MRO's Archives - Page 47 of 109 - Aviation, Inflight and Aero Connectivity Consultants

Airbus Unveils GeniusLINK Ecosystem at APEX

Airbus announced that the new GeniusLINK in-flight system will now be offered for third-party fleets. GeniusLINK is an on-board open ecosystem that offers a multi-purpose platform for hosting passenger and crew applications. Airbus launched GeniusLINK in conjunction with KID-Systeme, its cabin systems subsidiary. (Photo: Jessica Reed)

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Airbus announced last week at the APEX Expo that the new GeniusLINK in-flight system will now be offered for third-party fleets. The GeniusLINK solution is similar to Airspace Link, a new on-board open ecosystem for commercial aviation, launched by Airbus earlier this year. Both solutions offer a multi-purpose platform with a lot of flexibility that can host passenger and crew applications. Airbus launched GeniusLINK in conjunction with KID-Systeme, its cabin systems subsidiary.

The Airspace Link offers connectivity via air-to-ground and satcom solutions. HBCplus is the high-bandwidth connectivity solution, launched at the same time as Airspace Link. HBCplus will initially encompass Ka-band services, according to the announcement by Airbus in June, and the company plans to include managed service providers in the future that offer Ku-band services as well.

The Airspace Link ecosystem includes four layers: an iCMP (intelligent core management platform), IoT services, an app store, and an agnostic connectivity platform. (Photo: Airbus)

At the recent APEX Expo in Long Beach, Airbus also shared news of a Letter of Agreement signed with SES, a company that provides satellite and ground communications solutions. Airbus plans to add SES to its Airspace Link HBCplus catalog offering for airlines, according to the Letter of Agreement. Once the contract is signed, SES will bring its MEO and GEO satellite network through the Airbus ecosystem for the first time.

Ingo Wuggetzer, Vice President of Cabin Marketing at Airbus, remarked during its press briefing, “Airspace Link is not a platform like others; it is an ecosystem.” The Airspace Link ecosystem offers customers the flexibility to switch from one application or service to another. “It’s the same logic behind the Airspace Link as what is in your smartphone today,” he explained.

“GeniusLINK is the equivalent to the Airspace Link for third-party aircraft,” Wuggetzer said. He also highlighted the agreement with SES, saying that the company offers an “agnostic system.”

The Airbus team has been in communication with global customers to enable Airspace Link since launching the solution in June 2022. (Photo: Airbus)

Cedric Carsalade, Aircraft Interiors Marketing Director at Airbus, shared during the briefing that Airspace Link enables airlines to understand more about what’s going on inside the aircraft during the flight. “It is connected to different elements inside and outside the cabin,” he stated.

Cedric Carsalade, Aircraft Interiors Marketing Director at Airbus, explained during the media briefing at APEX that Airspace Link provides opportunities for an airline to generate ancillary revenue.

Carsalade noted that airlines will be able to monitor the availability of overhead compartments during the boarding process, which helps with optimization of turnaround times—particularly valuable for short-haul flights. The ecosystem enables predictive maintenance as well. “You can get information about what needs to be done before you arrive at the next destination,” he commented.

The post Airbus Unveils GeniusLINK Ecosystem at APEX appeared first on Avionics International.

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Seamless Air Alliance Establishes Research Lab for IFC Performance Measurement

The Seamless Air Alliance has established a new research laboratory for developing in-flight connectivity performance measurements. (Photo: Seamless Air Alliance)

LONG BEACH, Calif. — The Seamless Air Alliance revealed last week that a new research laboratory for measuring in-flight connectivity (IFC) performance has been established. United Airlines, Safran, Boeing, JetBlue, AT&T, Thales, Delta, and Airbus are just a few of the members of the Seamless Air Alliance (SAA), a nonprofit launched in 2018.

The SAA introduced its IFC Analysis Toolkit in May this year. The toolkit includes a set of features and measurements to manage IFC service quality. One feature is the Compliance Criteria Matrix, which simplifies the RFP process for airlines.

“The toolkit is the only effort in the world of airlines and service providers industry-wide getting together to really focus on the passenger experience,” Jack Mandala, CEO of the Seamless Air Alliance, told Avionics International in an interview conducted during the 2022 APEX Expo in Long Beach, California, last week.

“We create a forum where members aren’t negotiating pricing or deliverables and they can have a free conversation about connectivity,” Mandala said. “The toolkit is educational and goes into real depth about how in-flight connectivity works.”

He explained that the toolkit also enables airlines to troubleshoot an existing system and measure the experience that passengers are having.

There are more than 500 IFC measurements listed in the IFC Analysis Toolkit. “Airlines have asked us to identify a core group of the most important measures and make that into a certification program,” he shared. “That’s what we’re working on right now. Sometime next year, we’ll come out with a compliance program and certify vendors.”

