Issue 11 may 2015

Features:

Airliners: BAC 1-11 Technology: Aero Modelling: The Flight Data Getting started with Recorder aircraft modelling

Plus over 40 pages of the latest news from the industry, current training

opportunities, and much more!

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Welcome to the May edition of FL600! Hard to believe but this humble little digest will celebrate a milestone next month—we’ll have been going a whole year. In truth, that should have been this month but we had a slight glitch and had to miss a month! There have been a number of revisions the format in our first year. Those that have been around ATT Services for a while will probably re-member that we started out as little more than a few pages of news and the training diary list. From that, we’ve grown to being almost 100 pages every single month with a variety of different articles covering the entire industry and a lot of as-sociated interests including models, simulation and bits for the avgeek in general! Have we got it right? Well, people seem to think so but we’re always looking to make improve-ments and introduce things that you find of interest. Get in touch with us at [email protected] and let us know what you want to see in future editions or submit an ar-ticle or images you want us to publish. Hope you all enjoy this months edition!

Andy Kewley @kewnet Facebook group: Picture of the month

There was only 1 choice for this month—submitted by Hellu Zar, a spitfire shaped cloud. An eary reminded of VE Day, 70 years on. See more great images at:

www.facebook.com/groups/ATTServices/ Cover Photo: JAMES LUCAS

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News in brief from the aviation world

4 Articles from civil, military, commercial and space sectors 5 British Aircraft Corporation One Eleven

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May / June Aerospace Events Diary

55 The flight data recorder

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Air Brain: Test your aviation knowledge with our monthly quiz!

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Air and Space Museum in Paris Le Bourget

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Getting started with aircraft modelling

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NEXT ISSUE OUT: 5TH JUNE 2015

Headlines

Industry News

Airliners

Event Diary

Technology

Air Brain

Museum Focus

Aero Modelling

Fleet Deliveries

Latest airline fleet additions from airfleets.net

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Training Calendar

Current training opportunities

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Airports Evolution of design

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Budget carrier, Ryanair, have recently celebrated their 1.3 millionth passenger on their route to Tallinn. Brussels airport has been awarded “Best Cargo Air-port of the Year” at the World Cargo Awards. A Delta Air Lines flight made an emergency landing Thursday 7th May in Charleston, S.C., after smoke filled the cabin. Celebrating its 83rd anniver-sary, Egypt Air has an-nounced offering its custom-ers special rates for flights from Egypt to worldwide starting EGP 300, and from Africa, Europe, Middle East, the Far East and North America to Egypt starting USD 30 excluding any taxes and surcharges. Seven people including two pilots died in crash landing of a MIL Mi-17 helicopter on 7th May while carrying dip-lomats to the opening of a chairlift. An American Airlines flight from Germany to America was forced to make an emer-gency landing at Glasgow Airport on May 8th. Two men have died after a

light aircraft crashed near a village in Perthshire on 4th May. Gatwick revealed as having lowest number of scheduled flights on time in UK, with 26% delayed, and also had the longest average delay of 15 minutes. Budget airline Ryanair is to add Verona route from Stan-sted to its 2015 winter sched-ule. Leaflets distributed by Save Manston Airport (SMA) campaigners have been handed to police after claims that views of election candi-dates have been misrepre-sented. Howard Davies 'to launch new public consultation' on Gatwick and Heathrow ex-pansion. Liverpool Airport’s new-look departure lounge nears completion.

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays

have today launched a brand new service for its customers flying from Manchester Air-port, Twilight Check-in.

British Airways owner IAG has reported a first quarter profit for the first time ever, as cost-cutting in its three main airlines starts to pay off. Birmingham Airport has re-ceived positive news from one of its new operators, Ice-landair. The company has announced it is to double the number it operates from the hub. Olly, the Manchester Air-port cat, has taken her final journey - sparking an out-pouring of tributes from across the world. Slipping away at 10pm on Tuesday during one last cuddle from her devoted owner, the gin-ger moggy succumbed to a lung infection which vets had been battling for days. RIP Olly, from all of us at

ATT Services & FL600

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Air force welcomes first female F35 pilot

The United States Depart-ment of Defense (DoD) has welcomed its first female F-35 Lightning II pilot at Eglin Air Force Base. On Tuesday 5th May, Lt. Col. Christine Mau, 33rd Fighter Wing Operations Group dep-uty commander, completed her first training flight in the sin-gle-seat fifth-generation fighter following 14 virtual training missions in the Full Mission Simulator at the F-35 Academic Training Center. "It wasn't until I was taxiing to

the runway that it really struck

me that I was on my own in the

jet," said Mau, formerly an F-15E Strike Eagle pilot. "I had

a chase aircraft, but there was

no weapons system officer or

instructor pilot sitting behind

me, and no one in my ear like

in simulators." And with that, like the other 87 F-35A pilots trained over the last four years at Eglin, Mau thundered down the runway and was airborne as the first woman in the Air Force's premier fighter. "It felt great to get airborne.

The jet flies like a dream, and

seeing the systems interact is

impressive. Flying with the

Helmet Mounted Display takes

some adjusting, but it's an easy

adjustment," said Mau. "The

training missions in the simu-

lator prepare you very well, so

you're ready for that flight."

The initial flight in the F-35

training syllabus is designed to orient pilots with the physical aspects of flying the F-35 compared to other fighters they've flown previously, such as the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-15C Eagle, F-16 Falcon, A-10 Warthog or F-22 Raptor.

Women have served in combat aviation roles in those and other aircraft for more than 20 years. Mau acknowledged that although she may be the first female in the F-35 program, her gender has no bearing on her performance as a fighter pilot. Mau joked that the only difference between her and her fellow F-35 pilots is the size of her G-suit and facemask. They are both extra-small. "Flying is

a great equalizer," said Mau. "The plane doesn't know or

care about your gender as a

pilot, nor do the ground troops

Continued on page 6

“Flying is a great equalizer. The plane doesn't know or care about your gen-der as a pilot, nor do the ground troops who need your support. “

6

Continued from page 5

who need your support. You

just have to perform. That's all

anyone cares about when

you're up there - that you can

do your job, and that you do it

exceptionally well."

Mau's combat experience and technical prowess in the cock-pit were the primary draws for her selection to her position with the 33rd Operations Group. "Lt. Col. Mau brings a valu-

able level of combat and op-

erational knowledge to our

team," said Col. Todd Canter-bury, 33rd Fighter Wing com-mander. "We're nearly a year

out from declaring Initial Op-

erational Capability with the F

-35. We need battle-tested pi-

lots to help us put the F-35A

through its paces and ensure

we have a trained and ready

force of F-35 pilots to feed into

our combat air forces."

Canterbury witnessed Mau's

leadership and combat effec-tiveness first-hand when they were both deployed to Af-ghanistan in 2011, where she was part of another important milestone for women in the combat aviation community. While with the 389th Expedi-tionary Fighter Squadron, Mau was part of the first all-female combat sortie. The combat mission provided air support to

coalition and Afghan forces in the Kunar Valley, Afghani-stan. From the pilots and weapons system officers of the two F-15E jets to the mission planners and maintainers, the entire mission was carried out entirely by women. "As a service, we need to at-

tract the most innovative and

skillful Airmen possible for

one reason - it makes us more

effective," said Canterbury. "The broader the net that we cast into the talent pool, cou-pled with a laser focus on per-formance, ensures we have the best Airmen in place to carry out the mission. Performance is key, and it's the standard we hold all of our Airmen to in the Air Force," said Canter-bury Photo Credit: mypanhandle.com

“we need to at-tract the most in-novative and skillful Airmen possible for one reason - it makes us more effec-tive”

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EU asks safety agency to look into German-wings report findings

The European Commission asked the European Aviation Safety Agency to assess a re-port on the causes of the Germanwings jet crash in the French Alps in March and will then decide whether to update aviation safety rules. According to the preliminary findings from the report by France's BEA accident investi-gation agency, the German-wings co-pilot suspected of deliberately crashing the jet on March 24 rehearsed the ma-noeuvre on the morning of the disaster. European Transport Commis-sioner Violeta Bulc asked the European Aviation Safety

Agency (EASA) to look into areas such as the cockpit door locking system, cockpit access and exit procedures and the procedures for medical checks on pilots.

Andreas Lubitz, the co-pilot on the flight from Barcelona to Duesseldorf, had twice been refused medical papers needed to fly, the investigators said on Wednesday.

The EASA taskforce will gather evidence from safety and medical staff from the aviation industry as well as from regulators. Based on its findings, the European Union will decide whether to change its aviation safety rules, the Commission said. EASA has the power to make rules that all European airlines have to follow. Germany has also set up a task force of avia-tion industry experts to look into any possible changes that should be made to medical tests for pilots and cockpit doors security. Photo Credit: Andreas Fletz & planespotters.net

“EASA taskforce will gather evi-dence from safety and medi-cal staff from the aviation industry as well as from regulators”

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Air ambulance celebrates 15 Years with a new helicopter

After 15 years and nearly 15,000 emergency calls, the Thames Valley's Air Ambu-lance is expanding. The charity offers an 'air-bourne hospital' during the day at the moment, but a new heli-copter will soon mean they can fly at night, too.

But, as CEO Mark McGeown explains, it's not cheap: "It's

not cheap paying for doctors

to be on duty for 365 days a

year. Last year, the charity

spent around £1.75m and next

year we're looking closer to

£2m. Then with the next stage

of development, those bills are

going to go up."

The new helicopter will have night-flying capabilities, meaning crews can get out for 17 hours a day. Established in 2000, the Char-ity has developed over the last 15 years from a 'swoop and scoop' service to an advanced air ambulance service is push-ing the boundaries of medical

intervention, helicopter avia-tion and on-scene patient care. TVAA's doctor-led teams are able to perform a range of life-saving medical interventions at the roadside, providing early diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions that other-wise could only be identified in hospital. Medical innovations on board have advanced from basic medical kits to a full range of life-saving equipment. TVAA was the first air ambulance to carry an I-Stat machine used for immediate blood analysis helping to shave off valuable seconds in the golden hour. The move into Night Opera-tions will be a major step change for TVAA enabling the helicopter and crew to bring their life-saving care to the most seriously injured or most seriously ill people by night as well as by day, responding to more emergency calls and sav-ing more lives.

Mark McGeown, TVAA CEO said: "Over the last 15 years,

TVAA has significantly ad-

vanced pre-hospital trauma

care in the counties of Berk-

shire, Oxfordshire and Buck-

inghamshire to reach, treat

and save more people than

ever before. In the year 2000

TVAA carried the same medi-

cal kit as a land ambulance;

now the air ambulance brings

the expertise of the A&E to the

roadside to treat patients at

the scene. 2015 is set to be an

exciting year for us as we look

towards night flying. As well

as introducing a new image

for the Charity, we are looking

forward to the delivery of our

new helicopter that will enable

us to deliver our life-saving

service by night as well as by

day."

To find out more about the work of the Thames Valley Air Ambulance, please visit: www.tvairambulance.org.uk Photo Credit: C S Dee & ukemergencyaviation.co.uk

“the Charity has developed over the last 15 years from a 'swoop and scoop' ser-vice to an ad-vanced air am-bulance service”

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Emirates airline annual profit jumps 40 percent

Reported by Associated Press, the Middle East's big-gest airline, Emirates, said it overcame the effects of tem-porary runway closures at its Dubai base to pull in a $1.24 billion profit, a 40 percent gain driven by the rapid ex-pansion of its business and helped by a drop in fuel prices. The Dubai government-owned carrier is one of the world's fastest growing airlines, fun-neling mostly long-haul travel-ers through its fast-expanding hub in the Gulf commercial center. That growth has helped make Dubai International Air-port the world's busiest inter-national air passenger hub. The airline said it benefited from the drop in oil prices last year, giving it some relief on fuel costs in the second half of its financial year. But it also cited a number of challenges affecting profitability, includ-ing the effects of the Ebola outbreak and armed conflict in several areas where it operates,

the strength of the U.S. dollar — its hometown currency is pegged to the dollar — and Dubai runway work last sum-mer that forced it to ground 19 planes. Emirates' earnings for the fis-cal year that runs through the end of March of 4.56 billion dirhams, or $1.24 billion, far surpassed the 3.25 billion dir-hams it earned during the same period a year earlier.

It was the 27th straight year of profit for the airline, a rare winning streak in the industry. Sales for the year rose 7 per-cent to 88.82 billion dirhams ($24.2 billion). New passenger

destinations added over the year included Abuja, Nigeria, Brussels, Budapest, Hungary, Chicago and Oslo, Norway. Emirates' success has won it plenty of attention, not all of it welcome. It is embroiled in an increasingly shrill dispute with the biggest U.S. carriers, who allege that Emirates and its smaller Gulf rivals are unfairly poaching passengers by rely-ing on government subsidies. Emirates strongly denies the allegations. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the chairman and CEO, cautioned that currency fluctuations, economic uncer-tainty and "the looming threat of protectionism" will pose challenges for the future. But he said the company was mov-ing into the new financial year with confidence and a strong foundation for profitability. "We will continue on our jour-

ney of steady and rational

growth," he said. Continued on page 10

“growth has helped make Dubai In-ternational Air-port the world's busiest interna-tional air pas-senger hub”

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Emirates' overwhelmingly wide-body fleet includes more Boeing 777 and double-decker Airbus A380 planes than any other carrier on the planet. Sheikh Ahmed told The Asso-ciated Press earlier this week the airline aimed to increase services "on every continent" by launching new routes and increasing frequencies on

more than 140 existing ones. That includes in the United States, where it now flies to nine cities. Orlando will be the 10th when it begins in September. The airline's parent company, Emirates Group, which in-cludes the airline and related businesses such as the Dnata

ground and travel services pro-vider, reported its profit rose 34 percent to 5.46 billion dir-hams ($1.49 billion) on reve-nue of 96.49 billion dirhams ($26.29 billion). Photo Credit: emirates.com

Airport moves to SITA's cloud technology to at-tract international airlines to Rhode Island

In a move to make T.F. Green Airport (PVD) in Providence, Rhode Island more attractive to interna-tional carriers, the Rhode Island Airport Corporation is investing in the latest tech-nology for passenger man-agement. Now international airlines that wish to fly to the airport can use a check-in and boarding platform pro-vided by the global airport technology provider SITA. This flexible, cloud-based technology, SITA AirportCon-nect Open makes it easy for international carriers to oper-ate at T.F. Green Airport by allowing them to use their common-use passenger man-agement applications here in the same way as they do at other airports around the world.

Kelly Fredericks, President and CEO, Rhode Island Air-

airport and new airlines can

be up and running quickly and

adding seasonal routes will be

easy.”

SITA’s world-class technology will be in place at T.F. Green Airport by June of this year when international carriers will begin flying to Rhode Is-land including TACV/Cabo Verde Airlines’ new flights to Cabo Verde and Condor Air-lines with seasonal non-stop service to Frankfurt, Germany and connecting European des-tinations. The benefits of common-use at airports are well proven; it al-lows any airline to check-in and board passengers from any location and enables them to deliver a consistent level of customer service. The added benefit for Green Airport is that SITA’s innovative cloud Continued on page 11

port Corporation, said: “As an

international airport we need

to provide the best facilities to

overseas airlines to encourage

them to set up routes to Rhode

Island. SITA’s airport technol-

ogy is used by hundreds of air-

ports across the world and in-

stalling this system makes it

quick and easy for airlines to

work here in the same way

they operate at other airports.

SITA has also provided us with

a solution that is hugely flexi-

ble and scalable. Because it is

a cloud-based service we do

not have to invest in infra-

structure on site here at the

“flexible, cloud-based technol-ogy, SITA Airport-Connect Open makes it easy for international car-riers to operate”

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offering is scalable both in terms of the level of usage and pricing so costs are in line with the varying levels of airport business and revenues. Paul Houghton, SITA Presi-dent, Americas, said: “T.F.

Green Airport is a perfect ex-

ample of how cloud technology

benefits airports. Common-use

systems, which allow many

airports to use the same check-

in desks, boarding gates, etc,

are used all around the world

but for smaller airports the

upfront investment can some-

times make it difficult to imple-

ment. SITA provides Airport-

Connect Open to more than

400 airports and more than

250 airlines are operational

on the platform. Now SITA’s

cloud services are becoming

increasingly popular; they are

already in use at around 20

airports around the world.

Our airport experience and

rate of deployment are un-

matched and we were happy

work with Green Airport and

share our expertise as they

moved to common-use in the

cloud.”

T.F. Green Airport joins a growing number of airports around the world taking ad-vantage of SITA’s cloud-hosted solution, which pro-vides the same technology that larger airports use, but with the flexibility and cost structure mid-sized and smaller airports require. Photo Credit: SITA

12

American becomes 2nd US airline to use 787

American has joined the list of airlines flying the Boeing 787 jet, which it hopes will appeal to passengers and open new, profitable interna-tional routes. Passengers boarded at Dallas-Fort Worth International Air-port on Thursday morning for American’s debut flight of a 787 to Chicago. Domestic ser-vice is just a warm-up. Next month, American will begin using 787s on flights to Bei-jing and Buenos Aires and eventually other places. American joins United as the only U.S. airlines using the plane, which Boeing calls the Dreamliner. The 787 is made with light-weight carbon material and other advances to improve fuel efficiency. The interiors fea-ture larger windows and mood lighting.

The plane’s range and effi-ciency make it ideal for long flights, particularly to secon-dary cities in Asia, where there might not be enough demand to regularly fill a larger jumbo jet. The 787 has run into many delays and glitches, from staff strikes that slowed production to a problem getting seats from

a supplier. Most ominously, regulators grounded the world-wide fleet of Dreamliners in 2013 while Boeing developed a fix for lithium-ion battery packs that overheated. Just last week, U.S. officials ordered airlines to shut down the planes’ electrical systems every few months to prevent a

loss of power that showed up in laboratory testing. Boeing is working on a more lasting software fix. Boeing has taken nearly 1,100 Dreamliner orders and has de-livered about 270 planes so far, according to a spokesman, but it continues to lose money on each one because of high production costs. American has ordered 42 Dreamliners and has taken de-livery of the first five. United has 17 with 38 more on order, and Delta has 18 on order but none due for delivery until 2020. American took delivery of its first 787 in January. For several weeks, pilots who trained on 787 simulators have taken the planes out on prac-tice runs, mostly across the western United States. Photo Credit: worldairlinenews.com

“Boeing has taken nearly 1,100 Dreamliner orders and has deliv-ered about 270 planes so far”

13

Erickson's Oil & Gas VP moves to Columbia Heli-copters

Columbia Helicopters has hired Santiago Crespo as its new Vice President of Busi-ness Development and Mar-keting. Crespo previously served as Vice President & General Manager of Oil and Gas Avia-tion at Erickson Incorporated, and will assume his new duties on May 11th. “I am pleased that Santiago

has decided to join the Colum-

bia Helicopters family,” said Jim Rankin, company presi-dent. “His experience in the

heavy-lift helicopter industry,

as well as his extensive knowl-

edge of the oil and gas and

government services indus-

tries, make him a perfect fit

within our organization. He

will play an integral role in

our goal to aggressively ex-

pand our fleet of twin-rotor,

heavy-lift helicopters.”

In his previous position with Erickson, Crespo was respon-sible for the company’s petro-

leum exploration support op-erations. He also previously worked at CHC Helicopter as the Global Key Account Di-rector where he managed its oil and gas business with over $1 billion in annual revenues. He served as Commercial Di-rector for the Americas for CHC, and as Director of South American Sales and Marketing for Evergreen Helicopters. He holds an undergraduate degree in Finance from Catholic Uni-versity of Ecuador and an MBA from the University of Portland. He is fluent in Eng-lish, Portuguese and Spanish. “I am delighted to join the

team at Columbia Helicopters

and believe that the company

has an excellent opportunity to

expand its heavy-lift and MRO

services worldwide and grow

into one of the world’s leading

aviation services companies.”

Crespo replaces Todd Peter-sen, Columbia’s current VP of marketing, who is retiring in September after more than 43

years with the company. Until his retirement date, Petersen will continue to work for the company as VP of Marketing Programs, and will assist Cre-spo during the transition pe-riod.

“I doubt there are many peo-

ple in this industry who have

the experience, knowledge and

integrity that Todd pos-

sesses. He has been instru-

mental in building Columbia

into the company that we are

today and I appreciate his de-

sire to assist in Santiago’s

transition into Columbia,”

added Rankin. Photo Credit: heliweb.com & omep.org

“Crespo replaces Todd Petersen, Columbia’s cur-rent VP of mar-keting, who is re-tiring in Septem-ber”

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Globe Swift released for flight simulator

Aeroplane Heaven have re-leased the Globe Swift that is based on the original 'A' ver-sion, in 12 liveries and with a Paint Kit with the FSX, FSX:SE and P3D flight simulation platforms. An in-game tutorial and tips system is included, and in-game options allow you to choose from four different pi-lots and copilots, remove VC glass and gauge glass and in-teract with simulator-specific functions - all from the com-fort of the pilot's seat.

