Aside from covid, are there any...

Back when the European Union was just forming, I distinctly recall the old days of the toothless JAA (Joint Aviation Authorities), and then in recognition of such tooth lessness, the transition to the more formidable EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency). My earliest impressions of the new EASA were twofold; one, that they were intent on not following anyone’s existing model of how to administrate aviation (read that: we’re not going to follow the FAA’s model), and two, a nearly homogenous aura...

As any Investment Adviser would counsel, a recommended strategy is that you diversify your portfolio. In the last decade there has been a noticeable change in the landscape of the aircraft parts aftermarket. One of the evolutions involves the scope of work performed by distributors. In the past, firms whose only model was to broker, search and resell parts seem to have, in many cases, gone away. On the other hand, those who survived the economic turmoil following 2008, and which continue to surv...

Before getting started, we need to establish that insiders do not call these pilotless flying devices ‘drones’. Universally, commercial, government, and military operators call these either Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). Recreational users continue to perpetuate the use of the drone moniker and it seems to have stuck in the public’s mind. This article will include: Overview and Introduction. Operations and Regulations. Maintenance. Parts. Sales/Distribution. T...