Flight International 2016 12 April

FLYDUBAI CRASH
STABILISER MOVED
TO NOSE-DOWN AT
900M, PROBE SAYS
REPORT P7

DAHER DELIVERS

French airframer unveils
its latest evolution of TBM
turboprop and looks to
further expand family 9

SOFIA SO GOOD

Bulgarian government
approves fighter renewal,
but waits on parliament
for final go-ahead 20

FLIGHT
INTERNATIONAL

12-18 APRIL 2016

ACQUISITION

CALIFORNIA
DREAMING

Why Alaska Airlines hopes to come in from the
cold with $4 billion purchase of Virgin America

ISSN 0 0 1 5 - 3 7 1 0

£3.60

1 5

9

770015 371280

96

participating
countries*

$204

BILLION
of orders and
commitments placed*

84

of the top 100
aerospace companies
participated*

FLIGHT
INTERNATIONAL

VOLUME 189 NUMBER 5533

12-18 APRIL 2016

NEWS
SOFIA SO GOOD

THIS WEEK
6 Pegasus upset by C-17’s turbulence
7 Details emerge of Rostov go-around.
Kuwaiti order increases Typhoon’s Gulf presence
8 MRJ readied for US transfer.
Evaluations begin for hostile fire indication system.
TAP Portugal to be first to accept Airbus A330neo
9 Daher expands family with TBM 930

Bulgarian government
approves fighter renewal,
but waits on parliament
for final go-ahead 20

FLIGHT
INTERNATIONAL

12-18 APRIL 2016

ACQUISITION

CALIFORNIA
DREAMING

AirTeamImages

Why Alaska Airlines hopes to come in from the
cold with $4 billion purchase of Virgin America

ISSN 0 0 1 5 - 3 7 1 0

£3.60

1 5

9

770015 371280

COVER IMAGE
Agency AirTeamImages
provided this stunning shot
of an Alaska Airlines Boeing
737-800 departing from
Anchorage International in
the carrier’s heartland P11
FIN_120416_301.indd 1

07/04/2016 09:48

BEHIND THE HEADLINES
Kate Sarsfield journeyed to
Tarbes, France, to see Daher’s
latest turboprop, the TBM
930 (P9), while Flightglobal’s
team was out in force at the
Aircraft Interiors show in
Hamburg, covering the latest
developments in cabin technology and IFE (P16)

AIR TRANSPORT
12 Second A320neo arrives at Lufthansa.
Nesma ATR 72s ready for Saudi launch.
Estonia grounds Avies as safety concerns mount
13 Near-miss with snowplough prompts safety call.
Ryukyu has freight expectations from new Q400s.
Air France finds compromise on Iran dress code
15 Keflavik reviews testing role.
Let L-410 for Chinese market with 20-unit deal
SHOW REPORT
16 Start-ups move to shake-up seating
17 In-flight internet rivals spar over speed, service

US Navy

FLYDUBAI CRASH
DAHER DELIVERS
STABILISER MOVED French airframer unveils
TO NOSE-DOWN AT its latest evolution of TBM
900M, PROBE SAYS turboprop and looks to
further expand family 9
REPORT P7

Bell Boeing wins contract for new Osprey variant P19

COVER STORY
11 Virgin upsets the balance at Alaska Planned
acquisition will see Boeing stalwart gain first
experience of Airbus narrowbodies, but may revert
to single-type fleet

FEATURES

DEFENCE
18 DARPA assembles Gremlins partners.
US Marine Corps deploys its Harriers with BAE
laser-guided rocket system.
More powerful engine sought for Shadow v2
19 Work starts on new Osprey.
Software update helps RAAF Hornets to fight
fatigue as operations increase.
‘Clean’ release kicks off JSOW F-35 test effort
20 Bulgaria looks west for new fighters.
Gearbox issues to blame for latest CH-53K delay

25 GENERAL AVIATION Flying with turbulence
When Europe’s general aviation community
gathers in Germany later this month for its annual
meeting and exhibition at Aero Friedrichshafen,
there will be as much talk about the business
climate and regulations as new aircraft and
technology. But while the number of pilots and
demand for new aeroplanes continues to slide,
proponents remain cautiously optimistic that the
industry can return to growth with the help of a raft
of new designs aimed at reducing the cost of flying

BUSINESS AVIATION
21 Traveller moving as Tecnam prepares for flight.
JetSuite gets to point with refurbished ERJ-135s.
Challenger deal is a timely boost for Bombardier

REGULARS

OBITUARY
36 Ed Strongman

5 Comment
35 Straight & Level
38 Classified
40 Jobs
43 Working Week

Daher, Lufthansa

NEXT WEEK BOEING 747
As the venerable Jumbo Jet
hits its 50th anniversary, we
look back at the genesis of
an airline industry icon

Daher unveils addition to single-engined turboprop family P9. Lufthansa takes delivery of second A320neo P12

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12-18 April 2016 | Flight International | 3

19/07/2012 17:51

CONTENTS

IMAGE OF
THE WEEK

A Royal Air Force Lockheed
Martin C-130J transports
troops to West Freugh airfield
in Scotland as part of
Exercise Lions Dawn. The
training is to prepare the
service for operations as part
of the UK’s Joint Expeditionary
Force, and was supported by
Eurofighter Typhoons and
BAE Systems Hawk trainers
View more great aviation shots
online and in our weekly tablet
edition:
Crown Copyright

flightglobal.com/
flight-international

THE WEEK IN NUMBERS

1%

QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Last week, we asked: Who has
the best cabins? You said:

Stockholm International Peace
Research Institute

World military spending edged up last year, to $1.7tr; USA’s
$596bn (down 2.4%) led the pack – China spent $215bn

106.4m

26%
Boeing
TOTAL
VOTES:

Ryanair

Budget carrier Ryanair has disclosed record passenger
numbers - up 18% - over the course of its financial year

103km

62%

Depends
on the
airline

9,173
12%

Airbus
Blue Origin

Call it 339,178ft: the altitude reached by Blue Origin’s New
Shepard rocket – on the reusable vehicle’s third test flight

This week, we ask: Foreign ownership of airlines?
❑ Should be a free market
❑ Some restrictions needed ❑ Protect strategic assets
Vote at flightglobal.com

Flightglobal’s premium news and data service delivers breaking air transport stories with
profiles, schedules, and fleet, financial and traffic information flightglobal.com/dashboard

Download the Military Simulator
Census online now.
CAE offers training centres, training services, and simulation products for trainer and fighter aircraft.

4 | Flight International | 12-18 April 2016

www.flightglobal.com/milisim

flightglobal.com

COMMENT

Limited logic
Foreign ownership restrictions are based on a myth that control by citizens ensures patriotic
governance. Dynamics at Virgin America show how the rules have unintended consequences

sad irony lost in the commotion over Virgin
­America’s announced sale to Alaska Air Group is
the critical and unfortunate role played by government
restrictions on foreign ownership of airlines.
Ownership restrictions are necessary, it is argued,
because national transportation systems can’t be entrusted to foreigners. Only citizens, by this reasoning,
are righteous stewards of a robust, safe airline network.
In this case, however, the minority foreign owners –
the Richard Branson-backed Virgin Group – seemed
reluctant to sell a small but increasingly competitive
low-cost carrier to a larger company with deeper
­pockets. Instead, the deal appeared to be at least tacitly
endorsed by Virgin America’s citizen-owners – a
­collection of US-based hedge funds.
The merits of Alaska Airlines’ generous $2.6 billion
bid to Virgin America’s biggest shareholders are obvious. But the deal shows the fallacy of linking citizenship to any sense of patriotic governance.

The deal appeared to be tacitly
backed by the citizen-owners:
a collection of US hedge funds
Since the late 1930s, the USA has required that
c­ itizens own at least 75% of the voting shares of a publicly traded airline. As in many other countries, that
protectionist rule has survived the airline industry upheavals caused by deregulation and consolidation. The
likes of the EU and Brazil are now moving to loosen
such restrictions, amid local economic problems.
Virgin America always offered a tantalising test case
of a US-based airline with management and branding
strategy inspired by a foreign organisation.

REX/Shutterstock

A

Not American enough

In 2006, the US Department of Transportation rejected Branson’s initial ownership structure for Virgin
America, which would have left the start-up effectively
in his financial control via a series of US-based subsidiaries. A few months later, the DOT accepted Virgin
America’s revised ownership structure, under which
Branson’s Virgin Group would hold only 22% of the
shares and have little influence on decision-making.
Virgin America emerged from the financial crisis in
2008 smaller than originally planned, but with a strong
product that provided a valued alternative to US-based
competition. If Branson, a foreigner, were allowed control, Virgin America would likely still be focused on
growing slowly into a West Coast equivalent of JetBlue.
In this case, we see how ownership restrictions can
have unintended consequences, such as allowing
hedge funds to hijack governance structure over an otherwise committed foreign owner. Unless airlines are
allowed greater access to sources of capital, the Virgin
America example is likely to be repeated. ■
See News Focus P11

Hamburg’s revolutionaries
A

Stay up-to-date with the latest
news and analysis from the
commercial aviation sector at:
flightglobal.com/dashboard

flightglobal.com

irAsia boss Tony Fernandes admitted to being
taken aback at the array of innovation on display
on his first visit to the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in
Hamburg last week, to sign a contract for new seats.
Barriers to entry remain forbidding for would-be
manufacturers of airliners; despite their economic
clout, it has taken a generation for China and Japan to
get a foot on the ladder. However, the airline cabin itself
is an area where entrepreneurial start-ups really do
have a chance of sparring with industry giants – witness the success at AIX of Boeing 737 seat developer
EnCore and the UK’s Mirus – which claimed as its
launch aviation customer Fernandes, the man behind
one of the world’s fastest-growing low-cost carriers.

In the rapidly-evolving arena of connectivity and
i­n-flight entertainment too, there are plenty of young
companies keen to make a name for themselves.
Commercial aerospace is often viewed as a conservative industry, dominated by global industrial behemoths whose programmes take a decade to develop
and go on selling for several decades after that.
But there’s a brash, exciting feel to the business that
comes up with new ways of improving the passenger
experience inside the aircraft, with plenty of disruptors, ingenious thinkers and risk-takers out there. That
can only be good for aerospace as a whole, and for all of
us who fly in its products. ■
See Show Report P16
12-18 April 2016 | Flight International | 5

THIS WEEK

To get more defence sector coverage,
­subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter:
flightglobal.com/defencenewsletter

BRIEFING
FIRST ON-WING ENGINE RUN FOR EMBRAER E2

US Air Force

PROPULSION Embraer has started the engines for the first time on
the wing of an E190-E2, with the Brazilian manufacturer announcing
the milestone on 4 April. The E190-E2 is powered by two Pratt &
Whitney PW1900G turbofans that are rated at up to 23,000lb-thrust
(102kN) each for take-off power. The 73in (185cm)-fan-diameter
PW1900Gs replace the lower-bypass GE Aviation CF34 engines on
the second-generation regional jet. P&W delivered the PW1900G as
a minor derivative of the PW1500G, which powers the Bombardier
CSeries family. The PW1900G will also equip the stretched E195-E2.

CONSULTANT ISSUE HALTS AIRBUS UK EXPORT CREDIT
POLICY UK Export Finance will not support future deliveries of
Airbus aircraft until it receives assurances over the manufacturer’s
policy regarding third-party consultants. A source close to Airbus indicates that “inaccuracies” in applications for export credit had
­recently been flagged to the UK agency by the manufacturer itself. In
turn, UKEF referred the matter to the nation’s Serious Fraud Office
(SFO). UKEF confirms it “won’t be considering new applications from
Airbus” for the time being. The SFO declines to comment.

JAKARTA RUNWAY COLLISION DAMAGES ATR 42-600
INCIDENT Indonesian investigators are probing a runway collision in
Jakarta between a TransNusa Air Services’ ATR 42-600 and a Boeing
737-800 operated by Batik Air. Damage to the 737 (PK-LBS) indicates that it struck the ATR with its left wing-tip during its departure
from runway 24 in darkness at around 19:55 local on 4 April. The
ATR 42 (PK-TNJ) is only around 18 months old and sustained substantial damage to its airframe, including the loss of most of its left
wing as well as its vertical fin and horizontal stabiliser. Some 49 passengers and seven crew members had been on board the 737.

LATÉCOÈRE INVESTS TO SUPPORT AIRLINER WORK
MANUFACTURING Latécoère Group is to install additional production capabilities to include new assembly lines for Airbus A330neo
as well as A320 components. The group says its Latécoère Services
division will design and install a new line for air inlets on the re-­
engined A330neo. This will feature drilling and assembly stations
and include robotic operations. It will also add production facilities
for A320 centre wing box manufacture. The €20 million ($23 million)
expansion will support the Airbus facility at Nantes.

PAKISTAN ORDERS NINE MORE BELL AH-1Z GUNSHIPS
ROTORCRAFT Bell Helicopter has been contracted to build nine
more AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters for Pakistan as part of a larger
foreign military sales package for up to 15 helicopters and 1,000
Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire-series missiles that was approved in April 2015. Islamabad ordered its first batch of armed,
twin-engined “Zulu Cobras” under that deal in August, as part of a
larger US Marine Corps commitment for 19 AH-1Zs.

FRANCE FIRMS UP DEAL FOR 14 PATROLLER UAVS
UNMANNED Sagem has been contracted to supply its Patroller system to the French army as the service’s new tactical unmanned air
vehicle, some two months after Paris confirmed its selection of the
type. Witnessed by French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, the
contract signing between France’s DGA procurement agency and
Sagem’s parent company Safran on 5 April firms up the provision of
14 Patroller UAVs for the army, with operations to begin in 2018.

6 | Flight International | 12-18 April 2016

Deployment of the first 19 operational tankers has been held up
TRIALS JAMES DREW WASHINGTON DC

Pegasus upset by
C-17’s turbulence
Otherwise smooth aerial refuelling demonstrations for new
tanker spoiled by “bow wave effect” from strategic airlifter

B

oeing’s C-17 has become the
sticking point in an otherwise smooth aerial refuelling
demonstration phase for the KC46A Pegasus tanker, with programme officials confirming
“higher-than-expected
boom
axial loads” have delayed trials
with both the strategic airlifter
and the Fairchild ­Republic A-10.
C-17 testing began shortly after
the successful passage of fuel to a
Lockheed Martin F-16C in
­January, but with the turbulent
“bow wave effect” generated by
two large aircraft flying in line,
the refuelling system indicated
that the loads were too high to
begin passing fuel.
US Air Force programme officials previously indicated the fix
could involve software changes,
likely to be parameter adjustments to the boom control laws.
As of 1 April, Boeing had not
fully solved the issue, and neither
the company nor air force can say
if it will impact a pending lowrate production decision, which
was expected this month but is
now scheduled for May.
A positive milestone C
­appraisal by the Pentagon’s top
acquisition executive, Frank
­Kendall, will unlock funding for
the first 19 operational KC-46As

in lots of seven and 12 aircraft.
Any further setbacks will add
to schedule and cost overruns incurred because of the faulty wiring of the initial batch of 767-2Cconfigured aircraft, late design
changes to the refuelling system,
late parts, and the accidental contamination of a fuel system.
“During boom testing with the
C-17, the Boeing and US Air
Force flight-test team recorded
higher-than-expected boom axial
loads,” the air force says. “Boeing
is working on a fix, and we don’t
know the schedule impact to the
planned May milestone C decision, but the problem is well understood and we don’t expect an
extended delay.”