One of seven working groups within the Seamless Air Alliance is focused on defining interoperability requirements for line-fit systems. According to the SAA’s press release, this includes in-flight connectivity, Aircraft Interface Device (AID) capability, and aircraft health monitoring as well as other operational or administrative data such as Electronic Flight Bag (EFB).

When you’re talking about standards and interoperability, “it’s important to have the players that matter,” Mandala stated. Boeing joined the SAA this year as one of nine new members and is co-chairing this working group with Airbus. “Having the two biggest airframers in the world co-chairing the group, that’s a slam dunk,” he said.

Arnaud Mestrallet of Airbus Commercial commented on the working group’s efforts in the announcement by the SAA, saying that the aim is to use flexible satcom interfaces to simplify aircraft installation, and to facilitate future upgrades to satcom. “This will enable airlines to always deliver an up-to-date connectivity experience to their passengers,” Mestrallet said.

Bryan Wiltse, Cabin Systems and Feature Strategy at Boeing, was also quoted in the SAA’s announcement, saying, “The program covers requirements for physical architecture and logical interfaces and ultimately delivers a more flexible system to the airline.”

By adding requirements for interoperability, airlines will no longer be stuck using a system or a provider because they cannot afford to upgrade it. “Our common objective is to make our customers’ lives easier with connectivity systems that are as simple as possible, and also to add more interoperability for future upgrades and retrofits to provide good performance and stable connectivity,” Mestrallet told Avionics.

The new research laboratory is located in Ireland and was created in partnership with GlobalReach Technology, Riverbed Technology, and Thales Group. “GlobalReach is an authentication company,” Mandala explained. “They’re experts in Passpoint and Wi-Fi technology.”

“Thales has a sort of test script that they’ve been using,” he added, “that we’ll springboard off of to figure out how to collect data.” Riverbed Technology has experience with monitoring and measurement of connectivity, he noted. “We’re tying in all of the service provider members we have in order to collect the data that we’ll use for the toolkit.”

The post Seamless Air Alliance Establishes Research Lab for IFC Performance Measurement appeared first on Avionics International.

EHang Plans to Collaborate with HAECO Group for Electric Air Taxi Development

The signing of the MoU between EHang and HAECO Group was announced this week. The two companies intend to collaborate on the manufacturing and after-sales maintenance services of EHang’s autonomous aircraft. (Photo: EHang)

EHang announced on Monday that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Swire Group subsidiary HAECO Group. The MoU includes plans to partner for manufacturing and assembly of EHang’s autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV), the EH216-S, as well as to continue pursuing airworthiness. Experts from EHang and HAECO Group will work together to develop systems and solutions in preparation for EH216’s commercial operations.

HAECO Group, also known as Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company Limited, specializes in aircraft engineering and maintenance. The company has more than 70 years of experience in the aviation industry. Its offerings include airframe services, cabin solutions, technical management of fleets and inventory, engine services and support, parts manufacturing, and technical training, according to the announcement from EHang.

Jacqueline Jiang, HAECO Group’s Group Director of Airframe Services, remarked on the MoU, saying, “Advanced air mobility is a blooming new segment in the aviation industry. We are excited to take part and look forward to developing this together with EHang.”

Jiang added, “HAECO is well positioned to support EHang and jointly develop the systems, standards, and services required in advanced air mobility.”

Above, the EH216-S performs a flight demonstration at HAECO’s site in Xiamen, China. (Photo: EHang)

EHang’s Chief Operating Officer, Xin Fang, also commented on the signing of an MoU. “EHang is honored to cooperate with HAECO Group, a partner with solid Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (“MRO”) strength in the global aviation industry, to co-develop EHang’s AAV after-sales maintenance service system,” Fang said.

EHang’s team is pursuing type certification of the EH216 with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). The company is also planning to formally introduce its AAV to the public at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, Japan. In preparation, the EH216 performed a demonstration flight tour across four cities in Japan during the month of July. The flights were unmanned and included routes over the sea.

EHang released the financial results from its second quarter of 2022 in August. Total revenue for Q2 increased by 152.5% from the first quarter and totaled $2.2 million USD. A slight increase in net loss was also recorded—net loss for Q2 was $11 million.

The CAAC announced earlier this year that the Special Conditions for Type Certification of EHang’s aircraft were formally adopted. This established a basis for vehicle safety and compliance for the EH216 to operate in low-altitude airspace.

The post EHang Plans to Collaborate with HAECO Group for Electric Air Taxi Development appeared first on Avionics International.

Plana Selects Battery Supplier for Hybrid-Electric Air Taxi

Plana recently chose Electric Power Systems to provide the batteries for its hybrid-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft. (Photo: Jessica Reed)

Plana, a company based in South Korea developing hybrid-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, announced this week that it has selected an electric powertrain supplier. Plana signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Electric Power Systems to deploy its battery systems for Plana’s eVTOL aircraft.

