August 3, 2020 - No. 057 In This Issue Royal Navy Accelerates Adoption of Unmanned Systems Searching for Early Use Cases for eVTOL Aircraft Virgin Galactic Unveils Mach 3 Aircraft Design for High Speed Travel, and Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Rolls-Royce Bell Embraces Virtual Reality to Design Helicopters Airports and airlines warn against inconsistent travel restrictions Garmin® Autoland Achieves EASA and FAA Certification on Daher TBM 940 Is solar fuel the future of aviation? Improvements at Griffiss International Airport keep coming Boeing's Concorde Competitor: The 2707 - Why Was It Canceled? Korea's Jin Air implements full suite of Laminaar Aviation's ARMS solution Royal Navy Accelerates Adoption of Unmanned Systems Last week, the Royal Navy carrier HMS Princes of Wales hosted the Future Maritime Aviation Force Accelerator Day, bringing together experts from the navy, MOD and industry to meet and discuss the vision for drone operations. Brigadier Dan Cheesman, Chief Technology Officer for the Royal Navy, co-hosted the event with Commodore Nick Walker, Deputy Director Naval Aviation, calling on attendees to consider how technology and innovation could transform the way the navy operates in the skies now and into the future. The Future Maritime Aviation Force, Brig. Cheesman said, was also about seeing how the Royal Navy could gain advantage from the pace of technological development already underway in the commercial sector. "The aim is to transition rapidly from what we have now to whatever we want in the future," said Brig. Cheesman. "We live in an exponential world of technological change and if we can integrate the latest and get it on operations, it will deliver battle-winning advantage. Specifically, getting that technology onto ships like HMS Prince of Wales would be a game-changer." Brig Cheesman added it should be the Royal Navy's goal that these new capabilities should be delivered in weeks and months, not years and decades as is currently accepted. The work of the Royal Navy's NELSON digital acceleration lab supports this idea. They have continued the development the "plug in and play" MAPLE system that, when integrated onto Royal Navy ships, will simplify the process of accessing and using autonomous and un-crewed technology. Trials earlier this year in Norway saw this system used on HMS Albion and last year on HMS Argyll. Going forward, all Royal Navy ships will possess open architecture, fully-networked, organic crewless aviation systems with Prince of Wales being at the forefront of a series of trials. As previously announced by First Sea Lord Admiral Tony Radakin, this will see the aircraft carrier being used as a testbed for un-crewed aerial vehicles. "When we have drones and other equipment routinely embarked on ships, that's when we really start to understand what they can do and get an idea of what we can achieve," said Commodore Nick Walker, Deputy Director of Navy Aviation. "We have to do it safely, in the right way and coherently, but I want to see the type of kit on display today on frontline operations within the year." https://www.maritime-executive.com/editorials/photos-royal-navy-accelerates-adoption-of-unmanned-systems Back to Top Searching for Early Use Cases for eVTOL Aircraft With the vision of urban air taxis many years away from fruition, advocates for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft are looking for early use cases to build public acceptance, deliver early returns to investors and continue accreting data. Uber, through its Elevate ecosystem and vehicle partners, hopes to solve the myriad challenges that are posed by urban use of eVTOLs -airspace integration, infrastructure and grid draw, and many others - but deliberately chose perhaps the most difficult use case because the company believes it has the greatest market potential. Driven by the promise of an annual market estimated by analysts to be in the hundreds of billions by mid-century, companies like Joby Aviation, Lilium, Volocopter and Beta Technologies are working toward certification of all-electric air taxis, but aside from Beta's partnership with United Therapeutics on organ delivery, these companies are still pitching the use case for their aircraft. "This is an industry that has developed from a technology push from industry, not out of an expressed demand," Yolanka Wulff, co-executive director of the Community Air Mobility Initiative, said during a webinar hosted by the National Business Aviation Association. "We have the technology, that's moving forward ... [and it] has a lot of potential, but it requires a lot of infrastructure and integration at the local level with existing transportation systems." That urban application will require coordination and collaboration with utilities, airports, real estate developers and urban planners - many of which have a planning and funding horizon ten to twenty years out, according to Wulff. With the public acceptance challenge front-of-mind, Wulff believes emergency response, rural connectivity and cargo delivery are ideal early use cases for eVTOLs to lay the groundwork for those later opportunities. "What I like about the first responder application for urban air mobility is that it actually, in a lot of cases, does not require the complex infrastructure that a public transportation system would require," Wulff said. "It also has a clear public benefit ... everybody understands when a medevac helicopter flies overhead that there is a public benefit." Jump Aero, founded by former Terrafugia leader Carl Dietrich, plans to bring a first responder-specific eVTOL to market, alongside other unmanned systems for medical purposes. The company's main project, according to head of business development Katerina Barilov, will be a single-seat aircraft capable of flying a medical response professional to the scene of an accident to deliver aid - not to transport the patient to a healthcare facility. By cutting down the response time offered by helicopters - which require five minutes to spin up prior to takeoff, versus 30 seconds for an eVTOL, according to Barilov - Jump Aero's aircraft could add a life-saving tool to emergency responders' options, similar to defibrillator-carrying drones a number of companies have proposed. Carl Dietrich, co-founder of Jump Aero, told Avionics in an email that he expects particular interest in the aircraft from "communities with a high property tax basis that have a high number of retirees" and that the potential market is "more than big enough to justify the development costs and time while providing an attractive return." Jump Aero is not disclosing any other details regarding expected, range, cost, or timeline at this time. "We have a great opportunity ahead of us in terms of how we introduce this new family of products to the public, and what first impressions and associations are formed ... and it