IMPACT
Boeing says it is “working to
­resolve the issue” and will have a
“better understanding of any programme impact shortly”.
The KC-46A has demonstrated
boom refuelling of the F-16, as
well as the Boeing ­F/A-18 and
AV-8B via the wing-mounted and
centreline hose-and-drogue systems. It has also received fuel
from a Boeing KC-10.
The first 19 aircraft must be
delivered to US Air Mobility
­
Command by August 2017. ■
flightglobal.com

THIS WEEK

MRJ readied for US
transfer
NEWS FOCUS P8
SAFETY DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

Details emerge of Rostov go-around
Investigators probing fatal crash of Flydubai 737 disclose movement of horizontal stabiliser during fiight’s final moments
ussian investigators have disclosed that the horizontal stabiliser of the crashed Flydubai
Boeing 737-800 transitioned to
nose-down pitch at a height of
900m (2,950ft) as the crew attempted a second go-around.
The aircraft, which had been
climbing out of the approach to
Rostov-on-Don, entered a dive
from which it failed to recover.
Russia’s federal air transport
regulator, Rosaviatsia, outlined
the sequence of the fatal 19 March
accident in a safety bulletin published on 4 April.
While it has not disclosed conclusions, it says the commission
of inquiry has recommended 737
operators be urged to study goaround procedures and handling
of aircraft, particularly in regard to
longitudinal flight control.
Rosaviatsia is also recommend-

Maxim Shemetov/Reuters

R

In all, 62 passengers and crew died during the 19 March disaster
ing that carriers include simulator
training for go-around and recovery in conditions of windshear
and with failures relating to a
jammed elevator.
The regulator has advised the
training include studying the fatal
loss-of-control accident involving
a Tatarstan Airlines 737-500
­attempting a night-time go-around
at Kazan in November 2013.

Rosaviatsia says the Flydubai
jet had informed air traffic control
about the presence of windshear
while conducting its initial
­approach to runway 22.
As the aircraft prepared to exit
the hold the crew was given, at
03:20, a weather update stating
visibility was 5km with a cloud
base of 630m, plus winds from
230° of 25kt gusting to 35kt.

Two minutes later air traffic
control told the pilots it had no information regarding windshear.
The crew requested permission to
conduct the approach. Rosaviatsia
indicates the flight would have
climbed to 8,000ft in the event of
another go-around.
The crew aborted the approach
again, at a height of 220m – where
it would have been 2.2nm (4.1km)
from touchdown on a typical 3°
glidepath. The inquiry has yet to
disclose ­what autopilot status or
thrust settings were used.
The aircraft came down in a
steep dive and hit the runway
about 120m beyond the threshold.
None of the 55 passengers or
seven crew members survived.
Rosaviatsia says initial analysis
of flight-data and cockpit-voice recorders shows no powerplant or
aircraft system failure. ■

COMBAT AIRCRAFT BETH STEVENSON LONDON

K

uwait has confirmed its order
for 28 Tranche 3 Eurofighter
Typhoons, making the Gulf nation
the eighth customer for the type.
The governments of Italy and
Kuwait on 5 April finalised the
deal, which will see the aircraft
­assembled at the Turin facility of
Eurofighter partner company
Finmeccanica, commercial lead
­
for the contract.
All 28 aircraft will be integrated

with the Euroradar Captor E-Scan
active electronically scanned
array radar.
The contract covers logistics
and operational support, plus
training of Kuwaiti air force flight
and ground crews with the Italian
air force, which operates the type.
Ground-based infrastructure will
also be installed in Kuwait.
“The confirmation of this order
is further testament [to] the grow-

Eurofighter

Kuwaiti order increases
Typhoon’s Gulf presence

Contract confirms selection of Italy-built type in September 2015
ing interest in the Eurofighter Typhoon in the Gulf region,” Volker
Paltzo, chief executive of
­Eurofighter says.

SYSTEMS

Middle Eastern nation becomes first customer for Captor-E
With its deal for 28 Eurofighter
Typhoons, Kuwait has also become
launch customer for the combat aircraft’s new active electronically
scanned array (AESA) radar.
Industrial lead Finmeccanica, part
of the Euroradar consortium, says
development is well under way, although flight-testing is yet to begin.
flightglobal.com

While the Eurofighter partners –
Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK – in
2014 signed a contract supporting
development and integration of the
Captor-E AESA radar, Finmeccanica
says there is no order, making
Kuwait the sole confirmed customer.
“The Captor-E development programme is on track, progressing in

line with the milestones of the fournation development contract signed
in November 2014,” says the ­
Italian manufacturer.
Testing is being carried out on two
instrumented production aircraft
(IPA) – IPA8 from Germany and IPA5
from the UK – which are undergoing
ground-based integration trials. ■

“It will enable Kuwait to benefit
from the critical mass being
developed in the Gulf and the
­
many advantages that it brings to
an air force in terms of
interoperability, training and
­
­in-service support.”
Eurofighter first revealed
­Kuwait’s selection of the Typhoon
in September 2015, three years
after the previous export order for
the type, from Oman.
The other Gulf customer for
­Typhoon is Saudi Arabia, while
Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain and
the UK also operate the fourth-generation combat aircraft. ■

12-18 April 2016 | Flight International | 7

THIS WEEK

SCHEDULE
DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

TAP Portugal will
be first to accept
Airbus A330neo

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network and fleet information sign up at:
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FTV-1 has completed 17 test sorties reaching 35,000ft and Mach 0.65

AP Portugal is to be the first
carrier to operate the re-­
engined Airbus A330neo, taking
delivery of the type towards the
end of 2017.
Airbus disclosed the identity
of the launch operator during a
briefing at the Aircraft Interiors
Expo in Hamburg.
TAP has 14 of the A330-900neo
twinjets on order, to be powered
by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines. It converted to the A330neo
– having previously selected the
A350-800 before switching to the
A350-900 – under a strategic shift
to its fleet-modernisation plan, following privatisation last year.
TAP will be the first carrier to
receive the new Airspace by Airbus cabin layout for the A330neo
– a revamped interior unveiled
by the airframer in March.
Lisbon-based TAP has previously stated that the A330neos
will have 304 seats – including
32 business-class, 96 premiumeconomy and 176 economy seats.
Airspace by Airbus will feature
new LED-based lighting, larger
overhead luggage bins, and the
latest connectivity and in-flight
entertainment systems. ■
See show report P16

Mitsubishi Aircraft

T

PROGRAMME JON HEMMERDINGER DALLAS

MRJ readied for US transfer
First of four flight-test examples of regional jet due to arrive in Pacific Northwest by mid-year

M

itsubishi Aircraft remains
on track to transfer its first
MRJ flight-test aircraft (FTV-1) to
Moses Lake, Washington, by midyear, as it begins the US-based
portion of its certification effort.
Three additional prototypes of
the regional jet are expected to arrive at Moses Lake by the end of
2016, says Masao Yamagami,
chief executive of Mitsubishi
­Aircraft in the USA, although a
fifth aircraft will remain in Japan
for flight testing.
The airframer had, by 5 April,
completed 17 test sorties, taking
the Pratt & Whitney PW1200Gpowered aircraft to 35,000ft and
to a speed of Mach 0.65, he says.
Flight trials resumed in February after more than two months

of delay caused by a need to
strengthen the aircraft’s wing
roots and fuselage. Engineers
made the changes, which Yamagami describes as “very small”,
following a 100% wing-load test.
Staff from launch customer All
Nippon Airlines – which is due
to receive its first aircraft in mid2018 – are now working with
Mitsubishi Aircraft employees in
an effort to ensure a smooth entry
into service and eliminate any
potential teething problems.
“ANA is a most demanding
customer,” says Yamagami.
“Therefore, we will be trained by
them before we enter service.
Some people from ANA are now
in Mitsubishi and we [will] send
people to ANA to be trained.”

Yamagami says Mitsubishi
Aircraft is hiring additional customer support staff and engineers
to ensure it can properly respond
to in-service issues, citing a “Japanese mentality” for excellent
customer service.
Mitsubishi Aircraft, which has
firm orders for 223 MRJs, is hopeful of attracting further customers,
particularly in Europe, the Middle
East and Africa, he says.
In addition, the airframer has
yet to decide on whether it will
develop a larger 100-seat variant
of the MRJ , Yamagami says.
“It [will] take more time to seriously consider how much we can
stretch” the aircraft, he says, estimating a decision may be made
within two or three years. ■

RESEARCH DOMINIC PERRY LONDON

Evaluations begin for hostile fire indication system
irbus Helicopters has begun
test flights for its German
armed forces customer as part of
a research and technology programme to develop a hostile fire
indication (HFI) system.
Using a modified German
army Sikorsky CH-53G helicopter, the manufacturer performed
the first evaluation sortie on 30
March, from Manching, to study
the integration and effects on
handling qualities of a number of
installed sensors.
The project aims to demonstrate the ability of different technologies to detect infantry gunfire

using 5.56mm or 20mm rounds,
or even non-tracer ammunition.
During the initial study phase,
the rotorcraft has been equipped
with acoustic and infrared sen-

sors to pinpoint hostile fire based
on sound and muzzle flashes.
A radar, which will be installed for a later stage of testing,
will be able to perceive any “bul-

Anita Mayer/Airbus Helicopters

A

Sensors were installed on a modified Sikorsky CH-53G helicopter

8 | Flight International | 12-18 April 2016

let-sized objects” fired at the rotorcraft, says Airbus Helicopters.
Firing tests are due to take
place towards the end of 2016 at
the German armed forces’
weapons
­
and
ammunition
­establishment in Meppen, in the
north of the country. Two further
evaluations are scheduled for
2017, with the results due by the
end of next year.
Airbus Helicopters heads a
consortium
of
companies
­involved in the project, ­including
Airbus Defence & Space,
Rheinmetall
­
Defence
and
­Fraunhofer FKIE. ■
flightglobal.com

THIS WEEK

Virgin upsets the
balance at Alaska
NEWS FOCUS P11
LAUNCH KATE SARSFIELD TARBES

Daher expands family with TBM 930
D

aher took the wraps off a new
single-engined turboprop on
5 April during a customer event
at its headquarters in Tarbes,
southwest France.
Designated the TBM 930, the
aircraft is the second in a family
­ odels planned by the
of TBM m
company. It is an enhanced version of the TBM 900, which will
continue to be produced by
Daher as its ­baseline model.
Speaking at the launch,
­Nicolas Chabbert, Daher’s senior
vice-president, airplane business
unit, said: “Yesterday we were a
single product manufacturer.
Now we have an aircraft family.”
The TBM 930 features
Garmin’s G3000 touchscreen
glass flightdeck, a reconfigured
cockpit, redesigned seating, enhanced interior trimmings and
finishes, and Daher’s new bespoke e-copilot safety system –
also a feature on 2016-build TBM
900s. The e-copilot is designed as

“Yesterday we were
a single product
manufacturer.
Now we have an
aircraft family”
­ ICOLAS CHABBERT
N
Senior vice-president, airplane business
unit, Daher

a safety net around the TBM’s
flight envelope and incorporates
a sensor and angle-of-attack calculator, electronic stabilisation
and protection systems, and under-speed protection.
The autopilot also has an emergency descent mode, which automatically causes the aircraft to descend to a safe altitude of 15,000ft
in the event of cabin depressurisation and a lack of pilot response.
Priced at $4.1 million, the
TBM 930 will cost some
$300,000 more than the baseline
model. The aircraft secured European and US certification in
March and the first unit is scheduled for delivery to a current
TBM owner in early April.
Daher accepts that this latest
model will cannibalise the market
for the TBM 900, and its current
sales figures bear this out: of the
35-strong TBM orderbook, the majority are for the new variant.
“This is not a concern,” says
Daher’s director of TBM sales
promotion, Philippe de Segovia.
“There are plenty of customers
who are happy with the TBM
900 and who won’t want to pay
the extra money for the latest
aircraft.”
More than 50 units are expected to delivered in 2016, says
Daher chief executive, Didier
Kayat: “The availability of these

Daher

French manufacturer unveils second single-engined turboprop with touchscreen flightdeck and advanced safety features

Baseline TBM 900 will still be produced alongside the new model
two aircraft underscores [our]
sustained ambition in business
aviation, and is a message to our
customers that we continue to invest to expand and further improve our TBM family.”

FEEDBACK
Customer feedback has guided
the TBM’s evolution, adds Chabbert. The product line began in
1991 with the first-generation
TBM 700. Since then, five versions have been brought to market – including the TBM 850 in
2006 – and the series is now approaching its 800th delivery.
“With enhanced resources provided by the Daher Group for
technical studies, design and pro-

duction, we’ve taken a new step
forward with the current TBM
family, while also positioning
ourselves for future developments,” Chabbert adds.
Daher declines to detail the
make-up or quantity of the extended TBM family, but it does
suggest that a stretch of the current
fuselage is a strong possibility.
“People are always looking for
user-friendly flying and more
space in the cabin,” says Daher’s
vice-president of engineering,
Christophe Robin. “What is
­important with any new product
is that we keep the TBM’s
­signature 320kt [590km] maximum cruise speed. This is
unique in this segment.” ■

The Number One Independent Supplier of

High-Quality Avionics Displays

www.cmcelectronics.ca

flightglobal.com

12-18 April 2016 | Flight International | 9

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NEWS FOCUS

Second A320neo
arrives as Lufthansa
expands network
AIR TRANSPORT P12
CONSOLIDATION JON HEMMERDINGER & EDWARD RUSSELL WASHINGTON DC

Virgin upsets the balance at Alaska
Planned acquisition will see Boeing stalwart gain first experience of Airbus narrowbodies, but may revert to single-type fleet

“Virgin America
leases the vast
majority of its fleet,
so we can transition
to a single fleet”
BRANDON PEDERSEN
Chief financial officer, Alaska Airlines

Virgin America, based in
­ urlingame, California, operates
B
60 Airbus A320-family aircraft –
10 A319s and 50 A320s –
Flightglobal’s Fleets Analyzer
­
­database shows, powered by CFM
International CFM56 engines.
The carrier has orders for three
A320s and 30 A320neos, as well
as 10 Airbus A321neos to be
leased from GECAS. The Neos
will have CFM Leap-1A engines.
Alaska is yet to decide whether
to retain the Airbus fleet, and will
weigh its options, says Pedersen.
“Virgin America leases the vast
majority of its fleet, so we can
transition to a single fleet – if we
should chose to do that – starting
in 2020,” he says.
Alaska could also cancel Virgin
America’s order for A320neos,
which are due to arrive from 2020
until 2022, says Pedersen.
“That order has a pretty favourable cancellation provision, not
suggesting at all that we’re going
to do that, but it’s something we
could do if, in fact, we move in a
flightglobal.com

Seattle airline says the deal will enable it to begin flying highly-competitive transcontinental routes
different direction,” he says.
Alaska has a different ­approach
to Virgin America, with the vast
majority of its 737s owned.
It operates 151 examples of the
Boeing narrowbody: 26 737-400s
(including combis and freighters);
13 -700s; 61 -800s; and 51
-900/900ERs, Fleets Analyzer
shows. Only 20 – 13% – are leased.
Alaska has orders with Boeing for
26 737-900ERs and 37 Max 8/9s.