In an interview with Avionics International, Jinmo Lee, Chief Product Officer at Plana, and Nathan Millecam, CEO of Electric Power Systems (EPS), both remarked on the new agreement.

“We’re glad to have an LOI for the battery systems from EPS,” said Lee. EPS offers “well-made battery systems for aviation,” he added. “We look forward to integrating this system into our hybrid eVTOL development.”

Millecam stated, “We’re very excited to work with Plana. We really love their aircraft; they’ve built a great team in Korea, and it’s nice to see international partners and international projects that we can enable. It’s a big deal for us.”

Plana’s aircraft is designed to carry four to six passengers in addition to a pilot. Lee mentioned the company’s latest fundraising efforts, saying, “We closed our pre-Series A funding very recently, and we have gathered accumulated funds of about $10 million.”

“We are thinking of starting the next [round of] fundraising in the second quarter of next year,” added Lee.

He noted that they are currently expanding their team with aviation experts as Plana continues to work on building its half-scale prototype. The prototype should be completed by the end of 2023, Lee shared.

In addition to Plana, other customers of EPS include NASA, Boeing, the FAA, and Safran. In September, EPS was chosen by the company Ampaire to supply propulsion battery packs for Ampaire’s hybrid-electric Eco Caravan aircraft.

Ampaire’s Eco Caravan model (Photo: Ampaire)

EPS was also selected as the first development partner for Supernal’s eVTOL. The partnership with Hyundai Motor Group’s Supernal was announced in July. The teams from both companies will collaborate to develop and produce batteries for eVTOL aircraft and to enable the introduction of commercial flights with eVTOLs.

Millecam shared with Avionics that EPS has completed the initial round of de-risk testing for their EPiC system, and they are on track to certify the module in mid-2023. “De-risk testing allows us to declare the module safe for manned flight,” he explained. “We’re targeting our final critical design review by the end of this year.”

Lee spoke to the many challenges facing the advanced air mobility industry: “Technology, regulations, social acceptance, and infrastructure” are the main ones. “The number one priority of this industry is the safety of the passengers who are using this mobility,” he said. “That could be the most important and challenging part—making every component of aircraft integration to pursue this objective.”

Millecam views certification as the nearest-term challenge, he said. “One of the results of the 737 MAX is that regulatory agencies are looking over each others’ work and scrutinizing certifications much more than they have in the past.”

That scrutiny is actually a good thing for the aviation industry and the advanced air mobility space, he explained. The challenge is establishing consensus between agencies and various organizations.

“We feel like we’re in a very strong position with certifying with the FAA and also have a number of customers in Europe as well as in Asia. That very much helps drive the consensus,” Millecam said, “because every country is very motivated to get these projects certified and to help this industry transition from development and startups to a full-fledged, production-oriented industry.”

The next big challenge for those involved in advanced air mobility will be scaling up manufacturing, he remarked. EPS will need to be able to build high-quality batteries designed for aviation, and to manufacture at the scale of the automotive industry, without sacrificing safety or quality standards. The ability to manufacture “at low cost, at scale, and consistently is a whole new challenge for the aviation industry,” he said.

The post Plana Selects Battery Supplier for Hybrid-Electric Air Taxi appeared first on Avionics International.

SpaceX Jumps into Competitive IFC Market with New Starlink Aviation Service

Starlink Aviation will be able to deliver up to 350 Mbps to each plane, enabling all passengers to access streaming-capable internet at the same time. (Photo: SpaceX)

The era of Starlink Aviation is now here. SpaceX has made no secret of its desire to become a major player in the IFC market, and has now taken the next step by unveiling Starlink Aviation.

SpaceX revealed that Starlink Aviation will be able to deliver up to 350 Mbps to each plane, enabling all passengers to access streaming-capable internet at the same time. It says with latency as low as 20 ms, passengers can engage in activities previously not functional in flight, including video calls, online gaming, virtual private networks and other high data rate activities. Starlink’s low-profile aero terminal features an electronically steered phased array antenna, which it says enables new levels of reliability, redundancy and performance.

Starlink, a SpaceX company, has already signed deals with the likes of Hawaiian Airlines, but over the next year, it is clearly targeting a lot more. But, now its Internet service for aircraft has a new name. It is targeting both the business aviation and commercial aviation market.

So, what do leading industry analysts’ make of this? Daniel Welch, Co-Founder and Senior Consultant, The Valour Consultancy told Via Satellite, “SLAs are moving away from Mbps to the aircraft and toward Mbps to the seat as airlines look to focus on improving the experience for every passenger that accesses the onboard Wi-Fi service. The figures quoted from SpaceX are undoubtedly impressive but I’d hope to see commitments made to the seat level over time.”

