December 21, 2017 - No. 099 In This Issue 10 Significant Aviation Investments, Mergers, Acquisitions in 2017 Alibaba Cloud uses AI to combat congestion at Beijing's busy international airport Boeing to unveil mystery plane that will 'change the future of air power' GE Global Research Developing Cold Spray Technology, Speeding Up Laser 3D Printing Processes GE Aviation, Praxair Open Jet Engine Coatings Facility in Mississippi MTU, DLR, GKN Further Enhance the Engine Compression System in the Frame of the EU- technology Program Clean Sky 2 Atlanta's Airport Disaster Sounds Aviation Alarm Bell Spartan adds flexibility with new maintenance program that begins online LAX and Apple Bring Enhanced 'Look Inside' Wayfinding Features in Apple Maps SpaceX unveils new Falcon Heavy rocket before January launch 10 Significant Aviation Investments, Mergers, Acquisitions in 2017 Last year in 2016, Global Eagle Entertainment completed a $550 million acquisition of Emerging Markets Communications, Rockwell Collins announced intent to acquire B/E Aerospace for $6.4 billion and Alaska Air Group announced intent to purchase Virgin America fro $2.6 billion - to name a few business move. 2017 saw even bigger deals for bigger dollars, as well as multi-million-dollar investments. 2017 was also a major year for investments within innovative new research and development projects, as well as merger and acquisition activity across the aviation industry. Here are some of the 2017 highlights: Japan Airlines Invests $10M in US Company Building Supersonic Airliner Japan Airlines announced at the beginning of December that it had invested $10 million in a U.S. company building a commercial, supersonic jet. The airline became the second of Boom Supersonic option holders, joining Virgin Group. Three Boeing HorizonX Investments Boeing launched a venture investment division, Horizon X, in April. That same month, it invested in a start-up developing alternative propulsion aircraft. Zunum Aero is looking at "hybrid-to-electrics" aircraft, capable of performing short-haul flights with low aviation emissions. In June, HorizonX invested in SparkCognition, an artificial intelligence and machine-learning company based in Texas. Then in October, HorizonX invested in a company that specializes in autonomous flight. Near Earth Autonomy is a spin-off from Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute. BBA Aviation Merges With Gama Aviation U.K.-based BBA Aviation PLC announced at the start of 2017 that it would be merging with Gama Aviation's U.S.-based aircraft management business. The combined entity would manage a fleet of 200 business jets, making it one of the world's largest aircraft management companies. Nextant Merges with Air Services, Cites Market Changes In June, Nextant Aerospace announced that it merged with Air Services. The company said the move was made to expand global remanufacturing capability. The CEO of Nextant's parent company said it needed to respond to "significant changes in the global pre-owned aircraft market." Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing Company Boeing broke the news Oct. 5 that it planned to acquire Aurora Flight Sciences Corp. By Nov. 8, the deal was made official. Aurora retains its name (with "a Boeing Company" now on the end), as well as an independent operating model. Astronics to Expand In-Flight Connectivity Portfolio with Acquisition of Telefonix Astronics announced at the end of October that it had entered into a "definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets" of Telefonix Inc. and related company Product Development Technologies LLC. The move would be worth $104 million. Orbital ATK to Become a Northrop Grumman Business Northrop Grumman announced in September its intent to buy Orbital ATK. The deal, worth $9.2 billion, is expected to close in the first six months of 2018. Orbital ATK would be added to Northrop Grumman as a new, fourth business sector. UTC/Rockwell Collins Blockbuster Merger Talks United Technologies Corp. (UTC) has not officially acquired Rockwell Collins. But the potential business move - which started out as reports and hearsay - is set to be voted Jan. 11, 2018. According to a proxy statement submitted to the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) by Rockwell Collins, the special meeting in January would allow share owners to vote on several financial and aspects related to the merger. Analysts said the acquisition of Rockwell Collins would be the biggest acquisition ever completed in the history of the aerospace and defense manufacturing industry. The "implied" total equity value of the potential deal is worth $23 billion, and the total transaction value would be $30 billion, including Rockwell Collins' net debt. Standardaero Acquires Vector Aerospace In November, Standardaero completed its acquisition of Vector Aerospace to become one of the world's largest independent aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) companies. The