EVALUATION
“We like a single fleet, yes,” says
Ben Minicucci, chief operating
officer of Alaska. However, he is
quick to say – echoing fellow executives – that it is keen to learn
about the Airbus and will evaluate whether it wants to keep the
fleet or transition back to a single type.
“The Airbus is a proven airplane. We are going to learn from
it and go from there,” says Alaska
chief executive Brad Tilden.
Alaska sees its planned acquisition as a means of gaining a substantial foothold in California and

The deal, which requires shareholder and regulatory approval,
would see Alaska purchase Virgin
America for $57 per share, or
about $2.6 billion, in cash.

acquiring valuable gates and slots
at several of the nation’s most constrained airports.
The deal will enable Alaska,
whose network is largely constrained to the Pacific N
­ orthwest,
to expand eastward and begin
­flying highly-­competitive transcontinental routes.
“They complement our geography very well,” says Tilden.
But while executives at Alaska
praise the deal, Virgin America’s
chief executive David Cush and
Virgin founder Richard Branson
offer more muted responses.
“I would be lying if I didn’t
admit sadness that our wonderful
airline is merging with another,”
says Branson in a letter on the
­Virgin Group website, noting US
government regulations limit his
holding of shares with voting
rights. “There was, sadly, nothing
I could do to stop it.”
On the call with Alaska executives, Cush said that although he
is “happy with the outcome”,
management “didn’t really set out
to sell the company”.

Virgin America

laska Airlines has been a
proud operator of a single aircraft family – the Boeing 737 –
since retiring its last MD-80 in
2008, but that will change if shareholders and US regulators approve
the ­Seattle-based carrier’s planned
$4  billion acquisition of Virgin
America, announced on 4 April.
“We are acquiring a great fleet
of young, fuel-efficient airplanes,”
said Brandon Pedersen, chief
­financial officer of Alaska, during
an investor and media call. “We
are big believers in single fleets, in
fact so much so that we bought
­another single-fleet [airline].”

AirTeamImages

A

Californian carrier has centred operation on A320 single-aisle

BIG BUCKS
Alaska will also shoulder about
$1.4 billion of Virgin America’s
debt and aircraft leasing expenses,
bringing the total cost of the deal
to $4 billion, it says. The combined company would be led by
Alaska’s executive team and
based in Seattle.
Tilden calls the merger the culmination of a “hard-fought competition” with New York-based
JetBlue Airways.
Though the projected timeline
is not firm, Alaska expects Virgin
America’s
shareholders
to
­approve the deal by June and US
regulators to green-light the merger in the third or fourth quarter of
2016. This would put the carriers
on track to move to a single operating certificate by 2018.
Alaska, meanwhile, continues
to weigh up the Bombardier
CRJ900 and Embraer 175 for a
planned 30-aircraft order for
wholly-owned regional subsidiary Horizon Air, which it announced in January. The aircraft
will ­replace at least 20 of the carrier’s 52 Q400 turboprops.
“We are going to go forward
with our regional jet order,” says
Mark Eliasen, treasurer of Alaska,
with an announcement expected
in the next few weeks. ■

12-18 April 2016 | Flight International | 11

AIR TRANSPORT

For up-to-the-minute air transport news,
network and fleet information sign up at:
flightglobal.com/dashboard

REGULATION
DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

FLEETS MICHAEL GUBISCH LONDON

A

Narrowbody debuts on Frankfurt-Düsseldorf route, with Berlin selected as next destination

L

ufthansa has taken delivery of
its second Airbus A320neo
and is gradually expanding its
route network for the re-engined
narrowbody.
The aircraft (D-AINB) was
handed over on 31 March and
was deployed for its first commercial flight on a service to
Düsseldorf from the airline’s
­
Frankfurt base on 1 April, says
Lufthansa. Berlin will become an
additional destination for the
A320neo, it adds.
In January, Lufthansa became
the launch operator for the variant, but flights with the first
A320neo were limited to services
between Frankfurt, Hamburg and
Munich – where maintenance
­division Lufthansa Technik has
facilities – as a result of issues
surrounding extended warm-up
requirements for the aircraft’s
Pratt & Whitney PW1100G
geared turbofan engines.
The aircraft has been deployed
with lower utilisation rates than
the current-generation A320s in
Lufthansa’s fleet.
Lufthansa will take three more
Neo aircraft this year, from a total

Lufthansa

uthorities in Estonia have
grounded regional operator
and air taxi firm Avies over
­safety concerns.
The carrier has a small fleet
which includes four British
Aerospace Jetstream turboprops
­
and a pair of Bombardier Learjet
60 executive jets, Flightglobal’s
Fleets Analyzer database shows.
Estonia’s civil aviation administration has suspended Avies’ air
operator’s certificate for six
months, or until it has rectified
deficiencies. The regulator says
the carrier has not been able to
meet requirements which would
ensure compliance with flightsafety standards.
Suspension of the operator,
from 1 April, will give Avies the
chance to restructure and
­address the problems, it adds.
Avies’ network from Tallinn
includes services to Stockholm
Arlanda as well as the domestic
island destinations of Kuressaare
and Kärdla.
The carrier’s reservations
engine shows that all services
­
have been cancelled.
Avies claims the decision was
“unexpected” but the operator
adds: “The company will make
every effort to resolve all shortcomings identified by the civil
aviation ­administration.”
It is aiming to preserve its services by enlisting another carrier
to provide capacity to transport
passengers, and adds that it is
“confident” of a quick resolution
to the difficulties.
Avies has been the subject of
scrutiny by the European air
safety committee, following the
results of inspections and audits
on the operator. The Estonian
authorities had previously told
the committee that findings were
being addressed by the airline.
Avies has been facing financial pressure from creditors and,
at the time of the grounding, was
implementing a recovery plan
under which, it says, operations
were improving. ■

Second A320neo arrives as
Lufthansa expands network

Flag carrier will receive three more of the re-engined type this year
A350s at Munich, and has orders
for 25 of the type. ­
Lufthansa says it will continue
to operate A330s with first-class
seats from its secondary hub.
It adds that the A350s will be
operated by the mainline carrier
rather than a subsidiary. Regional
unit CityLine is already operating
A340-300s from Frankfurt with a
denser cabin layout – with no
first- and fewer business-class
seats – under the mainline brand.
Flightglobal’s Fleets Analyzer
database shows that Lufthansa
has 20 A340-600s in service, built
between 2003 and 2009. ■

group order for 116 units.
Meanwhile, the German flag
carrier’s planned introduction of
the A350 widebody from January
2017 will further reduce the airline’s first-class capacity while the
number of economy seats will rise.
The twinjet will be configured
without first class in a layout comprising 48 business, 21 premium
economy and 224 economy seats.
But the aircraft it will replace – the
A340-600 – is fitted with eight
first-class, 56 business, 28 premium economy and 189 economy
seats, the carrier’s website shows.
The airline plans to station 10

OPERATIONS ALEX DERBER LONDON

Nesma ATR 72s ready for Saudi launch
E

gypt’s Nesma Airlines has
received its first aircraft for
­
regional operations in Saudi
­
­Arabia: a pair of ATR 72-600 turboprops leased from DAE Capital.
ATR confirms that the airline

has also signed an eight-year, comprehensive support contract with
the manufacturer. The deal
­includes a spare-parts inventory
on lease at Nesma’s Jeddah base;
access to parts pools; repair and

ATR

Estonia grounds
Avies as safety
concerns mount

Egyptian operator has signed support contract with manufacturer

12 | Flight International | 12-18 April 2016

overhaul of propellers, engines,
landing gear and line-replaceable
units; and scheduled airframe
checks managed by ATR.
The new aircraft will be used
on domestic routes in Saudi
Arabia, “where the airline is
­
­developing regional connectivity
with the support of the national
government”, says ATR.
In January, the Saudi civil aviation authority said that Nesma
would be one of four airlines to
operate regional routes in 2016.
In Egypt, Nesma offers local
and international services from
Cairo using three Airbus A320s. ■
flightglobal.com

AIR TRANSPORT

Keflavik reviews
testing role
AIR TRANSPORT P15

UNIFORM
DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

Air France finds
compromise on
Iran dress code

Widerøe

S
Pilot brought taxiing Widerøe turboprop to “abrupt” halt after late sighting of vehicles crossing path
INQUIRY DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

Near-miss with snowplough
prompts Norway safety call
Investigators warn of the need for additional care during busy periods after incident at Bodo

N

orwegian investigators have
underscored the importance
of heightened vigilance during
busy periods in poor weather
after a near collision involving a
Widerøe turboprop and a snowplough at Bodo.
Operating flight WF890, the
Bombardier
Dash
8-300
­(LN-WIB) had been cleared from
gate 19 to a holding position on
taxiway D. This meant crossing
taxiway W on which a train of
three ploughs was progressing
from east to west.
Investigation authority SHT
says the taxi clearance unusually
“contained no information”
about the snow-clearing operation on 11 February 2015.
As the turboprop approached

taxiway W its captain became
suddenly aware of the presence
of the plough on the right, and
brought the aircraft to an
“abrupt” halt with the brakes as
the plough passed in front.
The first officer had not seen
the plough because he was
­engaged in checklist activity.
SHT says two of the ploughs
had stopped “well clear” of the
aircraft. The driver of the third
only realised the aircraft was
­present as he passed it.
Investigators learned from the
driver the darkness made the aircraft difficult to see, adding its
lights had blended into the backlighting of the terminal behind.
The plough’s side windows were
also covered in water droplets.

The inquiry looked into 10min
of surveillance camera footage of
the apron and noted 22 movements of vehicles, other than aircraft, which crossed the line
­followed by the Dash 8.
SHT says crews are responsible for separation, with vehicles
giving way to aircraft. Departures
can be “hectic”, it says,
­reinforcing the need for the personnel involved in ground manoeuvring to adopt a “see-and-beseen” approach to avoid conflict.
Investigators believe the Bodo
incident involved a “real risk” of
collision, and increased attention
is a “necessity” during periods of
high activity, especially in
conditions of darkness and
­
­reduced visibility. ■

kyTeam partner Air France
will resume services to the
Iranian capital, Tehran, after an
eight-year hiatus.
Air France is to operate thriceweekly from Paris Charles de
Gaulle airport with Airbus A330s
and A340s.
The service has been the
subject of controversy among
­
flight attendants, centred on the
conservative dress requirements
for women.
Cabin crew union UNAC has
been protesting the adoption, as
part of the uniform, of headscarves which are compulsory in
Iran – although the law does not
apply on board.
Air France says that it has
reached an agreement with union
representatives and will allow
cabin crew assigned to the
­Tehran route the option for redeployment to a different service if
they object to the dress code.
The airline says this move will
guarantee “respect of the
­
­personal values”.
UNAC says that reserve crew
will also have the option of
avoiding the route, but will be
put back on reserve status if they
choose not to work it.
Air France says its A330s will
carry eight cabin crew and its
A340s will have 10. ■

FLEET AARON CHONG SINGAPORE

J

apanese carrier Ryukyu Air
Commuter has shown off its
newly delivered Bombardier
Q400 cargo-combi turboprops,
having received the first two of an
eventual five-strong fleet earlier
this year.
The aircraft are configured
with 50 seats in a 2-2 layout, but
can also carry up to 2,540kg
(5,600lb) of freight in a dedicated
cargo compartment located in the
aft fuselage.
Ryukyu, part of Japan Airlines

flightglobal.com

Group, is the launch customer for
the variant. It showcased the turboprop pair at a ceremony at
Naha airport in Okinawa.
“As we approach 20 years of
profitable and efficient operations, we are proud to grow our
fleet and be the first airline to
launch service with the Q400
cargo-combi
aircraft,”
says
Takashi Irei, president of Ryukyu.
The carrier has operated Series
100 variants of the Bombardier
turboprop since 1997. ■

Bombardier

Ryukyu has freight expectations from new Q400s

Aft cargo compartment can accommodate up to 2,540kg of goods
12-18 April 2016 | Flight International | 13

The key players in aviation rely on us for the
most trusted, reliable and timely fleet data,
intelligence and insight when they need it most.

Introducing
Flightglobal Fleets Analyzer
One simplified, online platform designed with flexibility
and built upon an unmatched level of quality data.
Find the next deal in aviation and quickly access the most
comprehensive view of the global fleet anytime, anywhere.