Vishal Patil, IFEC Consultant, Euroconsult, told Via Satellite that he thought the launch of Starlink Aviation would be perceived with “mixed reactions.” While he says some stakeholders may feel cheered by 350 Mbps per aircraft news, for others, it might be too early to absorb it all, he said. Patil added that there are still a lot of uncertainties revolving around the news. “The first and most important one is to understand how Starlink without the inter-satellite links on its first-generation satellites is promoting 20 ms and global coverage (including over the oceans),” he said. “It is also important to understand the meaning of up to 350 Mbps per aircraft, whether as a committed bandwidth or minimum bandwidth? Today, the veteran players in the market have a set path and an installed base. Their services are flight-proven. On the other hand, Starlink is in its nascent stages.”

Tim Farrar, President, TMF Associates told Via Satellite that he believes it is far from clear cut that Starlink will gets lots of business, and that there are potential plenty of obstacles ahead. Farrar believes this announcement does indicate equipment pricing without installation, suggesting that airlines’ requirements for installation and support may end up being a sticking point. Farrar added, “That’s particularly the case when airlines can’t easily change out equipment if Starlink changes tack at short notice. Starlink has recently signed deals with service providers like Marlink and Speedcast in order to address precisely these issues of customer support in the maritime and enterprise segments. So, the key question is whether Starlink still intends to go it alone in aviation, or will now sign similar deals in that segment. And if so, who with?”

Brent Prokosh, Senior Consultant, Euroconsult, added, “The new offering is squarely aimed at the upper-end of the business aviation market (where sensitivity to price is likely lower). While Starlink’s peak speeds of 350 Mbps are almost 10x higher than current high-end satellite offerings in the segment, the monthly fees are significantly higher than market averages for both Air-to-Ground (ATG) and satellite (VSAT) solutions.”

When speaking at the Connected Aviation Intelligence event in June, Starlink Vice President of Commercial Sales Jonathan Hofeller said current in-flight internet services powered by Geostationary (GEO) satellites will not be able to keep up with the connectivity demands of airline passengers, particularly younger consumers.

When determining SpaceX’s ability to compete in the airline market, Valour’s Welch noted, “There is certainly a great deal of interest in Starlink Aviation, both from airlines and the competition. I’d expect to see carriers wait to see how the service performs on launch customers, Hawaiian and JSX, but it’s really only a matter of time before we see SpaceX increase its share of the IFC installed base. Domination is a strong word—line-fit offerability is becoming more important and there’s already a lot of aircraft with IFC hardware installed and it’s hard to justify removing it for most carriers. But the major incumbents will now be up against a disruptor competing strongly on price and brand appeal—it’s going to make for an interesting few years ahead.”

Patil is also unsure on whether Starlink will dominate this market. He says, “With multiple operators and service providers joining hands together and marching towards multi-orbit, multi-frequency solutions along with equipment manufacturers supporting the idea with the latest development efforts in the same direction, it is most likely be the future with LEO, MEO, and GEO solutions co-existing and serving the market.”

Ultimately, considering what we are seeing in the market with Intelsat/Gogo, Inmarsat/Viasat, how many players could play in this market as it develops this decade. Welch says, “We’ve seen the market moving into the networks of three vendors, two of which are in the process of merging. I’d argue we’ll see a handful of vendors continue to compete for airline customers in the commercial aviation space.”

Hofeller said aviation is a potentially significant market for LEO-driven internet services that Starlink is actively targeting, noting that beyond the Hawaiian and JSX contracts are “several more [airline agreements] in the works.”

Starlink Aviation will have global coverage. SpaceX says that since the satellites are moving in LEO, there are always satellites overhead or nearby to provide a strong signal at high latitudes and in polar regions—unlike with GEO satellites. Service will be available in-flight over land and water and on the ground during taxi, take-off, and landing. As long as the equipment is powered on and the Starlink has an unobstructed view of the sky, connection is possible. Starlink aims to start deliveries of the service to airlines and bizjet operators in 2023.

This article was first published by Via Satellite, a sister publication to Avionics International; it has been edited. View the original version here >>

The post SpaceX Jumps into Competitive IFC Market with New Starlink Aviation Service appeared first on Avionics International.

Airbus Corporate Jets Plans to Deliver First TwoTwenty in March 2023

“The innovative solution [the ACJ TwoTwenty) combines intercontinental range and up to three times more personal space, thus providing more comfort for each passenger and at a similar price tag as ULR bizjets but with a much lower operating cost,” says Sean McGeough, VP Commercial Airbus Corporate Jets for North America. (Photo: Airbus)

Airbus Corporate Jets launched the TwoTwenty corporate jet aircraft at the end of 2020.

In a conversation with Avionics International, Sean McGeough, VP Commercial Airbus Corporate Jets for North America, remarked that this aircraft allows the company to compete in the ultra-long-range aircraft market. The first TwoTwenty is set to be delivered in March 2023, he shared.