does come down to a question of matching use cases with the capabilities of the industry, for instance the manufacturing volume, range and acoustic profile of the first aircraft that are certified," said Peter Shannon, partner at Radius Ventures and an investor in eVTOL-enabling technologies. "The first responder application is one example where those things align." Even for EMS operations, however, there will be challenges to the integration of eVTOLs. Beyond electric charging infrastructure and vehicle certification, the airspace is not designed to support short-distance, low-altitude instrument flight rules (IFR) trips with destinations anywhere an accident takes place, rather than known landing infrastructure. In the Canadian province of British Columbia, a life cycle analysis is being conducted of very specific medical application for eVTOLs: transporting a sensitive, degrading cancer isotope from downtown Vancouver across the water to Victoria's Royal Jubilee Hospital. Canadian Air Mobility, a consortium funded in part by Canada's National Research Council to lay the foundation for eVTOL and delivery drone services in the country, is comparing three scenarios to understand the potential environmental, societal and economic benefits offered by these new aircraft. Conventional ground transportation plus ferry, which delivers the cancer isotope with very little usable life left. Helicopter transport through a partnership with local operator HeliJet, using a Sikorsky S-76 to move the isotope from a heliport near the hospital to a landing site in downtown Victoria, near its final destination. Direct hospital-to-hospital transport via eVTOL. The results of this analysis, compiled by advisory firms including Nexa Capital Partners, Brightspot Climate and HMMH, are slated to be published in September or October of this year. https://www.aviationtoday.com/2020/08/01/searching-early-use-cases-evtol-aircraft/ Back to Top Virgin Galactic Unveils Mach 3 Aircraft Design for High Speed Travel, and Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Rolls-Royce LAS CRUCES, N.M.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) ("Virgin Galactic"), a vertically integrated aerospace and space travel company, which includes its manufacturer of advanced air and space vehicles, The Spaceship Company ("TSC"), announced today the first stage design scope for the build of its high speed aircraft design, and the signing of a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Rolls-Royce to collaborate in designing and developing engine propulsion technology for high speed commercial aircraft. This follows the successful completion of its Mission Concept Review ("MCR") program milestone and authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration's ("FAA") Center for Emerging Concepts and Innovation to work with Virgin Galactic to outline a certification framework. This marks an exciting step forward in Virgin Galactic's development of a new generation of high speed aircraft, in partnership with industry and government leaders, with a focus on customer experience and environmental sustainability. Rolls-Royce is a leader in the cutting-edge technologies that deliver clean, safe and competitive solutions to the planet's vital power needs. Rolls-Royce has a proven record of delivering high Mach propulsion, powering the only civil-certified commercial aircraft (Concorde) capable of supersonic flight. George Whitesides, Chief Space Officer, Virgin Galactic said, "We are excited to complete the Mission Concept Review and unveil this initial design concept of a high speed aircraft, which we envision as blending safe and reliable commercial travel with an unrivalled customer experience. We are pleased to collaborate with the innovative team at Rolls-Royce as we strive to develop sustainable, cutting-edge propulsion systems for the aircraft, and we are pleased to be working with the FAA to ensure our designs can make a practical impact from the start. We have made great progress so far, and we look forward to opening up a new frontier in high speed travel." "We are excited to partner with Virgin Galactic and TSC to explore the future of sustainable high speed flight," said Rolls-Royce North America Chairman & CEO Tom Bell. "Rolls-Royce brings a unique history in high speed propulsion, going back to the Concorde, and offers world-class technical capabilities to develop and field the advanced propulsion systems needed to power commercially available high-Mach travel." The Mission Concept Review, which included representatives from NASA, is an important program milestone at which the Virgin Galactic high speed team confirmed that, based on the research and analysis work completed, its design concept can meet the high-level requirements and objectives of the mission. Previously, NASA signed a Space Act Agreement with Virgin Galactic to collaborate on high speed technologies. The basic parameters of the initial high speed aircraft design include a targeted Mach 3 certified delta-wing aircraft that would have capacity for 9 to 19 people at an altitude above 60,000 feet and would also be able to incorporate custom cabin layouts to address customer needs, including Business or First Class seating arrangements. The aircraft design also aims to help lead the way toward use of state-of-the-art sustainable aviation fuel. Baselining sustainable technologies and techniques into the aircraft design early on is expected to also act as a catalyst to adoption in the rest of the aviation community. The MCR concluded that the team can progress to the next phase of design, consisting of defining specific system architectures and configurations, and determining which materials to use in the design and manufacturing of the aircraft. The team will also work to address key challenges in thermal management, maintenance, noise, emissions, and economics that routine high speed commercial flights would entail. The design philosophy of the aircraft is geared around making high speed travel practical, sustainable, safe, and reliable, while making customer experience a top priority. Virgin Galactic is designing the aircraft for a range of operational scenarios, including service for passengers on long-distance commercial aviation routes. The aircraft would take off and land like any other passenger aircraft and be expected to integrate into existing airport infrastructure and international airspace around the world. Virgin Galactic is working closely with international regulatory communities to ensure compliance with safety and environmental standards. Last week the FAA's Center for Emerging Concepts and Innovation reviewed the project direction and authorized FAA resources to work with the Virgin Galactic team to begin to outline a certification framework during the pre-project guidance phase. Virgin Galactic believes that working together with regulators and industry leaders such as Rolls Royce and Boeing will support the mission to broaden and transform global travel technologies, with a focus on customer experience. About Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic is a vertically-integrated aerospace and space travel company, pioneering human spaceflight for private individuals and researchers, as well as a manufacturer of advanced air and space vehicles. Using its proprietary and reusable technologies and supported by a distinctive, Virgin-branded customer experience, it is developing a spaceflight system designed to offer customers a unique, multi-day, transformative experience. This culminates in a spaceflight that includes views of Earth from space and several minutes of weightlessness that will launch from Spaceport America, New Mexico. Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company believe that one of the most exciting and significant opportunities of our time lies in the commercial exploration of space and the development of technology that will change the way we travel across the globe in the future. Together we are opening access to space to change the world for good. About Rolls-Royce Holdings plc 1. Rolls-Royce pioneers cutting-edge technologies that deliver clean, safe and competitive solutions to meet our planet's vital power needs. 2. Rolls-Royce aims to become net zero carbon in its operations by 2030 and, more fundamentally, set an ambition to play a leading role in enabling the sectors in which we operate to reach net zero carbon by 2050 through the development of new products and technologies. 3. Rolls-Royce has customers in more than 150 countries, comprising more than 400 airlines and leasing customers, 160 armed forces, 70 navies, and more than 5,000 power and nuclear customers. 4. In 2019, Rolls-Royce invested $1.81 billion on research and development. We also support a global network of 29 University Technology Centers - including Purdue University, Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia in the U.S. - which position Rolls-Royce engineers at the forefront of scientific research. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200803005211/en/Virgin-Galactic-Unveils-Mach-3-Aircraft-Design Back to Top Bell Embraces Virtual Reality to Design Helicopters Bell turned heads when it revealed its FCX-001 concept helicopter mockup at the 2017 Heli Expo show. Now, more than three years later, two Bell insiders revealed not only how the company used augmented and virtual reality (VR and AR) to create that concept, but how the company is using these technologies today, along with staple technologies of computer gaming, to slash prototyping times for new products including the Nexus eVTOL urban air taxi model. Speaking on a Helicopter Association International webinar titled "Using virtual reality to design the future of flight," Bell's Levi Bilbrey and Cameron Ayres pointed out the many advantages these technologies bring to the table. Bilbrey, manager of creative services, said the road to a new aircraft begins with the traditional sketch making, albeit now done more rapidly thanks to modern animation tools. That technology facilitates faster transition into the "3D space," once the exclusive purview of engineering programs such as Catia or SolidWorks. The big jump in productivity comes, Bilbrey explained, when those early 3D designs are run through the human factors gauntlet using virtual reality. This allows the fine-tuning of designs from human feedback in real-time, for instance, adjusting cockpit dimensions for sightlines or crashworthiness factors such as head impact criteria. Wearing a VR device and camera, a pilot can communicate directly with a designer armed with an electronic sketch tool. "We' re able to jump right into a physical space and look around and actually move these elements around the person in real-time which that's been that big leap forward," said Bilbrey. "[In the past] this was stuff you couldn't tell until you built a physical model to sit in of cardboard, foam, or plywood to really get that 3D awareness. Here [with virtual reality] we're able to do that really rapidly and then advance the design." The technology also drives greater collaboration and synergies between the engineering and design sides of the company, he said. "It's no longer prioritizing one over the other," form versus function. Rather than the traditional analytic engineering left brain versus the creative, design right brain, Bilbrey credits the technology, deployed across cross-functional groups, as creating a "holistic brain" inside the company, where engineers are more aesthetically aware and designers embrace more engineering sensibilities and where issues of contention led to discussions that were more Socratic in nature as opposed to "a game of ping-pong" that led to unsatisfying solutions. While the main advantage of using VR to design a new product is unquestionably overall program speed, it also allows real-time feedback from both pilot and passenger focus groups that can quickly be incorporated into the design, Bilbrey said, producing an end result that is not just visually compelling, but more intuitive and user-friendly, such as simplified avionics displays. The technology makes customer collaboration more immediate and compelling, unlike what he called "death by PowerPoint," which had been the hallmark of customer focus groups in the past. The collaboration required for this result works not unlike popular video game engines, Bilbrey said. "I don't know that 15 years ago a game designer would have made sense to hire at Bell, but I can speak from firsthand experience that having a background in game design and serious games [is helpful]," said Ayres, an innovation engineering specialist. "Rapid iterative development is something we need to have moving forward." However, Ayres added that the process of incorporating game design technology into virtual reality tools was "not easy." Bilbrey said that using the technology is a "significant shift" for Bell that diverges from the traditional route of OEM engineering, but that it is gaining in popularity throughout the company. In fact, he and Ayres formed an internal interactive council at Bell to promote best practices and share information and lessons learned with other teams in the company. The council doesn't just cross-share information, but in some cases stands up other small project teams at Bell. It also works with third parties outside the U.S. manufacturer. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2020-08-03/bell-embraces-virtual-reality-design-helicopters Back to Top Airports and airlines warn against inconsistent travel restrictions Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe), Airlines for Europe (A4E) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have warned the prime ministers of European countries regarding the inconsistencies in Covid-19 travel restrictions. The letter, addressed to the prime ministers, transport, health and home affairs ministers of the European Union, Schengen Area and the UK, outlines concerns regarding the failure to adopt a science-based, coherent approach to travel restrictions. Most of the restrictions imposed by the countries are said to be inconsistent with World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) principles. The aviation sector has been severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic. According to the letter, countries have adopted different approaches despite repeated requests to implement restrictions that are science-based, harmonised, and coordinated. The organisations state that the unilateral national measures are divergent from the expert guidance and adversely affect consumer confidence. In addition, such restrictions do not include other options to safeguard the citizens of the countries such as track-and-trace systems. The letter added: "The European Aviation sector is urging EU / Schengen States and the UK to reconsider restrictions to travel that have been imposed between them, including quarantines. "We fail to see any valid science-based and proportionate justification for such restrictions from a health policy perspective." The organisations have urged that the efforts should be coordinated at EU level, in partnership with the UK, and should align with the evolving situation. They have also urged countries to reinforce risk-based and proportionate measures rather than blanket bans on passengers arriving from certain countries. It also stated that the interoperability of contact tracing apps should be maintained, along with the adoption of EASA / ECDC and ICAO Take-Off Aviation Health Safety Protocols. In addition, the public must be accordingly informed in coordination with the travel and tourism industries. Last month, ACI Europe and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) signed a cooperation agreement for the implementation of the joint EASA/ECDC COVID-19 Aviation Health Safety Protocol. https://www.airport-technology.com/news/airports-and-airlines-warn-against-inconsistent-travel-restrictions/ Back to Top Garmin® Autoland Achieves EASA and FAA Certification on Daher TBM 940 OLATHE, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), today announced European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification of Autoland in the Daher TBM 940. The Garmin Autoland system is available as part of the G3000™ integrated flight deck and is capable of taking control and landing the aircraft without human intervention1 in the event the pilot is unable to fly. "Garmin Autoland continues to gain the recognition and praise of many throughout the world; we are excited to announce yet another milestone - EASA certification of this progressive, forward-thinking technology," said Phil Straub, executive vice president and managing director of aviation. "As we celebrate this significant achievement in aviation history, I would like to congratulate everyone at Daher, EASA, Garmin and the FAA who have come together and contributed to the development and certification of Autoland, a technology that will have lasting impacts on the safety of the aviation industry." In the event of an emergency, the pilot or passengers on board the aircraft can activate Autoland to land the aircraft with a simple press of a dedicated button. Autoland can also activate automatically if the system determines it's necessary. Once activated, the system calculates a flight plan to the most suitable airport, while avoiding terrain and adverse weather, initiates an approach to the runway and automatically lands the aircraft - without pilot or passenger intervention. Autoland takes into account a breadth of information and criteria during an activation, including a wide range of performance, operational and environmental factors. The availability of a GPS approach with lateral and vertical guidance to the runway is also required when the system is considering various airports and runways. Even further, the system will automatically communicate with air traffic control (ATC), advising controllers and pilots operating near the aircraft of its location and its intentions. Throughout an Autoland activation, the G3000 integrated flight deck provides passenger-centric visual and verbal communications in plain language so passengers in the aircraft know what to expect. The flight displays show the aircraft's location on a map alongside information such as the destination airport, estimated time of arrival, distance to the destination airport and fuel remaining. Airspeed, altitude and aircraft heading are also labeled in an easy-to-understand format. Passengers also have the option to communicate with ATC by following simple instructions on the display using the touchscreen interface on the flight deck. The Garmin Autothrottle system is used to automatically manage aircraft speed, engine performance and engine power so the aircraft can climb, descend or maintain altitude as needed during an Autoland activation. On approach to land, the system initiates a controlled descent to the airport. If the aircraft needs additional time to descend or slow down during the approach, the Autoland system initiates a standard holding procedure. When aligned with the runway, the landing gear and flaps are automatically extended and the aircraft continues its descent. On the runway, automatic braking is applied while tracking the runway centerline to bring the aircraft to a full stop. Engine shutdown is also automated so occupants can safely exit the aircraft. At any time, a pilot can easily deactivate an Autoland activation. With a single press of the "AP" autopilot key on the autopilot controller or the autopilot disconnect button on the controls, an Autoland activation can be canceled. The flight display shows a message that confirms Autoland has been deactivated and in the event of an accidental deactivation, the system shows passengers how to reactivate Autoland if needed. Garmin Autonomí™, a family of autonomous safety solutions, encompasses Autoland, Emergency Descent Mode (EDM) and Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP™). These technologies add to the safety enhancing tools and capabilities of a Garmin-equipped flight deck. For example, in the event an aircraft loses pressurization, EDM is capable of automatically descending the aircraft to a preset altitude without pilot intervention to help avert hypoxic situations. ESP further enhances the Autonomí suite by working to assist the pilot in avoiding unintentional flight attitudes beyond that for normal flight. ESP works in the background while the pilot is hand flying the aircraft to help pilots avoid inadvertent flight attitudes or bank angles. Should the pilot become inattentive while hand flying the aircraft and exceed