Flight International 27 Sep - 3 Oct 2011

FLIGHT
INTERNATIONAL
SWITCH BLADES
WHY ROLLS IS
COMING TO TERMS
WITH COMPOSITES
CIVIL ENGINES
FLYING TO FIFTY
Airbus suggests monthly
A320 output may hit half
century on single-aisle
demand surge 10
MERGER MOOD
As UTC targets Goodrich,
many believe new furry
of industry consolidation
is on the cards 32
787 HANDOVER
DELIVERANCE
Three years on, can Boeings wayward prodigy
redeem its creator and fnally make its mark?
ightglobal.com

3.10 USA$8.99
27 SEPTEMBER-3 OCTOBER 2011
FIN_270911_001 1 22/9/11 10:03:57
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one of them.
FIN_270911_002 2 21/09/2011 13:46:39
fightglobal.com
FLIGHT
INTERNATIONAL
27 SEPTEMBER-3 OCTOBER 2011
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VOLUME 180 NUMBER 5310
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Handover to All Nippon Airways puts an end to Boeing 787
delays P8. Bombardier and Comac nd commonality P6
NEXT WEEK PRE-NBAA SPECIAL
On the eve of the sectors biggest
get-together in Las Vegas, we assess
rebounding fortunes in US business
aviation within a comprehensive package
PIC OF THE WEEK
YOUR PHOTOGRAPH HERE
AirSpace user Sharpshot posted this image
of a Douglas DC-7B in Fly Eastern Air Lines
colours. Air trafc control asked whether
the start-up would be visible from the tower,
writes Sharpshot. He need not have... Open
a gallery in ightglobal.coms AirSpace
community for a chance to feature here.
COVER IMAGE
Our resident Boeing 787
programme expert Jon
FlightBlogger Ostrower
took this photograph of a
Dreamliner in ANA colours
on 6 August. Ostrower also
wrote our cover story.
See News Focus P8 S
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27 September-3 October 2011
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Flight International
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3
NEWS
THIS WEEK
6 Comac reinforces Bombardier bond
7 Boeings party ruined by 747-8F row
8 The dream becomes reality
9 Real-time monitoring of 787 health data
aims to boost dispatch reliability
AIR TRANSPORT
10 Airbus hints at 50-a-month A320 rate
14 CSeries risks missing order targets.
US to stub out confusing electronic
cigarettes
16 TU-134 drifted before fatal approach.
Braking mystery at heart of Yak-42
crash inquiry
18 A350-1000 yet to convince Air Lease.
Germanys MTU seeks C919 second
engine role
SHOW REPORT
20 Trainers and helicopters stuck in USAF
budget limbo
21 EADS uncertain on Air Force One bid.
JSM decision is critical for F-35 buy
DEFENCE
22 Indian air force swoops for Saras.
Australia advances MRH90 review
BUSINESS AVIATION
24 ADS-B urged to dig mining sector out of
capacity hole.
Flying Colours widens its ambitions
25 Flexjet cuts cost of share in frst four
Learjet 85s by 5%.
Indian green light for Phenom 300
GENERAL AVIATION
28 LoPresti plans November fight for
upgraded Cirrus.
C-NM5 piston takes to the sky
NEWS FOCUS
30 Pilot training advances stifed by
rule-makers
BUSINESS
32 Time to buy growth
REGULARS
5 Comment
41 Straight & Level
42 Letters
44 Classied
47 Jobs
51 Working Week
48 JOB OF THE WEEK Technical Instructor,
Cathay Pacifc, Hong Kong
COVER STORY
8 Delivering the dream The eight-year
struggle to get the 787 into service
FEATURES
34 COMMERCIAL ENGINES Coming full
circle Why Rolls-Royce is moving from
metalic fan blades to composite versions
36 Out in the cold FAA regulation changes
create tougher climate for engine makers
38 REGIONAL AIRCRAFT Slow burn Fuel
price spike has boosted the attractiveness
of turboprops, but plans to add new
products are stuck in the pipeline
ightglobal.com/imageoftheweek
DOWNIOAD 1HI INGINI DIRIC1OR\.
www.iightgiobai.com/ComIngDirectory
FIN_270911_003-004 3 22/9/11 18:57:53
fightglobal.com
CONTENTS
Flightglobal reaches up to 1.3 million visitors from 220
countries viewing 7.1 million pages each month
Find all these items at ightglobal.com/wotw
For a full list of reader services, editorial
and advertising contacts see P43
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+44 20 8652 3842
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WEBMASTER
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SUBSCRIPTIONS
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FLIGHT DAILY NEWS
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ACAS
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HIGH FLIERS
The top ve stories for the week just gone:
1 Cargolux will not take 747-8F delivery over contract wrangle
2 Cargolux could seek capacity elsewhere after 747-8F rejection
3 Cargolux 747-8F dispute linked to late Qatar 787 deliveries
4 P-51 Mustang crashes into crowd at Reno Air Races
5 Air France-KLM to take up to 110 A350s and 787s
BEHIND THE
HEADLINES
Greg Waldron was snapped in
front of a Comac C919 model at
Beijings Aviation Expo/China
2011 (below), where it seemed
everyone in aerospace was still
bullish on Chinas growth poten-
tial (P6). FlightBlogger had
booked his Seattle trip before
Cargolux cancelled its Boeing
747-8F delivery ceremony, but
completed the journey anyway
and made it worthwhile (P8). And
en route to visiting Canadian VIP
completions and conversions
specialist Flying Colours (P24),
Niall OKeeffe was fown from
Montreal to Peterborough,
Ontario, in a Bombardier
Challenger 605 business jet.
IN THIS ISSUE
Companies listed
ACSS ...........................................................33
AgustaWestland ...........................................26
Air Baltic ........................................................ 6
Airbus ........................................10, 12, 16, 33
Aircelle ........................................................33
Air France ....................................................28
Air Lease Corportation .................................16
Airservices Australia .....................................24
Alaska Airlines .............................................28
Alenia Aeronautica .......................................20
Antonov .......................................................22
AT Aero ........................................................33
Aviation Capital Group .................................16
AVIC Commercial Aircraft Engines ...........16, 33
Avtrade ........................................................33
BAE Systems ...............................................20
Baltijas Aviacijas Sistemas ............................. 6
Boeing .......................................10, 12, 22, 33
Bombardier ........................ 12, 14, 24, 25, 28
Carrier Air Conditioning ................................32
Cirrus ...........................................................26
Comac .........................................................33
Dassault Aviation .........................................25
Dassault ......................................................24
DeltaHawk ...................................................26
DRB Aviation Consultants.............................33
Embraer .................................................22, 25
Emirates .....................................................16
Eurocopter ...................................................26
ExecuJet ......................................................25
Falcon Trust Air .............................................25
Flexjet ..........................................................25
Flying Colours ..............................................24
GAMA Aviation .......................................25, 33
General Dynamics........................................32
GippsAero ....................................................26
Goodrich ......................................................32
Grob Aircraft.................................................22
Gulfstream .............................................24, 33
Ilyushin ........................................................22
Hampson .....................................................33
Hawker Beechcraft .......................................24
Jet Aviation Moscow .....................................25
Landmark Aviation .......................................24
Lockheed Martin ..........................................22
London Executive Aviation ............................24
LoPresti Aviation Engineering .......................26
Maguire Aviation ..........................................25
Mahindra Aerospace ....................................26
MTU Aero Engines ........................................16
National Aerospace Laboratories..................22
NetJets ........................................................25
Nexcelle .......................................................33
NH Industries ...............................................22
Northrop Grumman ......................................20
Oxford Aviation Academy ..............................28
Pacifc Scientifc Aerospace .........................32
Pratt& Whitney .......................................12, 33
Qatar ...........................................................16
Rafael ..........................................................33
Raytheon Australia .......................................22
RusAir ..........................................................14
RusLine .......................................................14
Safran .........................................................33
Singapore Technologies Engineering .............33
Sikorsky .......................................................22
TAME Lnea Area del Ecuador ....................... 6
Teledyne Controls .........................................28
Tiger Airways Australia ..................................33
Triumph........................................................32
Tupolev ........................................................14
United Technologies .....................................32
Vought Aerospace ........................................32
Xian Aircraft .................................................33
Yakovlev .......................................................14
4
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QUESTION OF THE WEEK
THE WEEK ON THE WEB
ightglobal.com
Last week, we asked: Should pilots be forced to retire no later
than age 60? You said:
YES
Its safer and clears the
way for younger pilots
NO
But 65 should be
the limit
NO
Pilots should be allowed
to continue as long as t
26
%
38
%
36
%
Total votes: 3,135
This week, we ask: Will the 787 break even? RUndoubtedly popular
and game-changing airliner RTouch and go may take a decade
RNo chance too late and too cheap
Vote at ightglobal.com/poll

N
Russia stands out among the worlds biggest military spenders
by not having an indigenous medium-altitude unmanned air
vehicle. Defence blog The DEW Line carried a video that cleared
up the mystery. The clip shows
the fate of Russias answer to
the Predator, the Vega Stork, a
demonstrator of which crashed
on 18 January 2010. The
Boeing 747-8F non-delivery had
FlightBlogger trawling the Flight International archives to locate
our August 1991 story on Singapore Airlines cancellation of 20
Pratt & Whitney PW4460-powered Douglas MD-11 aircraft in
favour of Airbus A340-300s, after the former were deemed
unable to fy the Singapore-Paris route without a 5t payload
restriction. On Asian Skies, Greg Waldron posted images
sourced from the Japan Security Watch blog of the Kawasaki
XP-1 maritime patrol aircraft conducting fight tests with two
Type-91 anti-ship missiles on its inboard missile pylons (left).
o..'od 'e \'., 'J'o.
Ce.sJs o.'.e .o.
www.|ghtg|oba|.om/m|||s|m
High-de|ity he|icopter simu|ators and training systems.
FIN_270911_003-004 4 22/9/11 18:55:47
COMMENT
fightglobal.com
Are the commercial airframers
forecasts too optimistic? Is the
Boeing 787 worth celebrating?
Have your say online at
ightglobal.com/comment
Airbus has followed Boeing with a robust 20-year market outlook that may call for
unprecedented aircraft build rates assuming the future does what it is supposed to
Oh, for perfect vision
G
ood news this week from Airbus, whose experts
forecast the worlds air operators will buy nearly
28,000 new jets between now and 2030 more than
doubling the size of the eet to the high side of 31,000.
While not quite as optimistic as arch rival Boeing,
which back in June detailed its 20-year expectations for
33,500 deliveries, Toulouse and Seattle both agree that
forecasts published last year needed revising upwards
by nearly 3,000 units. This demand is so great that Air-
bus may increase output of its workhorse A320 narrow-
body to an astonishing 50 aircraft monthly.
Things, it seems, can only get better.
But while it would be churlish to argue with either
Airbus or Boeing success suggests they know their
market better than anybody it should be remembered
that forecasts are based on assumptions.
Boeings numbers, for example, are based on expec-
tations of a 3.3% annual growth of the global economy,
which is reasonably consistent with current conditions.
But the risks are on the downside. As is painfully clear,
the evolving debt crisis threatens to knock Europe and
North America off the rails for many years to come, and
it is far from clear that emerging markets can continue
even their current slowing rate of growth, without
these big motors ring at least on most cylinders.
Indeed, Brazil the B lining up with Russia, India
and China among BRIC nations is looking wobbly,
and while Chinese growth has more or less held up
through the crisis, its rocketing economy will plateau,
See News Focus P6
Y
ou might wonder what Boeing has to do to catch a
break. Just as its 787 widebody nally rolls toward
commercial service, the high-power beams illuminat-
ing Everett turn out not to be theatrical spotlights, but
rather the headlamps of an oncoming express carrying
a late delivery of trouble.
The timing of Freightergate or the shenanigans
surrounding the delivery of the initial 747-8Fs is
without doubt extraordinary. Boeing must have been
unpacking a job-lot of Luxembourg-avoured bunting
and polishing the knife to cut the cake when the telex
from Cargolux arrived to call the party off.
Big airplanes are the hardest, wrote Randy Basel-
er, then head of Boeing commercial marketing, in a blog
post ve years ago. This was an expression of sympathy
for Airbus, which was struggling to free itself from the
A380 production quagmire. But it was left in no doubt
that the comment was directed inwardly as much as
towards Toulouse.
This is why it would be a shame to focus attention
solely on the 747s clattering into the last hurdle, just as
the 787 is sailing over its own. After all, the 787 is not
just a big airplane it is one which demanded a
whole new way of building them.
Achievement of a huge ambition, even if it took
longer than expected, deserves recognition. Pop the
cork, Boeing, you have earned it. O
Champagne on ice tastes all the sweeter
The current downturn could
easily be not a cyclical dip,
but structurally durable
and in any case is highly vulnerable to domestic unrest
and prolonged downturn in its major trading partners.
Another reason forecasting is riskier than ever is that
some long-standing givens warrant serious reconsider-
ation. The current downturn could easily prove to be
not a cyclical dip, but structurally durable like the
1930s, in shape if not scale. Particularly devastating for
airlines and, surely, suppliers like Airbus and Boeing
is the counter-intuitive persistence of high oil prices
at a time of slow growth.
A more immediate cause for caution came from Air-
bus itself. While forecasting booming demand, it is
openly talking about lending money to its customers,
because crisis-hit European banks are struggling to
raise the dollar nance they need to buy aircraft.
Growth of vendor nancing is surely a sign of
wobbly markets. Ultimately, Airbus and Boeing alike
rely on customers airlines which face a nancial
hurricane of high fuel prices and slack demand
for travel. O
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5
See Air Transport P10, Business P32
R
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x

F
e
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u
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e
s
Airline industry outlook: red or black?
FIN_270911_005 5 22/9/11 16:04:55
THIS WEEK
fightglobal.com 6
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For a round-up of our latest online news,
feature and multi-media content visit
ightglobal.com/wotw
B
ombardier and Chinas
Comac have identied seven
areas where the two companies
have the potential to nd commo-
nality on their CSeries and C919
narrowbody programmes.
Were now working toward
some denitive agreements, but
the timeline has yet to be
determined, said Ben Boehm,
Bombardiers vice-president of
international business. Were
progressing. In March, the two
companies agreed to examine po-
tential co-operation on their in-
development aircraft.
Were looking for areas in
common between the two
planes, Boehm said. If we can
work together then it will be easi-
er for an airline to buy a combina-
tion of the C919 and CSeries.
The co-operation framework
covers customer support, market-
ing, new product derivatives,
systems, materials, suppliers,
technology and processes.
Boehm said the CSeries and
C919 share 10 suppliers, includ-
ing Liebherr (landing gear), Hon-
eywell (auxiliary power units)
and Rockwell Collins (avionics).
The benets of commonality
focus on how we can mutually
become more competitive, said
Boehm. The seven elements of
the framework are focused on
subject areas where customers
see a benet if there is some simi-
larity between Bombardier and
Comac aircraft.
If, for example, we both use
the same specication of alumin-
ium lithium, it could lower
costs and alleviate an airlines
supply challenges.
Boehm was speaking at Avia-
tion Expo/China 2011 in Beijing,
where Bombardier displayed its
CSeries cabin mock-up a rst
for an Asian show.
He dismissed the idea that the
CSeries and C919 were rivals, be-
cause the minimum capacity of
the C919 160 passengers is
well above the maximum 145 the
CS300 can seat.
Meanwhile, Bombardier will
slash output of its CRJ regional
jets from January 2012, in the face
of an orders slump that has seen
its backlog diminish to just over a
years worth of production.
The Canadian airframer
warned last month that the action
would be necessary if orders did
not materialise. The company is
implementing mitigation ac-
tions, which include employee
transfers to other current and
in-development aircraft pro-
grammes at the rm, to avoid cuts
to its workforce. O
UNITED TECHNOLOGIES TO BUY GOODRICH
ACQUISITION United Technologies (UTC) has agreed to buy Goodrich
for $18.4 billion, which includes $1.9 billion of net debt, subject to
regulatory approvals. UTC expects the combined company to have
worldwide sales of approximately $66 billion this year. Goodrich is a
great business with a solid product portfolio that complements UTCs
aerospace presence, UTC chairman and chief executive Louis
Chenevert said. UTCs portfolio boasts engine maker Pratt & Whitney
and auxiliary power unit manufacturer Hamilton Sundstrand.
Goodrichs product range includes landing gear and engine nacelles.
See Business P32
US BACKS $5.3BN TAIWANESE F-16 UPGRADE
FIGHTERS US President Barack Obamas administration has backed
a potential $5.3 billion upgrade for Taiwans Lockheed Martin F-16A/B
fghters. If approved by Congress, the aircraft would be ftted with ac-
tive electronically scanned array radars, new weapons, sensor up-
grades and possibly more powerful Pratt & Whitney F100-229 engines.
The move comes as Washington is expected, on 1 October, to again
reject Taiwans long-standing request to buy 66 new F-16C/Ds.
ROW OVER FUNDING ENGULFS AIR BALTIC
DISPUTE Latvian carrier Air Baltic has fled for legal protection in an
attempt to enable it to continue operations. The airline, which has re-
quested a lat 60 million ($114 million) bailout from the government
a 52.6% stakeholder in Air Baltic said it has fled for legal protection
in order to prevent the state from blocking any of its decisions. Latvias
government said it is unwilling to inject any more capital into the airline
unless chief executive Bertolt Flick steps down. Flick owns Baltijas
Aviacijas Sistemas, which has a 47.2% stake in Air Baltic.
A400M ADVANCES ON CERTIFICATION GOAL
TRANSPORT Europes A400M programme has passed two key certif-
cation tests, according to Airbus Military. Development aircraft MSN1
cleared a high-energy rejected take-off test of its braking performance,
from a maximum take-off weight of 141,000kg (310,900lb) in
Toulouse, France, on 17 September. Emergency evacuation tests were
also completed at the companys San Pablo fnal assembly site near
Seville, Spain, using aircraft MSN6.
E-190 BADLY DAMAGED IN QUITO
INVESTIGATION An Embraer E-190, HC-CEZ, operated by Ecuadorian
airline TAME Lnea Area del Ecuador, has been left badly damaged
after it skidded off runway 35 at Quitos Mariscal Sucre International
airport on 16 September. There were no fatalities among the 97 pas-
sengers and six crew on board. However, the airports instrument land-
ing system (ILS) was rendered inoperable until 21 September, after
the aircraft damaged the ILS antenna.
RAPTORS CLEARED TO FLY AGAIN
COMBAT AIRCRAFT The US Air Forces Lockheed Martin F-22A
Raptors have been cleared to fy for the frst time in four months but
the oxygen problem that grounded them remains a mystery. It will be
two months before F-22A pilots regain full operational capability, Gen
Norton Schwartz, USAF chief of staff, told the Air Force Associations
annual convention on 20 September. The USAF few 16 fight tests to
identify the source of a possible contamination of the F-22As oxygen
supply, which caused 12 reported instances of hypoxia since 2008.
See Show Report P20
BRIEFING
B
o
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b
a
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d
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The CS300 shares 10 suppliers with Comacs new twinjet
RELATIONSHIP GREG WALDRON BEIJING
Comac reinforces
Bombardier bond
Seven areas for co-operation pinpointed as Canadians and
Chinese move closer to agreements on CSeries and C919
Read more on the Chinese
C919 narrowbody, go to
ightglobal.com/c919
FIN_270911_006-007 6 22/9/11 18:08:27
THIS WEEK
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7 fightglobal.com
The 787 dream
becomes reality
NEWS FOCUS P8
I
t was meant to have been the
week when Boeing started seven
days of celebrations, kicking off
the party with the handover of its
747-8 freighter, the rst of two in-
development aircraft to be deliv-
ered to airlines in the period.
But with two major customers
publicly revealing their dissatis-
faction with early examples of the
type, the Seattle airframer has in-
stead been left licking its wounds.