The TwoTwenty was designed to be competitive in terms of price and operational costs while having the same footprint as others in its category. “This is an opportunity to build market share around the world,” McGeough said.

He noted that the value proposition of Airbus Corporate Jets’ (ACJ) TwoTwenty aircraft is its cabin. The ACJ TwoTwenty offers twice as much square footage as other ultra-long-range jets, he commented.

“The innovative solution combines intercontinental range and up to three times more personal space, thus providing more comfort for each passenger and at a similar price tag as ULR bizjets but with a much lower operating cost,” McGeough remarked in the press release by Airbus.

The aircraft is built with advanced avionics, McGeough told Avionics—”It’s the same avionics suite you find in some of the ultra-long-range jets.” The engines on the TwoTwenty are built to be very fuel efficient, he added, and the airframe incorporates the latest composites and alloys.

McGeough remarked that the business aviation industry has been very resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’ve been very fortunate,” he said. “Although there are some storm clouds ahead, we’ve already proven that we can sustain and still grow.”

He listed some of the reasons for the growth of the business aviation market in the U.S.—“a significant increase in new ‘first-time’ users of business aircraft during the worst of the COVID-19 crisis who now want to continue flying privately; employers placing a growing focus on the well-being of their managers; [and] new innovative aircraft being launched that have a greater focus on efficiency and sustainability.”

A rendering of the ACJ TwoTwenty in flight (Photo: Airbus)

He also commented in detail on the importance of sustainability at Airbus. “A lot of customers are very conscious of how these aircraft impact the environment,” he said. “Right now, 50% of all Airbus products—including helicopters, commercial airliners, et cetera—can use sustainable aviation fuel. By 2030, we want to make it 100%.”

Sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, can reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 80%. Beginning in January of this year, Airbus has used SAF to deliver all aircraft produced at its Mobile, Alabama facility.

The longer-term goal for Airbus is reaching zero emissions by 2035. The entire aviation industry is aiming to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

Pictured above is the cockpit of an ACJ TwoTwenty aircraft. (Photo: Airbus)

According to McGeough, Airbus invests $2 billion every year on research and development. Much of this investment goes towards new engine variants and electric and hydrogen technologies.

ACJ also shared in its recent announcement about the TwoTwenty that Comlux Completion, a service center in Indianapolis, will become an approved Service Center MRO for the ACJ TwoTwenty. Comlux will be capable of performing all necessary maintenance, refurbishing the cabin, and handling system upgrades.

The post Airbus Corporate Jets Plans to Deliver First TwoTwenty in March 2023 appeared first on Avionics International.

Integrating Advanced Air Mobility Operations into Tomorrow’s Flight Department

Kristen Costello of DroneUp, Paul McDuffee of Supernal, and Charlton Evans of End State Solutions discussed the challenges facing business aviation flight departments as the advanced air mobility industry takes off. The panel discussion was moderated by Toni Drummond of Global Aerial Management Group. (Photo: Jessica Reed)

ORLANDO, Fla. — Business aviation flight departments need to prepare for advanced air mobility (AAM) operations and related technologies that are emerging. There are many hurdles that the introduction of advanced technologies must overcome, including public acceptance, regulations, and infrastructure requirements.

Panelists at the 2022 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in October discussed the many possibilities of emerging AAM technologies as well as how to overcome some of the challenges of this industry. The educational session was titled, “Tomorrow’s Flight Department – The Opportunities and Challenges of AAM Integration.”

Kristen Costello, Senior Director of Flight Compliance at DroneUp, remarked that no one could have predicted the rapid growth of the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry when Part 107 was written back in 2016. “What we’re seeing now is a rapid evolution,” Costello stated. “What used to be the standalone person with the Mavic going out and doing inspections is now transitioning to a phase where you’re seeing large-scale delivery operations, and some of these departments are even pursuing 135.”

She added that the current challenges the UAS industry faces will inform the AAM industry’s growth. In particular, air traffic management for UAS, or UTM, will inform developments in the urban air mobility (UAM) industry in terms of regulatory challenges and the collaborations that will be necessary to pave the way for these new aircraft and technologies. For example, Costello noted, the FAA is currently conducting research and using UTM concepts to develop an approach to UAM.

Sustainability is a primary focus for AAM manufacturers, stated Paul McDuffee, an executive operations analyst at Hyundai’s Supernal who participated in the panel. Almost all of the major players in the industry are relying on electric propulsion as the primary motor force behind their aircraft. “There are variations out there—hydrogen fuel cells and some hybrid-electric vehicles—but for the most part, I think the sustainability aspects are very critical,” he said.

There are many unknowns regarding sustainability in the AAM industry, McDuffee added. The industry needs to understand how aspects of sustainability will affect operation and performance of these vehicles. It’s important to “still be a safe and integral partner with other legacy operators in the airspace,” he said, and sustainability is “something that future flight departments are going to have to keep in mind.”

