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August 2, 2014

75 years and a new PC-24

What better way to celebrate your 75th anniversary than rolling out your first jet aircraft. Yesterday in celebration of the milestone anniversary and Swiss National Day, Pilatus rolled out its new Williams International FJ-44-4A powered PC-24 line CN: P01 at Buochs airfield.

The slightly delayed rollout kicks off a two-year type certification campaign with first flight tentatively scheduled for March 2015.

Three aircraft will eventually be involved in the certification campaign. The first prototype, pictured, registered HB-VXA will be used to develop the flight envelope. Of the design process to date Pilatus Chairman, Oscar Schwenk says “the design is OK as far as we can tell, but you only find out for sure when you are airborne. We want to open all corners of the envelope and see what happens.”

“When you are building an aircraft, every day is a compromise. Either you are too heavy, or not fast enough or you are not innovative enough on the avionics” – Oscar Schwenk, Pilatus Chairman.

A second aircraft to be used in avionics and system testing will roll out in February, while a third will follow in Summer 2015. The aircraft remains too heavy, within the never exceed weight, but outside the specs initially promised, with work on weight reduction continuing.

Certification is expected in 2017 with production spots sold out for next three years. Locally, the RFDS has ordered 3 PC-24s with an option on one additional aircraft for its Western Australian division.

e5f1b4a158569bb8d87dc2faf746f8ff-DSC_2521All images courtesy of Pilatus.

 

July 28, 2014

737 Max Confusion

Announcing the introduction of a 200-seat version of its 189 seat 737 Max 8 that will really only seat 199 caused Boeing’s Commercial Airplane team quite some confusion at Farnborough last week.

The amusing exchange kicked off when a reporter asked, what should we call the new variant of Boeing’s re-engined narrowbody?

“Max 8,” replied Ray Conner, president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. But isn’t that what Boeing already calls the 189-seat version? “The other one will be the -8,” Conner said. So what will the 200-seat version be called? “The Max 8,” replied Conner. Many in the audience looked at each other, perplexed. Conner continued, “Look, we’re not going to be doing the NG anymore, so [the 189-seater] is going to the be the 737-8. So the other is going to be the 737 Max 8.” Another baffled journo prodded further, so what will be the 200-seat variant be called? “Max 8,” said Conner. Himself now confused, Conner turned to his colleague Boeing’s chief salesman John Wojick for help, “Isn’t that right, you guys?” Now even Wojick seemed uncertain, cautiously replying “I don’t know if we’ve decided exactly what we’re going to call it.” The room proceeded to nod in silent agreement, and the briefing moved on. An hour later as proceedings wrapped up Conner returned to his muddled narrative. “Forget what I said about the name. We’ll go back and figure it out.”

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July 25, 2014

ANZ’s Black Bird in SYD

Air New Zealand brought its new 787-9 to Sydney for the first time today kicking off a series of ad hoc route proving flights before the aircraft enters commercial service.

The airline says “the 787-9 is schedule to operate between Auckland and Sydney on a surprise and delight basis from 9 August.” Ad hoc services to Perth will start in September ahead of the formal launch of scheduled services on 15 October.

Flightglobal’s comprehensive report on why the -9 is more than just a stretch of the -8 is well worth a read.

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July 24, 2014

Rejected Takeoff – A350′s final test

Airbus A350-900 MSN1 has successfully conducted a maximum energy rejected takeoff test at Istres, the final major test of the A350 certification programme.

The test follows earlier high energy rejected takeoff testing conducted during May, and tests the case for the aircraft to safely stop after a rejection in a high speed, maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) situation with limited braking capability.

The aircraft is fitted with worn set of carbon brakes that must absorb the full kinetic energy of the aircraft. Certification criteria requires the aircraft to remain still, without fire fighting intervention for five minutes. Airbus says MSN1′s brakes reached a temperature of 1,400C as a result of the energy absorbed.

Maximum energy rejected takeoff testing is left to the end of any aircraft test campaign due to the high risk of damage to the aircraft.

After 540 test flights and 2,250 flight test hours, route proving flights – including a Sydney stop on August 4 – are now the last hurdle of the campaign before the aircraft is certified.