newly combined company, which will maintain the name of StandardAero, has more than 6,000 employees in 42 locations across five continents, with annual revenues of approximately $3 billion. China to Spend Billions on In-flight Connectivity Initiatives The government of Guangzhou City and Bluefocus IFEC Technology are set to jointly establish the "Belt and Road" in-flight internet fund with a capital injection of 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion). Also supporting the program is China's first Inflight Internet Centre for Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation and a $1 trillion yuan ($151.1 billion) Inflight Internet Industrial Park. http://www.aviationtoday.com/2017/12/19/5-significant-2017-investments-mergers-acquisitions/ Back to Top Alibaba Cloud uses AI to combat congestion at Beijing's busy international airport While most American tech firms are shutting down for Christmas, it's business as usual in China, where Alibaba Cloud, the public cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., is unveiling new artificial intelligence technology aimed at curbing delays in Beijing's international airport. Alibaba lifted the lid off its ET Aviation Brain at the Beijing Computing Conference on Wednesday. ET Aviation Brain is an AI-based technology that's designed to increase efficiency at airports by reducing "on the ground logjams." The system, debuting at Beijing Capital International Airport, works by digitally assigning planes to aprons, which are parking spaces for aircraft. The system is part of Alibaba's "ET Brain" project, which is an AI program that encompasses other smart systems such as Alibaba's City Brain, Environment Brain, Industrial Brain and Medical Brain. Each of these technologies are powered by Alibaba's Apsara Aliware platform as a service. Alibaba said ET Brain would be fully implemented at Beijing's airport by the end of next month. Frustrated travelers will surely appreciate any efforts to reduce delays at BCIA, which has been ranked as the second-busiest airport in the world for seven years straight in terms of passenger numbers, according to the Airports International Council. Although BCIA can handle 96 million passengers a year at the last count, it doesn't always handle them very well. The AIC said it's one of the worst airports in the world when it comes to delayed landings and takeoffs, with planes often asked to keep circling for lack of aprons for parked aircraft. The airport is equipped with only 300 aprons, yet it has to accommodate around 1,700 flights per day. This congestion means that more than 20,000 passengers per day are forced to ride on ground transport for an average of 15 minutes to reach their aircraft, increasing waiting times and adding to passenger frustration. Alibaba Cloud reckons its ET Brain can eliminate most of these delays. The company claimed its technology will increase the airport's utilization of aprons by 10 percent, while shortening daily apron assignment processes from between two and three hours to just 50 seconds. What this means is that aircraft pilots will automatically be directed to a place where they can park, instead of waiting for a human operator to assign them a space. ET Aviation Brain does this because it uses machine learning to understand everything about the airport's processes, including the various aircraft models, takeoff and landing schedules, apron locations, proximity between the taxiway and runway, and the capacities of the airport's shuttle buses. ET Aviation Brain then crunches that data to come up with the most optimized operating strategy taking into account all of the scheduled flights for each day. "We are very pleased to see that ET Aviation Brain, powered by Alibaba Cloud's large-scale computing engine Apsara and data intelligence capabilities, is being adopted by BCIA to digitalize its operations," said Dr. Min Wanli (pictured), chief scientist of machine intelligence at Alibaba Cloud. "ET Aviation Brain embodies infrastructure and solutions for aviation digitalization in China, all in the cloud. We look forward to wider application of the technology and to developing further vertical solutions for other industries." Alibaba Cloud's ET Aviation Brain will also be used to help with other functions at the airport, including route planning for airline carriers and ground-staff assignments. Alibaba's Min Wanli appeared as a guest on SiliconANGLE's mobile TV studio show theCUBE during the The Computing Conference in Hangzhou, China, in October, where he spoke at length about the company's plans for its ET Brain machine learning technology: https://siliconangle.com/blog/2017/12/20/alibaba-cloud-using-ai-combat-congestion-beijings-busy- international-airport/ Back to Top Boeing to unveil mystery plane that will 'change the future of air power' Boeing, one of the world's biggest aircraft manufacturers, is poised to unveil a "robust" new plane that will be "changing the future of air power", the company claims. The secret aircraft has a 'Batmobile' style, according to a teaser video posted on Twitter of the plane by Phantom Works, Boeing's advanced design division, which has focussed on several highly classified projects. Boeing remains tight-lipped about exactly when and where the plane will be unveiled on Tuesday, claiming "everything will be revealed later" when Telegraph Travel contacted the company. But the mystery aircraft is suspected to be a new space plane, following in the footsteps of Boeing's X-37B plane, first built for the Pentagon (the US Department of Defense) primarily for classified missions for the testing of various aviation technologies including "avionics, flight systems, guidance and navigation, thermal protection, insulation, propulsion, and re-entry systems", according to the US Air Force. Earlier this year, Boeing was also selected by the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop the XS-1 space plane that would be "the first of an entirely new class of hypersonic aircraft" that would provide "short-notice, low-cost access to space", DARPA stated. Others believe the secret plane could be a new electric aircraft with a hairdryer-type engine allowing it to take-off and land vertically. The speculation follows Boeing's recent acquisition of the Aurora Flight Sciences, which last year won a contract to build the XV-24A LightningStrike VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) plane for the DARPA design competition. Aurora has reportedly been developing electric-powered aircraft for long-haul flights for both commerical and military purposes. The XV-24A aircraft will be the first in history to demonstrate a series of unique features including the distribution of "hybrid-electric propulsion ducted fans" and an "innovative synchronous electric- drive system". This new VTOL plane would reportedly increase the aircraft's hover efficiency to 70 per cent, from 60 per cent and allow it to carry a load of at least 40 per cent of its projected gross weight of 10,000-12,000 pounds. But the structure of this ducted fan technology doesn't match the silhouette of the mystery aircraft revealed by Boeing, as noted by The Drive. The new plane could also be a version of the Phantom Swift, Boeing's own VTOL aircraft which was originally submitted as a proposal for the competition that Aurora won. It has been a big week for Boeing, with the last ever 747 to fly on an American airline touching down in Detroit tomorrow morning, marking the end of an era for an aircraft that brought air travel to the masses. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/boeing-unveils-new-plane-mystery-aircraft/ Back to Top GE Global Research Developing Cold Spray Technology, Speeding Up Laser 3D Printing Processes Cold spray technology involves metal powder fed through a supersonic nozzle, attached to a robotic arm, at high pressure and into a heated nitrogen or helium gas stream. Then, many tiny metal specks are fired at the surface of the part in question at four times the speed of sound, and the force of the landing causes the solid-state particles to behave like a liquid and form an entirely new layer, without changing the original mechanical properties. The process integrates artificial intelligence and robotics, and is often used for metal coatings or repairs. Earlier this year, engineers at Avio Aero, a GE Aviation company in Italy, used cold spray to repair a gearbox on the powerful GE90 jet. But a team of scientists at GE Global Research, led by Leo Ajdelsztajn, aren't satisfied with this 3D printing milestone, and are working to develop ways that cold spray, which is also known as 3D painting, can be used to build new parts, and not just fix existing ones. Ajdelsztajn explained, "One of the advantages of cold spray as an additive manufacturing modality is that we are not confined to a specific build volume or size." Ajdelsztajn's team have been developing the technology so it can work on a larger scale, adding in machine learning and a second robotic arm, which holds a part and moves it to a precise location so the first arm can spray it with powdered metal. The experimental design has already been put to work successfully building a jet engine airfoil. The robotic arms are perfectly choreographed, moving together in a coordinated space with 12° of freedom, which means they can move up and down, forward and back, and pitch and tilt in opposite directions. But, if they don't work in exact precision, the technique is not effective, and could even ruin a part. So the team reached out to GE scientist Joe Vinciquerra, who has also told us about his work exploring how to integrate machine learning and AI into manufacturing technologies like 3D printing, and he suggested making the robotic arms learn while they're working, which means they will improve each time they make a new part. "Imagine painting the same picture 40,000 times per