Category: BUZZ

Does that title sound outrageous? Yes – it’s meant to spark outrage. Sometimes I hear people say that nothing really new is happening in aerospace development and innovation now. But I always beg to differ when I do hear that. Amazing and incredible things are happening in the world of aerospace technology right now. In this issue of Aerospace Tech Review, we look at some of them.

But first, let me pay tribute to one of my nostalgic favorites. During the pandemic years, Bombardier announced it was shutting down Learjet production and the last one, a Learjet 75, rolled off the assembly line in 2021, after almost 60 years of production.

More than 3,000 Learjet aircraft were produced since Bill Lear’s company delivered the first Learjet 23 in Wichita, Kansas, in 1964. Just think of this – 1903 was the Wright Brothers’ first manned powered aircraft flight and 61 years later the first Learjet came off the assembly line. A little over a year ago the final Learjet 75 was delivered to its customer.

Can any of you boast logged pilot time in a Learjet? I can. Having that time is one of my fondest memories of my time as a pilot. One year, in the course of a few weeks, I went from flight instructing in Cessna 172s to working as a night freight hauler in a Piper Seneca to right seat in a Lear 23. Heady times for a fledgling pilot.

I had recently left my time-building flight instructing job to move across the country to St. Louis, Missouri. I wandered out to Spirit of St. Louis (KSUS) airport to see if I might find flying work there.

I found a night freight and air ambulance operator there called Jet Services. They were flying the Seneca, a DC-3 and a small fleet of Learjets, Lear 23, 24 and 25 series. I immediately gave them my resume, but they were less than enthusiastic about my chances of flying for them. However, they did say they needed someone to answer phones and “dispatch” aircraft. I said I’d love to do that while I looked for flying work.

It was not more than a month later when I answered a call for a charter to Marion, Illinois, to pick up newly manufactured car parts and bring them to Detroit, Michigan, to keep an auto maker’s assembly line running. After calling all the possible pilots on the roster list, none could make it to the airport within the 30-minute time frame required to accept the charter. The owner of the company and captain of the flight said to me, “Do you have your pilot certificate on you?” He wasn’t going to miss the opportunity and I did have it. So, he put me in the right seat, we flew three times around the pattern and he said, “I’ll sign your logbook when we get back.”

An even more remarkable fact was that this was done in a Lear 23. The first takeoff was such a thrill as we accelerated on the runway, pushed back in my seat from the sheer power of that rocket-like aircraft. The 23 was truly an innovation marvel, the design based on structural quality of the Swiss AFA P-16 strike-fighter. It was a small aircraft, but incredibly powerful with GE CJ610 engines producing a combined 5,700 pounds of thrust and heralded the new age of business jet travel when it was first introduced in 1964. By the time I got in the right seat of that aircraft, it was already 20 years old – ancient in my view at the time.

And off we went to pick up those parts, climbing out at around 7000 feet per minute and reaching cruise altitude in a heartbeat. Thrilling.

Now back to innovation. I could never touch on all the innovations happening right now in aerospace in this short column. But, we do cover some of them in this issue of the publication.

So, please look for the news item in the 5X5 section about the Illinois Institute of Technology research team led by Professor David Williams, that has demonstrated the use of a novel control method in an aircraft with no tail. The tailless design is controlled by active airflow, in which jets of air are blown onto different surfaces of the aircraft body, corresponding to which direction the aircraft is moving. The technology allows an aircraft to be smooth and sleek (it reminded me immediately of the Lear 23 design). This technology could be employed to make commercial airplanes more fuel-efficient by removing existing steering parts that create lots of drag.

There is much being done in the advanced air mobility area as well as designing the airspace or “U-space” — the rules and procedures for the management of drone traffic — where these vehicles will operate. Learn about BUBBLES, a SESAR project utilizing artificial intelligence, targeting the formulation and validation of a concept of separation management for UAS, in Mario Pierobon’s story, ‘U-Space: The Journey to Integrate UAM-UAS into Airspace’ on page 16.

Check out the update on the use of hydrogen as a green fuel for aerospace. In January, a Dornier 228 aircraft equipped with a ZeroAvia hydrogen-electric engine on its left wing and a Honeywell TPE-331 stock engine on its right, flew for the first time at ZeroAvia’s R&D facility in Gloucestershire, U.K. Stunning and rapid advancements in this realm. See that story on page 48.

And a final thought about artificial intelligence (AI). We are hearing so much about AI in all realms of technology today, especially with the advancement of ChatGPT. ChatGPT is AI designed to interact in a conversational way. “The dialogue format makes it possible for ChatGPT to answer follow-up questions, admit its mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests,” the developers say. AI is truly a powerful innovation for the ages. As with all powerful things, we must be careful how it is used. It is up to us to make sure it is used appropriately for the good of all. AI is being used in many areas of aerospace now — you will see references to its use in many of the stories in this issue.

