AAI – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia performed extensive market research and learned that GEC manufactures precision aircraft weighing solutions for both commercial and military aircraft, while being known for supplying aircraft scales having the most reliable and accurate technologies.  AAI performed due-diligence on the organization and leadership before contacting GEC to discuss a weighing solution for their new military program.  AAI expressed their desire for an OEM partner who could quickly deliver a highly accurate, aircraft weighing system for AWACS, (B707’s), KC-130’s and other similarly configured military aircraft.  After discussing the different aircraft configurations, weighing equipment technologies, calibration processes and total cost of ownership, GEC landed as their top choice.

AAI’s mass properties engineering team went deep and wide to evaluate GEC’s piezo-sensor technology, comparing it to the competitor’s shear beam technology. AAI spoke to multiple customers who had both shear beam loadcell scales and AN60z’s for longer than 7 years and found exceptional feedback on GEC’s AN60z’s.  In their discovery, AAI quickly realized the millivolt output of a piezo-sensor is 4 times greater than that of shear beam (shear sense technology) loadcells, meaning greater overall scale accuracy and reliability than the competition’s scale with electronic loadcells.  Experiments reflect that the competitor’s platform scale using shear beam loadcells do not negate side loads often experienced with aircraft weight and balance. While competitors claim their design measures side loading, the mass properties engineer’s team quickly saw through the propaganda.  Shear beam loadcells can ONLY accurately measure “true vertical” loads.

Moreover, the competitor’s scales suffered a severe overloading of the individual shear beam loadcells upon aircraft entry and exit of the scales causing zero shift and zero return issues.  This required costly re-weighs and shortened scale calibration intervals, which greatly added to the overall cost of ownership and loss of production hours.  AAI took delivery of both systems in late 2024 and stated plans to acquire two additional systems from GEC in 2025.  To learn more about GEC’s Highly Accurate AN60z and other aircraft weighing solutions, go to www.gecscales.com

Another successful Weight & Balance Training Class!!

December 10, 2023

To Whom It May Concern

My name is ABDULLAH MASRUR, Principal Engineer of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, responsible to perform the Weighing and to ensure the Weight and Balance Solution for all types of aircraft of the fleet. I wanted to take the time to provide a reference letter for General Electrodynamics Corporation and to express my appreciation for understanding our challenge(s) faced with weight and balance of our aircraft.

By using the weighing scales of General Electrodynamics Corporation, Biman has presented a Weight and Balance solution for it’s aircraft exactly as was required by regulation. Biman had a growing obstacle with regard to weight and balance with fleet of B777-300ER, B787-8/9 Dreamliner, B737-800/900 and CHC8-Q400 aircraft. We weigh approximately eight (8) aircraft per year and increasing every month. Biman has very tight parameters of acceptance when weighing aircraft. So, repeatability and accuracy was a definite concern.

However, each weighing performed using our GEC scale system, both ‘Platform‘ and ‘On the Top of Jack’ type has been highly repeatable and extremely accurate; thus passing our acceptance criteria. GEC’s unique offering utilizing the AN60z wireless tablet auto-populates weight readings from each scale and scale position into our weighing record. This drastically reduces our weighing time and eliminates any human error while providing valid data to present to our regulatory and quality department who verifies each weigh. Biman Bangladesh Airlines is highly pleased to be a customer of GEC and know we have their full support if we need anything in the future.

ABDULLAH MASRUR         .

Principal Engineer, Maintenance Support

Biman Bangladesh Airlines

After 6 months of comprehensive analyses by the US Army, the Army Contracting Command in Huntsville, AL makes contract award to General Electrodynamics Corporation for IDIQ, (indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity) M&O Firm Fixed Price contract.  The requirements contract authorizes GEC to perform repair, overhaul and testing on the UH-64 Apache Searchlight. The required Product Verification Audit and other CDRL requirements will commence on or about 1 December 2022.  Following PVA, the contract authorizes a maximum of 1,500 units, including FMS assets for return to service that could reach a contract value of $1.8M. The FFP contract will run through August 2027.

PT Aero Technic, Batam Indonesia, purchases a second system from General Electrodynamics Corporation for GEC’s AN60z Wireless Aircraft Weighing System.  PT Batam’s Director of Maintenance states, “GEC’s aircraft weighing technology has proven to the best in the industry”. “We have owned GEC’s weighing equipment and other competitor’s equipment”. “For the last 12 years, we have found GEC’s aircraft scales using their piezo-sensors technology, is still giving us repeatable results of +/- .1% with each weighing”.  “GEC’s scales are very stable and extremely accurate, something we value in aircraft weight and CG verification”.  Very seldom do we have re-weighs as we experienced with shear guage technologies.  PT Batam is an MRO Subsidiary of the Lion Air Group.  The company provides heavy aircraft maintenance, including C and D checks at it’s hub Batam Hang Nadim Airport. Batam Aero Technic conducts MRO work on aircraft from the Lion Group and Lion Group’s overseas affiliates was well as work from third party customers.  See more information on GEC’s line of aircraft scales at www.gecscales.com or call GEC at 1800-551-6038.

NorthState Aviation, an MRO Holdings Company, and North Carolina industry staple, provides a broad range of heavy maintenance, components and customized aviation services.   NorthState’s major US airline customer mandated their 737-NG and 757-200’s & 300’s be weighed using platform scales, following the interior upgrades.  With heavy aircraft such the B757’s, entry and exit of the scale using competitor’s shear sense technology, can cause loadcell overload/fatigue and premature failures leading to frequent re-weighs and shortened scale calibration cycles.  GEC’s piezo-sensor technology offers 4 times the milli-volt output resolution and 10x MTBF than shear-beam loadcells.

NorthState’s customer field tested GEC’s AN60’s over a 14-month period.  The mass properties engineering team performed detail weight comparisons across their fleet using GEC’s highly accurate AN60’s with piezo-sensor technology.  With scale readings in 1 pound graduations from 0 -70,000 lbs., they concluded GEC  AN60’s repeatability R(t) and accuracy exceeded all previous standards for aircraft weight and balance.   After 67 years, GEC’s brand and mark are continually recognized around the world as an industry leader of portable aircraft and ground vehicle scales.  For more information, email us at [email protected] or call 1-800-551-6038.

The US Navy, Naval Weapon Systems Support Division, Mechanicsburg, PA negotiated a sole source procurement with GEC for ETSU’s.  The ETSU is an advanced, portable, test set, housed in a pelican style case, used to check, verify and diagnose various electrical characteristics of hand-held power devices. The test sets are used aboard Naval Aircraft carriers where a floating ground is present. The Navy’s procurement team evaluated multiple offerors before awarding the six-figure, sole source contract to GEC.  The Naval Supply Systems Command is expected to take delivery of all 19 test sets on or about 31 December 2022.  The units will go multiple locations throughout the world. For more information email GEC at [email protected]