year. Not every picture will be identically the same - even if a machine is doing it. Some will be better than others, and we can learn from those minute differences," said Vinciquerra. "By applying those changes in real time, the quality of every new painting increases." According to Vinciquerra, the robots should improve over time, analyzing their given set of instructions after they make each part, which will limit future mistakes. There are many different methods of additive manufacturing available, and GE Global Research has been working to speed up AM processes for a while now. Bob Filkins, a senior principal engineer in Additive Technologies at GE Global Research, said, "One of the limitations of the technology today is that we can only print so fast." Most metal 3D printers weld extremely fine layers of powder - no more than the width of a human hair - with a 400 watt laser beam into finished parts. Filkins, who is one of GE's Laser Masters, and his team believe that powerful lasers could be used to speed up the process, but currently, this would cause major consequences. Filkins explained, "If we just arbitrarily took larger lasers and shot them at the powder bed, it would blow up." He believes that if 3D printers can use powerful lasers that are ten times more intense than the ones currently being used, parts could be built much more quickly, without compromising the design. His analogy centers around painting a room - a painter using a tiny paintbrush will take a long time to finish the room, though the work will be very precise. If the painter uses a roller instead, the job would be completed much more quickly. Filkins and his team are actually developing 3D printing laser paint rollers, which basically equates to the shape of the laser beam hitting the metal powder having a more complex pattern. According to Filkins, expanding the footprint of the laser even a little bit will help - the extra wattage will add to the laser's broader footprint, which will help it quickly cover more ground. "Just consider that GE Aviation will be printing well over 200,000 fuel nozzles to meet their CFM LEAP engine orders. If we could print these parts 10 times faster, we would save 40 million build- hours," Filkins said. At formnext last month, GE Additive unveiled the first BETA machine developed for its Project A.T.L.A.S. (Additive Technology Large Area System) development program to develop the next generation of large additive machines. While 3D printing typically takes place in a confined space, the Project A.T.L.A.S. machine, designed to be the world's largest metal 3D printer, can build parts as large as one meter along each axis, and increasing the speed of the machine is key. Filkins said, "As the industry looks to scale in size of machines and parts being made, higher speeds are essential to keep build times feasible." The team should have a working prototype of the 3D printing laser paint roller sometime next year. "In 60 years, laser technology itself has transformed so many industries and applications from surgery in the operating room to the internet itself. Now we have an opportunity to transform manufacturing as we know it, which is very exciting," said Filkins. In addition to laser modalities, GE Additive has also recently announced its intent to expand into binder jetting technology as the company continues to enhance its profile in metal additive manufacturing techniques. https://3dprint.com/197947/ge-global-research-activities/ Back to Top GE Aviation, Praxair Open Jet Engine Coatings Facility in Mississippi GE Aviation and Praxair have opened a new facility in Ellisville, Mississippi, for their PG Technologies business, which specializes in producing advanced coatings that enable jet engines to withstand higher temperatures and stresses. PG Technologies is a joint venture between Praxair Surface Technologies Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Praxair Inc., and GE Aviation. The new 300,000-square-foot facility is expected to employ at least 250 people to meet demand for the latest generation of jet engines, including the GE9X and the CFM LEAP. "We are pleased to open a world-class coatings facility in Ellisville that will house the next generation of coating technologies and applications for the aviation industry," says Praxair chairman and CEO Steve Angel. "PG Technologies is a direct result of the long-standing and highly successful commercial relationship we have enjoyed with GE for over 20 years, and we look forward to driving steady growth in the business while supporting GE Aviation's needs." Derek Hileman, PG Technologies managing director, adds: "We are excited to enter this next phase of our strategic plan. Our new facility in Ellisville will provide exceptional products, technology and service to GE Aviation with PG Technologies' advanced coating capabilities." Tony Aiello, vice president and general manager for GE Aviation's global supply chain, notes that "the coating