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Illustration shows conceptual data only

AIR TRANSPORT

AIRCRAFT
INTERIORS 2016
SHOW REPORT P16

SALES

Let L-410 set for
Chinese market
with 20-unit deal

Cultura/REX/Shutterstock

C

Icelandic airport is popular location for certification trials due to presence of predictable crosswinds
SAFETY DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

Keflavik reviews testing role
Evaluation follows 2013 overrun of Sukhoi Superjet which breached rules over runway use

R

eykjavik Keflavik airport’s
operator is reviewing procedures for certification testing in
the wake of the 2013 accident involving a Sukhoi Superjet 100.
The evaluation follows the
inquiry’s concerns over the
­
Superjet’s flightpath as well as
­
investigators’ conclusions that
­
the test flights breached rules
over the use of the runway.
Keflavik is a favoured location
for certification tests because its
perpendicular runway layout
and weather conditions enable
aircraft to be subjected to fairly
predictable crosswinds.
Icelandic investigation authority RNF found the early-morning
touch-and-go operations performed by the Superjet on runway 11 had not been permitted.
The country’s aeronautical
­information publication contains

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

a night curfew, and “no approval
had been granted” for an exemption, says the inquiry.
Investigators also determined
the departure procedures for runway 11 meant the single-engine
approach and go-around tests
would take the aircraft over populated residential areas, at minimum clearance altitude, with
only one engine operating.
Keflavik operator Isavia has
formed an in-house task group to
look into the use of the airport for
certification, following the 21
July 2013 overrun accident.
RNF says the group will suggest procedures defining times at
which such flights can be conducted and measures to ­establish
flight patterns and t­o direct aircraft away from populated areas.
Discussions will also examine
the airport’s emergency prepara-

tions and personnel training.
Icelandic investigators also
found the flightcrew involved in
the incident had exceeded their
duty hours after their schedule
was revised five times.
An original timetable called for
an 11h duty from 12:15, when the
crew arrived at the airport, until
the end of a planned flight, the
day’s fourth, at 23:15.
But RNF says the schedule suffered three postponements, totalling 5h 30min, and several additional delays.
It says the crew should not
have carried out the third and
fourth flights, because they
should have stopped in order to
comply with Russian federal regulations for experimental flights.
The regulations put an 8h limit
on test pilot activity including
pre-flight and the test duration. ■

zech manufacturer Aircraft
Industries has signed a letter of intent to supply up to 20
Let L-410UVP-E20 commuter
turboprops to a Chinese customer in a deal worth $126 million.
It follows negotiations with
Aviation
Supplies
China
(CASC), a government agency
responsible for distributing
­
­imported civil aviation products
in the country.
Aircraft Industries says the
deal is “the first practical result”
of its August 2015 agreement
with CASC subsidiary China
General Aviation Supplies
­relating to sales support for the
L-410 in the Chinese market,
including help obtaining civil
­
certification for the twin turboprop in the country.
The airframer has now submitted its formal application for
airworthiness certification to the
Chinese authorities, it says.
Xinjiang General Aviation,
part of the Xinjiang production
building complex, based in the
northwest of the country, has
been identified as the end customer for the GE Aviation
­H80-200-powered aircraft.
Aircraft Industries hopes to
conclude the contract for an initial five aircraft this year, with
deliveries of the remainder to
run until 2021.
In addition, the manufacturer
and Xinjiang production building complex have concluded an
agreement covering the establishment of a parts and service
centre, alongside a pilot and
technician training facility, for
the L-410 in Shihezi. ■

Keep track of the latest developments in
in-flight connectivity
www.flightglobal.com/connectivity

honeywell.indd 1

flightglobal.com

16/12/2015 15:02

12-18 April 2016 | Flight International | 15

SHOW
REPORT
AIRCRAFT INTERIORS 2016

For all the news from the
Aircraft Interiors Expo, go to
flightglobal.com/aix

BillyPix

Airlines have long sought to outdo
each other at the front of the cabin,
but as a tour of last week’s Aircraft
Interiors Expo revealed, much
industry attention has turned right in
a bid to boost comfort and profit in
economy class. Meanwhile, the
battle to master in-flight connectivity
shows no sign of abating. Report
from Hamburg by Michael Gubisch,
Murdo Morrison, Elizabeth Moscrop,
Kerry Reals and Dan Thisdell

PASSENGER COMFORT

Start-ups move to shake-up seating
Economy-class cabin the focus for innovation as entrants with designs on the market secure breakthrough business deals

B

met with EnCore and spent a lot
of time optimising it for the 737.”
But several other seating players were touting new economyclass concepts at AIX. Air New
Zealand is making its Skycouch
economy sleeper seats available
under a licence agreement for Airbus A350 and A330 operators,
and is also co-operating with UKbased SWS Certification Services
to expand the seat’s existing supplemental type certificate for Boeing 777s and 787s to cover the European widebodies.
BillyPix

oeing led a field of innovators driving new ideas into
economy-class seating with its
Aircraft Interiors Expo unveiling
of a model designed to complement its Sky Interior on 737NG
and Max narrowbodies.
The Lift seat, created in partnership with California’s EnCore
and set for delivery as factory-fit
or retrofit from mid-2017, is being
billed as a new industry standard
for comfort and reliability.
Separately, a UK start-up
bringing Formula 1-style technology to economy class won a significant launch order from AirAsia to fit 312 of its in-service and
on-order Airbus A320s and
A320neos with the seat – a commitment for some 70,000 units.
That deal reprises F1 paddock
links between Mirus Aircraft
Seating founders Phil Hall and
Ben McGuire and AirAsia boss
Tony Fernandes. Hall’s composites engineering CV features experience at Reynard, Sauber and
Toyota F1, while McGuire
worked at Lotus and Caterham –
Fernandes’s vehicles for a halfdecade interest in the sport.
Mirus boasts a 60,000-seat-capacity factory in Norfolk – the
traditional home of Lotus –
which Hall and McGuire describe as a “high-efficiency automotive-style” operation capable
of turning out a fully assembled

Fernandes used Formula 1 links to forge relationship with Mirus
seat triple every 15min.
With a fully composite frame,
ultra-slim backrest and low part
count, Mirus’s Hawk model claims
to slash 40% from the weight of
conventional seats – while featuring amenities including 10in
(25cm) recline, literature pocket
and optional USB power point.
Fernandes says: “My F1 expe-

“We’ve always had a
problem with our
seats at AirAsia and I
always like working
with new companies”
TONY FERNANDES
Chief executive, AirAsia

16 | Flight International | 12-18 April 2016

rience wasn’t very successful, but
this is something positive that
has come out of it.”
He adds that Hawk’s low
weight was attractive, as was its
low maintenance: “We’ve always
had a problem with our seats at
AirAsia and I always like working with new companies. I’ve
worked with a lot over 15 years.”
AirAsia has 80 A320s in service and a substantial order for
the Neo variant which will have a
near-maximum 186 seats each.
Boeing’s Lift connection with
EnCore began at last year’s AIX,
when the seat maker showed a
prototype. Boeing seat integration
team senior manager Gary Senechal says: “We saw it last year,

STRETCHING OUT
Italian seating firm Geven
showed a prototype of its Sofa, a
row of four seats that converts to
a bed; the headrests clip off the
seat backs and onto the front of
the cushions to form a couch big
enough for two adults or, if only
two or three are converted, for
children. Line-fit-ready versions
will be delivered to Airbus in October, for launch customer South
African Airways.
Another Italian specialist, Avio
Interiors, is looking to break into
the growing market for premium,
economy seats – with a low-price
option that the company hopes
will attract airlines who have yet
to commit to the new cabin class.
While most premium economy
seats sell for $12,000 to $24,000,
Avio’s C4 will cost $5,000. ■
flightglobal.com

AIX 2016

DARPA assembles
Gremlins partners

SHOW REPORT

DEFENCE P18
CONNECTIVITY

In-flight internet
rivals spar over
speed, service
n-flight entertainment and connectivity has become a lightning
rod for competing claims over
what type of system and method
of delivery is best, a fact that was
clearly apparent at this year’s Aircraft Interiors event.
Disagreements over satellite
capacity, the familiar embeddedversus-portable IFE debate, and
the Ku- or Ka-band question were
all in abundance, with claims
and counter-claims bandied
about throughout the show.
Satellite company ViaSat
kicked things off with a confident
assertion that its latest superhigh-capacity satellite, ViaSat-3,
will blow seatback IFE out of the
water when it is launched into
orbit in mid-2019.
Don Buchman, vice-president
and general manager of ViaSat’s
commercial mobility business,
believes the significant amounts
of capacity offered by ViaSat-3,
combined with growing passenger demand to stream content of
their choosing to their own devices, will eventually sound the
death knell for embedded IFE
systems.
“ViaSat-3 is really going to
usher in the age of no seatback,”
says Buchman.
He is keen to point out that the
satellites used by competitor Inmarsat for its soon-to-launch
Global Xpress (GX) Ka-band connectivity service offer significantly less capacity. However, Inmarsat refuses to be drawn into a
numbers comparison game. Inmarsat Aviation president Leo
Mondale tells Flight International the capacity figures given by
ViaSat are “theoretical”, adding:
“I’m not going to compare my
apple with their orange.”
As Inmarsat prepares for GX
service entry, which Mondale
flightglobal.com

says is “weeks off, not quarters”,
the company is confident it has
laid the groundwork to ensure it
can meet escalating passenger demand for the next five years and
beyond.
“I’m the first to admit existing
solutions have not met expectations. Passengers feel they’re
being asked to pay too much for
something that doesn’t work consistently,” says Mondale.
This will change as the GX service starts to be rolled out, according to Inmarsat: “[It] will provide the international bandwidth
capacity needed to meet existing
and near-term demand from airlines.”

“I’m confident our GX
service will meet
growing passenger
demand for the next
five years and more”
LEO MONDALE
President, Inmarsat Aviation

As ViaSat and Inmarsat fight
over their competing Ka-band offerings, Gogo continues to promote its latest dual-antenna Kuband system, 2Ku. The company
brought its newly-outfitted Boe-

Buchman: “ViaSat-3 will usher in the age of no seatback”
ing 737-500 to Hamburg for the
first time to give prospective customers a chance to sample 2Ku at
30,000ft.
Equally ViaSat’s seatback IFE
predictions will fall on deaf ears
at embedded system providers,
which continue to rack up airline
orders. Panasonic Avionics
signed follow-on deals with Singapore Airlines and Saudia during the show – the former to provide
custom-tailored
IFEC
solutions across SIA’s 787-10 and
Airbus A350-900 fleets and the
latter to install its eXO overhead
IFE system on 30 on-order A320s.
Meanwhile, Lumexis reports a
“very favourable response” to the
latest generation of its fibre optics-based IFE system, FTTS Gen4. Lumexis vice-president of
sales Jon Norris describes the
newest version of FTTS as a “super-responsive system”.
The company last year celebrated Boeing’s decision to make

FTTS line-fit offerable on 737NG
and 737 Max aircraft. It is now
working hard to achieve the same
status on Boeing widebodies and
Airbus models.
Wireless IFE also featured heavily at AIX, with Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE) launching a new
product targeted at airlines that
have not yet installed connectivity
but are seeking a low-cost, hasslefree entertainment solution.
Entice is designed for use on
passengers’ own devices and
boasts 10,000h of movie and TV
content, a personalised user interface and a monthly single
charge that does not require any
investment in hardware. The
product is aimed at low-cost carriers and the regional arms of
flagship airlines, which are hesitant to install costly embedded
IFE systems and connectivity,
says GEE senior vice-president
digital media solutions Alexis
Steinman. ■

Gogo

I

BillyPix

Main players debate satellite capacity and performance
claims but remain confident of meeting passenger demand

Gogo brought its own 737-500 to Hamburg so prospective customers could try 2Ku at 30,000ft
12-18 April 2016 | Flight International | 17

DEFENCE

For more coverage of the burgeoning
­unmanned air system sector log on to
flightglobal.com/UAV

RESEARCH JAMES DREW WASHINGTON DC

DARPA assembles Gremlins partners
Initial $15m funding shared by four firms as agency looks to develop air-launched and recovered unmanned air vehicles

F

The proposals submitted by
these “cover a spectrum of technical approaches”, the agency says.
The awards begin the first of three
phases, which could culminate in
a proof-of-concept demonstration
of an air-launched, air-recovered,
“volley-quantity” UAV.

PROPULSION

ARMAMENTS JAMES DREW WASHINGTON DC

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

our teams have been selected
for the US Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency’s
(DARPA) Gremlins project,
which aims to launch volleys of
small, low-cost unmanned air
vehicles from manned aircraft,
­
and recover them via a Lockheed
Martin C-130 transport.
Networked for co-ordinated
­assaults on well-defended targets,
these Gremlins would conduct a
variety of missions like electronic
attack or target geolocation, as
stand-ins for conventional manned
fighters or expensive UAVs.
DARPA has awarded phase 1
contracts
to
Composite
Engineering, Dynetics, General
­
Atomics Aeronautical Systems,
and Lockheed Martin.

C-130 is a candidate for both launch and recovery of the Gremlins
“We’ve assembled a motivated
group of researchers and developers that we believe could make significant progress toward Gremlins’
vision of delivering distributed airborne capabilities,” says DARPA
programme manager Dan Patt.
According to a September

broad agency announcement, candidate launch platforms include
the Boeing B-52 and B-1 bombers,
or the C-130 turboprop that is
­assigned to in-flight recovery.
Each Gremlin must fly out 300500nm (555-926km) at high subsonic speeds after launch and
­loiter for 1-3h before turning back
to the C-130 for recovery, it notes.
The flyaway cost per Gremlin
should not exceed $700,000, and
they should be designed for at
least 20 uses.
DARPA has not announced the
cost or timeline for Gremlins, but
$15 million is allocated for this fiscal year and $31 million r­ equested
for 2017. Preliminary design reviews are expected in 2017, agency documents state. ■

US Marine Corps deploys its Harriers
with BAE laser-guided rocket system

T

B

he US Army has begun its
search for a new Block III en­ extron Ungine for its enhanced T
­ hadow
manned Systems RQ-7B S
unmanned air vehicle.
The second iteration of the
Shadow was fielded in 2015 as
the RQ-7Bv2, and is weighed
down by new mission equipment. The existing piston powerplant, built by UK firm UAV Engines, cannot keep up, as it was
designed for a gross take-off
weight of 127kg (280lb), but this
has since grown to nearer 210kg.
In a request for information in
March, the army said it has a new
requirement for a more powerful
engine with an average failure
rate above once every 1,000h.
“This propulsion system shall
provide RQ-7Bv2 with a more
­reliable and lower life-cycle cost
system,” the notice states.
The army will trial two competing engines before starting
procurement in “late 2017”, and
plans to field 120 engines. ■

AE Systems’ laser-guided
Advanced Precision Kill
Weapon System (APKWS) rocket
has been d
­ eployed on the Boeing
AV-8B Harrier, seven months after
it was requested by the leadership
of the US Marine Corps.
The semi-active-laser-seeking
70mm (2.75in) rocket, enabled by
BAE’s mid-body guidance and
control section, is already integrated on US Navy, Marine Corps and
Army attack helicopters, but will
soon become standard on the
fixed-wing AV-8B.
US Naval Air Systems
­Command (NAVAIR) is delivering 80 units initially to Marine
Attack Squadron-223 (VMA223), which is deployed to an undisclosed location, likely somewhere in the Middle East.
NAVAIR declines to say if the
VMA-223 Harriers were currently engaged in combat against the
Islamic State terrorist organisation in Iraq and Syria, but the
quick delivery supports “combat

18 | Flight International | 12-18 April 2016

US Navy

More powerful
engine sought
for Shadow v2

Test flights took place prior to the weapon’s fielding on the AV-8B
operations”. The first fixed-wing
variants were delivered to theatre
in April.
“The intent of this requirement
was to quickly provide the AV-8B
with a low-cost, low-collateral
damage, high-precision weapon
in support of combat operations,”
says Capt Al Mousseau, who
heads NAVAIR’s munitions
­acquisition office.
NAVAIR confirms that a s­ eries
of qualification flights took place

to guarantee the rocket’s compatibility with the AV-8B platform. It
was first trialled on the Harrier
during a demonstration programme in 2013, BAE says, along
with the US Air Force Fairchild
Republic A-10 and Lockheed
Martin F-16.
The second phase, after meeting the immediate operational
need, is to make APKWS a standard weapon choice on all AV-8Bs,
NAVAIR says. ■
flightglobal.com

DEFENCE

Bulgaria looks
west for new
fighters
DEFENCE P20

ARMAMENTS
JAMES DREW WASHINGTON DC

UPGRADE GREG WALDRON SINGAPORE

Software update helps RAAF Hornets
to fight fatigue as operations increase

‘Clean’ release
kicks off JSOW
F-35 test effort

A

T
Commonwealth of Australia

new fatigue monitoring algorithm has been introduced to
Australia’s Boeing F/A-18A/B
Hornet fleet that will allow for
greater operational flexibility.
The algorithm – MSMP3 – was
created by Australia’s Defence
­Science
­Technology
Office
(DSTO) and replaces one that, it
says, “over-predicted the damage
due to small load cycles, resulting
in unnecessary conservatism”.
The new algorithm has been
applied to Canberra’s fleet of
­Hornets with the strain records of
ircraft adjusted from
each a­
­September 2015.
“As a direct result of the
­upgrade of the Hornet monitoring
program, the reprocessing of the
entire fleet’s usage history

Canberra’s A/B-model fighter fleet is due to be retired by 2022
i­ndicates that fatigue is no longer
the main driver to the planned
withdrawal date,” says DSTO
­research leader Loris Molent.
The DSTO adds that the modified monitoring will give the
Royal Australian Air Force more
increased
flexibility amid “the ­
tempo of current operations”.

