AS9100 Auditor Training: Assure Safety Security

Africa Aerospace and Defense 2010


Image by US Army Africa

A C-130 Hercules with the U.S Air Force’s 143rd Airlift Wing, Quonset Point, R.I., gets ready for lift off at Air Force Base Ysterplaat, Cape Town, South Africa, Sept. 20.

U.S Army photo by Staff Sgt. Bryanna Poulin, 7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

More than 150 U.S Army and Air Force personnel took part in the Africa Aerospace & Defence (AAD) 2010 exhibition held at Air Force Base Ysterplaat, Cape Town, South Africa, Sept. 21-25 to build on an ongoing partnership between the U.S. military and South Africa National Defense Forces.

More than 300 exhibitors from 31 countries displayed their products to more than 17,000 trade visitors and 30,000 public spectators at this year’s event.

AAD 2010 is one of the premier events of its type in the world, and U.S. military participation aims to enhance cooperation and standardization with South African partners. AAD 2010 gave U.S. military leaders a chance to meet other air chiefs from across the globe and showcase a variety of equipment, said Maj. Gen. Margaret H. Woodward, 17th Air Force Commander, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, who led U.S. Department of Defense representation at the event.

“This has been a terrific event in that it’s raised the partnership level between the United States and the South African National Defence Forces,” said Woodward.

“We really appreciate the South African leadership in bringing together so many different countries to this multi-lateral event. It’s given us … the opportunity to meet with so many different air chiefs from around the continent, so not only are we able to work to build upon our South African relationship, but in addition, relationships with air chiefs from all around the continent,” she said.

During the exhibition, U.S. forces conducted aerial demonstrations and displayed various military aircraft and ground vehicles from bases in the U.S., among them the C-130J Hercules, the C-17 Globemaster III, and the HH-60 Pave Hawk and OH-58 Kiowa helicopters.

The AAD exhibition is the largest display of defense-related air, land and sea capabilities on the African continent, attracting the most advanced technologies from around the world. It serves as a major platform for South Africa’s defense industry and other international visitors to showcase their best technology and innovations, according to Maj. Gen. Hugh Paine, South African Air Force chief of force preparation.

“It’s a pleasure to have American forces here, bringing out equipment that many people don’t get to see,” said Maj. Gen. Hugh Paine. “It’s been very successful, our biggest show so far.”

For U.S. military members, events like AAD2010 provide an opportunity for better regional understanding and insight while encouraging follow-on initiatives such as military-to-military familiarization events and combined exercises and training opportunities.

“The U.S. military and South African National Defense Forces enjoy an established partnership built on mutual trust and interests, and the work by both sides that went into putting this event on will only enhance our military-to-military cooperation,” said Woodward.

Paine agreed, describing the relationship between U.S. military and South African National Defense Forces as, “a partnership that’s grown over the years. It (AAD 2010) gives us an opportunity to do some benchmarking, and it gives an opportunity for military-to-military interaction which is always very good.”

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The AS9100 standard training help to better manage the difficulties contactacting the suppliers in the aerospace supply chain all across several industries. The aerospace industry has a number of additional expectations from the supply chain which is positively assured by the AS9100 auditor. It is the positive effect of the training that the auditors effectively communicate with the supply chain and indirectly help in developing the business.

AS9100 training as well helps in performing effective role in positively communicating customer requirements. The standard lists include specific areas for consideration and they range from defining engineering need to managing test samples and right of access to suppliers’ organizations. It is the duty of the trainers to use one of three methods for product acceptance such as conducting a receiving inspection, perform the inspection at the supplier’s location or assign product acceptance to the supplier.

These types of audits are crucial for companies looking to deal with aerospace marketers and suppliers as strict guidelines are enforced. Several major industry leaders take the standards like GEAE, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Allison, and many others impart the significance of obtaining the AS9100 training. Most of the aerospace marketers and suppliers verify a company’s status before doing business.

The AS9100 standard training program is the industry leading certification that focuses on safety, security, and threat prevention. By focusing on planning, risk management, and project administration, team members who received this training can gain a better understanding of organizational needs within their industry. This training is highly beneficial for improving the quality management of the system over long term as it powers the organization to navigate on-time deliverance execution, the official analyzing of client satisfaction trends, and rigorous plans to guarantee perpetual betterment. The training helps the companies to gain production operation, engineering and management that all are positively impacted by the methodologies, configuration tracking, and pre-set design goals etc.

