bitter medicine boeing abroad naval gazing

NEW mas chief Beijings narrowbody Crowsnest victory keeps

warns carrier bonanza fuels Chinese Thales in position to

FLIGHT
faces more pain aspirations to set up 737 deliver AEW look-out
news focus p18 completions centre 13 for UK maritime fleet 15

INTERNATIONAL
2-8 June 2015

roll-out

global
ALLIANCE
NATO heralds ground surveillance
revolution as first RQ-4 emerges

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n
ews
bitter medicine boeing abroad naval gazing
neW mas chief Beijings narrowbody Crowsnest victory keeps

this week
Warns carrier bonanza fuels Chinese Thales in position to

FLIGHT
faces more pain aspirations to set up 737 deliver AEW look-out
neWs focus p18 completions centre 13 for UK maritime fleet 15

6 Armed Hawk goes on the offensive

2-8 June 2015
INTERNATIONAL 7 Canada fixed-wing SAR contest gets Embraer
roll-out interest.
global
alliance
NATO heralds ground surveillance
F-35s Block 4 standard in the balance for USAF
8 Embraer sees scope for E1s future.
revolution as first RQ-4 emerges

Boeing says RD-180 alternative unlikely to lift off

9 Monthly A320 rate could go up to 60.
Toulouse hints at pending order for regional A330
Northrop Grumman

Air Transport

Boeing
ISSN 0 0 1 5 - 3 7 1 0
3.50
10 Wizz Air looks to nail down high-density Airbus
Boeing sees a future for VIP version of the 747-8 P21
2 3

A320 offering.
9 770015 371273

FIN_020615_301.indd 1 28/05/2015 10:02

Transaero plans superjumbo deferral

Cover image Cover story
Northrop Grummans first 11 Systems are Gogo after approval for 2Ku tests.
22 Stronger together Although NATOs main asset
Global Hawk for the NATO FAA task force to recommend on rules governing
for its Alliance Ground Surveillance programme is
the mental health of pilots
Alliance Ground Surveil- Northrop Grummans Global Hawk, development of
lance programme breaks 12 A321 flap errors led to alert. the broader system is relying on a team effort from
Wings Air crew did not act on terrain warnings all its member countries
cover at its Palmdale site in
13 737 key to unlocking Chinas potential
California P22
Defence features
14 KC-390 nearing return to the skies. 26 CIVIL SIMULATORS Whos flying? Our Civil
RAAFs Wedgetail fleet hits full operational status Simulator Census maps the market for the
15 Thales puts Cerberus in Crowsnest for Royal Navy. manufacture and operation of commercial aircraft
Debut test flight gives a glimpse of Raider power pilot training devices. We assess the highlights of
16 France validates E-3F update. this years survey
Artamis scans Asian market for sales 28 Time to get real for simulation Record orders
for airliners around the globe are feeding through
News FOCUS to demand for simulator-based training and the
17 Boeing banks on success with SB-1 ever-more sophisticated devices. We look at how
BEHIND THE HEADLINES 18 Mueller prescribes bitter medicine for ailing MAS the market and the technology are evolving
James Drew (above) hit the
road with Boeing for a pre- Business Aviation
Paris air show tour, which REgulars
20 Gulfstream defers decision on G150. 5 Comment
took in sites including San Cirrus prepares its personal jet Vision.
Antonio, Texas, (P16) and a TBM 900 lands on Mexicos civil register 33 Straight & Level
rotorcraft day in Philadelphia 34 Letters
(P17). Dominic Perry got an 21 MRO sale ends DAEs global ambition.
GE Aviation beefs up blisk to offer stronger 36 Classified
Embraer defence update in
Passport engine. 39 Jobs
vora, Portugal (P14)
Boeing sees future for VIP 747 43 Working Week
Airbus

next week paris special

Ahead of aerospaces main
Thales, Rex FEatures

event of the year, we preview

its biggest topics from the
A380 to the hot-selling Rafale
Thales to deliver Crowsnest AEW with RN Merlins P15. Boeing unlikely to launch alternative Atlas V engine P8

Download thethe
new Commercial Engines
EnginesDirectory
Download The Engine Directory.
Download new Commercial Report
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Untitled-2.indd 1 07/01/2015 13:37
flightglobal.com 2-8 June 2015 | Flight International | 3
Flight_CFM_25x180.indd 1 19/07/2012 17:51
contents

IMaGe oF
THe WeeK
Singapore Airlines has
unveiled a special livery on
two of its Airbus A380s to
mark its home nations 50th
year of independence. The
pair will carry the flag-themed
design until the end of 2015.
The carrier has 19 A380s in
operation and five more on
order, Flightglobals Ascend
Fleets database records

View more great aviation shots

online and in our weekly tablet
edition:
flightglobal.com/

Singapore Airlines
flight-international

the week in nuMBeRs Question of the week

11%
Last week, we asked: As more operators get ready for the A350,
is the big twin: You said:

Ottawas weak dollar performance has hit the long-term

Flightglobal dashboard
58% 22%
Of limited A credible
debt figure at Air Canada; it now stands at C$5.25 billion market challenger
interest to Boeing
ToTal

$1.08bn
widebodies
voTes:
Ryanair 5,080
Full-year net profit reported by low-cost carrier Ryanair for
2014. Its revenues also climbed by 4.2%, to hit $7.05bn
20%
The best
choice for

30
airlines
This week, we ask:
Boeings plans for a 737 completions centre in China:
Flightglobal dashboard Will boost airframers competitiveness in the country
Will only benefit the Chinese
Seating capacity for new aircraft being sought by Haitis Not compelling enough for either party
Sunrise Airways: an increase from 19 on its Jetstream 31s Vote at flightglobal.com

Flightglobals premium news and data service delivers breaking air transport stories with
profiles, schedules, and fleet, financial and traffic information flightglobal.com/dashboard

FLIGHT TRAINING
Search the Civil Simulator Census
www.flightglobal.com/civilsim

Flightglobal_Media_Banner_Nov2014_AM193.indd 1 2014-10-24 2:05 PM

4 | Flight International | 2-8 June 2015 flightglobal.com

Oh, Canada
As it launches its latest procurement programme to replace a fleet of aged fixed-wing search
and rescue aircraft, Ottawa is hoping that this time it can conduct a smooth acquisition
I n a country as wild and in parts inhospitable as
Canada, and with a coastline that stretches far up into
the Arctic, a fleet of search and rescue (SAR) aircraft as
rugged as the landscape is vital.
An interesting statistic, then: one element of
Ottawas SAR coverage is provided by aircraft the de
Havilland Canada CC-115 Buffalo which have an av-
erage age of 48 years.
In comparison, the second type in its inventory, the
Lockheed Martin CC-130H, averages a sprightly 27
years. Better, but only marginally.
Canada has been attempting to replace its fixed-wing
search and rescue (FWSAR) fleet for 11 years now,
making it one of the nations longest running
acquisition programmes.
Mind you, it has some stiff competition in that field.
For some reason Canadian procurement has become a
byword for shambolic.
For some reason Canadian
procurement has become
a byword for shambolic
Take, for example, the efforts to replace its fleet of
1960s-vintage Sikorsky Sea King helicopters, which
have been ongoing since the mid-1980s. The maritime
helicopter project has seen a contract awarded,
cancelled, awarded to another contractor, and then
heavily modified amidst cost overruns and delays.
Meanwhile, the Royal Canadian Air Force has yet to
take delivery of a single Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone.
Ottawa has had little success in the field of
unmanned air systems either. Its JUSTAS programme
Accelerator or brakes?
T o John Leahy, consultants who warn of a perilous
orders bubble are the equivalent of armchair gener-
als, spouting sceptically on an armys military achieve-
ments from the comfort of their firesides while the real
generals do the hard work of winning the war. They
dont know what theyre talking about, he scorns.
Colleagues of Airbuss top salesman may have a
harder job convincing the supply chain. While a
bubble-burst would be a headache for the airframers, it
could be fatal for small firms that have spent heavily on
machinery, buildings or staff to meet the ramp-up, as
For up to the minute news and
analysis of global aerospace they would find themselves with unsustainable costs.
and aviation matters, visit: But without investment from the supply chain,
flightglobal.com/news Airbus admits it cannot raise output to meet current
flightglobal.com
comment
Rex Features
Where the blame stops
stretches back some 13 years and now appears to have
a delivery target of 2021. And then theres the future
fighter programme. Canada in 2010 tentatively com-
mitted to the Lockheed F-35, but has yet to place an
order. In the meantime, its PWGSC p rocurement body
is investigating whether the Joint Strike Fighter is actu-
ally the right choice.
Canadas recently-released Defence Acquisition
Guide suggests it will be another three years before any
contract is awarded. Final deliveries could now stretch
out to 2035.
But, to bring things back to FWSAR, according to the
schedule things should now proceed at a relatively
brisk pace. Bidders have until the end of September to
submit proposals, with a decision due next spring.
The field is likely to come down to three
manufacturers: Airbus Defence & Space, Alenia
Aermacchi and Lockheed. They will be hoping for a
swift, and uncontestable, decision.
Perhaps this time Canada will get the procurement
process right. Equally, dont hold your breath.
See This Week P7
emand to a rate of 50 and beyond on the A320 alone.
d
Persuading suppliers the airframer is serious about its
ambitions is the job of chief operating officer Tom
Williams. He says Airbuss transparency, in happily dis-
closing orderbook details to suppliers, and credibility
it claims a flawless record in meeting production targets
and not building whitetails will win the day.
While the ramp-up represents a huge opportunity
for the global supply chain, from mom and pop firms
making specialised sub-components to big integrators,
some wariness is inevitable when it comes to betting
the business on an orderbook that cannot keep growing
exponentially. But when to apply the brakes?
See This Week P9
2-8 June 2015 | Flight International | 5
This week
Sign up to our fortnightly dose of news
from the global military aviation sector:
flightglobal.com/defencenewsletter

briefing
dublin approves Aer lingus stake sale to iag
airlines The Irish government has agreed to sell its 25.1% stake
in Aer Lingus to BA and Iberia parent IAG for 1.4 billion ($1.5 bil-
lion), after accepting the groups third offer of 2.55 per share. The
takeover has also gained approval from the Irish legislatures lower
house, but still needs ratifying by Aer Lingus shareholders. Under the
proposed deal, Aer Lingus will retain its existing slots at London
Heathrow, as well as its branding, and keep its head office in Ireland.

Hindustan Aeronautics
eGyptair considers superjet introduction
requirement EgyptAir is to assess the viability of the Sukhoi
Superjet 100 regional twinjet for its medium-haul services. We are Indias air force currently operates 91 of the BAE type in its fleet
seriously thinking of acquiring this kind of equipment for our national
MODIFICATIONS Atul Chandra Bengaluru

Armed Hawk goes

flag carrier, says Egyptian civil aviation minister Mohamed Hossam
Kamal. Sukhoi deployed two Superjets to Cairo for presentations as
part of a Russian delegation headed by industry and trade minister

on the offensive
Denis Manturov. One of the aircraft had a two-class passenger cabin
layout, while the other was in a VIP transport configuration.