Custom sounds and 3D mod-elled needles ensure accuracy and smoothness. With lovely flight characteristics, the Globe Swift will ensure that

even the most novice flight simulator user will have a smile on his or her face. It seems that you need a uni-versity degree nowadays to operate the television, but the great thing about this aircraft... no computers! If it can’t be fixed by a piece of tape and a spoon, you won’t find it here! Two very different models (chrome and painted) have been produced for a better rep-

resentation of this iconic air-craft. Two liveries (one blank painted texture and one blank chrome texture) and Paint Kit are also provided. Globe Swift-specific Collins radios (NAV1, COM1 and ADF1). A custom hide-able autopilot control and custom options clipboard with the fol-lowing options are also in-cluded: Pilot's positions - Choice of pilots (choose one or two from a roster of four) Hide-able cockpit glass Hide-able gauge glass Innovative tutorial mode with Cold Start functionality Stock SimIcons Quickstart start list and tips and tricks Original Swift custom sounds. Cockpit guide and Flight Man-ual PDFs. Photo Credit: justflight.com

“in-game options allow you to choose from four different pilots and copilots”

15

EU passenger rights revision faces two-year setback

The revision of European Union (EU) passenger rights bill Regulation 261 is on the brink of stalling, with air-lines fearing contin-ued financial risk and poten-tial safety issues if it is not passed by June. The European Commis-sion drafted changes to Regu-lation 261 two years ago, but a dispute between Spain and the UK over whether Gibraltar should now be covered by the legislation has stalled the pro-posal in the Council, the upper house of the EU. Regulation 261 has been criti-cized for being too ambiguous and forcing airlines to become the insurer of last resort in ex-ceptional circumstances such as volcanic eruptions. A series of national and European court rulings also mean that in some EU countries, airlines must pay compensation after a three-hour delay, even if it is tech-

nical. “After two years, the

situation is worse for the air-

lines,” European Commission head of consumer rights Jean-Louis Colson said. Qatar adds routes, inks JV with Royal Air Maroc “If there’s one thing I fear, its

Regulation 261. It gives me the

goose bumps just talking about

it,” Danish Air Transport (DAT) CEO Jesper Rungholm told delegates at the ERA Re-gional Airline Conference in Rome in April. Why? Because if a marshaller accidentally caused two DAT aircraft to strike wingtips, compensation claims could put his company out of business. “I’m in the situation where

someone I’ve never met

can ruin my companyby mak-

ing a mistake,” he said. Rungholm said he also fears a safety incident related to the current rules. “I have been fly-

ing commercially for many

years. I’m absolutely certain

that one day there will be some

captain, somewhere, who’s

going to fly with a technical

fault that they shouldn’t fly

with for the sake of not having

to pay out EU compensation. It

is not going to happen on my

airline—I can assure you of

that—but I can’t vouch for

every airline that flies in and

out of Europe. Safety is at risk

and it is a clear risk,” he said. To further complicate matters, the six-month revolving Coun-cil presidency is about to switch from Latvia to Luxem-bourg. If the Gibraltar issue remains unresolved, the new rules could be delayed by an-other two years. “We must try

to influence the Council to

take a decision in substance by

the end of this presidency, by

the end June or even May. It is

extremely important,” Colson said.

16

CFM LEAP-1B engine begins extensive flight test program

CFM International initiated flight testing of the LEAP-1B engine on April 29 on a modified 747 flying testbed at GE Aviation Flight Test Operations in Victorville, California. The testing is the next major milestone in a two-year pro-gram that will culminate in engine certification in 2016 and delivery of the first Boe-ing 737 MAX in 2017. The engine behaved well and com-pleted multiple aeromechani-cal test points at various alti-tudes during the five-hour, 30-minute first flight. "I continue to be really im-

pressed with the LEAP fam-

ily," said chief test pilot Steven Crane. "These engines are

demonstrating a maturity that

you don't always see in new

products. I think our airline

customers are going to be very

pleased with this engine."

The LEAP-1B engine is the exclusive powerplant for the Boeing 737 MAX family. The first engine began ground test-ing on June 13, 2014, three days ahead of the schedule set when the program was launched in 2011. “With this major engine mile-

stone and the test results to

date we continue to be confi-

dent that the LEAP-1B-

powered 737 MAX will pro-

vide our customers with the

most fuel efficient, reliable and

maintainable airplane in the

single-aisle market,” said Keith Leverkuhn, vice presi-dent and general manager, 737 MAX program, Boeing Com-mercial Airplanes. “The 737

MAX is on track to deliver 14

percent more fuel efficiency

than today’s most efficient

Next-Generation 737s and 20

percent more efficiency than

the first Next-Generation 737s

to enter service.”

Over the next several weeks, the flight test program will en-compass a comprehensive test schedule that will gauge en-gine operability, stall margin, performance, emissions, and acoustics. It will also further validate the advanced tech-nologies incorporated in the engine, including the woven carbon fiber composite fan, the Twin-Annular, Pre-Mixing

Swirler (TAPS) combustor, ceramic matrix composite shrouds in the high-pressure turbine and titanium aluminide blades in the low-pressure tur-bine. There are currently a total of 26 LEAP engines (all three models) on test, with 10 addi-tional engines in various stages of final assembly. "The LEAP

engine has been doing incredi-

bly well throughout a very rig-

orous ground and flight test

program," said Allen Paxson, CFM executive vice president. "All of these engines are heav-

ily instrumented, many of them

deliberately deteriorated, to

calibrate performance and du-

rability in the most extreme

conditions. We have success-

fully completed several major

certification tests, including

icing, flocking bird ingestion,

Continued on page 17

17


large-bird ingestion, and even

a fan blade-out test. We have

passed them all and the results

are right in line with what we

predicted and where we

wanted this engine to be. We

are on track to meet all of our

commitments at entry into ser-

vice."

This LEAP-1B engine is part of the most extensive ground and flight test certification pro-gram in CFM's history. The total program, which encom-passes all three LEAP engine variants, includes 28 ground and CFM flight test engines, along with a total of 32 flight

test engines for the aircraft manufacturers. Over a three-year span, these engines will accumulate approximately

40,000 engine cycles leading up to entry into service. By the time this engine enters service, CFM will have simulated more than 15 years of airline service with 60 different engine builds. In 2011, Boeing selected the LEAP-1B as the sole power-plant for its new 737 MAX, extending a more than 30-year relationship. CFM has been the only engine provider for the 737 aircraft family since the 737 Classic entered service in 1984. Photo Credit: CFM

“flight test pro-gram will encom-pass a compre-hensive test schedule that will gauge en-gine operability, stall margin, per-formance, emis-sions, and acoustics”

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18

Boeing receives $118.1M contract to aid U.S Navy

Of all the work contracts the Department of De-fense (DoD) awarded this month, Boeing was the big-gest winner. The company will be receiving a $118.1 million modification to a Navy contract for the ob-tainment of training systems and materials which will sup-port the P-8A Multi-mission maritime aircraft for the U.S. Navy and the Australian Gov-ernment. According to the DoD, the modification will result in the obtainment of two operational flight trainers (OFTs), two weapons tactics trainers (WTTs), and an improvement to the training system support center (TSSC) for the Navy. The modification also “provides for the installation of two OFTs, two WTTs, one part task trainer, and one TSSC; the procurement and installation of six electronic classrooms, 26 mission station desktop trainers, and 32 flight mission system trainers; and the procurement of Royal Aus-tralian Air Force courseware, training and interim support

for the government of Austra-lia under a memorandum of understanding.” The firm-fixed-price contract modification is broken down into purchases for the U.S. Navy ($92.2 million; 78 per-cent) and the Australian Gov-ernment ($25.9 million; 22 percent). All of the funds are being as-signed at the time of the award as fiscal 2013 and 2014 air-craft procurement and interna-tional funds. Of those funds, $76.1 million will expire at the end of the 2015 fiscal year. Work will be conducted in Whidbey Island, Wash. (52 percent): St. Louis (34 per-cent); and Edinburgh, Austra-lia (14 percent). The work should be finished by June 2019. Alliant Techsystems was awarded a $14.1 million modi-fication to an Air Force con-tract action, tasking the com-pany with providing logistic support for the Iraqi Air Force’s Cessna 208B fleet. The firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed-fee undefintized contract provides a request to return to original perform-ance location. It also provides aid regarding the ongo-ing security situation in Iraq. Labor will be conducted in Iraq and should be finished by Dec. 31, 2015.

The DoD awarded a $24.4 mil-lion Army contract modifica-tion to A-T Solutions, thus ex-ercising a second option for Asymmetric Warfare Group (AWG) operations support re-quirement.

According to the DoD, the deal tasks A-T Solutions with “providing the personnel, ex-pertise, and skills required to support AWG's mission to ob-serve, analyze, train, and ad-vise Army and Joint Forces worldwide to successfully pre-dict, mitigate, counter, and de-feat asymmetric and emerging hybrid threats.” Work will be conducted at Ft. Meade, Md. and should be fin-ished by June 14, 2016. Photo Credit: pddnet.com

“the modification will result in the obtainment of two operational flight trainers (OFTs), two weapons tactics trainers (WTTs), and an improve-ment to the training system support center (TSSC) ”

19

Airbus to support Turkish Technic MRO for A400M AF fleet

Airbus Defence and Space and Turkish Airlines’ indus-try-leading subsidiary; Turkish Technic Inc. have signed an agreement at IDEF 15 for the provision of main-tenance support for the Airbus A400M new gen-eration airlifter. Under the terms of the agree-ment, Airbus Defence and Space will support Turkish Technic in further developing its capability to provide long-term maintenance services ini-tially for the A400M fleet of the Turkish Air Force. The new arrangement comes just over a year after the first A400M entered service with

the Turkish Air Force in April 2014, followed by a second in December. Between them the

aircraft have completed more than 400 flight hours and achieved an availability rate of more than 80%. Airbus Defence and Space Head of Services, Philippe

Galland, said: “We are very

pleased with the record of the

A400M in Turkish service so

far and we are confident that

this agreement will contribute

to building a robust support

service for the years ahead.” Turkish Technic General Manager, Ahmet Karaman, said: “We have an excellent

working relationship with all

departments of Airbus and we

look forward to developing a

robust maintenance capability

for the A400M to meet the

needs of the Turkish Air

Force.”

Photo Credit: aerotime.aero

“Airbus Defence and Space will support Turkish Technic in further developing its capability to pro-vide long-term maintenance services”

20

QANTAS triples siz of lounge at LAX

Everyone loves an upgrade and what better place to ex-perience it than the One-world Lounge. Managing partners Qantas, Cathay Pacific and British Air-ways have unveiled their final LAX business Lounge refur-bishment.

It follows the opening of stage one of the development in June 2014 and the opening of the adjacent Qantas First Lounge, designed by Marc Newson in December 2014.

Vanessa Hudson, Qantas Re-gional General Manager, The Americas said Qantas was ex-cited to reveal the full benefits of its multi-million dollar lounge refurbishment to cus-tomers travelling through Los Angeles. “The completion of this pro-

ject represents our significant

investment in the US market.

We have tripled the space

available across both lounges,

added more seating and in-

stalled a state-of-the-art

kitchen. The new kitchen en-

ables us to offer a bigger

menu and a greater variety of

dining options,” said Ms Hud-son. Qantas has a deep commit-ment to the United States and has offered flights to and from the U.S. for over 60 years, with nonstop A380 flights from Los Angeles and Dallas/Fort Worth, daily B747 ser-vices from JFK via Los Ange-les, and four flights per week from Honolulu to Sydney. Qantas also partners with American Airlines, US Air-ways, Alaska Airlines and WestJet, to offer connections to and from more than 270 destinations in the U.S., Mex-ico and Canada, connecting to Qantas in LAX, Dallas/Fort Worth, JFK and Honolulu. Photo Credit: destinationluxury.com

“tripled the space available across both lounges, added more seating and installed a state-of-the-art kitchen.

21

Aer Lingus selects Mercator's RAPID Passenger Revenue Accounting Solution

Dubai based Mercator has announced that Aer Lingus Group has selected Merca-tor's RAPID Passenger solu-tion to accelerate Aer Lin-gus' automation and optimi-sation of passenger revenue accounting. With a fleet of 50 aircraft and over 11 million passengers in 2014 (including Aer Lingus Regional franchise opera-tions), Aer Lingus’ mission is to connect Ireland with the world and the world to Ireland

by offering its customers the best product in the Irish airline market at the most competitive fares. Aer Lingus decided to replace its existing in-house passenger revenue accounting

system with RAPID Passenger to facilitate greater operational efficiency, maximize produc-tivity, integrate revenue ac-counting information with other management information systems and provide meaning-ful business insights. The implementation of RAPID Passenger will enable Aer Lin-gus to scale and automate its revenue accounting processes, achieve high accuracy in pro-ration, tax and interline reve-nue management and meet stringent auditing and industry standards. Speaking on behalf

of Aer Lingus, Rosemary Queenan, manager, revenue accounting, said: “We need a

revenue accounting solution

that is scalable in response to

the growth of our company

and passenger volumes. Mer-

cator’s proven technology will

meet those needs. We are

looking forward to a very

positive business partner-

ship.” Bernard Donoghue, chief commercial officer, Mercator, commented: “Across the industry, accu-

rate and timely revenue ac-

counting is mission critical to

a carrier’s business. We know

that airline leaders want in-

dustry-tested solutions that

respond swiftly and intelli-

gently to their operating and

financial challenges and

we’re delighted to have been

chosen by Aer Lingus as they

work to meet their strategic

objectives.”

Photo Credit: Mercator

“RAPID Passen-ger will enable Aer Lingus to scale and auto-mate its revenue accounting processes”

22

Thomson Airways tastes sweet success in Bris-tol Airport's track-keeping awards

Thomson Airways has topped the table in Bristol Airport’s annual Tracker Awards. Based on all flight records for 2014, the scheme measures compliance with departure routes set up to minimise noise disturbance for local residents and also encourages airlines to use procedures which reduce their noise impact. Thomson Airways, which serves eight-een destinations from the Air-port and operated over 1,000 flights during the 12 month period, was the only air-linewith a 100 per cent record, although several competitors came close. Captain Mark Karim of Thom-son Airways was presented with a certificate to mark the achievement and a large cake to share with his fellow flight

crew. Ryanair, easyJet, bmi regional and Thomas Cook Airlines were also recognised for their outstanding perform-ance during 2014 in achieving 99.85 per cent on track depar-tures.

The Tracker Awards were in-troduced in 2013 to recognise outstanding operational per-formance by airlines at Bristol Airport, based on monitoring of compliance with noise pref-

erential routings (NPRs). The league table format is an ef-fective way of encouraging continuous improvement and ensuring any deviations from track are taken seriously. Melanie King, Environment Manager at Bristol Airport, said “Thomson Airways had

to see off strong competition

from several airlines at Bris-

tol Airport and we are de-

lighted to recognise their

commitment to operational

excellence. It is an out-

standing achievement to oper-

ate 100 percent on-track flight

departures. Initiatives like the

Tracker Awards can only en-

courage further improvements

which will help to minimise

the noise impact on local

communities.”

Photo Credit: Andrew Thomas/flikr

“Mark Karim of Thomson Air-ways was pre-sented with a certificate to mark the achievement and a large cake to share with his fellow flight crew”

23

Smiths Detection to showcase Next Gen secu-rity solutions at Airport Show

With an objective to support the ongoing development of key airport infrastructure facilities in the UAE and across the Middle East, Smiths Detection, will show-case its next generation de-tection and security solutions at the Airport Show 2015 in Dubai. In line with fast growing pas-senger numbers at airports in the UAE, coupled with the in-tent of airport operators to of-fer unmatched passenger ex-perience, Smiths Detection will showcase its latest Check-point.Evo solution that can significantly enhance efficien-cies at airports in the Middle East while also offering a fast and hassle free security experi-ence. “The UAE and some other key

countries in the Middle East,

including Qatar and Saudi

Arabia are now being recog-

nized as major global travel

hubs, with millions of passen-

gers travelling through these

airports every year. Countries

in the GCC are expected to

receive over 400 million pas-

sengers annually by 2020.”,

said Paul Baker, Managing Director – Middle East, Smiths Detection. “Airport operators

across the region are now

looking for smart security so-

lutions that not only detect

modern day CBRNE threats,

but can also make the screen-

ing process fast, hassle free

and seamless. Owing to our

three decade long presence in

the region and our global

technological expertise, we

understand these niche re-

quirements and are hence

showcasing our latest solu-

tions that have been developed

specifically to address these

challenges.”

Besides Checkpoint.Evo, Smiths Detection will also showcase the IONSCAN 600, a next-generation, portable desktop system, used to detect and identify trace amounts of explosives. Equipped with a proprietary non-radioactive Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) source, the IONSCAN 600 eliminates the need for special licensing, handling or

disposal requirements, making it ideal to meet the growing security demands of the re-gions’ aviation and infrastruc-ture sector.

Weighing just 23 pounds (10.4 kilograms), the ION-SCAN 600 features a built-in handle that provides easy portability. With an analysis time of less than 8 seconds, IONSCAN 600 provides ac-curate trace explosives detec-tion making it an ideal check-point solution for busy air-ports. Furthermore, Smiths Detec-tion will also showcase HazMatID 360, a handheld solid and liquid chemical identifier that performs an analysis in 1 minute or less, and the SABRE 5000 which is programmed to detect and identify over 40 threat sub-stances in approximately 20 seconds. Photo Credit: Smiths Detection

“Smiths Detec-tion will show-case its latest Checkpoint.Evo solution that can significantly enhance effi-ciencies at air-ports”

24

Belgrade Airport Planning Expansion

Belgrade's main airport plans to invest EUR€20 mil-lion over two years in ex-panding capacity to cope with a sharp increase in traf-fic, with the government hoping to attract bids to run the airport. Traffic has increased since 2013 when Abu Dhabi's Etihad bought a 49 percent stake in indebted flag carrier JAT, re-branding it as Air Serbia and introducing new routes. "We

are close to the limit of our

capacities at the moment,"

Ana Lukovic, director of de-velopment and investment, said in an interview with Reuters. "That's why we de-

cided to start a short-term in-

vestment cycle."

Shares in Aerodrom Nikola Tesla - of which the state holds 83.15 percent - have shot up in value by nearly 40 percent since the turn of the year, driven by a rise in profit to RSD3.4 billion dinars in 2014

from RSD13.3 million in 2013. Once closed to international air traffic during a decade of war and sanctions under late Serbian strongman Slobodan

Milosevic, the number of pas-sengers using the airport rose by more than 1 million last year and is expected to hit 5 million this year, Lukovic said, nearing its current capacity of 5.5 million. Lukovic said the airport would spend EUR€15 million of its own funds in ex-panding Terminal 2 by build-ing 8 new gates and a new pas-senger area. On completion in mid-2016, the terminal will be able to handle long-haul air-

craft. Another EUR€2 million will be spent on renovating Terminal 1 and EUR€3 mil-lion on new de-icing equip-ment.

"Once this investment cycle is

completed we will expand ca-

pacity to 7, 7.5 million pas-

sengers a year," Lukovic said. Cargo traffic at the airport was up 13 percent in 2014, driven by the new Air Serbia and by Turkish Airlines cargo flights. "We have seen real

boom since the national flag

carrier was transformed,"

Lukovic said. "We expect to

see another boom once long-

haul flights start." Air Serbia flights account for 50 percent of all air traffic at the airport. The airline hopes to start flights to the United States by the end of the year. The government says it plans to offer the airport on conces-sion, with Europe's biggest construction and concession company - French Vinci - al-ready expressing interest.

“passengers us-ing the airport rose by more than 1 million last year and is ex-pected to hit 5 million this year”

25

Avianca firms up order for 100 A320neo Family aircraft

Following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) an-nouncement in February, Avianca has signed a pur-chase agreement for 100 A320neo Family aircraft, the largest single order ever made in Latin America’s aviation history. The agreement, which includes A319neo, A320neo and A321neo aircraft, will allow Avianca to maintain one of the youngest fleets in the region as the airline aims to replace air-planes currently operating from their Bogota, Lima and San Salvador hubs. “This historic order allows us

to solidify our passenger ex-

perience strategy in local mar-

kets on a broader scale,” said Fabio Villegas Ramirez, Avi-anca Chief Executive Offi-cer. “Thanks to the A320neo

Family’s fuel efficiency, tech-

nical reliability and unique

passenger comfort, we can fur-

ther Avianca’s fleet moderni-

zation process, while connect-

ing the region and supporting

its development.”