Cargolux was the rst to break
cover. On 16 September, just three
days before the rst 747-8F was
due to be handed over, the airline
dramatically rejected the deliv-
ery and that of a sister aircraft due
two days later. Cargolux blamed a
contractual issue for the dispute,
with the aircrafts performance
shortfall, delays to the programme
and subsequent compensation
due central issues.
The move coincided with Qatar
Airways taking a 35% stake in the
carrier on 9 September.
The rejection was followed by
more bad news on 20 September
when Atlas Air axed a quarter of
its September 2006 order for 12
747-8 freighters.
Atlas said the three early-pro-
duction freighters were scheduled
to be its rst deliveries in 2011,
but Boeing rescheduled these to
early 2012 and three more-recent-
ly-built 747-8Fs were moved for-
ward. It is the former aircraft
which are cancelled.
The carrier plans to accept de-
livery of one of the better-
performing 747-8Fs in October,
followed by two in November.
Boeing has acknowledged the
gap in the 747s performance, call-
ing the rst examples somewhat
short of initial specications for
fuel burn.
However, Boeing and GE are
still nalising the conguration of
the 747-8s GEnx-2B performance
improvement package (PIP) ex-
pected in 2013. Boeing is also cur-
rently developing a package of
improvements for the 747-8, in-
cluding a 2012 update to the ight
management computer for preci-
sion approach, required naviga-
tion performance (RNP) 0.1 and
quiet climb features. Boeing said
that along with the 747-8 PIP,
coupled with a number of aero-
dynamic improvements we have
identied for implementation, we
are condent that the airplanes we
are selling today will meet our
customer specications.
Any performance improvement
package developed by GE would
be available for retrot, although
this could only take place ve to
seven years later.
Meanwhile, Cathay Pacic Air-
ways says it remains on track to
take delivery of the rst of 10 air-
craft in October. O
DISPUTE JON OSTROWER SEATTLE & LORI RANSON WASHINGTON DC
Boeings party ruined by 747-8F row
Key customers for early examples of Seattles new freighter back away from the type blaming performance shortfall
O
n the eve of celebrating the
50th anniversary of rst ight,
the US Army took the rst step to-
wards launching the fourth major
growth version of the Boeing
CH-47 Chinook helicopter.
A modernisation programme
ofce was opened in early Sep-
tember at the acquisition head-
quarters for the army aviation
community at Redstone Arsenal,
Alabama, CH-47 product manager
Col Bob Marion said on 21 Sep-
tember. The army is already con-
sidering options for introducing a
new CH-47H variant in the 2020
timeframe, succeeding the CH-47F
and MH-47G models launched
about a decade ago, said Maj Gen
William Crosby, programme ex-
ecutive ofcer for army aviation.
With the CH-47F/G models, the
army introduced the Rockwell
Collins common avionics archi-
tecture system (CAAS) cockpit
and the BAE Systems digital ad-
vanced ight control system
(DAFCS). Asked to describe op-
tions for conguration upgrades
under review for a CH-47H, Mari-
on declined. The army is still de-
veloping requirements for the
fourth-generation of the Chinook
family, he said.
Boeing, however, has previous-
ly listed several options for a
growth Chinook.
A minimum effort would in-
crease the helicopters lift by 1
tonne by optimising the existing
rotor hub and transmission.
Any CH-47H modernisation
programme would be launched
after the F/G-model production
line expires in 2019. O
B
r
a
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d
o
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F
a
r
r
is
B
o
e
in
g
CH-47F assembly ends in 2019
ROTORCRAFT STEPHEN TRIMBLE PHILADELPHIA
US Army moots major
Chinook growth plans
PATROL
Indian navys rst P-8I emerges
Boeing is close to conducting the frst fight of a 737-800-based P-8I
maritime patrol aircraft for the Indian navy, with its frst example
having emerged at the manufacturers Renton Field assembly site
in Washington. Photographed by Flightglobal AirSpace user Brandon
Farris, the aircraft has been painted in Indian markings and as-
signed the registration IN320. It is the frst of eight P-8Is on order
for India, which will feld the aircraft from early 2013 as replace-
ments for its current Tupolev Tu-142s.
Follow Jon Ostrowers blog and
read the latest news online at
ightglobal.com/ightblogger
FIN_270911_006-007 7 22/9/11 18:13:16
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For a round-up of our latest online news,
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NEWS FOCUS
T
his week, Boeing should earn
its rst dollars from the 787
programme, when the long-ar-
ranged sources of capital set up by
launch customer All Nippon Air-
ways begin to be transferred into
Boeings coffers.
The delivery of the rst 787 to
the Japanese carrier on 26 Septem-
ber ends a 40-month delay and a
production nightmare that has be-
devilled the airframer since even
before the 787s original May 2008
delivery date. The troubles began
in mid-2007, when ZA001 the
companys ight test workhorse
arrived in pieces at its Everett,
Washington, US factory.
From an uprooted olive grove
to a fastener shortage, supplier dis-
ruptions and a re during a ight
test, the 787s headlines seemed to
mark two steps back for every step
forward for years.
The Dreamliner as it was
dubbed in June 2003 came to life
when Boeing abandoned the
Sonic Cruisers higher, faster, fur-
ther performance in 2002, in fa-
vour of super efcient. It would
seek a faster, better, cheaper busi-
ness model after its 777.
The now fully-amortised and
hugely protable 300- to 400-seat-
er was believed to have been too
expensive and too slow to return
its investment to shareholders.
With the notable exception of
Concordes Mach 2.0 experiment,
commercial air travel has been
Handover to All Nippon Airways of the frst Boeing 787 brings an end to 40 months of development delays
Finally, a dream is delivered
PROGRAMME JON OSTROWER SEATTLE
cruising between 30,000 and
40,000ft (9,150m-12,200m) for
over a half century, poking along
in the skies between M0.75 and
M0.85 since the rst Comets, 707s
and DC-8s came into use.
The basic swept wing, podded
under-wing engine conguration
of Boeings 707 has served as the
basis for all of almost all of the
airframers new aircraft.
In fact, in its market segment,
the 787 is the direct descendant of
the 707 which was replaced by
the 767 in the early 1980s.
The 787 is 70% more fuel ef-
cient than the companys rst
1950s-era four-engine Pratt &
Whitney JT3D-powered 707s.
Jetliners exist as mature tech-
nology in a mature market, and
each successive 20% improve-
ment in fuel efciency yields a
smaller lever to pull for a new de-
sign, as explained by Oxford and
MIT academic Dr Theodore
Piepenbrock. Gone are the cost
leaps achieved by cutting crew
from three to two and four engines
down to two.
Piepenbrocks work posits that
faster, better, cheaper incre-
mental change and process opti-
misation creates more successful
outcomes than higher, faster, fur-
ther when each leap forward is
more risky and expensive than the
previous undertaking.
While faster, better, cheaper was
Boeings goal, the airframer was
determined to push its global
manufacturing, composite materi-
als and electric systems higher,
faster and further than they had
ever performed before.
However, Boeing has already
failed to realise two of its three
aims. More than three and a half
years after it was rst promised,
faster has disappeared.
It remains the companys inten-
tion to deliver 10 787s per month
by the end of 2013 a goal it may
achieve, though four years later
THE LONG AND DIFFICULT PATH FROM PIPE DREAM TO DREAMLINER 2003-2011
2003
Boeing proceeds with 7E7
development. Targeting offers to
airlines in early 2004, service
entry in 2008. Boeing dubs 7E7
the Dreamliner, airframer reveals
plan to fabricate composite fuse-
lage and wing for forthcoming air-
liner project
2004
Boeing names Rolls-Royce and
General Electric as engine suppli-
ers. 7E7 launched with 50-aircraft
order from All Nippon Airways
2005
7E7 offcially becomes the 787,
with order for 60 aircraft from fve
Chinese airlines. Each promised
frst delivery by Beijing Olympics
2006
Air New Zealand becomes 787-9
launch customer
2007
Orders pass 500. Boeing amends
delivery schedule of early aircraft
and test airframes. First fight
slips from late August 2007 to
mid-November/mid-December,
then end of frst quarter of 2008
2008
First fight slides to fourth quarter
of 2008, frst delivery to third
Aircraft ZA101, registration JA801A, will perform its maiden passenger service on 26 October
J
o
n

O
s
t
r
o
w
e
r
/
F
lig
h
t
g
lo
b
a
l
FIN_270911_008-009 8 22/9/11 18:39:22
|
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9 fightglobal.com
Airbus hints at
50-a-month
A320 rate
AIR TRANSPORT P14
Si l i l T i
125 150 175 210 250 300
3,380
6,429
4,757
2,864
2,362
2,156
NEWS FOCUS
than rst planned. The delays and
supplier acquisitions have created
billions in cost overruns that have
eroded the mantra of cheaper as
a prot may not be realised until
1,000 are sold, according to esti-
mates from analysis and survey
rm Bernstein Research. Boeings
backlog for the twinjet stands at
821 aircraft.
However, the rst 787s 27 Sep-
tember departure from Everett for
Tokyo should at least allow one
key question to be answered: is the
787 better than anything Boeing
has built before?
New aircraft always face teeth-
ing problems the 747-100s trou-
bled Pratt & Whitney JT9D engines
stymied its rst service. These
events mark the early years of new
types but each soon becomes a
prot generating machine.
Never has an aircraft been so
comprehensively marketed as bet-
ter: better fuel efciency from
Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 and Gen-
eral Electric GEnx engines, better
cabin experience for passengers
with larger windows, bigger stor-
age bins and higher pressure and
humidity, better maintenance in-
tervals and a better ying aircraft
for pilots.
The 787 should get its rst live
trial on 26 October its maiden
passenger service, connecting To-
kyos Narita airport with Hong
Kong on a special charter. O
B
oeing plans a dedicated mis-
sion-control centre to moni-
tor its early 787s in service by
harnessing live data streamed
from the aircraft.
By harnessing live data from
the 787s Airplane Health Man-
agement (AHM) system, Boeing
aims to deliver 777-level dis-
patch reliability on its 787 eet.
Housed in the airframers
40-88 building at its Everett,
Washington campus, the 787
Operational Control Center
(OCC) will be manned 24 hours
a day with six to seven staff on
each of the three daily shifts.
The facility will be staffed
by Boeing personnel handing
engineering, material manage-
ment, service engineers and
ight test staff.
The OCC is modelled on the
companys commercial aviation
services units Boeing Opera-
tions Center (BOC) near Renton,
Washington, which is aimed at
returning aircraft classied as
aircraft on the ground (AOG) to
revenue service.
Its like a little mini-BOC,
said Mike Fleming, 787 director
of services and support, who
said the OCC supported the 787
ight test aircraft during extend-
ed operations (ETOPS) and sys-
tem functionality and reliability
testing this summer. Once we
go into service, it will be focused
on the in-service airplanes, said
Fleming. As well as AOG avoid-
ance, the operations centre
would monitor live data coming
from the aircraft, he added.
Fleming said the OCC was
looking at data proactively to
get ahead of anything before it
[becomes] AOG to make sure we
can undertake [preventative]
maintenance to prevent it getting
into that situation.
The arrival of live AHM,
which did not exist on the same
scale when the 777 rst entered
service in 1995, has enabled use
of the OCC to bolster the 787s
dispatch reliability, he added.
Our customer, All Nippon
Airways, has the highest reliabil-
ity goals in the world. The
competition over there is high-
speed trains, which have very
high reliability.
So for us and for our
customers, the expectation is
that we will rapidly achieve 777
levels of reliability and, in fact,
surpass those. O
SUPPORT JON OSTROWER SEATTLE
Real-time monitoring of
787 health data aims to
boost dispatch reliability
quarter of 2009, 787-9 to 2012.
Machinists strike brings 57-day
work stoppage at Boeings
assembly plants in Puget Sound,
Washington. Boeing admits need
to replace 3% of all 787
fasteners, moves frst fight to
June 2009, delivery to frst
quarter of 2010
2009
Air New Zealand reveals another
12-month slide in frst 787-9 deliv-
ery. Boeing selects North
Charleston for second 787 fnal
assembly line. First fight in
December launches what is in-
tended to be 8-9 month certifca-
tion campaign
2010
787 achieves initial airworthiness
in January. First GEnx-1B-powered
787 completes frst fight. After
uncontained failure of a Trent
1000 test engine frst delivery
slides to mid-frst quarter of
2011. In-fight fre brings halt to
test fying for a month
2011
First delivery: third quarter 2011.
Boeing predicts 25-40 deliveries
of 787s/747-8s in 2011, later
revised to 25-30. Ninth 787
begins ETOPS and F&R testing.
Boeing gains type and production
certifcation from FAA and EASA
in August
Review all our coverage of
the 787s handover, go to
ightglobal.com/787
The expectation is
that we will rapidly
achieve 777-levels of
reliability and, in fact,
surpass those
MIKE FLEMING
787 director of services and support
Rolls-Royce Trent 1000s power ANAs initial example of the type
B
o
e
in
g
FIN_270911_008-009 9 22/9/11 18:33:39
AIR TRANSPORT
fightglobal.com
Check out our collection of online dynamic
aircraft profles for the latest news, infor-
mation and images on civil and military
programmes at ightglobal.com/proles
A
irbus is taking an initial look
at the requirements for in-
creasing A320 production to an
extraordinary 50 aircraft per
month, as it forecasts a strong in-
crease in demand for single-aisle
jets over the next 20 years.
The airframers latest global
market outlook, covering the peri-
od from 2011 to 2030, raises the
new-build single-aisle demand by
7% meaning its A320neo family
will be battling for a share of
19,165 deliveries over the next
two decades.
Speaking at the forecast pres-
entation in London, Airbus chief
operating ofcer for customers
John Leahy said the airframer had
already committed to increasing
production to 42 per month, and
was studying a further rise
to 44.
He said the company was con-
dent about reaching a decision on
such an increase in the not-too-
distant future.
He added that Airbus was
taking a preliminary look at what
might be involved in pushing
the rate up to 50. Airbus had an
A320 backlog of 3,132 at the end
of August.
Engine manufacturers would
probably be able to cope with the
higher rate, Leahy said.
Rival US airframer Boeing,
which is developing its re-engined
737 Max to counter the A320neo,
previously forecast a 10% increase
in demand for single-aisle aircraft
to 23,370 in its own 2011-30
outlook, released in June.
Airbus, however, predicted
single-aisle demand would ac-
count for 71% of deliveries and
43% of the overall $3.2 trillion
passenger jet market. Its forecast
raises the overall 20-year new-
build demand by 2,000 aircraft to
27,848 of which 26,921 are pas-
senger aircraft.
Airbus, which focuses heavily
on the passenger sector in its out-
look, also predicted a strong in-
crease in twin-aisle demand,
raising its forecast by 11% to
6,425 airframes.
Leahy pointed out that slots for
its A350 were becoming scarce,
stating that none were available
until around 2018-19.
But Airbus kept its forecast in
the large-capacity sector that
served by the A380 essentially
static, at 1,331 passenger jets al-
though this estimate is still more
than double the gure of 570
expected by Boeing. O
10
|
|
PRODUCTION DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON
Airbus hints at 50-a-month A320 rate
Airframer cautions over pressure on smaller suppliers as latest forecast predicts demand for nearly 28,000 jets by 2030
CARGO
Freighters barely mentioned as outlook concentrates on passenger jet demand
Airbus concentrated heavily on the
demand for passenger aircraft in its
2011-30 market forecast, but insist-
ed that this did not indicate a lack of
interest in the freighter market.
The European airframer estimated
that 927 new-build freighters would
be needed over the next 20 years a
fgure broadly consistent with com-
petitor Boeings fgure of 970.
Freighters barely warranted a men-
tion in the detailed breakdown, but
Airbuss head of market forecast,
Chris Emerson, stressed there was
no change of focus for the airfram-
er. The freight markets dynamics
were different, he said, and the
sector was a complex topic, which
Airbus planned to address in a
separate forecast.
Airbuss only new-build freighter,
the A330-200F, has not sold well,
compared with the Boeing 777F. The
777F has topped 100 orders,
including 25 this year, against the
A330Fs total of 57 overall.
Chief operating offcer for
customers John Leahy also gave the
frst formal indication that deeper
problems have affected Airbuss ef-
forts to start an A320 passenger-to-
freighter conversion line in Russia.
He said the joint venture with
Russian manufacturer Irkut wasnt
working out well before it was dis-
solved, adding: They hadnt sold
many of the conversions.
Leahy said the A320 conversion
scheme had been put aside for a
while, but added: It doesnt mean
we wont be back in the single-aisle
freight market in the future.
Some 10,500 of the 26,900 new
passenger aircraft deliveries over the
forecast period will go towards replac-
ing current airframes.
Airbus expects nearly 2,200 of
those replaced aircraft to be subse-
quently converted to freighters.
Boeings latest equivalent forecast
had predicted an overall conversion
fgure of 1,990 airframes, and added
that conversions would absorb the
entire demand for small freighters
those with a cargo capacity below
45 tonnes.
The US airframer put total freighter
demand over the next 20 years at
2,960 aircraft, with the balance of
970 being new-build, and a total
value of $250 billion.
Boeing believes the freighter mar-
ket will be the primary source of cus-
tomers for high-capacity aircraft into
which the 747-8F falls with new-
build airframes accounting for nearly
70% of the 1,000 airframes opera-
tors will need by 2030. O
Follow our web coverage of the
airline sector by logging onto
ightglobal.com/airlines
GLOBAL PASSENGER AIRCRAFT DEMAND 2011-30
Fleet size x1,000
Passenger aircraft >100 seats (excluding freighters)
SOURCE: Airbus
Global eet 2011 Global eet 2030
15,002
31,424
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Growth To new operators Replaced Same operator
26,921
16,422
10,499
3,440
1,063
20-YEAR DEMAND BY SEAT CATEGORY
New aircraft
SOURCE: Airbus
Single-aisle Twin-aisle
Seat category
(VLA = A380 or 747)
100 125 150 175 210 250 300 350 400 VLA
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
1,735
3,380
6,429
4,757
2,864
2,362
2,156
1,206
701
1,331
FIN_270911_010 10 21/9/11 20:09:56
AIR TRANSPORT
fightglobal.com
CSeries and development and
execution risks, as well as un-
proven performance data.
We did look at the CSeries,
but determined that the training
would be too complex and
expensive for our purposes,
remarked one of the respond-
ents. Despite tepid interest in or-
dering the CSeries in the short-
term, 22% said they were likely
to purchase the aircraft in the
next 10 years or beyond. The
RBC analysts added that, as
additional development mile-
stones are met, CSeries order
traction should strengthen, and
Bombardier will eventually cap-
ture a signicant share of the
100- to 149-seat market, to allow
for a return on the $1.7 billion
the airframer is investing in the
aircraft programme.
We estimate that if Bombar-
dier captures just 20% of the
forecasted market share in the
100- to 149-seat capacity seg-
ment over the next 20 years, a
positive [return on investment]
will likely be obtained, the
analysts said.
Bombardier, in its commercial
aircraft market forecast released
earlier this year, estimated the
100- to 149-seat aircraft eet
would reach some 9,200 aircraft
by 2030. O
14
|
|
A
nalysts at RBC Capital Mar-
kets have concluded Bom-
bardiers goal of having 300 or-
ders for its new CSeries
narrowbody by entry into service
in late 2013 is at risk.
The Canadian rm reached
this conclusion after surveying
26 airlines, representing roughly
35% of the 100- to 149-seat
aircraft operating globally, to
gauge their interest in ordering
the CSeries.
Eleven of the carriers were
headquartered in North America,
eight in Europe, three in Asia
and four in other regions.
RBC determined those carriers
have signicant interest in the
aircraft, but no real sense of ur-
gency to order the CSeries.
Only 7% of the test group,
said they would be likely to
acquire the CSeries in the next
ve years.
This compares with over
20% of respondents indicating
they would likely purchase Boe-
ings 737, and 18% for the Air-
bus A319neo, the analysts
added. There is signicantly
lower conviction towards the
CSeries than towards its com-
petitors in the near term.