pre-determined pitch, roll or airspeed limitations, Garmin ESP activates and the pilot will feel pressure on the flight controls that guide him/her back to a recommended flight limit. In addition to certification on the Daher TBM 940, the award-winning Garmin Autoland system has also received FAA certification on the Piper M600 and will soon be available on the Cirrus Vision Jet, with additional aircraft approvals expected to follow. For additional information regarding the Garmin Autonomí family of autonomously activated flight technologies, visit www.garmin.com/Autonomi. Garmin's aviation business segment is a leading provider of solutions to OEM, aftermarket, military and government customers. Garmin's portfolio includes navigation, communication, flight control, hazard avoidance, an expansive suite of ADS-B solutions and other products and services that are known for innovation, reliability, and value. For more information about Garmin's full line of avionics, go to www.garmin.com/aviation. For more information, visit Garmin's virtual pressroom at garmin.com/newsroom, contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200, or follow us at facebook.com/garmin, twitter.com/garminnews, instagram.com/garmin or youtube.com/garmin. About Garmin International, Inc. Garmin International, Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN). Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Garmin is a registered trademark and G3000, Autonomi and ESP are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200803005254/en/Garmin%C2%AE-Autoland-Achieves-EASA-FAA-Certification-Daher Back to Top Is solar fuel the future of aviation? SARASOTA - Zoom chat interrupted every few minutes by the roar of Swiss F-18s - "Good lord! We're being attacked!" - Sarasota's most famous test pilot is on a mission to reduce, and maybe eliminate, fossil fuels from air travel. And 48-year-old Miguel Iturmendi, best known for his record-setting work with the world's fastest and highest-flying glider, is confident the revolution will begin in his lifetime. "There are other electrical airplanes, but none of them go into the stratosphere, and none of them recharge their batteries while they fly," he says from inside a hangar at Payerne Air Base in western Switzerland. "And none of them come back with more power, with more juice, than when they left the ground. "Can you imagine that? It blows my mind." The ticket: a solar-powered, single-engine airplane whose cartoonish 81-foot wingspan is laden with photovoltaic batteries. They sponge up sunlight, bank its endless photons, and convert their energy into free fuel. Known as SolarStratos, the 28-foot-long bird made its first test flight last week. Its ultimate destination: 65,000 feet into the stratosphere. If successful, solar flight will "inevitably" create commercial demand, he says. "Thirty-five percent of the cost of FedEx flights is kerosene, which runs into hundreds of millions of dollars," says Iturmendi. "So maybe you don't care about saving the environment. But you do care about saving money. And once you deliver proof of concept, the innovation will follow. It won't happen overnight, but it's the beginning of a change in technology." SolarStratos is the brainstorm of Swiss ecologist, pilot and adventurer Raphael Domjan, who achieved global renown with solar-powered boats. In 2012, he circumnavigated the world's oceans in a sunlight-fueled vessel called PlanetSolar. Some 40 European companies have joined the SolarStratos project, which was officially unveiled in 2014 and could be completed for as little as $10 million. "Our aim," states Domjan in an email, "is to demonstrate the potential of solar energy, to make young people dream about the possibilities of a better world and to show them that there is a different path (then) burning oil and coal. "Once our project is successful, we hope to be able to put our know-how and our infrastructures at the service of the development of aviation of the future." The Swiss are pace-setters for developing record-setting renewable-energy platforms. In 2016, green-energy pioneer Bertrand Piccard completed a 14-month, 25,000-mile trip around the world with a propeller-driven plane called Solar Impulse 2. Like SolarStratos, it gulped sunlight for fuel, left no carbon dioxide in its wake, and attained a maximum altitude of 29,000 feet. "It's in the hangar next door to us," Iturmendi says, "and it was a great project. Their technology worked well, but they couldn't do it nonstop. For it to be practical commercially, you have to go high. When you go high, you go fast, with less power. We are going to prove this can be done." The aviation industry and environmentalists will be taking notes. According to the nonprofit Air Transport Action Group, global air travel produces 915 million tons of carbon dioxide each year, or more than 2% of all human-generated greenhouse gas. The industry employs more than 10 million people worldwide, and spinoff employment in related careers such as tourism account for 65 million jobs total. Last year, the International Council on Clean Transportation warned that the projected tripling of aviation CO2 discharge tonnage into the atmosphere by 2050 was likely too conservative, that accelerated demand for air travel could multiply those totals by 1.5 times. And few pilots are as uniquely qualified to weigh in on the consequences of global warming as Iturmendi. The native of Spain has flown more than 170 types of planes, and for clients that include NASA and the Defense Department. Last year, after achieving multiple glider records in Argentina, Iturmendi received the Living Legends Aviation Award in Austria, months after fellow glider teammate Jim Payne was accorded the same honor. Iturmendi was and is part of an imaginative Airbus crew that hopes to push a pressurized, one-of-a-kind glider to a staggering 90,000 feet. Getting there would eclipse the 44-year-old high-flight record of the SR-71 Blackbird spyplane - by 5,000 feet. Reaching that altitude without fuel, however, requires an airframe designed to exploit super-charged weather conditions that converge each winter in the lower Southern Hemisphere. The solution: a lightweight, two-seat, carbon-fiber craft with a 84-foot wingspan called Perlan 2. Perlan 2's mission is to surf the seasonal Pacific winds whipping east across the Andes mountains each August and September. It will then climb those monster updrafts to 60,000 feet. At that point, the glider engages cyclonic upper-level currents called the polar vortex, due to their proximity to Antarctica. Theoretically, a surge of that magnitude could power a glider to the edge of space at 120,000 feet. Iturmendi and his Airbus colleagues began their assault on 90,000 feet in 2016, from the remote badlands of Argentina's El Calafate region. Just two years later, Perlan 2 reached 76,100 feet, shattering the legendary U-2 