The RAAF operates 71 F/A18A/B Hornets, which were
­acquired in the 1980s. Though the
type has received significant
­upgrades over the years, it is due
to be retired by 2022 in favour of
the Lockheed Martin F-35A, of
which Australia has committed to
buy 72 examples. ■

DEVELOPMENT JAMES DREW WASHINGTON DC

Work starts on new Osprey
Contract from US Navy allows Bell Boeing engineers to begin designing CMV-22B variant
ell Boeing engineers can start
designing the US Navy’s
future Osprey variant, the
­
CMV-22B, after a $151 million
­
contract awarded to the V-22
tiltrotor manufacturer this week.
Based on the US Marine Corps’
MV-22B Osprey, the n
­ avy’s tiltrotor will come equipped with extra
fuel bladders to extend its range
from 860nm (1,590km) to approximately 1,150nm, and will eventually replace the Northrop Grumman C-2 Greyhound in the carrier
onboard delivery role.
The additional fuel capacity is
the biggest engineering challenge,
but the service also requires a
­beyond-line-of-sight radio and a
public address system so crews
can communicate en route to the
aircraft carrier’s deck, or between
other ships in the battle group.
On 31 March, US Naval Air
Systems Command (NAVAIR)
­announced the $151 million contract with Bell Helicopter and
Boeing’s joint V-22 programme
flightglobal.com

US Navy

B

Service will use the tiltrotor for carrier onboard delivery mission
­ ffice in Amarillo, Texas, which
o
covers “non-recurring engineering
services associated with the development of the capability for the
navy variant of the V-22”.
­NAVAIR confirmed that it covers
the design changes for all three
modifications, including the
­extended-range fuel system.
More than 70% of the work will
be done in Philadelphia,
­Pennsylvania, where Boeing fabri-

cates composite V-22 airframes.
Another 20% will be completed at
Bell’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas.
Just $15 million had been obligated at the time of the award, and
work is expected to continue until
September 2020. By that time, the
first of 44 CMV-22B aircraft –
which will be ordered in 2018 –
will begin delivering from Bell’s
final assembly and checkout facility in Amarillo. ■

he Lockheed Martin F-35
Lightning II will soon count
Raytheon’s
AGM-154
Joint
Standoff Weapon (JSOW) among
its list of internally-carried munitions after “cleanly” releasing the
475kg (1,050lb) inert glide bomb
in a trial off the Maryland coast.
The drop test on 23 March
from a NAS Patuxent River-based
CF-05 test aircraft is the first of
many in 2016 to qualify the bomb
for use by the stealthy type.
Until now, the F-35 has only
released satellite-guided Mk80series bombs with Boeing Joint
Direct Attack Munition (JDAM)
tail kits from its internal weapons
bay. A “standoff” glide bomb
­allows the aircraft to hit threatening targets, like anti-aircraft missiles, from safer distances.
“The addition of this guided
glide bomb equips the F-35
Lightning II with a medium­
range, all-weather weapon capable of engaging targets from further vantage points well out of
range of typical enemy anti-­
aircraft and counter-air defences,” the US Navy says.
JSOW will be standard in the
F-35 Block 3F configuration, and
must be qualified for use by the
navy’s first combat-coded F-35C
squadron when it declares initial
operational capability in 2018.
The US Air Force has also
­announced plans for two operational F-35A squadrons to be
based in the far northwest of the
country, near where Lockheed
F-22s
intercept
long-range
­Russian Tupolev Tu-95 bombers.
Eielson AFB, an hour’s flight
north of the F-22As stationed at
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
in mid-Alaska, will eventually
house two Lightning II squadrons
comprised of 24 F-35s each, plus
six back-up aircraft.
Basing preparations will begin
at the turn of the US fiscal year in
October, and aircraft should
arrive from late 2019 through
­
2020. ■

12-18 April 2016 | Flight International | 19

DEFENCE

To get more defence sector coverage,
­subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter:
flightglobal.com/defencenewsletter

REQUIREMENT ALEXANDER MLADENOV & KRASSIMIR GROZEV SOFIA

Bulgaria looks west for new fighters
Sofia government approves procurement programme to acquire 16 combat aircraft to replace current Russian-built fleet
ulgaria’s government on 30
March gave the long-delayed
go-ahead to a fighter procurement
effort which will eventually see
16 aircraft a­ cquired to replace its
air force’s fleet of ageing Russianbuilt types.
Sofia intends to buy an
­affordable ­Western multi-role
­design to ­replace its current 15
Mikoyan MiG-29s and 12 Sukhoi
Su-25s. This will see a NATO-­
compatible fighter procured in
two stages.
The first phase covers eight aircraft, tentatively scheduled for
delivery between 2018 and 2020,
and is expected to cost €511 million ($580 million). The second
step will see eight more fighters
­acquired between 2020 and 2023.
However, before a tender can
be launched, the procurement
programme has to gain parliamentary approval. This is expected by the end of May.
Defence minister Nikolay

Nenchev has voiced his ambition
to have a contract in place by the
end of 2016. But while the Bulgarian d
­ efence budget for 2016
contains a small amount of funding e­ armarked for advance payments, a more realistic estimate is
that the deal will not be concluded until 2017.
The Bulgarian military has
­reviewed information and prices

on several options for both new
and second-hand aircraft.
These include ex-US Air Force
Lockheed Martin F-16s, to be upgraded by OGMA in P
­ ortugal, together with training from the Portuguese air force.
­irect
A second option is a d
purchase of surplus F-16s from
Portugal, which have received a
mid-life upgrade, together with

training and a logistics and weapons package from the USA.
Italy, meanwhile, has offered
Eurofighter Typhoons previously
operated by its air force.
So far, the only new-build aircraft proposed is the Saab Gripen,
with both the manufacturer and
the Swedish government promoting the type heavily in Bulgaria
since 2008. ■
Sofia’s fleet of
ageing MiG-29s
will be retired

Alexander Mladenov

B

PROGRAMME JAMES DREW WASHINGTON DC

Gearbox issues to blame for latest CH-53K delay
A

report by the US Government
Accountability Office (GAO)
has revealed the Sikorsky CH-53K
King Stallion’s entry into low-rate
production has again been
­delayed, this time by eight months
to February 2017.
Attributed to gearbox failures
and late delivery of parts, the new
delay is the latest in a series of setbacks for the programme.
The heavy-lift helicopter only
achieved first flight in October
2015, three years later than
planned and five years after com-

pleting its critical design review.
In January, the second test article began flying at Sikorsky’s West
Palm Beach, F
­lorida site. The
GAO notes it contains the improved gearbox first trialled on a
ground-test vehicle.
“The unexpected redesigns of
the aircraft’s various gearboxes, as
well as the late delivery of some
components, have delayed delivery of the remaining two engineering design model test aircraft,” the
GAO says in its 31 March report.
“This has created delays at the

production facility where parts
are received from vendors, which
is expected to impact the flighttest schedule.”
The 33.5t maximum take-off
weight helicopter will replace the
US Marine Corps’ CH-53Es – introduced in the 1980s with an anticipated service life of 41 years.
The cost of developing the new
rotorcraft has grown by 44% from
$4.7 billion to $6.8 billion since
2005, and the procurement
­estimate for 200 aircraft stands at
$19 billion.

Download the 2016
Wo r l d A i r F o r c e s R e p o r t

The date for completion of
­perational testing has shifted
o
nine months since the GAO’s
2015 report, from September 2018
to June 2019. Despite this, the marines expect to have a first combatready squadron by July 2019.
Sikorsky says that the flight-test
programme will log some 100h in
2016, with additional aircraft joining the certification fleet.
The CH-53K recently demonstrated its advertised speed of
140kt (260km/h) with 15°
­angle-of-bank turns. ■

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

w w w. f l i g h t g l o b a l . c o m / w a f
Ruag 2015 strip ad.indd 1

20 | Flight International | 12-18 April 2016

16/12/2015 14:55

flightglobal.com

BUSINESS AVIATION

Flying with
turbulence
SPECIAL REPORT P25

CONTRACT
STEPHEN TRIMBLE WASHINGTON DC

Maiden sortie for new piston-twin is scheduled for June

Challenger deal
is a timely boost
for Bombardier

Tecnam

A

DEVELOPMENT KATE SARSFIELD LONDON

Traveller keeps moving as
Tecnam prepares for flight
Italian manufacturer is aiming to secure US and European certification in December 2018

I

talian airframer Tecnam has
rolled out the first P2012
­Traveller and is preparing the piston-twin for a June maiden sortie.
“The
aircraft’s
Lycoming
­TEO-540-C1A engines were powered up [on 1 April], for a successful and smooth taxi onto the ramp
in Capua,” Tecnam says.
The 11-seat aircraft was
launched five years ago and sits at
the top of the manufacturer’s
20-strong light-single family.
Set for US and European certification in December 2018, the
P2012’s flight-test programme will
involve two aircraft and around

300h of flight testing, says Tecnam
managing director Paolo Pascale.
The 2012 is being co-developed
with US commuter airline Cape
Air. The carrier has signed a letter
of intent (LoI) for 100 aircraft to
replace its 80-strong fleet of
­
Cessna 402Cs and four Britten
­
Norman BN-2 Islanders. It is
hoped the tentative deal, bound
by a non-disclosure agreement,
will begin to be firmed up when
flight testing begins.
“Cape Air is committed to
working with Tecnam to meet the
current development of the
P2012,” says Jim Goddard, senior

vice-president for fleet planning
for the operator, based in
­Hyannisport, Massachusetts.
“The P2012 remains on track to
meet the future needs of Cape Air
and our demanding operating profile,” he says.
Although the base price has yet
to be released, Tecnam has disclosed provisional performance
data. Fuelled by Avgas and Mogas,
the P2012 is projected to have a
maximum take-off weight of
3,290kg (7,250lb), maximum
cruise speed of 210kt (390km/h) at
8,000ft and a long-range cruise
speed of 170kt. ■

n undisclosed customer has
signed a firm order for 20
Challenger 350 midsize business
jets in a deal worth $534 million at
list prices, Bombardier says.
The deal is a timely boost as
Bombardier rebuilds a business jet
backlog depleted by order cancellations last year. It shows the re­ hallenger
engined and updated C
350 is winning new commitments
despite an influx of competitors,
such as the Embraer L
­ egacy 500
and the forthcoming Cessna Citation Longitude.
Bombardier is counting on the
Challenger 350 to help it bounce
back. In 2015, cancellations
­exceeded new orders by 24 aircraft in the business jet division,
including a write-off of 74 orders
in the backlog for the terminated
Learjet 85 programme. Bombardier halted marketing for the Learjet 60 and Challenger 850 and announced a reduction of output for
the Global 5000 and 6000 jets.
The company’s firm order backlog for business jets stood at
$17.2  billion at the end of last
year. Flightglobal’s Fleets Analyzer database records an in-service
fleet of 115 Challenger 350s and
more than 450 Challenger 300s. ■

AIR TAXI KATE SARSFIELD LONDON

JetSuite gets to the point with refurbished ERJ-135s
S air taxi company JetSuite is
adding
10
refurbished
­Embraer ERJ-135LR regional airliners to its fleet of 20 entry-level
and light business jets to expand
its branded, low-cost, point-topoint service across the USA.
The first aircraft was handed to
the operator, based in Irvine,
­California, on 30 March. The second is due in late April, and the
remainder will be delivered over
the next 14 months. Each will get
a $1 million internal and external
refurbishment, including a bespoke 30-passenger layout.
As well as being available for
flightglobal.com

charter, the aircraft will be deployed on its new JetSuiteX
scheduled service, set to launch
on 19 April. The first route will be

a weekday service linking
­ oncord Buchanan Field near San
C
Francisco with Burbank Bob
Hope airport near Los Angeles.

JetSuite

U

The 10 regional airliners will each receive a $1m refurbishment

JetSuite says the service, which
only uses business aviation airports and terminals, is designed
“to provide many of the comforts
associated with private jet travel
for the price of an airline seat”.
“Customers have been asking
us to provide the JetSuite experience in an aircraft with more seats
and longer range,” says chief executive Alex Wilcox. The economics of the ERJ-135LR, he says,
“means that the [whole] aircraft
can be chartered for only $8,000
per hour, which equates to less
than $300 per seat, per hour for 30
passengers”. ■

12-18 April 2016 | Flight International | 21

boeing.com/787

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GENERAL AVIATION
SPECIAL REPORT

Aero Friedrichshafen

FLYING WITH
TURBULENCE

When Europe’s general aviation community gathers in
Germany later this month for its annual meeting and
exhibition at Aero Friedrichshafen, there will be as much
talk about the business climate and regulations as about
new aircraft and technology. But while the number of
pilots and demand for new aeroplanes continues a long
slide, proponents remain cautiously optimistic that the
industry can return to growth with the help of a raft of
new designs aimed at reducing the cost of flying

flightglobal.com

CONTENTS

26 Heavy weight Hard times for GA
29 Turbine singles SETs up at EASA
32 Battery drain Electrics struggle

The future, Aero
Friedrichshafen-style:
JMB Aircraft’s VL3
Evolution at the
2015 show

12-18 April 2016 | Flight International | 25

GENERAL AVIATION
SPECIAL REPORT

MONEY WEIGHS
HEAVY ON SMALL
EURO-FLYERS
Flight Design

When Europe’s general aviation community makes its annual pilgrimage to
the historic German town of Friedrichshafen later this month, there will be
as much talk of earthly matters like economics and regulation as of aircraft
C4 promises to make flying affordable, if manufacturer Flight Design can just stay in business

26 | Flight International | 12-18 April 2016

flightglobal.com

GENERAL AVIATION
AERO FRIEDRICHSHAFEN

KATE SARSFIELD LONDON

CERTIFICATION STANDARDS
Bowles is the driving force behind a bold
­industry initiative to introduce proportionate
certification standards for CS-23 and US
Federal Aviation Administration Part-23
­
­aircraft – which covers most piston, turboprop and light turbine aircraft.
In an advanced notice of proposed amendment (A-NPA), issued a year ago, EASA
described the proposed new certification
­
specifications as “objective requirements that
are design-independent and applicable to the
entire range of airplanes within CS-23”.
This covers aircraft weighing up to 5,670kg
(12,000lb) that carry up to nine passengers.
“The lighter segments of GA have suffered
in terms of new product innovation as a
flightglobal.com

Aero Friedrichshafen

T

he Aero Friedrichshafen show has
­become the go-to venue for startups
and established airframers from
across the general aviation spectrum
– from gliders and electric aircraft to sports
aircraft and business jets – and for technical
innovators. The success of this event – now
in its 24th year, running from 20-23 April on
the shore of Germany’s Lake Constance – is
testament to the durability and creativity of
this huge but b
­ eleaguered sector, which has
been pummelled during a long global economic downturn.
In an effort to lure new entrants and prevent
further industry shrinkage, GA proponents
have worked tirelessly to raise its profile and
create a fair and proportionate operating environment for the owners and operators of Europe’s 100,000-strong aircraft fleet.
While there is much still to do to restore the
industry to rude health, their efforts are bearing fruit.
In 2014 the European Aviation Safety
Agency – under the stewardship of agency
director and industry supporter Patrick Ky
– published a GA Roadmap, which sets
out plans to simplify and moderate the
rules for light aircraft in an effort to bolster the sector. “GA is a high priority for
EASA,” the agency declared upon its release.
“It is dedicating effort and resources
­towards creating simpler, lighter and better
rules [for the industry].”
EASA has stuck to its word. Less than 18
months on, the GA Roadmap has made
strides in the key areas of maintenance, aircraft and systems certification and oversight.
“We have enormous respect for what EASA
is doing,” says Greg Bowles, director of European regulatory affairs and engineering for the
­ ssociation
General Aviation Manufacturers A
(GAMA). “It has taken a while for the industry
to get to this stage, but we now feel we are
being listened to.”

