Avinco Celebrates 10 Years as the Pre-Owned Helicopter Specialists

MONACO – March 2013

This year Avinco proudly celebrates its 10 year anniversary as one of the world’s leading pre-owned helicopter specialists. Avinco is a 20-strong company, with operations in Monaco, Ireland and Germany, complemented by representatives worldwide. Avinco has steadily grown despite various industry upheavals.

Avinco has successfully transacted over 220 helicopters in its 10 years in business, with more than 50% on trade.

2012 transactions included 21 helicopters sold- covering Asia, South America, North America, Europe and Africa.

During its evolution, Avinco has demonstrated its understanding of the worldwide market and adapted its offer and services. Avinco attributes its continued success to offering customers tailored solutions in a rapidly changing market. With access to a wide network, Avinco provides a reliable resource for buyers, lessees and aircraft owners while delivering qualified services in even the most complex scenarios.

This is possible through a mix of on-going market intelligence, extensive product knowhow, innovative financial structures/solutions, and the key ability to offer technical services that such as configuration modifications and equipment upgrades.

“Over the past decade, Avinco has taken great pride in making aircraft acquisition and disposal easier by offering tailored solutions to its clients, small and big alike”, says François Gautier CEO, “Though we expect a more favorable market in the second half of 2013, the first half should be as challenging as last year. According to our market analysis, Oil & Gas shows steady growth and new opportunities, and a growing market for mining with heavy utilities. The Corporate market promises limited scope this year again outside Russia and Brazil. In our view opportunities will lie with EMS replacements only in the USA.”

“Today’s market can be daunting and customers need a partner they can trust, “François Gautier concludes, “customers need to find finance, buy at the right price and be in a position to react quickly to market changing situations - that’s what we’re here for and that’s what we do best.“

Avinco continues to expand its leasing activities to offer an even wider range of services, as well as develop its helicopter Spare Parts sales activity. In addition to an extensive stock of Puma spare parts, it now offers a wide range of used BO105 parts, EC135 avionics and dynamic components for Gazelle, Lama, Alouette III, Ecureuil, Dauphin & Super puma, and more stock is planned for this year.

Avinco is in the process of re-launching its website, already one of the leading second-hand helicopter search engines. The new fully revamped website will offer an even more sophisticated facility for advanced aircraft search and seamless contact with Avinco, accessible in the office and on the go. Launch planned for March 2013.

About Avinco

Avinco is also a major player in the commercial aircraft industry offering remarketing, sourcing, lease management, technical and financial structuring services worldwide. Avinco has successfully sourced, traded or placed nearly 120 large commercial aircraft on all continents. This includes over 90 narrowbodies (A320 family, 737 family and E190s), several widebodies such as A330, A340, 747 and 777s, and a number of large corporate jets (ACJ, BBJ,etc..).

Separately Avinco has raised over $200m of debt to support various acquisitions.

For more information visit www.avinco.net

Avemco Launches Safety Education Tour with Keynote at Northwest Aviation Conference

February 7, 2013— Avemco Insurance Company Vice President, Mike Adams, will present “Flying the Pacific Northwest: Findings Revealed from Avemco^® Files” at the Northwest Aviation Conference & Trade Show on February 23, 2013 in Puyallup, Washington. 

As a leader in safety advocacy, Avemco will be launching their 2013 Safety Education Tour at the conference.  The tour will include speaking, webinar, online, print, events and presentations.  The focus will be to encourage all aviators to participate in relevant training, offer information compiled from claims data to help avoid accidents and provide expertise about insurance that will benefit aircraft owners and renters.

Over 12,000 pilots are expected to attend the annual Conference where Adams’ presentation will focus on general claims information from accidents occurring in the Pacific Northwest including those that didn’t make it to the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) files. 

“We’re excited to kick-off our 2013 Safety Education Tour in the northwest region of the US because it presents a set of unique challenges to new and skilled pilots. As we’ve seen through our claims data: weather, terrain and altitude are definitely factors and in this session you will also learn about claims that may surprise you.” notes Adams. 

Mike Adams is Avemco’s Vice President of Underwriting and has been with the organization for over 25 years.  Formerly the President of the Oregon Pilots Association, Adams is an instrument-rated pilot with over 750 hours.  As senior underwriting officer, his role is to determine the underwriting requirements for Avemco’s insurance policies and to help customers understand why many of these decisions are designed to help keep them safe. 

“The Pacific Northwest was the perfect backdrop for my formative flying years and I have a great appreciation and respect for the high level of flying skill needed for this area.  Our file case studies show  losses that could have been prevented with greater awareness and attention to issues like human factors, safety management and pilot/aircraft preparedness,” continued Adams. 

The 30^th Annual Northwest Aviation Conference & Trade Show will be held in Puyallup, Washington February 23-24, 2013.  The Avemco presentation will begin at 3:30 p.m. in Room B/Pioneer of the Showplex on Saturday, February 23.  For more information on the Northwest Aviation Conference & Trade Show go to http://www.washington-aviation.org/NACoverview.html

Avemco Insurance Company, a leading pleasure and business general aviation insurer in the United States, has been insuring planes and pilots since 1961. Headquartered in Frederick, Maryland, Avemco is rated AA (Very Strong) by Standard & Poor's and A+ (Superior) by A. M. Best Company. Avemco has also earned prestigious recognition in the Anniversary Best Mark Program by the A.M. Best Company.  The Best Mark Program was created to distinguish insurance companies with at least a 25 year history of being rated A or higher.  For the latest rating, visit www.ambest.com.  Avemco is a wholly owned subsidiary of HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HCC) a leading international specialty insurance group.