brazilian navy gets first upgraded skyhawk

delivery Embraer has handed the Brazilian navy its first of 12 Domestic and export opportunities exist for development of
modernised Douglas A-4 Skyhawks, with the carrier-based type due advanced jet trainer, Hindustan Aeronautics chairman says
to remain in service until 2025. Eight more single-seat AF-1Bs and
three AF-1C trainers are to receive structural enhancements, glass
cockpit avionics, new radars and improved weapons and communi-
cations equipment by 2017. Brazil acquired the strike aircraft from
H industan Aeronautics (HAL)
has conducted weapons tests
with its licence-built BAE Sys-
Kuwait in the late 1990s, for use on the aircraft carrier So Paulo. tems Hawk 132 advanced jet
trainer, and is confident of the
riyadh wins approval for mh-60r buy projects export potential. The
rotorcraft The US State Department has approved Saudi light attack upgrade also includes
Arabias request to purchase 10 Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin MH-60R display and avionics modifica-
Seahawk anti-submarine warfare helicopters. The deal is worth a tions revealed at the Aero India
potential $1.9 billion, also including air-to-surface weapons, spare show in Bengaluru in February.
parts and support services. Flightglobals Ascend Fleets database We are looking at exports of
records the Royal Saudi Navy as currently operating 20 Airbus the weaponised Hawk or light at-
Helicopters AS332 Super Pumas, built between 1988 and 1991. tack Hawk and feel that there
would definitely be a require-
avianca to put dreamliners on madrid duty ment for this type of aircraft in
routes Star Alliance carrier Avianca is to deploy its new Boeing many countries, says HAL
787-8s to Madrid, Spain, from July, with the Dreamliners to gradually chairman T Suvarna Raju.
replace Airbus A330s on routes from Bogot, Cali and Medelln. The We are looking at the further
Colombian flag carrier has received five 787s since December 2014 weaponisation of the Hawk,
and has another 10 on order, Flightglobals Ascend Fleets database though it has already been de-
shows. So far used to serve Latin American destinations, the aircraft clared as weapons-capable to a
are configured with 28 business-class seats and 222 in economy. limited extent with guns and
rockets, he adds. We have done
fedex slapped with dangerous cargo fine some trials with rocket pods and
safety The US Federal Aviation Administration has proposed fining are looking beyond this.
FedEx $58,600, alleging that the freight carrier shipped improperly The Indian air force likes the
classified radioactive and other hazardous materials on three flights upgrade proposal, and HAL will
in June and August 2014. The FAA says the carrier did not provide incorporate further suggestions
pilots operating the flights with accurate information about materials made by the service, Raju told
on board their aircraft. Flight International at the compa-
nys corporate office in Bengaluru.
french military to acquire mini uas On 26 May, the airframer an-
contest Frances defence ministry is conducting a pre-qualification nounced that a memorandum of
process linked to a requirement for an initial 35 mini unmanned air understanding with BAE had
systems. Industry sources suggest that a future contract will include been concluded, for a Hawk 132
an option to eventually double the size of the acquisition. upgrade, development of combat
Hawk for Indian and export mar-
kets and maintenance solutions
for supporting the Jaguar and
Hawk fleet.
BAE has previously listed po-
tential enhancements as includ-
ing the simulated use of a target-
ing pod, real and simulated
smart weapons integration, plus
a helmet-mounted display sys-
tem and an increased thrust en-
gine with full authority digital
engine control.
Commenting on the Hawk up-
grade at Aero India, an MBDA of-
ficial said: Should we be asked
to weaponise Hawk with AS-
RAAM [air-to-air missiles], we
would certainly be able to assist.
The companys dual-mode seek-
er-equipped Brimstone air-to-
surface missile also could be
ideal, the official added.
The Indian air force which
currently has 91 Hawks signed
a contract for 66 examples in
2004, with HAL responsible for
the licensed production of 42. A
follow-on order covering 40 for
the air force and 17 for the navy
was signed in 2010, and 25 and
11 of these have been produced
to date. HAL will deliver the re-
mainder by 2016-2017.
A planned third order for 20
aircraft to equip the air forces
Surya Kiran aerobatic display
team has yet to be concluded. n

6 | Flight International | 2-8 June 2015 flightglobal.com

 Embraer sees This week
scope for E1s
future
this week p8

FIGHTERS James Drew Washington DC

F-35s Block 4 standard

in the balance for USAF
A s the US Department of De-
fense decides which new
combat capabilities to include
with the Lockheed Martin F-35s
Block 4 configuration, concerns
have been raised about the risk of
included in Block 4, ahead of a re-
quirements review later this year.
Once approved, the configuration
will be the baseline for future
Block 4 increments, as they are
rolled out around every two years.

Airbus Defence & Space

planned upgrades sliding beyond
Block 3F, and the overall price tag
as those modifications are rolled
out in the early 2020s.
Weve seen programmes where
our appetite is more than we can
Harrigian says his main con-
cerns are sliding things from 3F
into Block 4, and affordability.
Were trying to be as clear-eyed
on what we think we can afford, to Airbus is pitching the PW127G-engined C295 for the requirement
make sure as we go through [in-
contest Dominic Perry London

Canada fixed-wing
afford, Maj Gen Jeffrey Harrigian, crements] 4.1 and 4.2 weve got
who heads the US Air Force F-35 our priorities straight, he says.
integration office, said at a Mitchell The squadron will stand up at

SAR contest gets

Institute event in Washington DC. Hill AFB in Utah, with deliveries
The air force expects its first from September, and Harrigian
squadron of 12 to 14 A-model says USAF senior leaders feel

F-35s in a baseline Block 3i config-
uration to be ready for combat in a
limited capacity by August 2016.
Those aircraft will later need to be
modified to achieve full warfight-
ing capability with the full suite
of armaments and improvements
provided in the subsequent Block
3F and Block 4 upgrades.
The F-35 joint programme office
is currently defining what will be
Embraer interest
very comfortable about achieving
initial operating capability in 2016.
However, challenges include re-
ducing the time it takes to populate
the aircrafts mission data file with Brazilian manufacturer may pitch developmental KC-390 as
operational information, ensuring Airbus Defence & Space and Alenia Aermacchi line up bids
adequate resources and aircraft are
available for mission qualification
training, and managing software
glitches with the autonomic logis-
A irbus Defence & Space and
Alenia Aermacchi have con-
firmed their participation in Cana-
lo for the requirement, but is yet
to confirm its participation.
Bell-Boeing has withdrawn
tics information system. n das fixed-wing search and rescue the V-22 tiltrotor for the contest,
(FWSAR) contest, and could soon however, noting that the re-
be joined by Brazils Embraer. quests criteria remain focused
Ottawa published a request for on prescriptive aircraft specifica-
AirTeamImages

proposals in late March for the tions, rather than capability-

long-running contest, which
seeks to replace the Royal Cana-
dian Air Forces aged fleets of six
de Havilland Canada CC-115 Buf-
falos and 13 Lockheed Martin
CC-130H Hercules.
So far, Airbus and Alenia have
indicated their intention to bid,
offering the C295 and C-27J, re-
spectively. Lockheed is also like-
INCIDENT ly to offer the HC-130J, a variant
of the current-generation Hercu-
Engines clear on power-loss A330 les tactical transport already op-
Singapore Airlines, Airbus and Rolls-Royce are reviewing an in-flight erated by Canada.
power loss which affected both engines of an A330-300 on 23 May. Embraer is also contemplating
Aircraft 9V-SSF was 3.5h into Singapore-Shanghai flight SQ836 when pitching its developmental
the incident occurred in bad weather conditions, the carrier says. KC-390. We have received [the
Both engines experienced a temporary loss of power and the RFP] and we are analysing very
pilots followed operational procedures to restore normal operation seriously [whether] to be part of
of the engines. The flight continued to Shanghai and touched down the process, says Jackson Schnei-
uneventfully. The engines were thoroughly inspected and tested der, chief executive of its defence
upon arrival, with no anomalies detected, it adds. Flightglobals and security business unit. We
Ascend Fleets database records the carrier as operating 31 R-R will have a very attractive offer.
Trent 772B-60EP-engined A330-300s, with three more on order. Canadas Viking Air may also
offer a modernised DHC-5 Buffa-
based requirements.
Airbus has picked Provincial
Aerospace as mission systems in-
tegrator for the Pratt & Whitney
Canada PW127G-engined C295,
alongside training and simula-
tion provider CAE.
Alenias Team Spartan in-
cludes General Dynamics Cana-
da, DRS Technologies Canada,
KF Aerospace as maintenance,
repair and overhaul provider, and
Esterline-CMC Electronics.
Lockheed has an existing rela-
tionship with Cascade Aerospace
to support the C-130J.
Canadas FWSAR programme
has been running for around 11
years. The CC-115 fleet now has
an average age of 48 years, re-
cords Flightglobals Ascend
Fleets database.
Final responses are due by 28
September, with a decision due
next spring. n

flightglobal.com 2-8 June 2015 | Flight International | 7

This week
PROGRAMME dominic perry vora
Embraer sees scope for E1s future
Brazilian airframer remains open to continued production of current-generation regional jet beyond arrival of successor
E mbraer appears open to the
possibility of continuing
production of its current-genera-
tion E175 regional jet for several
years after the arrival of its re-en-
gined replacement from 2020.
The success of the heavier
re-engined E2 model in the
lucrative US market is depend-
ent on the positive renegotiation
of a pilot-contract scope clause
that limits the maximum take-off
weight of regional aircraft to
39,010kg (86,000lb). The cur-
rent-generation aircraft is below
that threshold, but the E2 weighs
in at 44,650kg.
If there is no change, then of
course we will continue to
manufacture the E1. But it is
difficult to say for how many
more years it could be two, it
could be four, five it depends
on the scope clause, says Paulo
launcher JAMES DREW LOS ANGELES
Boeing says RD-180 alternative unlikely to lift off
B oeing is yet to see the busi-
ness case for developing an
alternative engine to the Russian-
built NPO Energomash RD-180
that powers the Atlas V rocket,
even as lawmakers press the US
military to develop an American-
made version by 2019.
Congress tasked the US Air
Force to come up with an alterna-
spaceflight
Competition ignited by SpaceX deal
SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket has been
certificated by the US military to put
its most important satellites into or-
bit, injecting long-awaited competition
into a national security space launch
market that has been dominated for
almost a decade by the United
Launch Alliance (ULA).
The US Air Force Space and
Missile Systems Center announced
on 26 May that it had approved
SpaceXs participation in its evolved
expendable launch vehicle pro-
8 | Flight International | 2-8 June 2015
Geared turbofan-powered E175-E2s will enter service from 2020
Cesar de Souza e Silva, chief
executive of Embraers commer-
cial aviation division.
So far, flightcrew unions no-
tably the Allied Pilots Associa-
tion, which represents staff at
American Airlines have been
implacably opposed to any relax-
ation of the scope clause.
US carriers SkyWest Airlines
and Trans States Holdings have
tive propulsion system following
Russias annexation of Crimea last
year, but air force secretary Debo-
rah Lee James says leading launch
providers are not interested as
they are already heavily investing
in next-generation programmes.
Before we invest in another
engine were going to have to see
the business case and that the
gramme as an alternative rocket pro-
vider, concluding a two-year
certification process that was five
months overdue and involved three
Falcon 9 flight demonstrations.
SpaceX can now compete directly
against Boeing/Lockheed Martin
joint venture ULA for two launch
opportunities funded in fiscal year
2015 including a Global Positioning
System III satellite launch in June
and another seven from FY2016 to
FY2017, the service says.
For news from the Paris air show, including
digital issues of Flight Daily News, visit
flightglobal.com/paris
Embraer
firm orders for a combined 150
E175-E2s.
However, Silva speaking at
an event at Embraers facility in
vora, Portugal, on 22 May
played down the possibility of
the E170 continuing in produc-
tion post-2018.
The smallest member of the
E-Jet family is not part of the E2
programme under which the
Russian-made engines
power the Atlas V
conditions the air force allows us
to operate in are conducive. We
havent seen that yet, Craig Coon-
ing, Boeing president of network
and space systems said in late
May at an event in Los Angeles.
Part of the supply issues right
now are based upon the law of the
land and what Congress has en-
acted, and if that [RD-180] supply
is cut off, its going to be difficult
for a business case to be made.
The companys dilemma is that
it is pursuing, as part of the United
Launch Alliance joint venture with
Lockheed Martin, an Atlas replace-
ment called Vulcan. However, cer-
E175, E190 and E195 all receive
new wings and engines, with the
latter aircraft also being stretched
by around 3m (10ft).
Silva says Embraer is drop-
ping the 70-80-seat E170 as we
dont believe the market will re-
quire this size of aircraft any
more. He points out that the
backlog for the variant has
shrunk to just five.
Meanwhile, with a pair of or-
ders newly confirmed Azul
taking 30 E195-E2s, and Tianjin
Airlines a pair of E190-E2s the
firm backlog for the Pratt &
Whitney geared turbofan-pow-
ered family now stands at 242.
This figure is just one short of
Bombardiers CSeries total, but
has been accumulated in a little
under two years since the range
was launched at the 2013 Paris
air show, notes Silva.
Rex Features
If RD-180 supply is
cut off, its going to
be difficult to make
a business case
Craig Cooning
President, space systems, Boeing
tification for the launch system is
unlikely to be obtained before 2019
and, assuming the law banning
Russian imports is not repealed,
this leaves SpaceX with a near-
term monopoly for its Falcon 9 ve-
hicle once current RD-180 supplies
are exhausted around 2017.
flightglobal.com