“For over 15 years, Avianca

has benefitted from the excel-

lent operating economics and

award-winning reliability of

the A320 Family,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “The

A320neo brings Avianca the

highest efficiency at the lowest

cost, making it ideally suited to

operate within their network

and especially within the re-

gion’s challenging airports.”

Established in Colombia in 1919, Avianca was the first airline in the Americas, and is the second oldest airline in the world. The Airbus-Avianca partnership was taken to a new level in 1998 when TACA (now part of Avianca), LAN, and TAM placed a joint order for 90 single-aisle aircraft. This was the largest joint con-tract ever signed in Latin American commercial aviation

history. To date, the Avianca airline group has ordered nearly 300 aircraft including 276 A320 Family (among them, 133 A320neo Family) and 15 A330 Family. To date, the A320neo pro-gram has 345 firm orders from six customers in Latin America -- Avianca, Azul, Interjet, LATAM Airlines Group, VivaAerobus and Volaris. With more than 950 aircraft sold and a backlog of nearly 500, more than 550 Airbus aircraft are in opera-tion throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. In the last 10 years, Airbus has tripled its in-service fleet, while deliver-ing more than 60 percent of all aircraft operating in the region. Photo Credit: Airbus

“Avianca has benefitted from the excellent op-erating econom-ics and award-winning reliability of the A320 Family”

26

Swiss finalize order for three additional 777-300ERs

The Lufthansa Group and Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) have finalized an order for three additional 777-300ER (Extended Range) airplanes, valued at $990 million at current list prices. This order, previously attrib-uted to an unidentified cus-tomer, follows SWISS' 2013 order for six 777-300ERs, and will form the backbone of the Swiss flag-carrier's long-haul fleet renewal. "I am delighted that with the

formal signing of the contract,

SWISS has set a further mile-

stone in its long-haul fleet re-

newal," said Harry Hohmeis-ter, CEO of SWISS. The 777-300ER is the most

fuel and cost-efficient airplane in its class today with 99.5 percent reliability, making it the most reliable twin-aisle aircraft in the world. The flag-ship of the world's elite air-

lines, the 777-300ER carries 386 passengers in a standard three-class configuration up to 7,825 nautical miles (14,490 kilometers), on non-stop routes. "SWISS' latest order for addi-

tional airplanes is a testament

to the unrivaled economics of

the 777-300ER as the carrier

continues to renew its long-

haul fleet," said Todd Nelp, vice president of European Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The 777-300ER is

the perfect platform for SWISS

to showcase its exceptional

customer offering and remain

at the forefront of interna-

tional travel."

SWISS is part of the Luf-thansa Group, serving 106 destinations in 49 countries from the Swiss cities of Zu-rich, Geneva and Basel, carry-ing over 16 million passengers a year with a fleet of 95 air-planes. Photo Credit: Boeing

“777-300ER is the perfect plat-form for SWISS to showcase its exceptional cus-tomer offering ”

27

Textron Aviation launches "Top Hawk" university partnerships

Textron Aviation Inc., a Tex-tron Inc., announced at the annual Sun ‘n Fun Interna-tional Fly-in and Exhibition, the launch of Top Hawk, a partnership with U.S. uni-versity aviation schools. Top Hawk will provide stu-dents access to industry-leading aircraft, coupled with a unique internship opportunity during the summer of 2015. Universities selected as the initial partner schools are, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Kansas State Uni-versity, Liberty University and the University of North Da-kota. Through Top Hawk, Cessna

will provide partner schools full use of a branded Cessna Skyhawk 172 aircraft for the remainder of 2015.

Partner schools will use the aircraft for flight training, re-cruiting and promotional ac-tivities. In addition, one stu-dent from each school will participate in Textron Avia-tion’s internship program in

cooperation with the Textron Aviation Employees Flying Club. During the summer internship, students will get exposure to business operations, lead ground school classes, and continue to build flight hours through flying lessons and discovery flights. At the end of the summer, the interns will participate in a flying competition through which one aviator will be named Top Hawk. [Ed: Move over, Maverick!] Photo Credit: Textron

“students will get exposure to business opera-tions, lead ground school classes, and continue to build flight hours ”

28

Bombardier to debut the Challenger 650 jet at EBACE 2015

Bombardier Business Air-craft have announced that it will showcase its Challenger 650 jet at the 15th annual European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva from May 19 to 21, 2015. The extensive lineup of the Bombardier business jets on display will also include the Learjet 75, Challenger 350 and Global 6000aircraft, as well as the full-scale mock-up of the Global 7000 aircraft. “We are thrilled to be unveil-

ing our Challenger 650 air-

craft, which is scheduled to

enter-into-service in the sec-

ond-half of 2015,” said Éric Martel, President, Bombardier

Business Aircraft. “We cur-

rently have more than 570

Bombardier business aircraft

flying within Europe, and with

a full range of products and

services, we are committed to

maintaining our leadership

position within the market.”

Bombardier will also be show-casing a number of other prod-ucts on the static aircraft dis-play including:

Learjet 75 Challenger 350 Challenger 650 Global 6000 Also present will be the Global 7000 aircraft mock-up. The Global 7000 aircraft will set the standard for a new category of large business jets with the first true four-zone cabin. Passengers flying on the Global 7000 will experi-ence a spectacularly spacious cabin, coupled with a superior high-speed cruise of M 0.90. The Global 7000 aircraft will have a range of 7,300 NM (13,520 km). Photo Credit: Bombardier

“with a full range of products and services, we are committed to maintaining our leadership posi-tion ”

29

Sikorsky’s rig approach system gets Canadian OK

Stratford-based Sikorsky’s Rig Approach – a retrofit-table system for bringing its S-92 helicopters toward off-shore platforms – in April won approval for use by Transport Canada Civil Aviation. Termed a “functionality” by Sikorsky, Rig Approach was first used successfully in 2013. “Rig Approach is a first of its

kind functionality on the S-92

helicopter that provides heli-

copter operators with an auto-

mated approach to offshore

rigs and platforms,” Sikorsky said in a statement.

Sikorsky has delivered more than 240 S-92 helicopters throughout the world. In 2014, Sikorsky marked the 10-year anniversary of the S-92. The fleet has reached more than 800,000 flight hours, with more than 90 percent of those hours providing offshore oil and gas worker transportation. Sikorsky developed Rig Ap-proach in collaboration with Louisiana-based helicopter

services company PHI Inc., which operates Sikorsky heli-copters in the Gulf of Mexico, providing transportation to offshore oil workers to and from the platforms there. PHI Inc. flew the first operational Rig Approach flight in No-vember 2013. Photo Credit: helipress.it

“In 2014, Sikor-sky marked the 10-year anniver-sary of the S-92. The fleet has reached more than 800,000 flight hours”

30

Third Sukhoi Superjet 100 Joined Red Wings Fleet

On April 2, 2015 the third Sukhoi Superjet 100 joined Red Wings Airlines fleet. The aircraft SSJ100 with tail number RA-89001 flew from the Delivery Centre of Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company to Moscow Domodedovo Air-port. Currently, the airline is suc-cessfully operating two SSJ100 aircraft on the flights from Moscow to the Russian cities Makhachkala, Grozny, Ufa, Nalchik and Ulianovsk City. Red Wings plans to expand the route network for SSJ100 to Gelendzhik, Saratov and other Russian cit-

ies, as well as to develop inter-regional flights. Since entry into service in early February this year, two SSJ100 in Red

Wings fleet operated more than 500 hours, while the air-craft has already transported more than 17 000 passengers. In accordance with Sukhoi Su-perjet 100 aircraft Lease Agreement signed in October 2014 between Russian airline Red Wings and Sukhoi Civil

Aircraft Company, the leasing period of three SSJ100 shall be three years with possible extension. SSJ100 is being delivered to Red Wings in 93-seat two-class cabin configu-ration. Red Wings Airlines is a Rus-sian airline based in Moscow, it was founded in 1999. The Airline performs regular and charter domestic and interna-tional flights. Passenger traffic volume of Red Wings in 2014 totaled more than 1 million passengers. Photo Credit: Sukhoi

“Red Wings plans to expand the route net-work for SSJ100 ”

31

32

Textron Aviation hosts inaugural joint customer conference

Textron Aviation company, welcomed more than 500 Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker aircraft operators together for the first time at the Textron Aviation Cus-tomer Conference last week in Wichita. This was the first joint cus-tomer conference since the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands combined last year. “The inaugural joint customer

conference provided us a great

opportunity to showcase the

customer benefits of the inte-

gration of these three storied

brands through the sharing of

company knowledge and cus-

tomer experiences across the

fleet,” said Brad Thress, senior vice president, Customer Ser-vice. “The conference also

provides an important forum

for us to hear firsthand from

our operators. We greatly

value this feedback, which al-

ways plays a role in future

products and services we of-

fer.”

Throughout the two day event, customers had access to Tex-tron Aviation leaders and at-tended a variety of seminars from subject matter experts and numerous supplier repre-

sentatives on nearly every as-pect of aircraft maintenance and operation. Conference seminars were grouped either

by aircraft model or by gen-eral aviation topic, such as new products, fleet opera-tions, airspace management, international operations or other general interest topics. Suppliers exhibited technolo-gies and services for aircraft across the entire turboprop and jet product range. Atten-dees were also offered tours of the various Textron Avia-tion facilities throughout Wichita, as well as given ac-cess to the full turboprop and jet product line – including the new Citation Latitude. Throughout the remainder of 2015, Textron Aviation will be hosting additional operator forums in Europe, Asia and South America for customers based in those regions. Photo Credit: Textron

“conference pro-vided us a great opportunity to showcase the customer bene-fits of the inte-gration of these three storied brands”

33

North Pole Investments signs contract for one AW139 and one AW189

AgustaWestland have an-nounced that North Pole In-vestments Inc. of Panama has signed a contract for one AW139 intermediate twin-engine and one AW189 super medium helicopter. The aircraft will be delivered by early 2016 and operated by Helistar de Aviacion of Co-lombia for offshore transport missions in support of the oil and gas industry. This contract strengthens collaboration be-tween Helistar, the leading OGP operator in Colombia, North Pole Investments and AgustaWestland, marking an expansion of the fleet of AW139 helicopter elected by Helistar, following an order for two units last year for off-shore and EMS operations, and the entrance of the all new AW189 in Spanish South America. With this contract, Helistar will benefit from the unique advantages offered by operating the AW139 and AW189 models, part of the AgustaWestland Family of new generation helicopters,

thanks to commonalities across design, certification and safety standards, components, maintenance and training ap-proach and services.

Nearly 900 AW139s have now been ordered worldwide by over 220 customers with more than 730 units already in service to perform a wide range of roles including off-shore transport, search and res-cue, emergency medical ser-vices, VIP/corporate transport, law enforcement, homeland security and utility. The AW189 was designed in re-sponse to the growing market demand for a versatile, afford-able, multirole super medium twin engine helicopter. The new 8.3 / 8.6 tonne AW189 is

optimized for long range off-shore transport and SAR mis-sions and more than 150 or-ders have already been signed, including options and frame-work contracts, making it the outright market leader in its class. AgustaWestland has a long-standing and well established presence in South America with the sale of hundreds of helicopters for both civil and government applications in a number of countries. Over 250 commercial units have been sold in South America in the last ten years. Established in the nineties, North Pole In-vestments Inc. is a prime player conducting business and investments in the avia-tion sector, primarily for the leasing of aircraft and aviation equipment. North Pole Inves-ments has customers in Cen-tral and South America and is headquartered in Panama. Helistar de Aviacion is the leading helicopter company in Colombia, operating more than 30 helicopters. Helistar focuses on providing services with fixed and rotary wing aircraft. Helistar is one of the fastest growing companies in the aviation sector, with a cul-ture of customer service and safety as its main corporate values. Photo Credit: Agusta Westland

“contract strengthens col-laboration be-tween Helistar, North Pole In-vestments and AgustaWest-land”

34

New Gatwick airport program ties data to re-wards

Data collection is hardly a new thing in the aviation in-dustry. Every time a passen-ger flies, the airline collect reams of information rang-ing from gender to birth dates, place of residence to phone numbers and even relatives. Much of that data, particularly for those in frequent flier pro-grams, is leveraged to offer a more customized experience on the ground and especially in the air. But what if airports started to do the same thing? Enter MyGatwick, a recently rolled out program at Lon-don’s Gatwick airport that pro-vides passengers with small rewards in exchange for pro-viding personal data. Passen-gers must sign up for the pro-gram online and provide an-swers to a handful of questions including “what is your desti-nation?’ and “why are you travelling?” among others. Once completed, passengers can choose between a handful of rewards, ranging from dis-counts on parking to a free cup of joe or free double WiFi to a discount on a local hotel. The intent is, much like with an airline, to build data on the individual and collective level, allowing the airport to track behaviors and travel patterns.

But Gatwick Chief Commer-cial Officer Guy Stephenson says it is about much more. “This is about engaging with

more people than we ever have

before on a personal level,” he said at the 24th annual Phoe-nix International Aviation Symposium.

He envisions expanding the service down the line to be able to custom tailor packages to individuals, exposing differ-ent types of flyers to different types of services. Fly regularly for business? Stephenson says that parting with a little more data could earn you an “individualized bundle” of say, close-in parking and fast pass security access. What exactly a ‘little more data’ entails wasn’t clear, and Stephenson didn’t volunteer much beyond “it won’t be in-trusive.” But whatever it is, he remained confident that the cheese would attract the mice: “The value transfer is you tell

us about you and we’ll give

you something right away.

Passengers will be willing to

impart more about themselves

the more they get stuff from

us,” he said. At least so far, that appears to be the case: over 115,000 peo-ple signed up in the first month. Stephenson is quick to clarify that this is not a ground-based equivalent of an airline loyalty program. “[This has] nothing

to do with redemption for loy-

alty,” he said. “This is all

about instant gratification.”

Yet at the same time, the pro-gram is being rolled out as Gatwick works to build and keep market share in one of the world’s most competitive air markets: Greater London. While the airport handles a respectable 20 million travel-ers per year, it fights for Lon-doners and beyond against five major regional airports – including the biggest player of them all, London Heathrow. The challenge, says Stephen-son, is learning how to create preference. He argued that a three-fold approach–the physical journey, emotional journey, and the digital ex-perience–can combine to make a memorable experience that turns customers into ad-vocates for the airport. You can try mygatwick at:

https://

www.gatwickairport.com/

mygatwick/

“Passengers must sign up for the program online and pro-vide answers to a handful of questions ”

35

Aspen reveals pricing for AOA

Aspen Avionics has released the price for its recently in-troduced Evolution Angle of Attack Indicator (AOA), which integrates directly into its Evolution primary flight and multi-function displays.

The software upgrade will be priced at $1,995 and is ex-pected to be available in July. “We are offering an affordably

-priced, software-based angle

of attack safety product that

provides real-time stall margin

awareness without hardware,

cabling or aircraft modifica-

tions. The only tasks associ-

ated with the installation con-

sists of a simple software up-

grade to the Aspen primary

and/or the multi-function flight

displays, plus a short calibra-

tion flight as part of the return

to service,” said Perri Coyne, director of marketing opera-tions.

Aspen’s Evolution AOA indi-cator calculates angle of at-tack from the flight envelope data received from the air data computer and attitude heading reference system (AHRS) in-tegrated in the Evolution 1000 PFD or Evolution 1000 MFD, and a certified GPS. It does not require additional hardware, nor does it require any external aircraft modifica-tions or sensors, saving sig-nificant resources on installa-tion costs. Photo Credit: Aspen Avionics

“angle of attack safety product that provides real-time stall margin aware-ness without hardware, ca-bling or aircraft modifications”

36

Cirrus aircraft customer experience ‘Vision Cen-ter’ will expand to Knoxville

During a special ceremony on May 6, 2015, at McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tennessee, Cirrus Aircraft Co-Founder and CEO Dale Klapmeier joined Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and announced the expansion of Cirrus Aircraft to Knoxville with the new Vision Center. This Cirrus Customer Experi-ence Center will be the central location for all Cirrus Aircraft pilot, owner and customer ac-tivities. This will also include sales, delivery, training, main-tenance, support, personaliza-tion, fixed base operations and more for all Cirrus airplanes concentrating around the new Vision SF50 single-engine personal jet. The Vision Center will be the location for factory direct type rating training from Cirrus Aircraft. A key component of the SF50 training curriculum at the Vision Center is a Level

D, full-motion flight simulator currently under development at CAE. This full flight simu-lator will be the cornerstone in Vision SF50 type rating train-ing and annual recurrent train-ing. In addition to factory di-rect training, the Vision Center will provide support for the

new Vision SF50 and more than 6,000 SR aircraft. A de-sign center will allow custom-ers to personalize new and cur-rent aircraft. Research and de-velopment (R&D) as well as manufacturing operations for Cirrus Aircraft will remain in Duluth, Minnesota. All aircraft will continue to be produced at

company facilities in Grand Forks, North Dakota and Du-luth. The selection of Knoxville for the home of the Vision Center was the result of a thorough site evaluation process that included more than 15 states and 30 airport locations. McGhee Tyson Airport rose to the top and became Cirrus’ choice with the combination of a convenient location to the connected Cirrus owner base in North America, unique air-port and area amenities, favor-able weather and, most impor-tantly, a welcoming commu-nity for Cirrus Aircraft em-ployees and their families. Todd Simmons, Cirrus Air-craft Chief Customer Officer, will lead the Cirrus Aircraft Team at the new home for all Cirrus Aircraft customer ac-tivities and operations. Photo Credit: Cirrus Aircraft

“selection of Knoxville for the home of the Vi-sion Center was the result of a thorough site evaluation proc-ess ”

37

Annual Safety Review For Ireland 2014 pub-lished

The Annual Safety Review for Ireland 2014 has been published. Overall 2014 was quite a good year for aviation safety both in global terms and in Ireland as well. There were no fatal avia-tion accidents in Ireland during 2014 involving Irish registered or Irish operated Commercial Air Transport aeroplanes or helicopters nor were there any fatal accidents involving the General Aviation community. There were small numbers of non-fatal accidents and serious incidents involving both com-mercial air transport and gen-eral aviation operators, details of which are provided in the report.

Notwithstanding the continu-ing improvements in aviation, fatal accidents can still occur and we must continually strive to look for opportunities to improve safety and remain vigilant to potential safety risks. Identifying the potential cause of accidents before they

occur continues to be our pri-ority and to this end, we en-courage persons engaged in aviation activities, whether part of approved or certified organisation or not, to report safety occurrences affecting aviation safety so that the body of data available for risk as-sessment continues to grow. A new EU Regulation 376/2014 on occurrence reporting be-comes applicable on 15th No-

vember 2015 which includes enhanced legal provisions in this area, including, for the first time, mandatory report-ing requirements for those in-volved in general aviation. The whole report can be

found at:

https://www.iaa.ie/media/

AnnualSafetyReview20141.pdf

“small numbers of non-fatal acci-dents and seri-ous incidents in-volving both commercial air transport and general aviation ”

38

NBAA's 2015 Maintenance Management Con-ference Breaks Records

The 2015 NBAA Mainte-nance Management Confer-ence (MMC2015), held this year for the first time in Portland, OR, attracted a record number of attendees – more than 800 individuals representing 42 states and the District of Columbia, as well as several foreign coun-tries. The event also featured a sold-out exhibit hall with a record 156 exhibitors. The annual Maintenance Management Conference provides attendees a high-caliber educational pro-gram with an emphasis on leadership and management. “The 2015 NBAA Mainte-

nance Management Confer-

ence exceeded all expecta-

tions, with the largest exhibit

hall to date and a greater than

10 percent increase in atten-

dance from last year,” said Mike Nichols, NBAA’s vice president of operational excel-lence and professional devel-opment. “This conference is about de-

veloping the next generation of

business aviation maintenance

leaders, providing new tools

and skills for current leaders,

and enabling those individuals

to develop important business

relationships and networks.