The main driver behind
interest in the CSeries failing to
translate into orders is trepida-
tion over introducing a new eet
type, with 50% of survey re-
spondents ranking eet commo-
nality as their top concern. Other
hurdles included the price of the
U
S Department of Transporta-
tion regulators are proposing
to ban the use of electronic ciga-
rettes on aircraft.
It has submitted a notice of
proposed rulemaking in the Fed-
eral Register, laying out plans to
prohibit electronic cigarettes in
all forms, including electronic ci-
gars and pipes.
Airline passengers have
rights, and this new rule would
enhance passenger comfort and
reduce any confusion surround-
ing the use of electronic cigarettes
in ight, said transportation sec-
retary Ray LaHood.
The DOT is also considering ex-
tending a smoking ban including
electronic cigarettes to charter
ights operated by US and foreign
air carriers with aircraft that seat
19 or more passengers.
Electronic cigarettes cause po-
tential concern because there is a
lack of scientic data and knowl-
edge of the ingredients in elec-
tronic cigarettes, said the DOT.
The Department views its cur-
rent regulatory ban on smoking of
tobacco products to be sufcient-
ly broad to include the use of
electronic cigarettes.
The public is invited to sub-
mit comments on the proposed
ban until 14 November, the DOT
added. O
US to stub out confusing electronic cigarettes
SAFETY GHIM-LAY YEO WASHINGTON DC
AIRFRAMES LORI RANSON WASHINGTON DC
CSeries risks missing order targets
Market analysis of 100- to 149-seat operators reveals reluctance to order new Bombardier twinjet in the short term
PROPULSION GHIM-LAY YEO WASHINGTON DC
Geared turbofan completes initial ight-test programme
Pratt & Whitneys PW1524G engine,
which will power the Bombardier
CSeries, has completed its frst fight
test programme, logging 25 fights
and a total of 115 fight hours.
Results confrmed our earlier
sea level test fndings, validating the
geared turbofans overall engine de-
sign. The engine operated fawlessly,
enabling us to conduct double the
number of fight hours we planned,
said Bob Saia, vice president of
Pratt & Whitneys next generation
product family. Our expanded test
programme enabled us to conduct
additional fight testing, which was
planned for early 2012.
This engine will return to our sea
level test facility in West Palm,
Florida, to continue testing.
The US company had been test-
ing the engine on its Boeing 747SP
fying test bed, at P&W Canadas
Mirabel Aerospace Centre in,
Quebec, since 20 June. Final as-
sembly and testing will also take
place at the facility.
The PW1500G-series engine test
programme will run over the next 16
months with eight test engines,
before certifcation scheduled in
2012 and entry into service in
late 2013. O
SOURCE: RBC
SURVEY NEAR-TERM LIKELIHOOD OF NARROWBODY ORDER
0-5 5-10 10+ 0-5 5-10 10+ 0-5 5-10 10+
Years
Bombardier
CSeries
Boeing
737-700/800
Airbus
A319neo
Defnitely Likely Unlikely Defnitely not
47% 30% 11% 46% 25% 50% 27% 17% 33%
7%
27%
67%
45%
33%
23%
25%
23%
42%
33%
18%
17%
67%
20% 20%
50%
22%
8% 8%
17%
9%
33%
Keep up with our coverage of
the civil aircraft industry online
ightglobal.com/aircraft
Check out David Learmounts
cabin air quality coverage online
ightglobal.com/cabinair
FIN_270911_014 14 22/9/11 16:31:31
AIR TRANSPORT
fightglobal.com
I
nvestigators probing the Yakov-
lev Yak-42 crash in Yaroslavl,
Russia, have revealed the presence
of an apparent braking force on the
aircraft during the take-off run, but
have yet to establish its origin.
The aircraft had entered run-
way 23 at taxiway ve about
300m (984ft) from the beginning
of the strip for the ight to Minsk
on 7 September.
Russias Interstate Aviation
Committee (MAK) said the Yak-42
accelerated to around 89kt
(165km/h) in line with the en-
gine power setting but that the
pitch did not increase when the
crew attempted to lift the nose-
wheel at 100kt, despite elevator
deection of 9-10.
About 6s later the engine
power was increased to a higher
thrust setting. However, MAK
said that despite this setting, the
acceleration slowed signicant-
ly. It added that this might be
explained by the appearance of
an additional braking force, al-
though further tests possibly
using a similar aircraft are need-
ed to determine the magnitude.
Parts of the brake system re-
trieved from the wreckage are
undergoing special examination,
MAK said.
The Yak-42s centre of gravity
was within limits; investigators
have already disclosed that the
aircrafts weight was not exces-
sive, its aps were set to their 20
take-off position and that its
stabiliser was set at the 8.7 pitch-
up position.
MAK said the pilots had
checked all the ight controls,
including the elevator, which
deected cleanly to a pitch-up
position of 21. The last check was
carried out 1min 40s prior to
take-off.
Although the elevator deected
to the pitch-up position during the
take-off roll, said MAK, the aircraft
failed to lift off.
Its speed increased to 124kt,
and evidence at the crash scene
indicates that the jet eventually
became airborne 400m beyond the
end of the runway, with the
elevator deected 13-14 and the
stabiliser set at 9.5 pitch-up. But
the aircraft failed to gain sufcient
height to clear the localiser anten-
na, colliding with the structure
and suddenly pitching up to 20
for a few seconds.
The aircraft did not achieve a
height of more than 5-6m before
banking left and hitting trees and
terrain. Wreckage analysis shows
the aps and slats were in the take-
off conguration, the spoilers were
retracted and the stabiliser was
positioned at about 10 pitch-up.
There was no disconnection of el-
evator control cabling.
Technical investigators are
considering all possibilities for the
additional braking force during
take-off, and the reasons why the
aircraft failed to lift off in time
from the runway, MAK added. O
16
|
|
Parts of the brake
system retrieved from
the wreckage are
undergoing special
examination
D
escent below the glide path
in poor weather and a failure
to execute a timely go-around
led to the fatal RusAir Tupolev
Tu-134A crash on approach to
Petrozavodsk, Russia, investiga-
tors have concluded.
Russias Interstate Aviation
Committee (MAK) also found
that the aircrafts navigator
who was supposed to aid the
pilots in aligning the aircraft
with the runway was mildly
intoxicated at the time of the 20
June accident.
Only ve of the 52 passengers
and crew survived the crash. The
ight from Moscows Domode-
dovo airport was originally
scheduled to operate through fel-
low Russian carrier RusLine,
with a Bombardier CRJ regional
jet. This ight was cancelled,
and the RusAir Tu-134 was char-
tered to replace the service.
The ight had progressed nor-
mally and the aircraft was about
8min from touchdown when the
crew took full manual control at
an altitude of 8,860ft (2,700m).
The aircraft then continued to
descend towards a cleared height
of 500m.
However, as it made its right-
hand base turn to Petrozavodsks
runway 02, the aircraft drifted
4km to the left of the centreline.
MAK said strong south-easter-
ly winds of 17kt (31km/h) prob-
ably contributed to the jet being
off course. Discussions between
the pilot and navigator led the
crew to try correcting the ight-
path by bearing right.
This reduced the drift but as
they deployed aps the Tu-134
gained height, rising to 550m. It
overew the outer marker at
385m, about 55m too high, and
the crew increased the rate of de-
scent to regain the glide path.
As the height reduced the
wind weakened, but the crew
did not compensate with a head-
ing correction and the Tu-134
drifted to the right of the
approach. MAK said the crew
appeared to be referring to a
satellite positioning system
which was prohibited during ap-
proach. The aircraft descended
well below the desired path, it
added, and the co-pilot failed to
warn about the steep approach.
Weather conditions in the
immediate vicinity were sub-
stantially different from those
relayed to the crew, with low
cloud and fog reducing visibility
to 500-700m.
Despite failing to make visual
contact with the ground, the
crew did not execute a missed
approach. The aircraft struck
25m-high trees, 1.2km short of
the runway. It was some 270m to
the right of the centreline.
MAK said the aircrafts crew
descended below minimum safe
altitude while in poor weather
and in absence of seeing the ap-
proach lights of the airport or
other landmarks. There had been
poor communication and a lack
of crew resource management.
The navigator had a mild de-
gree of alcoholic intoxication,
while the co-pilot appeared to
have been left out of the com-
mand loop, MAK added. O
Braking mystery at heart of Yak-42 crash inquiry
INVESTIGATION DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON
Flightglobal
25km
20km
16km
284
30
6.8km
Deviation distance from
approach path
PETROZAVODSK TU-134
APPROACH CRASH
PE
AP
ETROZAVODSK TU-134
PPROACH CRASH
6km 6km
6.8km 6 8km
25km 25km
20km 20km
3330
D i ti di t f
11
Runway 02
Drift over centreline
and impact
17
Off track
by 4km
Too high over
outer marker
rapid descent
OPERATIONS ALAN DRON & DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON
Tu-134 drifted before fatal approach
Navigators intoxication among fndings after crew failed to execute go-around despite absence of visual ground contact
Read our up-to-the-minute news
on safety developments online
ightglobal.com/safety
FIN_270911_014 16 22/9/11 14:43:15
AIR TRANSPORT
fightglobal.com
Boeing has the incumbent advan-
tage because it can keep improv-
ing the existing 777.
Udvar-Hazy, who has worked
closely with the manufacturer
since it began studying a new air-
craft in this market segment sever-
al years ago, is encouraging Airbus
to make improvements to the
A350-1000. Concentrating on the
larger -1000 and delaying the serv-
ice entry of the smaller A350-800
is a wise move, he said.
In addition, high oil prices have
somewhat spiked the case for the
-800. For Udvar-Hazy, the existing
Airbus product in this category is
still a valid option. A330s can do
a lot of what the -800 can do for a
lower capital cost, he said.
Airbus is taking a more cau-
tious course, said Udvar-Hazy. If
it doesnt get the -1000 right it
doesnt have anything between
the -900 and the A380.
The A350 is the big volume
widebody market for Airbus [in
terms of units], he said. It is the
backbone of its widebody strategy
going forward.
According to Udvar-Hazy, the
priority for Airbus is to develop
the A350-900 and -1000 family
further to be able to compete ef-
fectively with Boeings 787-9 and
777 families. O
18
|
|
A
ir Lease Corporation chief ex-
ecutive Steven Udvar-Hazy
has echoed concerns expressed by
Gulf carriers Emirates and Qatar
Airways over the performance of
the revamped Airbus A350-1000.
Speaking to Flight International
at the ISTAT Europe nance con-
ference in Barcelona, he referred
to the types battle against the Boe-
ing 777-300ER and said: Airbus
is going to have to work really
hard with Rolls-Royce to come up
with the right recipe to make this
airplane really competitive.
Airbus outlined performance
changes to the A350-1000 while at
the Paris air show in June, with
the main one being the use of a
higher-thrust Rolls-Royce Trent
XWB powerplant.
The concern we have now is
the planned engine for the -1000 is
not interchangeable on the -900
XWB there is a lack of common-
ality, he said.
In common with the Gulf carri-
ers, Udvar-Hazy is concerned
about the performance of the
A350-1000, especially in hot and
high conditions such as those in
the Middle East.
Airbus has to tackle payload
range [with the -1000] not only in
the context of a full passenger load
but it also needs good freight ca-
pacity because airlines need that
revenue in the belly, he said.
It is critical that the -1000 does
not fall short of the 777-300ER,
which is the performance bench-
mark in this category, he said.
M
TU Aero Engines is likely to
become a partner in a
planned AVIC Commercial Air-
craft Engine (ACAE) programme
to build an alternative powerplant
for the Comac C919 narrowbody.
The German engine subassem-
bly manufacturer and mainte-
nance provider and AVICs Shang-
hai-based engine subsidiary have
inked an agreement for possible
co-operation on a future power-
plant for the C919, which has been
called the CJ1000.
As a rst step, the two compa-
nies want to conduct a feasibility
study into how the medium-thrust
engine can be built in China. This
study, due to be nalised in
November, will determine the
engines basic structure and pa-
rameters, said MTU. While the
C919 will initially be equipped
with CFM International Leap-1XC
engines, the Chinese engine is ex-
pected to follow at a later stage.
The rst ight for the C919 is
scheduled for 2014, with entry
into service due to follow two
years later.
When ACAE was set up in
2009, the company said that the
Chinese engine would be available
in 2016.
MTU has a 50:50 joint venture
overhaul shop with China
Southern Airlines for CFM Inter-
national CFM56 and International
Aero Engines V2500 powerplants
in Zhuhai. O
A
ir
b
u
s
Air France-KLM is taking A350-900s but -1000 sales are stalled
AIRFRAMES MARK PILLING BARCELONA
A350-1000 yet to convince Air Lease
Udvar-Hazy presses for more improvements to Airbuss largest twinjet after citing concerns over powerplant commonality
Keep up to date with the world
of air transport by logging onto
ightglobal.com/airtransport
Germanys MTU seeks C919 second engine role
POWERPLANTS MICHAEL GUBISCH LONDON
NARROWBODIES
Lessor ACG gives Max and Neo an enthusiastic reception
US lessor Aviation Capital Group is
preparing orders for both the Boeing
737 Max and Airbus A320neo, and
is also considering taking the A350-
900 twinjet.
Were defnitely a buyer, Boeing
is aware of that, said John Feren,
ACG executive vice-president, speak-
ing at the ISTAT Europe air fnance
conference in Barcelona. There is a
scrum of leasing companies trying
to get to the frst in the line.
ACG is also working on the con-
tract with Airbus to confrm an order
for the A320neo, said Feren. It is
on our agenda to get it done its a
2011 project.
The company has been given a
delivery stream from Airbus but
frst deliveries would likely be from
2017 at the earliest. Feren added
that ACG is looking at frm orders of
30-50 for both aircraft types.
ACG expects to have more defni-
tion on the performance specifca-
tion of the 737 Max in the next six to
eight weeks, or at least a satisfac-
tory amount of defnition to make an
order, he said. The main areas of
uncertainty are the engine confgura-
tion and fan size.
The 737 Max is going to be
pretty close to the [A320neo] in per-
formance terms, said Feren.
He added that the company was
looking at a further departure from
its core narrowbodies, with a pos-
sible A350 acquisition although
probably through sale-and-lease-
back: Were just starting our analy-
sis, but the A350-900 seems to be
the sweet spot of the market. O
FIN_270911_016 18 22/9/11 14:42:20
fightglobal.com
For free access to Flights Defence
e-newsletter visit ightglobal.com/
defencenewsletter
SHOW
REPORT
The Air Force Associations annual convention was held from 19-21
September in Washington DC. The event attracted a crowd of visitors
and exhibitors, demonstrating a wide variety of defence equipment
and cutting-edge technology, but the services leadership, including
Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley (pictured), offered few
answers about budget cuts and modernisation programmes.
Show report from Stephen Trimble
AFA 2011
U
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A
ir

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U
S Air Force leaders have given
rm and explicit backing to
the services Boeing KC-46A tank-
er, Lockheed Martin F-35A ghter
and next-generation bomber pro-
grammes, against a backdrop of
sweeping new budget cuts.
There is no question we face
difcult choices, but with these
priorities rmly in mind, we can
still advance air force capabili-
ties, Secretary of the Air Force
Michael Donley said in a keynote
speech on 19 September.
Also including military satel-
lites, his list of top priorities left at
least four other major programmes
in limbo, awaiting the services
next moves in acquisition or
T
he US Department of Defense
is considering further tweaks
to the Lockheed Martin F-35 pro-
curement account in its scal year
2013 budget request, with Secre-
tary of the Air Force Michael
Donley expecting the programme
to be adjusted again.
In the past two years, the DoD
has removed 246 F-35s from its
FY2011-17 spending plan, repre-
senting a 34% cut. Fresh reduc-
tions are expected, despite state-
ments of support from the USAF
and US Congress.
Simply put, there is no alter-
native to the F-35 programme. It
must succeed, Donley said.
But the DoD and key lawmak-
ers continue to review the pro-
grammes budget, over concerns
about the overlap of its develop-
ment and production phases.
In a report on the FY2012
budget, the Senates appropria-
tions committee warned that 167
to 229 aircraft could be delivered
before the F-35s hardware is fully
qualied. The DoD could face a
bill of up to $2.29 billion to modi-
fy the aircraft, the committee said,
adding that the programmes fu-
ture could be in jeopardy if costs
are not brought under control.
But Tom Burbage, Lockheeds
executive vice president for the
F-35, said the costs could be sig-
nicantly lower. The company
plans to start building aircraft
using the nal production hard-
ware conguration next year. O
DEVELOPMENT
Trainers and helicopters
stuck in USAF budget limbo
Despite pressure, air force leaders reiterate support for tanker and fghter programmes
budget processes. Neither Donley
nor USAF chief of staff Gen Nor-
ton Schwartz mentioned the serv-
ices commitment to the T-X ad-
vanced jet trainer project, or for
new light attack trainers, common
vertical lift support programme
(CVLSP) utility helicopters or re-
placement combat search and res-
cue (CSAR) helicopters.
But if competitors for these pro-
grammes were discouraged by the
lack of support, it was not obvious
in the exhibit hall.
BAE Systems announced team-
ing up with Northrop Grumman
Technical Services for the T-X pro-
gramme, which seeks to replace
about 450 Northrop T-38C Talons.
Northrop would manufacture
the Hawk 128/T2 in the USA
under the pact.
The agreement leaves Alenia
Aeronautica still without a US-
based manufacturing partner for
the proposed T-100 version of the
M-346. We have a lot of options,
said John Young, chief executive
of Alenia North America.
Lockheed displayed a model of
the Korea Aerospace Industries
T-50 Golden Eagle, while Boeing
unveiled a concept image for a V-
tailed, all-new trainer, which
could be available for use after
around 2020.
The contract award date for a
new light air support eet has,
meanwhile, been delayed from
September until November, hav-
ing originally been scheduled for
announcement in June.
The air force has received bids
from the Embraer/Sierra Nevada
A-29 Super Tucano and the Hawk-
er Beechcraft/Lockheed AT-6.
However, a planned follow-on
contract to buy light attack and
armed reconnaissance trainers for
the USAF is now in jeopardy, with
the House of Representatives and
the Senate both considering
proposals to eliminate funding for
the programme.
In the rotorcraft sector, the
release of a draft request for
proposals for the CVLSP require-
ment remains overdue, while the
budget to launch the CSAR pro-
gramme next year has yet to be
fully claried. O
PROCUREMENT
DoD considers
further tweaks
to F-35 plan
To fnd out more about the F-35,
see our online profle at
ightglobal.com/f-35 Funding issues could thwart the AT-6s light attack prospects
H
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FIN_270911_020-021 20 22/9/11 12:39:22
fightglobal.com
AFA 2011
SHOW REPORT
Indian air force
swoops for Saras
DEFENCE P22
|
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21
T
he US Air Force may have a
difcult time nding more
than one aircraft manufacturer to
compete for replacing its Boeing
VC-25A, Air Force One eet, in
a few years.
The services long-range budg-
et plans anticipate releasing a
request for proposals for a
presidential aircraft replacement
(PAR) contract in the third
quarter of scal year 2015, ac-
cording to budget documents
released last February.
EADS North America once
considered offering the Airbus
A380 to replace two 747-200-
based VC-25As, but it is no longer
clear if the company is willing to
participate in a competition.
Earlier this year, Boeings 767-
based KC-46A defeated an
HEAD OF STATE TRANSPORT
EADS uncertain on Air Force One bid
European contender may not participate in presidential aircraft replacement contest, clearing way for Boeing solution
A330-200-based proposal to re-
place the air forces oldest KC-135
tankers. The VC-25A replacement
programme does not t within
EADSs long-term growth strategy
for the North American market,
which is focused on establishing
777 or 787. Four years ago, the air
force requested data on all three
types for an analysis of alterna-
tives, along with information
about the A380 and A350.