technology at this new facility is vital to enabling us to meet the demands of our customers, who expect industry-leading performance from GE Aviation. The engine components delivered from this plant will be in service for decades to come with our more than 400 airline customers all around the world." CFM is a 50/50 joint venture between GE Aviation and France's SAFRAN. https://www.pfonline.com/blog/post/ge-aviation-praxair-open-advanced-jet-engine-coatings- facility-in-mississippi Back to Top MTU, DLR, GKN Further Enhance the Engine Compression System in the Frame of the EU- technology Program Clean Sky 2 Munich, December 19, 2017 - Making good things even better - under the European Clean Sky 2 research program, long-term partners MTU Aero Engines, German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)), and GKN Aerospace Engine Systems, Sweden have joined forces to enhance an engine's compression system and make it lighter. The new technologies could already go into the next generation of geared turbofan engines. At the DLR site in Cologne, the test campaign on the ICD rig has now officially kicked off. ICD stands for Inter Compressor Duct and is the name of the transition channel between the low- and high-pressure compressors. The goal is to precisely fine-tune the interaction of the low- pressure compressor, ICD and high-pressure compressor to identify and leverage new potential for even more fuel-thrifty engines. An important step in this direction is the systematic mapping of the flow conditions in short, steep transition channels (ICDs). To this aim, an entirely new wind-tunnel test rig was built at DLR Institute of Propulsion Technology in Cologne, MTU's Center of Competence (CoC) for propulsion systems. Representatives from the three partners - MTU, DLR, and GKN Aerospace Engine Systems - witnessed the official launch of the test operations. For MTU, being the lead party in the pro-ject, Dr. Gerhard Ebenhoch, Director Technology Management, stated: "This cooperation combines the partners' respective strengths - GKN's expertise in large static components, DLR's experience in testing, and MTU's expertise in compressors and systems - in an exem-plary manner." For the DLR, Prof. Rolf Henke, Executive Board Member responsible for aeronautics research says: "As a national research center, DLR plays a key role in the progressive development of the entire air transport system. There have been great advances in propulsion in recent decades. Together with our partners MTU and GKN, we are very proud to introduce it a further large step with this ICD rig." And for GKN Aerospace Engines Robert Lundberg adds: "To be able to validate our technologies at high TRL in a unique rig is really an opportunity for GKN. We have no chance to do this in Sweden, so it really shows the importance of European col-laboration." For Clean Sky the Project Officer of the Engine-ITD Jean-Francois Brouckaert acknowledged: "This new test facility allows to perform important EU collaborative research on the next generation of engines. Congratulations to the MTU, DLR and GKN team for achieving this important milestone! It is an excellent example of complementarity between experimental and numerical work." Measurement technology at the highest level of detail The ICD rig measures the channel flow in an unprecedented depth of detail: 500 pressure tapping points, probe measurements at three traversal levels, the use of laser technology and turbulence probes allow detailed insights in the flow mechanisms. Dr. Gerhard Kahl, Chief Engineer, Technology Demonstrators and Rigs at MTU is certain: "By conducting these tests, we'll certainly gain a much better understanding of the flow conditions in the ICD, the aim being to come up with particularly compact designs to further reduce the length, and hence the weight, of the engines in the future." In a next step, three different ICD configurations will be tested over the course of next year. Based on the ICD rig test results obtained, a two-shaft test rig will be designed in 2019 and built one year later. From 2021 on, the low- and high-pressure compressors will be tested together as one entity. Launched in 2014, the Clean Sky 2 technology program is part of the EU's Horizon 2020 Framework Program for Research and Innovation and is slated to run through 2024. It is the successor to Clean Sky 1, the European Union's largest-ever aeronautics research program. The overall objective is to make aviation even cleaner and more efficient. MTU is one of 16 lead partners and is responsible for the ICD test rig that has now begun test operations, plus an engine demonstrator. Core partners are the DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt) and GKN Aerospace Engine Systems. About MTU Aero Engines MTU Aero Engines AG is Germany's leading engine manufacturer. The company is a technological leader in low-pressure turbines, high-pressure compressors, turbine center frames as well as