November 30, 2017 - No. 093 In This Issue Pratt & Whitney Canada to Power New Twin-Engine Large-Utility Aircraft from Textron Aviation USU Aviation program expands, purchasing helicopters from Mountain Ridge Helicopters WCC Partners With Delta For Aviation Program House panel presses FAA to curtail drone dangers Plataine Announced Winner of the 'Best Aircraft Automation Solution' Award by Aviation Industry China ICAO Talks Infrastructure During World Aviation Forum Airlink to seek merger approval with Safair QTA Engine Obtains Fourth Nod for Engine Inlet Barrel Emirates Airline to launch IATA DGR for electronic flight bags SpaceX Just Raised Another $100 Million To Fund Our Journey Off World Pratt & Whitney Canada to Power New Twin-Engine Large-Utility Aircraft from Textron Aviation Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) has been selected by Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company, to power a new clean-sheet, twin-engine turboprop aircraft to serve the utility segment. The Cessna SkyCourier aircraft will be powered by the 1,100 shp PT6A-65SC engine enhanced with a fully connected FAST(TM) data system. P&WC is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX). "We are pleased that Textron Aviation has selected the PT6A engine to power their new utility aircraft," says Nicholas Kanellias, Vice President, General Aviation, P&WC. This is a prime example of how the depth of P&WC's experience in the industry combined with the flexibility of the PT6A engine architecture allows us to quickly and effectively respond to the specific needs of an OEM." Engineered for high payloads, the PT6A-65SC engine sets a new benchmark offering proven dispatch reliability and crucial high power takeoff and climb to the new Cessna twin-engine utility aircraft. The PT6A-65SC includes the latest advanced technologies such as P&WC's FAST (Full-flight data Acquisition, Storage and Transmission) prognostic solution that helps optimize operations, reduce costs and increase availability. The PT6A-65SC engine offers more time on-wing with a class-leading 6,000-hour time between overhaul (TBO). "We are proud to power this new Cessna SkyCourier aircraft that FedEx Express is adding to its feeder aircraft fleet. FedEx Express is a long-time operator of P&WC-powered aircraft and the world's largest express transportation company. We expect this addition will help FedEx continue to expand its offerings and deliver on their commitments to customers. When a cargo carrier offers a service bound by a definite delivery time and date money-back guarantee, the dispatch reliability and proven performance of the engine play a critical role in meeting customer demands," says Kanellias. Innovation The FAST solution, offered under P&WC's expanding suite of digital engine services, enhances engine and aircraft "connectivity" through its ability to provide situational awareness about engine health, usage and trends. It captures, analyzes and wirelessly transmits high-density, full-flight data after each mission. It also enables features such as on-board event detection and crew alerts, and turbine blade creep counting. "The new technologies and services that we bring to the table are in direct response to the stated needs of our customers," says Kanellias. Built for high utilization operations, the Cessna SkyCourier will be offered in cargo and passenger variants. The cargo variant will feature a large cargo door and a flat floor cabin that is sized to handle up to three LD3 shipping containers with an impressive 6,000 pounds of maximum payload capability. The aircraft will also afford a maximum cruise speed of up to 200 ktas and a 900 nautical-mile maximum range. The aircraft is expected to enter into service in 2020. P&WC has developed 71 PT6A models which have been certified on 128 applications. PT6A customers fly in diverse, demanding missions. The engine has flown 387 million hours - more than any other engine in this market. 100,000 Reasons to Go Beyond P&WC reached a significant milestone in April 2017, when it produced its 100,000th engine, a testament to the company's longevity and leadership in the global aerospace market. P&WC will celebrate this achievement throughout the year, recognizing all families of products as well as dedicated employees and loyal customers who, together, have marked the many accomplishments of its journey. About Pratt & Whitney Canada Founded in 1928, and a global leader in aerospace, P&WC is shaping the future of aviation with dependable, high-technology engines. Based in Longueuil, Quebec (Canada), P&WC is a wholly owned subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. United Technologies Corp., based in Farmington, Connecticut, provides high-technology systems and services to the building and aerospace industries. This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning future business opportunities. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to changes in levels of demand in the aerospace industry, in levels of air travel, and in the number of aircraft to be built; challenges in the design, development, production, support, performance, and realization of anticipated benefits of advanced technologies; as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in United Technologies Corp.'s Securities and Exchange Commission filings. http://news.sys-con.com/node/4202439 Back to Top USU Aviation program expands, purchasing helicopters from Mountain Ridge Helicopters For nearly 80 years Utah State University has been providing flight training programs. As planes and aviation technology have evolved since then, so has USU's approach to preparing students for a career in the skies. "We've had a relationship down at the airport since 1939 training pilots," says Bruce Miller, Department Head of the School of Applied Sciences, Technology and Education at USU. "We've grown into a spot in the last few years that we also started training helicopter pilots." In 2013 the university began a partnership with private flight school Mountain Ridge Helicopters at the Logan-Cache Airport. USU leased the equipment from Mountain Ridge Helicopters and contracted with their instructors to provide some of the training for Aggie students. Now, that relationship has evolved as the helicopters have been sold to the university and the instructors are now USU employees. "We've been doing helicopter training for the last four years," Miller explains "and just this last fall we acquired the helicopters to do our own in-house training for rotorcraft." The total fair market value for the helicopters, hangars and other associated tools and equipment is currently being assessed by certified appraisers. Miller says the total cost of the purchase has not yet been finalized. He says the relationship with Mountain Ridge Helicopters and USU has been a good one. They are located next to each other at the airport and the efficiencies of combining both a fixed wing program with a helicopter program makes a lot of sense for the university. "It just evolved to that place where Mountain Ridge was ready to sell their helicopters. So we purchased them so we can continue training students that are our students," Miller continues. "Students were in the program, they will continue in the program and it basically was a seamless transition based on whether the equipment was leased or owned." Seven helicopters are being purchased and Miller says there were nine full and part-time employees that were associated with the program previously. Most of those employees will continue to do what they've always done, only now they will do it as USU employees. Approximately 40 students participate in the helicopter training program each year. Miller says those are special students because of the time and financial commitment the program requires. He says the "ballpark" figure for training a helicopter pilot approaches $100,000, and that is in addition to the regular tuition and fees a student will need to pay for his or her degree. "All of the professional pilots, whether fixed wing or helicopters, they are a different bread of student because the investment to be in that profession is very great," he explains. "They are usually very focused and come here specifically for that program." Miller says many of the students will have had some kind of triggering event in their lives that made them want to become a pilot, like taking a helicopter ride as a tourist over the Grand Canyon, Hawai'i or Las Vegas. And then they focus on achieving the goal of becoming a pilot, themselves. "When the students come here we don't have a lot of students switching in and out of the major because of the financial commitment required," Miller explains. "Most of that comes earlier. Your private licenses are your most expensive, whether it's airplanes or helicopters, so once they start that process in their first semester they're usually committed for the long term." Miller says those students go on to do a wide variety of work as helicopter pilots and he sees an upside for USU in providing the training. "We see a big demand in industry whether it's for delivering goods and services out to oil rig platforms, to setting towers for ski resorts to checking utility lines," Miller explains. "The helicopter pilots are in demand as well so we believe we are in a good position to provide that training and support that industry with commercial pilots." http://www.cachevalleydaily.com/news/local/article_67616172-d478-11e7-82ed-37fc16d88f75.html Back to Top WCC Partners With Delta For Aviation Program Wayne Community College is taking to the skies with Delta Airlines. WCC has announced it will partner with Delta to train Aircraft Maintenance Technicians. Mark Peeples is the Director of the Aviation and Maintenance Department at WCC. Peeples says there's a high demand for Aircraft Maintenance Technicians, and salaries can start around $50,000 a year. Peeples says it takes 18 months or six semesters to complete WCC's Aviation Systems Technology program. WCC's Aviation Systems Technology program is one of only 47 Aviation Maintenance Technician schools across the U.S. selected by Delta to be a preferred training institution for airframe and power plant mechanics. http://goldsborodailynews.com/blog/2017/11/29/wcc-partners-delta-aviation-program/ Back to Top House panel presses FAA to curtail drone dangers As the number of small unmanned aerial systems continues to grow, legislators are pushing the Federal Aviation Administration to improve UAS safety without stalling commercial innovation. "In September over New York, a U.S. Army helicopter collided with an illegally operated drone," Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.), who chairs the House Transportation Committee's