PRODUCTION David Kaminski-Morrow Toulouse
Monthly A320 rate
could go up to 60
Capacity of engine manufacturers may be hurdle to potential
ramp-up by 2018 justified by current backlog of Airbus type
A irbus believes that it could
conceivably reach an A320
monthly production rate of 60
aircraft by around 2018.
The airframer has already com-
mitted to take output to 50, and
chief operating officer for custom-
ers John Leahy says rates in excess
of 60 are justified, given the
backlog of the A320 and A320neo.
Speaking at Airbuss Innova-
tion Days media briefing in Tou-
EVALUATION
Flight-test campaign progresses for re-engined narrowbody
More than 130 flights have been
completed with Airbuss A320neo
test fleet, which now includes the first
CFM International Leap-1A version.
The airframer says it has achieved
high- and low-speed performance
tests with the A320neo, as well as
noise evaluation for take-off and land-
ing. It has also carried out flutter test-
ing and exploration of handling in
normal and degraded flight laws.
Airbus programmes chief Didier
Evrard says the campaign has accu-
mulated over 440h, of which 420h
order David Kaminski-Morrow Toulouse
Leahy hints at air show take-off for regional A330
Maximum take-off weight is lowered for the high-density variant
flightglobal.com
Wizz Air looks to nail
down high-density
A320 offering
air transport p10
louse on 28 May, Leahy would
not be drawn on a specific time-
frame for a rate increase, referring
only to a date past 2016.
But chief operating officer Tom
Williams says the period around
2018 would be a sensible time.
If were going to go to rate 60
wed have to go progressively, he
says, adding that Airbus has previ-
ously been careful on pacing.
Williams points out that the
had involved the first two Pratt &
Whitney PW1100G-powered jets.
The Leap-1A version has been
newly introduced to the test regime
and had clocked around 24h in six
flights by 28 May.
Evrard says that he is confident
that both powerplant types will reach
the fuel-burn levels promised by
their manufacturers, pointing out
that Airbus has yet to conduct de-
tailed analysis on the Leap-1A per-
formance because it hasnt had
enough experience in flight.
Airbus
Engine suppliers CFM and P&W must keep up with demand
A320neo will be well into its pro-
duction cycle by this date, and
Airbus needs to ensure that its
engine manufacturers CFM In-
ternational and Pratt & Whitney
will be able to cope with the
ramp-up of new technology em-
Airbus and P&W have been ad-
dressing a maturity issue on the
PW1100G, he adds, with this relating
to a seal in the vicinity of the high-
pressure compressor. Some produc-
tion batches have shown slightly
more deviations during operation,
and flight testing was last week on
hold until the issue is resolved.
Evrard says that autopilot certifica-
tion is among the steps yet to be un-
dertaken on the A320neo, along with
hot-and-high performance testing,
plus functional and reliability tests. n
A irbus has indicated that it will
disclose an order for its re-
gional version of the A330 short-
ly, without identifying the poten-
tial customer. The company has
developed the variant as a high-
density aircraft tailored for shorter
routes through a reduction in its
maximum take-off weight.
Chief operating officer for cus-
tomers John Leahy says Airbus is
pursuing several campaigns to
sell the aircraft. I expect to have
an announcement by the [Paris]
air show, he adds.
Airbus has yet to secure an
order for the aircraft, which it for-
This week
Airbus
ployed in their Leap-1A and
PW1100G powerplants.
We have to make sure the en-
gine guys can match those rates,
he says. They have the biggest
technical challenge to deal with.
But he adds that the rate-in-
crease assessment must also take
into account second- and third-
tier capabilities; the ability of
suppliers to produce sufficient
simple components. You often
find problems in areas you didnt
expect, says Williams. You
have to get down into a real level
of detail to manage that.
Williams says Airbuss trans-
parency it is willing to disclose
full orderbook details to suppliers
and a credibility that comes with
delivering on its promises and
never having built a whitetail
will convince smaller suppliers to
make the necessary investments
in machinery, infrastructure and
staff to meet the ramp-up. n
mally launched in 2013. It has
been aiming the jet particularly at
the Chinese market.
Orders for the regional version
would help to bridge a produc-
tion gap before the ramp-up of
the A330neo programme.
The manufacturer has already
opted to cut its monthly produc-
tion rate for the current A330
model to six. Leahy will not be
drawn on details of open A330
sales campaigns, but indicates
that Airbus could avoid a further
reduction in this rate if active
campaigns were converted suc-
cessfully. n
2-8 June 2015 | Flight International | 9
AIR TRANSPORT
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network and fleet information sign up at:
flightglobal.com/dashboard

upgrade fleet david kaminski-morrow london

Wizz Air looks to nail down

tom zaitsev moscow

Let L-410 set to

be revamped for
Russian market high-density A320 offering
C zech Republic-based Aircraft Budget carrier is predisposed towards highest number of seats, but is yet to commit
Industries is to thoroughly
modify the Let L-410 19-seat
commuter turboprop with the aim C entral European budget
carrier Wizz Air is still ex-
of boosting the aircrafts appeal in amining the higher-density ver-
the Russian regional market. sion of the Airbus A320, but is
A new variant should replace yet to commit to the type.
the GE Aviation H80-200- Airbus has been developing
powered L-410 UVP-E20 model, 186- and 189-seat options for the
of which 70 units have been A320 an increase on the
built over the past five years. 180-seat cabin used by Wizz.

Airbus
The upgrade will involve a Chief financial officer Mike
fully digital cockpit, and w ill Powell, speaking during a full- Low-cost airline plans to take its A320-family fleet to 88 aircraft
increase the aircrafts range, year results briefing on 27 May,
speed and the size of its luggage said that the airline had studied a Chief executive Jozsef Varadi The airline has 59 A320s and
compartment, as well as higher seat configuration last year says he is very excited about plans to take this fleet size to 67
improving short-field perfor- but that the airframer, at the time, the larger jet, adding that initial over the current financial year,

mance on the back of reduced had not finalised its plans. concerns over turnaround time with the new additions to include
take-off weight. Were a business thats natu- have been allayed by the carriers its first four A321s. It plans to take
rally predisposed to taking the operational modelling. another 11 A321s in 2017 and 10
Provided [there is] highest density, says Powell, The way were phasing the more in 2018, increasing its total
adding that Wizz is looking to A321 into the system is base-by- fleet to 88 aircraft.
sufficient interest nail down an offering from base, instead of spreading them Powell says the carrier is
and backing, well be Airbus. He indicates that the across the board, he says. Well open-minded about financing

able to build up to 18 airline would standardise its get the right number of A321s aircraft on its own balance sheet.

configuration across the fleet. into one base, then move on to But it needs to be cheaper, he

aircraft a year Watch this space, he adds. the next. This is going to be a very says, pointing out that analysis of
Andrei Kozitsyn Wizz has already opted for a programmed introduction. responses from lessors and finan-
Director general, UGMK higher-density A321, with 230 Wizz is resisting a move to- ciers following a February re-
seats, which will begin arriving wards owning its aircraft, howev- quest for proposals showed that
in November. er, preferring an all-leased fleet. leasing was still cheaper.
Aircraft Industries, which
is owned by Russias Ural
Mining and Metallurgical contract david kaminski-morrow london
Company (UGMK), will present
the L -410NG mock-up at an
upcoming trade show in

Transaero plans superjumbo deferral

Ekaterinburg.
UGMK director general An- R ussian carrier Transaero is But Transaero had previously But it has not confirmed when
currently in talks to resched- indicated that it might have to its high-capacity aircraft, includ-
drei Kozitsyn says the enterprise ule Airbus A380 deliveries as defer certain deliveries for 2015 ing the A380s, will arrive.
is undergoing necessary re-tool- well as the financing measures as it deals with the effects of a Taking into account the
ing and will start serial produc- for the aircraft. downturn in Russias economy. economic situation, currently we
tion of the modernised turbo- The airline has four of the type The carrier has just taken de- are conducting negotiations with
prop in early 2017. on order and insists that the livery of a Boeing 737-800 in a re- the partners to alter the schedule
Ekaterinburg governor contract for the Engine Alliance vamped livery, and it says it will of delivery, it says. It adds that it
Yevgeny Kuivashev has visited GP7200-powered aircraft re- receive one more 737 this year as is also discussing the possibility
our facility there and requested mains in force. well as four A321s. of amending financing schemes
his administration to look at due to the current situation in
possibilities of using the
the banking sector.
L-410NG on intra-regional
Its delivery schedule for the re-
routes and earmarking funds to mainder of 2015 similarly did not
sponsor it, adds Kozitsyn. mention the four 747-8s the air-
Provided [there is] sufficient line has ordered, nor its six firm
interest and financial backing for Sukhoi Superjet 100s.
the project, well be able to build Transaero has yet to finalise its
Boeing

and supply up to 18 aircraft a 2016 schedule, saying it will dis-

year, he says. The carrier recently received a Boeing 737-800 with a new livery close details at a later date.