The PAR requirement has been
quiet for several years, but was
highlighted by Secretary of the
Air Force Michael Donley on
19 September.
We have recognised for sever-
al years now that the Air Force
One replacement is out there in
our future, he said. Were being
asked to look at the status of our
forces beyond the ve-year future
defence plan [FYDP], and we
have to be mindful of whats just
outside the FYDP. O
a permanent manufacturing and
service base on US soil, the
company said.
If the A380 is withheld, the
USAFs only available options
will be Boeing products, includ-
ing VIP versions of the 747-8I,
Get more from AFA on Stephen
Trimbles The DEW Line blog:
ightglobal.com/dewline
Norway warns JSM decision is critical for F-35 buy
WEAPONS
DEVELOPMENT
Lockheed Martin stays in dogght to
replace AMRAAM, HARM missiles
N
orwegian rm Kongsberg has
warned that the country
needs a commitment from the
US government within six
months to integrate a national-
specic missile on the Lockheed
Martin F-35, or it could with-
draw from the programme.
A Lockheed Martin/Northrop
Grumman team has revealed plans
to compete for a contract to replace
Raytheons AIM-120 AMRAAM and
AGM-88 HARM missiles, despite
being shut out of a series of
technology development
contract awards.
Lockheed displayed a notional
concept for the US Air Forces next
generation missile requirement,
and expects the service to release
a request for proposals to industry
in late 2012, said Chuck Morant,
the companys manager of strike
weapons business development.
So far, Norway has received
no assurance that the Kongsberg
joint strike missile (JSM) will be
integrated as part of the Block 4
software update on the F-35 in
2019. The absence of such a
commitment could prompt the
Norwegian parliament to reject
an expected request early next
year from the nations defence
ministry to buy an initial four
F-35s, in order to launch training
activities in 2016.
That is what I think is the
critical issue [for the Norwegian
parliaments decision], said
Bjorne Bjune, Kongsberg vice
president of business develop-
ment. That decision needs to
be forthcoming.
Integrating the JSM as the Nor-
wegian F-35s primary surface-
to-air missile system killer is
considered an absolute require-
ment by Oslo, Bjune said.
Norway has already invested
$1 billion to adapt its naval strike
missile design into the air-
launched JSM, and is planning
to spend a further $200 million.
Oslo wants the US Depart-
ment of Defense to spend $20
million to integrate the JSM on
the F-35 Block 4, and would
match this contribution with an
equal amount.
Tom Burbage, Lockheeds
executive vice-president for the
F-35, said that the JSM integra-
tion decision must then be made
by a committee of operational
advisers to the F-35 joint
programme ofce.
But Bjune said the commit-
tees decision-making process
will be too slow to support the
Norwegian parliaments vote
next year.
Kongsberg and the Norwegian
government want the ofce of
the US secretary of defence to
commit to the JSM integration
plan, ahead of the advisory
committees process.
If the missile integration is ap-
proved, Kongsberg plans to
launch ight tests of the JSM in
2015-16, Bjune said. O
Previously referred to as the joint
dual-role air dominance missile, the
long-range weapon is being de-
signed for internal carriage by the
Lockheed F-22 and F-35 for use
against aircraft and surface-to-air
missile systems.
Boeing and Raytheon last year
received awards from the US
Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency to complete a sup-
porting advanced missile demon-
stration programme. This covers
work on a new directional warhead
and a new kind of seeker with an
integrated fuse. O
Oslo wants the US
Department of
Defense to spend $20
million to integrate
the JSM on the F-35
R
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F
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The process to replace the VC-25A fleet should start in 2015
FIN_270911_020-021 21 22/9/11 13:09:56
DEFENCE
fightglobal.com
For free access to Flights Defence
e-newsletter visit ightglobal.com/
defencenewsletter
22
|
|
I
ndias air force will buy 15 Na-
tional Aerospace Laboratories
(NAL) Saras multi-role transports,
with the 14-seat aircraft to be em-
ployed as trainers.
The twin-engine, push-prop
aircraft will be produced by Hin-
dustan Aeronautics in Bengaluru,
an industry source said. Three
will be delivered in 2014, fol-
lowed by four in each of the fol-
lowing three years.
The air force will use the air-
craft to train ight crews for types
including the Antonov An-32,
Boeing C-17 and Ilyushin Il-76.
However, the source suggested
that it could ultimately acquire 50
Saras for use across a range of
roles. About 25 could also be ac-
quired by the Indian navy for use
as land-based coastal patrol as-
sets, with a navalised version at
the preliminary design stage, and
likely to be rolled out in 2014.
Indias Saras aircraft was own
for the rst time in 2004, some
18 years after the programmes
inception.
Three prototypes have been
produced so far, with the latest
featuring a new glass cockpit and
reduced weight via the use of
composite tails and wings and
fewer bulkheads.
A production order from the
air force would deliver a major
boost for the Saras programme,
which is still recovering from the
crash of the second prototype
in 2009.
All three crew members died
in the accident, which investiga-
tors said happened after the mili-
tary test pilots attempted to re-
light an engine with insufcient
recovery altitude. O
A
ustralia will in late Septem-
ber launch a further review
of its NH Industries MRH90 mul-
ti-role helicopter programme,
with the ndings to be reported
by the end of October.
The Australian army has
accepted just 13 MRH90s so far
for testing and initial crew
training from a 46-aircraft order,
with transmission oil-cooler fan
failures and the poor availability
of spares having plagued the
programme.
The eet was also grounded
for three months last year,
while the Department of Defence
and industry investigated the
reasons behind the in-ight fail-
ure of a Rolls-Royce/Turbomeca
RTM322 engine.
A new inspection regime and
other measures were introduced
after the event was attributed to
compressor blades fracturing
after coming into contact with
the engine casing.
To examine whether further
action is necessary to remediate
the project, the new diagnostics
review will build on an assess-
ment conducted by the Defence
Materiel Organisation last April.
This recommended that the
Department of Defence should
work with prime contractor
Australian Aerospace to address
problems.
Separately, the Royal Austral-
ian Navy is to lease three Bell
429 training helicopters from
Raytheon Australia under a $26
million deal also including sup-
port and maintenance. The new
aircraft will be introduced in
2012 and own for around a
combined 1,500h annually for
four years, said minister of
defence materiel Jason Clare.
They will be used to train
crews for the navys MRH90s
and future Lockheed Martin/
Sikorsky MH-60Rs. O
G
rob Aircraft has secured a
launch customer for its
G120TP, with the Indonesian air
force to operate the type as an el-
ementary and basic trainer.
Announcing its selection on
19 September, Grob said a
contract signature is expected
within the next few weeks. The
deal is likely to be for around 18
aircraft, for delivery from 2012.
In addition to supplying the
turboprop-powered aircraft, the
company will also provide a
computer-based ground training
system, mission brieng and de-
brieng equipment, embedded
cockpit simulation capability
and a full package of mainte-
nance support.
Jakartas new aircraft will sup-
port its air forces introduction of
eight Embraer EMB-314 Super
Tucano armed turboprops, or-
dered in June 2011. O
N
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L
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The first three of the 14-seat type will be delivered in 2014
C
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The armys 13 aircraft are used for test and training activities
PROCUREMENT GREG WALDRON SINGAPORE
Indian air force swoops for Saras
Service to buy an initial 15 push-prop transports to support crew training, in major boost for NALs indigenous project
For more regional coverage,
go to our Asian Skies blog
ightglobal.com/asianskies
Australia advances MRH90 review
HELICOPTERS GREG WALDRON SINGAPORE TRAINERS
Grobs G120TP
takes off with
launch order
Read our fight test report on
Grobs G120TP turboprop at
ightglobal.com/g120tp
FIN_270911_022 22 21/9/11 15:06:38
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FIN_270911_023 23 21/09/2011 14:01:23
fightglobal.com
Keep up to date with all the latest
business and general aviation news at
ightglobal.com/bizav
BUSINESS AVIATION
24
|
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BACKING BUSINESS
One of the Europes largest char-
ter and management compa-
nies, London Executive Aviation
(LEA), is calling on the industry
to work harder to publicise the
economic importance of busi-
ness aviation. Speaking at the
Business Aircraft Europe confer-
ence at London Biggin Hill air-
port earlier this month, LEA chief
executive Patrick Margetson-
Rushmore said: Our industry is
an important enabler to eco-
nomic growth and a signifcant
employer, directly and indirectly,
across Europe. We need to con-
vey these points more widely
and more powerfully.
TORONTO CHOSEN
Bombardier has selected its
Toronto, Canada facility as the
assembly base for its for Global
7000 and 8000 business jets.
The ultra long-range aircraft are
scheduled to enter service in
2016 and 2017 respectively.
The 83-year-old Toronto site has
produced more than 8,000 air-
craft to date. It is home to
Global 5000 and 6000 assem-
bly and Learjet 40 and 45XR
wing manufacture.
G550 RECORD
The Gulfstream G550 ultra long-
range business jet has set an-
other city-pair speed record this
time between the airframers
Savannah, Georgia headquar-
ters and Campinas, Brazil. The
aircraft few 7,212km
(3,894nm) in 8h 28min, at an
average cruise speed of 451kt
(835km/h), Gulfstream said.
The G550 has set more than 50
city-pair records since it entered
service in 2003.
LANDMARK ACQUISITION
Landmark Aviation has acquired
the assets of Miami-based
Falcon Trust Air, bringing its
network of fxed base
operations to 50 locations
across the US. The 1,670m
2
(18,000ft
2
) facility includes two
VIP suites, a pilots lounge,
conference room and 3,900m
2

of hangar space.
IN BRIEF
A
ir navigation service provider
Airservices Australia is call-
ing for the urgent tment of au-
tomatic dependent surveillance-
broadcast (ADS-B) equipment to
the countrys y-in, y-out mining
charter eet particularly in West-
ern Australia in light of the ex-
plosive growth in the sector.
Airservices chief executive of-
cer Greg Russell said the growth
in y-in, y-out operations is an
immediate challenge to the service
provider. Until now, Airservices
has been using traditional proce-
dural separation standards in
managing regional airspace in
Western Australia, particularly in
the northwest of the state, where
most of the mines are located.
However, the system is now
close to capacity: The industry is
telling us that signicantly more
growth is going to occur in y-in,
y-out operations in the next two
to three years, Russell said. Put
simply, this cannot occur safely
without a major change to the
surveillance picture so we can see
the aircraft involved, and that
involves a programme of urgent
tment of ADS-B.
Australia has nationwide
ADS-B coverage above ight level
300 (around 30,000ft), and Airs-
ervices has long been keen to ex-
tend the programme below FL300.
The company said it is in discus-
sions with operators on the issue,
and they are receptive to tting
ADS-B equipment.
The service provider held a re-
gional safety forum to review cur-
rent and future demand issues in
Western Australia earlier this
month, attended by more than 30
representatives of the mining and
resources industry, airlines, char-
ter operators and Perth airport.
Russell said in order to buy
some time Airservices is install-
ing a transportable radar in
Paraburdoo, which will provide
coverage of six airports within
100km (62 miles).
The growth of y-in, y-out op-
erations is also putting a strain on
Perth airport. Aircraft leave and
return to Perth in large waves,
which exacerbate issues with
ground infrastructure and cause
lengthy delays, Russell added.
Perth airport is undertaking a
Australian dollar 500 million
($515 million) redevelopment, in-
cluding construction of Terminal
WA which will primarily cater
for the resource sectors y-in, y-
out market when it opens in 2013.
How Airservices xes the is-
sues in Western Australia will
provide lessons for other parts of
the country, Russell said with
mining projects expanding in
Queensland and elsewhere. O
C
anadian completions and
conversions specialist Flying
Colours is working on the design
of a new facility capable of accom-
modating widebody aircraft, as a
project to expand the airport it is
based at nears conclusion.
The federal and provincial gov-
ernments have invested Canadian
dollar 28 million ($28.3 million)
in developing Peterborough air-
port, Ontario, from a municipal
facility to a regional one.
Completion of the upgrade
expected by mid-October will
open many new possibilities for
Flying Colours. That was the
key driving force in us consider-
ing further expansion here, said
Eric Gillespie, director of comple-
tions sales and management. We
have aspirations to get into
widebody airplanes.
OPERATIONS EMMA KELLY PERTH
ADS-B urged to dig mining
sector out of capacity hole
Explosive growth of fy-in, fy-out charter operations prompts call for safety upgrade
Flying Colours widens its ambitions
EXPANSION NIALL OKEEFFE PETERBOROUGH
See all our coverage of aviation
safety matters by going to:
F
ly
in
g

C
o
lo
u
r
s
The completions firm specialises in work on Bombardier aircraft
Flying Colours services have
hitherto been specialised in Bom-
bardier, Gulfstream, Dassault and
Hawker business jets, with Bom-
bardiers Global models sitting at
the upper end of its size range. Its
core products include VIP conver-
sions of used Bombardier CRJ re-
gional jets, under the ExecLiner
brand name, and interior tting of
factory-fresh Bombardier Chal-
lenger 850 aircraft. Flying Colours
delivered the rst of ve Chal-
lenger 850s earmarked for Chi-
nese customers late last year.
Now, the family-run business is
drawing up plans for a new facili-
ty that would be roughly three
times the size of its existing one at
Peterborough, and capable of han-
dling narrowbody airliner size
business jets. O
FIN_270911_024-025 24 22/9/11 11:36:27
BUSINESS AVIATION
fightglobal.com
C-NM5 piston
single takes
to the sky
GENERAL AVIATION P26
|
|
25
B
ombardiers in-house fraction-
al ownership provider, Flexjet,
is in a race to sell out the shares in
four mid-sized Learjet 85s, before
it puts the new type into service.
We need volume, Flexjet
sales and marketing vice-president
Bruce Peddle said. We have to
start with four aircraft fully com-
mitted and ying in the system.
Flexjet placed its order in 2008,
and launched the fractional pro-
gramme in August.
To help reach its target, the Dal-
las-based company is offering a
5% discount on shares in the rst
four aircraft, down to $1.08 mil-
lion from $1.14 million.
Each share represents 1/16 of
an aircraft or 50 ight hours per
year. The sale so far has netted ve
customers, though Peddle said he
is condent that he will sell out
one aircraft by the end of the year.
The launch customer for the all-
composite eight-passenger aircraft
in the US, Flexjet has rm orders
for seven Learjet 85s in total. The
rst is scheduled to arrive in late
2013, followed by four aircraft in
2014 and two in 2015.
Having the ample resources of
an established fractional 84
aircraft and approximately 1,000
customers is likely to be a
bonus for bringing in a new
technology aircraft.
It takes time to get an aircraft
into service and get up to a stand-
ard you accept, Peddle added.
Flexjets eet, as of early
September, comprised 19 Learjet
40s, 12 Learjet 45s, 10 Learjet 60s,
31 Challenger 300s and 12 Chal-
lenger 604/605 models, with three
Challenger 300s and one Chal-
lenger 605 on tap for delivery in
2012. Peddle said Flexjet was
given a private update on the Lear-
jet 85 program recently, with Bom-
bardier indicating that the types
rst ight is on schedule for mid-
2012 as is its rst delivery, in the
fourth quarter of 2013. Bombar-
dier said the rst delivery will
likely go to Flexjet.
Follow-on orders will be con-
tingent on how were doing with
[the initial aircraft] moving into
the fractional space, Peddle
added. Seven aircraft is a nice
order, but to get economic volume,
we would like to see more. O
E
mbraer has received Indian
validation for its Phenom
300, paving the way for the light
business jet to begin commercial
operations in the country.
With a range of 3,650km
(1,971nm), the aircraft can con-
nect the main hubs of Delhi and
Mumbai with every major city in
India. Further aeld, it is also ca-
pable of ying nonstop from
Delhi to Dubai in the United
Arab Emirates, Phuket in Thai-
land and Mal in the Maldives.
The Phenom 300 was rst cer-
ticated in December 2009 by
Brazils National Civil Aviation
Agency and the US Federal
Aviation Administration. Since
then, the seven-seat aircraft has
been approved in almost 40
countries, including Australia,
Denmark, France, Indonesia,
Morocco, South Africa and the
UK.
Embraer delivered 26 Phenom
300s last year. O
GAMA GROWTH
UK-headquartered business
aviation charter and manage-
ment company Gama Aviation
has introduced a UK-registered
Cessna CJ2+ to its managed
charter feet, and is poised to
add a 13-seat Dassault Falcon
2000, boosting its business jet
feet to 28 aircraft. Gama is wit-
nessing a steady amount of
wide-bodied charter, and clients
are primarily business clients
fying to destinations in the USA,
India and South Africa, it said.
The company also reports an
uptick in UK/Europe charter
demand from governments,
VIPs, business executives and
leisure travellers. Overall, busi-
ness is up about 7%, compared
with this time last year, it said.
NETJETS FBO
NetJets has signed a long-term
lease with US fxed base opera-
tor (FBO) Maguire Aviation, to
provide the fractional ownership
giant with a dedicated, private
terminal at Van Nuys airport in
southern California. Scheduled
for completion next year, the
facility will consist of a new pri-
vate-use 10,000ft
2
(930m
2
)
terminal, a conference and busi-
ness centre and rest areas.
RUSSIAN EXPANSION
Jet Aviation Moscow has re-
ceived European and Russian
approval to expand its mainte-
nance offering at Vnukovo air-
port. The company already
provides line maintenance, de-
fect rectifcation and aircraft-on-
ground services on a range of
Bombardier, Gulfstream,
Embraer and Hawker types, but
plans to expand its capabilities.
EXECUJET ADDITIONS
ExecuJet Europe has added six
new aircraft to its managed feet
since April this year, and is con-
tinuing to add one aircraft a
month on average, the business
aviation services provider said.
The new arrivals boost
ExecuJets European-based
managed feet to more than
50 aircraft.
IN BRIEF
OWNERSHIP JOHN CROFT WASHINGTON DC
Flexjet cuts cost of share in
rst four Learjet 85s by 5%
Fractional provider wants initial batch of aircraft fully committed prior to service entry
Read more about Embraers
Phenom 300 twinjet, go to
ightglobal.com/phenom300
Indian green light for Phenom 300
APPROVAL KATE SARSFIELD LONDON
Study the Learjet 85s vital
statistics in our database at
ightglobal.com/learjet85
B
o
m
b
a
r
d
ie
r
Bombardier is aiming for first delivery of the type in 2013
FIN_270911_024-025 25 21/9/11 15:19:42
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FIN_270911_030-031 31 22/09/2011 10:30:24
GENERAL AVIATION
fightglobal.com 28
|
|
Explore 100 years of aviation history as it
appeared in the original pages of Flight:
ightglobal.com/archive
L
oPresti Aviation Engineering
has received the rst produc-
tion DeltaHawk diesel engine
destined for its Cirrus SR20 en-
gine upgrade programme, dubbed
the SR2X.
The DeltaHawk DH-180A4, is
a 200hp (147kW), four-cylinder
two-stroke diesel powerplant.
RJ Siegel, LoPrestis chief ex-
ecutive, said the rst ight of the
companys modied SR20, with
the engine upgrade, will take
place in November.
The Florida-based company
expects to receive US Federal
Aviation Administration supple-
mental type certicate approval
for the $100,000 upgrade by the
third quarter of 2012. Included in
the kit will be the FAA-certicat-
ed DeltaHawk diesel engine
which can burn a variety of fuel
types, including Jet A a rede-
signed cowling and a Hartzell
three-blade propeller.
Siegel said the turbocharged
and supercharged engine will
provide full power up to 18,000ft
(5,486m), making the SR20 as fast
as the normally aspirated SR22
at altitude.
LoPresti picked the SR20 as its
rst prototype for the diesel en-
gine due to the age of the eet,
meaning a large number of air-
craft are approaching engine
overhaul. Future plans call for a
diesel-powered version of the
SR22, which would be attractive
to European and Asian markets,
where avgas is less available.
Cirrus acknowledged the chal-
lenge of selling avgas-powered
aircraft overseas, and had been
testing several alternative engine
designs in the 2000s.