Aviation Subcommittee, said at a Nov. 29 hearing. That collision, he noted, caused "hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage to that aircraft." Soon after, a drone struck an airliner as it prepared to land in Canada. "We were lucky," LoBiondo said. "No one was hurt or killed in those incidents. But we cannot count on luck to keep us safe the next time around. " Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) said "the biggest problem so far is with idiots who have toy drones. ... This an accident waiting to happen. We are going to lose an aircraft." At the same time, DeFazio said, "commercial operations should not be held back because we've got these people out there operating these illegally." He expressed disbelief that geofencing -- built-in technology to prevent a UAS from operating near airports or other sensitive efforts -- is not required for all drones sold. And he called for faster deployment of remote detection and identification systems for UAS. The FAA gets more than 250 sightings a month of potentially risky UAS flights -- often operating too close to airports. Earl Lawrence, the executive director of the FAA's UAS Integration Office, told legislators "identification is now at the top of our priority." The technology for identifying drones in flight is evolving very quickly, he said, so the agency had taken care to solicit broad industry input. But with that information now gathered, the FAA is now "moving forward with our rule-making activity," he said. Rep. Bud Shuster (R-Pa.), who chairs the full Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, asked if those rules would be out in within "a few months." Lawrence demurred, saying that "rule-making is a deliberative process." Shuster said such slowness was a key part of the problem, and that remote identification of UAS was key to both law enforcement and public safety. Brian Wynne, the president and CEO of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, agreed. "We as an organization are against anonymous flying," he said at the hearing. "Aircraft need to be visible to one another so that we can avoid conflicts. ... They need to be detecting one another, they need to be identifiable to one another, and they need to be responsible to one another." The hearing came on the heels of the FAA's announcement of a new reportthat details the damage small UAS can cause to manned aircraft. That report, produced by the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE), found that drones can cause more structural damage than birds of the same weight for a given impact speed. Manned aircraft are manufactured to withstand bird strikes, but the ASSURE researchers said that small drones pose a much greater risk because of their solid motors, batteries and other parts. FAA Deputy Administrator Daniel Elwell said the agency is working with drone makers to develop technology to detect and avoid planes. And he thanked Congress for reinstating the FAA's authority to require all UAS to be registered, noting that registration is prerequisite for effective identification and in-flight tracking. The FAA's goal is to "integrate, not segregate" drones in the U.S. airspace, he said, and "remote ID and tracking will be a key component to full integration." https://fcw.com/articles/2017/11/29/drone-dangers-faa-congress.aspx Back to Top Plataine Announced Winner of the 'Best Aircraft Automation Solution' Award by Aviation Industry China Summit 2017 SHANGHAI November 29, 2017 The 7th Annual Aviation Industry Summit 2017 has announced the winners of its 2017 industry awards at a prestigious Gala Evening Award Ceremony in Shanghai. Plataine was granted the award for its innovative Industrial IoT and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based technologies as well as the successful solution implementation at Harbin Hafei Airbus Composite Manufacturing Centre (HHACMC, Harbin, China). The award was granted by the Shanghai Society of Aeronautics (SSA) which aims to encourage the development of China's Aviation Industry, to promote the nurturance of talents in this field and the integration of aeronautic technology within the Chinese economy. The event saw more than 300 industry leaders come together to discuss the recent progress, trends and advancements in the field of aerospace in China. Guests were invited on behalf of Shanghai Society of Aeronautics, Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute, Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Co., Ltd, China Aeronautical Radio Electronics Research Institute, AVIC Commercial Aircraft Engine Co., Ltd and AVIC Shanghai Aero Measurement-Controlling Research Institute. Avner Ben-Bassat, President and CEO of Plataine says, "We are proud and privileged to have won this prestigious award at the 2017 Aviation Industry Summit in China, which further recognizes Plataine as the leading global provider of Industrial IoT (IIoT) and AI-based optimization solutions for advanced manufacturing." Plataine is the leading provider of Industrial IoT and AI-based optimization solutions for advanced manufacturing. Plataine's solutions provide Material & Asset Traceability and Digital Assistants that empower manufacturers to make optimized decisions in real-time, every time. Plataine's patent-protected technologies are used by global top-tier manufactures including Airbus, GE Aviation, General