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News
Car copter promised soon (30 March)
The age-old dream of building a car that you can also fly is claimed by a Dutch firm to be one step closer. We’ve seen lots of these schemes fail over the years and will therefore believe this one we see it in production. In the meantime, here’s the release info…
After many years of pioneering with well-known parties as the Dutch Aerospace Laboratory (NLR) to create a flying and driving vehicle John Bakker has formed a management team and is recruiting employees to start PAL-V Europe. A number of investors have been found to back the start-up and currently initiatives are taken towards more investors to speed up market launch.
On the ground, the slim line, aerodynamic 3-wheel vehicle is as comfortable as a luxury car. But has the agility of a motorbike, thanks to its patented cutting-edge ‘tilting’ system. The single rotor and propeller are folded away until the PAL-V is ready to fly.
Airborne, the PAL-V flies under the 4000 feet (1500 m) floor of commercial air space. With land and air space reaching capacity, this is some of the last free space.
The PAL-V is highly fuel-efficient and powered by an environmentally certified car engine. It can run on petrol like a conventional car but can also run on biodiesel or bio-ethanol. It can reach speeds of up to 200 km/h both on land and in the air.
Like a helicopter, it has a Very Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (VSTOVL) capability making it possible to land practically anywhere. It can be driven to the nearest airfield or helipad and, because it flies below 4000 feet, can take off without filing a flight plan. The autogyro technology means that it can be steered and landed safely even if the engine fails as it descends vertically rather than nose-diving. Lift is generated by the forward speed produced by the foldable push propeller on the back.
See this link
Show time (29 March)
 From the Aero 2007 folk: The European airshow season starts in earnest this month with the 16th International Trade Exhibition for General Aviation (aka, AERO 2007) kicking off in at Friedrichshafen, Germany. From April 19 to 22, 2007, the best of the world's GA offerings will descend on the biannual Europe show for four days of
serious enterprise. Over 500 exhibitors from 30 countries will show off their wares in seven huge halls. The show takes place on the shores of Lake Constance with easy access to Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy, France and Eastern Europe. There's a static display and the famous Zeppelin airship hangar will be open to the public. There'll be offerings from general and business aviation, ultralight/microlight and light-sport aircraft, gliders, maintenance and avionics.
"The large number of exhibitors underscores the importance of this aviation trade show for Europe," says Messe Friedrichshafen CEO Klaus Wellmann. For the first time every manufacturer in the glider industry will be exhibiting. It's an important sector in Germany. Of the Deutscher Aero Club's 70,000 flying members almost 37,000 are sports pilots with gliders. The ultralight/microlight industry and very light aircraft (VLA) segments also
continue to gain popularity and all the top European manufacturers will be showcasing their products at the show. There's also a strong American presence, with 34 US exhibitors and an American pavilion.
See this link
Raytheon now Hawker Beechcraft (27 March)
 From Aviation Week: Raytheon has completed the sale of its general aviation unit to a pair of private equity investors. The company announced Monday that it has closed on the $3.3 billion sale of Raytheon Aircraft to Hawker Beechcraft Inc., a new company formed by Canadian buyout firm Onex Corp. and Goldman Sachs affiliate GS Capital Partners.
Full story
Australian air show a hit (26 March)
The just-concluded Australian air show was a hit by all accounts, with organizers claiming a 20 pper cent lift in expo bookings and air craft, plus a 50 per cent lift in international delegations.
See this feature on star guest Chuck Yaeger, from The Age newspaper.
Qantas sale hits more turbulence (24 March)
The proposed sale of Qantas to an equity group led by the Macquarie Bank is struggling to find support in the financial markets, with several pundits saying the offer made to shareholders is not enough – though it may be as high as the would—be purchasers could go.
See this Business Week story for the background.
Air show starts today (20 March)
 The Australian International Air Show starts at Avalon (Vic) today, beginning with trade access only. This year it celebrates 60 years of breaking the sound barrier. Legendary military and test pilot Chuck Yeager – who first broke the speed of sound – will be in attendance, along with a host of military, civil and GA toys.
See this link; Chuck Yeager.org
India faces crippling pilot shortage (19 March)
The Indian aviation industry is besieged with a crippling problem of acute shortage of pilots which could jeopardise its multi-million dollar expansion programmes. “The total number of additional aircraft in the next five years is estimated at 500, for which an additional 5,000 pilots would be required,” Aviation Ministry sources told.