Challenges with the diesel en-
gines in various environments
for example, restarting the engine
at high altitudes and cold tem-
peratures proved to be too dif-
cult for the company to overcome
at the time. O
I
ndias CSIR-National Aerospace
Laboratories (CSIR-NAL) and
Mahindra Aerospace have con-
ducted the rst ight of their
C-NM5 piston single, taking off
from Mahindras GippsAero facil-
ity in Victoria, Australia.
The C-NM5 is a ve-seat, all-
metal aircraft powered by a
Lycoming IO-540, featuring non-
retractable landing gear and a
spacious cabin with large access
doors. The aircraft interior is
recongurable for different roles,
including air taxi, charters, cargo
and medical evacuation.
The 45min rst ight in early
September tested the basic han-
dling of the aircraft, with subse-
quent ights evaluating aircraft
stability and control in different
ight regimes, Mahindra said.
The Indian manufacturer is
working towards certication
next year.
The aircraft was jointly de-
signed and developed over the
past three years by CSIR-NAL and
Mahindra, in Indias rst public-
private aircraft development.
The prototype aircraft was
built over 10 months by a rapid
prototyping team at Mahindras
Australian subsidiary GippsAe-
ro, in the Latrobe Valley in
Victoria.
Mahindra acquired GippsAero
formerly Gippsland Aeronau-
tics in 2009, along with Aero-
staff Australia, as part of the Indi-
an groups efforts to build up its
aerospace activities.
Flight testing is being conduct-
ed by GippsAero. A second air-
craft, to be used for certication,
is being developed in India.
GippsAero, manufacturer of
the GA8 Airvan utility aircraft, is
currently developing a new 10-
seat stretch version of the Airvan
the GA10 as well as a re-
launched Nomad, the GA18. O
EUROCOPTER DEALS
Eurocopter has sold two EC225
helicopters to utility operator Air
Greenland. The medium, twin-
engine aircraft be used for
search and rescue (S&R) and
passenger transportation
missions. The airframer has also
clinched a contract for a single
EC225 from the Spanish
government. The aircraft will be
used by the Spanish Maritime
Safety Agency (SASEMAR) for
S&R and pollution control
o perations, replacing one of its
Sikorsky S-61Ns.
CHINESE AW139S
AgustaWestland has sold two
AW139s to Qinghai Zhingao
Natural Gas and Chemical of
China. One of the two medium
twin-engine helicopters will be
ftted with a mixed VIP-utility con-
fguration, including a forward
looking infrared camera and res-
cue hoist. This aircraft will be
operated in Gulmud, Qinghai
province, Western China. The
second AW139 will be operated
in Southwest Chinas Chengdu,
Sichuan province.
TRAINING FEEDBACK
Australias Civil Aviation Safety
Authority is seeking industry
feedback by the 30 September
on a proposed advisory
publication on aircraft fight in-
structor training. The document
is designed to provide fying
schools with guidance on
developing fight instructor train-
ing courses which satisfy
regulatory requirements.
FUEL APPROVAL
The US Federal Aviation
Administration has approval a
new fuel that meets a very low
lead (VLL) specifcation, for use
in all aircraft currently operating
on 100LL. The maximum lead
content of the new fuel dubbed
100VLL is nearly 20% less
than the existing 100LL specif-
cation. This better represents
the actual amount of the lead
additive used in aviation fuels
today, said industry trade
association AOPA.
IN BRIEF
PERFORMANCE JOHN CROFT WASHINGTON DC
LoPresti plans November
ight for upgraded Cirrus
Florida-based frm receives frst production DeltaHawk diesel engine for SR2X programme
C-NM5 piston single takes to the sky
DEVELOPMENT EMMA KELLY PERTH
Read more about diesel
engines for GA aircraft at
ightglobal.com/diesel
FIN_270911_028 28 22/9/11 12:58:52
OUR vI SI ON 1AIFS FLI GH1.
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More lntegrated.
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Otherwise, why bother?
FIN_270911_027 27 21/09/2011 14:02:38
NEWS FOCUS
fightglobal.com 30
|
|
Check out our collection of online, dynamic
into account the growing need for
pilots to be skilled in managing
PRNAV (precision area naviga-
tion), operation in MNPS (mini-
mum navigation performance
service) airspace, the use of HGS
(head-up guidance systems) or
electronic ight bags (EFBs).
However, as William Cecil, di-
rector of business development for
US-based Teledyne Controls,
pointed out: Airlines are account-
able for the discovery of issues.
But using ight monitoring data
will only be of real use to airlines
that are running an approved
ATQP and they would pay a
heavy nancial cost for using dis-
covered data as a part of type rat-
ing training, because it has to be
added to the legacy exercises.
But Cecil maintained there is a
price to be paid by airlines for not
running an efcient data recovery
system, and failing to use quality
ight data to improve training
would compound the cost. There
may, however, also be a case for
saying that FTOs and airlines
protest too much, he said.
For example, it seems reasona-
ble that training for economical
operations or the optimum use
of HGS or EFB should be an air-
line investment in better perform-
ance at lower cost, rather than a
regulatory requirement, he added.
A CHANGE IN REGULATION
But the general sentiment at the
seminar was that the regulators
should either address the training
needs demonstrated by the
accidents aficting modern air-
liners, or get out of prescriptive
training regulation and into spec-
ifying required line ying compe-
tencies, and acceptable measures
of performance.
After all, pilot licences are now
dened by a level of performance
that must be demonstrated, not by
completing a prescribed syllabus.
Flybes training standards
manager, Capt Steve Deverall, said
the airlines experience with its
multi-crew pilot licence (MPL)
graduates who joined the line on
the carriers Bombardier Q400
eet last November has been
universally good.
But the airline pleads for a re-
Regulators failing to take account of changing aviation needs, Flightglobal conference hears
SAFETY DAVID LEARMOUNT LONDON
Pilot training advances
stied by rule-makers
Q
uality piloting may not have
been the prescribed theme of
Flightglobals Flight Safety Confer-
ence (8-9 September, London), but
it emerged as the dominant sub-
ject, despite a strong eld of con-
tenders.
Oxford Aviation Academys
(OAA) commercial director Lloyd
Watson spoke for all ight training
organisations (FTOs), in bemoan-
ing the fact that the statutory
requirements for type rating and
recurrent training have not been
modernised, to take account of the
changes to state-of-the-art ight-
decks and modern air trafc man-
agement (ATM).
The FTOs, much as they would
like to offer evidence-based train-
ing or economical ying skills,
are condemned to continue train-
ing for legacy skills, according
to Watson. The European Avia-
tion Safety Agencys director gen-
eral Patrick Goudou, also speak-
ing at the conference, said pilot
training must remain dynamic,
but he gave no hint as to what
that might mean to the Cologne-
based agency.
The general consensus among
delegates was that regulatory guid-
ance on exibility and innovation
in training was totally lacking
and not just in Europe.
Watson remarked that although
the EASA offers airlines a degree
of exibility in recurrent training
through the alternative training
and qualication programme
(ATQP) this does not apply to
training for the pilot licence itself,
or the type rating.
He added that there was no
move to ensure recurrent training
addresses current real-life, evi-
dence-based safety concerns loss
of control, runway excursion, run-
way incursion and ground colli-
sions, onboard re or controlled
ight into terrain. Nor does it take
Pilot licences are now
dened by a level of
performance... not by
a prescribed syllabus
Patrick Goudou, EASA: Pilot training must remain dynamic
J
a
m
e
s

L
a
k
e
r
duction in the statutory number
of landings graduates have to
complete for base training, as a
part of winning the MPL.
The UK-based carrier said none
of the young pilots had a problem
with landing the aircraft, so six
touchdowns, instead of the statu-
tory 12, would sufce.
The point is that base training
on Q400s is arguably affordable,
but the cost of MPL base training
for the Airbus A320 or Boeing 737
might swing the case against hir-
ing MPLs for an all-jet eet.
One non-intuitive piece of
learning Flybe picked up, during
its pioneering work for MPL in the
UK market, was to observe an in-
teresting difference between the
multi-crew training phase for its
rst course of students at Flight
Training Europe (FTE), and those
on its second course at OAA.
The FTE students did their
training in a generic Boeing 737
simulator, whereas the OAA crew,
because they had a Q400 simula-
tor, used it. As a result, the FTE
students absorbed pure ying
knowledge better in the 737, be-
FIN_270911_028-029 30 22/9/11 12:33:41
NEWS FOCUS
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31 fightglobal.com
Airbus looks
into the vendor
fnancing game
BUSINESS P32
Alaska Airlines head of flight
standards, Capt Jim Freeman,
explained to the conference why
the carrier is trialling the Apple
iPad as its solution to the need
for an electronic flight bag (EFB).
He said Alaska wants a com-
pact, easily accessed Class I
EFB with flightdeck stowage, so
pilots can recover the informa-
tion they want on the ground or
in the air. He added that he sees
the Alaska Airlines iPad as an
operational document manage-
ment system a mobile pilot
resource centre.
The more he spoke about
Alaskas objectives, the more it
became clear that the compa-
nys plan is not an endorsement
for the iPad, but a recognition
that the unit comes as near as
any compact computer does to
being a commercial-off-the-shelf
(COTS) solution to its hardware
needs and the carrier insists
on off-the-shelf availability.
Freeman said that looking at
a COTS EFB is all about being
practical and uncomplicated:
The amount of information
pilots are required to reference
has grown astronomically over
the years.
He added that there are sig-
nificant potential cost savings in
fuel use through weight reduc-
tion, print costs, bag storage
areas and the maintenance of
computer resource centres.
The iPads sync feature allows
quick, accurate updates, and
Freeman thinks this can be ex-
tended to additional servers,
holding instructor guidance and
information. He sees the poten-
tial for pilots to access training
reference material, along with
Alaskans existing web page.
The carrier is gradually
preparing its crews for transition
from paper to EFB, and is looking
at future potential functions,
like limited internet access, to
allow crews to view real-time
weather data.
Alaska prepares for iPad EFBs
Training for economical
operations should be an
airline investment
R
u
d
i
R
ie
t
Stay up to date with the latest
news on aviation safety at
% Data recovery (monitoring)
SOURCE: Teledyne Controls, an example of actual customer airline experience
2002
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Initial FDM
introduction
Wireless and
data automation
implemented
Further safety
event reduction
Monitoring Events
DATA RECOVERY AGAINST FLIGHT DATA MONITORING EVENTS
cause they were treating the ses-
sions simply as a multi-crew man-
agement learning process.
The OAA students were tempt-
ed to treat their Q400 multi-crew
time as preparation for their type
rating, so intrinsic learning the
purpose of that stage competed
with type learning.
Deverall added that he is a fan
of getting away from formulaic re-
current training simulator ses-
sions, where pilots are mentally
prepared for packaged routines.
He argued for more evidence-
based training, with line-relevant
exercises injected, un-briefed, into
the sortie, to provide startle ef-
fect. This has the potential to test
the crew in a way more likely to
provide genuine learning, he said.
Avionics guru Don Bateman,
of Honeywell, addressed the issue
of loss of control from the
technical angle.
He said a tweak to the graphics
generators associated with prima-
ry ight displays could provide a
pilot whose aircraft has got into
an extreme attitude with pitch
and roll vector arrows. These
could show the pilot which way
to direct the aircraft, to get it rap-
idly back to straight and level.
Such a change could be a
powerful tool in preventing acci-
dents, like the nine fatal airline
loss of control accidents since
2000, which led to the death of
1,128 people, he said.
One of those was the Air France
AF447 accident, in which an Air-
bus A330 was lost at night over
the Atlantic in 2009, because the
crew did not understand what
their ight instruments were
telling them.
One critical piece of informa-
tion not shown was angle of at-
tack data. Bateman said such data
known by the ight control
computer, but not provided di-
rectly to the pilots should be
provided on the primary ight
display.
The most common accident
type, however, is runway excur-
sion. At the conference, the sub-
ject of all the runway accident
varieties were addressed by Gide-
on Ewers, of the International Fed-
eration of Airline Pilots Associa-
tions and Dave Carbaugh, Boeings
senior engineering test pilot.
Ewers looked at what actually
happens, while Carbaugh ad-
dressed the certication issues.
He admitted that the certicat-
ed runway performance results
achieved by test pilots under
measured conditions cannot be
routinely achieved by ordinary
line pilots in the real world even
if they are the basis of the calcula-
tions line pilots use.
He also dispelled some myths
associated with landing as short
as possible, going on to recom-
mend that the pilot approaches
on speed, does not are long, gets
the nosewheel down quickly,
does not pump the brakes but ap-
plies them steadily and, nally,
uses reverse thrust.
As usual, it is sticking to proce-
dures and using your common
sense that works. O
FIN_270911_028-029 31 22/9/11 11:08:57
BUSINESS
fightglobal.com
Good week
Bad week
32
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|
Commercial Aviation Online tracks aircraft
fnance worldwide. To fnd out how to sub-
scribe visit ightglobal.com/aboutcao
AIRBUS Citing a looming
dollar crunch, Boeings
rival might get into the
vendor fnancing game to
help customers who get
hit by the debt crisis in
Europe, where banks
show signs of struggling
to raise the dollars need-
ed to pay for aircraft.
Airbus parent EADS is
sitting on 11 billion
($15 billion) in cash, but
may not be wise to stray
from its core expertise by
opening a bank; that
business is challenging
enough these days with-
out adding a manufac-
turers commercial risks.
BOEING Business-
friendly Republicans in
the US Congress passed
a bill to stop the National
Labor Relations Board
from blocking the air-
framer operating a sec-
ond 787 Dreamliner fnal
assembly line in South
Carolina. The NLRB al-
leges Boeing chose
South Carolina a so-
called right to work
state which forbids
closed shops over
Everett to get back at
unions for past strikes.
The bill must still pass
the Democrat-dominated
Senate, though.
MANAGEMENT DAN THISDELL LONDON
Time to buy growth
The aerospace supply chain is ripe for another round of consolidation
U
nited Technologies (UTC),
the parent company of Pratt
& Whitney and Hamilton Sund-
strand, made the news last week,
with an offer totalling $18.4 bil-
lion for Goodrich a deal that
makes sense on several fronts.
Goodrichs aerostructures divi-
sion is to produce nacelle systems
for the Bombardier CSeries, Mit-
subishi Regional Jet and Airbus
A320neo all to be powered by
variants of Pratt & Whitneys
PW1000G geared turbofan.
But the division would also ex-
pose UTC to the Rolls-Royce
Trent-powered eet, through na-
celle contracts for the Boeing 787
and Airbus A350.
Some probable overlap with
Hamilton Sundstrand in engine
controls and power management
would likely be outweighed by ex-
pansion into new markets through
Goodrichs strong landing gear
business and interiors unit. This
division supplies cargo, evacua-
tion, lighting and seating systems.
On the military and security
side, Goodrich capabilities in sur-
veillance and reconnaissance
would be a clear plus for UTC.
SUCCESS STORY
As Richard Aboulaa, vice-
president analysis at US industry
consultancy Teal Group puts it,
the creation of big mezzanine con-
tractors in the late 1990s was an
industry success story for the prin-
cipal players Honeywell,
Goodrich, Safran and UTC
which bought Sundstrand in
1999, and merged it into its Ham-
ilton Standard business. The re-
sult, he says, gave these suppliers
critical mass in terms of market
power relative to the primes and
aftermarket networks.
A Goodrich-UTC combination,
assuming regulatory go-ahead, he
adds, would yield more of the
same critical mass and, for UTC,
greater aftermarket exposure to
balance strong new-build revenue
and a great hedge against
potential declining defence reve-
nue at Pratt and Sikorsky.
Deal valuation multiples
Deal volumes and values 2000-2010
SOURCE: PwC
4
6
8
10
12
14
AEROSPACE MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
Acquisition multiple
00 99 01 02 03 07 08 09 10 11
Market multiple
Total deal volume $bn Number of deals
EBITDA multiple
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
10
20
30
40
50
04 05
Year
06
01 02 03 07 08 09 10 04 05
Year
06
B
o
e
in
g
A
ir
b
u
s
Ben Mitchell, from PwC Corpo-
rate Finance, sees such a deal as
having implications far beyond
the two players: It could trigger
another wave of consolidation.
KEY DRIVER
Mitchell sees mergers and acquisi-
tions (M&A) as the signicant
near-term growth driver in aero-
space. As the Flightglobal-PwC
Top 100 revealed, industry reve-
nue growth in 2010 was a mere
2%, with many of the biggest com-
panies seeing sight sales decline.
Companies with strong growth,
notes Mitchell, were almost exclu-
sively acquirers, so to hold reve-
nue growth rates the industry will
have to continue its current rate of
M&A activity (see chart).
Four key trends are emerging,
Mitchell adds. One, such as Tri-
umphs $984 million acquisition
of Vought Aerostructures, is to
continue supply chain consolida-
tion, to spread risk and gain scale.
A second trend is to buy key
enabling technologies. Mitchell
cites Meggitts $685 million pur-
chase of Pacic Scientic Aero-
space, and its expertise in the elec-
tric systems that will gradually
replace hydraulics.
A third option features deals to
expand into new product lines or
geographic markets. For instance,
General Dynamics $960 million
offer for healthcare information
technology company Vangent, or
BAE Systems various partner-
ships with Indias Hindustan Aer-
onautics.
Fourth, private equity rms are
making a tentative return to the
market, Mitchell says, but more
as sellers than buyers.
Another driver is price. As the
above chart shows, recent deals
have been done at prices around
10 times earnings, which Mitchell
calls a sensible level for buyers
and sellers.
Whether UTC may be overpay-
ing for Goodrich is an interesting
question. Before news of the talks
broke, Goodrich shares were trad-
ing at $85-90, giving it a market
capitalisation of nearly $11.5 bil-
lion, or around 11 times 2010 op-
erating prot. Shares then rose to
$105 for a market capitalisation of
some $13.5 billion. UTCs offer is
for $16.5 billion, plus $1.9 billion
of net debt. O
See the Top 100 at ightglobal.
com/top100 or visit ight
global.com/pwcdataexplorer
FIN_270911_032-033 32 22/9/11 13:07:36
BUSINESS
fightglobal.com
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Very little in
defence is
off the shelf
At Londons DSEi military
equipment show,
Finmeccanica UK boss
ALBERTO DE BENEDICTIS
stressed the need for a
strong industrial base to
supply sophisticated
armed forces like those
of the UK
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33
PEOPLE MOVES
ATA, Avtrade, Gama Aviation, Gulfstream and Tiger Airways
Kelley: Gulfstream Savannah
Meyer: L3 man at ACSS
HAMPSON SHAREHOLDERS APPROVE DIVESTMENT
SALE Hampson shareholders approved the $84 million sale of four
shims-making businesses to Bridgepoint Development Capital, which
will operate the US and UK units as a single business called Shimtech
Industries. The businesses turned over $44 million last year, and
stand alone within UK-based Hampson, which will roughly halve its net
debt with the sale proceeds, and intends to focus on composite com-
ponents and precision tooling.
RAFAEL LOCKS ONTO INDIA DEALS
ARMS Israeli arms maker Rafael hopes to capitalise on the absence
of a US candidate in Indias $10.2 billion contest to supply 126 fght-
ers. Revealing that the Indian air force has purchased the Rafael
Litening targeting pod in kit form, Rafael vice president marketing Lova
Drori said the shortlisting of the Dassault Rafale and the Eurofghter
Typhoon opens opportunities that would not be available to Israeli
companies had the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet or Lockheed
Martin F-16IN Super Viper made the cut.
P&W, AVIC FORM ENGINE MAINTENANCE VENTURE
PROPULSION Pratt & Whitney Canada and Chinas AVIC Engine have
formed a 25:75 maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) joint
venture in Zhuzhou, China. The newly-formed company, AEMC, will
provide in-country MRO services for PT6A and PW100-series civil
turboprop engines.
BANGALORE AEROSPACE PARK ON THE WAY
INVESTMENT The government of Bangalores Karnataka region, in
India, is to set up an aerospace industrial park on 1,000 acres (405ha)
of land at Devanahalli, close to Bangalore International airport. More
than 40 businesses have signed memoranda of understanding to lo-
cate there, including state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics.
