Tag Archives: UAM

702 Aviation Smorgasbord

Glen Towler

The aviation community recently lost an avid enthusiast. Micah delivers a touching eulogy while Hillel explains how Glen deeply loved EAA and AirVenture and would save up money all year to make the journey from New Zealand to Oshkosh every summer.

Glen was well known at “Camp Bacon” and throughout the aviation community through his avid participation in many online aviation forums and podcasts to which he frequently submitted short recordings.

Funds are being collected to buy Glen a brick at the Brown Arch where each year Glen arranged a group photo of all his online friends. Donations will also be used to have Glen’s name and obit inscribed on the EAA Museum Memorial Wall. Any excess funds will be given to EAA. Please donate whatever you feel in your heart to remember Glen in his favorite place: Remembering Glen at OSH.

Glen Towler in the simulator at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2019.

Group photo: Glen, center kneeling, 2019. — Glen, center kneeling, 2019.

Aviation Topics from Listeners

Opinions Differ On Pilot Shortage

The Air Line Pilots Association created a webpage: More Than Enough Pilots to Meet U.S. Airline Demand – Debunking the Pilot Shortage Myth where they say,

“Over the past eight years, the United States has produced more than enough certificated pilots to meet airline hiring demands and compensate for retirements, even as new and more rigorous pilot training standards were enacted to enhance safety. In fact, there are currently about 1.5 certificated pilots relative to demand, according to Federal Aviation Administration and Bureau of Labor Statistics data. So, although we don’t have a pilot shortage, we do have a shortage of airline executives willing to stand by their business decisions to cut air service and be upfront about their intentions to skirt safety rules and hire inexperienced workers for less pay.”

Keflavík Airport

Questions about the Icelandic Air connections at KEF.

Electric Air Transport Of The Future: Air Mobility Initiative

The Air Mobility Initiative (AMI) is being created with a series of research projects looking at making electric air mobility within and between cities a reality. Projects are centered around three main areas: electric aircraft, air traffic management services, and vertiports.

Tesla software update

From Patrick Wiggens: What the Tesla now sees and what the human eye sees. (Look closely!)

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Tips for visitors include volunteering to crew, getting up pre-dawn, and taking the tram up Sandia Peak.

Lawmakers press Air Force on speeding up purchase of Boeing E-7 Wedgetail

The Air Force wants to get Boeing’s E-7 Wedgetail operational, but the prototype might not fly until fiscal 2027.

Boeing E-7 Wedgetail By 대한민국 국군 Republic of Korea Armed Forces - 공중조기경보통제기, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36991666 — Boeing E-7 Wedgetail, courtesy Republic of Korea Armed Forces.

The Journey is the Reward

How Brian funds his dream of achieving lifetime 1K status with United Airlines.

USAF’s Next Airborne Nuclear Command-And-Control Aircraft, Needs Four Engines

The U.S. Air Force wants its next airborne nuclear command and control aircraft to have four engines, and will likely choose used aircraft.

U.S. Air Force E-4B, courtesy Wikipedia.

Aviation Xtended

The Aerospace Media Awards were created to honor journalists and publishers who have made a significant contribution to aerospace journalism and publishing. Pieter Johnson’s Aviation Xtended podcast is a finalist in the Best Digital Submission category.

High-flyers: five careers in aviation that don’t require a pilot’s license

Five careers in aviation that don’t require a pilot’s license, from Artemis Aerospace.

Aircraft maintenance mechanic, courtesy Artemis Aerospace.

Aviation News

FAA changes course on eVTOL certification

The companies (and investors) of winged eVTOL aircraft assumed they would be certified under the FAA’s small airplane certification rules. Now, and unexpectedly, the FAA says it plans to type-certify the eVTOLS as powered-lift aircraft under its “special class” process in 14 CFR 21.17(b), not 14 CFR Part 23.