10 | Flight International | 2-8 June 2015 flightglobal.com


IFEC jon hemmerdinger washington DC
Systems are Gogo
after approval for
in-flight 2Ku tests
Satellite connectivity provider receives authority to flight-test
its technology on board a company-owned Boeing 737-500
I n-flight wi-fi provider Gogo has
received authorisation from the
US Federal Aviation Administra-
tion to flight test its 2Ku-based sat-
ellite connectivity service on a
company-owned Boeing 737-500.
The supplemental type certifi-
cate (STC) is the first of two the
company needs before launching
2Ku on commercial flights, a
milestone Gogo hopes to reach
later this year.
The initial STC permits the
Itasca, Illinois-based company to
SAFETY jon hemmerdinger washington dc
FAA task force to recommend on rules
governing the mental health of pilots
U S regulator the Federal
Aviation Administration
(FAA) is participating in a study
of pilot mental health issues and
may make regulatory changes
based on recommendations it
expects to receive in around six
months time.
The FAA is tackling the issue
of mental health after the March
2015 crash of G ermanwings flight
4U9525 which co-pilot
Andreas Lubitz flew into a moun-
tain while apparently suffering
from depression and the March
2014 disappearance of Malaysia
Airlines flight MH370.
US pilots undergo robust
medical screening, but recent ac-
Recent accidents
have prompted the
FAA to take a new
look at the important
issue of pilot fitness
US FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
flightglobal.com
A321 flap errors
led to alert
AIR TRANSPORT P12
test the systems radome, avion-
ics and one antenna on its 737
Flying Lab. Gogos next regula-
tory hurdle is to obtain another
STC permitting flight testing of a
second antenna.
Gogo says satellite-based 2Ku
will initially provide data trans-
fer speeds of up to 73Mbps, but
expects speeds to eventually
reach 100Mbps. By comparison,
Gogos air-to-ground ATG-4 con-
nectivity product has transfer
speeds up to 9.8Mbps.
Flight 4U9525 was deliberately crashed in the Alps by its co-pilot
cidents in other parts of the
world prompted the FAA to take
a new look at the important issue
of pilot fitness, the agency says.
A task force of FAA employees,
international aviation experts, in-
dustry participants, and aviation
medical professionals will con-
duct the study. Issues to be exam-
ined include mental health aware-
ness, mental health evaluations,
reporting of mental health prob-
lems, and barriers that cause men-
Gogo acquired its 737-500 flying
testbed in August last year
Six airlines, including
eromexico, Air Canada, Delta
A
Air Lines, Japan Airlines, United
Airlines and Virgin Atlantic
Airways have committed to test or
deploy 2Ku, Gogo says. Delta and
Virgin Atlantic will be the first to
launch the product later this year.
We currently have more than
350 aircraft commitments for the
technology, says Gogo.
News of the STC follows
Gogos January announcement
that it received regulatory author-
Rex Features
tal health problems to not be re-
ported, the FAA says.
The task force will deliver its
recommendations by year-end.
Based on the recommenda-
tions, the FAA may consider
changes to medical methods, air-
craft design, procedures, pilot
training and testing, training for
aerospace medical examiners or
potential actions that may be
taken by professional airline or
union groups, says the FAA.
2-8 June 2015 | Flight International | 11
AIR TRANSPORT
Gogo
ity to operate 2Ku from the US
Federal Communications Com-
mission, the regulatory body that
oversees airwaves.
Gogo acquired its flying test-
bed aircraft (N321GG) from Com-
mercial Jet Solutions in August
2014, according to Flightglobals
Ascend Fleets database.
Boeing manufactured the
737-500 in 1992, and Malaysia
Airlines, Air France and Czech
Airlines have previously operat-
ed the twinjet.
REGULATORY
ANAC warns of
Embraer trim
switch issue
B razils civil aviation regulator
has issued an airworthiness
bulletin warning operators of
Embraer 170s and 190s against
installing control-yoke pitch trim
switches upside down.
The 22 May bulletin from
Brazils National Agency of Civil
Aviation (ANAC) says regulators
have become aware of instances
of inverted installation of the
trim switches a condition that
could potentially result in
opposite commands on the
horizontal stabiliser.
This inversion, if not d etected
by the pilots during the pre-flight
or promptly detected by the pilot
flying during the flight when
pitch trimming the airplane,
could result in a s ignificant pitch
mis-trim which, in turn, would
reduce the airplanes controllabil-
ity, ANAC says.
The agency adds that Embraer
issued service bulletins in
February and March to address
the issue.
AIR TRANSPORT
investigation
david kaminski-morrow
london
Wings Air crew
did not act on
terrain alerts
S even years after a fatal Beech
1900D collision with high
terrain, Nigerian investigators
have released conclusions
indicating that the crew had
failed to respond to ground-
proximity warnings.
The Wings Aviation aircraft
(5N-JAH) had been operating a
domestic positioning flight from
Lagos to Bebi, which is located in
a region of high terrain near the
Cameroon border.
While a route check to Bebi
was a requirement of Nigerian
civil aviation regulations, the
captain the flight safety pilot for
the carrier had never had one.
He had only landed at the remote
airport once before.
The aircraft deviated from its
filed flight plan, says the inquiry,
continuing along airway UA609
instead of taking a more
northerly course. Investigators
state that the original flight plan
would have led the aircraft along
a less hazardous north-west
route to Bebi rather than the
southern approach in the vicini-
ty of high ground.
This deviation went uncor-
rected by air traffic control when
the crew transmitted estimates
for two off-plan waypoints.
The inquiry adds that,
because of the deviation, the
flight was outside of Enugu air
traffic controls zone of responsi-
bility when it was cleared to
descend to 5,000ft in a region
where the minimum en route
altitude was 11,200ft.
The aircraft descended to
3,500ft as the crew tried to locate
ground references and
landmarks. Investigators state
that the pilots began receiving
terrain alerts including a continu-
ous ground-proximity warning
lasting 36s.
Before the crew responded the
aircraft collided with terrain at a
height of 3,400ft. None of the
three occupants of the 1900D
survived the crash.
12 | Flight International | 2-8 June 2015
safety
STG delivers cutting-edge protection
S afety equipment specialist
STG Aerospace has devel-
oped a high-visibility product for
Boeing 737s fitted with the new
split-scimitar wing-tip.
The product, based on the
companys photo-luminescent
cabin interior signage, is intend-
ed to reduce the risk of ground-
handling vehicle strikes.
Split-scimitar tips are designed
to cut fuel burn. They feature an
upper blended winglet but also a
lower blade, which is vulnerable
to being hit. Luxembourg carrier
Luxair is the launch customer
and has installed the device on
three of its 737-800s.
inquiry david kaminski-morrow london
A321 flap errors led to alert
Air France crew selected incorrect settings after switching runways, triggering stall protection
I nvestigators believe an Airbus
A321 crews incorrect flap se-
lection while changing their ap-
proach runway led to a loss of
airspeed and the automatic trig-
gering of stall-protection systems.
The Air France aircraft had
been operating to Marseille on 10
March 2011 and its crew was
originally intending to land on
runway 13R. But after disengag-
ing the autopilot and auto-thrust,
and intercepting the glideslope of
13R, the crew requested the
change to the parallel 13L. This
was undertaken through an offset
manoeuvre known as a bayonet.
French investigation authority
BEA says the manoeuvre left the
A321 high on the glideslope
Air France has since amended landing procedures for the type
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network and fleet information sign up at:
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Luxair has installed the photo-luminescent product on three 737s
STG says its product brand-
ed VisiWing incorporates its
photo-luminescent and reflective
technology and ensures the en-
hanced visibility of the wing-tip
ecause 13Ls threshold is located
b
some 600m (2,000ft) ahead of
13Rs. In the manoeuvre the air-
crafts undercarriage was de-
ployed but the crew set its flap
lever to an incorrect position.
Instead of moving the lever
from position 2 to position 3
which would have shifted the
flaps from 14 to 21 it was
reset to cruise configuration,
which caused the slats and flaps
to retract.
The aircraft was travelling at
170kt (314km/h) after the offset
manoeuvre with a descent rate of
around 2,000ft/min. BEA states
that the pilot strongly applied a
climb input to his side-stick, but
did not adjust the throttles which
Air France
STG Aerospace
in daylight and darkness.
Development of the product
has been approved by Aviation
Partners Boeing, which produces
the split-scimitar tips.
were close to the idle setting.
The aircrafts angle of attack in-
creased to 10, triggering the
A321s stall-protection system.
BEA says the aircraft was
around 5.7nm from runway 13L
and slightly below the glideslope.
The climb input to the side-stick
continued to increase, with the
pitch reaching the maximum limit
allowed by the protection system.
Flight-data recorder informa-
tion showed the A321 descended
to 1,700ft before the crew execut-
ed a missed approach, subse-
quently landing without further
incident on 13R.
BEA says that the crew was
inadequately prepared for the
decision to switch runways,
which rapidly increased the
pilots workload and may also
have contributed to the incorrect
flap selection. The erroneous
setting went undetected and the
flying pilot did not question the
A321s airspeed.
The aircrafts alerting systems
did not warn about the low en-
ergy state because the jet had
been configured for cruise.
Air France has since amended
procedures, the inquiry says.
flightglobal.com

strategy Mavis Toh Singapore
737 key to unlocking Chinas potential
Boeing looks to ape rivals success in market as talks with Beijing on creation of narrowbody completions centre near end
B oeing appears to be in deep dis-
cussions with the Chinese gov-
ernment about the countrys poten-
tial participation in a minor way at
least in the 737 programme.
The parties have apparently
been in talks for a number of years,
but it appears that a decision on
whether to set up a completions
and delivery centre for the narrow-
body in China could, finally, be
close, according to sources.
It is unclear where the facility
would be located, or which local
parties Boeing will partner with for
the venture.
Any decision also depends on
Sino-US relations, which are
strained by Chinas increasing as-
sertiveness in regional territorial
disputes, as well as the strong im-
provement of its armed forces.
Boeing has distanced itself from
the media murmuring, limiting its
response to the standard line that it
does not comment on speculation.
Still, the airframer has offered
clues about its intentions in China.
Last year, Boeing senior vice-presi-
dent of sales and marketing for
Northeast Asia Ihssane Mounir
said it was analysing what tech-
nologies or processes it could offer
the Chinese above and beyond
those already provided by other
manufacturers.
Were in discussions with our
Chinese partners to see what we can
do with them from an industry
standpoint beyond what we are
doing today. I will never say never
to an assembly line, but it has to be a
product that makes sense. It has to
add value, [to China], said Mounir.
CHINA NARROWBODY FLEET
WESTERN-BUILT
Number of aircraft in service
Airbus
970
Boeing
1,030
SOURCE: Flightglobals Ascend Fleets
flightglobal.com
KC-390 nearing
return to the skies
DEFENCE P14
Sichuan Airlines operates a 100-strong, all-Airbus fleet, reflecting airframers growth in the country
It was interesting when it [Air-
bus final assembly line] was done.
But today if I went to China and
said I want to do the same thing
its a joke. They would say I al-
ready know how to do that. So
youve got to go a step further, it has
to add value [to Chinese industry].
Boeings downbeat stance on
local assembly is no reflection,
however, on the success that rival
Airbus has seen with its A320
final assembly line in Tianjin.
Work at the facility commenced in
2008 and on the back of the deci-
sion to locate there it has seen its
share of the narrowbody market in
China inexorably increase.
Flightglobals Ascend Fleets
database shows that it holds a lit-
CHINA WIDEBODY FLEET
WESTERN-BUILT
Number of aircraft in service
Airbus
157
Boeing
119
SOURCE: Flightglobals Ascend Fleets
I will never say never
in a major local widebody facili-
to an assembly line,
but it has to add
value [for China]
Ihssane Mounir
Senior vice-president, Boeing
tle over 48% of the single-aisle
segment, with Boeing just shad-
ing it with a 51% share (the re-
mainder is accounted for by six
Tupolevs). In total there are 1,127
Airbus aircraft in China, up from
just 200 in 2004.
On the widebody front, Airbus
has a 56.9% market share with the
A330 the dominant twin-aisle pas-
senger type in the country.
Airbus is also moving to in-
crease its widebody market share
and has floated tentative plans to
set up an A330 completions centre
in Tianjin which would perform
cabin installations, painting and
pre-delivery engine runs.
A widebody final assembly
line would definitely be of strong
interest to Beijing, especially
since it has plans to develop a
twin-aisle aircraft in partnership
with Russia. However, it is far
from clear whether either of the
2-8 June 2015 | Flight International | 13
AIR TRANSPORT
Airbus
big two airframers would invest
ty, due to fears over technology
leakage.
Such an undertaking is also
heavily dependent on the addi-
tional business the investment
would bring, and it is doubtful
whether widebody production
volumes would be sufficient to
justify such a move.
Those familiar with the Chinese
market suggest Beijing is also look-
ing at projects higher up the
value chain when it comes to dis-
cussions with the foreign manu-
facturers. While assembly or com-
pletions may be high profile,
greater involvement in next-gener-
ation jets is also highly coveted.
Against this backdrop, China is
building its own C919 narrow-
body, which has accumulated
over 275 firm orders and 125 ten-
tative commitments. Comac is cur-
rently putting the final touches to
the twinjets final assembly centre.
One thing is clear: as the coun-
try moves to overtake the USA as
the worlds largest aviation mar-
ket, and as Comac becomes more
of a threat, Boeing and Airbus will
go all-out to grow or at least retain
their share of the cake. n
DEFENCE
development Dominic Perry vora
KC-390 nearing return to the skies
Lengthy delay since first test flight was necessary to install certification instrumentation, says Embraer defence chief
E mbraer will in the next two
months resume test flights of
its developmental KC-390 trans-
port and tanker, following a
lengthy pause since its first and
only sortie on 3 February.
This lay-up period, says
Jackson Schneider, chief execu-
tive of Embraer Defense & Secu-
rity, was to allow the installation
of all the instrumentation re-
quired for certification trials.
Military approval is scheduled
to be attained late in 2016, with
first delivery to the Brazilian air
force that year or in early 2017.
Embraer will require around
2,000h of flight tests using two
prototypes of the International
ORDERS
Afghan deal will power more Super Tucano sales Embraer
New orders for the A-29 Super
Tucano appear imminent, with
Embraer Defense & Security chief
executive Jackson Schneider saying
it is in discussion with about 10
countries in different stages of sales
campaigns and expects to an-
nounce something this year.
Embraer has so far delivered six
CAPABILITY Greg Waldron Singapore
RAAFs Wedgetail fleet gains full operational status
T he Royal Australian Air
Forces six Boeing E-7A
Wedgetail airborne early warning
and control system aircraft have
achieved final operational capa-
bility status.
Australias Department of De-
fence says the 737-derived type
has proven effective while sup-
porting Operation Okra Can-
berras contribution to the fight
against Islamic State militants in
the Middle East with more than
100 sorties and 1,200h flown.
The aircrafts advanced multi-
role radar gives the air force the
ability to survey, command, con-
trol and coordinate joint air, sea
and land operations in real time,
14 | Flight International | 2-8 June 2015
Aero Engines V2500-powered air-
craft to achieve certification, said
Schneider, speaking at a media
briefing at the companys vora,
Portugal facility on 22 May.
The second flight-test article is
due to roll out in September or
October this year, leading to con-
cerns that the airframer could
struggle to stay on schedule.
But Schneider is unconcerned
by the ambitious timeframe. If it
was the first plane we were de-
veloping then I would be very
scared, but it isnt. He adds: We
have a very proven and experi-
enced engineering team.
So far, the only firm order for
the twinjet has come from Brazil,
of an initial 20 A-29s to the US Air
Force as part of the services light
air support (LAS) requirement, which
will equip the Afghan air force. A sev-
enth is poised to leave the compa-
nys Jacksonville assembly facility in
Florida in the coming days,
Schneider said, while visiting its
vora site in Portugal.
The 737-based E-7A has supported operations in the Middle East
says the services deputy chief of
staff, Air Vice-Marshal Gavin
Davies. As we transition into a
more technologically advanced
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your inbox every two weeks? Sign up at
flightglobal.com/defencenewsletter
Embraer
Brazils future transport/tanker got airborne on 3 February
which has committed to 28 exam- We have discussions already
ples. However, Embraer also with some countries. Two are
holds letters of intent from five pretty advanced, he says.
other nations, covering 32 aircraft. However, he declines to indi-
Schneider is positive that ad- cate whether the pair of potential
ditional deals will be signed off customers are drawn from the ex-
in the coming months. isting five-nation pool.
Embraer is producing the metal-
lic vertical stabiliser and wing
skins, and the composite horizon-
tal stabiliser for the KC-390 in
vora. Components for the third
Training activities for 30 Afghan prototype a static test aircraft
pilots and 90 maintenance personnel are due to be shipped to Brazil
are ongoing at Moody AFB in Georgia. shortly. Manufacturing of parts at
The LAS contract success which the Portuguese site for a ground-
could eventually total 55 aircraft is test article for fatigue evaluations
raising a lot of interest in the A-29, will begin in the coming weeks.
says Schneider. It is the only product Long lead-time components
for counter-insurgency applications for the first customer aircraft are
that is designed for this purpose. n also in production. n
programme aimed at enabling
improved communications be-
tween assets.
Separately, the DoD has dem-
onstrated a new satellite-based
communication system installed
on one of the air forces Boeing
C-17s. This allowed for full mo-
tion video from an Israel Aero-
Commonwealth of Australia
space Industries Heron un-
manned air vehicle to be
streamed to the strategic trans-
ports crew and passengers from
1,080nm (2,000km) away.
The DoD says such a capability
force as part of Plan Jericho, the could be used to view enemy po-
Wedgetail will be able to support sitions during a conflict, or to
future aircraft and surveillance help crews assess areas struck by
systems, he adds, referring to a natural disasters. n
flightglobal.com

