There’s No Crying in Baseball or the Airline Business

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As enormous challenges continue in the airline industry, maybe those involved should take heart in the words of Tom Hanks as Coach Jimmy Dugan in the movie League of our Own.

“If it were easy, everybody would do it.”

Dugan’s reference to playing baseball applies to leaders in this business faced with keeping “lift” in the continuing recovery of the air travel industry since Covid.  If forecasts come true, airlines will find a profit in 2023, but it won’t come easily because factors including high fuel costs, labor shortages (including pilots) and financial anxiety of travelers continue to suppress what would otherwise be a booming market.

Those factors considered, other experts (let’s call them coaches) remind their teams they still have a very hands-on role in this recovery.  How they deliver the Product, how they Perform, and at what Price, will win the game. You can throw all of those P’s into the word “experience”, and remember what the customer experiences is always the bottom line.

Then there’s the old curve ball of ever-changing conditions and expectations.  For example, one airline CEO points to the new hybrid or remote workforce (many more people working from home or other spots).  He notes increased business for air carriers, especially around off-peak travel periods because of that mobile workforce. Short, 3 or 4 day weekend trips are more possible because business travelers can stay connected, and work from the air.  It might also impact high travel periods, like upcoming Memorial Day, because travelers can add a day to their weekend without missing work.

Just as in baseball, new trends eventually work their way into every aspect and level of the game.  Wi-Fi connection from the air has meant opportunity at SAS.   We’re capturing it with our narrow and wide-body Wi-Fi stands which give Ground Support crews necessary equipment to safely install and maintain satellite communications.

We’re now placing multiple orders for those stands with American and Delta Airlines and we aim to do more, and with more carriers.  It’s still the early innings.

Ol’ Coach Dugan knew keeping all his players in the game was vital to success.  At SAS, we design aircraft maintenance stands thinking about perils and ways to avoid having your team on injured reserve.

For example, our Wi-Fi stands have fully enclosed work areas with full aprons to prevent falling tools.  They can be moved into place by crew members versus electronic tugs, preventing runaway accidents. “Non-slip sliders” allow a stand to fit snug to the aircraft, protecting crew from a misstep.

“If it were easy, everybody would do it.”

Not everybody is building safe, reliable aircraft maintenance stands. But we like the game.

 

 

 

 

Customers are Golden

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The most important measure of our business is how customers perceive our products, our service and delivery, and our overall total value. Did we solve your problem, and do it in a manner that was timely, friendly, and complete? Will you come back again?

We’re blessed to say that our customers are coming back, and we are extremely proud to be working with firms and organizations whose reputations and names are among the leaders in the industry, leaders in world aviation.

Here are some of the companies we have served and are serving today:

  • American Airlines
  • Delta Airlines
  • United Airlines
  • FedEx
  • UPS
  • PSA Airlines
  • BAE Systems
  • U.S. Air Force

SAS understands that every day, on every job, we must build and maintain the trust you have in us and our products. As we say, “we want to provide exceptional work for those who appreciate exceptional service.”  It is a lofty goal to keep us humble as we open the doors each morning. Thank you for your business.

5 things to know about Wi-Fi stands from SAS

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  1. They protect your Line Maintenance crew and technicians from falls and accidents with a fully surrounded working space. Meaning you don’t have to use tethers.
  2. They move easily on durable casters that make positioning to the aircraft a cinch. No extra tows or equipment required.  They provide a snug, safe fit to the plane.
  3. They do the heavy lifting. An incorporated jib crane is available for raising materials and tools, saving crews strain and awkward lifting.
  4. Take a small space. You won’t have to sacrifice a lot of room in the hangar.  They’re also durable and can be used inside or out.
  5. They’re built to exact specifications. You get equipment that fits and solves the jobs you need to get done.  You’ll want to use them every day for crown access.

SAS makes Wi-Fi stands for narrow and wide body aircraft.

Contact Us at 812-969-2766

Crew can easily position the wide-body stand to a Boeing 787. The working area cage (just above the fuselage) settles onto the crown of the plane and provides a solid work platform preventing falls or dropped materials.

 

 

 

 

 

This is Houston. We have no problems!

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SAS MAKES MOVING DAY A BREEZE

Our team recently moved a heavy maintenance nose dock and set of wing stands from United Airlines SFO (San Francisco) to United Airlines IAH (Houston).

When these stands were originally put into service at SFO, local contractors had also installed full air and electric utilities.  The utilities posed a great challenge because we needed to keep the items intact so they could be re-used at IAH.   Doing so would save United the cost of fully replacing all systems.  Houston was also on a tight timeline to have the stands in place by Feb. 10  for their first schedule heavy maintenance checks.