Back to the title, innovation in aerospace is alive and well and you are on the leading edge of it.

Welcome to Aerospace Tech Week Americas being held in Atlanta, Georgia on November 8-9. We are delighted to present a great slate of speakers in the conference and welcome exhibitors from around the world that offer their experience and expertise in making aviation operations run better, faster, more smoothly and efficiently as well as greener, utilizing the most advanced technology in the industry.

In this publication, we cover the same topics in each issue that are included in the event. And while some may seem unrelated to the others, the fact is that all the areas are related, even intertwined, in the operation of aircraft. Those topics include, but aren’t limited to, aircraft avionics, connectivity (air-to-ground and nose-to-tail), IoT, big data, airline e-Enablement, flight operations software, fuel efficiency, weather data, MRO software, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, machine to machine (M2M), regulatory, policy, technical SES, next-generation challenges, plus the testing of systems that are used in the design, construction and maintenance of all commercial and military aircraft (both hardware and software).

In this issue of the magazine you will find not only the regularly scheduled content but also the Aerospace Tech Review Show Guide. This is a “flip book” – simply flip it over to see the show guide.

We have a tremendous line up of subject matter experts, leaders and speakers who bring decades of experience and targeted knowledge they will share with us. What trends are they seeing? What new products are they offering? What services exist that can help your business thrive and grow?

After the past couple of years of lockdown, conservative travel and isolation, it is time to get out there and see. We are so pleased to be able to bring you these experts, topics and information. There is nothing like being together, in person, to network and learn. I look forward to those serendipitous moments of meeting someone for the first time and learning something remarkable I never would have known if I hadn’t been there, in the moment, to experience it myself. Enjoy the conference and exhibition and please join us in Munich, Germany in March for Aerospace Tech Week Europe.

This issue’s regular content is chock full of interesting information. We have many noteworthy stories and I want to take a moment to highlight a few of them.

On the cover we have our story on what turned out to be a rocky start to 5G implementation in the U. S. Europe seemed to have no problems, but even before the rollout began in the U. S., things ground to a halt, in spite of industry warnings from FCC and FAA. What happened and where do things stand now? Amy Freed Stalzer gives an update on the situation and some market offerings that can help.

In our avionics-focused story we take a look at embedded systems. These are vital to complex aircraft systems as they become more sophisticated and data-driven. We asked experts at TTTech, Rapita and CoreAVI for updates on the latest developments. The embedded systems update starts on page 12.

Who could imagine flight document management as a sexy topic? I guess I find anything related to flight ops sexy – but this story on how flight operations documentation and manuals can be safely and securely uploaded, stored and shared to EFB devices for pilots and aircraft operators, is just that. Read more about it starting on page 32.

A few years back we started to hear about drone use in MRO. It certainly looked to have great potential. Has that potential panned out? Jim McKenna takes a look to see how drones, in concert with other new technologies, are benefitting the MRO environment. Read it on page 26.

Next, we examine spaceports. The commercial space market is literally skyrocketing. The demand for launches increases regularly. That means more launch facilities are needed. What does it take to become a launch facility? Who regulates them? Where are some up and coming spaceports? Jeff Guzzetti answers all in his amazing article on what it takes to become a spaceport.

Environmental systems in aircraft are one of those hidden and rarely thought about systems. The pandemic (and climate change) changed that. Environmental systems have been scrutinized and discussed on the evening news, the National Institute of Health in the U. S. has a whole section of their website devoted to them and consumers — eager to fly — researched whether or not airborne disease would be whisked out of the cabin as promised. Mario Pierobon went to the manufacturers of these systems and the OEMs to learn about the advances being made in these high power consumption systems.

The supply chain continues to struggle along. Are we stuck with a broken system that never changes? What can improve it? Check out the column by Kevin Krot and Chris Brumitt from supply chain and operations consulting firm SGS Maine Pointe, starting on page 52, for answers.

Last, I want to mention a great podcast I listened to recently that brings together two areas so many of us love – football (soccer) and aviation. The podcast, called “Transfer,” was produced by the BBC and can be found wherever you listen to podcasts.

The story is compelling and heartbreaking. An up and coming young player, Emiliano Sala, had finally made it and was being transferred (traded) to a larger, more important club for millions. He had many loose ends to tie up in France before settling in his new team’s city, Cardiff, Wales. He was offered a quick flight back and forth across the English Channel in a Piper Malibu to help him quickly wrap up his business and return. Against his inner voice warning him, he accepted. The rest is history. He and the pilot went down on a poor weather night, over the channel. The podcast reveals many of the reasons why and cautions that those reasons have not been fully addressed in Europe. I highly recommend it.