We are confident MMC2015

excelled in these areas, and we

were pleased to offer attendees

high-quality educational con-

tent," he added. During the conference, FAA officials awarded the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award to William E. Kerchen-faut. This prestigious award – named in honor of Charles Taylor, the first aviation me-chanic of powered flight – rec-ognizes the lifetime accom-plishments of senior mainte-nance technicians. Kerchen-faut was honored for his more than 50 years of contributions to aviation safety as a profes-sional aircraft mechanic. At the conference NBAA an-nounced the recipients of the NBAA Maintenance Commit-tee’s Maintenance Technical Reward and Career Scholar-ships (TRACS). Thanks to the scholarships, more than 40 in-dividuals will be able to attend aircraft model-specific courses at training centers offering air-craft, engine and avionics in-struction. Learn more about the scholarship winners. Also, the Maintenance Com-mittee announced the two win-ners of the inaugural Hank

Hilsmann Memorial Scholar-ship. This new award was pre-sented in coordination with Dassault Falcon Jet Corp. and Dassault's authorized training providers CAE Simuflite and Flight Safety International in memory of Hilsmann, a for-mer field representative with Dassault Falcon Jet. Learn more about the Hilsmann award winners.

MMC2015 also featured sev-eral charitable special events, including a golf tournament, silent auction and raffle for a one-of-a-kind custom toolbox from Snap-On Tools, the pro-ceeds from which help sup-port the TRACS program. “We congratulate the recipi-

ents of this year’s TRACS

scholarships and are grateful

to the NBAA Maintenance

Committee, attendees, spon-

sors, exhibitors and everyone

who helped raise funds to

continue this important pro-

gram,” said Nichols. Photo Credit: NBAA

“conference is about develop-ing the next generation of business avia-tion mainte-nance leaders.”

39

Southwest Airlines Reports April Traffic

Southwest Airlines have an-nounced that the Company flew 9.9 billion revenue pas-senger miles (RPMs) in April 2015, an 8.6 percent increase from the 9.1 billion RPMs flown in April 2014. Available seat miles (ASMs) increased 6.7 percent to 11.9 billion in April 2015, com-pared with the April 2014 level of 11.2 billion. The April 2015 load factor was 83.1 percent, compared with

81.7 percent in April 2014. For April 2015, passenger revenue per ASM (PRASM) is esti-mated to have decreased ap-proximately 2.0 percent, com-pared with April 2014. For the first four months

of 2015, the Company flew 35.8 billion RPMs, com-pared with 33.3 billion RPMs flown for the same period in 2014, an increase of 7.5 percent. Year-to-date ASMs increased 6.2 percent to a level of 44.2 billion, com-pared with the 41.6 billion for the same period in 2014. The year-to-date load factor was 80.9 percent, compared with 79.9 percent for the same period in 2014.

“Southwest flew 9.9 billion reve-nue passenger miles (RPMs) in April 2015”

40

London City the most punctual airport in UK ac-cording to CAA

London City is the most punctual airport in the UK with 88% of the flights flying on time, and the shortest av-erage delays not exceeding seven minutes in 2014. According to a new report by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Gatwick Airport fig-ured last in punctuality with 74% flights operating on-time and average delay lasting up to 15 minutes. The findings of the report come at a time when a deci-sion is pending with the Air-ports Commission on the ex-pansion of either the Gatwick or the Heathrow airport. CAA's report has covered ten airports in the UK, including Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted and London City and other regional airports includ-ing Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Edinburgh and

Glasgow. Flight punctuality across the airports fell to 79%, a dip of one percentage point. The CAA defines an on-time per-formance as a flight early or up to and including15 minutes late. Taking into account both aircraft arrival and departure in its report, CAA monitored around 69,000 chartered pas-senger flights and 1.4 million scheduled passenger flights in 2014 for the report. Around 73% of charter flights left on time compared with 77% in 2013. CAA group director for regu-latory policy Iain Osborne said: "Arriving on-time matters

to passengers and our work

helps ensure consumers have

the best data and information

to make better and more in-

formed choices. In the last five

years punctuality has been

improving and it is therefore

disappointing to see a small

dip in performance in the last

year. Notwithstanding this,

the industry has had to deal

with some unseasonably poor

weather and a number of

overseas air traffic control

strikes, both beyond their con-

trol."

Whereas the Newcastle, Man-chester and Heathrow airports saw an improvement in on-time performance from 2013, the performance of the other seven airports saw a dip with Luton showing the biggest fall of five percentage points. Photo Credit: London City Airport

“Around 73% of charter flights left on time com-pared with 77% in 2013.”

41

Airport museum to mark rich history

Work has begun to trans-form a hangar at Blackpool Airport into a museum to celebrate the Fylde coast’s rich aviation history. The Lytham St Annes Spitfire Display Team (LSASDT) has secured Hangar 42, off Squires Gate Lane, for ambitious plans to open a Fylde Coast Museum of Aviation and Aircraft Manufacturing. The idea was announced in February but the team already hopes to move into the hangar by mid to late-June. John Coombes, of the LSASDT, said: “The airport

has been having a lot of

changes which worked in our

favour. Blackpool Airport and

Balfour Beatty have been

really helpful. We are hoping

to move from our current

premises – a private site in

between Warton and Wrea

Green – to the hangar in mid

to late-June to then open to the

public later on in the summer

or autumn. Lots of schools and

associations like the Rotary

want to see our work but we

can’t accommodate them on

our current site. That’s why we

hope the hangar will be a

popular venue.

“Our plan is to have the han-

gar how it worked and oper-

ated in the Second World War,

so it’d be like walking back in

time. We’ll have educational

talks so school groups can

come in and learn about avia-

tion history.”

The team hopes to use the mu-seum to recognise the area’s contribution to aviation, which includes bases such as RAF Squires Gate, RAF Lytham, RAF Freckleton, the Stanley Park Aerodrome and the War-ton Aerodrome – once oper-ated by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). The planned museum will in-clude displays, skills sessions about how planes were built and replica aircraft such as Spitfires and a Hawker Hurricane. But the team needs to raise £100,000 to make im-provements to the hangar and to fund some larger exhibits – including the dream of bring-ing a 176ft Vickers Wellington bomber, originally built at

Stanley Park Aerodrome, back to the resort. Mr Coombes added: “We’d like to get a

Wellington bomber to return

to Squires Gate. There are

very few around and it would

be nice to bring one home.

The works for the museum are

under way and Hangar 42 at

Blackpool Airport will soon

become our new home, but

there is much to do. Work is

required on the hangar’s roof,

lighting, access gate and

pathway works. We need to

raise just over £100,000.

We’ll have some open days

and we are going to launch

the fund-raising drive with a

1940s hangar dance. We will

hopefully encourage local

trades and merchants to help

along the way.” Readers can donate online by visiting www.gofundme.com and searching for the Fylde Coast Museum of Aviation, or visit the Lytham St Annes Spitfire Team Facebook page. Photo Credit: Blackpool Gazette

“museum will in-clude displays, skills sessions and replica air-craft ”

42

EasyJet April carryings rise despite French ATC strike

EasyJet saw passenger car-ryings top 6 million last month despite increased lev-els of flight cancellations due to air traffic control strikes in France. The budget carrier was forced to ground 602 flights in April against 48 cancellations in the same month last year. The number of passengers flown increased by 3.8% year-on-year from 5.7 million. The passenger load factor rose by one percentage point to 90.8%. April’s figures mean that annual carryings to April were up by 6.2% to 66.2 mil-lion. Meanwhile, central and eastern European low-cost rival Wizz Air reported a 21% rise in pas-sengers carried in April to more than 1.7 million with an improved load factor of 86.2%, up 1.7 percentage

points on the same month last year. The number of passengers car-ried by Aer Lingus in April dropped by 5.2% year-on-year to 923,000. Short-haul num-bers dropped by 5.5% to 710,000 while long haul carry-ings rose by 1.8% to 113,000. The load factor increased by 2.4 percentage points to 78.2%.

Aer Lingus Regional traffic dropped by more than 10% to 100,000. Scandinavian low-cost carrier

Norwegian managed to in-crease carryings in April de-spite suffering from the im-pact of a pilots strike. The air-line said its traffic figures for April were influenced by re-percussions from the indus-trial action by pilots in Scan-dinavia and an earlier Easter. Norwegian carried 2.1 million passengers in April, an in-crease of seven percent com-pared to the same month last year. The load factor was up by 2.6 percentage points 82.4% as capacity rise by 11% with the delivery of a new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, bringing its long haul fleet up to eight aircraft. Chief executive Bjørn Kjos said: “The pilot strike in Scan-

dinavia also had an impact on

April’s traffic figures. But we

are pleased that – in spite of

this – the load factor is better

than the same period last

year. We are especially

pleased that we continue to

attract many new customers

in Europe and USA, which

proves that our international

strategy works.”

EasyJet has launched a new livery design ahead of its 20th anniversary. Photo Credit: easyJet

“budget carrier was forced to ground 602 flights in April against 48 can-cellations in the same month last year”

43

Trains to leave Gatwick Aiport for London 'every three minutes' under new plans

A train will leave Gatwick for London every three min-utes in the next few years. A new Thameslink service from Brighton to Bedford, via Gatwick, will launch next year along with new trains on the Gatwick Express route to Lon-don Victoria. From 2018, new direct services from Gatwick to Peterborough and Cam-bridge will also launch follow-ing the completion of a £6.5 billion infrastructure upgrade by service provider Thameslink. The firm is also rolling out new track and state-of-the-art trains to serve the airport and

routes into London. Guy Ste-phenson, Gatwick's chief com-mercial officer, said: "The new

high-frequency service that

will serve Gatwick will trans-

form rail journeys for our pas-

sengers, with capacity dou-

bling and a train to London

every three minutes. Combined

with robust new track and sig-

nalling systems, Gatwick's

passengers will experience a

really pleasant and depend-

able service."

According to Gatwick bosses, once the services are opera-tional, every hour there will be about four Gatwick Express trains to London Victoria along with six other services to

London Victoria via the air-port and ten services to Lon-don Bridge via the airport. The improvements come shortly after Gatwick chiefs announced a £120 million re-design of the airport's railway station, which is set to double the size of the concourse area. Photo Credit: citytransport.info

“high-frequency service that will serve Gatwick will transform rail journeys for passengers”

44

45

Flybe commences Jersey-Cardiff summer route

British low-fares airline, Flybe, has commenced its summer schedule with the launch of service between Cardiff and Jersey on May 2, Cardiff Airport said in a re-lease. Launched as a Saturday flight, the frequency will be increased to three-times weekly from June 1, with a Sunday service being added from September. One way fares are available from GBP34.99 including taxes and charges. Most south-erly of the British Isles, Jersey is known for its natural beauty and attractive coastline, and offers holidaymakers an ideal destination for a short break with exciting events and fine restaurants. Starting May 2, 2015 to May 30, 2015, the new service will operate on Saturdays departing Cardiff at 1140 and arriving at Jersey at 1235; with the return flight departing Jersey at 1315 to arrive in Cardiff at 1410. From June 1, the schedule will expand to include Monday and Friday, with the flights depart-ing Cardiff at 1030 and arriv-ing Jersey at 1115; while the return will depart Jersey at 1145 and arrive in Cardiff at 1235. In addition, Sundays will be added to the schedule between September 6 and Oc-tober 18, with flights departing Cardiff at 1955 and arriving Jersey at 2040; with the return

departing Jersey at 2110 and arriving in Cardiff at 2200. Paul Simmons, Flybe’s chief commercial officer, said: “It’s

going to be a busy summer!

Our 2015 summer schedule

from Cardiff is taking off to a

great start. The return of our

seasonal flights to Jersey fur-

ther boosts the large selection

of flights to great destinations

that that we will be operating

from our new base with effect

from June.”

Managing director at Cardiff Airport, Debra Barber, added: “Jersey is a truly unique desti-

nation which really celebrates

its coastal location and French

influence. The island offers a

wealth of things to see and do

for families, groups of friends

and couples alike. In addition,

this route brings great poten-

tial for inbound tourism into

Wales as well as strengthened

business links between the two

destinations. We look forward

to welcoming Flybe passen-

gers and a busy summer sea-

son ahead at Cardiff Airport.”

A popular holiday destination, Jersey is part of the 12-strong route network that Flybe will operate to and from Cardiff Airport when it opens its new base there on June 1, 2015, utilising two Embraer 195 jet aircraft. With its new base, Flybe will offer increased ca-pacity and frequency on exist-ing flights, as well as offering eight routes including brand new services to Cork, Edin-burgh, Munich, and Milan, the airport said. Photo Credit: Flybe

“new service will operate on Sat-urdays depart-ing Cardiff at 1140 and arriving at Jersey at 1235”

46

British Aircraft Corporation One—Eleven

The British Aircraft Corpo-ration One-Eleven, also known as the BAC-111 or BAC 1-11, was a Brit-ish short-range jet airliner of the 1960s and 1970s. It was the second short-haul jet airliner to enter service, fol-lowing the French Sud Avia-tion Caravelle. The aircraft was also produced under li-cense in Romania during the 1980s as the ROMBAC One-Eleven. The One-Eleven was origi-nally conceived by Hunting Aircraft and was subsequently developed by the British Air-craft Corporation when Hunt-ing merged into BAC along with several other British air-

craft manufacturers in 1960. The One-Eleven was intended to replace the earlier turboprop-powered Vickers Viscount on short-range routes. The One-Eleven made it to market ahead of rivals such as the McDonnell Douglas DC-9, which gave it a temporary edge on the market. The aircraft proved to be popular with domestic airlines and with various international operators; over half of the One-Eleven's sales at launch were to the largest and most lucra-tive market, the United States. The One-Eleven was one of the most successful British air-liner designs and served until a widespread retirement in the

1990s, which was partly due to the introduction of aircraft noise restrictions in many European nations. In the 1950s, although the pio-neering de Havilland Comet jetliner had suffered multiple disasters in service, strong passenger demand for the qualities provided by jet propulsion had been demon-strated. Several aircraft manu-facturers raced to release their own passenger jets, including those aimed at the short-haul market, such as the Sud Avia-tion Caravelle. In July 1956, British Euro-pean Airways published a pa-per calling for a "second gen-eration" jet airliner to operate beside their existing turboprop designs. This led to a variety of designs from all of the ma-jor players in the British aero-space industry. Hunting Air-craft started design studies on a jet-powered replacement for the successful Vickers Vis-count, developing the 30-seat Hunting 107. Around the same time, Vick-ers started a similar develop-ment of a 140-seat derivative Continued on page 47

47


of its VC10 project, the VC11. Many other aviation firms had also produced their own de-signs. In 1960 Hunting, under British government pressure, merged with Vickers-Armstrongs, Bristol, and English Electric to form the British Aircraft Cor-poration (BAC). The newly formed BAC decided that the Hunting project had merit, but that there would be little mar-ket for a 30-seat jet airliner. The design was reworked into the BAC 107, a 59-seat airliner powered by two 7,000 pounds-force (31 kN) Bristol Siddeley BS75 turbofan engines. BAC also continued development of the larger, 140-seat VC-11 de-velopment of theVickers VC10 which it had inherited. Other competing internal pro-jects, such as the Bristol Type 200, were quickly abandoned following the absorption of Hunting into BAC. Market research showed that the 59-seat BAC 107 was still too small, and the design was again reworked in 1961, with passenger capacity growing to 80 seats, and the BS75s being discarded in favour of Rolls-Royce Speys. The revised de-sign was redesignated the BAC 111 (later becoming known as the One-Eleven), with BAC abandoning the VC11 project to concentrate

on the more promising One-Eleven. Unlike other contem-porary British airliners such as the Hawker Siddeley Trident, the One-Eleven was not de-signed to specifically meet the needs of the state-woned Brit-ish European Airways or Brit-ish Overseas Airways Corpo-ration, but on the needs of air-lines around the world, and BAC expected that they could receive orders for as many as 400 aircraft. Test flying was conducted by Squadron Leader Dave Glaser. On 9 May 1961 the One-Eleven was publicly launched when British United Air-ways (BUA) placed the first order for ten One-Eleven 200s. On 20 October Braniff Interna-tional Airways in the United States ordered six. Mohawk Airlines sent representatives to Europe seeking out a new air-craft to bring them into the jet era, and on 24 July 1962 con-cluded an agreement for four

One-Elevens. Other orders followed from Kuwait Air-ways for three, and Central African Airways for two. Braniff subsequently doubled their order to 12, while Aer Lingus ordered four. Western Airlines ordered ten aircraft but later cancelled. Bonanza Air Lines also or-dered three One-Elevens in 1962 but was stopped by the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), who claimed that subsidies would be needed to operate a jet on Bo-nanza's routes, an action which was claimed by some at the time to be protectionism. The CAB also stopped Fron-tier Airlines and Ozark Air Lines from ordering One-Elevens, although allowing Ozark to order the similar Douglas DC-9 and Frontier to order Boeing 727-100s. The CAB had also unsuccessfully tried to block Mohawk's or-ders. In May 1963, BAC an-nounced the One-Eleven 300 and 400. The new versions used the Mk. 511 version of the Spey with increased power, allowing more fuel upload and hence longer range. The difference between the 300 and 400 lay in their equipment and avionics, with the 400 intended for sales in Continued on page 48

“Hunting, under British govern-ment pressure, merged with Vickers-Armstrongs, Bris-tol, and English Electric to form the British Air-craft Corpora-tion ”

48


the United States and thus equipped with US instruments. On 17 July 1963, American Airlines ordered 15 aircraft, bringing the order total to 60, plus options for 15 more. American Airlines eventually bought a total of 30 of the 400-series, making the airline the largest ever customer of One-Elevens. The prototype (G-ASHG) rolled out of the Hurn assem-bly hall on 28 July 1963, at which point BAC had received orders for the type from a number of operators. On 20 August 1963, the prototype conducted its first flight, painted in BUA's livery. The first flight had taken place al-most a year before the Douglas DC-9, a rival American jet-liner; BAC considered the BAC to hold a technological edge. The One-Eleven's lead was of significant importance

commercially, since — as shown by the Bonanza Air Lines case — US authorities could refuse to approve sales of foreign aircraft to domestic airlines where an American alternative existed. The One-Eleven prototype, flown by test pilot Mike Lith-gow, crashed on 22 Octo-ber during Stall testing, with the loss of all on board. The investigation led to the discov-ery of what became known as deep stall or superstall, a phenomenon caused by re-duced airflow to thetail-plane caused by the combined blanking effects of the wing and the aft-mounted en-gine nacelles at high angles of attack, which prevents recov-ery of normal (nose-down) flight. To prevent such stalls, BAC designed and added de-vices known as stick shak-ers andstick pushers to the One-Eleven's control system. It

also redesigned the wing’s leading leading edge to smooth airflow into the en-gines and over the tailplane. The specially modified air-craft used for testing this problem is at Brooklands Mu-seum. Despite the crash, testing con-tinued and customer confi-dence remained high. Ameri-can Airlines and Braniff took up their optional orders and placed further ones in Febru-ary 1964. Further orders came from Mohawk, Philippine Airlines and Helmut Horten who ordered the first executive modification of the aircraft. By the end of 1964, 13 aircraft had rolled off the production line. The One-Eleven was certified and the first handover, of G-ASJI to BUA, was on 22 January 1965. After several weeks of route-proving flights, the first revenue service flew on 9 April from Gatwick to Genoa. Braniff took delivery of its first aircraft on 11 March, while Mohawk re-ceived its first on 15 May. De-liveries continued, and by the end of 1965 airlines had re-ceived 34 aircraft. Demand continued to be buoyant, with a second production line set up at Weybridge. In 1967 a larger 119-seat Continued on page 49

49


version was introduced as the One-Eleven 500 (also known as Super One-Eleven). This "stretched" version was de-layed for at least a year while its launch customer BEA as-sessed its requirements. This gave competing US aircraft (being the Douglas DC-9 and Boeing 737) the chance to make up for the One-Eleven's early penetration of the U.S. domestic market. The British aircraft's initial one-year advantage now turned into a one-year delay and the stretched series 500 failed to sell in the United States al-though the type did see service with Cayman Airways and Leeward Islands Air Trans-port (LIAT) in the Caribbean.