Atomics, Hexcel, IAI, TPI and Steelcase. Plataine partners with Siemens PLM, GE Digital, McKinsey & Company and Google Cloud to further promote Industrial IoT in manufacturing worldwide. https://nbherard.com/world/plataine-announced-winner-of-the-best-aircraft-automation-solution-award-by-aviation-industry-china-summit-2017/28459 Back to Top ICAO Talks Infrastructure During World Aviation Forum During the third-annual ICAO World Aviation Forum, which concluded last week in Abuja, Nigeria, infrastructure was an important topic of discussion. ICAO said its council president, Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, warned African leaders that the continent's airport and air navigation infrastructure would require significant investments to keep up with global requirements in the near future. "It is estimated that the global investment needs for airport infrastructure will be $1.8 trillion over the next 15 years," he said. "But we must also acknowledge that air transport development projects today receive barely 5% of official development assistance globally, and that this total greatly underestimates their potential socio-economic returns." Aliu continued to say that ICAO's global plans should be used to guide and align all state modernization and expansion projects, according to ICAO. He also noted how important it is for states to establish transparent, stable and predictable investment climates to attract global investors, ICAO said. Airport and air navigation system modernization needs to be accompanied by new training capacities to make the transition sustainable over the long-term, according to ICAO. Africa recently adopted a new Declaration and Framework of a Plan of Action for Development of Aviation Infrastructure in Africa, ICAO said, under the African Union's "Lomé Plan of Action 2017 - 2019". "In particular, the commitment made by African States and Regional Economic Communities to ensure the inclusion of better-defined aviation projects in the Program for Infrastructure Development for Africa (PIDA) has been greatly appreciated," Aliu said. "And to strongly support the implementation of the Framework for a Plan of Action, ICAO will enhance its cooperation with African States in line with the African Union's Agenda 2063, and consistent with the priorities of our No Country Left Behind initiative." ICAO said that several panel during the event in Nigeria called for a holistic and transformative approach to reach the goal of "no constraints of infrastructure capacity, technology and financial resources for aviation development." A combination of institutional, legal and regulatory frameworks, along with monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, is necessary to encourage investment and other finance transactions. "I cannot stress strongly enough how important this planning is to the benefits you expect to be generated and captured by your state, and that continued development in aviation infrastructure capacity and technological innovation is critical to our desired outcomes," ICAO Secretary General Fang Liu said during her closing remarks. "This in turn requires substantial modernization investments over the long term, and an expansion of aviation capacity in all states consistent with ICAO's growth forecasts and global plans." ICAO said Liu also emphasized that the organization would re-double its efforts to enhance and develop tools, analysis and services to help governments identify aviation deficiencies and infrastructure gaps. Liu said states should align and integrate their aviation infrastructure programs, based on a balanced development approach that includes multi-modal transport and related urban planning initiatives. http://www.aviationtoday.com/2017/11/29/icao-talks-infrastructure-world-aviation-forum/ Back to Top Airlink to seek merger approval with Safair South African regional airline Airlink is set to apply to the country's Competition Commission for approval to merge its business with Safair. If approved, the combined business will operate under the Airlink Group. The proposal will also see Airlink, as well as Safair's low-cost carrier FlySafair and its other businesses such as humanitarian aid flights, continue to operate separately under their respective brands. Both airlines will retain their products, aircraft fleets, management and leadership teams, in addition to the existing workforces. Safair shareholder ASL Aviation Holdings will also become a minority shareholder in Airlink Group. Airlink CEO and managing director Rodger Foster said: "Airlink's acquisition of Safair, which is financially robust and profitable, makes good business sense. "It presents opportunities to reduce our combined costs, position ourselves for growth while at the same time increasing connectivity and choice while making air travel accessible and affordable for our customers across southern Africa. "Our combined networks will enable us to connect 37 destinations in nine Southern African and Indian Ocean countries and St. Helena. This will stimulate and enable trade, tourism, economic growth and social development in those markets we serve." Airlink expects to receive its final determination from the South African Competition Commission by the first quarter of next year. Following the approval of the new ownership structure, Airlink also expects to continue to meet or exceed the country's