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The founder and CEO of Metamaterial Technologies explains the effects on pilots of aircraft laser strikes, and the new technology that protects pilots. In the news, we look at a future where airlines pay you to fly, biometric facial-recognition technology at the airport, how climate change may impact aviation, a very close call at SFO, and odors in the cabin.
Metamaterial Technologies Inc. demonstrates the metaAIR™ film that provides pilots with protection from laser strikes. (Photo courtesy Metamaterial Technologies Inc.)
Guest
George Palikaras is an entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Metamaterial Technologies Inc. MTI is a smart materials and photonics company working on some difficult problems that involve light, including the threat to pilots of laser strikes.
We explore the danger to pilots of laser strikes, such as temporary flash blindness, glare and disruption, and distraction. George explains the metaAIR™ metamaterial thin film that can be applied to cockpit windows and provide protection from laser strikes. metaAIR has been tested with Airbus and has the additional benefit of providing UV protection in daylight.
The sales strategy for metaAIR is being worked out with Satair Group. (Satair provides an integrated portfolio of material management services.) MTI is also developing very thin solar cells that could have aviation applications.
George was a post-doctoral researcher at Queen Mary University in London working on wearable and implantable sensors projects. He founded Medical Wireless Sensing Ltd. (MediWise), a research and development medtech company based in London. In 2014, George received the Frost & Sullivan Global Aerospace Product Leadership Award for Lamda Guard metaAIR.
Video: metaAIR™ – Laser Eye Protection
Press release: Metamaterial Technologies Inc. Partners with Airbus to Co-develop and Commercialize metaAIR™, a Laser Protection Solution
Aviation News
Airline CEO predicts a future where ‘we will pay you to fly’
When asked about how low airline fares can go, WOW Air founder and CEO Skúli Mogensen told Business Insider, “I can see a day when we pay you to fly.” Ticket prices continue to tumble while airlines generate significant revenue from fees for services and partnerships with hotels, car rental agencies, restaurants, and other travel industry players. Where do the trends end?
Chicago O’Hare Joins in Deployment of Biometric Exit Technology
Biometric facial-recognition technology was piloted last year at Atlanta International Airport, and it’s been deployed at Washington Dulles and George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Now US Customs and Border Protection is bringing facial recognition biometric exit technology to Chicago O’Hare International Airport for select flights.
Press release: CBP Deploys Biometric Exit Technology to Chicago O’Hare International Airport
Climate Change’s Revenge on the Aviation Industry
Researchers from Columbia University and Virginia’s Logistics Management Institute modeled how aircraft departures will be affected by hotter days driven by climate change. They say airlines will have to reduce weight, meaning people, cargo, or fuel.
See Why Phoenix’s Airplanes Can’t Take Off in Extreme Heat.
The Bombardier CRJ airliners have a maximum operating temperature of 118 degrees, while planes from Airbus and Boeing can take off at up to about 126 degrees.
’11 seconds to impact’: Expert calculates how close SFO near-miss was to disaster
Officials: Air Canada plane flew for a quarter-mile over taxiway before anyone noticed
NTSB: Air Canada close-call at SFO was even worse than first reported
An Air Canada Airbus A320 almost landed on an active taxiway, executing a go-around in the last few seconds.
‘Passed gas’ forces passengers off plane at Raleigh airport
The International Business Times reported that a sick man “broke wind so violently it caused nausea and headaches among his fellow passengers.” An airport employee reported that, “The resulting smell was so noxious that fellow passengers became ill and were rushed off the flight.”
Update: Did ‘passing gas’ cause illness on Raleigh flight? Airline says no
The initial press reports were not quite accurate.
Mentioned
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Long-time aviation industry veteran Jon Norris is the senior director, corporate sales & marketing for Panasonic Avionics. He describes the Panasonic NEXT in-flight entertainment and connectivity system.
David has a new camera and spent time at the Air Victory Museum and the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum trying it out. Here are some examples:
Dorkfest September 23, 2017 at LAX. Watch airplanes. Talk airplanes. Eat food. No tickets, no reservations, no scheduled activities. Find this event and others at http://AvGeekFests.com.
A-4K Kiwi Red Plugged In Barrel Roll Formation ‘Swan’
Foreign ownership: a new ident for Canadian airlines
Credit
Intro music courtesy Brother Love from his Album Of The Year CD. Outtro by Bruno Misonne from The Sound of Flaps.