“The flight department itself has to evolve to what new electric or hybrid aircraft demand for the infrastructure they use to deploy and dispatch the aircraft,” noted Charlton Evans, CEO and Principal Consultant at End State Solutions.

“There will be some changes along the way in terms of how maintenance is conducted and how airport infrastructure has to evolve, both on the sending and receiving end,” Evans said. “Those are the kinds of things that 135s have to consider with their hybrid-electric or fully electric vehicles. “

AAM operations, at least in the near-term, will look a lot like those of traditional aircraft, believes McDuffee. “There’s a lot of discussion now about what can reasonably be accomplished in the near-term as opposed to the long-term,” he explained. “Right now, the lens is kind of narrowing down to the period roughly from now to 2030, and how we can operate in an effective way to satisfy our investors over the next seven years.”

During the entry-into-service period, “these aircraft are going to operate very much like conventional aircraft operating in the NAS [national airspace],” McDuffee stated. “It would be unreasonable to expect major change in the way air traffic is managed between now and 2030 to accommodate this new technology.”

It will probably be necessary for developers of eVTOL aircraft to become involved in the services traditionally offered by FBOs and MRO facilities, McDuffee noted. He also commented that it will be incredibly important for flight departments interested in AAM to engage early on with the OEMs.

“There’s a lot of new entrants that are evolving themselves and this technology,” he said. “We don’t know what the vehicle requirements are going to be. Partnering with the existing aviation support infrastructure now is super critical because flight departments of today are the ones that are going to be serving the AAM community of tomorrow.”

The early days of advanced air mobility operations are likely going to mirror some aspects of the drone space, such as necessary exemptions or waivers, Costello remarked. “We need to start [looking at AAM integration] now so the airspace is ready when the aircraft are,” she said. She also emphasized the need to look forward and to determine how to orchestrate the effective integration of AAM vehicles in the future.

The post Integrating Advanced Air Mobility Operations into Tomorrow’s Flight Department appeared first on Avionics International.

Aptima Evaluates eVTOL Pilot Training Requirements Through USAF Contract

Aptima was awarded a contract from the U.S. Air Force to evaluate necessary skills and training for pilots of eVTOL aircraft. Aptima’s Dr. Samantha Emerson and Dr. Kent Halverson shared some insights on the progress they have made. Pictured above is a pilot flying an eVTOL simulator. (Photo provided by Port San Antonio)

The company Aptima revealed in August that it was awarded a contract from the U.S. Air Force to evaluate necessary skills and training for pilots of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Through this contract, Aptima has been assisting the Air Education and Training Command’s Detachment 62, which supports the AFWERX Agility Prime program. Det 62 is also responsible for developing the curriculum for operators of eVTOL aircraft.

To learn more about the progress Aptima has made so far, Avionics International recently caught up with the project manager for the contract, Dr. Samantha Emerson, and Dr. Kent Halverson, Principal Scientist and Senior Director of the Training, Learning, and Readiness Division at Aptima.

Det 62 first reached out to the team at Aptima for assistance in measuring pilot performance on eVTOL platforms, explained Dr. Halverson. “Aptima has been doing some of the performance measurements in the fast jet training simulation domain for decades,” he said. “We’ve built a suite of human performance measurement technologies that Detachment 62 is interested in leveraging.”

He added that the measurement of human performance has to change when considering vehicles like eVTOLs that will incorporate significant automation: “The pilot doesn’t have to do things that they used to have to do on traditional aircraft. It’s not always clear what the human’s doing and what the machine’s doing all by itself.”

Aptima’s team is testing the learnability of two eVTOL platforms through experimentation and analysis. “We’re especially interested in looking at learning trajectories,” explained Dr. Emerson, “to see how long it takes both pilots and people without experience to learn how to fly these things—or at least to learn basic stick and rudder skills.”

Another component of this project is evaluating differences in pilot skills for those who have experience operating either fixed-wing aircraft or rotorcraft. They are also evaluating how increased levels of automation and augmentation on the aircraft affect an individual’s performance.

Aptima’s team is also developing a human-machine teaming framework in order to systematically classify aspects of the flight as controlled by either a human agent or a machine.

Aptima is using its Performance Evaluation Training System (PETS) to gather objective data from the eVTOL simulators, as well as a handheld tool called SPOTLITE that subject matter experts utilize for measuring performance. These technologies have been developed in conjunction with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

Aptima was awarded a contract by the U.S. Air Force to evaluate the requirements for eVTOL pilot training. (Photo: BETA Technologies)

Dr. Emerson remarked that Aptima has received criticism for focusing only on pilots’ stick and rudder skills and not looking at airmanship, ground operations, or emergency procedures. “For our experiment, we are only looking at performance-based learning trajectories of how pilots can actually maneuver the vehicles,” she noted. “We’re narrowly focused on how long it takes to learn to fly these things.”