As we come into the heat of the summer and also enter a new world where the demand for air travel is heating up to new heights, we wanted to take a look around to see the hottest happenings in the our areas of coverage. These areas coincide with our two events, Aerospace Tech Week Americas, which will take place in Atlanta, Georgia on 8-9 November this year and Aerospace Tech Week Europe, which will take place in Munich, Germany on 29-30 March 2023, and include Avionics, Connectivity, MRO IT, FlightOps IT, Space, Testing and Innovation. Check out the Preshow Guide for the Atlanta event starting on page 57 to get an idea of what we will be covering. Mark your calendar and make your plans now, to attend. Let me highlight some of our stories in these categories now.

In our Avionics category, Mario Pierobon examined the latest trends in enhanced flight vision systems (EFVS) in his piece entitled, “Seeing the Unseen,” starting on page 18. When these systems were first certified in the early 2000s, there was keen interest from high-end business jet operators who always want the latest safety-related features.

The interest soon spread into the commercial operators as the benefits of increased safety at night and during adverse weather conditions were observed — when it “absolutely, positively has to be there overnight,” these systems can facilitate the safe conclusion of that famous mantra. His story looks at the level of adoption of these systems, the benefits, enablers and inhibitors of EFVS, the human factors considerations that guide EFVS development and the peculiarities of retrofitting a complex system such as this into an existing aircraft.

Next, we look at the ever growing demand for in-flight connectivity as passengers have a seemingly insatiable desire for faster, more reliable connections while onboard aircraft. OEMs like Airbus are leading the way with an expected 30,000 aircraft to be equipped by 2027. Airbus is touting its “Airspace Cabin Vision 2030,” which focuses on the digital future of the cabin experience which it says is inspired by “airlines, technology companies from Silicon Valley and start-ups and bringing to life a future flying experience.”

That story also looks at the ways satellite companies like Intelsat and Inmarsat are facilitating access to greater connectivity with their product offerings for both passengers and air traffic management. See that story on page 26.

Next, in our Flight Ops IT story, we take a look at flight data monitoring (FDM) and the flight operations quality assurance (FOQA) that goes hand in hand with it to ensure all that data is being put to good use. A story from the airline world tells of an incident that only came to light after a self-reported incident where the cockpit crew lost situational awareness and dipped extremely low on an approach. Luckily, they were able to recover and land safely and without incident. But, as the incident was examined through an ASAP report, the FDM/FOQA data showed just how serious the event had been, even unbeknownst to the crew. At that time only a few of that airline’s aircraft had it installed. When the CEO saw the report, he commanded all aircraft at that airline have the equipment installed whatever the cost. That is the power of the data.

We also look at AI/ML — artificial intelligence and machine learning in the MRO world to see how these techy wonders can impact the bottom line — because it is always about the bottom line. Can AI/ML make help make MROs more efficient? The answer is clearly yes. Ramco says their innovation lab in Singapore is working on a number of use cases that can assist a mechanic encountering a technical problem. They can consult the system, which uses historical data to identify the cause quickly.

Participants in the exciting and developing field of advanced air mobility (AAM) are making progress in their lofty goals. First flights, airworthiness certifications and continued funding are helping the momentum build even in the face of challenges like the acceptance of local communities and infrastructure needs.

We take a look at the initially-piloted group of AAM creators in this sector of our industry in Jim McKenna’s piece in our Innovation section starting on page 50. It is an exciting time for these folks and whether they are a few years or a decade away from making this new field a reality, one thing is for sure — it is coming.

You may have already seen some of the images coming from the James Webb Space Telescope. But please check out the piece about them on page 64, if for no other reason than to stare into the Cosmic Cliffs image on the opening spread of that piece. The Webb telescope is looking further into space than has ever been seen in the history of mankind. It is awe-inspiring work and the images are amazing. Kudos to NASA, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) for their collaboration and years of preparatory work to achieve these monumental and groundbreaking new views of the cosmos.

We also want to draw your attention to the winners of the EACP Sustainable Innovation Awards. The awards were presented recently and the first place winners, Coldsense Technologies has a unique product that will benefit the AAM world that is getting closer to operational reality as mentioned. See what that product is and learn about the EACP and other winners and applicants starting on page 70.

Last but not least, speaking of awards, the Aerospace Media Awards were held in London, UK on July 17. Two Aerospace and Security Media’s publications, this one and our sister publication, Aviation Maintenance Magazine, were nominated and shortlisted for 10 categories! Our sister publication won in The Best MRO Submission for a story about business connectivity. We are so proud to have been honored by these awards and look forward to bringing you more industry- and peer-recognized leading content as we go forward.

Enjoy that summer heat!