Compared with earlier ver-sions, the One-Eleven 500 was longer by 8 ft 4in (2.54 m) ahead of the wing and 5 ft 2in (1.57 m) behind it. The wing span was increased by 5 ft (1.5 m), and the latest Mk. 512 ver-sion of the Spey was used. The new version sold reasonably

well across the world, particu-larly to European charter air-lines. In 1971 it received an incremental upgrade to re-duce drag and reduce runway requirements. BEA/British Airways 500 se-ries aircraft (denoted One-Eleven 510ED) varied signifi-cantly from other One-Elevens, at BEA's request. The One-Eleven 510ED had a modified cockpit which incor-porated instrumentation and avionics from or similar to that of the Hawker Siddeley HS.121 Trident, for better commonality with the type. Their additional equipment included a more sophisti-cated autoflight system, which allowed CAT II autolandings and included an autothrottle. The modifications went as far as reversing the "on" position of most switches to match that of the Trident; indeed, the 510ED was so different from other One-Elevens and 500 series aircraft that a differ-ent type ratingwas required to fly it. Having faced competition from US aircraft by 1966, by 1970 the One-Eleven also faced competition from newer, smaller aircraft such as the Fokker F28 Fellowship. The F28 was lighter, less com-plex, and cheaper. The One-Eleven 475 of 1970 was launched to compete with the

F28. It combined the 400 fu-selage with the higher power and larger wing of the 500 and was intended for hot and high operations, however only ten One-Eleven Mk 475 were sold. In 1977, the One-Eleven 670, a quiet and updated 475, was offered to the Japanese domestic market, also failing to sell. Total deliveries for 1966 stood at 46 aircraft, and an-other 120 were delivered by 1971. At this point orders slowed to a trickle. British production continued until 1982. There were two reasons why the production line was kept open for just 35 aircraft delivered over 11 years: first, BAC hoped that Rolls-Royce would develop a quieter and more powerful version of the Spey engine, making possible further One-Eleven develop-ments; second, throughout the early part of the period Roma-nia was negotiating to buy the entire One-Eleven programme and transfer production of the type to Bucharest. By 1974, BAC invested sig-nificant effort into launching the One-Eleven 700. This had a longer body with a 134-seat interior and the projected Spey 67 engine producing greater power. It was approxi-mately the same size as the Continued on page 50

“additional equip-ment included a more sophisti-cated autoflight system, which allowed CAT II autolandings and included an autothrottle”

50


latest DC-9s and 737s and would have been available in time to prevent large-scale de-fections by One-Eleven clients to McDonnell-Douglas and Boeing. Rolls-Royce was still recovering from bankruptcy, however, and the uprated Spey failed to materialise. An alto-gether less ambitious 700 made a reappearance in 1978 as a 500 with specially "hush-kitted" Speys which would be replaced by the proposed RB432 in the mid-1980s. This was offered to British Air-ways in competition with Boe-ing 737-200s, but was ulti-mately rejected. In 1977, BAC merged with Hawker Siddeley to form British Aerospace (BAe) and the One-Eleven 800 was proposed with CFM-56 en-gines. It would have accom-modated some 150 passengers in a mixed class layout. The One-Eleven 800's fate was in-volved with the development of a European competitor to ubiquitous U.S. short/medium range airliners and it did not progress to the design stage. The BAC Two-Eleven and Three-Eleven were British air-liner studies proposed by the British Aircraft Corporation in the late 1960s which never made it to production. On 9 June 1979, Romanian president Nicolae Ceauşescu signed a contract

for One-Eleven licence pro-duction in Romania. This was to involve the delivery of three complete One-Elevens (two 500-series aircraft and one 475 series) plus the construction of at least 22 in Bucharest, with reducing British content. It also involved Romanian pro-duction of Spey engines and certification of the aircraft to British standards by the Civil Aviation Authority. A market for up to 80 Romanian-built aircraft was projected at the time, largely in China and other developing economies, and possibly Eastern Europe. The aircraft was redesig-nated ROMBAC 1-11. The first Rombac One-Eleven, (YR-BRA cn 401) a series 561RC was rolled out at Romaero Băneasa factory on 27 August 1982, and flew for the first time on 18 Sep-tember 1982. Production con-tinued until 1989 at a much

slower pace than foreseen in the contract: nine aircraft were delivered, with the tenth and eleventh aircraft on the pro-duction line abandoned when they were 85% and 70% com-plete. The first aircraft was delivered to TAROM on 29 December 1982. The Roma-nian carrier took delivery of all but two of the aircraft pro-duced, with the remaining two going to Romavia, the last of which (YR-BRI cn 409) was delivered on 1 January 1993. There were three reasons why the Rombac initiative failed: Romania's economy and inter-national position deteriorated to the point where supplies for One-Eleven manufacture slowed to a trickle, with hard currency restrictions delaying the delivery of components that were still sourced outside Romania; the market foreseen Continued on page 51

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by the Romanians failed to show an interest, though some Rombac machines were leased out to European operators; the One-Eleven's noise level and fuel economy had failed to keep pace with US and West European competition. Adopting a new engine would have resolved noise and fuel economy issues, and following the fall of the Ceauşescu re-gime, plans were made to re-start production using theRolls-Royce Tay. British aircraft leasing company Associated Aerospace agreed a $1 billion deal to purchase 50 Tay-powered One-Elevens fitted with a new electronic glass cockpit for onward leasing to western customers. The liquidation of Associated Aerospace in April 1991 stopped this deal, however. Despite this setback, Rombac continued to try to sell the One-Eleven, with US opera-tor Kiwi International Air Lines placing a firm order for 11 Tay-engined aircraft with options for a further 5, but these plans came to nothing. Once in service, the One Eleven quickly found itself in direct competition with the Douglas DC-9, and was joined by another competitor, the Boeing 737, only a year after its introduction. Advan-tages over the DC-9 included a

lower unit cost; the DC-9 of-fered more seating and its en-gines were interchangeable with those on the Boeing 727. These factors led to Trans Australia Airlines choosing to purchase the DC-9 instead. In the United States, the Civil Aeronautics Board was scepti-cal of smaller operators' need for jet aircraft and withheld financing, leading to several US customers cancelling their One-Eleven orders. Mohawk Airlines became both the first American operator of the type and the first airline in the US to operate jet aircraft on short haul routes. On 25 June 1965, Mohawk intro-duced its first One-Eleven into passenger service; by the end of the decade, the airline oper-ated a fleet of 20 BAC One-Elevens. Buying the jets pushed Mohawk into debt and this, along with an economic downturn and strike action, led to its forced merger with Alle-gheny Airlines. In July 1963, American Airlines had placed an order for 15 400-series One-Elevens for £14 million; this was the first time American

Airlines had purchased a for-eign aircraft type for its fleet. Several British operators, in-cluding Dan Air and British Caledonian, made extensive use of the type. Dan Air pro-gressively increased the num-ber of One-Elevens they had in service in the 1970s, even-tually replacing their ageing first-generation de Havilland Comets with the One-Eleven entirely in the 1980s, with the type becoming the airline's main revenue generator. Dan Air would often lease One-Elevens, including ROMBAC-produced aircraft, to meet short-term demands; during periods of low demand Dan Air would also lease its own One-Elevens out to other op-erators; British Caledonian and Dan Air One-Elevens would often be exchanged be-tween the two airlines on tem-porary and permanent ar-rangements. Passenger de-mand grew on several key One-Eleven routes, exceeding even the Series 500's larger capacity during the 1980s, which began to force airlines to use other planes. Prior to the formation of British Airways (BA), some of its predecessor com-panies, British European Air-ways and Cambrian Airways, had been operating the Continued on page 52

“Adopting a new engine would have resolved noise and fuel economy issues”

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One-Eleven. Their fleets were inherited by BA; British Air-ways Regional Division found the performance of the One-Eleven more than adequate and sought to expand the air-line's operations with the type, including further acquisitions, in the early 1970s in part to replace remaining Vickers Viscounts. BA's 400-Series One-Elevens were all named after areas and locations in the English Midlands, reflect-ing the type's new base at Bir-mingham Airport. BA ordered more Series-500 aircraft in the late 1970s and the airline re-ceived some of the last British-made One-Elevens. British Caledonian had begun replacing their One-Elevens with the new Airbus A320, when they were merged with British Airways in 1987 due to financial problems. In both Caledonian and British Air-

ways service, the One-Elevens were a dominant type for the operator's European routes. BA proceeded to rationalise their fleets, retiring many overlapping types, the One-Eleven being gradually phased out for the more modern A320 and Boeing 737 jetliners. The last aircraft was removed from regular service with BA in Oc-tober 1992. A number of ex-BA aircraft saw service with Maersk Air before, in turn, being replaced in by the Bombardier CRJ200 in the late 1990s. In Ireland Aer Lingus flew One-Elevens for three decades, in both the scheduled and charter markets; the aircraft was used on less-busy Euro-pean routes into the 1990s. The One-Eleven was impor-tant in budget airline Ryanair's early years: it had sought an aircraft for low-fare scheduled

services from regional air-ports, and obtained One-Elevens. The first of these, a ROMBAC-produced 500-Series, entered service on the Dublin–Luton route on 1 De-cember 1986. Ryanair's fleet expanded to six aircraft by 1988, with three leased di-rectly from Romania. These leased aircraft were later re-placed with former BA One-Elevens; ultimately Ryanair replaced the One-Eleven with the Boeing 737 in the mid-1990s. In April 1966, Philippine Air-lines began operating One Elevens in revenue service; they eventually operated 12 of the later 500-Series. One of these aircraft suffered two separate in-flight bomb explo-sions, but was repaired both times and continued in service until 1992. In another high-profile incident on 21 May 1982, John Clearno tried to hijack a Philippine One-Eleven while on the ground but he was eventually over-powered by the cockpit crew following hours of negotiation and no passengers or crew were injured. Philippine Air-lines replaced the type with the Boeing 737 from 1989 onwards. Romania was a major cus-tomer for British-produced Continued on page 53

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One-Elevens, with several large orders in the 1970s. These aircraft were often fitted with equipment such as engine 'hush kits'. In May 1977, a ma-jor cooperation agreement be-tween British Aerospace and the Romanian government was signed, and this led to a grad-ual One-Eleven technology

transfer to Romania. Full con-tracts for license production under the ROMBAC name fol-lowed two years later; both complete airframes and com-ponents were provided to as-sist in the venture. All One-Elevens manufactured by ROMBAC were delivered to TAROM, who leased them to airlines across both Eastern and Western Europe. ROM-BAC-produced One-Elevens

would be adopted by many emerging operators across the world, including Lauda Air in Austria, Aero Asia Interna-tional in Pakistan, and Ro-mavia in Romania. One-Elevens remained in widespread use with European operators into the 1990s. Once retired from major operators, they were often sold to smaller airlines, often in the Far East and Africa; Nigeria was a ma-jor operator until the type was grounded after a crash in 2002. A major factor for the with-drawal from European service of remaining One-Elevens was the Stage III noise abatement regulations, which came into effect from March 2003. Bringing the Rolls-Royce Spey engines into compliance with the noise regulations with hush kits was expensive and many European operators chose to dispose of the type from their fleets instead. In 2010, the European Aviation Safety Agency accepted an Airbus request to revoke the Type Certificate for the BAC One-Eleven. As a result BAC One-Eleven aircraft reg-istered in any EU Member

State are no longer eligible for a Normal Certificate of Air-worthiness. In December 2012, the last operational One-Eleven in the UK, that had continued to fly as a military aircraft, was retired. As of October 2013 only one aircraft was still in service used by Northrop Grum-man as an airborne test bed for the F-35 programme, Since the One-Eleven's type certificate has been with-drawn, it flies as an experi-mental aircraft in the research and development category. Some airframes survive as static display, most notably: 475AM G-ASYD at the Brookland Museum 510ED G-AVMU at the Impe-rial War Museum 510ED G-AVMO at the Na-tional Museum of Flight 539GL ZH763 at the Classic Air Force Museum N999BW at Tristar History and Preservation Inc

“factor for the withdrawal from European ser-vice of remaining One-Elevens was the Stage III noise abatement regulations”

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The flight data recorder

A flight recorder, colloqui-ally still called black box, al-though it is now orange-coloured, is an electronic re-cording device placed in anaircraft for the purpose of facilitating the investigation of aviation accidents and in-cidents. Any type of aircraft in any condition of flight can be viewed in terms of its input parameters (e.g. control in-structions) and output parame-ters (e.g. flight sensors), with-out any knowledge of its inter-nal workings, as a black box model. The flight data re-corder (FDR) is an independ-ent device that preserves the recent history of the flight through the recording of doz-ens of parameters collected several times per second. The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) preserves the recent history of the sounds in the cockpit including the conver-sation of the pilots. The two recorders give a testimony, narrating the flight history with accuracy and impartiality, to assist in an investigation. FDR and CVR may be com-bined in a single unit. The two recorders are required by inter-national regulation to be capa-

ble of surviving the conditions likely to be encountered in a severe aircraft accident. For this reason, they are typically specified to withstand an im-pact of 3400g and tempera-tures of over 1,000 °C (1,830 °F) as required by EUROCAE ED-112. They have been required in commer-cial aircraft in the US since 1967. Early designs As with many successful de-vices, probably no single per-son could be credited with the invention of the flight re-corder. One of the earliest and proven attempts was made

by François Hussenot and Paul Beaudouin in 1939 at the Marignane flight test cen-ter, France, with their "type HB" flight recorder; they were essentially photograph-based flight recorders, because the record was made on a scroll-ing eight meters long by 88 milimeters wide photographic film. The latent image was made by a thin ray of light deviated by a mirror tilted ac-cording to the magnitude of the data to record (altitude, speed, etc.). A pre-production run of 25 "HB" recorders was ordered in 1941 and HB Continued on page 56

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recorders remained in use in French test centers well into the seventies. In 1947, Hus-senot founded the Société Française des Instruments de Mesure with Beaudouin and another associate, so as to mar-ket his invention, which was also known as the "hussenograph". This company went on to become a major supplier of data recorders, used not only aboard aircraft but also trains and other vehi-cles. SFIM is today part of the Safran group and is still present on the flight recorder market. The advantage of the film technology was that it could be easily developed af-terwards and provides a dura-ble, visual feedback of the flight parameters without needing any playback device. On the other hand, unlike mag-netic bands or later flash mem-ory-based technology, a photo-graphic film cannot be erased and recycled, and so it must be changed periodically. As such, this technology was reserved for one-shot uses, mostly dur-ing planned test flights; and it was not mounted aboard civil-ian aircraft during routine commercial flights. Also, the cockpit conversation was not recorded. Another form of flight data recorder was developed in the UK during World War II. Len Harrison and Vic Husband de-veloped a unit that could with-

stand a crash and fire to keep the flight data intact. This unit used copper foil as the re-cording medium with various styli indicating various instru-ments / aircraft controls which indented the copper foil. The copper foil was periodically advanced at set periods of time therefore giving a history of the instruments / control set-tings of the aircraft. This unit was developed at Farnborough for the Ministry of Aircraft Production. At the war's end the Ministry got Harrison and Husband to sign over their in-

vention to them and the Minis-try patented it under British patent 19330/45. This unit was the forerunner of today's black boxes being able to withstand conditions that aircrew could not. The first modern flight re-corder, called "Mata Hari", was created in 1942 by Finnish aviation engineer Veijo Hie-tala. This black high-tech me-chanical box was able to re-cord all important aviation de-tails during test flights

of World War II fighter air-craft that the Finnish army repaired or built in their main aviation factory in Tampere, Finland. The "Mata Hari" black box is displayed in the Vapriikki Museum in Tampere, Finland. DSTO working In 1953 and 1954, a series of fatal incidents involving the de Havilland Comet prompted the grounding of the entire fleet pending an investi-gation. Australian engineer David Warren, a chemist spe-cializing in aircraft fuels, was involved in a professional committee discussing the pos-sible causes. Since there had been neither witnesses nor survivors, Warren conceived of a crash-survivable method to record not only the instru-ments' readings, but also the flight crew's conversation, reasoning they would greatly assist in determining a cause and enabling the prevention of future, avoidable accidents of the same type. Warren, when working with the Defence Science and Technology Organisations' Aeronautical Research Labo-ratory (Melbourne, Australia) published a 1954 report enti-tled "A Device for Assisting Investigation into Aircraft Continued on page 57

“Len Harrison and Vic Hus-band developed a unit that could withstand a crash and fire to keep the flight data intact”

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Accidents" and built a proto-type FDR called "The ARL Flight Memory Unit" in 1957. The first coupled FDR / CVR prototype designed with civil-ian aircraft in mind, for ex-plicit post-crash examination purposes, was produced in 1958. However, aviation authorities from around the world were largely uninterested. This changed in 1958 when Sir Robert Hardingham, the Secre-tary of the British Air Regis-tration Board, visited the ARL and was introduced to Warren. The Aeronautical Research Laboratory allocated Warren an engineering team to de-velop the prototype to airborne stage. The team, consisting of electronics engineers Lane Sear, Wally Boswell and Ken Fraser developed a working design incorporating a fire and

shockproof case, a reliable system for encoding and re-cording aircraft instrument readings and voice on one wire, and a ground-based de-coding device. The ARL sys-tem became the "Red Egg", made by the British firm of S. Davall & Sons, Ltd., of Green-ford, Middlesex. The "Red Egg" got its name from its shape and bright red colour. In 1965 the units were redes-igned and moved to the rear of airplanes to improve the prob-ability of successful data re-trieval after a crash. Independent invention The "Flight Recorder" was in-vented and patented in the United States by Professor James J. "Crash" Ryan, a pro-fessor of mechanical engineer-

ing at the University of Min-nesota from 1931 to 1963. Ryan's "Flight Recorder" pat-ent was filed in August 1953 and approved on November 8, 1960; see US Patent 2,959,459. A second patent by Ryan for a "Coding Apparatus For Flight Recorders and the Like" is US Patent 3,075,192 dated Janu-ary 22, 1963. An early proto-type of the Ryan Flight Data Recorder is described in the January 2013 Aviation His-tory Magazine article "Father of the Black Box" by Scott M. Fisher. Ryan, also the inventor of the retractable safety seat belt now required in automo-biles, began working on the idea of a flight recorder in 1946, and invented the device in response to the 1948 re-quest from the Civil Aeronau-tics Board for development of a flight recorder as a means of accumulating data that could be used to get information useful in arriving at operating procedures designed to reduce air mishaps. The original de-vice was known as the "General Mills Flight Re-corder". The benefits of the flight recorder and the coding apparatus for flight recorders were outlined by Ryan in his study entitled "Economies in Airline Operation with Flight Recorders" which was entered Continued on page 58

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into the Congressional Record in 1956. Ryan's Flight Re-corder maintained a continuing recording of aircraft flight data such as engine exhaust, tem-perature, fuel flow, aircraft velocity, altitude, control sur-faces positions, and rate of de-scent. A "Cockpit Sound Re-corder” (CSR) was independ-ently invented and patented by Edmund A. Boniface, Jr., an aeronautical engineer at Lock-heed Aircraft Corporation and originally filed with the US Patent Office on February 2, 1961 as an "Aircraft Cockpit Sound Recorder"; the 1961 invention was viewed by some as an "invasion of privacy". Subsequently Boniface filed again on February 4, 1963 for a "Cockpit Sound Re-corder" (US Patent 3,327,067) with the addition of a spring loaded switch which allowed the pilot to erase the audio/sound tape recording at the conclusion of a safe flight and landing. Boniface's participa-tion in aircraft crash investiga-tions in the 1940s and in the accident investigations of the loss of one of the wings at cruise altitude on each of two Lockheed Electra turboprop powered aircraft (Flight #542 operated by Braniff Airlines in 1959 and Flight #710 operated by Northwest Orient Airlines in 1960) led to his wondering what the pilots may have said

just prior to the wing loss and during the descent as well as the type and nature of any sounds or explosions that may have preceded or occurred dur-ing the wing loss. His patent was for a device for recording audio of pilot remarks and en-gine or other sounds to be "contained with the in-flight recorder within a sealed con-tainer that is shock mounted,

fireproofed and made water-tight" and "sealed in such a manner as to be capable of withstanding extreme tempera-tures during a crash fire". The CSR was an analogue device which provided a progressive erasing/recording loop (lasting 30 or more minutes) of all sounds (explosion, voice, and the noise of any aircraft struc-tural components undergoing serious fracture and breakage) which could be overheard in

the cockpit. Terminology The origin of the term "black box" is uncertain. In a systems engineering context (since the 1960s when the term was spreading), the meaning is: the aircraft is modeled as a black box, and its behaviour will be understood by its re-corded inputs (ex. pilot in-structions) and outputs (ex. panel data like flight level). The term "flight recorder" is more precise, and the popular synonym "black box" is used only informally — almost never used within the flight safety industry or aviation. The recorders are not permit-ted to be black in color, and must be bright orange, as they are intended to be spotted and recovered after incidents. The term black box is a misnomer popularised by media in gen-eral, however reporting of re-cent incidents in 2014 / 2015 the media appear to be show-ing some tendency toward us-ing more accurate terminol-ogy. One explanation for populari-zation of the misnomer "black box", comes from the early film-based design of flight data recorders, which required the inside of the recorder to be Continued on page 59

“Ryan's Flight Recorder main-tained a con-tinuing recording of aircraft flight data such as engine exhaust, temperature, fuel flow, aircraft ve-locity, altitude, control surfaces positions, and rate of descent”

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perfectly dark to prevent light leaks from corrupting the re-cord, as in a photographer’s darkroom. Another explanation of the "black box" term populariza-tion came from a meeting about Warren's "Red Egg", when afterwards a journalist told Warren, "This is a won-

derful black box." The unit itself was based on an EMI Minifon wire recorder (originally a 1950s espionage gadget from the West-German manufacterer Protona Monske) fitted into a perspexbox firmly screwed together. Another possible origin of the term is World War II RAF jar-gon. During the period 1940-1945 new electronic innova-tions, such as Oboe, GEE and H2S, were added to aircraft (specifically bombers) on a regular basis. The prototypes were roughly covered in hand-

made metal boxes, painted black to prevent reflections. After a time any piece of "new" electronics was referred to as the "box-of-tricks" (as illusionist box) or the "black-box". The first recorded use of the term "black box" in reference to flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders was by Mr E. Newton of the AAIB at a meeting of the Aeronautical Research Council in August 1958. Components Flight data recorder: A flight data recorder (FDR) (also ADR, for accident data recorder) is an electronic de-vice employed to record any instructions sent to any elec-tronic systems on an aircraft. It is a device used to record spe-cific aircraft performance pa-rameters. Another kind of

flight recorder is the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), which records conversation in the cockpit, radio communica-tions between the cockpit crew and others (including conversation with air traffic control personnel), as well as ambient sounds. In this both functions have been combined into a single unit. The current applicable FAA TSO is C124b titled Flight Data Re-corder Systems. The data recorded by the FDR is used for accident investiga-tion as well as for analyz-ing air safety issues, material degredation and engine per-formance. Due to their impor-tance in investigating acci-dents, these ICAO-regulated devices are carefully engi-neered and stoutly constructed to withstand the force of a high speed impact and the heat of an intense fire. Con-trary to the popular term "black box", the exterior of the FDR is coated with heat-resistant bright orange paint for high visibility in wreck-age, and the unit is usually mounted in the aircraft’s em-pennage (tail section), where it is more likely to survive a severe crash. Following an accident, the recovery of the FDR is usually a high priority for the investigating body, as analysis of the recorded Continued on page 60

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parameters can often detect and identify causes or contrib-uting factors. Modern day FDRs receive in-puts via specific data frames from the Flight Data Acquisi-tion Units (FDAU). They re-cord significant flight parame-ters, including the control and actuator positions, engine information and time of day. There are 88 parameters re-quired as a minimum under current US federal regulations (only 29 were required until 2002), but some systems monitor many more variables. Generally each parameter is recorded a few times per sec-ond, though some units store "bursts" of data at a much higher frequency if the data begins to change quickly. Most FDRs record approxi-mately 17–25 hours worth of data in a continuous loop. It is required by regulations that an FDR verification check (readout) is performed annu-ally in order to verify that all mandatory parameters are re-corded. This has also given rise to flight data monitor-ing programs, whereby flights are analyzed for optimum fuel consumption and dangerous flight crew habits. The data from the FDR is transferred, in situ, to a solid state recording device and then periodically analyzed with some of the same technology used for acci-

dent investigations. In other cases the data is downloaded from the aircraft's Quick Ac-cess Recorder (QAR), either by transfer to a portable solid state recording device or by direct upload to the operator's headquarters via radio or satel-lite.