manufacturing processes and repair techniques. In the commercial OEM business, the company plays a key role in the development, manufacturing and marketing of high-tech components together with international partners. Some 30 percent of today's active aircraft in service worldwide have MTU components on board. In the commercial maintenance sector the company ranks among the top 5 service providers for commercial aircraft engines and industrial gas turbines. The activities are combined under the roof of MTU Maintenance. In the military arena, MTU Aero Engines is Germany's industrial lead company for practically all engines operated by the country's military. MTU operates a network of locations around the globe; Munich is home to its corporate headquarters. In fiscal 2016, the company had a workforce of some 9,000 employees and posted consolidated sales of approximately 4.7 billion euros. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12387515/mtu-dlr-gkn-further-enhance-the-engine- compression-system-in-the-frame-of-the-eu-technology-program-clean-sky-2 Back to Top Atlanta's Airport Disaster Sounds Aviation Alarm Bell When the lights went out at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017, darkness fell quickly over the world of commercial aviation. It was more than just scary. It was crippling. In Atlanta alone, more than 1,500 flights were canceled over the following two days. Thousands of travelers found themselves stranded in darkened terminals and stuck on grounded planes at the self-proclaimed "world's busiest airport." Vacations were scrapped, reunions missed. Millions of dollars in revenue lost. The fear, the frustration and outright anger weren't limited to Atlanta, either. Across the nation - indeed, throughout the world - travel plans were severely disrupted or blown altogether. The apparent cause? A piece of electrical equipment failed, causing a subsequent fire and disaster of unprecedented proportions at Hartsfield-Jackson. That singular hiccup also prompted a single unavoidable question: How can a city-sized airport with seven concourses that caters to 280,000 passengers on 2,500 arrivals and departures daily be completely crippled by a small fire? Seriously: The water fountains didn't even work. Was there not an electrical backup plan? What Happened? Although Georgia Power has yet to finish its investigation, the official story from Atlanta is that a piece of switchgear equipment failed, starting a fire in an underground area that houses electrical systems. The area also is adjacent to "redundant circuit cables and switching mechanisms" and when those cables were damaged by the fire, there was a "loss of redundant service methods." In real-world speak, the backup plan went up in flames, too. Literally. "In the 40 years or so the airport has been here," airport communications director Reese McCranie told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "we've never had anything like this happen." That's no excuse, tweeted, Anthony Foxx, the former mayor of Charlotte and the U.S. Secretary of Transportation from 2013-2017, who was one of the passengers stranded on a Delta jet in Atlanta when the airport lost power. He tweeted for all those stuck on the tarmac and in the spooky-dark terminals, and for all who watched. If that one piece of overheated equipment is indeed what caused the latest calamitous fire in Atlanta - the airport fire already is, in fact, more famous than this Atlanta conflagration that also crippled transportation in March of this year - another question arises: "Why?" Why was the backup system located right next to the main electrical system in the first place? Location, Location, Location "I think that [problem] was kind of highlighted in this instance. [Backup systems] often are located in the same spot," says Iris Tien, a professor at Georgia Tech who earned her doctorate in civil systems engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. "This just showed this might not be the best design system." The backup system - or at least the "redundant circuit cables" part of it that Georgia Power mentions - may have been located in the same area as the main system for a simple reason, Tien suggests. Rather than finding or building a new, safe spot in the sprawling Atlanta complex away from the main electrical system, rather than laying the requisite cables and buying all the equipment that would enable it to run on its own, the architects of the system went, instead, with the easier and, yes, cheaper route, never envisioning a fire of this magnitude. The people who built the system at Hartsfield-Jackson airport - which has many of the same characteristics of airport systems throughout the world - evidently separated the connectivity part of the system correctly, so that each part (main and backup) could operate independently, says Tien. They just didn't separate the parts of the system enough geographically. And cost, always a factor, might well have been