British Airways hit by pilot rise up over pay cuts

British Airways pilots are unhappy with the airline’s plan to cut their pay. Under a 2020 deal, pilots accepted pay cuts in exchange for reducing redundancy from 1,255 pilots to 270.

Republic Seeks 1500-Hour Rule Exemption

Republic Airways wants the FAA to drop the current 1500-hour mandate for right seat pilots to 750 hours, under the supervision of a trained and experienced captain.

“The Republic R-ATP Program is designed to make airline pilot career opportunities more accessible for qualified individuals from underrepresented groups who meet the selection criteria but may not have the financial means or academic support to pursue an aviation career path.” the airline said to the FAA.

Airline Pilot Retirement Age Could Be Raised To 67

Allegedly, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham from South Carolina is working on a bill that would reduce the commercial airline pilot retirement age raised to 67 from 65.

Southwest Airlines admits to an insulting problem that’ll drive everyone crazy

Southwest Airlines needs 10,000 more employees, including 1,200 more pilots. The Wall Street Journal reported that between 15% and 20% of the new hires never turn up. It’s called ghosting and it’s occurring broadly.

Hawaiian Airlines is building an all-electric seaglider that holds 100 passengers

Regent announced that Hawaiian Airlines has agreed to strategically invest in the company to support the initial design of its next-generation 100-person capacity all-electric seaglider known as the Monarch. With this investment, Hawaiian Airlines becomes Regent’s first U.S.-based design partner for the Monarch, which is slated for entry into commercial service by 2028.

Hilarious: Delta Air Lines Pilot Crawls Through Window Of Boeing 737

Watch what happens when the pilots are locked out of the cockpit.

Mentioned

Women in Aviation International (WAI) honors the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) in May by visiting their graves and leaving an appropriate decoration in the form of flowers or other remembrances. The database of WASP gravesites includes Google maps showing their locations. #HonorTheWASP

Sky River Helicopters – Providing helicopter tours, charters, and flight school.

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight, David Vanderhoof, Max Trescott, with contribution by our Main(e) Man Micah.

684 Honeywell Advanced Air Mobility

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:33:04 — 42.6MB)

A Honeywell senior director talks about advanced air mobility. Also, NOTAMs may be on the way for 5G cellular, PLAY airline comes to the U.S., airline executives speak before the U.S. Senate, local incentives draw Lufthansa to St. Louis, and Dynon suffers from component shortages. We also have an Australia Desk with military rotorcraft news.

Guest

Andrew Barker is the Senior Director, Sales Marketing, Urban Air Mobility and Unmanned Aerial Systems at Honeywell Aerospace. He describes the “advanced air mobility” concept that encompasses a scope larger than the “urban” notion normally associated with UAM. In fact, Andrew thinks of it as Aviation 2.0 and likens it to a new experimental aircraft world, but this time with more funding.

Andrew Barker

Honeywell acts as a vehicle-agnostic supplier of avionics and propulsion components. Some of these, like fly-by-wire, are being brought down to the UAM market. Andrew talks about Honeywell detect-and-avoid technology and sensor fusion. We also consider the progression of steps being taken by the industry – starting with the pilot in the aircraft, then progressing to SVO (simple vehicle operation) lessening the onboard task, to pilot on the ground, and ultimately (perhaps) autonomous air transport.

Andrew also touches on some of the industry challenges, like regulatory standards and public acceptance. And of course safety, the overarching imperative.

Andrew spent his youth at the airport with his father and received his PPL at age 17. That same year he flew a Cessna 150 to EAA Airventure in Oshkosh, WI. You’ll find Andrew at Osh most years.

In 2000 he became the first employee of TruTrak Flight Systems, a company that designed and produced autopilots for the experimental aircraft market. After earning his degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Arkansas in 2004, Andrew was named general manager and he joined the board of directors for TruTrak.

Andrew and his wife eventually became the sole owners of TruTrak. The company received FAA approval for the installation of an autopilot for the Cessna 172 in 2017, adding several more models in the following years.