Surveillance Craig Hoyle London
Thales selection
puts Cerberus in
Crowsnest for RN
Merlin HM2 prime contractor Lockheed Martin UK picks
rival to ensure airborne early warning coverage from 2018
T hales is to supply an im-
proved version of its Search-
water radar and Cerberus mission
system to deliver the UK Royal
Navys Crowsnest airborne early
warning (AEW) capability.
To be integrated with some of
the RNs upgraded AgustaWest-
land Merlin HM2 multirole heli-
copters, the equipment will fea-
ture numerous enhancements
from that used with its current
Westland Sea King 7 airborne
surveillance and control system
rotorcraft the last of which will
be retired in three years time.
According to Thales, the sys-
tem will maximise re-use of the
Ministry of Defences existing in-
vestment in equipment, training
and expertise by upgrading, up-
dating and adapting a battle-
proven capability.
Improvements will include
new modes for the mechanically-
scanned Searchwater radar, en-
hanced performance and data
processing, an improved human-
machine interface and reduced
weight, it adds.
Merlin system prime contrac-
tor Lockheed Martin UK will con-
clude the Crowsnest programmes
27 million ($41.8 million) as-
Crowsnest will offer airborne early warning cover on AW helicopters
flightglobal.com
France validates
E-3F update
DEFENCE P16
sessment phase during 2016. The
company selected the Searchwa-
ter/Cerberus combination after a
competitive phase in which it had
teamed first with Northrop Grum-
man and then Elta Systems to pro-
mote a solution using twin active
electronically scanned arrays.
We have accelerated our pro-
gramme delivery strategy in order
to sustain the capability seam-
lessly through our Merlin Mk2
helicopters as the Sea King Mk7
fleet retires from service in 2018,
says Air Vice-Marshal Julian
Young, director helicopters at the
UKs Defence Equipment and
Support organisation.
Previously valued at up to
500 million for 10 systems, the
Crowsnest project will deliver a
critical capability in providing
AEW cover for the RNs future
pair of Queen Elizabeth-class air-
craft carriers. The MoD says the
Merlin-mounted system will also
be used to support wider fleet
and land operations, following
its introduction to service.
Thales says its mission system
for Crowsnest will also be suita-
ble for installation aboard other
helicopters, as well as fixed-
wing platforms. n
Thales
Sikorskys coaxial-compound, rigid-rotor S-97 is under evaluation
techNology Stephen Trimble Washington DC
Debut test flight gives a
glimpse of Raider power
S ikorsky has conducted a first
flight test with its S-97 Raider
in West Palm Beach, Florida,
opening a year-long test and dem-
onstration phase for the high-
speed, compound helicopter.
The companys chief pilot Bill
Fell and co-pilot Kevin Breden-
beck performed three take-offs and
landings within a 1h period on 22
May, evaluating the aircrafts han-
dling at speeds of up to 10kt
(18.5km/h) while using a degrad-
ed mode of the fly-by-wire system.
The 5t-class S-97s pusher propel-
ler was left deactivated, with the
counter-torque function of a nor-
mal tail rotor having been re-
placed by the use of a counter-ro-
tating, coaxial rotor system, which
also provides vertical thrust.
You have a phenomenal
amount of control power with this
very rigid rotor, Fell says. There
is no lag. The aircraft responds im-
mediately to your control input.
Launched in 2010, Sikorskys
self-funded programme was ex-
UNMANNED SYSTEMS
Orbiter spawns lethal munition
A eronautics Defense Systems
has introduced a loitering mu-
nition variant of its Orbiter 2 un-
manned air vehicle, which it plans
to be operational in the near future.
The Israeli manufacturer says
its Orbiter 1K is launched from a
catapult and can fly for 2-3h, car-
rying an electro-optical/infrared
sensor payload and warhead.
When given a specific waypoint
2-8 June 2015 | Flight International | 15
DEFENCE
Sikorsky
tended by more than four months
to complete several new technolo-
gies. The aircraft supports a varie-
ty of projects within the company,
including additive manufactured
components, a low-fastener-count
approach to structural assembly,
and new composite materials.
The S-97 is a testbed for a lot of
new technology, and some of those
took a little bit longer, says Sikor-
sky vice-president of research and
engineering Mark Miller.
Proposed for light attack, scout
and special utility missions, the
coaxial-compound, rigid-rotor
S-97 will be tested at speeds of up
to 220kt.
Sikorsky and Boeing will draw
on the lessons of the Raider project
for their 13.5t-class SB-1 Defiant
rotorcraft, to be flown in 2017 as
part of the US Armys joint multi-
role technology demonstrator pro-
gramme. A Bell Helicopter and
Lockheed Martin team will also fly
their V-280 Valor tiltrotor. n
See News Focus P17
from a personal ground control sta-
tion, the UAV can be tasked with
detecting and destroying a moving
or stationary target. The system
also can loiter over a given area, in-
dependently scanning it before
detecting and engaging a target.
If a target is not located or ap-
proved, the UAV can be returned
to its operator, with recovery via a
parachute and airbag. n
DEFENCE
munitions
james drew washington dc
USAF hits hard
targets with high
velocity weapon
T he US Air Forces chief
scientist says the high veloci-
ty penetrating weapon (HVPW)
that its research laboratory has
designed for internal carriage
with the Lockheed Martin F-35
and other types is ready to
transfer to a development and
production programme.
The Air Force Research Labo-
ratory has been testing a 908kg-
class (2,000lb) rocket-propelled
bomb for attacking fortified tar-
gets such as underground bun-
kers and tunnel networks. Unlike
traditional gravity bombs, the
kinetic weapon is rammed into
the ground like a pile driver.
Little has been said about the
programme since its inception in
2011, but Dr David Walker says
HVPW has been very success-
ful, with the weapon now part of
a study into future hard-target
munitions requirements. These
also include Boeings 13,600kg
massive ordnance penetrator and
more traditional bunker-busters.
The idea is to get a heavy
weapon effect with a much lighter
and more compact weapon,
Walker told Flight International at
a recent defence science and tech-
nology exposition at the Pentagon.
The air force has not revealed
whether it would equip the
HVPW with a new void-sensing
fuze produced by Orbital ATK.
This can count the number of lay-
ers or levels the bomb has pene-
trated before detonating.
A test and evaluation pro-
gramme for HVPW was due to
wrap up in late 2014. The main
industry partners on the pro-
gramme were Boeing, Lockheed
Martin, MBDA and Raytheon.
Download the 2015
Wo r l d A i r F o r c e s R e p o r t
w w w. f l i g h t g l o b a l . c o m / w a f
Ruag 2015 strip ad.indd 1
16 | Flight International | 2-8 June 2015
programme james drew washington dc
France validates E-3F update
Air force declares initial capability after operational deployment with first modified AWACS
F rance has completed test and
evaluation of its second mod-
ernised E-3F airborne warning
and control system (AWACS) air-
craft, and declared initial opera-
tional capability on its Boeing-led
mid-life upgrade programme.
The Block 40/45 modernisa-
tion is the largest update to the
French air forces E-3F fleet since
the types introduction. Along
with the addition of four more
operator work stations, the up-
grade adds modern computing
systems and communications
equipment, improving the air-
crafts air surveillance and battle
management capabilities.
They have a much greater
picture of whats going on, so
situational awareness is much
improved, Boeings director of
airborne surveillance and com-
enhancement greg waldron singapore
Artamis scans Asian market for sales
L ockheed Martin has held talks
with countries in Southeast
Asia about a roll-on, roll-off mari-
time mission package for use on
its C-130 tactical transport.
The airborne tactical mission
system, or Artamis, would allow
Malaysia committed Hercules transports to the search for MH370
To get more defence sector coverage,
subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter:
flightglobal.com/defencenewsletter
perations in the Middle East.
o
Aircraft two was returned to the
air force in March, Ellis says,
with the remaining two to be
completed in October and June
2016, respectively.
Air France Industries is a
major partner on the programme,
installing the electrical, mechani-
cal and structural systems and
mission hardware on the aircraft
Boeing
at its facility at Paris Charles de
The French air force will deploy Gaulle airport.
the system until at least 2035 Flightglobals Ascend Fleets
database records the 707-based
mand and control, Mark Ellis, AWACS aircraft as having been
said at the companys San Anto- built in 1990 and 1991. The
nio site in Texas. French air force expects the
Worth $380 million to Boeing, mid-life upgrade to keep the E-3F
the four-aircraft upgrade started relevant through to 2035. France
in May 2013. A first example was is already starting to consider
delivered last July and has what type of platform will come
already been deployed on
next, according to Boeing.
Hercules operators to perform
maritime missions ranging from
search and rescue to anti-subma-
tion system receiver can be
hard-mounted to the aircraft,
which would also can carry a pal-
rine warfare, the company says. let equipped with two operator
Additions including a search workstations. This could be in-
radar, electro-optical/infrared creased to four or five operators
sensor and automatic identifica- for missions such as intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance,
business development principal
Lori Lindholm said at the Imdex
Asia show in Singapore.
Lindholm attributes regional
interest in such a maritime mis-
sion enhancement to territorial
Commonwealth of Australia
disputes in the South China Sea,
and the search effort mounted
following the disappearance of
Malaysia Airlines flight MH370
in March 2014.
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
07/01/2015 14:22
flightglobal.com