Full story at Zee News
Deprivation of skills leads to poor decisions (19 March)
A former Australian Air Force commodore argues that the decision to buy Super Hornets as an interim measure is an expensive manifestation of the poor state of analysis and technical expertise in the military, in The Age newspaper (Melbourne) today.
“We have the services that have been almost wholly de-skilled technologically and organised poorly,” he says.
See this link
Czech on a roll (18 March)
 Czech Aircraft Works CEO Chip Erwin says he expects the company to be the world’s biggest maker in the light sport category by 2009 – an ambition that seems entirely reasonable. “In the last six months, we leapfrogged the competition by a large margin," Erwin recently told a business newspaper.
Full story; Company home page
Europe wants proper open skies (18 March)
From New Eurtope: European Union member states can prise open the United States’ aviation market by agreeing a transatlantic air travel pact, the EU’s transport top official said March 13.
Britain has opposed the so-called open skies agreement negotiated this month because European airlines will still be excluded from buying control of US carriers or flying on domestic US routes.
Full story
Dreamliner fin rolls out (18 March)
Boeing celebrated roll out of the first vertical fin for the company's all-new commercial airplane, the 787 Dreamliner. Manufactured and assembled at the Composite Manufacturing Center in Frederickson, Wash., the vertical fin is the largest primary structure of the 787 airframe built by an internal Boeing supplier. The delivery meets a key program milestone as the airplane begins final assembly in Everett, Wash., in preparation for its initial roll out in July.
Full story at Boeing
Meanwhile, from the IAG blog: Boeing is ending production of the passenger version of its 747-400 jumbo jet, and is no longer taking orders for either the passenger or cargo models of what has been one of its most successful aircraft.
450 747-400 passenger planes have been delivered since the plane was launched in 1989. Boeing still has orders for 36 747-400 freighters to be delivered. Since the 747 program was launched in the 1960s Boeing has taken just over 1,500 orders for all models of the jet. It is really a remarkable run. And the plane is going through a relaunch again. Amazing. One wonders why Boeing did not continue to tweak the B-52! This seems to be a Boeing specialty.
IAG blog
WA opens new Heli rescue base (16 March)
Response time for WA's rescue helicopter service are set to improve with the opening today of a new base at Jandakot Airport.
The $1million purpose-built headquarters were opened by Emergency Services Minister John Kobelke, who said the service had become a valued community asset since its launch in August 2003.
“The State’s first dedicated round-the-clock Emergency Rescue Helicopter Service was established three-and-a-half years ago and has been responsible for more than 700 missions, which have helped save the lives and reduce injury levels of many Western Australians,” Mr Kobelke said.
Airbus bleeds money & jobs (10 March)
 From the BBC: Airbus has posted its first loss despite delivering a record 434 planes, dragging down parent firm EADS. Delays dogging the A380 superjumbo, problems developing the A350 XWB and a strong dollar triggered the loss for 2006 of 572m euros.
The company has also announced it plans to shed 10,000 jobs.
BBC story; Airbus
Indonesia famous for wild rides (10 March)
The recent Garuda crash has put Indonesia’s dodgy flying record in the spotlight and online newspaper Crikey.com.au asked its readers to pass on their experience. Variations of the story below have been around for some time, and it has developed urban myth status.
Crikey reader John Nicol writes: This actually happened to me in 1986. The flight was from Balikpapan to Baduk. I sat in the front row, behind the cockpit bulkhead and anti-hijack door and a chrome plated "ceremonial" tomahawk, held in a leather strap. The thing that is important here is that the cockpit door was held open with a ladies black stocking! The timing was at the end of the Haj, and Haj pilgrims were returning home. One of the Haj pilgrims was either the mother of, or otherwise related to the co-pilot. So, after he had taken off, the co-pilot came out and was talking with the pilgrim. I assume the aircraft was on autopilot, and much to our amazement out came the captain. The aircraft hit some turbulence, the stocking slipped off the door handle, and the anti-hijack door, that can only be unlocked from the inside, slammed shut. The two pilots, typically indonesian, that is smallish in stature and of gentle disposition, were trapped outside the door, in a state of panic. The was a big Texan oil guy, with big belt and wing boots (you get the picture), leapt from his seat with a typical Texan expletive, along the lines of "f-ck this for a joke", and used his very large frame and wing boots to kick the door in. The axe had no part in this. He then grabbed both pilots and threw them into the cockpit and told them in no uncertain terms to "get your asses in there and drive this airplane" -- I remember that quote vividly.