FDRs are usually located in the rear of the aircraft, typi-cally in the tail. In this posi-tion, the entire front of the aircraft is expected to act as a "crush zone" to reduce the shock that reaches the re-corder. Also, modern FDRs are typically double wrapped in strong corrosion-resistant stainless steel or titanium, with high-temperature insula-tion inside. They are usually bright orange. An underwater locator beacon is mounted on a bracket bolted to the front of an FDR, this is designed to emit an ultrasonic "ping" for up to 30 days and can operate immersed to a depth of up to 6,000 meters (20,000 ft). Cockpit voice recorder: A cockpit voice recorder (CVR) is a flight recorder used to record the audio environ-

ment in the flight deck of an aircraft for the purpose of investigation of accidents and incidents. This is typically achieved by recording the sig-nals of the microphones and earphones of the pilots' head-sets and of an area micro-phone in the roof of the cock-pit. The current applica-ble FAA TSO is C123b titled Cockpit Voice Recorder Equipment. Where an aircraft is required to carry a CVR and utilizes digital communications the CVR is required to record such communications with air traffic control unless this is recorded elsewhere. As of 2008 it is an FAA requirement that the recording duration is a minimum of two hours. A standard CVR is capable of recording 4 channels of audio data for a period of 2 hours. The original requirement was for a CVR to record for 30 minutes, but this has been found to be insufficient in many cases, significant parts of the audio data needed for a subsequent investigation hav-ing occurred more than 30 minutes before the end of the recording. The earliest CVRs used ana-log wire recording, later re-placed by analog magnetic Continued on page 61

“Most FDRs re-cord approxi-mately 17–25 hours worth of data in a con-tinuous loop”

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tape. Some of the tape units used two reels, with the tape automatically reversing at each end. The original was the ARL Flight Memory Unit produced in 1957 by Australian David Warren and an instrument maker named Tych Mirfield. Other units used a single reel, with the tape spliced into a continuous loop, much as in an 8-track cartridge. The tape would circulate and old audio information would be over-written every 30 minutes. Re-covery of sound from mag-netic tape often proves diffi-cult if the recorder is recov-ered from water and its hous-ing has been breached. Thus, the latest designs employ solid-state memory and use digital

recording techniques, making them much more resistant to shock, vibration and moisture. With the reduced power re-quirements of solid-state re-corders, it is now practical to incorporate a battery in the units, so that recording can continue until flight termina-tion, even if the aircraft electri-cal system fails. Like the FDR, the CVR is typically mounted in the rear of the airplane fuselage to maximize the likelihood of its survival in a crash. Combined units: With the advent of digital re-corders, the FDR and CVR can be manufactured in one fire-

proof, shock proof, and water-proof container as a combined digital Cockpit Voice and Data Recorder (CVDR). Cur-rently a CVDR is manufac-tured by L-3 Communications as well as other manufactur-ers. Solid state recorders became commercially practical in 1990, having the advantage of not requiring scheduled main-tenance and making the data easier to retrieve. This was extended to the two hour voice recording in 1995. Additional equipment: Since the 1970s, most large Continued on page 62

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civil jet transports have been additionally equipped with a "quick access re-corder” (QAR). This records data on a removable storage medium. Access to the FDR and CVR is necessarily diffi-cult because of the require-ment that they survive an acci-dent. They also require spe-cialized equipment to read the recording. The QAR recording medium is readily removable and is designed to be read by equipment attached to a stan-dard desktop computer. In many airlines, the quick access recordings are scanned for 'events', an event being a sig-nificant deviation from normal operational parameters. This allows operational problems to be detected and eliminated be-fore an accident or incident results. Many modern aircraft systems are digital or digitally con-trolled. Very often, the digital system will include Built-In Test Equipment which records information about the opera-tion of the system. This infor-mation may also be accessed to assist with the investigation of an accident or incident. Specifications The design of today's FDR is governed by the internation-ally recognized standards and recommended practices relat-ing to flight recorders which

are contained in ICAO Annex 6 which makes reference to industry crashworthiness and fire protection specifications such as those to be found in the European Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment documents EUROCAE ED55, ED56 fiken A and ED112 (Minimum Operational Per-formance Specification for Crash Protected Airborne Re-

corder Systems). In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regu-lates all aspects of US avia-tion, and cites design require-ments in their Technical Stan-dard Order, based on the EUROCAE documents (as do the aviation authorities of many other countries). Currently, EUROCAE speci-fies that a recorder must be able to withstand an accelera-tion of 3400 g (33 km/s²) for 6.5 milliseconds. This is

roughly equivalent to an impact velocity of 270 knots (310 mph) and a deceleration or crushing dis-tance of 450 cm. Additionally, there are requirements for penetration resistance, static crush, high and low tempera-ture fires, deep sea pressure, sea water immersion, and fluid immersion. EUROCAE ED-112 (Minimum Operational Per-formance Specification for Crash Protected Airborne Re-corder Systems) defines the minimum specification to be met for all aircraft requiring flight recorders for recording of flight data, cockpit audio, images and CNS / ATM digi-tal messages and used for in-vestigations of accidents or incidents. When issued in March 2003 ED-112 super-seded previous ED-55 and ED-56A that were separate speci-fications for FDR and CVR. FAA TSOs for FDR and CVR reference ED-112 for characteristics common to both types. In order to facilitate recovery of the recorder from an air-craft accident site they are re-quired to be coloured bright yellow or orange with reflec-tive surfaces. All are lettered "FLIGHT RECORDER DO NOT OPEN" on one side in Continued on page 63

“modern aircraft systems are digital or digi-tally controlled. Very often, the digital system will include Built-In Test Equipment which records in-formation about the operation of the system”

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Regulation In the investigation of the 1960 crash of Trans Australia Airlines Flight 538 at Mackay (Queensland) the inquiry judge strongly recommended that flight recorders be installed in all airliners. Australia became the first country in the world to make cockpit-voice recording compulsory. The United States first CVR rules were passed in 1964 re-quiring all turbine and piston aircraft with four or more en-gines to have CVRs by 1 March 1967. As of 2008 it is an FAA requirement that the CVR recording duration is a minimum of two hours, fol-lowing the NTSB recommen-dation that it should be in-creased from its previously-mandated 30-minute duration. As of 2014, flight data record-ers and cockpit voice recorders are only required on US air-craft that have 20 or more pas-senger seats, or those that have six or more passenger seats, are turbo-charged, and require two pilots. For US air carriers and manu-facturers, the National Trans-portation Safety Board (NTSB) is responsible for in-vestigating accidents and safety-related incidents. The NTSB also serves in an advi-sory role for many interna-tional investigations not under

its formal jurisdiction. The NTSB does not have regula-tory authority, but must de-pend on legislation and other government agencies to act on its safety recommendations. Proposed requirements The NTSB recommended in 1999 that operators be required to install two sets of CVDR systems, with the second CVDR set being "deployable or ejectable". The "deployable" recorder com-bines the cockpit voice/flight data recorders and an emer-gency locator transmitter (ELT) in a single unit. The "deployable" unit would depart the aircraft before impact, acti-vated by sensors. The unit is designed to "eject" and "fly" away from the crash site, to survive the terminal velocity of fall, to float on water indefi-nitely, and would be equipped with satellite technology for

immediate location of crash impact site. The "deployable" CVDR technology has been used by the US Navy since 1993. The recommendations would involve a massive ret-rofit program. However, gov-ernment funding would negate cost objections from manufac-turers and airlines. Operators would get both sets of record-ers for free: they would not have to pay for the one set they are currently required by law to carry. The cost of the second "deployable/ejectable CVDR" (or "Black Box") was estimated at $30 million for installation in 500 new aircraft (about $60,000 per new com-mercial plane). In the United States, the pro-posed SAFE Act calls for im-plementing the NTSB 1999 recommendations. Continued on page 64

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However so far the SAFE ACT legislation failed to pass Congress in 2003 (H.R. 2632), in 2005 (H.R. 3336) and in 2007 (H.R. 4336). Originally the "Safe Aviation

Flight Enhancement (SAFE) Act of 2003" was introduced on June 26, 2003 by Congress-man David Price (NC) and Congressman John Duncan (Tennessee) in a bipartisan ef-fort to ensure investigators have access to information im-mediately following commer-cial accidents. On July 19, 2005, a revised SAFE Act was introduced and referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the US House of Representatives. The bill was referred to the House Subcommittee on Aviation during the 108th, 109th, and 110th congresses. The NTSB has also asked for

the installation of cockpit im-age recorders in large transport aircraft to provide information that would supplement exist-ing CVR and FDR data in ac-cident investigations. They also recommended image re-corders be placed into smaller aircraft that are not required to have a CVR or FDR. The ra-tionale is that what is seen on an instrument by the pilots of an aircraft is not necessarily the same as the data sent to the display device. This is particu-larly true of aircraft equipped with electronic displays (CRT or LCD). A mechanical instrument is likely to preserve its last indication, but this is not the case with an electronic display. Such systems, esti-mated to cost less than $8,000 installed, typically consist of a camera and microphone lo-cated in the cockpit to continu-ously record cockpit instru-mentation, the outside viewing area, engine sounds, radio communications, and ambient cockpit sounds. As with con-ventional CVRs and FDRs, data from such a system is stored in a crash-protected unit to ensure survivability. Since the recorders can some-times be crushed into unread-able pieces, or even located in deep water, some modern units are self-ejecting (taking advan-tage of kinetic energy at im-pact to separate themselves from the aircraft) and also

equipped with radio emer-gency locator transmitters and sonar underwater locator bea-cons to aid in their location. On March 12, 2014 in re-sponse to the missing Malay-sia Airlines Flight 370, David Price re-introduced the SAFE Act in the House of Represen-tatives. The disappearance of the Malaysian aircraft demon-strated the limitations of the contemporary flight recorder technology, as physical pos-session of the flight recorder device is necessary to help investigate the cause of an aircraft incident. Considering the advances of modern com-munication technology com-mentators called for flight re-corders to be supplemented or replaced by a system for "live streaming" data from the air-craft to the ground. Further-more commentators called for the battery life of the under-water locator beacons to be extended from 30 to 90 days, the range of the locator to be increased and additionally for the outfitting of civil aircraft with deployable flight record-ers, which are commonly used in military aircraft. Previous to MH370 the extension of the battery life has been suggested as "rapidly as possible" by investigators of the Air France Flight 447 crash – the AF447 crash happened in 2009, how-ever it took until 2011 to re-cover the flight recorders.

“NTSB has also asked for the in-stallation of cockpit image recorders in large transport aircraft to provide infor-mation that would supple-ment existing CVR and FDR data in accident investigations.”

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MAY/JUNE

United States & Canada May 1 - 3 Central Texas Airshow 2015 May 2 Manassas Regional Open House and Airshow May 2 - 3 Defenders of Liberty Air Show May 2 - 3 Planes of Fame Air Show May 2 - 3 Dyess Big Country Airfest May 2 - 3 Great Alaska Aviation Gathering May 8 Arsenal of Democracy WWII Victory Capitol Flyover May 9 Estrella Warbirds, Wings & Wheels May 9 Corsicana Airshow May 9 - 10 Quad City Air Show May 9 - 10 Millville Wings & Wheels Airshow May 9 - 10 Salute America 2015 Air Show May 9 - 10 Valdez May Day Fly-in and Air Show May 10 Cache Creek Mother's Day Fly-In May 15 - 17 Warbirds Over The Beach 2015 May 16 Hangar 24 Craft Brewery AirFest May 16 Warbirds Over Hondo May 16 Auburn Opelika Airshow May 16 Paine Field Aviation Day May 16 Aeros & Autos 2015 May 16 Thunder Over Augusta Armed Forces Day May 16 - 17 The Great New England Air Show May 16 - 17 Boshears Skyfest & Fly-in May 16 - 17 Wings Over Wayne 2015 May 16 - 17 Discover Aviation Days Cancelled May 16 - 17 Warbirds Over Addison May 20 USNA Air Show May 22 USNA Graduation Flyover U May 23 Mercer County Wings & Wheels May 23 - 24 Bethpage Air Show May 23 - 24 Salute to Veterans Air Show May 23 - 24 Rochester International Air Show May 23 - 24 Discover Aviation Airshow Spectacular May 27 Anderson Regional Airshow May 28 USAFA Graduation : Thunderbirds Display May 29 - 30 Midwest Aviation Fun Days May 29 - 31 Virginia Beach Patriotic Festival Oceanfront Air Show Cancelled

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MAY/JUNE

United States & Canada Continued May 29 - 31 Rocky Mountain Airshow May 30 Greenwood Leflore Airport Airshow May 30 Good Neighbor Day PDK Airshow May 39 BCATP Fly-In - Canadian Warplane Heritage May 30 - 31 Rhode Island Open House and Air Show May 30 - 31 Virginia Regional Festival of Flight Cancelled May 30 - 31 Discover Aviation Days Jun 03 North Bay Armed Forces Day 2015 Jun 05-07 Mid-Atlantic World War II Weekend Jun 06 Skypark Aviation Festival Jun 06 Ada Air Expo 2015 Jun 06 Indiana Wing CAF Warbird Expo '15 Jun 06 Rusk County Fly-In & Airshow Jun 06 Knox County D-Day Event Jun 06 Nebraska State Fly-in and Air Show Jun 06-07 Rockford AirFest 2015 Jun 06-07 Cavalcade of Planes Cancelled Jun 06-07 The Heart of Texas Airshow Jun 06-07 Fallen 4 Marathon : CF-18 Hornet display Jun 06-07 Pueblo Air Blitz Jun 10 Fort Frances Snowbirds Display Jun 13 Highest Show On Earth Jun 13 Military Aviation Museum Flying Proms Jun 13 Warbirds Over The West Fly-in Jun 13-14 OC Air Show 2015 Jun 13-14 Wings over Whiteman 2015 Jun 13-14 Spectacle aérien de Rimouski Jun 16 Saint-Isidore Snowbirds Display Jun 20 Ray Fagen Memorial Airshow Jun 20 Denton Airshow 2015 Jun 20 Wings and Wheels Fly In & Drive In Jun 20 Carson City Airport Open House Jun 20 Pacific Legends Day Jun 20 American Heroes Air Show Jun 20 Lee's Summit Airport Open House Jun 20-21 Westmoreland County Air Show Jun 20-21 Spectacle Aérien International de Bagotville

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United States & Canada Continued Jun 20-21 Dayton Air Show Jun 20-21 AirShow San Diego Jun 20-21 Wings Over Gaylord Air Show Jun 20-21 Hollister Airshow Jun 20-21 Father’s Day Fly-In Jun 20-21 Wings & Wheels Expo 2015 Jun 20-21 Skyfest - Canadian Warplane Heritage Jun 21 Canby Father's Day Air Show Jun 24 Goderich Air Show Jun 26-28 Evansville Freedom Festival Air Show Jun 27 Greenwood Aviation Expo 2015 Jun 27 Rotors 'n Ribs helicopter fly-in Jun 27 Menomonie Airfest & Autorama Jun 27-28 Celebrate Neosho Airshow Jun 27-28 Olympic Air Show Jun 27-28 Cameron Air Show Jun 27-28 Minnesota Air Spectacular 2015 Jun 27-28 Waterloo Air Show Cancelled Jun 27-28 Warbird Weekend—Idaho Jun 30 Jun The Hadfield Youth Summit

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MAY/JUNE

Europe May 8 - 10 Yorkshire Air Museum: Battlegroup North May 9 Russia May Victory Day Parade May 9 - 10 Sky is not the limit Airshow May 10 Oldtimer Fly-In Historischer Verein Hangar 31 Cancelled May 14 Hoogeveen Airport Wings & Wheels May 14 Ischia Air Show May 15 - 17 International Biplane Rally May 16 Hangariada : air displays May 16 - 17 Antwerp Stampe & Ercoupe Fly-in May 19 Satakunta Air Command Career Day May 19 - 21 EBACE 2015 May 20 Spottersday THPU 2015 May 21 Tikkakoski Air Force Academy Career Day May 21 - 23 May Heli Russia 2015 Crocus Expo May 22 - 23 Pushkin Military-Historical festival May 23 Llandudno Air Show 2015 May 23 Shuttleworth Classic Evening Airshow May 23 Open Day Caslav Air May 23 - 24 Duxford VE Day Anniversary Air Show May 23 - 24 Festyn Lotniczy Ostrów Cancelled May 23 - 24 La Ferté-Alais Meeting Aérien: Le Temps des Hélices May 24 Cold War Jets Open Day May 24 "Scilla e Cariddi" Air Show May 24 - 25 Oostwold Airshow 2015 May 24 - 25 Tag der offenen Tür FSV Ailertchen May 25 Driffield Vintage Fair & Fun Day May 25 Villeneuv'Air Show May 25 Skyforce Launch : Red Arrows display—Blackpool May 25 Lanc, Tank and Military Machines East Kirkby May 28 - 31 Oostende voor anker - Rescue at Sea May 29 - 30 Air Fair Bydgoszcz 2015 May 29 - 31 AeroExpo UK May 29 - 31 Heli UK Expo May 29 - 31 Legendák a Levegőben Repülőnap May 30 AirExpo 2015 May 30 Clinceni Children's Day Air Show May 30 Den otevřených dveří 2015 Jaroměř