ceiling by nearly 3,000 feet. The glider also hit top speeds of Mach .5, or half the speed of sound. Then came 2019, with a major surprise. Confident of breaking the Blackbird's record, the crew was startled by something even stronger than the polar vortex - a Sudden Stratospheric Warming anomaly, or SSW. Created by a sharp unexpected spike in Antarctic temperatures, the exceedingly rare SSW brought record drought and fires to Australia, and tore apart the polar vortex. Perlan 2 could go no higher than 65,000 feet. Coronavirus in Argentina put a quick end to Perlan's 2020 season. But SolarStratos founder Domjan, who met Iturmendi in South America in 2016, booked him to get his sun-fueled inspiration off the ground in Europe. Iturmendi reported for duty in Switzerland in mid-June, the day before the alpine nation closed its borders to American travelers and COVID-19. This marks Iturmendi's first time at the controls of an electric plane and, like the Perlan 2 project, he expects it will take years to reach the stratosphere. Between now and early September, the goal is to log 22 flights, but the season will go down as a success if SolarStratos can fly 15 times, expanding the altitude envelope each time. Five flights in, and the plane has reached 5,000 feet. And compared with Perlan 2, the solar plane will travel at a snail's pace. "I have F-18s next to me flying at 400 mph near the ground. I'm climbing at 36 mph, and I make my approach at 33 mph," Iturmendi says. "I feel like I'm the Top Gun of flying slow." The key to wringing maximum efficiency out of free-energy aircraft, he says, is knowing how to navigate upper-level wind currents. Once the solar plane pulls the stratosphere and its attendant wind speeds within reach, Iturmendi anticipates two near-term applications: electrical cargo craft, and commuter jets that can handle routes of 250 miles and under. "The range isn't there yet, but it would be perfect for, let's say, flights from Sarasota to Miami," he says. Extending those distances, he adds, will be a workable engineering challenge, and he predicts the commercial industry will be eager to climb aboard. With a month or so of summer testing to go, the irony is that getting home could be problematic. Switzerland's infection rates are a fraction of Florida's, but flights out are subject to cancellation at any time. "You can make all the plans in the world," says Iturmendi, "but the gods really tell you what to do." https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20200803/is-solar-fuel-future-of-aviation Back to Top Improvements at Griffiss International Airport keep coming The Griffiss International Airport has been undergoing a facelift since it opened in 2007. From nose docks to taxiways, millions of dollars in federal funding have poured into the airport at the former Air Force base in Rome. "We've done a lot of renovations up here," said Airport Commissioner Chad Lawrence. Many of those renovations have come on the heels of major funding initiatives over the years. U.S. Rep. Anthony Brindisi, D-Utica, recently announced a $4.4 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant to complete the third and final phase of a runway rehabilitation project at Griffiss. It's just one instance of a DOT grant received for rehabilitation work through the Airport Improvement Program. Griffiss was awarded $7.5 million in 2018 and $8.1 million in 2019. While some of the more recent improvements involve reconstruction of the airport's runway and runway lighting, past work includes renovation of five nose docks, fixing taxiways and lighting systems, renovation of several buildings, and energy performance upgrades that reduce heating costs. Last August, a $12 million computer technology research center, dubbed the Open Innovation Campus, was unveiled at the three-floor, 40,000 square-foot facility within Building 100. Campus collaborators said they plan to use quantum information processing to analyze and improve computer hardware and software, data protection, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, among other research areas. In December, Strategic Global Aviation signed a five-year lease - valued at $1.96 million - to occupy Building 101. The building formerly housed Premier Aviation and the county purchased the building after the company left in the summer of 2018. In January, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the state would invest $9 million at Griffiss to establish a small drone facility. The facility is named Skydome and will allow for the experimentation of drone technology and techniques. "It's an important part of our region," Lawrence said of the airport. FLYING THROUGH HISTORY The Oneida County Airport, formerly in Whitestown, closed in 2006 and was moved to Griffiss the following year. It was renamed Griffiss International Airport. Homeland Security currently occupies the former facility in Whitestown, Lawrence said. The new airport is part of the Griffiss Business and Technology Park, which used to be an Air Force base. The base closed in 1995. Griffiss International Airport is 1,700 fenced-in acres and has a runway which is 11,820 feet x 200 feet, Lawrence said. "We can handle almost any aircraft in the world," he added. Air Force One has landed at the airport twice, carrying Presidents Donald Trump and Barrack Obama to the region. PARK ASSET Officials have said the airport helps the park differentiate itself from other business parks. The airport is not open to the community and primarily is used for maintenance and general aviation, Lawrence said. But it's not just a fly-in fly-out facility. Private companies and individuals utilize the runways as well. Lawrence said more than 80 aircraft are stored at the airport. Steven J. DiMeo, president of Mohawk Valley EDGE said its presence helps businesses at the park thrive. "The Griffiss International Airport and UAS Test Site are anchor tenants at the Griffiss Business and Technology Park," DiMeo said. "These assets help differentiate us from other business parks across the country. The expansive runway, coupled with the technological innovations that have been completed and underway have created an environment for companies and organizations to succeed in new and exciting ways." https://www.timestelegram.com/news/20200803/improvements-at-griffiss-international-airport-keep-coming Back to Top Boeing's Concorde Competitor: The 2707 - Why Was It Canceled? The Boeing 2707 Super Sonic Transport (SST) was the United States' answer to Europe's Concorde. The manufacturer designed it to be larger, fly further, and have greater capacity than its counterpart across the Atlantic Ocean. However, the project was canceled in 1971, before two prototypes of the plane were completed. High hopes Altogether, Boeing was hoping that the 2707 would carry 292 passengers in two classes. 