ROTORCRAFT James Drew Philadelphia
Boeing banks on success with SB-1
Manufacturer confident the result of its partnership with Sikorsky will meet the US Armys future vertical lift needs
B oeing is banking on its part-
nership with Sikorsky on the
SB-1 Defiant demonstrator to
help usher in the next generation
of rotorcraft for the US Army, but
still anticipates that its long-serv-
ing AH-64 Apache and CH-47
Chinook designs will continue to
dominate the skies out to 2060.
Being developed for the armys
joint multi-role technology dem-
onstration (JMR-TD) programme,
the SB-1 is expected to make its
flight debut in the third quarter of
2017 in West Palm Beach, Flori-
da. Boeing and Sikorsky are 50:50
partners on the programme.
The propeller-pushed, lift-off-
set coaxial aircraft will be as-
sessed along with the rival Bell
Helicopter/Lockheed Martin V-280
Valor tiltrotor to inform the way
ahead in the medium-weight
class of the services future verti-
cal lift (FVL) programme. If suc-
cessfully validated in testing, a
Defiant or Valor type of rotorcraft
would start replacing US Apache
and Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
helicopters in the 2030s.
Speaking at Boeings rotorcraft
manufacturing facility in Phila-
delphia, the companys director
of future vertical lift at Phantom
Works, Pat Donnelly, says the
army wants a speedy, multi-pur-
pose aircraft that flies faster and
farther than a traditional helicop-
ter and carries more payload, but
which must operate like a heli-
copter and cost like a helicopter.
We are helping the govern-
ment decide what they want for
future vertical lift-medium,
Donnelly says. Theyve put to-
Lessons from Phantom Swift are informing X-plane candidate design
flightglobal.com
Mueller prescribes
bitter medicine for
ailing MAS
NEWS FOCUS P18
The coaxial platform draws on Sikorskys past experience with high-speed demonstrators
gether a requirements list thats
exhaustive. What were doing in
our SB-1 Defiant is helping them
understand what the implica-
tions of any one of those design
features does to the aircraft.
The SB-1 is designed with stiff,
counter-rotating blades mounted
close together to reduce drag. The
blades will slow as the aircraft is
propelled to speeds of more than
250kt (462km/h); roughly 90kt
faster than a Black Hawk. Don-
nelly says the propeller reverses
pitch to slow the aircraft and
even act as a parachute.
There are advantages to the
tiltrotors, theres advantages to the
coaxial, he says. A tiltrotor is a
more mature platform, but we are
relying heavily on what Sikorsky
has done in this environment. He
points to that companys experi-
ence gained through flying the X2
demonstrator to 250kt, plus its
Boeing
current activity with the S-97
Raider prototype. The rigid coaxial
rotorcraft first flown by Sikorsky
on 22 May is built to cruise at
240kt.
Were pursuing our vehicle in
our [coaxial] configuration be-
cause we believe it buys helicopter
capability as well as speed, Don-
nelly says. The focus of our air-
craft is its agility at low speeds,
like a conventional helicopter. We
believe for the requirements as
specified a couple of years ago,
this configuration is the best.
Boeing says that its CH-47F Chi-
nook and AH-64E Apache will re-
main in production through 2020
at least, with the exact dates to de-
pend on future sales, including to
international operators. The US
Army expects to keep flying both
aircraft types through 2060, by
which time its FVL programme is
due to deliver a replacement in
both mission areas.
There are approximately 850
Chinooks currently in operation
globally, and Boeing has delivered
more than 2,100 Apaches since
the A-model variants introduction
in 1984. Flightglobals Ascend
Fleets database records more than
1,100 of the attack helicopter as
being in current active use. Boeing
says the US government will in
time need approximately 4,000
FVL platforms to replace its legacy
2-8 June 2015 | Flight International | 17
news focus
Boeing
helicopter fleets.
We fly in 2017, and [were]
probably flying for about one year,
Donnelly says of the JMR-TD activ-
ity. He notes that the army will
consider the SB-1 and V-280 de-
signs in an analysis of alternatives,
before publishing its final medi-
um-class FVL requirements docu-
ment. Developing a heavy-lift plat-
form to replace the Chinook is a
longer-term priority for the service.
In addition to its JMR-TD pro-
gramme involvement, Boeing also
hopes to develop a next-genera-
tion vertical-lift platform based
from its Phantom Swift: a ducted-
fan tiltrotor aircraft.
Donnelly says Phantom Swift is
designed to be much more effi-
cient in hover than the SB-1, and
to reach cruise speeds of 300-
400kt.
Boeing expects to complete its
preliminary design later this year,
before the US Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency will se-
lect one of four bidders to build
and fly a high-speed vertical take-
off and landing X-plane. Other
candidates pursuing the opportu-
nity are Aurora Flight Sciences,
Karem Aircraft and a Sikorsky/
Lockheed team.
Donnelly says Boeings candi-
date aircraft will be autonomous,
but that this is not the main focus
of the competition. n
news focus
REstructure Mavis Toh Singapore
Mueller prescribes bitter
medicine for ailing MAS
New chief executive warns staff of pain to come but promises brighter future for carrier
C hristoph Mueller may have
been at the reins of Malaysia
Airlines (MAS) for little over a
month, but employees already
have a sense of the changes on
the way.
In a four-page internal memo
sent to all staff not long after he
began the new role on 1 May,
Mueller warned the changes re-
quired to nurse the flag carrier back
to health may be painful; the medi-
cine is bitter, he said, and the fit-
ness programme required will
cause a lot of sweat and sometimes
tears. However, it will be reward-
ing in the end, he writes.
To him, it is clear that a reborn
airline complete with new uni-
forms, facilities, processes and
MALAYSIA AIRLINES QUARTERLY FINANCIAL RESULTS
$ millions
2000
Total revenue
1600
1200
800
400
0 -200
Jun Sep Dec Mar Jun
2012 2012 2012 2013 2013
SOURCE: Flightglobal
The shoot-down of flight
MH17 compounded the
carriers financial plight
18 | Flight International | 2-8 June 2015
Take the controls of your access to all
the latest aviation news and data:
flightglobal.com/dashboard
working style will have to be
built. In part, this will be aided
by the launch on 1 September of
lion on revenue of $4.7 billion. But
that was exceeded by its financial
performance during the first three
Malaysia Airlines Berhad quarters of 2014, where net losses
(MAB), which will take on the ballooned to $408 million.
operations and selected assets Therefore a cohesive, compre-
and liabilities from MAS. hensive business plan is required
But Mueller is brutally aware of to deal with many of its underly-
the impact caused by the fear fac- ing ills.
tor following the loss of two air- Trimming excess fat will no
craft in 2014 the disappearance doubt be a key element of that
of flight MH370 and the shoot- strategy. Its cost base is up to
down of MH17. People are not fly- 20% higher than those of its ri-
ing with the airline simply because vals, with many services per-
they are frightened, he says. formed in-house at uncompeti-
Of course, Malaysia Airlines tive rates.
was ailing before last years inci- Some functions will be out-
dents. In 2013, the latest full year sourced and specialists in other
for which figures are available, areas will be brought in as part-
MAS made a net loss of $368 mil- ners. In addition, staff have been
warned that job cuts are loom-
ing. Unfortunately the inevitable
$ millions uncertainty this has created
50 among employees has had the out the destinations it will serve,
Operating result knock-on effect of causing ser- its key markets, the aircraft it will
Net result
0 vice levels to deteriorate. use, its schedule, product offering
Mueller warns that the airlines and how to take on its main com-
-50 2015 financial situation is more petitors. No small to-do list then.
challenging than we all thought. FlightMaps Analytics from
-100 This is blamed on the apprecia- Flightglobals Innovata schedules
tion of the US dollar, sluggish de- specialist shows the flag carrier
-150 mands in certain markets despite still has a comprehensive net-
deep discounting, and highly ag- work covering Asia, Europe, the
Sep Dec Mar Jun Sep gressive, lower-fare competitors. Middle East, India and Australia.
2013 2013 2014 2014 2014 Routes, therefore, will be key. However, the airline is review-
Mueller says MAS needs to figure ing its European and Middle East-
ern routes to focus on network
contribution and profitability,
and to build on its money-making
domestic and regional routes.
FlightMaps shows that the air-
lines top destinations, by seat ca-
pacity, are Kota Kinabalu, Kuch-
ing, Singapore, Penang and Jakarta.
These are, unfortunately, also
routes where it faces cutthroat
competition from AirAsia and
Lion Airs Indonesian unit Malin-
do Air. Both of these budget oper-
ators have better cost structures
and have no qualms about slash-
ing prices to gain market share.
AirAsia currently leads with a
Rex Features
43.2% share of seat capacity on
domestic routes, followed by
flightglobal.com

Mueller says people are frightened of flying with the airline
MAS (40.4%), Malindo (8.3%)
and regional turboprop operator
Firefly (8%), itself a subsidiary of
Malaysia Airlines.
Mueller says the airline is
working on the assumption that
it needs to retreat from some mar-
kets until it regains a stronger
cost position to allow it to com-
pete on price. Growth, the ulti-
mate aim of this, comes in the last
phase of restructuring.
The process of recalibrating its
fleet is also ongoing, although as
yet with little clarity as to the
eventual outcome.
At the beginning of May airline
sources had said that a number of
long-haul jets were potentially up
for sale. A tender notice issued
on 12 May sought bids for four of
its 13 Boeing 777-200ERs, but
sources suggested it was also
looking to move on its four Air-
bus A330-200 Freighters and
even its flagship fleet of six A380
superjumbos.
However, the carrier has since
rowed back on that decision and
is no longer offering for sale the
four 777s. In an email sent on 20
May to potential bidders, the air-
flightglobal.com
Gulfstream defers
decision on G150
BUSINESS AVIATION P20
Rex Features
line says it has decided to with-
draw this tender/RFQ for the
sale and will not proceed with
the next step... The tender pro-
cess will cease on [an] immediate
basis. Bids on the aircraft had
been due by 15 June.
Turning the airline around, Mu-
eller expects, will take between
three and five years a period
which will require high levels of
endurance and faith in the plan.
But you can be certain I will
put all my passion and dedica-
tion behind the mission until it is
accomplished, he adds.
Meanwhile, a key piece of the
broader reshaping of MAS was
confirmed on 25 May, when Mo-
hammad Faiz Azmi was appoint-
ed as administrator of the carrier
by its owner Khazanah Nasional.
The appointment of the ad-
ministrator will facilitate the
transfer of selected assets and lia-
bilities from MAS to MAB.
That transition is a vital com-
ponent of the 12-point recovery
plan announced by the carrier in
August last year. n
Additional reporting by Laura
Mueller in London
STRATEGY Aaron Chong Singapore
Kuala Lumpur unveils plan for growth
The Malaysian government has de-
tailed its proposals to enhance the
countrys aviation sector in its five-
year economic plan, which was ta-
bled in parliament by prime minister
Najib Razak on 21 May.
In a six-point statement on avia-
tion, the strategy makes clear that
the countrys international gateways
will be continually upgraded in terms
of capacity and efficiency to cater for
the expected rise in air traffic.
The airport sector will also be
developed to strengthen institutional
and regulatory frameworks, as well
as improve capacity and review rural
air services.
A new Kuala Lumpur air traffic con-
trol centre will be built to replace the
current national control centre at
Subang to improve aircraft move-
ment capacity over the countrys air-
space. Communication, navigation,
surveillance and air traffic manage-
ment systems will also be upgraded,
allowing aircraft movements at Kuala
Lumpur International airport to in-
crease from 68 to 108 per hour.
Elsewhere, Sultan Ismail Petra
airport in Kelantan will also be up-
graded to include a wider and longer
runway, along with improvements to
taxiways and an expansion to the
existing terminal.
Najib says the government will
also work to improve connectivity in
rural areas by making improve-
ments to airports designed for short
Kuala Lumpur International will be upgraded as demand increases
2-8 June 2015 | Flight International | 19
news focus
take-offs and landings. This will in-
clude upgrading Mukah airport in
Sarawak and possibly relocating the
airport in Lawas.
MASwings, the regional domestic
subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, will
continue to serve as the community
airline for Sabah and Sarawak with,
the purchase of more ATR 72s and
Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otters,
the plan states.
An independent regulatory body,
The Malaysian Aviation Commission,
will meanwhile be created to oversee
national development objectives,
as well as to manage capacity of
operators and competition via licens-
ing and route allocation.
The body will work to transform
Malaysias civil aviation regulatory
frameworks, focusing on aviation
development including policy and
planning, economic regulation and
consumer protection.
Responsibilities for technical,
safety and security aspects will,
however, remain with the countrys
department of civil aviation (DCA).
The government believes that such
changes will further intensify ef-
forts to streamline all airports ac-
cording to their hierarchy.
Furthermore, Kuala Lumpur is
also proposing to spin-off the DCA to
ensure financial and management
independence. Such a move, it be-
lieves, will improve the capacity, qual-
ity and competence of its staff. n
Rex Features
BUSINESS AVIATION
strategy stephen trimble geneva
Gulfstream defers decision on G150
President of business jet manufacturer says the market situation for its 10-year-old midsize product will have to play out
G ulfstream executives have
stopped short of fully com-
mitting to the midsize market
sector for the long term, as the
10-year-old G150 now faces two
new rivals with no replacement
yet identified.
The G150 and the G280 are
both based on products that
Gulfstream inherited from the
acquisition of Israels Galaxy
Aerospace in 2001. Were defi-
nitely committed long-term in
the G280, incoming Gulfstream
president Mark Burns tells Flight
International. The G150 [situa-
tion] will have to play out.
The mid-sized G150 entered
service in 2005 with a wing
borrowed from the G100, a wid-
ened fuselage, uprated Honeywell
TFE731 engines and Rockwell
Collins Pro Line 21 avionics.
The G150 previously compet-
ed against aircraft such as the
Cessna Citation Sovereign and
delivery
TBM 900 lands
on Mexicos
civil register
D aher has delivered its first
Mexican-registered
after VIP Empresarial, a charter
TBM
operator based at Del Norte Inter-
national airport in Monterrey,
bought a TBM 900 from the
French manufacturers Mexican
distributor Jet Mach.
Although earlier TBM series
700 and 850 aircraft have been de-
livered to Mexican private opera-
tors, all have been registered in the
USA. The first TBM on the Mexi-
can civil aviation register will be
listed as XA-TSN.
Roberto Ramrez, principal of
VIP Empresarial, says his compa-
ny selected the TBM 900 for its
ability to operate in hot and high
conditions and from short run-
ways an essential in Mexico,
where many airports are at alti-
tudes of more than 6,000ft.
20 | Flight International | 2-8 June 2015
The aircraft faces tough new competition in a struggling sector
Bombardier Learjet 60XR, but
now faces new alternatives in the
fly-by-wire Embraer Legacy 500
and Cessna Citation Latitude.
Gulfstream introduced the
heavily updated, super-mid-size
G280 in 2012.
Compared with the G280
market, sales of the G150 have
been slower, says Scott Neal,
programme kate sarsfield geneva
Cirrus prepares its personal jet Vision
C irrus may have had a low-
key presence at the recent
EBACE show its sole represent-
ative in the static display at Ge-
neva was a German-owned SR22
but 2016 will be different, as
the US manufacturer plans to
showcase the first single-engine
personal jet on the market.
Minnesota-based Cirrus is
confident the Vision SF50 will be
certificated by year-end, leading
to its major show debut at EBACE
the following May.
Three test aircraft have been
operational since March 2014.
The Chinese-owned company is
now building the first production
model of the type, to be used to
verify the pilot training pro-
gramme. The second production
version in assembly will be the
first aircraft delivered to a cus-
tomer, says Vision SF50 project
manager Matthew Bergwall.
The wait has been longer than
Keep up with the latest news and read
in-depth analysis from the business
aviation sector: flightglobal.com/bizav
Gulfstream
ulfstreams senior vice-president
G G450, G550 and G650 rose from
of worldwide sales and marketing.
That [sector of the market] seemed
to take the hardest hit, he adds, re-
ferring to the 2008 financial crisis.
Deliveries of large-cabin air-
craft continued to grow through
the recession, but sales of light
and mid-sized jets struggled.
Last January, Bombardier cited
A single SR22 was on show in the static display at EBACE
anyone expected. The company
came close to perishing shortly
after launching development of
the SF50 in 2007, when the finan-
cial crisis hit deliveries of piston-
powered SR20s and SR22s. But a
buy-out by Chinas CAIGA in
2011 rescued Cirrus and the jet
development programme.
Cirrus still has more than 500
signed deposit holders for the
continuing weakness in the mid-
size segment as the reason for
putting development of the
Learjet 85 on an indefinite pause.
Gulfstream does not break out
sales totals between the G150 and
G280, but reports deliveries as a
group to the General Aviation
Manufacturers Association.
Since the G280 was introduced
in 2012, overall deliveries for
both models increased from 11 to
23 in 2013 and 33 in 2014.
By comparison, overall sales of
Gulfstreams three largest prod-
ucts now in production the
83 in 2012 to 121 in 2013 before
falling slightly to 117 last year.
Israel Aerospace Industries
continues to assemble the G150
and G280 aircraft at its factory
near Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport.
The green aircraft are then ferried
to a Gulfstream completions cen-
tre in Dallas, Texas.
BillyPix
Williams International FJ33-pow-
ered SF50, but Bergman says it
will approach the production
ramp-up cautiously.
Deliveries next year will in-
crease at a slow but steady pace
until Cirrus reaches a long-term
peak of about 100 aircraft per
year in 2017, Bergman says, al-
though the rate could be adjusted
based on demand.
flightglobal.com