 

 
July 14, 2014

CASA’s vision deficiency

Another week, another inexplicable move by Australia’s beloved safety regulator. Relying on research into Colour Vision Disorder (CVD) – colour blindness – to which they can’t produce results, CASA has written to approximately 500 registered pilots, as well as 900 aviation operators employing vision affected pilots warning it is reviewing its research in the area.

CASA’s move is in response to medical research paper authored by Dougal B Watson and published in the Journal of Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine, which analysed the lack of international uniformity in testing for CVD in 78 countries. The report argues that the lack of uniformity may lead to a trade in ‘aero-medical tourism’ with pilots pursuing licences in countries with less restrictive regulatory regimes.

Suggesting that pilots suffering from CVD may be unsafe walks a very fine discrimination line. Pilots suffering from colour deficiencies have been able to fly in Australia, following favourable rulings on two cases by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in 1987 and 1989.

Over the quarter decade of aviation operations following the rulings there has been no serious incident involving a licensed pilot suffering colour blindness in Australia. CASA’s sudden moves on the issue suggest this is more than the regular review, perhaps endorsements have slipped through the cracks resulting in the lack of uniformity the paper refers to.

An excerpt from CASA’s letter to AOC holders:

“I write to you now, as the holder of an Air Operator’s Certificate who may employ one or more affected pilots, to encourage you to consider whether it is safe to allow those pilots to continue to exercise flight crew privileges under your AOC, subject only to the existing condition, and what adjustments to those arrangements you may consider to be appropriate, in the interests of safety, pending CASA’s further determination of the matter.”

CASA denies immediate implications, but it’s a move which may lead to a change in regulations and license suspension. As the air safety regulator it should continually review any safety matter. What remains inexplicable is CASA’s assertion that these pilots are suddenly unsafe, and in raging disregard for common sense, refuses to produce its own research endorsing its position. In this instance it seems CASA is blind.

The basics. Flight thru Instruments, US Navy 1945.
July 6, 2014

Flight thru Instruments

While doing some research for another story I came across perhaps the most incredible flight training manual I have ever read.

Produced by the US Navy in 1945 ‘Flight thru Instruments’ teaches basic aeronautical knowledge and instrument flying techniques through the use of elaborate illustrations - drawn entirely by hand. The magnificent illustrations possess an accuracy and richness unseen in many design studios, let alone flying textbooks.

Created in response to a US Government tender during the war, Harley Earl led a team General Motors ‘Graphic Engineering’ staff to create the instructional illustration book. Earl worked as a designer at GM between 1929 and 1959, rising to the postwar position of GM’s styling section. Throughout his career Earl drew inspiration from aeroplane aesthetics to introduce into the styling of cars for which he would become known as the ‘father of the tailfin’.

Some further digging and I found a full version; do yourself a favour this Sunday afternoon and revisit the basics of flight.

Image: APAS
July 3, 2014

The Southernmost Graveyard

When you think of aircraft graveyards your first thought is probably Victorville, California – the Walmart of second hand aircraft – not Alice Springs, home to the only aircraft graveyard in the Southern Hemisphere.

Last month, the Asia Pacific Aircraft Storage (APAS) facility – received its first resident an EMB-120 Brasilia. APAS is capable of holding 250 large aircraft up to Code E – A340-600 or B747 – size. Designed as a storage and aircraft on-sale facility, it also has the capability to break down aircraft that reach the end of their service life.

APAS markets itself as a local alternative to the graveyards on the US West Coast, APAS “offering significant fleet efficiencies and costs savings”, however airlines appear reluctant to park aircraft - it has been a three year wait for the Brasilia to arrive.

Alice Springs is seemingly perfect for a graveyard: an ATC tower that can offer 24 hour service if required, no curfew, no noise complaints, and it enjoys year round balmy 30+ degree, low humidity weather.

Yet many airlines in the region aren’t queuing for a park, continuing to send their retiring aircraft direct to Victorville.

Victorville is a Free Trade Zone – there’s no tariffs or quotas – and it is a 24/7 U.S. Customs port of entry. Alice Springs offers neither of these benefits. Pratt & Whitney, GE, Boeing and Federal Express all have large operations at SCLA, and the size of the operations drives economies of scale that makes parking, on-sale or aircraft recycling significantly cheaper. Meanwhile, recycling at Alice couldn’t be cheap. Any broken down aircraft components need to be shipped considerable distance from Alice Springs for processing.