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APRIL/MAY

Europe Continued May 30 - 31 Großes Oldtimer Festival Siegerland May 30-31 Red Bull Air Race—Russia Cancelled May 30 - 31 Aerosport 2015 May 30 - 31 Meeting de l'Air - Corsica May 30 - 31 Red Bull Air Race - Croatia May 30 - 31 104th Anniversary of the Turkish Air Force May 30 - 1 Midlands Flight Fest May 31 Volkel in de Wolken May 31 Kjeller Flydagen 2015 May 31 Spiaggia d'Argento Air Show Jun 02 Festa della Repubblica Roma Jun 04-06 France Air Expo Jun 04-07 Kehler Flugtage Flugplatz Kehl-Sundheim Jun 05-07 Legendák a Levegőben Repülőnap Szolnok-Szandaszőlős Jun 06 Throckmorton Air Show Jun 06 Arctic Airshow 2015 Sodankylä Jun 06 BOBAS 2015 Jun 06 Växjö Airshow 2015 Jun 06 Letecký deň Senica Jun 06-07 Aviatická Pouť - Pardubice Aviation Fair Jun 06-07 Turku Airshow Jun 06-07 Compiègne Aéro-Classic 2015 Jun 06-07 Estonian Aviation Days 2015 Jun 07 Jun Shuttleworth Light Aircraft Association Airshow Jun 07 Meeting de l'Air Jun 07 Bellaria Igea Marina Air Show Jun 09 Isle of Man TT Races Red Arrows Display (Ramsey) Jun 09 Isle of Man TT Races Red Arrows Display (Douglas) Jun 10 RNAS Merryfield Open Evening Jun 11-13 European Helicopter Show Jun 12-14 Klassikwelt Bodensee Friedrichshafen Jun 12-14 Cholmondeley Pageant of Power Jun 13 Fly-In Air France: Meeting Aérien Saint-Yan Jun 13 Biggin Hill Festival of Flight Jun 13 RAF Northolt Centenary Open Day Jun 13 Tag der Bundeswehr Jun 13 Satu Mare Miting Aviatic 2015

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MAY/JUNE

Europe Continued Jun 13 Tag der Bundeswehr Jun 13-14 Flugplatzfest Bergneustadt Jun 13-14 AEROFestival 2015 Jun 13-14 Flugtag Straubing Jun 14 Jun RAF Cosford Air Show Jun 14 Welshpool Bob Jones Memorial Air Show Jun 14 Her Majesty The Queen's Birthday Flypast Jun 14 Airport Day Munich Jun 14 Jesolo Airshow Jun 14 Meeting Aérien Lorient Jun 15-21 Paris Air Show Jun 19-20 Whitehaven Airshow 2015 Cancelled Jun 19-20 Tankové dni Laugarício Jun 19-21 Weston Park Model Airshow Jun 19-21 Wings, Wheels and Goggles Jun 19-21 Jubiläumsfest / Armeeausstellung Morgarten 2015 Jun 20 Shuttleworth Edwardian Picnic & Evening airshow Jun 20 Jun 90th Anniversary Polish Air Force Academy Jun 20 Flydag Stord Lufthavn 2015 Jun 20-21 Weston Air Festival 2015 Jun 20-21 Air-Britain Vintage & Classic Aircraft Fly-In Jun 20-21 Great North Fly In 2015 Jun 20-21 Piknik Lotniczy Jun 20-21 Bucharest International Air Show (BIAS) Jun 20-21 Barry Wartime Weekend 2015 Jun 20-21 Parma Air Show Jun 20-21 Formula 1 Spielberg : air displays Jun 20-21 Aero-Moto Víkend 2015 Jun 21 Festival Aéreo de Motril Jun 21 Chotěboř Airshow Jun 21 Rodzinny Piknik Lotniczy Jun 21 Wellesbourne Wings & Wheels 2015 Jun 21 Journée Portes Ouvertes de la Marine Nationale Jun 25-28 Goodwood Festival of Speed Jun 26 Air Traffic Control Center Open Door Jun 26-28 Wings & Wheels Telemark Jun 27 Armed Forces Day National Event

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MAY/JUNE

Europe Continued Jun 27 Nederlandse Veteranendag Jun 27 Plymouth Armed Forces Day 2015 Jun 27 Lowestoft Armed Forces Day Jun 27 Eslövs Flygfest Jun 27 Red Pigs Festival : Patrouille Suisse display Jun 27 Piknik Lotniczy Świdwin Jun 27-28 Fly Party 2015 - Aviosuperficie di Montagnana Jun 27-28 Piknik Szybowcowy - Leszno Rozwiń Skrzydła Jun 27-28 Chalke Valley History Festival Air Show Jun 27-28 Oris Ambri Fly-In 2015 Jun 27-28 Meeting de l'Air BA116 Luxeuil Jun 27-28 Małopolski Piknik Lotniczy Jun 27-28 Ursel Avia (Opendeur Vliegclub Ursel) Jun 27-28 Fly-in Moorsele Jun 27-28 Flughafenfest 2015 Erfurt Jun 27-28 Memorial Air Show 2015 Jun 27-28 Centenario de la Hidroaviación Militar Española Jun 27-28 Würzburg fliegt Jun 27-28 Stockerauer Flugplatzfest 2015 Jun 28 North East Lincolnshire Armed Forces Day Jun 28 Portes Ouvertes Jun 28 Air Race 1 World Cup Jun 28 Hunstanton Carnival air display Jun 28 Swięto Marynarki Wojennej (Navy Day) Jun 29 Stornoway Port Authority 150th Anniversary: Red Arrows display Rest of World May 2 - 3 May Wings over Illawarra Air Show May 3 MCAS Iwakuni Friendship Day May 16 Botswana Airshow 2015 May 16 - 17 May Red Bull Air Race, Japan May 23 Lowveld Air Show May 23-24 The Old Station Fly-In & Heritage Show May 30 Watts Bridge All-In Fly-In Jun 07 Air Race 1 World Cup Jun 07 JASDF Open House

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MAY/JUNE

Events in BOLD text have more information on our website: www.attservices.co.uk

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Getting started with model aircraft

So you've read some of our reviews and decided to build a plastic model aircraft kit. Welcome to an absorbing and fun-filled hobby! Nothing quite captures the imagination as airplanes locked in battle high in the sky. This hobby is a great way to re-live an im-portant period of world his-tory, or to spend time with kids building patience and hand-eye coordination. This series of articles, adapted from modelairplanebuild-

ing.com will give you some basic hints and tips to get you started. You may have already built or partially built a model, and have mentally compared it to the ones you see on display at the hobby shop. You are wondering how they make the kits turn out so amazingly real-istic! Some of your questions might be: How do they get rid of the gap

between the body halves?

How do they get the paint to

look so smooth?

How do they get the small de-

tails to stand out instead of

disappear?

You certainly aren’t alone in those thoughts. But everyone starts of that way—the articles will help you learn many of the insider tricks that are used to turn a humble box of molded plastic parts into a mu-seum-worthy masterpiece.

You can use as few or as many of these tricks as you like to improve your models. But the most important thing is to have fun doing it! This month we look at some of the tools you need to get started and the best ways to prepare the workspace and model to get that perfect fin-ish! Tools and materials: To get started, you don’t need to have the most expensive or extensive range of tools and equipment. It is possible to put together a kit with just a few items from your local hobby shop but for a model that

really stands out, there are a few items you might want to consider: Essential Hobby Knife - Used for re-moving model parts from the frames ("sprues"), trimming off excess plastic ("flash"), plus a million other uses. Common brand is X-acto knife, a handle plus re-movable blades (#11) is the most used). Safety glasses - Used these whenever you need to cut anything. Sand paper - For general cleanup of plastic, removing excess glue, and creating a smooth finish before paint. Get a range of grits (400 - 1000, or even 2000). Fine tweezers - For gripping small parts. Paint brushes - Even if you plan to use spray cans or an airbrush, there are still small parts that will need to be brushed. Continued on page 74

“you don’t need to have the most expensive or ex-tensive range of tools and equip-ment”

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Pins - For applying a fine bead of glue. Toothpicks - Great for stirring or mixing paint. Glue - Indispensable. The standard “Glue in the tube” works well for most things al-though you will probably want to look at the ones with needle applicators for finer work. White glue is good for attach-ing canopies.

Filler - Used to fill gaps be-tween glued parts. Also avail-able in a tube like the glue. Tape - Used for test fitting parts, and masking areas dur-ing painting. Even at a starter level, quality matters here. Look for low adhesive tapes from your hobby shop. They are more expensive than nor-mal masking tape but you will get better results. Paint and Thinner - Also indis-pensable. Get the thinner rec-ommended by the paint manu-facturer. Nice-to-Have

Cutting pliers - Helps remove stubborn parts from the sprues. Razor saw - Also for parts re-moval from sprues. Cyano-acrylate glue - Useful for filling gaps. Use only with safety glasses. Airbrush or Spray Cans - Will generally give a better finish than paintbrushes. We will cover masking and painting in a later article. Air Compressor - Used with the airbrush. Better perform-ance and more versatility than the cans of propellant. Paint Booth - Used to catch overspray of paint. Better de-signs have exhaust fans and ducting to the building exte-rior. Not needed if you only spray outside. Turntable - An inexpensive rotating table for cake decorat-ing and other crafts. Allows you to paint all sides of a model without touching wet paint or leaving your chair. Dremel motor tool - Useful for cutting and grinding plas-tic. Comes in handy for ad-vanced modelers when modi-fying an airplane model to an-other version ("conversions"). Hot-glue gun - Use the hot glue to position small parts on

a piece of scrap material, so that they be conveniently brush-painted. Preparation Many a model has been built on a kitchen or dining ta-ble. This is a good work space if you can get it. How-ever it's unlikely that you will finish the model in a single sitting; there is also the ever-present threat of paint or glue spillage. If you can, find a space in a spare room where you can leave your project whilst you aren’t working on it. An old but sturdy table is best and lighting should be adequate (a lamp with a built-in magnifier is a nice luxury). There should also be good ventila-tion, especially when using glues and spray paints. Wherever you choose to make your model, cleanliness is ab-solutely essential. Nothing will spoil your work more than dust and debris. Remem-ber that any debris that gets onto your model, although only small in reality, will look like a house brick on the fin-ished kit! Washing parts The injection molding Continued on page 75

“If you can, find a space in a spare room where you can leave your project whilst you aren’t work-ing on it”

75


process that made your kit uses a "mold release agent" to help the parts un-stick from the molds. This material will prevent paint from sticking perfectly to the plastic. So the first order of business is to wash the parts. The sprues full of parts can be placed one by one in a baking pan full of soapy wa-ter. Gently rub the larger pieces with your fingers before rinsing and air dry on paper towels. You can use a blow drier to get rid of more stub-born droplets, in order to pre-vent water stains, but take care not to warm the plastic as this causes it to warp. It is worth noting that oils from your fingers can also af-fect the paint. After basic con-struction, wash the whole model again with soap and wa-ter before painting. It is also prefer to wear disposable

gloves during the paint proc-ess, to prevent the odd finger-print here and there. These are available from most chemists or healthcare suppliers. In the UK, SP Services are one of the leading suppliers and offer a wide range, in both vinyl or latex, from stock at reasonable prices. Removing parts If you built one of these mod-els as a kid, you probably ripped open the box and started twisting the airplane parts to get them off the sprues. This method can work OK, sometimes. Other times, parts with multiple attachment points will get distorted, or a piece of plastic from the part itself will get ripped off. To prevent this, using the hobby knife to gently score next to the part. Several passes followed by gentle hand pres-

sure should be enough to re-move it. For really thick at-tachment points, you can use a razor saw (by X-acto) or cut-ting pliers. There are also spe-cialty tools available known as sprue cutters. You may also need to "clean up" the parts, not in the sense of washing them, but in the sense of repairing molding defects. "Flash" refers to ex-cess thin plastic that gets squeezed out of the mold in the manufacturing process. This can be removed with the hobby knife. There are sometimes "sink marks", small circular holes that help the molding proc-ess. These are usually placed in out of the way areas, if not they must be filled-in. Also look out for random writing on the surface.


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Storing parts Parts can be kept on the sprues until needed. You can place the sprues back in the box, with paper towels separating them to prevent scratches. Sometimes a bunch of smaller parts are taken off to be painted with the same colour, but are not used right away. It's best to store these parts (after drying) in zip-loc bags or similar safe containers. Decal sheets also benefit from storage in zip-loc bags, espe-cially if they are to remain un-used for a long time. You should be able to fit eve-rything back into most model's original boxes, if you need to take a break, change work-spaces, or move house (yes, it happens).

Instructions Last but not least, read the in-structions carefully. Under-stand the building sequence, and locate the major parts in the box. Make notes on the instructions if there is something to pay special attention to, or if you plan to deviate somewhat from the instructions. Make a list of the recommended paint col-

ours that you need to pur-chase. It is also worth noting, at this stage, that it is worth doing your research on the model you are trying to build. Mili-tary aircraft especially have hundreds of livery and stores combinations depending on the particular moment in his-tory you are trying to recreate. Get as many reference pic-tures and drawings of the ex-act aircraft you are building and compare it with the in-structions. You may find that you will have to consider scratch-building or purchasing after market components to com-plete the model accurately, but we will look at that in a later article.

“Make notes on the instructions if there is some-thing to pay special attention to, or if you plan to deviate somewhat from the instructions”

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Evolution of design

College Park Airport (CGS) just north of Washington, DC is a small community airport. It is no different than many small airports with one major exception. College Park Air-port is the world's oldest con-tinuously operated airport. It has been in operation since 1909. College Park Airport began operation just six years after the Wright Brothers first flew a heavier-than-air air-plane. Since College Park Air-port's inception, airports have evolved from large vacant fields to concrete mini-cities with thousands of workers and passengers. The design of these airports varies depending

upon geography, local envi-ronment and number of opera-tions. These airports provide access to a great transportation network that criss-crosses the United States. Airports were not always known as airports. They were originally called "flying fields". This is because they were just that, fields. During the early days of aviation, a large field was needed for air-plane operations. A long and equally as wide field was nec-essary because the airplane needed to be oriented into the wind no matter which direc-tion the wind was blowing. Airplanes take off and land more efficiently when oriented

into the wind. To maximize the airplane's potential to achieve the great-est lift in the shortest amount of distance and time during takeoff, airplanes should be pointed into the wind. By landing into the wind the ground speed is minimized. This allows the pilot more time to make the adjustments necessary for a smooth touch-down. Ground speed is a com-bination of airspeed (the speed provided by the propulsion system's thrust minus some drag) plus wind speed. There-fore if an airplane with an air-speed of 100 mph is landing with a wind that has a speed of 20 mph then the ac-tual ground speed of the air-plane is 120 mph (100 mph + 20 mph = 120 mph). Con-versely, if the airplane with an airspeed of 100 mph is land-ing into the wind with a wind speed of 20 mph then the ac-tual ground speed of the air-plane is 80 mph (100 mph - 20 mph = 80 mph). This is helpful to the pilot as the pilot attempts to stall the airplane just above the runway for a smooth landing. Continued on page 78

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In early aviation times, the takeoff procedure con-sisted of people moving the airplane to the downwind side of the field and pointing it into the wind. Early aircraft were designed to fly, not move about the ground, so the land-ing of many airplanes were merely skids, not wheels. After the airplane was checked out to see if everything was ready, the pilot switched on the fuel and the magneto. A helper would turn the propeller by hand while others held onto the airplane to keep it from moving. When the engine started and the helper who "propped" the plane was out of the way, the airplane was released, bounced awkwardly along the field and eventually took off. Since the wind speed and direction var-ied, a large field allowed the airplane to always takeoff and land into the wind. Not until

after the 1930s were airplanes equipped for self-propelled taxiing (move slowly along the ground) and quite a few air-ports were still large fields. Many airports around the country still have the word "Field" in their name. Merrill Field (MRI) in Anchorage, AK, and Love Field (DAL) in Dallas, TX are two airports still referred to as fields. Aircraft and airports have evolved and continue to evolve. In the 1950s airplanes began to have a variety of uses for transportation and busi-ness. Airplanes were equipped with steerable tail wheels in-stead of tail skids so they could operate more easily on the ground. As airplanes got

larger and heavier it became necessary for airports to have hard surface runways instead of the grass or gravel fields because such fields could not support the weight of heavier airplanes. (A Boeing 747 can weigh more than 800,000 pounds at takeoff.) Airports eventually began to offer more services for air-plane operators and their in-creasing number of passen-gers. A modern large airport today has thousands of work-ers, accommodates tens of thousands of passengers, and loads or unloads hundreds of thousands of pounds of bag-gage and cargo daily. Continued on page 79

“When the en-gine started and the helper who "propped" the plane was out of the way, the air-plane was re-leased, bounced awkwardly along the field and eventually took off”

79


There are many types of air-ports that exist today as part of the United States' air transpor-tation system. These airports range from a single grass air-strip in an agricultural or rural area to the large airports serv-ing major cities. There are seven basic types of airports: Rural airstrip Private airport Military airports Small community airport Regional community airport Regional airport Major city airport Not all airports are located

near towns and cities. Driving through agricultural regions, a single narrow strip of grass or pavement along the highway could indicate that there is an aerial operation based there. These are referred to as rural airstrips. There are several private com-munities in the United States with a small, common airstrip where homes with attached hangars allow owners to taxi from their hangar to a shared runway. An interesting note: in Alaska any public road can be used as a runway, however in the state of New York it is ille-

gal to make an emergency landing on any highway. Military airstrips or airports are usually restricted to mili-tary aircraft usage from flight testing to military training routes. These airports are de-signed to handle rotorcraft or fixed wing aircraft. Most of the runways of military air-ports can accommodate heavy, wide-body aircraft and have a runway length of 8,000 to 13,000 feet. Many small communities have single airstrip airports where private and small busi-ness airplanes are based. These small community air-ports support general avia-tion flying. Most of these smaller airports do not have operating control towers. Of-ten these regional community airports offer facilities for training student pilots. A few of these smaller airports near remote towns and cities have limited airline service. These services usually consist of small, propeller airplanes or small, regional jets that seat no more than 20 passengers. The airline service from a small community airport can provide service to a major city airport and a regional airport, and also to a regional commu-nity airport Continued on page 80

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The regional community air-ports typically are larger than the small community airports, have airport control towers, and have facilities for opera-tion in instrument conditions when visibility is poor. Com-muter airlines using slightly larger jets (like 727s) provide service from these airports to other regional community air-ports, regional airports, and to major city airports. Regional airports are sup-ported by several communi-ties. Working together these communities can have an air-port with instrument facilities, a control tower, and airline service. These airports provide passenger and cargo service on a regular basis and support the larger passenger aircraft. The Kingston, NC area airport is the Kingston Regional Jetport at Stallings Field, (ISO), and the Tri-cities Regional TN/VA (TRI) airport is operated by the cities of Bristol, Johnson City, and Kingsport TN. Airports can be privately owned or owned by counties,

cities, or groups of cities. Some airports are owned by counties or small cities with the costs, profits, and rewards being shared by the citizens of the county or city. Fulton County-Brown Field (FTY) near Atlanta is a busy airport with all the services offered at major city airports. It has a control tower and instrument landing facilities. Many of these smaller city airports have two or more runways and fa-cilities for making instrument approaches when the weather causes ceilings and visibilities below authorized minimums.

Airport "size" is judged either by the number of operations (takeoffs and landings) or the number of passengers who fly in or out of the facility. In 2008 for the United States, Hartsfield (ATL) in Atlanta, Chicago-O'Hare International (ORD), and the Los Angeles International (LAX) were the three largest airports as meas-ured by passenger traffic.

These major city airports han-dle most national and interna-tional flights and support mainly the much larger airlin-ers such as 737s, 747s and 777s. Characteristics of these major city airports include separate terminals for national and international flights, two or more long runways capable of handling the larger jet air-liners, and fully functioning airport control towers with instrument landing capabili-ties. In the United States, the pri-mary means of travel between large cities at least 1,000 miles apart is by air. Airliners transport large numbers of passengers and vast quantities of luggage and freight over great distances in relatively short time frames. The smaller general aviation aircraft pro-vide passenger and cargo ser-vice to the less-populated communities. Overall, airports bring business and industry to every community they sup-port. All airports regardless of their size, provide access to the air transportation network. A few of the larger airports are commonly referred to by their airport identifiers. In Los Angeles people fly out of L-A-X, that is, Los Angeles Inter-national Airport. In New York City, the largest airport is Continued on page 81

“Airport "size" is judged either by the number of operations (takeoffs and landings) or the number of pas-sengers who fly in or out of the facility. ”

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often referred to as J-F-K in-stead of John F. Kennedy In-ternational Airport. In the Dal-las-Ft. Worth area, people fly in and out of D-F-W. All airports have an airport identifier. The identifier is ac-tually four letters or a combi-nation of letters and numbers. Since the first letter of all con-tinental United States airports is "K", it is just omitted from the remaining identification letters. For airline luggage tags all identifiers for all countries have only three letters. If you have flown into any of the des-tination airports listed below you might recognize the three-letter luggage tag. SFO San Francisco International LHR London Heathrow CDG Paris Charles De Gaulle Bar codes contain four charac-ters signifying the final desti-nation. Carrier initials (Speedy Flight) and a six-character bag num-ber are followed by a three-character abbreviation for the final destination (FWA = Fort Wayne, Indiana). Final flight listed first, carrier initials, flight numbers, and date for all parts of the journey show a mini-itinerary. Destina-tions for initial flights are

listed in smaller type (DTW = Detroit, Michigan).