broad-based black economic empowerment targets. https://www.aerospace-technology.com/news/airlink-seek-merger-approval-safair/ Back to Top QTA Engine Obtains Fourth Nod for Engine Inlet Barrel Quiet Technology Aerospace (QTA) has secured supplemental type certification for installation of a carbon fiber engine-inlet replacement barrel on the Falcon 2000LX/EX series. The STC provides an option for a permanent fix to engine inner barrel corrosion on Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308C engine inlets, QTA said, adding that the carbon graphite composite barrel comes with a lifetime warranty that remains with the aircraft's serial number. Since beginning the program in 2015, QTA has obtained STCs for four aircraft models, also including the Learjet 60, Gulfstream G200 and Hawker 1000. QTA further is working on a fifth airframe and anticipates its next approval early next year. "Our engineering and manufacturing team has worked very hard to bring this terminating solution and exchange program to affected operators," said QTA CEO Barry Fine. "There are continued strong sales from operators of all applicable aircraft...With our fifth STC approval finalized, QTA will have a permanent corrosion fix for 1,900 aircraft around the world." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2017-11-28/qta-engine-obtains-fourth-nod-engine-inlet-barrel Back to Top Emirates Airline to launch IATA DGR for electronic flight bags UAE-based Emirates Airline has been selected by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to launch its Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) for electronic flight bags (eFB). The launch is expected to bring the IATA DGR into the cockpit where flight crews make vital pre-flight and in-flight safety decisions. It will also help Emirates flight deck crews to have efficient and easy access to updated regulatory safety information. The IATA DGR is designed to help the aviation industry to prepare and document dangerous shipments, as well as help track the latest developments in regulations for the safe transport of air cargo. IATA airport, passenger, cargo and security senior vice-president Nick Careen said: "For almost 60 years, IATA's DGR has been helping the industry safely transport air cargo. "The DGR for eFB places the most comprehensive resource on the carriage of dangerous goods into the cockpit in a format that will assist the flight deck crew in making timely operational safety checks and decisions." The air cargo industry is currently estimated to safely transport around 50Mt of cargo with an annual value of $6.4tn. All the cargo shipments ranging from dry ice and lithium batteries to the most complex of articles or substances are mandated to comply with stringent global standards. IATA has worked with the governments and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to prepare the DGR, which is available in customised formats to cater to different areas of the supply chain. https://www.aerospace-technology.com/news/emirates-airline-launch-iata-dgr-electronic-flight-bags/ Back to Top SpaceX Just Raised Another $100 Million To Fund Our Journey Off World 2017 has already been an exciting, momentum-building year for Elon Musk's SpaceX, and now, the company has something else to add to their list of achievements: a significant injection of funding. Based on a new filing, SpaceX raised $100 million by selling shares, adding to the roughly $350 million raised in August. On November 27, the company filed an amended update to their August round of funding with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This latest SEC update brings SpaceX's total fundraising for this round to just under $450 million, and the company itself is now valued at $21.5 billion. SpaceX spokesperson James Gleeson provided a statement to TechCrunch: "This filing simply discloses that SpaceX received an additional $100 million of investment as part of the last funding round which was disclosed earlier this summer." PUTTING THAT MONEY TO USE The fact that SpaceX raised $100 million just months after raising $350 million might seem like they now have enough to ease any financial concerns, but the company has no shortage of projects that could all benefit from the additional money. One of the most chronologically significant is the launch of their Falcon Heavy rocket. The company expects to conduct a test fire on the rocket in mid-December, with another test fire to follow shortly after, if necessary. Other ambitious projects include the BFR rocket, which Musk believes could transport people to any part of the world in 60 minutes and, eventually, to Mars. Then, of course, they also have the rest of that ambitious plan to colonize Mars to work through - the first planned cargo mission for that is currently set for 2022. As if that wasn't enough to keep the rocket maker busy, SpaceX also has their Raptor prototype rocket engine to scale up and perfect, and the company wants to launch more than 4,000 satellites into space to create a high-speed, global internet network. The space industry is financially demanding, and with all of these projects in the works simultaneously - and CEO Elon Musk always taking on more challenges- $450 million might not stretch so far, so SpaceX will likely go through more rounds of funding in the future. https://futurism.com/spacex-raised-100-million/ Curt Lewis