28 customers would be in first class with 40 inches of legroom, while 264 people would be in economy with 34 inches of legroom. Moreover, four General Electric GE4/J5P turbojets would have powered the jet to help it have 63,200 lb/f (281 kN) of thrust, which would push the aircraft up to Mach 2.7. The plane would also have a range of approximately 6,400 km or 3,500 nautical miles. The prospect of supersonic commercial travel was all the rage during the 1950s and 1960s. Boeing was working on several small-scale SST studies since 1952. However, after the formal announcement of the Concorde in 1962, there were concerns in the US. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) director Najeeb Halaby subsequently wrote a letter to President Kennedy. He stated that if the US did not immediately ramp up its SST effort, the nation would lose 50,000 jobs, $4 billion in income, and $3 billion in capital as local carriers would turn to foreign manufacturers. On its way Therefore, several American outfits, including Boeing, Lockheed, and North American Aviation, submitted their designs to take on the Concorde. On New Year's Day 1967, Boeing found out that its proposal, which was going by the name of Model 733-390, was the winner of the competition. Following this achievement, Boeing went on to refine the proposal, which would become the 7207. Two years later, there were delivery positions reserved for 122 Boeing SSTs by 26 carriers. There was interest from the likes of Alitalia, Delta Air Lines, Iberia, and KLM. According to the BBC, Boeing's resident historian, Mike Lombardi, said Boeing's resources were shared across various groundbreaking projects during this period. However, despite split of attention, there was an extra focus on this supersonic aircraft. "To put into context just how ambitious this was, when Boeing was working on supersonic transport, the company was also designing what would be the 747 Jumbo Jet, and the 737 airliner had just entered service," Lombardi said, as reported to the BBC. "There was the space programme to get a man on the Moon, which Boeing was heavily involved in, and there were some military projects as well." Even though the company was helping to send humanity into space, and it was revolutionizing jet travel with the 747, the 2707 was still the number one project. According to Lombardi, Joe Sutter, who was in charge of building the 747, said it was challenging to get engineers to design the iconic widebody. He said that they were all committed to the supersonic plan. A twist of fate In 1971, the US government ended its financial support for the SST's production, which forced its cancellation. At that moment, there were 115 unfilled orders by 25 operators. Meanwhile, Concorde had 74 orders from 16 companies. Lombardi states it was the global economic crisis that forced the scrapping of the project. The change of circumstances made it inefficient to deploy such a jet. "What ended up killing [Boeing's design], and eventually Concorde itself, was the amount of fuel you had to burn. It became prohibitive," Lombardi said, as per the report. "There was the recession of 1971, and the cost of oil started to rise. But even if it hadn't ended then, the oil crisis of 1973 would have killed it. It would have ended up being a disastrous project if it had still gone ahead." Struggles across the board Ultimately, the atmosphere across the US and the globe had changed by the 1970s. On a commercial scale, the 747 was a massive achievement and opened the door for several new markets across the aviation industry. For many passengers, traveling on the superjumbo was the first time that they were in the air While the 747 was nearing its introduction heading into 1970, there were design issues with the 2707. To fuel the robust engines and carry the designed load, the plane would be too heavy to hit the skies. So, engineers needed a lighter material such as titanium. However, at the time, this was incredibly expensive, and authorities soon stopped any further funding. There was also a lot of environmental opposition to the supersonic jet. Activists campaigned against the potential depletion of the ozone layer due to the high altitude flights. They were also anxious about noise near airfields, as well as from sonic booms. An ever-changing market In the aftermath of the project's cancellation, there were mass layoffs at Boeing, forcing many workers to leave Seattle. Nonetheless, supersonic travel did not live up to its potential on either side of the Atlantic. Following Concorde's launch, only 14 units of the type entered commercial service, whereas there were 150 orders. These jets did serve well for many decades, but there was still potential when it came to expansion. History often repeats itself, and this could be the case again in modern times. There has been a lot of buzz around supersonic travel making a comeback with new, more efficient technology. Business travel had also adapted over the years, opening up new opportunities for airlines. However, another global crisis is once again forcing a shift within the aviation industry, which we are still determining what the full extent of the damage will be. Nonetheless, if done carefully, we may eventually see a prominent supersonic service. https://simpleflying.com/boeing-2707-cancelled/ Back to Top Korea's Jin Air implements full suite of Laminaar Aviation's ARMS solution Singapore-based Laminaar Aviation Infotech's implementation team has delivered its proprietary Aviation Resource Management System (ARMS) applications software solution to Korean carrier Jin Air. The critical final phases of deployment were managed in the middle of the Covid pandemic, and delivered remotely from locations in India and Singapore, with not a single engineer or project manager on site in Seoul. Leading the engagement with Jin Air was Collins Aerospace Systems, the exclusive global reseller of ARMS. Starting in 2019 with a stringent evaluation process, the team of Collins Aerospace Systems and Laminaar steered the Jin Air programme for over 15 months through its phases - of due diligence, customisations, testing and deployment - as planned and to expectation. In the final weeks, with travel and mobility restrictions, the Laminnar delivery team had to work from their homes in Bangalore and Mumbai. Critical pieces, like user acceptance test closure, data ingestion, parallel run, cutover and go-live, were all delivered in the four weeks of complete lockdown in India, Singapore and South Korea. The solution mix for Jin Air is a combination of ARMS stand-alone modules, namely Commercial Planning, Flight Operations, Crew Management, and the Load and Trim feature from the Flight Planning & Dispatch module. The airline is also using Laminaar's tablet-based ARMS on the TAB components: Electronic Flight Bag, Electronic Flight Folder for the flight crew, and the ARMS on Mobile smart mobile interface for the workforce. Clotilde