FIRST CHINESE NACELLE PRODUCTION UNDERWAY
MANUFACTURING Xian Aircraft and Safran subsidiary Aircelle have
opened a nacelle components production facility in Xian. The site,
which the frms claim to be the frst nacelle provider in China, will man-
ufacture Comac C919 and Airbus A320 components for Aircelle-GE
Aviation joint venture Nexcelle.
ST BUYS CABIN INTERIOR ENGINEERING FIRM
ACQUISITION ST Aero parent Singapore Technologies Engineering is
to acquire US aircraft cabin interior frm DRB Aviation Consultants for
$1.45 million net of debt. DRB, which can issue minor supplementary
type certifcates for avionics and interiors, will become a subsidiary of
ST Engineerings VT Aerospace unit.
SUPPORT OPERATOR UP ON CIVIL SPARES DEMAND
SERVICES Chicago-headquartered maintenance, engineering and
logistics company AAR posted a 19% rise in revenue to $479 million
in its frst quarter to the end of August. Commercial sales increased by
21% on robust demand for spare parts support or 40% including the
completion of a $33.3 million sale of two aircraft. Defence sales
increased just 2%. Pre-tax proft was up nearly a ffth, to $25.9 million.
GERMAN-POLISH MERGER FOLLOWS ACQUISITION
AIRLINES German regional airline Ostfriesische Lufttransport (OLT)
will be merged with Polands Jet Air by their new owner, Gdansk inves-
tor Amber Gold. The carriers will keep their bases in Bremen and
Warsaw, and be managed separately. OLT will be renamed.
BUSINESS BRIEFS
turboprops general manager Ian
Cheese has become ight
operations director. Components
servicer Avtrade has appointed
Martin Assmann as global
marketing director, Tay Kay Lai
as Asia regional sales director
and Daphne Teo as Singapore
ofce manager. L3-Thales safety
avionics systems joint venture
ACSS has named L3 veteran
Kenneth Meyer as VP
programme management and
customer support. Macquarie
AirFinance has appointed Liam
Kavanagh as senior VP trading.
He joins from HBOS where he
was head of aircraft nance at
Lloyds following their merger.
At Gulfstreams Savannah
service centre, Darrell Frey,
James Kelley and Jeff Kilgore
have been promoted to directors.
The Air Transport Association
of America has appointed
former Citigroup senior lobbyist
Christine Burgeson as senior VP
global government affairs.
Andrew David, former Virgin
Blue chief operating ofcer, will
join Tiger Airways Australia as
CEO. At Gama Aviation,
captains Steve Wright and Steve
Woodne have been promoted to
chief operations ofcer and chief
pilot, XL Airways head of
training Brian Cozens has joined
in the same role and Flybe
Rolls-Royce
working on
composite blade
FEATURE P34
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FIN_270911_032-033 33 22/9/11 13:07:50
fightglobal.com
COMMERCIAL ENGINES
34
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MICHAEL GUBISCH LONDON
Thus far an unfaltering defender of metallic fan blades,
Rolls-Royce is now working on a composite successor
COMING
FULL CIRCLE
Blades from the black stuff:
Rolls-Royces composite fan
blade demonstrator
R
o
lls
-R
o
y
c
e
R
olls-Royce is preparing to move on
from its long history of employing
hollow titanium alloy fan blades for
its turbofan engines, instead turning
to manufacturing the frontline aerofoils out of
carbon bre-reinforced plastic (CFRP).
The company has developed a composite
fan blade design together with its UK part-
ner GKN Aerospace which is to be ight-
tested in 2013, and could become available on
a new engine, beyond the Trent XWB, towards
the end of the decade.
While General Electric introduced carbon
bre fan blades on the GE90 engine in 1995,
and has since used a similar design for the
new GEnx-family, its competitor across the
Atlantic has held on to a titanium construc-
tion until now.
It has thus far not been possible to produce a
composite fan blade that is as thin as its metal-
lic counterpart, says Robert Nuttall, vice-presi-
dent strategic marketing at Rolls-Royce. The
thickness of the aerofoils cross section deter-
mines its aerodynamic efciency. Titanium
has thus far delivered the best balance between
weight, drag and durability against vibrations,
foreign object damage (FOD) such as bird
strikes and erosion through sand, volcanic
ash and rain. All of Rolls-Royces large turbo-
fans since the original RB211-22 have been
equipped with hollow, wide-chord titanium
fan blades, produced via a super-plastic form-
ing, diffusion bonding (SPF/DB) process.
Composite blades are light[weight] but, in
order to have the strength to deal with the real-
world requirements, they tend to have been
thicker than a normal [metallic] blade, which
means they are not as aerodynamically ef-
cient, Nutall says. Rolls-Royce says the titani-
um fan blades are lighter and more aerody-
namically efcient than those on the [General
Electric] GE90. Now, however, Rolls-Royce
and composite specialist GKN have developed
a carbonbre fan blade demonstrator that is as
thin as the titanium aerofoil, and fulls the
other criteria in robustness, manufacturing
costs and production volume scalability as
well. This carbonbre fan blade has already
undergone ground tests, including blade-off
and bird strike tests, and is to begin ight tests
on a Trent 1000 in the second quarter 2013.
The Boeing 787 powerplant has been selected
because it is the model that is best understood,
Composite blades are light
but... tend to have been
thicker than a normal blade
ROBERT NUTTALL
Vice-president strategic marketing, Rolls-Royce
FIN_270911_034-035 34 22/9/11 12:32:00
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35 fightglobal.com
MATERIALS
he adds. With the ever-increasing availability
of data, such as pressures, temperatures and
ow patterns at multiple measuring points
throughout the engine, the Trent 1000 has al-
lowed more insight during ground runs in
Derby and ight tests on the aircraft than any
previous engine model.
WEIGHT SAVING
Nuttall declines to comment on how much
weight the manufacturer expects to save by
moving from titanium to composite fan blades.
He says, however, that the total weight reduc-
tion will not result from the lighter aerofoil
alone a signicant contribution will also
come from a new carbonbre fan case.
Like the blade, the case has to full different
purposes, and has thus been designed as a
sandwich construction, where each layer takes
on a certain function. The inner surface is to
provide as little as possible clearance to the ro-
tating blade tips, to avoid wasting energy in the
fan stream, which gives approximately 90% of
the total thrust. At the same time, however,
damage to the blades must be avoided if their
tips touch the sealing liner during vibration or
turbulence. This is why the inner surface is
typically covered with an abradable coating.
Moving outward, the next layer is designed
to absorb energy in case of a blade failure. To be
certicated, the engine must contain any debris
if a fan blade or segment of it detaches at maxi-
mum power. Finally, the outside part of the fan
case has to provide structural support for ac-
cessory equipment such as pipes and wiring.
The fan blades and case are designed as an
integrated system. Thus far, the case has under-
gone separate ground tests, including blade-off
tests, Nuttall says. Both components will be
tested together on the aircraft in 2013, as an
advanced low-pressure system (ALPS).
The composite fan and casing will be avail-
able to become of a new engine before the end
of the decade, says Nuttall. However, a retrot
to current models, including the Trent XWB,
will not be possible because the existing engine
cores have been optimised for their dedicated
fan blade and case systems, he says.
While the weight benet of carbon bre ob-
viously increases with larger fan sizes sug-
gesting applications on high-thrust engines
the currently tested composite blade and case
system could quite easily be used for a nar-
rowbody powerplant, according to Nuttall.
Due to increased strength requirements for
the smaller and lighter fan blades for medium-
thrust engines, GEs CFM International partner,
Snecma, will utilise a new CFRP construction
process for the Leap-X the successor
generation for the CFM56-family.
Instead of laying-up multiple pre-impregnat-
ed carbon-bre sheets, as for GE90 and GEnx
fan blades, Snecma will produce the Leap aero-
foils using a 3D resin transfer molding (RTM)
process. In this, the carbon bres are woven
into a three-dimensional pattern, before resin is
injected and the blade cured in an autoclave.
ONE SIZE FITS ALL
Rolls-Royce is certain that its composite fan
blade will be suitable for all large by-pass tur-
bofans, except for small powerplants on busi-
ness jets, where titanium still offers a weight
benet. The manufacturing process is the
main area of the partnership with GKN. To-
gether with the South of England Economic
Development Agency, both companies invest-
ed nearly 15 million ($23 million) last year
in the setup of a pre-production facility at
GKNs site in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight.
Nuttall explains that, while the lay-up of cur-
rent-generation CFRP fan blades involves a
R
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Michael Gubisch delivers premium news from
the maintenance, repair and overhaul sector at
ightglobal.com/mro The Trent 1000: testbed for CFRP blades
large degree of manual labour, the future proc-
ess will be fully automated, which should
guarantee high production consistency, and
the possibility to scale up the output. It will
also allow the carbon bre material to lay-up in
a three-dimensional fashion, he adds.
The technology step-change comes more
than four decades after the engine maker ini-
tially attempted to introduce composite fan
blades on the RB211 engine, which it devel-
oped for the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar in the
late 1960s. Those blades, made from a
carbonbre-based composite named Hyl,
did not withstand foreign object impact.
Rolls-Royce worked in parallel on a titanium
alloy blade as a fall-back option, which was
used for the RB211-22. Still, the development
cost for the engine increased so much that,
combined with adverse economic conditions,
the company went bankrupt and was national-
ised in 1971, with the government underwrit-
ing development cost. Since then, Rolls-Royce
has rened the production of hollow titanium
alloy fan blades to an art form.
The SPF/DB process starts with the front
and rear surfaces of the fan blade being welded
together along the edges. The aerofoil is then
inserted into a mould and heated to a tempera-
ture where the metal becomes elastic. Inert gas
is injected between the two surfaces, so that
they assume the shape of the nal aerofoil.
Additional titanium strips initially been
welded to the insides of both surfaces thereby
become an internal support structure.
But this closely guarded expertise might lose
its signicance in the future, at least on medi-
um- and high-thrust engines provided an air-
framer comes up with a new aircraft. O
A fan blade about to undergo a bird-strike test
FIN_270911_034-035 35 21/9/11 19:59:57
fightglobal.com
COMMERCIAL ENGINES
36
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JOHN CROFT WASHINGTON DC
Upcoming FAA regulation changes could create a tougher climate for engine
manufacturers by imposing more rigorous requirements on icing trials
The McKinley Climatic Laboratory at
Eglin AFB serves as an icing test facility
U
S

A
ir

F
o
r
c
e
U
S engine manufacturers will soon
have to run an icier gauntlet when
ground testing their next-generation
turbofans for certication. While
bird strikes and blade-outs tend to grab the
most attention when turbofans are designed
and put through their paces, handling ice
build-up and ingestion is no small feat and
one which will soon get tougher.
Under new US Federal Aviation Adminis-
tration Part 33 engine certication rules set to
go live in 2012 the test regime for induction
icing will be expanded. Part 33 will include ex-
posure to supercooled large droplets (drops of
freezing rain), ice crystals (a high-altitude phe-
nomena) and procedures for extended hold-
over times, to simulate long tarmac waits in
foggy winter weather. As with all engine tests,
to pass muster the turbofan must stay within
power and temperature bounds and cannot
stall, surge, ameout or rollback when ice on
the induction system gets sucked into the en-
gine. Similarly, ice slugs must not damage the
engine either, by bending blades or vanes.
Engines are certied at the component level
rst (Part 33) and then at the aircraft level
under Part 25 (transport aircraft certication)
rules. Part 33 is considered to be the more rig-
orous of the two. For icing certication, manu-
facturers rst dene an operating environment
for the engine. The next stage is to use Part 33
and FAA advisory circular guidance to deter-
mine the liquid water content, droplet size and
temperature ranges the engine should be ex-
posed to in ground testing.
Tom Bond, FAA chief scientist and techni-
cal advisor for ight environmental icing, says
the companies develop a critical point analy-
sis, which determines the most stressful oper-
ating conditions. This then becomes part of a
test plan, that ultimately will include 15-20 test
points. Once they get an approved test plan
[from the FAA], they run the engine at a sea
level or altitude facility, where they generate
an icing cloud and operate the engine at vari-
ous conditions, Bond says. He adds that the
new rule will pose different conditions the
manufacturers will have to assess.
Jim MacLeod, group leader for environment
and certication testing at the Canadian Na-
tional Research Councils (NRC) gas turbine
laboratory, says NRC allots 4-6 weeks for a Part
33 icing test. NRC, working with Rolls-Royce
and Pratt & Whitney, recently opened a new
two-stand direct-connect outdoor turbofan en-
gine natural icing facility in Manitoba, Canada
one of only a handful of Part 33 icing facilities
in North America.
This year NRC tested its large turbofan stand
using a Rolls-Royce Trent 900, and its smaller
stand with Pratt & Whitneys PW1524G, the
OUT IN THE COLD
FIN_270911_036-037 36 21/9/11 20:02:15
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37 fightglobal.com
ICING TESTS
geared turbofan for Bombardiers CSeries re-
gional jet. The rst ofcial Part 33 icing test will
take place later this year, with the Rolls-Royce
Trent XWB engine for the Airbus A350.
Other icing test facilities in North America
include the Arnold Engineering Development
Center in Tennessee, the McKinley Climatic
Laboratory at Eglin AFB in Florida and GE
Canadas icing center in Manitoba.
UNDER THE WEATHER
Though each test point takes roughly 10min to
1h to perform, waiting for the right weather at
NRCs outdoor global aerospace center for icing
and environment research can take time. NRC
uses the natural weather and spray masts to
create the icing conditions. Thompson, Mani-
toba, has two icing test seasons per year for the
typical -2C (28F) to -20C testing range Oc-
tober-November and March-April. January is
too cold for ice, but serves as a good month to
test engine cold-start performance.
Along with the set test points which re-
quire a quick throttle-up after dwelling at the
test point, to throw any accumulated ice into
the engine and see the effects there are also
engineering points. At these moments, in-
stead of throttling-up, the engine is shut down
to take pictures and samples of the ice. We
have to show airworthiness ofcials what the
points were, and that models were accurate
with reality, MacLeod adds.
The icing portion of an engine certication
typically takes place late in the programme,
leaving little exibility for schedule changes if
problems are found. Icing oftentimes is left to
cross your ngers and hope for the best, Ma-
cLeod says. [Engine makers] usually do this
after bird ingestion and blade-off tests, when
the design is pretty much cast in stone. In the
past, when an engine was ve years in devel-
opment there were lots of opportunities to
tweak and test again. Now with 18-24 month
development times, theres not enough oppor-
tunity to carry out a number of tests.
First published in June 2010, the Part 33 en-
gine icing amendments are part of a broader
package aiming to address decades-old air-
frame and engine icing certication, in the
wake of key accidents and incidents. The fatal
1994 crash of an American Eagle ATR 72 in In-
diana had a particular inuence on the amend-
ments. The US National Transportation Safety
Board surmised that supercooled large droplets
A
ir
T
e
a
m
I
m
a
g
e
s
Icing oftentimes is left to
cross your ngers and hope
for the best
JIM MACLEOD
Group leader, Canadian National Research Council
On his blog As the Cro(ft) Flies, John Croft dis-
sects news from the general-aviation sector:
ightglobal.com/croft
created a clear ice ridge behind the deicing
boots and ahead of the ailerons. This led to an
uncommanded roll, from which the pilots
could not recover.
Supercooled large droplets can be 10- to 100-
times larger in diameter than the typical freez-
ing raindrop sizes tested today. The issue af-
fects engines as well as airframes. While
engines may have inlet, spinner and guide
vane heating, ice can still form on various sur-
faces particularly during long waits at idle
power. This build-up threatens to break off and
ow into the engine when throttling up to
move or at take-off. When ingestion occurs the
ice ashes to steam in the compressor core, this
can then cause a stall or other problems.
Along with the larger droplet sizes, the re-
vised Part 33 rules will also require manufac-
turers to prove that engine designs can handle
falling and blowing snow and, more impor-
tantly, ice crystals. This high-altitude phe-
nomenon has become a topic of increasing
concern NASA says that since 1989 there
have been nearly 100 cases of turbofan power
problems at high altitude. The administration,
along with Transport Canada and other
groups, is seeking to better dene ice crystal
testing criteria by using a specially-equipped
Gulfstream II in two ight campaigns in Aus-
tralia in 2012 and 2013. The FAA plans to up-
date the ice crystal certication requirements
going into effect next year by 2015, based on
the ight test data. The new rules will also ad-
dress a growing problem on the apron, where
long wait times and crowded take-off queues
combined with efcient, heat-conserving
engines are cause for concern. While engine
manufacturers currently have to demonstrate
an engine can withstand 30min of idling in
icing conditions, Part 33 will add a require-
ment to develop an engine run-up procedure
for the aircraft manual
If you have to run up to 60-70% [to clear
ice], that can be detrimental to aircraft [follow-
ing], says John Fisher, an aerospace engineer
for the FAAs engine and propeller directorate,
adding that some manufacturers are adding
anti-ice systems to engine components, to
allow for a longer idling time.
MacLeod says requests to prove out engine
operations during long idling periods are com-
ing from airlines. In the past they would have
only done a ground fog test for 30-60min,
where the engine would idle for 30min, fol-
lowed by a throttle movement to shed the ice,
then return down to idle, he says. For large
planes now, theres so much thrust that goosing
the throttle would cause sliding or blowing ice
on aircraft behind them. Now theyre saying
the engine has to accumulate ice for one or two
hours, with no throttle-up in the middle.
Fisher says there are cases where manufac-
turers have not been able to demonstrate the
ability to handle long term idling in ground
fog. Some have to return to the gate if they are
unsuccessful in running up to a specied
power level by a certain time, he says. O
A Gulfstream II is to be used in upcoming tests
The Trent XWB will undergo
the rst Part 33 icing tests
FIN_270911_036-037 37 21/9/11 20:02:38
fightglobal.com
REGIONAL AIRCRAFT
38
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20-26 September 2011
MARY KIRBY PHILADELPHIA
Obsession with fuel economy, amid spiking oil
prices, has boosted the attractiveness of turboprops,
though plans to add new products at both ends of
the spectrum have yet to reach fruition
SLOW
BURN
W
henever fuel prices spike, as
they are doing now, the indus-
try inevitably mulls over wheth-
er a sustained turboprop revival
is in the ofng. A true resurgence seemed al-
most assured in 2005 and 2006 when airlines
appetites for turboprops returned, and order-
books swelled at ATR and Bombardier.
But the economic recession that ensued in
the years that followed prompted many air-
lines to postpone equipment planning and
eet renewal, resulting in a attening of turbo-
prop growth for the period. Even though the
two manufacturers have enjoyed solid success
with their current generation turboprops, the
types have not reached critical mass. And so,
the industrys on-again, off-again affair with
turboprops continues.
The excitement over turboprops always
peaks when fuel goes up and not surprisingly.
Its the logical solution, says George Hamlin,
president of Hamlin Transportation Consult-
ing. When fuel goes down, people forget
about it.
The often-cited logical reasons for air-
lines to deploy turboprops remain the same as
they did six years ago.
Their speed, size and fuel efciency make
them well suited to replace less efcient re-
gional jets that y 300-400nm (560-740km)
routes, as well as aged 20 and 30-seat turbo-
props that will be coming out of service in the
next decade such as Embraer EMB-120
Brasilias and Saab 340s.
As fuel is getting higher, people are look-
ing at the high cost of operating regional jets,
knowing they could save a lot of money if
they could persuade passengers to go back to
turboprops. Actually, when push comes to
shove, passengers actually really care about
the ticket price so airlines might have a win-
dow of opportunity to add turboprops, says
Peter Morris, chief economist at data and con-
sultancy group Flightglobal Ascend.
Gordon Pratt, director of Q Series programme
management at Bombardier, says: Compared
to a 70-seat jet, the Q400 has 30% better eco-
nomics and costs.