Crikey link
Developing the flying fortress (10 March)
A University of Melbourne PhD student is examining pre-war air-power and propaganda at a blog entitled Airminded. Brett Holman writes, “My thesis will examine the impact of airpower propaganda on the British people between 1908 and 1939. During this period, air panics – most importantly the fear of the ‘knock-out blow’ of civilisation by bombing and gas attacks – replaced the better-known naval and invasion panics as the most characteristic and significant expression of public concern about the defence of Britain.”
His site has just published an interesting overview of the development of the concept of a flying fortress.
See this link
Annual Clifton Fly-in (9 March)
The annual Clifton fly-in happens this weekend in Qld. See our coming events page.
Got an event you want to promote? Let us know at this email address.
Robinson to score Roller engine (8 March)
 Rolls-Royce says it will supply a new turboshaft engine to power Robinson Helicopter Company's new R66 rotorcraft.
According to Rolls-Royce, the new RR300 engine represents a major step forward in the helicopter industry by providing 300 shaft horsepower at takeoff, excellent hot and high performance and outstanding value. The RR300 makes Rolls-Royce turbine power available in the lower shp range.
The new R66 model, a five-seater, is Robinson Helicopter Company's first venture into gas turbine-powered rotorcraft and will complement the company's existing line of piston-powered aircraft. (Pic shows Robinson's R44.)
Robinson Helicopter; Rolls-Royce
Can aliens help? (8 March)
A former Canadian defense minister is demanding governments worldwide disclose and use secret alien technologies obtained in alleged UFO crashes to stem climate change, a local paper said Wednesday. "I would like to see what (alien) technology there might be that could eliminate the burning of fossil fuels within a generation ... that could be a way to save our planet," Paul Hellyer, 83, told the Ottawa Citizen.
Click to see the full story at Yahoo
Stroppy moose downs chopper (8 March)
From Axcess News: A moose downed a helicopter in Alaska Wednesday after the moose had been shot with a tranquilizer gun. Instead of passing out, the moose charged the helicopter used by a wildlife biologist, damaging the aircraft's tail rotor and forcing it to the ground.
Full story
Garuda crash one of many (8 March)
Yesterday’s crash of a Garuda owned 737 in Indonesia is the third serious jetline incident in 2007 for that country. The worst happened in January, when 102 people perished in an Adam Air flight.
See this link at Aviation Safety Network
Qantas deal given green light (7 March)
The Macquarie Bank-led deal to sell Qantas to an investment consortium has been given the green light, with some conditions. See the links for more info.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/Business/Govt-imposes-conditions-on-Qantas-sale/2007/03/07/1173166767563.html
http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/ratings-agency-warning-on-qantas-bid-debt-levels/2007/03/08/1173166867756.html
http://www.treasurer.gov.au/tsr/content/pressreleases/2007/009.asp
Oz to buy F/A-18s (7 March)
From the Defence Minister’s bunker: Australia is assured of maintaining its air combat capability edge with the Government’s decision to acquire 24 F/A-18F Block II Super Hornet multi role aircraft. At a cost of approximately $6 billion over 10 years, the acquisition of the Super Hornet will ensure the transition to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter over the next decade.
The acquisition will include 24 aircraft, initial support and upfront training for aircrew and maintenance personnel. (Pic: US Navy)
Full release
Liberty lands in Oz (6 March)
From Liberty Aircraft: Liberty Aerospace, a general aviation aircraft manufacturer based in Melbourne, Florida, recently completed its first Australian delivery to local distributor Nigel Hutchinson-Brooks, who is based in Melbourne, Australia. The US-built aircraft was placed into a sea freight container in December and shipped under recently-awarded Australian Type Acceptance Certificate A234.
“The ocean container arrived and the aircraft was in perfect shape,” stated Hutchinson-Brooks, managing director of Liberty Aircraft Company, the Australian distributor for the Liberty XL2. “After a thorough inspection, the wings were installed, the engine prepped and VH-LXL was ready to fly.”
Liberty Aerospace CEO Anthony Tiarks added, “Our first delivery to this region is an important accomplishment in our global expansion plans. We are thrilled for Nigel and the market potential he represents in Australia.”