In 2019, Honeywell acquired TruTrak and Andrew joined the Honeywell team as Sr. Director of Sales for BendixKing. In July of 2021, Andrew joined the UAM / UAS team and is now running sales and marketing.

Aviation News

Industry Awaiting NOTAMS on 5G Interference

The 5G cellular issue with possible interference to radar altimeters continues in the news. On the heels of two FAA ADs, we now see the possibility of an FAA NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) with more specific details.

Play Airlines Launches Service to the US

Icelandic low-cost carrier PLAY is now booking tickets from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) with service starting April 20, 2022, and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) with service from May 11, 2022. PLAY operates a fleet of Airbus A320neo family aircraft with a hub at Keflavík International Airport. Ex-WOW executives are among the leadership team at PLAY.

Airlines face shortage of pilots, other workers, execs say

Airline executives appearing before a Senate Commerce Committee hearing explained the recent flight delays and cancellations. Reasons given include:

Trouble hiring pilots, flight attendants and other staff
Weather causing aircraft and crews to be out of position
Difficulty getting employees to work extra shifts
The cost of training pilots, which is not covered by federal student loans

Financial commitment from area business leaders helped lure Lufthansa to St. Louis

It’s the first passenger airline service from St. Louis to the European continent in nearly 20 years, scheduled to start in June 2022. An incentive package was offered to Lufthansa that included up to $5 million in incentive payments over two years. To qualify, the airline must average three nonstop flights per week from St. Louis Lambert International Airport to Frankfurt. Landing fees are also waived for 18 months. The package was put together by local businesses, the St. Louis County government, and the airport.

Dynon halts production on experimental displays

Dynon Avionics says they will be “unable to manufacture or ship experimental SkyView HDX, SkyView Classic, and SkyView SE displays” due to supply chain issues with components. Demand is up, supplies are down, and lead times are longer.

Australia News Desk

This week’s Australia Desk takes a look at the withdrawal from service of the Army’s S-70-A9 Blackhawk fleet, and the announcement by the government that the MRH-90 Taipan fleet will also be replaced in favour of up to 40 new-build UH-60M Blackhawks.

In airline news, Qantas has announced its intention to replace its 737-800 fleet over the next ten years with Airbus A321’s…but will they actually do it??

Australia dumps troubled European-designed Taipan helicopters for US Black Hawks and Seahawks

Qantas Selects Airbus as Preferred Aircraft for Domestic Fleet Renewal

Army Blackhawk A25-203 over Sydney Harbour, March 2012 (Photographer – Seth Jaworski)

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight, David Vanderhoof, Max Trescott, and Rob Mark. Contributors: Steve Visscher and Grant McHerron.

653 Archer Aviation eVTOL

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:20:59 — 37.1MB)

Dr. Geoffrey Bower, the Chief Engineer at Archer Aviation, discusses eVTOL aircraft for the urban air mobility industry. In the news, bad behavior can get your frequent flyer account deleted, more 737 MAX woes, the Airbus A380 is fading for many airlines, LCC Avelo Airlines starts operation, the Aviation Safety Reporting System is extended to drone operators, and a story of missing luggage.

Guest

Archer Aviation chief engineer. — Dr. Geoffrey Bower

Dr. Geoffrey Bower is the Chief Engineer at Archer Aviation, a California-based startup in the emerging Urban Air Mobility (UAM) industry. The company is developing an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft with a mission to advance the benefits of sustainable air mobility.

Geoff describes why UAM is receiving so much attention and why so many companies are involved. We look at the different eVTOL missions and design approaches, and the factors that affect efficiency and the cost of the aircraft. Geoff helps us understand crewed vs. autonomous eVTOL aircraft, and what is limiting the number of passengers they will carry. Pilot type ratings and the GAMA Simplified Vehicle Operations concept are also covered.

Infrastructure requirements are key to UAM success, as are regulator support and managing public acceptance, particularly with respect to noise footprint and affordability. Geoff talks about Archer Aviation eVTOL development and testing, and their timeline for first flight of a demonstrator aircraft.