Any big and small company looking to better their customer service levels, regardless of which industry they’re positioned in, could benefit from this training. In addition to training, audits are also appropriate to the entire aerospace supply chain, including: design and manufacture, safe airline functions, replacement part backlogs, cargo management, and repair/restore depots.

Benefits of As9100 training

• Help your employees to way in to the best practices of the aerospace industry

• Help in quality concerns to your customer and lets them know their satisfaction is top priority

• Improve your quality management structure alike to the international standard accepted by the aerospace industry

• Direct the quality process and allows realization of global opportunities

• Reduce the chance of failing an internal audit

• Strengthen customer satisfaction

• Create less scrap and waste during product manufacture

• Improve both constancy and process capability

 

For more information about AS9100 Auditor Training, please visit www.qualityassociates.org

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AS9100 Auditor Training: Assure Safety Security

U.S.-Mexico Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement

Big Sky, Big Face Shot


Image by Zach Dischner

I just got back from a week on the beach for spring break, but before those pics go out, I have to post from a trip I took a trip to Big Sky, Montana for a week in the begining of March to give a talk at the IEEE Aerospace conference there about my engineering project, DayStar. Which is awesome, because it pretty much was designed to work around the skiing time!

This shot was taken 2 days after snow fell. 2 DAYS AFTER! Big Sky is awesome. The mountain is HUGE! And hat some massive lines. I was legitimately scared shitless of some of the runs on the top of the tram, something I haven’t felt in Summit County for quite a long time. And there is fresh snow everywhere! There are never lift lines, so you don’t need to do an alpine start to get a run in fresh snow like you do half the time at Vail (sorry Vail. you rock, but its true). 2 days after the last morsel of snow fell we were still finding great snow and steep skiable lines. Here are a few from my favorite fresh-snow vantage I could find.

And yes, I know its crooked. I almost missed him zooming by. I was set up, but had no idea he (my nerd buddy Kevin) was coming down, so this was a purely blind reflex shot.

Check out the Big Sky Blog Post: 2manventure for more pics!

More Places to find me: Zach Dischner Photography | 500px
Blog: 2manventure

In the late 1990’s, NAFTA was a trigger that motivated aerospace industry manufacturers take to look at Mexico. Multi-national businesses and mid-sized industry suppliers saw the inherent the advantages of considering cost-effective Mexican locations from which to service global markets. As a result, aerospace manufacturing in Mexico has undergone extensive growth in the last 20 years, and it continues to grow today.

Since 2004, the number of aerospace manufacturers in Mexico has ascended from about 100 to over 300. Today, just about every element of a plane can be assembled in Mexico. The Mexican Government has also established a multifaceted, robust plan that aims to amplify and advance the country’s aerospace design, development, and engineering yield, highlighting the appealing cost of Mexican labor.

The U.S. and Mexican governments recognized the emerging trend toward multinational design, production, and interchange of civil aeronautical products, prompting a desire to promote aviation safety and environmental quality while recognizing common concerns for the safe operation of public aircraft. As a result, on September 18, 2007, Mexico and the United States signed a bilateral aviation safety agreement (BASA) in Montreal, Canada.

What is the ‘BASA’?

The Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement, or BASA, is a part of the International Open Skies Policy initiative. The U.S. and Mexico labored together for more than three years to finish this agreement. The BASA removes authorization measures for certain items that are related to the aeronautical industry in both countries. It is the reciprocated acknowledgement by the countries’ civil aeronautical authorities of certifications of aeronautical products, in turn promoting safety and environmental objectives. The Mexican Senate approved the agreement on October 8, 2009.