For the experiment itself, students operated one of two different simulators to fly a predetermined route around the D.C. area. The student would repeat the same flight profile four times while a trained instructor pilot guided them along the route. The instructor would provide less and less guidance during each of the four repetitions.

“We measured how well they performed hovering, take-off, landings, and route navigation,” explained Dr. Emerson. “We had the instructor pilots rate them on each of those, and we pulled data on how well they were able to maintain a given altitude or given airspeed. We’re also working on examining how close they were to the ideal path, and how that changed over time, too.”

The researchers observed that pilots picked up the necessary skills quickly over the duration of the experiment—especially on the simulated aircraft with higher levels of automation.

The students without any previous pilot experience “didn’t achieve that same high level of performance but showed rapid gains over those two hours,” said Dr. Emerson.

“More levels of automation ended up bootstrapping the performance, but even in the vehicle with the more ‘conventional’ controls, two hours was plenty of time for the pilots to really show some significant gains—especially in route navigation and take-off,” she shared.

They observed much greater variability in hovering skills. Pilots with experience operating helicopters demonstrated an advantage over fixed-wing pilots while in the simulator with less automation and more conventional controls. However, “even fixed wing pilots were able to grasp it pretty quickly,” Dr. Emerson stated.

Dr. Halverson added, “Hovering a helicopter is a fairly difficult thing to learn how to do, because you have to monitor several different gauges and there are four or five different control surfaces that you’re managing. That’s a pretty heavy multitasking situation.”

Automation has the potential to make hovering a much less challenging task, and particularly for those without much piloting experience.

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Emerging Technologies Present New Challenges and Opportunities for Air Traffic Management

Panelists at NBAA-BACE discuss the challenges for air traffic management with new types of aircraft and advanced technologies. (Photo: Jessica Reed)

As innovative aircraft and novel technologies are introduced, it presents both challenges and opportunities for regulators and OEMs to reexamine air traffic control. Advanced air mobility (AAM) vehicles include electric air taxis, hybrid concepts, autonomous drones, and everything in between. Panelists at the recent NBAA-BACE discussed some of the most urgent considerations for integrating these vehicles into the airspace.

The U.S. offers a uniquely complex airspace, said Tim Arel, Chief Operating Officer at the FAA, “because we’ve been so successful at developing aviation throughout the country.” He noted that new entrants to the industry present a challenge because they operate differently, they travel at different speeds, and they look quite different than today’s in-service airplanes and helicopters.

To integrate AAM aircraft into the airspace safely, collaboration is necessary, Arel said. “We have to have a common understanding of the airspace we’re working in, what we expect from different industries, what our capabilities are, and the minimum level of service that we provide,” he explained.

“It’s not just the regulator or the operator of the airspace saying you can or can’t. It’s the innovators saying, ‘We have a different way of complying,’ it’s finding alternative means of compliance. That collaborative way forward is how you do it.”

John Langford, CEO of Electra.aero, compared this new industry to the introduction of drones over the past 15 years, saying that it’s critical to keep in mind the lessons learned to avoid making the same mistakes with eVTOLs and autonomous technologies. “We haven’t made as much progress as we probably should have,” he remarked, “when the commercial drone revolution really kicked off back in December 2013.”

The CEO of Jaunt Air Mobility, Martin Peryea, emphasized during the discussion that the drone space is quite different from AAM aircraft, particularly in regards to the missions these vehicles are designed to perform. He noted that a lot of eVTOL aircraft are still early in the development phase. “There’s actually time to develop air traffic management systems for the future,” he said.

“These aircraft will go through a typical development certification program, and they will be able to operate under existing part 135 rules, very similar to rotorcraft today,” Peryea explained. “You can ramp up production—even if you have multiple companies building these eVTOL aircraft, it will be some time before it becomes an issue with air traffic management. By then, the FAA will have systems in place.”

He mentioned that the first generation of eVTOL aircraft will likely be piloted and rely on traditional systems. When upgrading battery systems for the second generation of eVTOL vehicles, the avionics systems and technologies like sense-and-avoid will also be updated and integrated into the aircraft.

“All of these aircraft are going to be fly-by-wire, which requires advanced systems to ensure safety of the aircraft itself,” Peryea stated. “They’ll really be no different than getting on a commercial airliner today. With automation, the systems will be very similar.”