Bombardiers Global 7000 will be powered by the new turbofan
propulsion stephen trimble geneva
GE beefs up blisk to offer
stronger Passport engine
G E Aviation has completed an-
other key test of one of the
most critical technologies in the
Passport engine selected to power
the Bombardier Global 7000 and
8000 ultra-long-range jets.
The Passport engine is designed
with a 52in (132cm)-diameter fan
blisk. Rather than inserting blades
into a fitting on a rotating disc, the
Passport manufactures the blades
and hub together. That design re-
sults in a narrower hub which can
improve the amount of airflow en-
tering through the fan and make
the aerodynamics of that airflow
more efficient.
However, this design also in-
troduces the risk that a single
acquisition murdo morrison london
MRO sale ends DAEs global ambition
Dubai Aerospace Enterprise to refocus on domestic base as StandardAero is acquired by USA-based investment group
D ubai Aerospace Enterprises
plan to become a global
giant with businesses in
expanding industry sectors has
effectively ended with the sale of
its only overseas subsidiary,
StandardAero, one of the biggest
and oldest names in the mainte-
nance, repair and overhaul of
business jets and their engines.
The acquisition for an undis-
closed sum of the Scottsdale,
Arizona-headquartered group by
New York-based Veritas Capital
leaves DAE with just one divi-
sion, commercial aircraft leasing
firm DAE Capital.
flightglobal.com
Stronger together
NATO AGS P22
Bombardier
incident of bird strike or foreign
object damage will require the
aircraft owner to replace the en-
tire 52in-diameter blisk instead of
a single blade.
In fact, GE has reshaped the ini-
tial design of the hub to make it
thicker, says Brad Mottier, GE Avia-
tion vice-president and general
manager of business and general
aviation and integrated systems.
The heftier design strengthens the
blisk to make it more damage-re-
sistant, but also slightly reduces
the efficiency of the airflow
through the fan, he adds.
But its still much more effi-
cient than a bladed engine of that
diameter, he says.
When it was founded in 2006,
the Dubai group planned to
launch or acquire businesses in
spheres such as pilot training,
component manufacturing,
MRO and airport management
and development.
DAE bought StandardAero in
2007 from Carlyle Group.
StandardAero is a factory service
centre for Bombardier Globals,
Challengers and Learjets, as well
as Dassault Falcons and Embraer
Legacys. Its Dallas-based Associ-
ated Air Center specialises in
Airbus Corporate Jets and Boeing
Business Jets completions. It also
BUSINESS AVIATION
programme stephen trimble geneva
Boeing sees future for VIP 747
B oeing could continue
producing business jet ver-
sions of the 747-8 and the 737NG
for several more years, says the
newly-appointed head of Boeing
Business Jets (BBJ).
Both types have appeared close
to the end of production, with
waning deliveries of the 747-8
casting doubt about the pro-
grammes future and the 737 Max
set to replace the older 737NG
family of aircraft from 2017.
But BBJ president David
Longridge says demand remains
high for the head of state version
of the 747-8 and the 737NG-
based BBJ series could remain in
production after the 737 Max is
introduced.
Its not completely out of the
question, Longridge says. Thats
Sales of the BBJ variant of the 747-8 have remained strong
has approvals for General Electric
CF34, Rolls-Royce AE3007 and
Honeywell TFE731 engines.
StandardAero, which also
carries out military MRO, was
founded in 1911. Veritas
managing partner Ramzi Musal-
lam says his firm will help drive
[StandardAeros] next phase of
growth, including expanding the
companys presence globally.
When DAE which is
majority owned by Dubai gov-
ernment-controlled concerns
was hit by the e mirates financial
crisis in 2010, StandardAero re-
mained a strong performer and
2-8 June 2015 | Flight International | 21
something we wrestle with all the
time: is there a market ongoing for
the NG version of the BBJ in what-
ever form it is after we start build-
ing the 737 Max?
Boeing is continuing to study
an ultra-long-range version of the
737 Max BBJ. We are definitely
very interested. We pester our
parents at Boeing corporate all
the time, Longridge adds.
The US Air Force has commit-
ted to buy at least two 747-8s to
replace the 747-400-based VC-25
fleet dubbed Air Force One.
Despite a recent decision by the
Japanese government to order
two 777-300ERs to replace
747-400s for VIP transport, many
governments still prefer to oper-
ate four-engined aircraft for head-
of-state missions.
Boeing
executives at the time insisted
DAE had no plans to raise cash
by selling the business.
DAE launched a pilot training
and education arm called DAE
University, but axed it after little
over a year. It also owned a stake
in Swiss-based SR Technics.
DAE managing director
Khalifa AlDaboos says the Dubai
group will now redeploy
capital and refocus its efforts on
building a world-class aerospace
footprint anchored in Dubai
and aggressively acquire air-
craft assets to expand its aircraft
leasing portfolio.
COVER STORY
STRONGER
TOGETHER
Although NATOs main asset for its Alliance Ground
Surveillance programme is Northrop Grummans
Global Hawk, development of the broader system is
relying on a team effort from all its member countries
beth stevenson london
A
t NATOs Chicago Summit in May
2012, the organisation signed a
$1.7 billion agreement with North-
rop Grumman to acquire the RQ-4
Block 40 Global Hawk high-altitude, long-
endurance (HALE) unmanned air vehicle
under its Alliance Ground Surveillance
(AGS) programme.
Now, some three years later, the first of five
systems is due to be rolled out in California
on 4 June, marking the start of a series of ex-
pected milestones for the HALE UAV, which
will be operated from Sigonella air base in
Sicily, Italy.
The AGS system to be owned and operat-
ed by NATO will provide intelligence, sur-
veillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabili-
ties to the alliance once operational. Of the 28
NATO members, 15 have funded the develop-
ment, while all will be involved in supporting
the programme.
NATO needed what was essentially a
long-endurance, stand-off ISR platform that
22 | Flight International | 2-8 June 2015
was already operationally proven, and that
was key, Jim Edge, general manager for the
NATO AGS Management Agency (NAGS-
MA), tells Flight International. So when
SHAPE [Supreme Headquarters Allied Pow-
ers Europe] and the NATO nations began
looking, the Global Hawk aircraft developed
by Northrop Grumman in the United States
was the only aircraft that fitted that bill.
There was a considerable need for ISR
during Operation Unified Protector in Libya,
and that absolutely demonstrated just how
compelling NATOs need really was.
Bob Zeiser, NATO AGS business develop-
ment director at Northrop, told Flight Inter-
national ahead of the roll-out: From one
This has been a very
successful risk mitigation
strategy all of the players
are working well
Jim Edge
General manager, NAGSMA
The first of five RQ-4s for
Northrop Grumman
the NATO AGS programme is
set to be rolled out in early June
perspective, this is a preview of the vision
that NATO has had for having an airborne
ground surveillance capability. Its the first
opportunity to see that aircraft it is a real
system now.
Following the roll-out, first flights for the
programme and testing of the system in Cali-
fornia will take place later on this year, and in
the middle of 2016 will be the ferry flight
the delivery of that first aircraft to the main
operating base at Sigonella, he says.
Four of the five Global Hawks and soon
all five are in final production now, so they
will roll out very quickly, Zeiser says. After
the first delivery, the other four will follow
quickly behind it.
We certainly know that the world situa-
tion demands the earliest introduction, and
we are striving to provide the earliest fielding
of this capability to NATO, he says.
Following the acquisition, an in-service
support (ISS) programme will be introduced,
and it is expected that the industrial team that
is currently involved in AGS will once again
team together to bid for this separate contract.
flightglobal.com

