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...

MAX, ODAs, BABIES, AND BATHWATER By Roy Resto My spleen seeks comfort in being vented, so this is going to be one of those articles. Regarding Max, let’s be clear; the issue will be fixed, the lessons learned, and the aircraft will return to be the economic best-selling performer it was meant to be. Period. I have always been impressed with our industry’s capacity to get to the root cause of any problem devoid of emotional, political, or institutional influences, for example in accident investig...

In the Aviation/Aerospace industry, Manufacturers, Airlines, AMO/Repair Stations, and Distributors all conduct Receiving and Shipping Inspections of their aircraft parts. I have experience with all of these, so I thought I’d share some critical observations. First a little sarcastic humor from the distributor community: Salesman: “I meet my quotas by buying everything as quickly as I can issue PO’s. If it gets through my Receiving Inspectors it must be good…” Salesman: “I secretly drop ship ever...