For More Information Contact:

Lauretta Godbey, Vice President of Marketing & Public Relations Director
Avemco Insurance Company
Telephone: 301-694-4207
Email: lgodbey@ave.com
www.Avemco.com

Schweiss Doors introduction of spherical bearings is unique to the hydraulic door industry

Schweiss Doors has once again proven to be a worldwide leader in production of hydraulic and bifold doors, and is proud to announce it has made another unique design improvement to its hydraulic one-piece doors with the addition of “spherical” bearings.

All Schweiss “Red Power” Hydraulic Doors are now built with spherical bearings. These bearings are critical to the safe and smooth operation of the door. The design team at Schweiss Doors, during an extensive testing phase, found them to be the perfect answer to a stronger, longer lasting door for its customers.

No one else in the industry has adopted this unique feature. Others seem to be content with the use of conventional bearings, but Schweiss Doors engineering team has proven that spherical bearings are far superior. Itʼs simple, just plain common sense — when you use superior components, you get a superior product.

Spherical bearings are not something new, but they are “new” to the door industry. They are being used and have been used in tractor 3-point hitches, planters, drawbars, car suspensions, engines, driveshafts, heavy machinery and many other applications throughout the years. Schweiss Doors was “light years” ahead of the curve in engineering genius by realizing they would be perfect for its “Red Power” hydraulic lift doors, which in many cases are large and heavy doors.

Schweiss Hydraulic Door spherical bearings are strategically located between the teardrop area and cylinder plate at each end of the doors large lifting and closing cylinders. Each door frame has a certain amount of deflection when in operation. Spherical bearings allow for less friction, eliminate binding, wear and damage to a door cylinder and take up any flexing of the door frame.

With over 30 years as an established company, Schweiss Doors will continue to be at the top of its trade. You can always rely on Schweiss Doors for the very best in a agricultural, aeronautical, industrial, commercial, residential and designer doors.

Visit us at www.schweissdoors.com or call (800) 746-8273.

Schweiss Doors develops new “Red Power” Hydraulic Pump

Schweiss Doors, a Minnesota based company, providing quality Bifold and Hydraulic One-Piece Doors for agricultural buildings, aircraft hangars, businesses and other installations, announces they have developed a new, more powerful and smoother running hydraulic pump system which goes by the trade name of “Red Power.”

Mike Schweiss, owner of the company, said since it was first introduced at various trade shows around the U.S. farmers, ranchers and pilots have been asking for it by name.

“Over the years we rolled together our customer comments, combined with our knowledge and experience, and turned it over to our talented Schweiss design team to perfect. Whatʼs really nice for the buyer is that we donʼt charge them a penny more for this new pump than they paid before. It goes on all our hydraulic doors and is made at our factory,” said Schweiss.

The Red Power Hydraulic Pump comes to the buyer in a compact unit, ready to be mounted where the buyer wants it, whether it be on a wall, top-hung, floor or back room.  Itʼs power comes from a top quality LEESON motor and offers superior electrical components.

The Safety Advantage System and three back-up systems are something buyers are really liking. They allow the door to lock up and down and safely lower the door in an emergency from ground level. The hydraulic directional control valve has a built in manual override.  Back-up systems are all in the same compact unit. In case of electrical failure a pilot can use a DC battery, tractor hydraulic or a drill with a 7/16: hex head to raise or lower the door.

Red Power hydraulic pumps come in 2 h.p and go all the way up to 10 h.p. for larger doors.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
For more information contact:
Schweiss Doors
1-800-746-8273
schweissdoors.com
schweiss@schweiss doors

Gulfstream Celebrates The 25th Anniversary of the First Flight of the GIV

Photo Credit: Gulfstream

The Gulfstream hompage reports is the 25th anniversary of the first flight of the Gulfstream IV.

“The GIV was the aircraft that launched a thousand Gulfstream aircraft,” said Joe Lombardo, president, Gulfstream. “It formed the foundation for designing and building the G300, G400, G350 and G450. The aircraft’s first flight was a milestone and turning point for the company.”

Longtime Gulfstream employee Jim Gallagher, an acoustics engineer for the GIV program, said the aircraft revolutionized the industry. More than 520 of the 536 jets produced in the GIV series are still in operation.

Source: Gulfstream

Test Establishes Gulfstream G650 As World’s Fastest Civil Aircraft

Gulfstream has announced the Gulfstream G650 recently reached Mach 0.995 as part of its 1,800-hour flight-test program. This accomplishment establishes G650 As World’s Fastest Civil Aircraft.

Photo Credit: Gulfstream

According to Gulfstream, the aircraft achieved this speed during flutter testing, which evaluates the aircraft’s damping responses following an input from an external test device.

Flutter testing is performed at a variety of frequencies, speeds, altitudes, weights and centers of gravity. In order to achieve the maximum speed of Mach 0.995, Gulfstream experimental test pilots Tom Horne and Gary Freeman along with flight test engineer Bill Osborne took Serial Number (S/N) 6001 into a dive, pitching the aircraft’s nose 16 to 18 degrees below the horizon.

Photo Credit: Gulfstream

During the dive, flutter exciters introduced a range of vibration frequencies to the wing, tail and flight control surfaces to ensure the aircraft naturally dampened out the oscillations without further action from the pilots.

Source: Gulfstream

Happy National Aviation Day

Photo Credit: Library of Congress

Today is National Aviation Day and 138th birthday of Orville Wright.

The National Park Service reports on events taking place at the Wright Brothers National Memorial to mark the occasion.

NYCAviation.com features a list of aviation milestones that have taken place on August 19th, including the founding of Embraer Aircraft in Brazil in 1969.

Source: NYC Aviation and The National Park Service