Aviation is controlled by an agency of the United States' government known as the Fed-eral Aviation Administration or the FAA. This agency man-dates identification standards for airport layout that is meant to assist pilots in easily recog-nizing runways from the air and to taxi safely from the run-way to the gate. From runway numbers and painted stripes to airport and runway lights and signs, the FAA regulates the

National Airspace System. In navigation and surveying, all measurement of direction is performed by using the numbers of a compass. A compass is a 360° circle where 0/360° is North, 90° is East, 180° is South, and 270° is West. Runways are laid out according to the numbers on a compass. A runway's compass direction is indicated by a large number painted at the end of each runway. Preced-ing that number are 8 white stripes. Following that number by 500 feet is the "touchdown zone" which is identified by 6 white stripes. A runway's number is not written in degrees, but is given a shorthand format. For example, a runway with a marking of "14" is actually close to (if not a di-rect heading of) 140 degrees. This is a southeast compass heading. A runway with a marking of "31" has a com-pass heading of 310 degrees, that is, a northwest direction. For simplicity, the FAA rounds off the precise heading to the nearest tens. For example, runway 7 might have a precise heading of 68 degrees, but is rounded off to 70 degrees. Continued on page 82

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Each runway has a different number on each end. Look at the diagram below. One end of the runway is facing due west while the other end of the run-way is facing due east. The compass direction for due west is 270 degrees ("27"). The compass direction for due east is 90 degrees ("9"). All run-ways follow this directional layout. This runway would be referred to as "Runway 9-27" because of its east-west orien-tation.

The FAA includes over 20 dif-ferent runway layouts in their advisory materials. There are 4 basic runway configurations with the rest being variations of the original patterns. The basic runway configurations are the following: Single runway This is the simplest of the 4 basic configurations. It is one runway optimally positioned for prevailing winds, noise,

land use and other determin-ing factors. During VFR (visual flight rules) condi-tions, this one runway should accommodate up to 99 light aircraft operations per hour. While under IFR (instrument flight rules) conditions, it would accommodate between 42 to 53 operations per hour depending on the mix of traf-fic and navigational aids available at that airport. Parallel runways There are 4 types of parallel runways. These are named according to how closely they are placed next to each other. Operations per hour will vary depending on the total number of runways and the mix of air-craft. In IFR conditions for predominantly light aircraft, the number of operations would range between 64 to 128 per hour. Open-V runways Two runways that diverge Continued on page 83

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from different directions but do NOT intersect form a shape that looks like an "open-V" are called open-V runways. This configuration is useful when there is little to no wind as it allows for both runways to be used at the same time. When the winds become strong in one direction, then only one runway will be used. When takeoffs and landings are made away from the two closer ends, the number of operations per hour significantly increases. When takeoffs and landings are made toward the two closer ends, the number of op-erations per hour can be re-duced by 50%. Intersecting runways Two or more runways that cross each other are classified as intersecting runways. This type of configuration is used when there are relatively strong prevailing winds from more than one direction during the year. When the winds are strong from one direction, op-erations will be limited to only one runway. With relatively light winds, both runways can be used simultaneously. The

greatest capacity for opera-tions is accomplished when the intersection is close to the takeoff end and the landing threshold. The capacity for the number of operations varies greatly with this runway configuration. It really depends on the location of the intersection and the manner in which the runways are operated (IFR, VFR, air-craft mix). This type of con-figuration also has the poten-tial to use a greater amount of land area than parallel runway configurations. Airports also use standardized lighting and ground markings to provide direction and identi-fication to all air and ground crews. To assist pilots in dif-ferentiating at night between

airport runways and freeways, airports have rotating beacon lights. These beacons usually flash green and white lights to indicate a civilian airport. They are visible from the air long before the entire airport is recognizable. To help pilots at night quickly identify the beginning of a runway, green threshold lights line the run-way's edge. Red lights mark the ends of runways and indicate obstruc-tions. Blue lights run along-side taxiways while runways have white or yellow lights marking their edges. All these markings and lights serve to set a safety standard for all pilots to follow. Continued on page 84

“Two or more runways that cross each other are classi-fied as intersect-ing runways”

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When runways are built, their layout is influenced by many factors: Federal Aviation Regulations environmental concerns Noise level impacts

Terrain and soil considera-

tions

Natural and man-made ob-

structions

Annual weather patterns

Size and performance charac-

teristics of the airplanes that

will use the runways

These are all factors in runway and airport planning. Many issues are studied before final decisions on airport location and runway layout are deter-mined. Environmental impact require-ments for airports were first established with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and in 1970 with the Air-port and Airway Development Act. These acts ensure that due consideration is given to the effects on the quality of the environment and the surround-ing communities in regard to airport expansion, use and de-velopment. Before building a new facility or expanding an existing facility, an impact study or feasibility study must

be done. These studies include a critical assessment of all im-pact issues from soil to air quality. Controlling water pollution from airports has been well-mastered by planners. Airports can be major contributors to water pollution if suitable treatment facilities are not pro-vided for the various types of

airport wastes. These wastes include the following: domes-tic sewage, industrial wastes such as oil and fuel spills and high temperature water degra-dation that stems from the heat of various power plants in nearly constant use at an air-port. One of the most severe prob-lems is that of aircraft noise in and around an airport. Laying out runways so that air traffic patterns occur minimally over heavily populated areas is a practice now widely employed during runway expansion and when building new airports. Controlling the land use around an airport also helps

reduce the interference of air-craft noise with the public. Noise abatement procedures during takeoff and landing make for quieter airport op-erations. Such procedures consist of a faster takeoff speed quickly followed by slowing the en-gine once airborne over a populated area, then returning the engines to full speed and resuming normal flight opera-tions. This lessens the amount of engine noise over the popu-lated area without adversely affecting the flight. Improve-ments in engine design have also been a successful factor in reducing aircraft noise. Airports attract business and people, but airports are noisy. Businesses and people do not like airport noise. There are very few airports in the world where no noise complaints have been recorded. Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport (DFW) records the time and track of every arriving and departing aircraft. If a com-plaint is received DFW per-sonnel can identify the aircraft that was the cause. There is an organization called the San Francisco Airport Roundtable that keeps tabs on noise and other concerns at the San Francisco International Air-port (SFO). Continued on page 85

“Environmental impact require-ments for air-ports were first established with the National En-vironmental Pol-icy Act of 1969 ”

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The goal of NASA's Quiet Aircraft Technology project (sponsored by NASA's Aero-nautics Research Mission Di-rectorate) is to reduce per-ceived aircraft noise by 50 per-cent by 2015 and by 75 per-cent in 25 years, using 1997 levels as the baseline. Noise in the vicinity of air-ports generated from aircraft operations has an adverse im-pact on a community's quality of life. At the very least, air-craft noise is distracting and it can be unhealthy. Noise is generated from the propulsion system by the rotating machin-ery, the combustion process, the jet flow from the nozzle as well as by the aircraft from airflow over wing flaps and around the landing gear. Noise is measured as sound pressure levels in decibels (dB). Noise impact on communities is a function of both the noise (dB)

from a single aircraft operation and the number of aircraft op-erations. Therefore, as opera-tions increase, overall commu-nity noise impact increases. NASA's objective is to lower aircraft source noise such that there is a substantial reduction in community noise impact even as the number of aircraft operations increase. The Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) makes the regulations (CFR, Part 36) but airport op-erators are primarily responsi-ble for planning and imple-menting action designed to reduce the effect of noise on residents of the surrounding area. Such actions include op-timal site location, improve-ments in airport design, and noise abatement procedures. Noise abatement procedures can include designated arrival and/or departure paths and procedures. Land acquisition

and restrictions on airport use should not unjustly discrimi-nate against any user or im-pede the federal interest in safety and management of the air navigation system. During the 1990s, aircraft were required to become less noisy. This change was ac-complished with the design of quieter engines and in some cases "hush kits" were in-stalled on some older aircraft. The change came in three stages where the aircraft noise level in decibels was reduced to less objectionable and less dangerous levels. As of the first of January 2000 Stage 3, the final stage, was imple-mented. The noise level of Stage 3 air-craft is comparable to a busy urban street and is much Continued on page 86

“goal of NASA's Quiet Aircraft Technology pro-ject (sponsored by NASA's Aero-nautics Re-search Mission Directorate) is to reduce per-ceived aircraft noise by 50 per-cent by 2015.”

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quieter than the Stage 2 air-craft noise level which is simi-lar to an amplified rock music concert. To find noise restrictions for individual airports visit the Boeing Corporation web site: http://www.boeing.com/

commercial/noise/index.html

The ground on which the air-port is to be built must have a stable stratum of earth upon which building foundations can be anchored. The soil must be capable of supporting heavy loads without shifting or sink-ing. If the airport's runways are to be used by heavy aircraft (airplanes with a gross weight 300,000 pounds and heavier) the underlying soil and/or bed-rock must be able to support the weight of the runway plus the aircraft's weight. Many air-port runways have several feet of reinforced concrete to sup-port the airplanes without cracking.

Land at a greater elevation sur-rounding an airport such as mountains also have a pro-

found effect on winds. In the daytime, air next to a mountain slope is heated by contact with the ground as it receives radia-tion from the sun. This air usu-ally becomes warmer than the air farther up the slope. Colder, denser air in the area settles downward and forces the warmer air near the ground up the mountain slope. This wind is called a "valley wind" because the air is flowing up and out of the valley. At night, the air in contact with the mountain slope is cooled by terrestrial radiation and be-comes heavier than the sur-rounding air. It sinks along the slope producing the "mountain wind" which flows like water down the mountain slope. Mountain winds are usually stronger than valley winds, especially in winter. The wind

pattern on the leeward side of a mountain contains dangerous downdrafts or "rotor waves". An aircraft flying through such wind would encounter hazard-ous turbulence that would push the airplane towards the ground. These are all consid-ered when orienting runways in an area near mountains.

There are many airports within mountainous areas where the runway headings generally run parallel with the length of the valley in which they are located or run along neighboring rivers. The terrain often influences development of the runways in the moun-tains. The airport runway at Aspen, CO, Aspen-Pitkin County/Sandy Field (ASE) is located near the end of a long valley. Airplanes land up the valley and takeoff down the valley. Mountains rise abruptly from the airport ele-vation of 7,815 feet to above 14,000 feet on three sides of the airport. Man-made obstructions like multi-storied high rises, trans-missions towers and bridges can and do influence runway

orientation. Landing at Reagan National Airport on Runway 15 requires a curving approach that follows above the Potomac River's course. Takeoff on Runway 33 from the same airport requires the reverse trip following above Continued on page 87

“The wind pat-tern on the lee-ward side of a mountain con-tains dangerous downdrafts or "rotor waves"

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the Potomac River because of government buildings to the north of the river and many high buildings south of the river.

Consideration of local weather patterns is also a factor in de-termining an airport's layout. The weather patterns of an area, especially the prevailing winds, are a major factor in determining runway headings. Prevailing winds are defined as the direction from which the winds blow most frequently. Remember that airplanes take off and land into the wind. Let's say that at a given airport the prevailing winds blow in from the west 65% of the year, while 30% of the year the wind blows in from the east, and the remaining 5% coming from the northwest. It would be best then to orient the run-way W (27) and E (9). That would mean that approxi-mately 95% of the year air-planes would be landing and taking off into the wind. In most of Texas and Oklahoma the runways are generally N-S runways because the winds are

usually from either the North or South. In parts of the East-ern United States there are many airports with NE-SW and NW-SE runways because the winds are more likely to change between those two di-rections. Terminal Configuration Although there are many types of terminal configurations cur-rently in use at airports across the United States, the five ba-sic types are given below with a brief description of each. Simple terminal This configuration consists of one building holding a com-mon ticketing and waiting area with several exits leading to a small aircraft parking apron for boarding. This is used at mainly small aircraft airports and some older large airports.

Linear terminal/ Curvilinear terminal This is simply an extension of the simple terminal concept

providing more gates and more room within the terminal for ticketing and passenger processing.

Pier finger terminal This terminal configuration evolved during the 1950s when gate concourses were added to the simple terminal building designs. A concourse is actually defined as an open space where paths meet. Passengers are usually proc-essed at the simple terminal location and then routed down a "pier" where aircraft are parked in the "finger" slots or gates for boarding.


“weather pat-terns of an area, especially the prevailing winds, are a major fac-tor in determining runway head-ings"

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Pier satellite terminal/ Remote satellite terminal This configuration involves a single terminal where all the ticketing and passenger proc-essing takes place. Connected to this are numerous con-courses that lead to one or more satellite structures. At the end of each concourse the aircraft are parked in a cluster. This increases the dis-tance a passenger must walk to get from one terminal to an-other or one gate to another. People-mover systems are em-ployed in these settings to re-duce these walking distances. These systems can be high-speed escalators, monorails or electric-powered carts. This design concept lends itself to a compact central terminal, but is difficult to expand without disrupting airport operations.

Mobile lounge or transporter terminal (remote aircraft park-ing concept) This concept is currently in use at Dulles International Air-port and Tampa International Airport. In this concept pas-sengers are transported to and from the building to the parked airplane. The mobile lounge can also be used as holding rooms for waiting passengers at gate positions. Airplanes are parked at gates placed along parallel rows.

Several sets of parallel park-ing rows can be created as increased traffic deems such expansion necessary. This de-sign has excellent expansion capabilities and can maintain the pace with increased airport usage. With this concept, aircraft can be parked re-motely from the terminal buildings thus increasing the amount of aircraft enplaning and deplaning passengers. Airplane taxiing time to and from the runway is de-creased as well as the amount of aircraft engine noise around the terminal.

“mobile lounge can also be used as holding rooms for waiting passengers at gate positions. "

This article features on the NASA Virtual Skies website. To discover more about them, please visit their website at:

http://virtualskies.arc.nasa.gov/

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So you think you know aviation? Test your knowledge with our monthly quiz

How did you do last month? Get all 12 right? Let’s see how you do this month. This month, air-craft identification: 1. 2. 3. 4.

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1. USA 2. Canada 3. Sweden 4. Britain (RAF) 5. Saudi 6. Germany 7. Russia 8. Argentina 9. Britain (RN) 10. India 11. Spain 12. New Zealand

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Air and Space Museum in Paris Le Bourget

From the room devoted to the "ballooning era" to the gallery containing the finest collections of aircraft, life-size models of the European Ariane rockets to the exhibit of Concorde 001, you will learn about two epic centu-ries of history from this ex-ceptional exhibition featur-ing over 150 original ma-chines. As witness of man's dream to conquer the sky, it is also the protector of the memory of this historical site : Paris-Le Bourget aeroport. Stretching over 18,000 m2 of exhibition space, it offers the finest col-lections touching on all themes of air an space. The terminal, in this historical site more than 200 m long, a chronological

exhibition will transport the visitor from the first balloon ride at the end of the 18th cen-tury, up to 1918, passing by the forerunners and pioneers. This collection of genuine old aircraft is unique in the world. The rocket exhibition hall, sat-ellites and space engines in-clude a genuine Soyouz space-ship), and a large choice of audiovisual sequences ena-bling us to better understand the history and stakes involved in the conquest of space in a completely renovated exhibi-tion hall measuring 2,500 m2. Animated presentations show on a large scale the launching path of an Ariane 5 rocket and the Apollo 11 mission. The aviation exhibition halls, mili-tary aircraft, stunt flying and

record-making airplanes, pro-totypes and helicopters show the wide diversity of use of these "heavier than air" de-vices. The 2 Concorde exhibition hall, visitors can climb on board the impressive Con-corde prototype 001 and Con-corde Sierra Delta, an Air France supersonic commercial aircraft and holder of several speed records. The Saint-Exupéry exhibition room, where parts of the pilot's plane including his identity bracelet are exposed: On the Tarmac, dominated by a Boeing 747 and life-sized models of the Ariane rockets 1 and 5, sev-eral commercial and military aircrafts are exhibited. The interior of a Boeing 747-128 has been designed to allow the visitor to discover the usually hidden parts of the aircraft such as the cockpit, baggage hold, petrol reservoir, and landing gear. Open daily except Mondays, 10am to 5pm (6pm from 1st May to 31st October) Information Aéroport du Bourget 93350 Le Bourget / Tél. : + 33 (0)1 49 92 70 62

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Latest airline fleet additions from airfleets.net

Airbus A330 1618 B-LBJ Cathay Pacific 30/04/2015 Airbus A321 6532 N136AN American Airlines 30/04/2015 Airbus A330 1623 LV-FVI Aerolineas Argentinas 30/04/2015 Airbus A320 6571 EC-MFL Vueling Airlines 29/04/2015 Airbus A320 6535 EC-MFK Vueling Airlines 29/04/2015 Airbus A320 6577 D-AIUM Lufthansa 29/04/2015 Airbus A330 1498 G-VGYK Thomas Cook UK 29/04/2015 Boeing 737 Next Gen 40738 PR-GXY GOL Transportes Aereos 28/04/2015 Boeing 737 Next Gen 41504 B-1773 China Eastern Airlines 28/04/2015 Boeing 737 Next Gen 41623 B-1506 Shandong Airlines 28/04/2015 Embraer 170/175 472 N141SY SkyWest USA 28/04/2015 Boeing 787 40623 N805AN American Airlines 28/04/2015 Airbus A321 6573 RP-C9923 Philippine Airlines 27/04/2015 Boeing 737 Next Gen 41664 D-ATUR TUIfly 27/04/2015 Embraer 190/195 688 PR-AUJ Azul Linhas Aereas 27/04/2015 Boeing 737 Next Gen 42199 N68880 United Airlines 27/04/2015 Embraer 190/195 689 OO-JVA JetairFly 25/04/2015 Airbus A380 170 A6-APB Etihad Airways 25/04/2015 Boeing 737 Next Gen 41104 B-1763 Air China 25/04/2015 Boeing 777 41690 VQ-BUB Aeroflot 24/04/2015 Airbus A319 5445 P4-MGU Global Jet Luxembourg 24/04/2015 Embraer 135/145 1196 VP-CRA Private 23/04/2015 Airbus A320 6557 EC-MFL Vueling Airlines 23/04/2015 Airbus A320 6494 A7-LAC Al Maha Airways 23/04/2015 Airbus A320 6347 A7-ALA Al Maha Airways 23/04/2015 Airbus A320 6564 B-1683 Shenzhen Airlines 23/04/2015 Boeing 777 60137 JA891A All Nippon Airways 23/04/2015 Boeing 777 37435 F-GZNP Air France 23/04/2015 Boeing 777 35946 PH-BVO KLM 22/04/2015 Boeing 787 34527 JA836A All Nippon Airways 22/04/2015 Airbus A321 6567 B-1639 Air China 22/04/2015 Airbus A321 6558 XA-VLH Volaris 22/04/2015 ATR 42/72 1241 PR-AQZ Azul Linhas Aereas 21/04/2015 Airbus A330 1621 B-LBK Cathay Pacific 21/04/2015 Airbus A330 1622 TC-JOH THY Turkish Airlines 21/04/2015 Sukhoi SuperJet 100 95050 XA-OUI Interjet 21/04/2015 Boeing 787 41541 B-2761 Xiamen Airlines 19/04/2015 Airbus A321 6560 N948JB JetBlue Airways 18/04/2015 Boeing 787 38757 HS-TQE Thai Airways 18/04/2015

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Airbus A321 6523 N921US US Airways 18/04/2015 ATR 42/72 1247 PK-WHF Wings Air 18/04/2015 Airbus A380 174 A6-EOH Emirates 17/04/2015 Airbus A319 6453 B-6471 China Eastern Airlines 17/04/2015 Airbus A330 1550 TC-JOU THY Turkish Airlines 17/04/2015 Embraer 170/175 471 N86324 Mesa Airlines 17/04/2015 Embraer 170/175 470 N140SY SkyWest USA 17/04/2015 Airbus A330 1620 TC-JOG THY Turkish Airlines 16/04/2015 Airbus A321 6545 B-16216 EVA Airways 16/04/2015 ATR 42/72 1243 PK-GAJ Garuda 16/04/2015 Embraer 170/175 467 N202NN Compass Airlines USA 15/04/2015

Airbus A321 MSN:6573 RP-C9923, Philip-pine Airlines—Delivered as D-AVXD Photo Credit: Dick Grothe / planespotters.net

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Issue 11 may 2015