SAS assessed the project and provided work timelines, freight requirements and costing. Ultimately, we were awarded the job the second week of December and finished the install the first full week of February, ahead of schedule!  That extra time allowed United to perform other in-house utility connections before going live with work on February 10.

Thanks to all our crew for a fantastic job.

HERE’S HOW OUR CUSTOMER FEELS

“I wanted to let you know how appreciative United is of your work. From the start of this grand project with our first call, to the end of the build, you and your team have beaten expectations. This was an overwhelming project for us, but you and your guys made it look simple. It was a pleasure working with you and SAS.”

Anthony Stavinoha

IAH Maintenance Supervisor United Airlines

 

Wi-Fi and Crown Access stands for aircraft maintenance.

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Coy Stepro stands in the work area atop a Boeing 787

This is one safe bird’s nest!

Here is a photo of the safest, most efficient Wi-Fi and Crown access stand in the industry.  That’s our General Manager Coy Stepro standing in the work space atop a Boeing 787.  Look how secure and enclosed you feel.  There’s not a gap between the safety fence and the aircraft.  Notice how the orange painted Safety Sliders fit tight to the fuselage.  You can step confidently from the platform onto the plane’s crown where the Wi-Fi antenna is located just behind Coy.

Those orange levers (to the left in the photo) are mechanisms to lock the sliders into place, offering a stable feel to technicians making repairs.

Across the top of the photo is our Jib Crane, capable of lifting 400 lbs. of tools or equipment onto the work platform or plane.   The arm of the crane moves in a 180-degree pattern, making it possible to lift from either side of the platform.   The stand also offers electric and pneumatic connections, and two LEDs mounted at the opening can throw a lot of light onto the subject.   We also should mention you can use this stand inside or outside of the hangar.

Simpson Aerospace Services (SAS) provides all types of stands for aircraft maintenance at Ground Operations and Line Maintenance facilities around the country and even beyond.  We build each one with quality and safety in mind.   We just happen to take a little more shine to this one.

Dodging a devil of a storm for Detroit installation

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SAS 2027 wide body Wi-Fi stand in the hangar at Delta’s Detroit Tech Ops Center.

Christmas was coming and so was Winter Storm Elliott as the SAS team worked furiously in Detroit to install a wide-body Wi-Fi access stand for Delta Airlines.

The crew arrived Tuesday, Dec. 20, knowing the threat of a winter storm might wreak havoc on getting the job done, and getting back home for the holidays with their families.

Coy, Randy and Gary were on site, making great progress on the install when our worst fear happened.  A shipping mix-up caused the wrong work cage to be delivered, grinding progress to a halt.  But like so many times when our team rallies, they did so again.

Back at headquarters, Amber and Greg Jupin located the material, had it loaded, and Greg drove 400 miles through the early hours of Thursday morning to assure the right material arrived and the job continued on time.  In fact, we beat the install deadline.

The scramble home was just that.  Because we finished early, we were able to move our return flights to late Thursday.  We encountered a few hours delay but avoided “Cancel Friday” when huge numbers of flights were scrapped.  We all made it home for Christmas eve and Christmas day with our families. It was a job well-done, illustrating the dedication our staff has to making it work and delivering on time.

FEATURES  1.  A completely enclosed work area prevents falls. 2. Safety sliders lock into place, providing confident stepping onto the plane. 3. A 180-degree jib crane lifts tools and equipment easily. 4. Control panels at the bottom and top allow operators to make perfect placement onto a plane, protecting the aircraft. 5. Durable casters allow manual positioning and 360-degree rotation.

 

 

 

 

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5 essentials to know about WiFi stands from SAS

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  1. They protect your Line Maintenance crew and technicians from falls and accidents with a fully surrounded working space. Meaning you don’t have to use a tether.
  2. They move easily on durable casters that make positioning to the aircraft a cinch. No extra tows or equipment required.   Locked in place, they provide a snug, safe fit to the plane.
  3. A jib crane is available for heavy lifting. That means mechanics and crew do not have to carry heavy objects up steps.  You don’t have to rent other machinery to do the job.
  4. They require only a small amount of space, meaning you don´t have to sacrifice a lot of room in the hangar. They’re also durable and can be used inside or out.
  5. They’re built to exact specifications you demand. You get equipment that fits and solves work you need to get done.  You’ll want to use them every day vs pushing them back to a corner for a once-in-a-while job.