Archer Aviation eVTOL. — Archer Aviation eVTOL

Geoff has nearly 10 years of industry experience working on eVTOL aircraft. He started his career working on flight control system development and aerodynamic modeling at Zee.Aero. From 2016 through 2019 he was Chief Engineer for Project Vahana at A³, the Silicon Valley innovation center of Airbus. He led the engineering team that designed, built, and completed a successful flight test campaign of the Vahana Alpha demonstrator.

Geoff received a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University.

Aviation News

Threaten a Delta employee? Say goodbye to your SkyMiles account and elite status

The FAA is cracking down on unruly passengers, and so is Delta. After an update to the airline’s SkyMiles program terms and conditions, “documented abusive behavior” is now grounds for termination of the offender’s frequent flyer account. Even being banned from flying on Delta is possible. Delta says examples of abusive behavior include personal threats, profanity, obscene language, insults or slurs directed to a Delta employee or ambassador. It also covers any intentional destruction to Delta property.

Fresh FAA Concerns Set To Delay Grounded 737 MAX’s Return To Service

Last month, Boeing asked 16 customers to temporarily ground 737 MAX airplanes due to an electrical grounding problem on some specific tail numbers. Boeing said this manufacturing issue was unrelated to the MCAS problem and “could affect the operation of a backup power control unit.” The problem arises from a manufacturing process change. Now the FAA wants to see more analysis that shows this electrical problem does not affect other subsystems.

Corrosion caused by storage prompts FAA to order Leap-1B checks

The FAA issued an Airworthiness Directive to check a pressure transducer for possible corrosion in Boeing 737 MAX CFM LEAP-1B engines after long-term storage. “The checks must be completed before each flight during the first 15h of power being applied to engines following prolonged storage.”

FAA to require inspections of Leap-1A high-pressure turbine cases

The FAA says a “manufacturing quality escape” affecting high pressure turbine cases could cause uncontained engine failures. “Several x-rays of the bleed ports of the HPT case showed 148 parts with nonconforming indications, eight of which were significant enough to impact the life of the HPT case.”

Malaysia Airlines is latest to say it will abandon the Airbus A380

The A380 was a great idea at the time, motivated by high passenger volume and low airport capacity. But those conditions have changed. Air France, Etihad, Lufthansa, Qatar, and Thai have grounded some or all of their A380s. Malaysia Airlines is about to join that list, with the carrier’s half-dozen A380s unlikely to fly passengers again.

Avelo Airlines Becomes the Nation’s Newest Passenger Carrier

Avelo Airlines is an ultra-LCC targeting smaller, under-served airports with 189-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft. They charge $10 to check a bag, no change fees, and “everyday low fares starting at $19.”

America’s newest airline, known for its $19 flights, is spending $1.2 million to bring its cheap trips to the East Coast

Avelo Airlines is planning a a new base in New Haven, Connecticut at Tweed-New Haven Regional Airport. Routes have not yet been announced.

FAA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) now available for drones

The Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) is operated by NASA to collect confidential information from pilots and others about near misses. The data is used by the FAA to make aviation safer. Confidentiality is maintained to maximize the number of incidents reported. The Aviation Safety Reporting Program (ASRP) for UAS is now available for the UAS community.

Airplane Compartment Opens, Luggage Drops

Reports were received that an airplane departed Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport with an unsecured luggage compartment. It seems the compartment opened in flight and some luggage may have fallen out. The CRJ-700 returned to the airport without incident and passengers took another airplane to the flight destination, Chicago. One customer reported a missing bag. American Airlines says they are investigating.

Mentioned

Manned Electric Aircraft: Smart City and Regional 2021-2041

This April, 2021 report on the electric aircraft market pegs it at $30 billion where eVTOL accounts for 48%, eCTOL (electric conventional take off and land) under 20PAX at 32%, and eCTOL for 20-100PAX at 20%.