Lisa Stark moderated the “Airspace for Everyone: How Emerging Technologies Will Transform Air Traffic” panel, featuring Tim Arel of the FAA, Col. Nathan Diller of the Air Force, Stéphane Fymat from Honeywell, Dr. Parimal “P.K.” Kopardekar of NASA, Dr. John Langford from Electra.aero, and Martin Peryea from Jaunt Air Mobility. (Photo: Jessica Reed)

Stéphane Fymat, Vice President and General Manager of Urban Air Mobility and Unmanned Aerial Systems at Honeywell, drew attention to the distinction between AAM and drones. “Most AAM aircraft are going to start with pilots on board for the foreseeable future,” he said. “At the same time, [they] hope to be without a pilot on board in the near future. A lot of cargo versions of these vehicles may even be without a pilot on board on day one.”

For integrating aircraft without pilots on board, there are certainly lessons to be learned from the way that small drones have been integrated into the airspace. However, Fymat remarked, it’s important to keep these two categories separate and to understand AAM as a unique category in order to make progress.

He also commented that the transition from today’s manned aircraft to fully autonomous aircraft will take time. One challenge is giving AAM vehicles “the ability to make decisions in unknown situations that it hasn’t seen before,” he said. There are a lot of things that need to happen on the path to enabling full autonomy.

Fymat explained, “We need to add a few capabilities, but [we will] build on the systems we have today.”

Dr. Parimal “P.K.” Kopardekar, Director of the NASA Aeronautics Research Institute, noted that over the last 10 years, progress with air traffic management for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) has been slow but steady. “It’s going in the right direction,” he said. He believes that there is a significant amount of testing and research that needs to be done because of the paradigm shift “from management by clearance to management by exception.”

“The current air traffic control system is very safe, very effective, but you cannot overload it,” Dr. Kopardekar remarked. With UAS, “we had to figure out how to basically keep in charge of regulatory aspects and operational constraints, but not overload [the system].”

Col. Nathan P. Diller of the U.S. Air Force and Director at AFWERX shared that the Air Force has the opportunity to experiment with new types of aircraft in a defined airspace. “We can do experimentation with small companies and potentially do early deployment. Eventually, we can reduce some of the financial risk by having use cases in a controlled environment.”

Essentially, he said, the USAF is “collaborating with the FAA and NASA to be able to see what that future looks like on a small scale and what is useful for national security, which then feeds broader use cases.” He describes the industry as a dual-use space, where more than 80% of today’s research and development is happening in the commercial space. The USAF can take advantage of that R&D without using taxpayer dollars to advance new technologies and aircraft systems.

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SAUDIA Plans to Buy 100 Lilium Jets for eVTOL Operations in Saudi Arabia

Lilium signed an MoU with SAUDIA, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, to collaborate in establishing an eVTOL network across Saudi Arabia. The airline also plans to purchase and operate 100 Lilium Jets. (Photo: Lilium)

The airline Saudia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lilium, an electric air taxi developer, to develop a network of electric vertical take-off and landing, or eVTOL, aircraft operations across Saudi Arabia. The MoU includes plans for Saudia to purchase 100 eVTOL aircraft. The announcement shared this week states that this agreement would make Saudia the first airline in the Middle East/North Africa region to purchase Lilium’s eVTOLs.

Saudia plans to develop and operate a network of eVTOL aircraft following the purchase of 100 vehicles from Lilium. The airline’s operations would include “new electric point-to-point connections as well as seamless feeder connections to Saudia’s hubs for business class guests,” according to the announcement.

For Lilium, this agreement could offer support throughout the regulatory approval processes in Saudi Arabia that are necessary for certifying the eVTOL. “This partnership with Saudia, our first in the Middle East, is an exciting development,” remarked Alexander Asseily, Lilium’s Vice Chairman, regarding the MoU. “We look forward to working with Saudia to deploy an eVTOL network across Saudi Arabia.”

Saudia’s CEO, Captain Ibrahim S. Koshy, emphasized the airline’s commitment to sustainability and the importance of the MoU signed with Lilium. “Saudia intends to meet a growing demand for regional air mobility and offer our valued Guests a superior on-board experience. The potential for such an airborne transit network is limitless,” Koshy said in the announcement.

The Lilium team aims to certify the eVTOL aircraft with the FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). One of the company’s upcoming goals on the path to certification is to complete all four of its Design Organization Approval (DOA) audits with EASA before July 2023. It plans to launch its aircraft in 2025 following certification.

Lilium’s Phoenix 2 technology demonstrator recently performed a full transition from hover to wing-borne flight. The company shared details about the achievement in its second-quarter letter to shareholders, published in late September. This test flight was conducted at Lilium’s ATLAS (Air Traffic Laboratory for Advanced Unmanned Systems) Flight Test Center in Villacarrillo, Spain.

As revealed in a June announcement, the eVTOL developer has chosen L3Harris to provide extra light data recorders for the Lilium Jet. L3Harris expects to launch the production version of its xLDR next year.

This year, Lilium also announced the selection of Astronics Corporation, an aerospace supplier, to develop and manufacture the electrical power distribution system for its eVTOL.

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