Aero Friedrichshafen: GA’s European showcase
r­ esult of overly prescriptive and rigid rules,”
says Bowles.
Under the new standards, certification
­criteria are based on the complexity of the
components in the design, rather than on arbitrary gross weight limits.
“The new rules should lower significantly
the certification costs for new aircraft and
technology and encourage the development
of fresh designs,” says Bowles.
One of the first models to be produced
under the new CS-23 criteria is the C4 pistonsingle, from German light sport aircraft manufacturer Flight Design.
Development of the four-seat model was
put on hold in February when unsettled bills
“totalling over seven-digit euros” forced the
company into administration.
Flight Design is confident it will re-emerge,

“There is a correlation
between new licence holders
and aircraft purchases”
MARTIN ROBINSON
Chief executive, AOPA UK

fully funded in the second quarter, when
bringing the C4 to market will be its key priority. “This aircraft is a game-changer for the
­industry. We need to get it developed,” says
Tom Peghiny, president of independent
­importer and distributor, Flight Design USA.
“We already have 100 deposits.”
The high-wing type is the launch customer
for a unique crash-absorbing cabin structure
– called the “safety box” – as well Garmin’s
­latest G3X Vision Touch cockpit.
Under the new streamlined and proportionate certification requirements, Flight
­Design is able to bring the C4 to market for
around $230,000, says Peghiny. “This is
around 30% less than competing designs
such as the Diamond DA40 and 50% less than
the Cessna 172 Skyhawk,” he adds.
Thanks to the upgraded regulations, other
affordable, clean-sheet designs are now

e­xpected to follow, along with an array of
­innovative technologies for used and new aircraft. “At the moment, low-cost e­ nvelope protection systems are the holy grail for GA,” says
GAMA’s Bowles. “Under the new rules we
could see affordable offerings coming onto the
market, which will improve safety.”
The new regulation cannot come soon
enough for the industry. EASA is expected to
release the NPA in the third quarter and issue
its final decision before year-end. “We have to
make sure we get it right,” Bowles says.

FLYING IN CRISIS
While this major initiative has been
­welcomed by the GA industry, many believe
the s­ ector cannot make a full recovery until
flight activity grows.
“There simply aren’t enough people flying
and the knock-on effect of this inactivity is
­reverberating across the industry, from aircraft manufacturers and flight training
schools to flying clubs and aerodromes,” says
Martin Robinson, senior vice-president of the
European arm of the International Council of
the Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations.
IAOPA represents the interests of more than
23,000 members at regulatory bodies, including the European Commission, EASA and Eurocontrol.
His view is illustrated by the latest market
data released by GAMA. The association
­reveals Europe’s installed base of single and
twin-engined aircraft weighing under 5,700kg
has been declining for years. The Netherlands
saw its fleet fall from 654 aircraft in 2008 to
497 at the end of 2015. The German inventory
fell from 7,532 to 7,340 over the same period
and the Republic of Ireland saw its tally slide
from 253 in 2011 to 195 at the end of last year.
“Flying doesn’t have the appeal it once
had,” says Robinson, who is also chief executive of AOPA’s UK branch.
Although the country is home to one of the
largest populations of aircraft and pilots in
Europe, the number of private pilot licenses
(PPL) – newly issued for light aircraft in all
categories – has fallen from around 3,300 per
year in 2005/2006 to under 2,500.
“There is a correlation between new
­license holders and aircraft purchases,” he
says. “Only one in 10 PPL license holders
own their own aircraft in the UK. This ratio is
much greater in the USA.”
OTHER CONCERNS
He is not surprised by these statistics. “When
people are worried about their jobs and mortgages, that’s what they will prioritise first,”
Robinson says. “While the idea of learning to
fly is still attractive, they are not prepared to
make that investment right now.”
The decline in flying activity is also threatening the long-term viability of many aero- ❯❯
12-18 April 2016 | Flight International | 27

GENERAL AVIATION
❯❯ dromes. The situation is particularly
acute in the UK where, unlike in many European countries, these sites are not considered
public amenities and therefore many are not
protected under the law.
According to GAMA there are 4,130 paved
and unpaved runways in Europe. Of these, the
UK is home to 272 and 190, respectively – a far
cry from the 680 recorded in the mid-1940s.
John Gilder, vice-president of the UK
­General Aviation Awareness Council, says the
country’s housing crisis has placed aerodromes in a precarious position. “The government’s determination to build more homes
has left many of these sites vulnerable,” he
says. A number of sites have been sold in the
last few years, i­ncluding Manston airport,
150km from L
­ ondon, in 2014. “It is a big deal
for the industry because Manston is a substantial, and largely irreplaceable, capital asset
that should not be wasted,” says Gilder.
He cites up to 30 aerodromes and landing
sites under threat.
“It is a worrying time for GA with airfields
open-season for the developers,” he adds.
There is little comfort to be found at the
larger airports, Robinson adds: “Light aircraft
have long been regarded as noisy and intrusive to the local community, while large international airports, mindful of the small return
from GA traffic, have largely driven smaller
aircraft out.
“Even at regional airports, landing fees
have become so expensive it is no longer
­viable to operate in and out of these sites.”
The GA community is frustrated at the lack
of UK government support or recognition for
the industry, despite it garnering much praise
in a 2015 Department for Transport-funded
report by York Aviation.
“How can our government ignore the economic significance of our aviation industry,
as now evidenced by the York report, and fail
to support it?” he says.
The study estimates the GA industry contributes around £3 billion ($4.2 billion) to the
UK economy and supports around 38,000
jobs. The report – which includes all non-military and non air transport-related activity –
also found that nearly 10,000 jobs are supported by activity at aerodrome level.
“Reviving the GA sector to 2005 levels
could add a further £700 million to the UK’s
economic footprint,” says the report.
Not surprisingly, York cites a healthy flight
training industry as the essential ingredient
for its rejuvenation.
“Training is a critical component of the
health of the GA sector,” it concedes.
­“Without new student pilots feeding through,
the industry may continue to decline.”
Aerodrome movement data issued by the
UK Civil Aviation Authority in 2014, for
­example, revealed a decline in aero club and
28 | Flight International | 12-18 April 2016

Textron Aviation

SPECIAL REPORT

Cessna 172: a favourite of that cash-pressed and dwindling breed known as private flyers
private flying of around 45% since 2005.
The fall in hours flown by light aircraft was
particularly marked, with fixed-wing models
weighing between 751kg and 5,700kg down
by 50%. Anecdotal evidence suggests little
has changed since.
“Government should consider ways in
which it can support GA training providers
and make it easier for student pilots to take up
flying,” says York.
Robinson agrees. “A starting point could
be lifting VAT [value added tax] on flying
training and on the cost of fuel. This would
bring down the price markedly”. He concedes, however, this will not be sufficient to
­revive the industry. “We are not attracting
enough people. These are tough times. When
people look at what they can do with their
money, paying £400 an hour to fly in a Cessna
172 is not at the top of their list.”
Robinson says the introduction of very
light aircraft, such as LSAs and homebuilds, has helped slash the costs of flying,
but this has not been sufficient to attract
new entrants.

RIDE-SHARING REVOLUTION
Europe’s nascent online ride-sharing market
could change all this.
By giving owners and operators of noncomplex aircraft with fewer than six seats a
platform to share the costs of their flight with
fellow passengers, it is hoped the appeal and
demand for private flying will escalate.
Skyüber – Europe’s first pan-European ven-

ture – launched its online and mobile platform in August, and has already secured registrations from 2,000 pilots and 14,000 riders,
who have shared around 500 seats.
“The cost of the flight – which includes
landing fees and fuel – is evenly split between
the riders which, depending on the number of
occupants, can be very affordable indeed,”
says Skyüber co-founder Carlos Oliveira. This
offering is also fully compliant with EASA’s
cost-sharing principles.
“Skyüber isn’t designed as a money-­
making venture [for pilots]; rather a matchmaking exercise,” Oliveira explains. “It is a
way to offset some of the costs of flying,
which is very expensive in Europe, and
­encourage people to fly.” He hopes by lowering the price of entry, this distinctive and
­under-utilised mode of transport will become
accessible to a much wider audience.
Skyüber’s focus until now has been mainly
on training schools and aero clubs in Europe’s
largest markets of France, Germany and the
UK. It is now planning to extend its reach
throughout the continent. “We have spent the
last few months perfecting the platform and
getting the funding in place to accelerate our
growth to market,” Oliveira says. “We now
plan to widen our marketing effort to aero
clubs around Europe, with a view to adding
50,000 pilots to the platform.”
For AOPA’s Robinson, the ride-sharing market is a welcome fillip for the light aircraft
­industry. “If it attracts new entrants and recharges the sector, it has to be a positive.” ■
flightglobal.com

GENERAL AVIATION
COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS

Quest’s Kodiak is one of the utility types
suited to more challenging conditions

Quest Aircraft

SINGLES SET
AT EASA

Europe looks ready to follow the USA and let turbine singles fly instrument-conditions
and nighttime commercial services – so aircraft makers are gearing up for a sales boost
DAVID LEARMOUNT LONDON

A

fter two decades of European resistance to permitting commercial single-turbine operations at night or in
instrument meteorological conditions (SET-IMC), the European Aviation Safety
Agency is drawing up the final regulation that
would approve it across all contracting states.
For small or isolated communities that
need reliable air links, air taxi services and
would-be operators of commercially marginal
scheduled air services, this looks like excellent news. Continual disappointment over the
years, however, means some operators may
wait for the final rule before making any business expansion decisions. Others, however,
are starting to prepare for the new status quo.
For producers of appropriate aircraft types,
the permission could herald a sales ­bonanza.
The General Aviation Manufacturers
Association (GAMA) hints as much in its
­
interpretation of the figures backing up
­
­EASA’s notice of proposed amendment (NPA)
on commercial SET-IMC: “The NPA lays out
the order of magnitude difference between the
number of single-engine turbine aeroplanes in
flightglobal.com

density routes to be served where at present
they are not viable. EASA then states the
­objective of the present rulemaking: “The specific objective is to allow single-engined turbine aeroplanes, meeting specified power
plant reliability, equipment, operating, and
maintenance requirements, to conduct CAT
SET-IMC operations.” The safety justification
is simple: “The proposed changes are expected to maintain the safety of CAT operations by
allowing, based on proportionate requirements, the operations in IMC and/or at night
of single-engined turbine aeroplanes better
equipped and with a higher engine reliability
than some currently operated twins.”
ANOMALIES
But winning SET-IMC approval in Europe
EASA, in its published opinion on the sub- is a challenging process. The task for the SET
ject, released in November, acknowledged the operator community is rather like that faced
anomalies resulting from Europe’s failure to by twin-engine jet operators 30 years ago
approve CAT SET-IMC, including: some when they were seeking approval for
­European states already allow such opera- ­
extended-range
twin-engine
operation
tions conditionally; the International Civil (ETOPS) over oceanic and wilderness areas.
Aviation Organisation has published stand- Approval involves comprehensive operationards for CAT SET-IMC; many other states al requirements for crew training, capability
­including the USA and Canada allow it; eco- and experience, flight planning consideranomic and social issues are involved because tions, enhanced maintenance programmes
permitting CAT SET-IMC may allow low-­ with tighter minimum equipment list specifi- ❯❯

commercial operations in Europe and the
United States. According to this analysis,
there were 13 single-engined turbine aeroplanes in CAT [commercial air transport]
­operation in Europe in 2013, whereas in the
United States – which is similar in size, overall population, and economic activity – there
were 673 aeroplanes in Part 135 CAT operations. These statistics, by themselves, point to
an unmet demand for several hundred aeroplanes to support overnight cargo delivery,
aeromedical flight operations, and passenger
operations to underserved communities
across Europe.”

12-18 April 2016 | Flight International | 29

GENERAL AVIATION
SPECIAL REPORT

❯❯ cations, and aircraft type suitability.
Obvious aircraft candidates include Cessna’s
Caravan series, Daher’s TBM series, the Pilatus
Aircraft PC-12 series and Quest Aircraft’s
­Kodiak. These, however, would normally leave
the factory without all the additional technical
requirements for SET-IMC-cleared airframes
­unless they were buyer-specified. These include
twin independent electrical generation systems
with powerful emergency backup, weather
radar, radio altimeter, two independently powered attitude indicators and smart ice-detection
systems – and, all will require a powerful landing light to enable the pilot to carry out a forced
landing on flat terrain at night. Also, the types
that can fly at heights demanding pressurisation
– if they are to use that capability in commercial
operations – will need supplemental oxygen to
sustain crew and passengers during an efficient
engine-out glide profile from maximum operating altitude, assuming descent in areas with
­demanding terrain.