A Rationale Construct for Simplified Vehicle Operations (SVO); Whitepaper Version 1.0 (May2019) [PDF] from GAMA.

Notification when The Points Guy iOS app is available.

Eat at the Airport.com helps you support eating establishments at airports and airfields.

Aviation News Talk podcast, Episode 187 What Pilots Need to Know about Hearing Loss – Dr. Greg Van + GA News.

Mayo Clinic Clear Approach podcast – The podcast for aerospace medicine that matters, by Greg Vanichkachorn, M.D., M.P.H., and aerospace medicine specialist, family physician, occupational medicine specialist.

Thirty Thousand Feet aviation podcast directory.

594 Coronavirus Impact on Airlines

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:04:50 — 29.7MB)

The Coronavirus is heavily impacting the airlines, the entire travel industry, and global economies in general. Airlines are cutting back on flights, looking at hiring freezes and unpaid leave, flying empty planes to avoid losing valuable airport slots, and reassigning widebodies to fly narrowbody routes. We also look at hiring at Boeing, a congressional committee preliminary report on the 737 MAX, aviation event cancellations, the first A220 assembled at the Mobile, Alabama plant, the gigantic market forecast for air taxis, and a petition to drop gender-exclusive words from FAA and ICAO publications.

Coronavirus News

The Coronavirus (or COVID-19) continues to take its toll on airlines and the aviation industry in general. We discuss some of the effects of the virus and the actions being taken.

United trims schedules up to 20%, imposes hiring freeze amid coronavirus fears

Delta’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) website

Lufthansa Considers Grounding Entire Airbus A380 Fleet

Airlines are burning thousands of gallons of fuel flying empty ‘ghost’ planes so they can keep their flight slots during the coronavirus outbreak

IATA requests suspension of slot rules due to COVID-19

#PaxEx Podcast: Coronavirus and MAX grounding level one-two punch

Emirates Offers Leave to Staff as Virus Saps Demand for Travel

Southwest Airlines Has More Bad Coronavirus News for Travel Stocks

The (rare) travel upside to coronavirus? You might have a swankier plane on your spring flight

Trump seeks to stamp out airline bailout talk

Airlines, travel and cruise industries hurt by coronavirus could get tax relief from White House

In Other Aviation News…

Boeing Goes on Hiring Spree in High-Stakes Gamble on 737 Max

When Boeing halted 737 MAX production and redeployed workers, people wondered what all those mechanics would do. We now see that some were deployed to study and improve production processes. In addition, Boeing is looking ahead to the time when deliveries of the jet can resume, and they are staffing up to handle the task.

Boeing : Congressional Report Says MAX Crashes Stemmed From Boeing’s Design Failures and Lax FAA Oversight

After five public hearings over the last year into the design and certification of the 737 MAX, Democrats on the House Transportation Committee have released preliminary findings. The report notes Boeing’s engineering mistakes, a “culture of concealment,” and insufficient federal safety oversight.

Aero Friedrichshafen postponed over coronavirus concerns

AERO Friedrichshafen Postpones Due To Coronavirus Concerns; Sun ’n Fun Weighs In, Too

AERO Friedrichshafen is the big GA show for Europe but the event scheduled for April 1-4, 2020 has been postponed. The Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg is also postponed. As of now, Sun N’ Fun will take place as planned.

Airbus Receives No New Orders In February 2020

Airbus received 274 orders in January, but none in February, Boeing received no new orders in January.

Airbus rolls out first A220 assembled in Mobile

The first A220 assembled at the Airbus Mobile, Alabama plant rolled off the line. The A220-300 jet is due to be delivered to Delta Air Lines by September. Jets for both Delta and JetBlue Airways will be assembled in Mobile.