the reason. The Problem with Aging Infrastructure The Hartsfield-Jackson blackout illustrates what many people - from presidents past and present to doomsday predictors - have been harping on for years. This U.S. infrastructure, from its bridges and highways to its electrical grid and, yes, its airports, needs work. Some say a lot of work. Now. "I would say that, looking beyond just airports, which are kind of known to be aging, there hasn't been sufficient investment [in infrastructure]," Tien says. "For airports in particular, that's also the case." According to a report released in March by the Airports Council International - North America, U.S. airports need some $100 billion in infrastructure upgrades over the next five years. That's a 32 percent increase in what they needed just two years ago. That highlights 1) Just how quickly existing infrastructure is aging and, 2) just how quickly it must be upgraded to stay in good repair, make way for growth and new technology and to stay competitive with other countries. "The longer we delay, America's airports will fall behind and our infrastructure needs become more expensive to fix," Kevin Burke, the ACI-NA's president and CEO, says in the report. "Time is of the essence." At least some of those needed fixes have become apparent in Atlanta and, presumably, are on their way to being remedied. Meanwhile, airport officials around the nation do what they can to avoid becoming the next Atlanta and cope with a familiar and too-scary reality. There is no easy fix. https://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/modern/atlantas-airport-disaster-sounds- aviation-alarm-bell.htm Back to Top Spartan adds flexibility with new maintenance program that begins online When Joe Christopherson lived in Mississippi, he was a ramp agent at an airport and self-employed as a window washer. A portion of his third duty, which was advancing his education, was based out of state. Christopherson enrolled in a new hybrid maintenance program at Tulsa's Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology, coursework that allowed him to take the first part of the program online, reducing the time required on campus for traditional classwork. He completes his training Friday. "It was wonderful," Christopherson said by phone Tuesday. "It was perfect for me. I'm very happy." The first program of its kind approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, the hybrid curriculum lasts 20 months, with the opening, 13-month segment on theory occurring online, said Ron Worthington, Spartan vice president of curriculum development. The hands-on balance of the program is completed at the Tulsa campus, 8820 E. Pine St. Fifteen students graduate this week. "We have a great cadre of instructors who work with the students," Worthington said. "I've heard nothing but good reviews from the students. It seems to be working well." The hybrid program benefits high school students interested in entering aviation maintenance and/or adult employees making a career change. Currently it is only offered at the Tulsa campus, but plans call for it to expand, pending FAA approval, to Spartan sites in Denver and Los Angeles. "The whole objective of the program is to give young men and young women training required by the Federal Aviation Administration to be certified as airplane and power plant technicians," Worthington said. "Once they receive this FAA certification, it allows them to work on any U.S.- certified aircraft, its subsystems and components." Christopherson's family tree is aviation-friendly. His mother is retired from Northwest Airlines, his sister used to work for United Airlines and his brother-in-law is at Southwest Airlines. Christopherson, who had previous work stint at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, is contemplating two job offers, thanks in large part to his training at Spartan. "I just loved working around airplanes," he said. "It's not even like a job. When you enjoy what you do, it's like you don't have to work a day in your life." http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/aerospace/spartan-adds-flexibility-with-new-maintenance- program-that-begins-online/article_e7627178-114f-5cf0-a8b2-fbab03ab9fa6.html Back to Top LAX and Apple Bring Enhanced 'Look Inside' Wayfinding Features in Apple Maps Just in time for the busy holiday season, Apple debuted its "Look Inside" wayfinding features in Apple Maps, which offers detailed maps, information, and layouts of terminals at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and over 30 other major airports around the world. This feature, available to any iPhone or iPad user running Apple OS 11, is the result of close collaboration between Los Angeles World Airport's (LAWA) Information Management and Technology Group and Apple. Next year, LAWA plans to bring further innovations to our guests through mapping technology, including wayfinding for disabled travelers. "We've worked