 

SAS WiFi stands are made for narrow and wide body aircraft.

To  learn more visit www.Simpson-Services.com

Or, Contact Us
Do you have questions, or want to talk in more detail?  Give us a call at 1-(812) 969-2766.

This email was sent from Simpson Aerospace Services,  111 Old Hwy     Elizabeth, IN

 

 

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Feeling connected and protected

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An item posted by Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, caught our attention. According to Mr. Kirby, United had a strong 3rd quarter performance.  They now look for an even stronger 4th quarter, taking the airline to above pre-pandemic levels of business.

Business is rebounding. United claims the uptick is due to what is called the new “hybrid” or “remote” workforce. Many more people work remotely.  That means increased business for air carriers, especially around off-peak travel periods. Mr. Kirby thinks United gets more business travelers taking short 3- or 4-day weekend trips because flyers can stay connected and work from the air.

It makes sense when you notice everyone on a flight these days has an electronic device open.

The trend is also encouraging to SAS because one of our products is linked to this era of the connected workforce. Our narrow and wide-body Wi-Fi stands give Ground Support crews necessary equipment to install and maintain satellite communications.  Satellites in the pod atop those planes keep us all working and connected.

Safety always matters

Meanwhile, another industry publication, Aircraft Maintenance Technology (AMT) points to the rising cost of ground damage to aircraft. Apparently, there is no shortage of ways to haphazardly damage a plane. Powerful tugs can push equipment into an aircraft.  Tools fall onto wings and other areas causing damages. The result means expensive repairs and lost revenues from delays or planes being out of service entirely. AMT reports 50% of accidents are the result of human inattention. Another 50% are caused by people rushing to do a job.

At SAS, we design aircraft maintenance stands thinking about perils and ways to avoid them. For example, our WiFi stands have fully enclosed work areas with full aprons to prevent falling tools.  They can be moved into place by crew members vs. tugs, preventing runaway accidents. “Non-slip sliders” allow a stand to fit snug to the aircraft, protecting crew from a misstep.

Rest assured; we are not relying on headlines to gauge our business.  But it is encouraging to see our products reflect what is happening, and match needs in the market. If we can share that thinking with you, give us a call or go to www.simpson-services.com.

Smart Design Dictates Safety

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Safety In TechOps

There are over 67,000 men and women working as aircraft mechanics at Tech Operations centers, airport hangars, and other facilities across the country.

Each working day, they face hazards that come from stepping on irregular shaped machines,  aircraft that put them on surfaces high above the ground,  components that spin and rotate at high speeds, and  using potentially dangerous tools like grinders, power drills and crimping equipment.

The work is not for the faint hearted, yet the industry keeps a remarkable safety record, both for the technicians and mechanics doing the job, and the aircraft they service.   That safety record begins far in advance of the moment a mechanic steps onto the slick, rounded crown of an aircraft, almost 30 feet off the ground.

SATCOM STAND

7027 Narrowbody  Maintenance Stand

It starts on computers and engineering tables at companies like ours (Simpson Aerospace Services) where safety takes center stage.  For example, our newest products, narrow and widebody stands for Wi-FI and Satcom (Satellite Communications) maintenance are loaded with features to keeps crews safe and avoid putting them in risky situations.

Features like a completely enclosed work pen eliminate the need for tethering, giving mechanics greater freedom and confidence to work high above the ground.   Safety aprons around the entire work pen eliminate another common hazard,  dropped or falling tools and equipment.   And sliders which lock in place, eliminate gaps (and possible missteps) between the aircraft and work platform.  Because crushed fingers and toes are hardly unimaginable in an industry where even smaller parts can weigh 200 lbs. or more, our stands feature options like electronic lifts that remove the need for mechanics to manually carry materials up steps, and walkways (and the back injuries that come from that).

Work often goes on 24-hours a day at the Tech Operation centers and MRO hubs around the nation.  And, because it requires deep experience and years of skill,  that means more than 50% of today’s crews are 40-years old and up.   Equipment designed and manufactured to remove risk, protect employees, and extend careers makes sense, and that’s what we do.

 

For More Information

At SAS-INC, we believe in running a trusted business that is family-owned and delivers corporate quality services. We pride ourselves on offering custom solutions, prompt delivery, and personal care to each and every one of our clients. We’ve specialized in the fields of aerospace maintenance, ground support equipment, and heat treat services since 1992 and have no plans to stop.

Address

SAS-INC
7017 Old Highway 111, SE
Elizabeth, IN 47117
812-969-2766