Enel-Rehel, general manager for commercial aviation and network services for Collins Aerospace, said: "A more connected and intuitive system enables an airline to become more efficient in resource management and effective in strategic decision making. It is more important than ever that we support our customers to ensure that critical operation data gets transmitted in a timely and accurate manner." Jung-ho Choi, CEO of Jin Air, said: "As the first airline globally to implement the full suite of ARMS and the first in South Korea to utilise Collins Aerospace ARINC Integrator, we recognise the importance of leveraging on technology innovations to support a more robust system for our operations." https://www.ttgasia.com/2020/08/03/koreas-jin-air-implements-full-suite-of-laminaar-aviations-arms-solution/ Back to Top Splashdown! SpaceX And NASA Astronauts Make History Two NASA astronauts are back on Earth after their space capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Pensacola, Fla. The last time any NASA astronauts came home by splashing down was in 1975 - and back then, they were in an Apollo space vehicle. This time, the astronauts were in a white, bell-shaped capsule owned by SpaceX. The success of their test flight, to the International Space Station and back, is a milestone for SpaceX, the first private company to send people to the outpost. The company has been taking cargo to and from the station for years. This flight with people on board was the final test for SpaceX's crew system to be certified by NASA as "operational" for future astronaut missions. That means the U.S. once again has its own ability to put people in orbit and return them safely. Since retiring its space shuttles in 2011, NASA has had to buy seats for its astronauts on Russian spaceships, but NASA can now rely on an American space taxi that takes off from Florida. "This was a great day for NASA and a great day for the United States of America," said NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine in a post-splashdown press conference. "We are entering a new era of human spaceflight where NASA is no longer the purchaser, owner, and operator of all of the hardware. We are going to be a customer - one customer of many customers in a very robust commercial marketplace for human spaceflight to low Earth orbit." NASA is already assigning astronauts to future SpaceX missions - including Megan McArthur, who happens to be married to one of the just-returned astronauts, Bob Behnken. In fact, she is expected ride in the exact same spacecraft next year, as the SpaceX capsules are designed to be reusable to bring down costs. Behnken and his crewmate Doug Hurley blasted off in their SpaceX Dragon capsule on May 30. Their flight marked the first time people had been launched to orbit from U.S. soil in almost a decade, and they spent two months living and working on board the station. Then they climbed back into their SpaceX capsule, which they had dubbed "Endeavour," and undocked from the station on Saturday at 7:34 p.m. ET. They spent the night orbiting the Earth, and then a deorbit burn set their capsule on an irreversible course to reenter the atmosphere. Video beamed down from the capsule showed the pair in their sleek black-and-white suits, monitoring their progress on large blue touch screens. Meanwhile, at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif., mission controllers wore masks at their workstations, due to COVID-19. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk was there, watching the screens and speaking from time to time with SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell. Off the coast of Pensacola, a recovery ship waited. Though Tropical Storm Isaias was headed up the eastern coast of the state, mission managers had judged the weather in the Gulf of Mexico acceptable for the splashdown. The two astronauts' communications blacked out, as expected, for several nerve-wracking minutes during their fiery reentry. But then they were back in contact, as the first views of their capsule appeared on video. It dropped through the sky at around 400 miles per hour before two parachutes emerged to slow it down. Then, four white-and-reddish orange parachutes billowed out, slowing it down even more. The two astronauts braced for impact as their capsule, bearing dark scorch marks, hit the calm seas with a big splash. Two fast boats raced toward it, as its parachutes drifted down to the water. Cheering and clapping could be heard in the background as Mission Control told the astronauts, "welcome back to planet Earth and thanks for flying SpaceX." Almost immediately, however, private boats full of curious onlookers encroached on the recovery effort, coming close to the floating capsule. That's a problem, as it could distract the workers and also put people at risk from dangerous chemicals. "That was not what we were anticipating," says Bridenstine, who said the U.S. Coast Guard had done an excellent job of clearing boats from the area for the water landing. "And then of course, after they landed, the boats just came in. We need to do a better job next time for sure. I will tell you it's a beautiful sunny day and a lot of boaters were out there, and they were certainly intrigued." SpaceX's Shotwell said that the onlookers had to be asked to move back as they got too close. "We'll certainly be better prepared next time," she said, adding that more boats to patrol the area could be needed. Despite the gawkers, the SpaceX capsule was hauled onto the recovery vessel, and after the astronauts emerged and got a medical checkup, they were taken back to shore by helicopter. Their next stop is Houston, and Shotwell said that Musk was headed there to personally welcome them back. Going forward, NASA wants to rely on commercial space taxis for routine flights to and from the orbiting outpost - while the government agency focuses on developing vehicles for a return to the moon. The next SpaceX mission with astronauts on board is scheduled for September, and the four astronauts assigned to that mission were watching this historic homecoming with great interest. "We were together in the control center here in Houston watching the splashdown," says astronaut Shannon Walker, who said it was an emotional event to watch their colleagues come home safely and to see the spacecraft operate so well. "We're very excited that it went as smoothly as it did." Besides NASA astronauts, SpaceX has plans to take other paying customers to space, including on a trip around the moon and back. "The capsule worked beautifully. The operations worked extremely well. So we certainly feel comfortable that we're on the right path to carry commercial passengers not too long from now," said Shotwell. "Based on the results so far, I'm very comfortable." https://www.npr.org/2020/08/02/898330964/splashdown-spacex-and-nasa-astronauts-make-history Curt Lewis