The aircraft will be on display at the upcoming Australian International Air Show in Melbourne on March 20–25. “Of course, I plan to take a few moments to enjoy my new aircraft before getting down to business and flying with potential clients,” declared Hutchinson-Brooks.
Liberty Aircraft
iPod for flight data (5 March)
From IT News Australia: US light aircraft manufacturer LoPresti SpeedMerchants wants to use an Apple iPod as a flight data recorder for its Fury aircraft.
Full story
Prestige trio takes off (4 March)
US manufacturer Prestige aircraft has picked up three Italian Light Sport Aircraft designs which it plans to manufacture and market in the near future. Called the Rally (high wing) Century (low wing) and SeaStorm, they share basic mechanical stats and are designed around a 100hp Rotax engine. Currrently the manufacturer is playing with the design of the SeaStorm, as it has having difficulty meeting LSA weight rules while supplying a decent useful load.
See Prestige Aircraft
US & China renew aviation talks (3 March)
From the Street.com: China and the US will resume talking next month about speeding up the increase in air traffic between the two countries.
Talks have been scheduled for March 14-16 in Washington, DC, the Transportation Department said Monday. "The two sides will discuss liberalization of the agreement," says DOT spokesman Bill Mosley.
Full story
Middle East Airport show in 7th year (2 March)
 Now in its seventh year, the Middle East Airport Show, taking place at Airport Expo Dubai from 28–30 May, is the region’s only dedicated trade show for airport construction, operations, technologies and services. And is being credited with helping to expand local aviation business opportunities.
For example, a Dubai-based company supplying ground support systems to Middle East airports has announced growth of almost 70% as a booming aviation industry turns the region into a hotspot for aviation suppliers worldwide.
Cavotec Middle East recorded an annual turnover of AED100 million in 2006 compared with AED60 million in 2005 and has set itself the target of a further 20 per cent increase in the current year.
The company, based in the Jebel Ali Free Zone, is currently quadrupling the size of its offices and warehouses to cope with the rapidly increasing demand for its products and has doubled the size of its workforce over the past 18 months.
Airport Show
Getting too old? (1 March)
 From the ATSB: An ATSB report released last month shows that the average age of many aircraft in Australia is increasing but that this should not reduce safety if quality maintenance systems are in place.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) report found that the average age of Australia’s turbofan aircraft used in regular passenger transport (RPT) is very low. The fleet of aircraft in the 50,000 kg to 100,000 kg category had an average age of just 6 years by the end of 2005. That was 2 years lower than the average age of this fleet in 1995.
The expansion of Qantas, and the introduction of new aircraft by Jetstar and Virgin Blue has lowered the average age of these aircraft. Aircraft in this category include the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320, typically used in Australian domestic passenger operations, and on some international routes.
The fleet of larger turbofan aircraft (those above 100,000 kg, including the Boeing 747 and the Airbus A330) have an average age of 11 years. This is still relatively low, and consequently, there would be few signs of maintenance problems related to aircraft age in these aircraft.
The ATSB report also examined the age trend for turboprop aircraft, mostly used in low capacity airline services. Examples of turboprop aircraft operated in Australia include the Raytheon King Air and the Fairchild Metroliner series of aircraft. The turboprop fleet had an average age of 18 years by the end of 2005, which was 2 years older than was the case in 1995. With few new aircraft being manufactured in this category, additional and specific maintenance will be the key strategy to ensure these aircraft meet the necessary airworthiness standards for passenger operations.
The oldest aircraft in Australia are those powered by piston engines. These aircraft, ranging from the small single engine aircraft used at flying schools and in private operations (such as the Cessna 172), to the twin engine aircraft (for example, the Piper Navajo and the Cessna 400 series) used in charter and some low capacity operations, are on average around 30 years old.
The situation affecting piston-engine aircraft is not a challenge just for Australia. Manufacturing output of these aircraft is only a fraction of the production levels seen in the late 1970s, and some popular twin-engine types ceased production altogether in the mid 1980s.
The ATSB report on aircraft age makes clear that chronological age is not the sole determinant in assessing aircraft age. Flight cycles and maintenance regimes are important factors that influence airworthiness.
Managing the consequences of an ageing aircraft population requires cooperative approaches by operators, manufacturers and national regulators to ensure that any defects identified by one operator are notified quickly and efficiently within the industry. If quality maintenance systems are in place, ageing aircraft need not lead to reduced safety.
Download the full report (PDF 2.8Mb)
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