The application of the BASA assists the supply operations to aircraft manufacturers and their clients. One effect of the agreement is that it helps to reduce costs: the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) no longer needs to re-authorize certifications carried out by the Mexican Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC). The FAA and the DGAC determined that the aircraft certification methods of each authority for the design and production approval, airworthiness certification, and ongoing airworthiness of the civil aeronautical products, parts, and equipment, are satisfactorily analogous in composition and presentation to sustain Implementation Procedures. The Implementation Procedures are based on a high level of mutual confidence in the FAA’s and DGAC’s procedural capability and regulatory competence to perform these tasks. As a result, Mexico’s aeronautical authority is now allowed to certify parts, components, and aeronautical systems. They can even complete aircrafts manufactured and assembled in Mexico that are intended for the U.S. and other aerospace markets. This improvement removes a step in the supply-chain, as products no longer have to be examined internationally before being shipped off to assembly companies, saving time and money.

How does it affect Aerospace Manufacturer in Mexico?

The BASA removes obstacles for an industry wanting to outsource production to Mexico. It contains provisions that will let manufacturers verify and transport machinery directly from Mexican factories, rather than sending them back to the U.S. for conclusion and security checks, therefore avoiding expensive re-certifications or secondary reviews. The BASA reduced costs particularly for companies importing parts and components to be transformed into systems and aircraft portions.

Results of BASA:

• The growth of the industry and the creation of jobs.

• Enhances the safety of air transport between the U.S. and Mexico.

• Reduces regulatory burdens for airlines and aviation authorities of both countries.

• Eliminates a step in the supply-chain since products no longer have to be inspected international before being shipped off the assembly companies.

• Reduces costs for both the governments and the manufacturers.

The Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the U.S. and Mexico has further expanded Mexico’s aerospace industry. This is another major step between the two governments to increase commercial cooperation while increasing security and safety standards.

 Steven is the director of corporate marketing for the Tucson, Arizona-based Offshore Group. The Offshore Group has enabled businesses to establish and start-up low-cost and low-risk operations since 1986 Steve has been working in the area of U.S. -Mexico manufacturing and trade for the past twenty years, and is fluent in both Spanish and Portuguese Manufacturing in Mexico , Mexico Shelter Companies

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U.S.-Mexico Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement

Practitioners Of Aerospace Medicine Help Reduce Occupational Health And Safety Risks

Aerospace


Image by jurvetson

Aerospace medicine is also known as aviation medicine. This is a broad practice of medicine that can include astronauts, pilots, and flight crews whose bodies may be susceptible to the stressful events and triggers that can occur in the environments in which these people work. Doctors who work in this subfield can provide life support systems for astronauts and also can design programs to certify pilots and other flight crew for administering emergency medical care on flights. Physicians who practice aerospace medicine also are responsible for providing medical clearance for pilots and co-pilots. If these people are at risk for heart attacks or diabetes, they may put the safety of their passengers in jeopardy. These individuals are also evaluated to make sure that they have the vision strength to fly as well. Lastly, these people often need special screening for preventing of disease because the nature of their work makes them more susceptible to illnesses. These illnesses can come about because of stress from work, unsteady eating and sleeping schedules, and the jet lag that they frequently experience. Doctors who practice aerospace medicine can work either in civilian or military capacities.

During flight, the human body is subjected to many different forces that over time can have an impact on health. The physics of flight can cause drops in both air pressure and humidity in the airplane cabins. Air travelers can also experience exposure to radiation, acceleration, and vibration as the aircraft speeds up to its typical traveling speed. In some aircraft, pilots are fitted with special suits to resist the forces of acceleration. They are also provided with breathing devices in the event of an emergency.

Reports have shown that airline employees and other people employed in the aerospace industry have a higher risk of occupational health problems. These health problems occur because of air pressure changes inside passenger cabins, which can lead to sinus infections. The loss of sleep and regular schedules can cause these people to be more prone to accidents as well, which can include falls, strains and sprains. Aerospace doctors treat people who work in these occupations to help them prevent these illnesses and injuries.

The offices dealing with aerospace medicine in OK exist to advance medical education in the aerospace industry, to test airline and Federal Aviation Administration employees for drugs and alcohol, to provide medical clearance for air traffic controllers and pilots, and provide medical certification for pilots. They are able to provide a wide range of services for the domestic and military aviation employees in the state.

Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information about aerospace medicine in OK, please visit http://www.lifescript.com/.

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Practitioners Of Aerospace Medicine Help Reduce Occupational Health And Safety Risks