Compared to a 50-seat jet, it will have the
same trip costs, but you get an airplane that is
40% more capacity so it offers an ideal
opportunity for airlines to replace their
50-seaters and grow their business without
growing their costs.
Boeing sees a need to replace regional jets
with turboprops. You cant make money
today ying a small regional jet, maintains
Boeing vice-president of marketing Randy
Tinseth. What were seeing is small regional
What were seeing is
small regional jets
replaced by turboprops
RANDY TINSETH
Vice-president of marketing, Boeing
Global passenger turboprop deliveries
SOURCE: Flightglobal Ascends Online Fleets database
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
1978: US deregulation
Hub and spoke model
1989-91: Market peak
1,100 delivered in three years
Early 1980s
ONew 19-seaters such
as Beech 1900 and
Jetstream 31
Mid 1980s
ONew 30-40 seaters
such as ATR 42 and
Saab 340
Late 1980s
ONew 50-70 seaters
such as ATR 72 and
Dash 8-300
1990s
ORise of the regional jet
OATR, BAe, Bombardier,
CASA, Fairchild Dornier,
Fokker and Saab remain
important players
2000s
OSkyrocketing fuel
prices prompt new
interest in large
turboprops
OLow-cost carriers
begin to erode the hub-
and-spoke model
advantage with low
point-to-point fares
OATR/Bombardier
Western duopoly for
30+ seat turboprops
THE RISE AND FALL - AND REBIRTH - OF TURBOPROPS
Bombardier expects
a rebound in demand
for its Q400
FIN_270911_038-040 38 22/9/11 11:50:59
27 September - 03 October 2011
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39 fightglobal.com
TURBOPROP REVIVAL
ing age of its 30-seat EMB-120s and its more
than 150 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200s is a
factor in SkyWests studies. Company presi-
dent Chip Childs admits the operating eco-
nomics of CRJs beyond 40,000 cycles gives
us pause.
However, scope restrictions at SkyWests
partner United-Continental remain highly un-
certain and will colour any decision. The
merged United and Continental pilots are in
the midst of contract negotiations and it is un-
clear if Uniteds more relaxed scope clause,
which allows for the operation of 70-seat air-
craft by regional carriers, will prevail in a nal
contract. Continentals pilot contract caps re-
gional jet ying to 50 seats, but allows for the
operation of 70-seat turboprops.
I think there is quite a big question as to
what the US airline strategy is going to be, and
whether they even know it at the moment.
Route economics, scope clauses, deals be-
tween majors and their suppliers, all of these
things come into it. The big turboprop count
at the moment, even though it has been de-
clining the faster, has been in North America,
and while regional jets did take over turbo-
props, that one has swung into reverse,
maintains Flightglobal Ascends Morris.
The Q400s in operation with Horizon Air
and Colgan Air in the USA have shown that
the aircraft denitely ts in a set of markets,
notes Hamlin. And the type has become a
workhorse for UK carrier Flybe, which serves
countries across Europe.
All three carriers are considered prime can-
didates for a larger sized turboprop, should
ATR and/or Bombardier opt to offer a 90-100
seater. Both airframers have indicated interest,
but have postponed a nal decision on pro-
gramme launch into 2012.
An important factor in their decision-
making is whether or not engine manufactur-
ers will bring game-changing new engines
to market. GE is actively engaged with manu-
facturers interested in a 90-seat turboprop
platform to support the CPX38 engine, which
is based on the GE38 being developed for the
Sikorsky CH-53K heavylift helicopter.
GE general manager of small commercial
and business aviation engine programmes
Chuck Nugent says the manufacturer has run
tests on two development GE38 engines to
date, and the CPX38 would share a common
core with that powerplant. Nugent cites
strong interest from airlines around the
B
o
m
b
a
r
d
ie
r
A
T
R
gg
I think there is quite a big
question as to what the US
airline strategy is going to be
PETER MORRIS
Chief economist, Flightglobal Ascend
current order base we have. Thats what we
do, but we anticipate recovering that as the
orders come in. We are seeing a big resurgence
in the number of sales contacts were making,
the quality of those contacts, the pulling for-
ward of the decisions, says Pratt.
At present, ATR is faring far better than its
rival. The airframer achieved 84 net orders in
the rst half of 2011, bringing its backlog to
226 aircraft, according to gures disclosed by
EADS in its half-year results.
Referencing the new ATR -600 series turbo-
prop, EADS chief nancial ofcer Hans-Peter
Ring says the order performance conrmed
the success of the upgraded product range.
Embraer, meanwhile, believes the regional
turboprop market is too crowded, and thus it
is still focused on a possible larger jet.
However, among the carriers examining
how the ATR 72 or Q400 will t into its eet
is US regional SkyWest Airlines. The increas-
jets replaced by turboprops, maybe larger
aircraft in the single aisle market, Tinseth
continues.
A Q400 pilot who works for a prominent
operator that swapped out regional jets for
Q400s shares this memory: Before I ew the
Q400, I was ying the Embraer ERJ-145 so our
company took the position of replacing the
ERJ-145 with the Q400. Their opinion at the
time was the Q400 had the exact same cost
base as a 50-seat jet, but it had another 28 or
30 more seats they could sell.
POSITIVE FOR PROPELLERS
The pilot continues: The Q400 is a very, very
quick turboprop. It cruises at around 360kt
[670km/h], only about 90kt slower than the
ERJ-145. But we cruise at 25,000ft [7,630m]
because the aircraft is not equipped with pas-
senger oxygen, so we get to top climb in 12 to
13 minutes versus the ERJ-145, which took
roughly 20-25 minutes. So were nding that,
on sectors of an hour to an hour-and-a-half
long, our block time is no longer than it was
on the jets. So weve kept the cost base the
same, increased the number of seats, and no
penalty in time.
Accustomed to receiving endorsements
such as these, Bombardier remains rmly op-
timistic that it will once again see a rebound
for its in-production turboprop, the 74-seat
Q400 turboprop, as the market recovers from
the 2008 era of economic decline, says Pratt.
But with a backlog of just 40 Q400s, or only
nine months worth of production, Bombar-
dier has opted to cut production of the turbo-
prop towards the end of the year. We did an-
nounce sizing the production rates to the
ATR won 89 net orders in the rst half
FIN_270911_038-040 39 22/9/11 11:51:10
REGIONAL AIRCRAFT
fightglobal.com 40
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27 September - 03 October 2011
Mary Kirby blogs on in-fight entertainment
and connectivity developments at
ightglobal.com/runwaygirl
world for a larger turboprop and a lot of
eagerness from airframers over what we
can deliver. The engine manufacturer is tar-
geting a 15% improvement in fuel consump-
tion with the CPX38, and Nugent says the
manufacturer seeks to deliver an integrated
propulsion system of the propeller, engine
and nacelles.
Pratt & Whitney Canada, meanwhile, has
outlined a plan to offer a next generation tur-
boprop engine, which the manufacturer esti-
mates could offer a 20% fuel burn improve-
ment over todays models.
Most sales today are for 70-seat aircraft,
says Richard Dussault, PWC vice-president of
marketing. We denitely see a place for 90-
100-seat aircraft and thats where were aim-
ing for with a 5,000-7,000shp engine. We
could easily do 8,000shp as well.
In terms of speed and altitude, Dussault
says 300-350kt is the most likely goal of that
market with similar cruise altitudes to to-
days turboprops in the mid-20,000ft range.
Meanwhile, industry stakeholders are try-
ing to determine if a market exists for a new,
clean-sheet 50-seat turboprop for replacement
of smaller types.
The whole 20-30 seat turboprop market is
interesting. There is something like 1,000 air-
craft in that category, but there is an awful lot
of aircraft wandering around the world and
the ones in other parts of the world have not
been driven by esoteric things like scope
clauses, says Morris.
These aircraft were put together in the
1980s and 1990s; theyve got 20-year technol-
ogy. Since that time, the avionics have
improved and everything has gotten better,
says Morris.
Could a new turboprop provide a step
change with composites, or a new engine? If
you could get an increase in productivity on
to that new turboprop it could start to change
the game, he continues.
Childs points out there is no ideal replace-
ment option for the 30-seat EMB-120s and
CRJ200s in the carriers eet, and believes a
50-seat turboprop will be suitable for many of
the missions carried out by those aircraft. So
SOURCE: Flightglobals Ascend Online Fleets database
No. of aircraft
15-19 seaters 20-39 seaters 40-69 seaters
TURBOPROP PASSENGER FLEET DEVELOPMENT: 19702010
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
2010 2000 1990 1980 1970
70-119 seaters
TREND IN GLOBAL IN-SERVICE AIRCRAFT FLEET: 1970-2010
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Number of aircraft x1,000
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Turboprops
Narrowbody
Regional Jets
Widebody
far airlines have been able to manage the lack
of a new small turboprop by shifting aircraft
around the marketplace, notes Morris. The
other thing is that the cost of aircraft has been
really quite stable.
But now it is trending towards tumbling up
because there is market scarcity. Still, there is
not enough information to give critical mass
for airframers to be certain that there really is
a market opportunity here.
A QUESTION OF STRATEGY
Morris continues: The difculty is proving
what the strategy will be ve, ten years out for
everything from regional airlines in North
America to those in China and India.
Small turboprops were once a familiar sight
in the USA. A map of a 1962 Lake Central Air-
lines timetable, provided BY Hamlin Trans-
portation Consulting, shows the many Mid-
western cities once served by the carrier,
which merged into Allegheny in the late
1960s (see ightglobal.com/lakecentral).
The interstate highway killed most of
these places. Just because a market exists now
doesnt mean it will exist in the future, says
Hamlin, noting, however, that there are al-
ways exceptions like Cape Air, which ies
nine-seat Cessna 402.
But airframers have little interest in creat-
ing a high-speed 50-seat turboprop. Bombar-
dier built 267 50-seat Q300s but the aircraft
was much slower, at 287kt, than the Q400s
360kt. The manufacturer says shrinking the
Q400 to 50 seats is not viable because the ca-
pacity will not support the cost of the higher
power engines. You need enough chairs to
cover the speed, says director of market de-
velopment Jerome Cheung, who adds that 50-
seat high-speed turboprops had struggled to
meet large-scale demand. For example, only
about 60 Saab 2000s were produced.
Childs says if the airline had more visibility
on the outcome of scope talks, it may have
made an aircraft decision by now. A dual-
class Q400 looked attractive, he says, but eval-
uations rest on the economics of a larger tur-
boprop and what happens with scope.
The wild card, suggests Hamlin, could be
non-traditional markets like India or China.
Im not certain they have the need, but if they
do, its likely to be a need in signicant num-
bers. The combination of those plus North
American need could be the critical mass that
someone needs to make this kind of aircraft.
That might be a manufacturer in China. It
might be something for ATR or Bombardier,
but if sufcient demand materialised, Im sure
thats even something Embraer would look at
too, he says. O
Additional reporting by Lori Ranson
If you could get an increase
in productivity on to that new
turboprop it could start to
change the game
PETER MORRIS
Chief economist, Flightglobal Ascend
gg
FIN_270911_038-040 40 22/9/11 11:51:22
STRAIGHT&LEVEL
|
|
41 fightglobal.com
From yuckspeak to tales of yore, send your offcuts to straight&level@ightglobal.com
100 YEAR ARCHIVE
Every issue of Flight from
1909 can be viewed
online at ightglobal.com/
archive
One can, she says, only
imagine the terror the occupants
must have felt. No doubt it
scared the **** out of them.
Art of confusion
Congratulations to artist Pascal
Anson, who has been selected to
design the livery of 12 British
Airways airliners as part of the
carriers Olympics-themed Great
Britons initiative.
He might be forgiven some
confusion, however. The aircraft
he must restyle according to
Birdseeds release range from
a Boeing 747 to a Boeing A319.
Youre the one...
We were thrilled to receive an
invitation from Bombardier to a
glittering Hollywood event last
week, at which the Canadian
airframer promised to reveal its
latest brand ambassador a
major A-list personality we
were breathlessly informed.
Who could it be? However,
the suspense was spoiled
somewhat by a glance at the
email header: Bombardier &
John Travolta Event.
Stinging lesson
Domestic airline ights across
Russias endless interior can be
Up diddly up up
The international meeting
under the auspices of the
Aero Club of New
York brought
together a
magnifcent lot of
aviation talent. There were 34
aviators on the ground, and on
the frst day, 23 September,
16 of these gave the public a
taste of their prowess.
All friends now...
The main topic of conversation
at Croydon last week was the
merger of British
Continental
Airways with British
Airways. The Air
Ministry heaved a sigh of relief
when the announcement was
made, for their competition
was becoming increasingly
diffcult to deal with.
Crash landing
A pilot of 75 Sqn, Royal New
Zealand Air Force, whose
Canberra aircraft
disappeared on a
fight from RAF
Tengah in
Singapore, to RAF Butterworth
in Northern Malaya, told his
survival story in Singapore
this week, after he walked out
of the jungle.
Comet comment
Nasa and ESA are edging
towards a joint defnition of
requirements for
the ultimate
comet probe: the
return of a sub-
surface nucleus core sample
soon after the turn of the
century. The mission will form
the cornerstone of ESAs
Horizon 2000 space science
plan, but it will be so complex
and costly that international
co-operation is essential.
N
e
il
L
o
m
a
x
Road to recovery: Trident G-ARPO is being restored
Saving the
Gripper
The project to save the worlds
sole-remaining intact Hawker
Siddeley Trident 1C has reached
a major milestone. Last month,
the North East Aircraft Museum
completed the relocation of
G-ARPO by road from Sercos
re training centre at Durham
Tees Valley airport to its
Sunderland base.
Papa Oscar, which was
originally delivered to BEA in
1965, had served the re school
at what used to be known as
Tees Side airport for a quarter of
a century luckily without ever
being ignited!
Following its relocation to
Sunderland, the Grippers
fuselage is now temporarily in
the museums car park, awaiting
then the start of a full restoration
led by renowned Trident
acionado Neil Lomax. The
team is now seeking more
support to start the next phase of
the project, and anyone wishing
to donate can nd out more at:
savethetrident.org/donate
Loo-sing control
Thanks to former Budgie
librarian Ann Tilbury for this
dramatic photograph of a pilot
completely losing control,
narrowly missing a crowd
gathered for an air show and
slamming into four buildings.
challenging enough, so pity the
passengers on a 10h ight to
Moscow from Blagoveshchensk
on a Yakutia Airlines 757 who
had to contend with hundreds
of bees, which had escaped from
cardboard boxes smuggled on
board.
Cabin crew managed to
conne the bees inside the
wardrobe in the business (buzz-
iness?) section by sealing it with
sticky tape, reports UK
newspaper, the Daily Telegraph.
The trafcker who claimed
an ofcial at Blagoveshchensk
had asked him to carry the bees
on board was reported by
witnesses to be slightly drunk.
Long goodbye
Regular scribe Ian Goold sends
us a cutting from the Diplomat
magazine in Bucharest, which
posted its correspondent to
Germany to witness in action
the rst Airbus using
components made in Romania.
At Berlins main airport, an
Airbus A320 belonging to Air
Berlin is getting ready for
takeoff, the reporter enthuses.
It gets the green light and starts
taxiing. Minutes later, the plane
is airborne
Minutes? And we all thought
it was the A340 that had
problems climbing.
100 YEAR ARCHIVE
Every issue of Flight from
1909 can be viewed
online at ightglobal.com/
archive
Portaloo panic ensued
FIN_270911_041 41 22/9/11 15:44:51
LETTERS
fightglobal.com 42
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FLIGHT
INTERNATIONAL
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FLIGHT
INTERNATIONAL
Contribute to the debate on
Flightglobals AirSpace forum
ightglobal.com/airspace
As a longtime employee of
Saab, allow me to comment
in reference to the statement
by Bombardier that only
about 60 Saab 2000s were
produced (Flight
International, 6-12
September) because I was
there, in the marketplace of
the 1990s.
When we launched the
high- speed, 50-seat Saab 2000 the future looked promising. We
secured options from Skywest itself, American Eagle, Comair,
Express Airlines and others.
But then two events drastically changed the dynamics of
the market and showed yet again how diffcult it can be to
predict future aircraft trends. These were cheap fuel and the
Roselawn accident.
Overnight, our fuel arguments went out the window, and airlines
wanted nothing to do with turboprops in the US. I remember major
airlines telling me a similar size jet would attract on average two to
four more passengers per fight. They were falling over themselves
to declare an all-jet feet.
Travel agents began pointing out to passengers that they were
being booked on a propeller plane and did they realise this?
Bombardier seemed surprised by the market response to the
CRJ. Only minimal changes were made to the basic Challenger
when it was stretched into a 50-seater.
So Bombardier benefted from this sudden change in the market
in the 1990s and we ended up with about 60 Saab 2000s of
which 58 are still fying!
But today the market has turned yet again, so the last chapter of
the high-speed turboprop is yet to be written because it offers un-
beatable fuel economy on medium-range routes.
Michael Magnusson
President, Saab Aircraft Leasing
Still ying the Saab 2000
TURBOPROPS
A Saab story and its lessons
We have received in August the
aircraft you mentioned in
Sweden for system installation
on the aircraft.
SSC will deliver this rst
C212-400 completely equipped
with surveillance capability to
the Vietnam Marine Police in a
couple of months.
Aurlie Domargrd
SSC Airborne Systems
Solna, Sweden
Olympic ideals
We were surprised Flight Inter-
national didnt contact us regard-
ing the Forbidden Skies article
(20-26 September). We would
also have made the very relevant
point that when the UK govern-
ment bid for the Olympics it
made it very clear, for environ-
mental reasons, that there would
be no helicopter landing sites
near the Olympic Village. There-
fore, even if there had been no
changes to airspace there would
have been no helicopter opera-
tions to and from the main site.
The article is also misleading
when it says the changes will be
policed by NATS, working under
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
rules, on the advice of govern-
ment. All the airspace restric-
tions in place for the Olympics
have been decided on by the UK
government through the Home
Ofce and Department for Trans-
port, as they are solely based on
maintaining security. NATS will
be providing its usual air trafc
control services, but the new air
trafc control (ATC) service in
the restricted zone will be pro-
vided by the Ministry of Defence.
Jonathan Nicholson
Civil Aviation Authority, UK
Dont play the
blame game
The last letters on AF447 (Flight
International, 13-19 September)
indicate that the authors didnt
read the BEA report, or didnt
fully understand it. The context
should be set straight again.
AF447 didnt crash because
they stalled. They crashed be-
cause they stalled due to de-
cient training for a situation in
which speed indications (includ-
ing standby) went blank.
This was aggravated by imper-
fect ergonomics and non-stand-
ard crew composition.
Anyone with line-oriented
ight training (LOFT) experience
can attest that this makes a world
of difference.
Failing training or eroding
skills are deduced from the failed
stall recovery, missing the vital
clue: successful recovery de-
pends on a valid speed indica-
tion, which they had no more.
Pitting good old days aviators
against joystick youngsters turns
into a popular but useless debate.
Aviation is so different now
from then that you cant point to
one term in the equation as the
holy grail.
Environments, aircraft and
pilots mould each other to the
needs of their time. The risks stay
the same only trading
frequency for severity.
Dont get me wrong, Im not
against improving basic skills.
But I am in favour of respecting
the needed nuances in a debate,
fed by facts not feelings. If we
dont, the process of making sig-
nicant improvements will get
irreversibly bogged down in one-
liners and bar brawls. These are
human aws as tenacious as loss-
of-control or unstable approach-
es. Or turning an accident report
into a blaming game.
Bert Aerts
Gingelom, Belgium
Careful patrolling
It is with interest that we read
your short article on Vietnamese
Marine Police taking delivery of
the rst of three C212 maritime
patrol aircraft (Flight Internation-
al, 9-15 August).
However, you forgot to men-
tion that those aircraft are going
to be equipped with advanced
maritime surveillance systems
from SSC.
SSC is the prime contractor for
the design, delivery and installa-
tion of those surveillance sys-
tems, called MSS 6000 systems.