The flying taxi market is ready for takeoff, changing the travel experience forever

Flying cars, electric air taxis, urban air mobility, call it what you like, but it’s not going away anytime soon. Companies investing in this idea include Airbus, Boeing, Bell, Toyota, Uber, and Hyundai. A Morgan Stanley Research study published in January says “…autonomous urban aircraft may no longer be the stuff of comic books. Accelerating tech advances and investment could create a $1.5 trillion market by 2040.” Another study by Frost & Sullivan, sees a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of about 46% over the next 20 years with more than 430,000 units in operation by then.

Petition: Help Eliminate Gender-Exclusive Words that Keep Women out of Aviation

There are over 40,000 references to Airman or Airmen on the FAA’s website. ICAO’s website lists close to 2,000 airmen references. This petition asks the FAA and ICAO to remove gender-exclusive words from all their publications, on- and off-line. The petition is sponsored by the Institute for Women Of Aviation Worldwide (iWOAW) – a not-for-profit organization headquartered in Montreal, Canada.

Mentioned

Flight Safety Detectives, Episode 14: Lion Air Accident Report Analysis.

574 Airtime Videos

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:41:58 — 46.7MB)

The new Airtime video series provides insights into innovators and disruptors, including Dale Klapmeier, co-founder of Cirrus Aircraft. In the news, we discuss the FAA Women In Aviation Advisory Board, the augmented and virtual reality market in aviation, AOPA’s Air Safety Institute GA Accident Analysis, and the Porsche / Boeing collaboration for an urban air mobility aircraft. We also have the return of the Aviation Minute.

Guest

Stephen Newton, producer of Airtime.

Stephen Newton is the founder and managing partner of the consultancy Elixirr. Stephen is a qualified pilot, an Airplane Geeks listener, and he’s produced a new series called Airtime where he interviews CEOs and founders of forward-thinking and disruptive companies. Stephen flies his guests in a Cirrus SR22T to locations that have some relationship to the story being told.

Airtime is a show that is interesting to business people and aviators. Through travel to the places that formed them as humans, you get to know the people behind innovative concepts and learn how that helped them build their visions for the future.

Cirrus Aircraft co-founder Dale Klapmeier is the guest on the second episode of Airtime. It’s a story about someone who has created something meaningful, significant, against all odds, and what it took to pull it off. The lessons are not just “aviation lessons,” they apply anywhere.

Stephen believes creating and foreseeing innovation in the business world is similar to the spirit of aviation held by pilots and the restlessness and curiosity they experience along with the need to manage risks.

Aviation News

FAA Launches Women In Aviation Advisory Board

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced that the FAA has established a Women in Aviation Advisory Board to “provide independent advice and recommendations to the FAA in supporting women’s involvement in the aviation field.” The Board was established to meet the requirements of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (PDF).

The augmented and virtual reality market in aviation is projected to grow from USD 78 million in 2019 to USD 1,372 million by 2025, at a CAGR of 61.2%

This from a new report, “Augmented and Virtual Reality Market in Aviation by Technology, Function, Component, Application, Product, Vertical And Region – Global Forecast to 2025.” The report says AR/VR growth will come from increasing efficiency and cost savings in aviation in functions such as manufacturing, maintenance, airport operations, airline operations, aviation training, and others.

AOPA’s Air Safety Institute Releases 28th Nall GA Accident Analysis

The report looks at airplanes that weigh less than 12,500 pounds and helicopters of all sizes. Despite an increase in GA total flight hours, the overall fatal accident trend is down.

Porsche is building an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) with Boeing

Porsche and Boeing signed a memorandum of understanding to “explore the premium urban air mobility market and the extension of urban traffic into [the] airspace.” A concept for an electric VTOL vehicle is being developed by Boeing, Porsche, and Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences.

Mentioned

Bell Fort Worth Alliance Air Show, October 19-20, 2019.

The D-Day Squadron announced a partnership with the documentary film Into Flight Once More, produced by Sound Off Films, which is currently in production and raising completion funds for an anticipated 2020 release. The film commemorates the D-Day Squadron’s crossing of the Atlantic with fifteen historic C-47 and DC-3 aircraft to honor the 75th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy on June 6th, 2019.