Maintenance, repair, and overhaul news

ST Engineering establishes MRO scholarship

Global technology group ST Engineering has set up the Pensacola Mayor’s Scholarship to support outstanding individuals accepted into an aviation-related post-secondary educational program. Starting in 2020, $2,500 scholarships will be awarded to four applicants annually from the Escambia County School District based on academic performance and financial need.

The latest ST Engineering initiative supports the growth of a local workforce equipped with aviation career skillsets. Since opening its new maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility in Pensacola, Florida, in June 2018, ST Engineering has offered airman trainee and military fast track programs and structures and interior internships to help the region develop talent to support its aviation sector. People in the programs can receive paid on-the-job training along with classroom lessons, providing a head start to job seekers in aviation maintenance careers.

Boeing donates $3 million to Embry-Riddle

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) has received a $3 million grant from Boeing to accelerate pilot training and aviation maintenance programs.

Boeing’s gift will create a permanent endowment to fund annual scholarships for flight training, maintenance training, and certification costs related to the pilot training and aviation maintenance programs. Scholarship dollars will be made available to all students – with a focus on increasing the number of women, military veterans, and minority students enrolled in both programs.

According to Boeing, the industry will need 754,000 new maintenance technicians to maintain the world fleet during the next 20 years. The forecast is inclusive of the commercial aviation, business aviation, and civil helicopter industries. 

PIA joins Endeavor Air AMP program

Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics (PIA) has joined Endeavor Air’s Aviation Maintenance Pathway (AMP) program. PIA is one of six schools nationwide selected by Delta Air Lines subsidiary Endeavor Air for the new employment program.

AMP engages and educates students who may want to start their aircraft maintenance technician careers with Endeavor, making regular campus visits, sharing presentations, and conducting on-site interviews for PIA students.

To satisfy demand for the AMP program, the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Hagerstown, Maryland PIA branches will be part of the initial AMP program launch.

“PIA students are important for aviation companies like Endeavor Air due to the fact that they earn their FAA airframe and powerplant certification, which means most of our graduates are eligible to start work the day after graduation,” says Jason Pfarr, dean of academic affairs at PIA. Endeavor Air’s AMP provides graduates with an employment pathway to Delta. “This is attractive to students who have aspirations of working for a main-line carrier.”

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the aircraft maintenance sector is expected to add 7,500 new jobs between 2016 and 2026, a 5% growth rate. 

Handheld spectrum analyzer

The Field Master Pro MS2090A handheld spectrum analyzer offers continuous frequency coverage up to 54GHz and real-time spectrum analysis bandwidth up to 100MHz.

A ruggedized design withstands field testing, allowing the unit to offer current and emerging field applications including 5G New Radio (5G NR), broadcast, regulatory compliance, aerospace/defense, satellite systems, and radar.

It can also be used in compliance testing, including equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP), spectral emission mask, time offset, and harmonic and spurious testing.

Up to six traces can be individually configured to display clear/write, max or min hold, or average. It integrates with the NEON MA8100A Signal Mapper to create a 3D in-building or wide-area outdoor coverage map.

Integrated channel power and occupied bandwidth (OBW) measurements simplify characterization of common radio transmissions. A built-in adjacent channel power measurement simplifies measurement of out-of-band transmitter emissions to speed conformance testing.