A
ir
T
e
a
m
I
m
a
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e
s
R
e
x

F
e
a
t
u
r
e
s
BEA delivers report. Read it
A
ir
b
u
s
Pre-makeover
FIN_270911_042 42 22/9/11 16:01:34
READER SERVICES
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FIN_270911_043 43 22/9/11 15:58:42
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44 | Flight International | 27 September - 3 October 2011 ightglobal.com
CLASSIFIED
TEL +44 (0) 20 8652 4897 FAX +44 (0) 20 8652 3779 EMAIL classified.ser vices@rbi.co.uk
Calls may be monitored for training purposes
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FIN_270911_044-047:Layout 1 21/9/11 11:35 Page 44
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ightglobal.com 27 September - 3 October 2011 | Flight International | 45
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46 | Flight International | 27 September - 3 October 2011 ightglobal.com
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flightglobal.com/jobs
EMAIL recruitment.services@rbi.co.uk CALL +44 (20) 8652 4900 FAX +44 (20) 8652 4877
Getting careers off the ground
flightglobal.com 27 September - 3 October 2011 | Flight International | 47
SITUATIONS WANTED
UK/US Commercial
Pilot ATPL/ IP Qualified
7900 total hrs
5700 turbine & PIC
Multilingual
Available worldwide
Tel: (US) +1-786-245-4179
alphazoulou@mac.hush.com
B757 & B737 Captains
& First Officers Various Bases
Competitive Salary & Benets
Jet2.com is the Norths leading leisure airline, with a eet of B757-200s and B737-800s & 300s. As we continue
to grow, we are recruiting type-rated Captains and First Ofcers from both Civilian and Military backgrounds.
We have vacancies at Belfast, Blackpool, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle
from which we operate a mixture of scheduled and charter programmes, and our all important Royal Mail ights
delivering their First Class service. If you are exible and adaptable you will enjoy our interesting ying.
You will need enthusiasm, energy and commitment to customer service in delivering Friendly Low Fares to
our all important customers.
We offer several contract types including Full-Time or Summer Only, each providing excellent benets.
Interested? Please apply online at
Jet2.com/careers or call the recruitment
team on 0113 239 7815.
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FIN_270911_047-049:Flight Rec Template Q& 22/9/11 12:45 Page 47
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48 | Flight International | 27 September - 3 October 2011 flightglobal.com
Technical Instructor
Our vision is to be the worlds best airline. Being the best means that we always strive
to excel in everything we do. As we enter a period of consolidated growth, we are
looking for experienced Airframe/Engine Technical Instructors to join our Hong Kong
based Technical Training School. We are a Part 147 approved training facility.
Key Responsibilities:
Conduct flight crew and engineering technical training using electronic media and
state of the art simulation devices
Conduct aircraft practical training and assessments
Courseware maintenance and development of technology based training
materials
Job Requirements:
Minimum 3-5 years technical training experience preferably on a wide-bodied or
glass cockpit aircraft
Professional licenses or qualifications relating to aircraft maintenance or
aeronautical engineering
Experience in courseware design and production of technology based training
material
Strong interpersonal and communication skills
Excellent English communication, presentation and written skills
Computer literacy of MS Office applications
Qualified applicants can apply online at http://careers.cathaypacific.com
Cathay Pacific is an Equal Opportunities Employer. Personal data provided by job applicants will be
used strictly in accordance with our personal data policy and for recruitment purposes only. Candidates
not notified within eight weeks may consider their application unsuccessful. All related information will
be kept on our files for 24 months. A copy of our Personal Information Collection Statement can be
provided upon request by contacting our Data Protection Officer.
Heliservices (www.heliservices.com.hk) is a member of the prestigious
Hong KongAviation Group. Operating a fleet of SA315B, AS355N and MD500
helicopters, the company has provided helicopter charter and utility services
in Hong Kong for over 30 years.
The Company is developing new aircraft management and maintenance
opportunities in Mainland China.
General Manager (Ref: GM/HS-2011-001)
A vacancy exists for a General Manager based permanently in Hong Kong.
You will have the following duties and responsibilities:
Manage a small to mid-size helicopter operations company;
Devise business development strategy;
Develop the current and future services and manage the expansion
in China;
The following experience and qualifications are desirable:
You are a well seasoned leader and manager with good
communication skills;
You have successfully managed a mid-size helicopter operation for
at least five years;
You are well familiar with the business development process with
feasibility study, risk assessment, business plan, budgets etc.
You are willing to travel extensively in China and to lead meetings
with stakeholders.
The candidate will report directly to the Board of Directors and the owner.
A highly competitive package is offered.
Applications should be addressed to HR Department by email to
hr@heliservices.com.hk
Director of Operations (Korea)
FIight 7raining Positions
with DM7raining Centres
Pull time contract position based at |ncheon (Seoul).
Lxcellent Terms and Conditions. Lxperienced
management & flight training background
Flight Simulator Instructors (Seoul, Korea)
8744/A320 type rated. Significant training
background & airline P|C required.
Commuting positions.
flightcrewcclaviation.com
Flight Simulator Instructors (UK Based)
Current, qualified 1AA SP|, TP| and/or SPL TPL on
8737, 8757/8767or 8777. Pight to live & work in UK
Altitude Aerospace Interiors New Zealand is an internationally recognised
provider of interior completions, upgrades and recongurations for large
jet aircraft in the commercial and private luxury market on a global basis.
To meet international demand for our services we need senior experienced
Aeronautical Engineers to join us in either Auckland or Christchurch.
Primarily you will create approved data for the modication of aircraft,
designs for manufacturing and provide specialist design advice while also
providing leadership and mentoring to those around you. The work will be
challenging, and customer standards are exacting, so those wanting to take
it easy need not apply.
To be successful you will need to be a professional engineer, ideally with
at least ve years experience, perform your best under pressure and
communicate effectively with cross functional groups. Previous industry
experience, e.g. aircraft cabin systems design and modication, VIP interiors
and knowledge of Boeing and Airbus products is a denite advantage.
The Altitude design process was born this century, so you will need to be very
computer literate. An appropriate level of knowledge in 3D CAD modeling,
MS Word, Excel, and Project is required.
Expressions of interest are invited for permanent or temporary basis. Please
visit www.alaitude-ai.com About Us>Careers and apply by submitting CV
and cover letter.
For further information please contact Anna Lee on 0064 21 757 151.
Interested applicants should apply by emailing Anna Lee at
anna.lee@airnz.co.nz
Senior Mechanical Cabin Systems
Engineers, Electrical Systems Engineers
&Mechatronics Engineers
www.altitude-ai.com
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flightglobal.com 27 September - 3 October 2011 | Flight International | 49
RECRUITMENT ADVERTISEMENT FOR CIVIL SERVICE VACANCY
CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT, HONG KONG
Senior Operations Officer (Senior Operations Inspector)
Salary: Master Pay Scale Point 45 (HK$82,975 approximately US$10,637 per month*) to Master Pay Scale Point 49 (HK$95,595 approximately US$12,255 per
month*) (See Note 1) (*Based on exchange rate HK$7.8 = US$1) (subject to fluctuation) plus Non-accountable Cash Allowance of (HK$26,480 approximately
US$3,395 per month*) (subject to periodic revision) and Gratuity
Entry Requirements: Candidates should have (a) (i) a current Airline Transport Pilots Licence (ATPL) (Aeroplane) (See Note 2) with eight years relevant post-licence
experience and at least 5,000 hours of commercial transport flying experience of which a minimum of 3,000 hours should be on civil transport multi-engine
aeroplanes; or (ii) an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) contracting states Commercial Pilots Licence (CPL) (Aeroplane) with Multi-engine Instrument
Rating; and a minimum of seven years post-licence experience in civil aviation management and operations or as a regulator; and have passed the ATPL examinations;
and (b) strong command of written and spoken English.
Note (1): Subject to the prevailing situation, candidates with additional experience may be granted increments for previous relevant experience in the civil
aviation field in excess of the stipulated minimum.
Note (2): A current ATPL (Aeroplane) should include a current Class One Medical Certificate.
Note (3): For the purpose of heightening public awareness of the Basic Law (BL) and promoting a culture of learning of BL in the community, assessment of BL
knowledge will be included in the recruitment for all civil service jobs. Results of the BL test for degree/professional grades will be one of the
considerations to assess the suitability of a candidate but will not affect his/her eligibility for applying for civil service jobs. As a general principle, the
main consideration for suitability for appointment remains a candidates qualification, experience and caliber.
Note (4): Candidates should submit their application forms together with an Experience Resume by fax or mail to the enquiry address on or before the
closing date for application. The Experience Resume can be downloaded from the Civil Aviation Departments website.
(http://www.cad.gov.hk/english/recuitment.html)
Duties: Senior Operations Officer (Senior Operations Inspector) is mainly deployed on flight operations matters including (a) conducting station facilities, ramp and
base inspections, and other safety oversight inspections of the Air Operators Certificates (AOC) holders to ensure that the operators documentation with respect to
operations and training manuals, and all other instructions to operating staff are in compliance with the established policies and standards; (b) observing professional
pilot training, monitoring standards and ensuring that the training is carried out in accordance with all relevant legislation; (c) examining persons for appointment as
authorized examiners for the grant of Private Pilot Licence and handling matters on Flying Training Organization and ground training courses; and (d) investigation
of aircraft accidents and incidents. (You are required to travel extensively on duty and work irregular hours)
Terms of Appointment: A new recruit will normally be appointed on civil service agreement terms for three years. Upon completion of agreement, he/she may be
considered for appointment on the prevailing permanent terms.
Fringe Benefits: Upon satisfactory completion of the full agreement period, you will be granted a gratuity for the period of service. In addition, in compliance with
the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance, the Government will arrange to make contributions for the appointee to a registered mandatory provident fund
scheme (MPF scheme). The gratuity payable for the agreement will be the sum which, when added to the Governments contribution to the said MPF scheme, equals
15% of the total basic salary of the substantive office drawn during the period of agreement. 18 days of annual leave, medical and dental benefits are also provided.
For housing benefits, there is a Non-accountable Cash Allowance, currently at HK$26,480 per month (approximately US$3,395 per month*) subject to periodic
revision.
Closing Date of Application: 14 October 2011.
General Notes:
(a) Persons who are not permanent residents of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) may also apply for this vacancy but will be appointed only when
no suitable and qualified candidates who are permanent residents of the HKSAR are available.
(b) As an Equal Opportunities Employer, the Government is committed to eliminating discrimination in employment. The vacancy advertised is open to all applicants
meeting the basic entry requirement irrespective of their disability, sex, marital status, pregnancy, age, family status, sexual orientation and race.
(c) Civil service vacancies are posts on the civil service establishment. Candidates selected for these vacancies will be appointed on civil service terms of appointment
and conditions of service and will become civil servants on appointment.
(d) The entry pay, terms of appointment and conditions of service to be offered are subject to the provisions prevailing at the time the offer of appointment is made.
(e) The information on the maximum pay point is for reference only and may be subject to changes.
(f) Fringe benefits include paid leave, medical and dental benefits, and where appropriate, assistance in housing.
(g) Where a large number of candidates meet the specified entry requirements, the recruiting department may devise shortlisting criteria to select the better qualified
candidates for further processing. In these circumstances, only shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend recruitment examination and/or interview.
(h) It is Government policy to place people with a disability in appropriate jobs wherever possible. If a disabled candidate meets the entry requirements, he/she will
be invited to attend the selection interview/written examination without being subject to further shortlisting.
(i) Holders of academic qualifications other than those obtained from Hong Kong institutions/Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority may also apply but
their qualifications will be subject to assessments on equivalence with the required entry qualifications. They should submit copies of their official transcripts and
certificates by mail to the above enquiry address.
(j) Civil service vacancies information contained in this column is also available on the GovHK on the Internet at http://www.gov.hk.
(k) Towards the application deadline, our on-line system would likely be overloaded due to large volume of applications. To ensure timely completion of your on-line
application, it is advisable to submit the application as early as possible.
How to Apply : Application Forms [G.F. 340 (Rev. 1/2011)] can be downloaded from the Civil Service Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Regions
(HKSAR) web site (http://www.csb.gov.hk). On-line application can also be made through the said web site. Candidate must state clearly the details of professional
qualification obtained on the application forms and attach the Experience Resume.(See Note 4) Completed forms, together with the Experience Resume, should reach
the above enquiry address of the recruiting department on or before the closing date for application. If candidates fail to provide the Experience Resume, their
applications may not be considered. Candidates who are selected for interview will normally receive an invitation in about six to eight weeks from the closing date
for application. Those who are not invited for interview may assume that their applications are unsuccessful. For further information or an application form, please
write to the Administration Division, Civil Aviation Department, 46/F, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong (Fax No. (852) 2868 9867) or
e-mail to recruitment@cad.gov.hk, quoting reference CAD PR/5-25/62 (2011).
50 | Flight International | 27 September-3 October 2011 ightglobal.com
Telephone: +44(0) 844 357 1177
Facsimile: +44(0) 871 900 3828
Email: mail@marchaviation.co.uk
FIND THE RIGHT MATCH
AVIATION RECRUITMENT SERVICES
WWW.JET-PROFESSIONALS.COM
Tel: 0041 58 158 8877
Recruitment Support
to the Aviation Industry
T: +44(0)1483 332000
recruitment@zenon.aero
aviation recruitment
The experts in
aerospace recruitment
T: +32 (0) 2 791 6567
E: aerospacejobs@modisintl.com
www.modisintl.com/aerospace
Leaders in the provision of
technical personnel
Rebecca Anderson & Kelly Rossi
T: +44(0)141 270 5007
F: +44(0)141 270 5555
E: aviation@fpsg.co.uk
www.firstpeopleaviation.com
GCT Group
Worldwide specialist for
Aerospace Engineering,
Certification & Management
Services
e: yourcv@garner.de
t: +49 (0) 8153 93130
w: www.garner.de
Email: recruitment@sigmaaviationservices.com
www.sigmaaviationservices.com
www.aircraf-commerce.com
+44 (0)1403 240 183
Global Aerospace contract
personnel and work packages
e: progers@strongfieldtech.com
t: +44(0)20 8799 8916
w: www.strongfield.com
Contract and Permanent recruitment
for the Aviation industry
David Rowe, Alastair Millar,
Jodie Green, Ian Chapman
Tel: +44 (0)1737 821011
Email: aero@cbsbutler.com
www.cbsbutler.com
/||q|t c/ew
Iec|n|ca|
/e//y /||q|ts
/secat|ve 5ea/c|
+353 1 816 1774
sales@parcaviation.aero
www.parcaviation.aero
Looking for on contract basis consultants with
working experience gained from aircra
manufacturers customer services business,
incl. maintenance & engineering, supply
chain management, aircra parts service,
technical publicaons, training, operaon
support and supplier contract management.
Email: yongq@3oac.com Tel: +44 20 8643 3981
www.3oac.com
Three Oaks Aviaon Consultancy Ltd.
AVIATION RECRUITMENT
WORLDWIDE
T: +44 (0)1483 748252
E: aviation@wynnwith.com
W: www.wynnwith.com
wynnwith
The preferred company for Stress (Fatigue & DT), GFEM,
Composites), Aeronautical Research. Business units:
Contract staff, Workpackages, Innovation and New
Concepts, Aeronautical Research. www.bishop-gmbh.com
Contact bishop.peter@bishop-gmbh.com
Tel 0049-(0)40-866-258-10 Fax 0049-(0)40-866-258-20
Worldwide Recruitment for
Engineering & Management
Professionals
e: er@resourcegroup.co.uk
t: +44 (0) 1905 368 576
www.resource-jobs.co.uk
RECRUITMENT FOR AVIATION
EASA E-LEARNING COURSES
Tel: +44 (0) 1284 700676
Email: info@e-techs.co
www.e-techs.co
www.ctcaviation.com/ctcflexicrew
CTC FlexiCrew
High flyers, on demand
Currently Seeking
A320 and B737NG Type Rated Pilots
Various Locations
Permanent Contracts Available
050_FIN061009.qxd:062_FIN120509 22/9/11 10:56 Page 50
WORKING WEEK
fightglobal.com
If you want to feature in Working
Week, or know someone who
does, email murdo.morrison
@ightglobal.com a brief de-
scription of yourself and your job.
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Managing to full airport potential
For more employee work experi-
ences, visit ightglobal.com/
workingweek
Medweth: re-establishing ights to the UK is a priority
WORK EXPERIENCE KAREN MEDWETH
Karen Medweth has been involved in airport management for most of her aviation career. Having spent time in
the UK, she is back in her native Canada as director of air services and marketing at Toronto-Hamilton Airport
What are you responsible for in
your role as director of air
services and marketing?
The role is wide ranging, and
that is one of reasons why I enjoy
it. As the title implies, air service
development is one of the most
signicant responsibilities and
entails identifying new route op-
portunities for both passenger
and cargo sectors. I also oversee
the marketing and communica-
tion activities at the airport, and
we put quite a lot of focus on
working with our local catch-
ment area to support new and
existing passenger routes. As so-
cial networking is so important
in the travel sector, signicant
time is spent exploring how best
to utilise the leading online so-
cial sites such Facebook, Twitter,
LinkedIn, etc.
What is the most challenging
part of your role, and whats the
part that you enjoy most?
With the global economic slow-
down, and the fact that Toronto-
Hamilton International airport
sits in a very competitive envi-
ronment, developing new busi-
ness is a real challenge. However,
its also probably the part I enjoy
the most it feels a little like a
puzzle sometimes, and you have
to address all of the concerns of
the airlines, of our board, of our
passengers and once all the piec-
es are in place, you get a new
route. Its then very satisfying to
see that schedule do well and
have the passengers and airline
very happy with the service.
Which areas of Hamilton Airport
are you interested in developing
and why?
Toronto-Hamilton International
has such great potential. We are
well positioned on the cargo side
to contribute to the strong goods-
movement industry in the area
and the planned multi-tenant
cross-dock facility will help grow
this part of the business. The air-
port is also the anchor tenant for
the Airport Employment Growth
District, which is being devel-
oped by the city to attract further
investment in the area. I think the
airport can be a real economic
driver for the region.
The other area is, of course, the
passenger market. Toronto-Hamil-
ton has very strong connections to
the UK and re-establishing ights
there is a priority. We are also well
positioned between the two largest
tourist attractions, downtown To-
ronto and Niagara Falls, so charter
trafc does very well here; Im an-
ticipating that well increase this
sector over the next few years.
|
|
51
When did you become involved
in aviation and why? What
attracted you to the airport side
of the business?
My father used to drag me to air-
strips as a kid, and Ill always re-
member going to Arthur, Ontario,
to a small grass strip that was
home to a glider club. It wasnt
high excitement at seven years
old, but something must have
stuck, and Ive been interested in
aviation ever since.
Airports are fascinating plac-
es: theres the persistent air of
anticipation that exists and
while they are large, immovable
assets, they connect with loca-
tions all over the world. For me,
it was natural to pursue a career
in the airport sector.
What does your average week
consist of?
Most weeks, Ill spend quite a bit
of time working with the airlines
either our existing carriers like
CanJet and WestJet, or meeting
with those we are working to es-
tablish new routes with. We are
pursing domestic, USA and inter-
national schedules, so juggling
the time zones can be an interest-
ing challenge. Toronto-Hamilton
Airport also has a signicant cargo
presence, and part of the week is
always focused on that sector. We
are in the process of developing a
new multi-tenant facility to attract
freight forwarders and cargo carri-
ers, which results in lots of meet-
ings with suppliers, contractors
and future partners.
Opportun|t|es for Land|ng Gear Des|gn,
Systems and Ana|ys|s Eng|neers
www.a|rbus.com/work
FIN_270911_055 51 22/9/11 10:39:30
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CHRONOMAT
Jhe benchmark in the feld of mecha nical
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FIN_270911_056 56 21/09/2011 13:48:30

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The Regional Aircraft Marketing Specialist

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