ENTHUSIASM
Pilatus Aircraft, maker of the PC-12, which,
­arguably, stands to gain most from the larger
potential market the new rules would usher
in, has declined to comment on its prospects;
likewise Cessna about its Caravan series. But
at a recent discussion at the British Business
and General Aviation Association (BBGA) on
the proposed CAT SET-IMC rules, Edwin
Brenninkmeyer, chief executive of UK Pilatus
distributor Oriens Aviation, chaired a session
that voiced considerable enthusiasm for the
prospects once the approvals come through.
At the same meeting Geoff Parker, head of
the UK Civil Aviation Authority flight opera-

Types such as the Cessna Grand
Caravan could open up new
routes for commercial services

tions group, revealed he had already held two
meetings with EASA and advised the gathering the CAA would use its “exemptive
­powers” to allow SET-IMC flights as early as
October, adding the UK to the list of European
states that permit them under exemption.
Brenninkmeyer voiced the opinion EASA
­approval “is not a question of if, but when,”
adding operators can use the EASA endorsement to start preparing manuals for approval
in readiness for public charter flights. Aircraft
Owners and Pilots Association UK chief executive Martin Robinson points out, Eurocontrol
is already working on developing new low
level routes to accommodate these aircraft.
Daher, the France-based maker of TBM fast

single turboprop business aircraft, is rather
more cautious about the size of the market
boost that the proposed rule would bring,
pointing out the choice is for the operators to
make, because the manufacturers can, if asked,
deliver whatever capabilities are specified. But,
it adds, if the final rule also demands pilots be
unrealistically experienced and have to undergo specialist recurrent training for commercial
SET-IMC operations, the proposition may be
commercially unviable for some operators.
The TBM series, as six-seaters, are more
suited to the air taxi business than low-volume
commuter schedules, but Daher reckons the
charter market will definitely get a boost from
the new rules, so whatever conditions are

REGULATIONS DAVID LEARMOUNT LONDON

PROPOSED REQUIREMENTS FOR EUROPEAN CAT SET-IMC
PROPOSED EASA supplements to
existing regulation include these requirements for commercial air transport operations with a single-engine
turbine in instrument meteorological
conditions (CAT SET-IMC):
■ The pilot shall have a minimum
700h flying time, including 400h as
pilot in command, 100h in IMC and
40h of multi-engine operation.
■ Operators are to ensure operations
are planned only in areas or along
routes where surfaces are available
to permit a safe forced landing, and
the aircraft should be capable of
reaching these.
■ An acceptable level of turbine
­engine reliability achieved in service
by the world fleet for the particular
airframe-engine combination, and an

enhanced engine health monitoring
and maintenance programme.
■ The flight crew composition and an
appropriate training/checking programme for the flight crew members
involved in these operations must
have been established; and operating
procedures must have been established specifying equipment to be
carried, flight planning, normal procedures, contingency procedures,
­including those following a propulsion
system failure, forced landing procedures in all weather conditions, and
procedures for monitoring and inci-

Operations must be
on routes with safe
forced landing areas

30 | Flight International | 12-18 April 2016

dent reporting must be established.
■ Equipment and systems must

include: two separate electrical generating systems, each individually
capable of supplying adequate power to all essential flight instruments,
navigation systems and aeroplane
systems required for continued
flight to the destination or alternate
aerodrome; two attitude indicators,
powered from independent sources;
for passenger operations, a shoulder harness or a safety belt with a
diagonal shoulder strap for each
passenger seat; airborne weatherdetecting equipment; in a pressurised aeroplane, sufficient
supplemental oxygen for all occupants to allow descent, following
engine failure at the maximum cer-

tificated cruising altitude, at the
best range gliding speed and in the
best gliding configuration, assuming
the maximum cabin leak rate, until
sustained cabin altitudes below
13,000ft are reached; an area navigation system capable of being programmed with the positions of
landing sites and providing lateral
guidance to the flight crew to reach
those sites; a radio altimeter; a
landing light, capable of illuminating
the touchdown point on the poweroff glide path from 200ft away.
■ An emergency electrical supply
system capable of providing power
– following the failure of all generated power – to all the following: the
essential flight and area navigation
instruments during descent from

flightglobal.com

GENERAL AVIATION
COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS

a­ ttached to the final rule, Daher observes that it
is better to have a demanding clearance to
­operate than to be grounded in IMC whatever
the outcome.
The critical component in the draft EASA
rule states: “In Commercial Air Transport
(CAT) operations, single-engined turbine aeroplanes shall only be operated at night or in
IMC if the operator has been granted a
­SET-IMC approval by the competent authority.” The requirements for approval – technical and operational – are extensive and
­detailed, but because of advances in turbine
engine reliability and engine health monitoring and satellite navigation systems and their
displays, they are achievable; 20 years ago

maximum operating altitude after
engine failure; the means to provide
for one attempt to restart the
­engine; if appropriate, the extension
of landing gear and flaps; the use of
the radio altimeter throughout the
landing approach; the landing light;
one pitot heater; an ignition system
that activates automatically, or is
capable of being operated manually,
for take-off, landing and during
flight; a system for ensuring the
­pilot has visibility when in visible
moisture; a means of continuously
monitoring the power train lubrication system to detect the presence
of debris associated with the imminent failure of a drivetrain component, including a flight crew
compartment caution indication. ■

flightglobal.com

COMPLIANT
Several operators in Europe are already flying
aircraft and crews compliant with the
­demanding technical and operational requirements EASA expects to formalise, but at present they are cleared for operations under national exemptions for limited SET-IMC
operations. These operators are based in
­
­Finland, France, Norway, and Sweden. The
additional technical and operational standards for SET-IMC are no surprise to anyone,
because EASA did not invent them. In fact,
ICAO published them more than a decade ago
(Annex 6, Part I, Amendment 29). But even
for these Finnish, French and Scandinavian
operators, according to GAMA, an EASA
mandate will hugely improve their potential
commercial viability. GAMA states: “Their
main commercial obstacle has been the
­uncertainty of operating under an exemption.
They will now instead be in a position to lay
out firm business plans and access the

­necessary capital to build their businesses.”
One of the operational conditions for
­SET-IMC operators looks as if it will be a
­higher standard of training for its pilots than
those cleared to fly daylight or night-time
­visual flight rules at present. They will not
only require a full instrument rating – which
would be a minimum for IMC operations, but
specifically have to be tutored in the demanding business of recovering an aircraft at night
or in IMC in the event of an engine failure,
­including over high terrain.

“We expect market forces to
ensure operators have the
necessary access to training
and simulator devices”
GAMA

This is potentially a problem. Typically,
­ ilots flying single-engine night freight operap
tions, for example, are at the beginning of their
careers and will not have that kind of experience, and pilots who have gained the specified
higher levels of expertise would normally be
looking for a more lucrative job, or for a level of
pay that would persuade them to stay where
they are. GAMA comments: “We expect market
forces to engage to ensure that operators have
the necessary access to training and, if applicable, access to simulator devices.” Greater access
to capable but low-cost flight simulation training devices for SET types would certainly make
a positive difference, and if GAMA is right, a
demand for such training would lead flight
training organisations to invest in them. ■

Pilatus PC-12 may stand to
benefit most from new rules

Pilatus

Textron Aviation

perhaps they were not. It had become increasingly obvious old twin piston-engine aircraft
which retained the rights to carry out CAT
SET-IMC were becoming less safe than the latest generation of single-turbine types.
US-based Quest Aircraft, builders of the
­Kodiak utility SET aircraft, points out many
countries “operate the same type of specifications for SET-IMC operators, and Quest does
not believe this makes it un-viable.” It points
out the Kodiak is approved for US Part 135
­operations, “and this will carry over to our
EASA certification”. Like all other stakeholders, it says it is expecting the final EASA rule to
be implemented in the first half of 2017.

12-18 April 2016 | Flight International | 31

GENERAL AVIATION
SPECIAL REPORT

ELECTRIC POWER
STILL CHARGING

Advances in battery technology have opened the way to impressive performance, but
regulators and operators still need convincing that alternative propulsion is ready

Yuneec International has backed off development of its e430 electric aircraft to focus on recreational unmanned systems

T

hough electrically-powered light
­aircraft have been consistent newsmakers – most recently when industry giant Airbus crossed the English
Channel with its e-Fan – the past couple of
years have been a difficult time commercially for the sector, with several significant players leaving the stage.
Those companies still in the marketplace
are continuing to point to enticing benefits
­including cost, efficiency and environmental
factors. But the marketplace does not seem to
be getting any easier.
“The issue is very much in the same place
it was a couple of years ago,” says Dick
­Knapinski, director of communications at the
Experimental Aviation Association (EAA).
­
32 | Flight International | 12-18 April 2016

“The battery for electric motors continues to
be the real sticking point, both technical
and regulatory.”
There have been some d
­ evelopments in
battery technology, he adds, but not enough
to make the US Federal Aviation
­Administration comfortable about altering
the regulations or creating exemptions for
electric aircraft.

BREAKING THROUGH?
“EAA and others continue to try to find a
­consensus solution, but [there are] no breakthroughs yet,” Knapinski says. “There are
also some incidents of tangential connection
from the commercial air world that weave
into the conversation as well, including
­battery fires and battery technology aboard
passenger a­ircraft. While it’s not directly

connected to the efforts to move forward
electric powered personal aircraft, the point
does come up in discussions.
“There are three elements essential to
making new aviation technologies successful. First, the engineering and viable development of the technology. Second, the right
regulatory environment, where the new
technology can grow and survive. And
third, public acceptance of the new technology so any investment can show a return.
“While the first element is moving ahead,
the second is still in progress. Until it
­advances, it makes it difficult to make the
third element occur.”
Long-standing FAA regulations stipulate
reciprocating engines must be used in certain
classes of aircraft. These regulations were
aimed at preventing turbines from being fitted

Yuneec International

KEN WALKER LONDON

flightglobal.com

GENERAL AVIATION

Pipistrel

ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT

Pipistrel’s Alpha Electro battery-powered trainer began its production run this year
to light aircraft, but have had the unintended
effect of limiting the use of electric motors.
Improvements in battery power remain
incremental rather than groundbreaking,
­
agrees Yolanka Wulff, co-ordinator of the 2016
­Electric Aircraft Symposium (EAS), due to
take place on 19-20 May in San Francisco.
EAS is organised by the Comparative
­Aircraft Flight Efficiency Foundation (CAFE
Foundation), a non-profit organisation that
aims to advance the development of lowemission flight by promoting early-entry,
practical market opportunities.
The symposium brings together experts to
talk about new technologies in sustainable
propulsion, airframe design and batteries.

flightglobal.com

PC-Aero

CERTIFICATION HURDLES
Recent years have seen much work on technology demonstrators and experimental aircraft, but the costs involved in developing
and certificating aircraft demand a really
strong business case, says Wulff.
The shortage of future pilots makes the
trainer market a potentially strong niche that
could support such a case. Airbus certainly
agrees: its e-Fan is a prototype for a trainer.
“The aircraft that are closest to commercial
applications have focused on that trainer
­market,” says Wulff. With much lower operating costs, no requirement for long-range flight
and the ability to swap battery packs quickly,
electrically-powered aircraft are ideal for
­circuits, she explains. For aircraft that need to
go further, hybrid power is probably the only
option. Larger, longer-ranged aircraft using
only electric motors will require advances in
technology, such as improved batteries or
battery-management systems.
Unlike Knapinski, however, she detects
flexibility in the FAA’s approach to regulating
electrically-powered aircraft. “I think what
we have now is a workaround,” she says. “It’s
true that the language that was developed for
certification for fixed-wing airplanes was

written with a piston engine in mind, but we
do have a methodology for exemptions.
“I’ve talked with the FAA. You can certainly take an electric plane through certification, and it’s not that much more difficult
than a normal certification path. The bigger
challenge in working with the FAA is if
you’re a new company. There’s going to be
greater scrutiny.”
New players starting from scratch will
­certainly find the regulatory process burdensome, she says.
Several players in the electrically-­
powered aircraft sector have hit problems in
the past couple of years.
Germany’s Flight Design, which produced
a series of conventionally-powered light aircraft and created a hybrid powerplant that
“piggy-backed” a lithium ion phosphate battery on to a Rotax 914 engine for improved
take-off and climb performance, filed for
temporary receivership in February. According to management, insolvency proceedings
became necessary after a customer failed to
settle a seven-digit euro bill. However, “the
order situation of the company is good and
the products have a very good international

reputation in the market,” says provisional
administrator Knut Rebholz, hinting at a
­possible return to operations.
China-based Yuneec International, which
was developing the eSpyder electric ultralight and e430 V-tailed two-seater light sports
aircraft, powered by lithium-ion batteries,
has switched attention to the recreational
drone market. Flight International understands its work on electric aircraft has not
been abandoned, but is now being pursued
in a much more low-key way.
Helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky was
unable to provide details of any progress on
its Firefly project – which involves the
installation of a lithium-ion battery-­
­
powered electric motor on a Schweizer
S-300C light helicopter – before Flight
­
­International went to press.
Against this backdrop, one company with
a brighter view of the electrically-powered
market is Denver, Colorado-based Bye Aerospace. Some years ago, founder George Bye

“Certification is not that much
more difficult for an electric
plane than for a normal one”
YOLANKA WULFF
Co-ordinator, 2016 Electric Aircraft Symposium

converted a Cessna 172 to battery power. The
aircraft got as far as ground taxi and flight
tests, but ultimately the energy density of the
batteries available was insufficient to make it
a practical proposition.
Now, however, a prototype of his new Sun
Flyer two-seater trainer aircraft is on the
verge of taking to the air. Immediately noticeable on the new design are the solar cell-­
covered upper surfaces of the wings and tailplane, which provide supplementary power
to the electric motor.
“Battery energy density and solar cell electric conversion efficiency have both ❯❯

A 2015 trans-Alpine flight bought credibility for electric power and Elektra One Solar
12-18 April 2016 | Flight International | 33

GENERAL AVIATION
❯❯ ­improved significantly in a couple of
years,” says Bye. “There’s been a great deal of
progress in the technology and we’re t­aking
advantage of this to create the Sun Flyer.
“Most training and most flyers of this
­category [of aircraft] enjoy flying in sunny
VFR [visual flight rules] conditions, so the
addition of the solar energy power into the
overall propulsion system is very nice.”
The wing’s solar cells effectively act as a
trickle charger for the electric motor, says
Bye, which should provide a useful extension to the Sun Flyer’s performance. On
­battery power alone, the aircraft will stay
aloft for 2.5h to 3h. The solar cells should
add a further 30m to 1h of flying time,
­depending on the strength of sunlight.
The proof of concept prototype arrived at
Centennial Airport, near Denver, in early
March. The aircraft is being developed by
Aero Electric Aircraft Corporation (AEAC),
which was launched by Bye Aerospace two
years ago; Bye is AEAC’s chief executive.
“We should have power on the aircraft for
static and taxi tests in Q2. There will be a two
to three-year process for certification and of
course there are many variables that can
­impact that.” The Sun Flyer will be certificated under FAR Part 21 and Very Light
­Aircraft criteria. While it is too early for him
to give a precise price for the Sun Flyer, Bye
reckons it will be “in the range of $250,000”.
He is generally upbeat about prospects.
“I’m definitely more optimistic than two
years ago regarding both the propulsion [system] and the market,” he says.