At Victorville, Managing these functions has supported a very lucrative diversification for maintenance/support contractors who kick the tyres and undertake an engine run or two on the stored aircraft. You can have your fleet stripped and painted. While there is a limitless supply of material to support the training colleges that certify ~200 new AME’s per annum.

When the rain does come, Victorville’s storage conditions win out as the only aircraft storage facility in the world with a concrete surface – no aircraft tires will sink into rain-soaked ground. The APAS facility will remain red dirt for the foreseeable future.

Alice Springs may offer good infrastructure support, but it’s hard to see APAS’ competitive benefits. It’s a difficult business convincing airline execs to travel thousands of kilometres when they can go to Walmart.

Image: ABC News - Rob Herrick

Image: ABC News – Rob Herrick

 

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July 1, 2014

Rolling into a NEO era

The first A320neo MSN6101 fitted with Pratt & Whitney PW1100G geared turbofans has made its daylight debut in Toulouse.

Earlier in June the aircraft – registered F-WNEO – achieved test instrumentation power-on, with Airbus also conducting load calibration tests.

Airbus will undertake a virtual flight test campaign over the summer before the A320neo’s planned maiden sortie in September. The sharklet winglet campaign and introduction of a reinforced wing on the A320ceo has assisted in fast-tracking A320neo certification by some 250 hours of flight testing.

Once underway, four A320neo test aircraft will be involved in the campaign - two for each engine option. Both pairs will have one aircraft fitted with heavy instrumentation dedicated to conducting aeroelasticity (handling) tests and evaluating hot-and-high performance. The second aircraft in the pair will be customer facing used for autopilot, ETOPS and noise testing.

The campaign will also focus heavily on achieving the same takeoff and landing performance for every family member despite the re-engined aircraft being approximately 1.6t heavier.

All engine-specific testing required for certification will be carried out by the A320neos, the four derivative test aircraft – two each of the A319neo and A321neo – will undertake engine type certification only. Many of the A320neo’s test results are transferrable to the A319neo as the aircraft feature an identical wing, however the A321 will need to undertake separate water-ingestion and noise testing.

At the end of May, Airbus held 2,689 orders for all three variants of the neo family.

Feature image and video by Airbus SAS.

Air New Zealand A320 ZK-OXB
June 24, 2014

Putting a price on time

Revealed at last week’s investor day and launched into market today, Air New Zealand (ANZ) has reformed its Domestic grabaseat fare structure into a new system that could be the first of its kind for any airline, anywhere, anytime.

The choices, shown below, are available to all customers up until the time of departure – delivering an unprecedented level of choice and affordability through the removal of all unbundled options. Arguably counterintuitive, the initiative goes against the airline trend of unbundling that has allowed airlines to collect revenue to make up for the shortfall in fare yields as competition drives down fares.

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But the true value of Air New Zealand’s new product is the value it allows a traveller to put on time. Its flexitime fare gives corporate travellers the choice of changing on to any flight the day of departure as long as there is a seat available. It’s a smart move. I’m sure you’ve travelled for work knowing you were travelling back that evening, but not when, and then being forced to wait because your fare class wasn’t available on an earlier flight.

“We asked Kiwi’s what they wanted…the same answers came up again and again – flexibility, affordability and choice.” – Air New Zealand CEO, Christopher Luxon

Last year American flirted with rebundling some fees into its base flexible fares aimed purely at corporate travellers, but has resisted moving further. In a market with little room for capacity growth, Air New Zealand’s product seeks a new competitive edge over struggling Jetstar. It makes a well-placed bet on who stands to benefit from lower fares, and who will pay more.

As companies reign in corporate travel spend, its new fares put it in a position drive not only revenue in the corporate space, but also volume, something that has been long reliant on leisure travel. Price reductions across the board also trade off the risk of corporate travellers buying cheap and diluting yield.

In an industry reliant on ancillary revenue to deliver a profit, ANZ is bucking the trend in its move to rebundle. It’s only a matter of time before others realise the value of time.

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