closely with Apple to make modern, in-terminal wayfinding a reality, which will help seasoned and first-time guests alike find what they need to have the best LAX experience possible," said Justin Erbacci, LAWA's Chief Innovation and Technology Officer. "Collaboration drives innovation, and we will continue working with our partners to find new ways to enhance the guest experience through the use of cutting-edge technology." From their iPhone or iPad, guests simply launch Apple Maps, search for LAX, tap "Look Inside," and enjoy floor-level layouts of each terminal. The app includes locations of restaurants, currency kiosks, restrooms, and more. Indoor positioning gives guests an instant view of where they are within the terminal, which helps them get to where they need to go next. They can also easily toggle between floors for added flexibility. These maps will be updated regularly to ensure accuracy, including adding in new store locations, pop-up dining options, or special events happening at LAX. In the coming months, the LAWA Information Management and Technology Group plans to add additional features which will use information provided from the City of Los Angeles' Open Data initiative. The Open Data initiative provides data from a variety of city departments, including LAWA, and is available to any potential partner who wants to assist the city in bringing innovative solutions to better the lives of those who live in and visit Los Angeles. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12387829/lax-and-apple-bring-enhanced-look-inside- wayfinding-features-in-apple-maps Back to Top SpaceX unveils new Falcon Heavy rocket before January launch CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - SpaceX unveiled its new Falcon Heavy rocket on Wednesday, a month before its first launch. Photos posted by SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk show the new rocket inside its Florida hangar. Missing is the cargo for the January test flight. Musk has said the Falcon Heavy will launch his own cherry-red Tesla Roadster into space. First, SpaceX will test-fire the rocket's 27 engines at the pad; the company is aiming to do that by the end of the month. The launch is planned for a few weeks after the test. Falcon Heavy is essentially the company's Falcon 9 times three. It features three Falcon 9 first- stage boosters joined together with a second-stage on the middle one. It also has three times more engines. The Falcon 9 is now used to hoist satellites and supplies to the International Space Station. The Heavy is intended for super-big satellites, as well as cargo destined for points far beyond, like Mars. Musk has repeatedly warned there's a good chance the new rocket could blow up, thus his own personal property will be aboard. He heads up the Tesla electric car company, as well as SpaceX and several other companies. If all goes as planned, Musk's Roadster will wind up in a long, elliptical orbit around the sun, stretching as far out as the orbit of Mars. He laid out the jaw-dropping plan in a series of tweets earlier this month. Last week, a SpaceX manager said the company will meet all necessary government requirements. "I love the thought of a car drifting apparently endlessly through space and perhaps being discovered by an alien race millions of years in the future," Musk wrote. The Falcon Heavy will be minus its featured load for the test. That's been customary ever since a Falcon 9 exploded during a 2016 practice engine firing, destroying both rocket and satellite. The Falcon Heavy will have double the thrust of the next biggest rocket out there today, according to Musk. "Guaranteed to be exciting, one way or another," he promised. SpaceX advertises that the Falcon Heavy will be able to lift 140,660 pounds of cargo to low-Earth orbit, 37,040 pounds to Mars, and 7,720 pounds to Pluto. NASA's Saturn V moon rocket, used during the late 1960s and early 1970s, will still top the charts. But none of it was reusable. NASA introduced reusability with its space shuttles in 1981, reflying the orbiters as well as booster segments and main engines until their retirement in 2011. SpaceX has paved the way for rocket reusability on the commercial side of orbital flight. Two of the Heavy's three first-stage boosters have flown before. After blasting off from NASA's historic Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, all three will attempt vertical landings, two on land and one on a floating offshore platform. SpaceX is working on an even bigger rocket that would replace the Falcon line. NASA is also working on a megarocket, the Space Launch System or SLS. So is United Launch Alliance, a venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing, with its next-generation Vulcan. http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/spacex-unveils-new-falcon-heavy-rocket-before-january- launch/article_874ed03c-c30d-5de7-9b28-38751c5502be.html#tncms-source=article-nav-next Curt Lewis