POSITIVE OUTLOOK
The chief executive of Germany’s PC-Aero is
also reasonably confident of market prospects
for electrically-powered aircraft, but believes
it is a market that has to be helped along.
“In reality, the market must be created by
the manufacturer,” says Calin Gologan. “We,
as manufacturers, need to not only build the
aircraft but convince people that this
­technology is viable and reliable.”
One of the best ways of convincing the
marketplace is to make demonstration flights
and set records that grab attention from
­potential purchasers, he says.
In that, Airbus, with e-Fan, was not alone
last year; PC-­Aero’s Elektra One Solar crossed
the Alps. A 2.5h flight from Unterwössen in
Bavaria to Lienz in East Tirol over the 3,800m
(12,500ft) G
­ rossglockner mountain was the
subject of a television documentary that had a
positive reaction from the public and suppliers, Gologan says.
The Elektra One Solar has 6m2 of solar
cells on the upper wing surface, which provide in excess of 1.34hp (1kW) for flying,
with high energy density Li-ion batteries providing the rest of the energy.
34 | Flight International | 12-18 April 2016

Kent Media/REX/Shutterstock

SPECIAL REPORT

Airbus e-Fan made a splash in 2015 with the first-ever electric crossing of the English Channel
It is a development of the Elektra One, a
single-seater with a cruising speed of 86kt
(160km/h), more than 215nm (400km)
range and 3h flying time. Batteries power a
18.1hp brushless electric engine.
PC-Aero has built six examples of the
­Elektra One and the aircraft is ready for certification. “We know a single-seater is only
the first step for the real market, which is a
two-seater,” says Gologan.
With that in mind, PC-Aero is developing
the Elektra 2 side-by-side trainer. Importantly, this would be powered by a dual-­
redundancy powerplant, with two batterypowered motors coupled together. In the
event of one failing, the other would have
sufficient power to allow the aircraft to continue to climb.

“We manufacturers need to
make aircraft and convince
people that they are safe”
CALIN GOLOGAN
Chief executive, PC-Aero

PC-Aero is ready to start manufacturing the
prototype, but is looking for a partner for the
project. “Our company concept is not to build
large-series aircraft,” says Gologan. “Our main
task is to concentrate on the design and certification and then sell the licence for someone to
build [them] in volume.”
Also in Germany, Lange Aviation continues to sell its successful Antares 20E electri-

cally-powered motor gliders, whose battery
packs extend along the leading edge of the
wings for some 3.5m from the wing roots.
The newer, longer-wingspan Antares 23E
model expands the product line.
Lange Aviation is also working on the
Antares H3 flying demonstrator, an ultra­
high endurance aircraft anticipated to be capable of staying aloft for around 2,810nm
and 40h, and may be optionally manned.
First flight is anticipated for 2017. The H3
will use a fuel cell known as a high-temperature Proton Exchange Membrane that may
use methanol or hydrogen as fuel.
Meanwhile, Slovenian manufacturer
­Pipistrel Aircraft says it is the only company
shipping electrically-powered two-seaters in
two different models: the Taurus Electro
motor glider and the Alpha Electro trainer.
The latter aircraft began production this
year, using an engine of Pipistrel’s design,
­developing 80.5hp and powered by the company’s own lithium-polymer battery. This has
a 1h endurance plus a 30min reserve and is optimised for traffic-pattern operations. Maximum speed is 108kt and cruising speed 85kt,
with a 35kt stall speed. It is already certificated
in France and Pipistrel is applying for an exemption with the FAA to allow training operations as a Special Light Sport Aircraft.
From Pipistrel’s perspective, the electric
market is picking up, says Dr Tine Tomazic,
Pipistrel’s director of research and development. “Last year was the first time we started
to receive more orders for the Taurus Electro
than the gasoline one.” ■
flightglobal.com

STRAIGHT&LEVEL
From yuckspeak to tales of yore, send your offcuts to [email protected]

It must have seemed like a good
idea at the time, but when the
Great British Public was asked
to suggest names for a flagship
polar research vessel via an
online poll, the organisers were
almost certainly not expecting
to ask Her Majesty to declare: “I
name this ship Boaty
McBoatface.”
Now from the USA comes
news of another experiment in
social media democracy gone
wrong. Denver-based Frontier
Airlines has suspended a vote to
come up with a suitable animal
to feature on its aircraft tails.
Without going into the detail
of what actually happened, the
carrier explains: “We have
determined that the contest has
been compromised by
fraudulent activity and
ineligible voting that has created
an unfair environment for all of
the participants.”
With all these shenanigans,
who knows what ridiculous
outcomes would ensue if
ordinary folk were asked to
make really crucial decisions –
like deciding the next leader of
the free world, for instance?

Maiden model

Geoff Jones took this stunning picture of the southern
hemisphere’s only Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina at last
month’s biennial Warbirds Over Wanaka air show. The flying
boat – ZK-PBY – was formerly based in Harare and was
ferried to New Zealand in 1994. Since being grounded in
2011, the NZ Catalina Preservation Society has spent
26,000h restoring the Canadian Vickers-built veteran, and it
flew again on 28 February, in time to appear at Wanaka.
airline pilot and aerospace
entrepreneur Bruce Dickinson
on the 36-country tour that
commenced in Florida on 24
February (does he ever take a
break?).
The kit is available from
revell.de/en or from good toy
and model stores.

A step up from the Transit van
flightglobal.com

Propaganda

Berlin, April 6th: “Naval
airships on April 5th-6th
destroyed a large
ironworks near
Whitby and
buildings with a
blast furnace, after pelting
with explosive bombs and
placing out of action a battery
north of Hull. Chief of the
Admiralty Staff of the Navy.”
We are informed the above is
absolutely inaccurate! The
object of the Germans being
to obscure their failure by a
tissue of lies.

Air support

THE capture of Diredawa, on
the railway between Addis
Ababa and Djibuti,
was another
important
success, in which
our aircraft played a notable
part. The capital of Abyssinia
was thereby cut off from its
one route to the sea.

Backing up

Count ’em
wonders reader Joel Down, “has
Tim Clark finally achieved his
desired Airbus A380neo cost
savings by dropping two of its
engines? We should be told.”

Sit up straight
What they say: “Our seats come
with a fixed recline.”
What they mean: “Your back
ain’t going anywhere.”

Parking aplenty

Missing engines
“Looking at the Emirates
recruitment ad in your latest
issue (29 March-4 April),”
Revell

For the miniature aircraft
enthusiast in your life who also
happens to be a heavy metal
fanatic, what better gift than a
limited edition model of Iron
Maiden’s Boeing 747 Ed Force
One to mark the rock band’s
2016 world tour?
The Jumbo – the real one that
is – is being captained by
Maiden main man, former

Geoff Jones

Power to the
people?

Our review of the Heathrow 70year commemorative book in
last week’s edition prompted Ian
Goold, our former staffer and
editor of a 50-year anniversary
tome, to recount tales told by
former colleague and one-time
Times air correspondent Arthur
Reed in the late 1970s about his
time as a press officer for BEA in
the early 1960s.
In those days, he was able to
drive to his office in the Queen’s
Building in the central terminal
area and park his car on the
kerbside all day.

Congestion of aircraft in the
central area at London
Heathrow is
becoming serious,
and is causing the
airport authorities
to put pressure on airlines to
reduce turnround times, and
to do anything more than
routine turnround servicing, in
the maintenance areas.

Sino-Soviet deal

The People’s Republic of
China will receive Sukhoi
Su-27 Flankers by
the end of this
year in the first
export deal for the
Soviet interceptor and the first
major armaments deal
between the USSR and
mainland China for 30 years.

100-YEAR ARCHIVE
Every issue of Flight
from 1909 onwards
can be viewed online at
flightglobal.com/archive

12-18 April 2016 | Flight International | 35

Airbus Defence & Space

OBITUARY

Strongman is remembered for his passion and professionalism; and for breathtaking manoeuvres in “Grizzly” test aircraft

From air force to Airbus
After an early career flying the C-130 Hercules for the RAF, Edward “Ed” Strongman seized the
opportunity to join the European airframer, becoming most closely associated with the A400M

W

Read our flight test of the
A400M with Ed Strongman:
flightglobal.com/A400Mtest

ith a flight-test career spanning five decades,
­Edward Strongman – known as Ed – amassed
more than 11,000h at the controls of multiple aircraft
types for the Royal Air Force, Royal Aircraft
Establishment (RAE), UK Civil Aviation Authority
­
(CAA) and Airbus.
Born in Cornwall in 1949, Strongman obtained an
­engineering degree at the University of Bristol before
starting his RAF career. After completing his flying training, he spent five years as an operational pilot, including
on the Lockheed Martin C-130 tactical transport.
In 1979, he underwent test pilot training at the US
Air Force’s Edwards AFB in California. Back in the UK,
he flew multiple transports, fighters and helicopters at
RAE Bedford, where he worked until 1986.
After a stint as a certification pilot for the CAA,
­Strongman moved to Airbus. He joined its flight-test
team in 1995 as a project pilot on the A330 and A340
programmes. In April 2001, with Capt Claude Lelaie, he
piloted the first A340-600. He was also involved in
flight-test development for its biggest aircraft, the A380.
But with his experience as a Hercules pilot, it was little
surprise that Strongman would become involved in the
poster project of Airbus Defence & Space: the A400M.
Working as chief military test pilot, Strongman threw
himself into the activity, and on 11 December 2009 was
at the controls as the first test example took to the air.
Shortly after, Strongman was instrumental in crafting
the A400M’s spectacular aerobatic displays, which
began with an appearance at the ILA Berlin air show in
May 2010. This included the type’s now signature
­manoeuvre: a 120° overbank at the top of a steep climb.

36 | Flight International | 12-18 April 2016

In March 2013, Flight International test pilot Michael
Gerzanics was given the opportunity to put development
aircraft “Grizzly 5” through its paces. He conducted the
flight from Toulouse alongside Strongman, whose passion for the European airlifter and professionalism was
evident throughout the experience. During the 1h 40min
flight, he delighted in letting Gerzanics assess the type
throughout its test envelope, including controlling a 105°
overbank performed at medium altitude.

Strongman was instrumental in
crafting the A400M’s spectacular
aerobatic displays, including the
now signature 120° overbank

Strongman retired from Airbus late in 2014 due to ill
health, with a career of more than 7,000 flight-test hours,
and shortly after completing a key role in one of the
A400M’s most dramatic acts to date. This involved him
working as project pilot during the filming of Mission
­Impossible: Rogue Nation, during which Tom Cruise
takes a ride on an A400M – from the outside. As with his
previous flying displays, the results were breathtaking.
After the pilot lost his battle to cancer, Airbus Group
chief executive Tom Enders paid tribute: “Very sad to hear
of Ed Strongman’s passing. Never forget my first A400M
ride with him, and 110° bank. Rest in peace, Ed.” ■
Edward “Ed” Strongman, 1949 – 26 March 2016
flightglobal.com

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$YLDWLRQ3HRSOH([SHUWV

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Flying can bring us closer together
Tell us about your qualification
and career so far
If you had asked a few years ago,
I would have leaned heavily on
my education, but now I would
say my best qualifications are my
experience with airlines, customers, industry experts, and
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has taken me from payload engineering to sales and marketing.
Before this, I pursued graduate
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­industry was my first choice, the
Boeing opportunity arose and I
grabbed it since the space industry in the late 2000s was in relative decline. The more I learned
about aviation, the more it
­appealed. Since everyone flies
it’s a topic people enjoy discussing so you can relate to most people with what you do for a living.
Being involved in interiors
makes it that much more poignant—everyone has an opinion
about x, y, or z airline, seats, the
boarding experience, in-flight entertainment, food. I was looking
for a complex field, which combined my skills, talents and passions.
How does your neuroscience and
psychology background help?
Neuroscience and human factors
psychology offer a fundamental
understanding of how the world

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Boeing

Rachelle Ornan-Stone is the regional director of cabin experience and revenue analysis at Boeing Commercial
Airplanes. Her background in psychology and neuroscience is helping her reinvent air travel for passengers

An inability to say no tests Ornan-Stone’s time-management skills
works…. and the world is people-based, right? People buy
things from people they like and
for emotional reasons. I find it
relatively natural to dissect the
aircraft interior because even if
I’m not an expert on each system,
I lean on my understanding of
human behaviour. But the best
education I had was waiting tables and selling Girl Scout cookies door to door, there is no better
way to learn to read others and
deal with rejection.
Tell us about your typical day?
Some days it feels like I’m a
­mutant circus ring leader, juggler,
data analyst, researcher, anthropologist, advertising executive
and public speaker. Here is what
might be a busy day: spend a few
hours updating a presentation on
twin- and single-aisle airplane
trends for two airline customers;
give an airline a walk-through of
our Customer Experience Center
– Boeing’s showroom of aircraft
interiors – or on the flightline;

answer interview questions for
an industry magazine; meet a
product marketing team to discuss new customer-facing materials for the Boeing 777X; compile talking points for next
month’s UN space conference at
which I have been asked to
speak; analyse the best way to
configure an airline interior; talk
to a research lab on academic
work that could be translated
into aircraft interiors as a product
differentiator; run to the airport
and catch a plane to support an
interiors sales campaign. It’s
pretty varied. On occasion, I get a
day when I can play catch up.
What are the most exciting
projects you have worked on?
The most exciting, and frustrating, projects are those which
have the biggest impact on the
product and flying public, efforts
for which there are no roadmaps
to success, and where I’ve had to
secure buy-in and leverage from
nay-sayers.

What are the most challenging
aspects of your job?
They relate to time management.
If you are innately curious and
have a hard time saying no because everything is fascinating,
you’ll understand how it can be a
problem. Another challenge is to
figure out how to navigate a rules
and regulation-based industry
with “big ideas” and to maintain
the stamina and excitement to
inspire yourself and others to
continually push the envelope.
What do you enjoy most?
I love meeting people from other
cultures. I love the challenges related to designing for a limited
volume of space. And most of all,
I love the idea that we are inherently all the same, wherever we
come from and that we can even
mingle because of air travel – it’s
such a poetic, and impactful
thought if we can realise the
huge opportunity. We are only
scratching the surface of psychology’s intersection with the airplane and how related devices,
services, technology, and connectivity will impact humanity
and reinvent the travel experience and change the world for
the better. The airplane can literally be the vehicle of change. n
Looking for a job in aerospace?
Check out our listings online at
flightglobal.com/jobs

If you would like to feature in
Working Week, or you know
someone who does, email your
pitch to kate.sarsfield@
flightglobal.com

Flight to the future: our forecast for
long-haul air travel in the 2030s
www.flightglobal.com/vision2035

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flightglobal.com

16/12/2015 14:58

12-18 April 2016 | Flight International | 43

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