In the meantime, training is being offered
under the acquisition contract to fill the gap
until the ISS comes to fruition. A request for
proposals is due to be released towards the
end of 2016 or at the beginning of 2017, and
the contract will have to overlap with the cur-
rent arrangement for continuity purposes,
Zeiser notes.
At Sigonella, NATO is working with host
nation Italy and the contractors it has selected
to establish the main operating base infra-
structure. There are two phases to this: a
bridging infrastructure element, which allows
the delivery of systems from industry; and
then the main operating base element, the in-
frastructure for which will arrive later.
This has been a very successful risk miti-
gation strategy all of the players are working
well to make sure that this happens, Edge
says. We expect to be able to take ownership
of these facilities probably by the middle of
July, and our first entities from industry will
begin arriving with the ground systems late
this summer.
SCHEDULE
Parts of the tactical and mobile ground sta-
tions will be the first AGS elements to be de-
livered, and then the first aircraft will fly over
in late spring 2016.
We should have everything on the ground
side delivered in time for us to do the system-
level performance verification, but not until
we get the airplanes over there as well, Edge
adds. So the ground systems start arriving
before the airplanes, but well have the entire
system in place probably in mid- to late 2016,
and well begin the system-level performance
verification at that time.
All segments the aircraft, tactical ground
station, mobile ground station, satellite infra-
structure and the mission support system
will have their own individual tests at this
stage, and then they will all have to work to-
gether to deliver an integrated and executable
system, Edge says. Each entity will go
through a series of individual level perfor-
Global Hawk was contracted to be the base system for Germanys Euro Hawk offering
flightglobal.com
The US Air Force proved the UAVs disaster relief capabilities after 2010s Haiti earthquake
mance testing and then will undergo the sys-
tem level performance verification testing
where well have aeroplanes in the air and
test sensor control of the aircraft and trans-
mission of data.
This data will then be analysed and dis-
seminated as it would be in a real operational
situation, which Edge says is key to the sys-
tem. If we collect the data and then cant
push it to decision makers we have failed in
one of the critical elements of ISR, he says.
Initial operational capability (IOC) is ex-
pected to be achieved in December 2017, with
full operational capability (FOC) to follow late
the next year.
At this point its a very complicated pro-
gramme and we have a lot of hurdles to over-
come, but its looking good, Edge notes.
NATO is expecting a force of some 600 per-
sonnel to eventually operate and maintain the
AGS system when it becomes fully operation-
al, taken from all 28 nations that have pledged
to support it.
Northrop Grumman
NATO AGS
Northrop Grumman
Right now each nation is bidding on posi-
tions: maintainers, analysts, system operators,
pilots, command, security specialists in all
fields that will support the system; and the
nations right now are building their own com-
mitments to that initial cadre that will at FOC
in December 2018 number approximately
600 people, Edge says. SHAPE will slowly
build up personnel to get to IOC with about
250 people and then build up.
The nations are looking at what they can do
for NATO, and SHAPE is looking at what it
needs from the nations to fill its empty billets.
rotation
It is understood that personnel will be based
at Sigonella on three-year rotations in support
of the AGS effort. While UAV pilots are poten-
tially going to be provided by all NATO na-
tions, Edge suspects that initially only a hand-
ful of these will be able to do so.
But then again SHAPE and NATO are build-
ing a capability to organically train UAV pilots,
he adds. The pilots themselves are a relatively
small part of the 600 personnel that will be sta-
tioned there under the SHAPE AGS force.
Zeiser notes that while the roll-out of the
aircraft is indeed significant, its important to
realise... AGS is really a system of systems, of
which the aircraft is one component.
Airbus Defence & Space, Kongsberg and
Selex ES will deliver the ground segments
that they are developing straight to NATO,
and testing due to take place on the first sys-
tem in California will use a communications
centre that has been developed for the test
programme.
This ground segment is wholly developed
by European industry a great benefit for those
nations that want to re-use it for national
2-8 June 2015 | Flight International | 23
COVER STORY

purposes, but also it demonstrates the Able to fly at 60,000ft for 30h,
team NATO philosophy that weve had Global Hawks endurance will be
throughout this programme, says Zeiser. the longest among NATO assets
The RQ-4 and the Northrop-Raytheon mul-
ti-platform radar technology insertion pro-
gram (MP-RTIP) sensor are US-developed, but
although the AGS system will benefit from
this technology, the European involvement in
the programme is significant.
Selex ES is providing a transportable ground
station and the mission operations support
centre at Sigonella; Kongsberg the system mas-
ter archival/retrieval facility; and Airbus De-
fence & Space the mobile ground segment de-
ployable ground station.
Industries from all 15 funding nations are
involved, which has allowed national capa-
bilities from each to have been developed and
invested in to feed into the AGS programme,
meaning it is an off-the-shelf system.

BUDGETs
Principally the concept of NATO was to buy
a system that needed little to no development
money, says Zeiser. We realised that all of
our defence budgets have pressures and buy-
ing what Ill call an off-the-shelf Global Hawk
Block 40, missionised to NATO standards, is
what is required. Also, NATO required a mar-
itime mode in the radar that is being devel-
oped as well, but it is essentially a Block 40.
This precedes the maritime capability of the
radar being developed for Northrops MQ-4C
Triton variant of the UAV, Zeiser notes.
This will provide a maritime mode in mis-
sions that are very useful, like counter-piracy
in the Mediterranean, he adds. Triton will
have a maritime capability as well, and this
will be very complementary and interopera-
ble with NATO AGS and will be useful in
places like the Arctic, where prolonged, sus-
tained endurance is needed for military and
non-military applications.
Northrop Grumman
Because of the ability of Global Hawk to fly
at 60,000ft for 30h, AGS will have longer en-
durance than any other NATO asset, Zeiser
says, and will be able to transmit near real-
time data to anywhere in the world while op-
erating for these long durations.
The aircraft that were buying will certain-
ly support 24/7 operations; a single aircraft
can fly up to 30h unrefuelled, so you can do a
tremendous amount with one aircraft in one
sortie, Edge says.
NATO, Im sure, looking at that capability,
is able to project its communications and in-
telligence capability to support any mission
that they may undertake, Zeiser adds. We
can envision the full range of missions here
for NATO AGS: certainly for military mis-
sions and supporting the multinational forces
of the coalition but theres also the ability to
do non-military missions. For every military
mission that you can envision, I anticipate a
non-military application.
Edge adds that NATO will use the system
across the full spectrum of operations, so the
imagery it gathers will readily support crisis
response operations such as natural disasters.
The ability of the active electronically
scanned array MP-RTIP sensor to scan for
moving targets with its synthetic aperture
radar (SAR) capability is ideally suited to pro-
vide crisis managers with a tool that helps it
ering ground moving target indication [GMTI]
signals and SAR imagery a unique ability of
the system is to playback that GMTI history,
and we can show with very high certainty
where vehicles such as tanks, trucks and artil-
lery are sitting, and more importantly, where
they came from.
As a result, it meets all the requirements of
what NATO calls its smart defence initia-
tive, and the North Atlantic Council has re-
peatedly revalidated and reconfirmed NA-
TOs commitment to getting this system in the
field, says Edge.
experience
The Global Hawk has also had previous expe-
rience in aiding disaster relief efforts, Zeiser
says; the US Air Force sent the system to sup-
port the disaster relief effort following an
earthquake in Haiti in 2010.
Furthermore, Edge says that the fact this
will be a NATO-owned and -operated sover-
eign capability will provide an operational
advantage to the alliance.
That is a very unique capability, because
even in operations that NATO does today,
For every military mission
that you can envision, I
anticipate a non-military

find survivors, as it can loiter for hours for

search and rescue tasks, he says. application
Obviously military commanders will ex- BOB ZEISER
MQ-4C Tritons would complement AGS ploit the systems stand-off capabilities, gath- Business development director, Northrop Grumman

24 | Flight International | 2-8 June 2015 flightglobal.com


Northrop Grumman
many of the systems are brought by the indi-
vidual nations, he says. They unfortunately
and for good reasons inside the nations
carry restrictions on what can or cannot be re-
leased from nation to nation.
When NATO owns and operates a system
there will be no question of what can be re-
leased and what cannot be, and I think there
is a very big reason that NATO chose to pur-
chase the system outright.
Zeiser notes that the AGS concept could be a
model acquisition for NATO, with all nations
coming together to acquire the system, but with
all 28 nations benefiting from it and contribut-
ing to its long-term support at Sigonella.
That said, its a benchmark acquisition
programme because it realises that there are
defence pressures in each of the alliance na-
tions, and it is a capability that only a few na-
tions could afford by themself, he continues.
But by pooling their resources and harvest-
ing and taking full advantage of national in-
vestments already made in operationally
fielded and proven systems for the whole alli-
ance, it becomes the model that NATO will
want to carry forward in future acquisitions.
Meanwhile, the European operation of
Global Hawk could lead on to business deals
with other nations, Zeiser believes.
The Royal Australian Air Force has
pledged to buy Tritons, South Korea is to buy
Global Hawks, and there is also an emerging
requirement for HALE UAVs in Japan.
Global Hawk has previously had a foray in
the European market it was contracted to be
flightglobal.com
Germany may revive its Euro Hawk programme to replace its retired Breguet Atlantics
the base system for Germanys Euro Hawk sig-
nals intelligence HALE offering. Although the
programme came to an early end as the cost of
development escalated, some testing of one
delivered Euro Hawk took place, and some
further testing with the Airbus Defence &
Space-developed payload is expected to
occur as Germany explores a replacement for
the Breguet Atlantics it retired in 2010.
I foresee emerging requirements in both
Norway and the UK as well, Zeiser says. I
think there are a lot of emerging requirements.
The UK is awaiting its Strategic Defence
and Security Review later this year, which is
expected to indicate requirements for a mari-
time patrol capability, be it manned, un-
manned or a mixture of both the last of these
akin to the US Navy and Australia, which
have both chosen Triton and Boeing 737-
based P-8 combinations for this role.
Norway, meanwhile, also has an interest in
acquiring a HALE UAV, and is entering into a
defence review that is expected to address its
concerns regarding the threat from Russia and
monitoring of the Arctic.
contributions
In addition to the acquisition of the Global
Hawk, for AGS France has offered its Israel
Aerospace Industries Heron UAV in kind,
while the UK has offered its Raytheon Senti-
nel R1 manned ISR aircraft.
These, Edge notes, are not under NAGS-
MAs remit at the moment, but SHAPE and
the nations that are providing those contribu-
tions in kind have a set of NATO standards to
which they should adhere. This, at least in
theory, means they should be interoperable
with the NATO AGS and the joint ISR net-
work being built, although Edge is not cur-
rently required to test the Global Hawk AGS
system against any of those.
NATO AGS
Northrop Grumman
One of the key issues is that
NATO can do NATO operations
without relying on individual
national assets
JIM EDGE
General manager, NAGSMA
What we hope to be able to do in the fu-
ture through NATOs joint ISR level of ambi-
tion is to bring all of the information gathered
from all sources into a data fusion centre that
could be at Sigonella imagery and a tremen-
dous amount of signal intelligence can go into
the data fusion centre, he adds.
Zeiser says: This is a transformational ca-
pability for NATO. Coming together as part-
ners to provide a global capability for a global
NATO. Seeing this roll-out of the actual sys-
tem and the realisation that it is no longer a
dream but a reality for collective defence for
the alliance and its member nations is a tre-
mendous accomplishment for Northrop
Grumman and the entire team.
Our focus now becomes the site testing
and delivery of the system to NATO.
Edge says that when the contract was
signed during the Chicago summit, all of the
alliance nations were behind the effort, and
this is just as true now that the first aircraft
being rolled out.
During the 2014 summit in [Newport,]
Wales, there was an absolute reconfirmation
of the nations commitment to delivering the
system, and indeed they revalidated the ur-
gency of the system particularly in light of
discussions on the Ukraine crisis, he says.
One of the key issues is that NATO can do
NATO operations without relying on individ-
ual national assets that is an absolute key as
to why NATO is acquiring this system.
2-8 June 2015 | Flight International | 25
 CIVIL SIMULATORS
CAE makes almost three fifths
of simulators in this sector,
such as its 5000 Series
CAE
whos flying?
Our Civil Simulator Census maps the market for the manufacture and operation of
commercial aircraft pilot training devices. We assess the highlights of this years survey
ANTOINE FAFARD loNDON
A
quick look at the world of airliner
simulation reveals that, from a man-
ufacturing perspective, it is a busi-
ness dominated by only three simu-
lation companies. Canada-based CAE
provides 58% of the devices currently in op-
eration, followed by L-3 Link Simulation &
Training UK and FlightSafety International,
which have a market share of 23% and 9%
respectively. FlightSafety International in fact
specialises in business jets and smaller air-
craft, which have not been included in this
analysis. But its presence in simulation de-
vices designed to simulate Bombardier and
Embraer regional aircraft is noticeable.
Other simulator manufacturers include
26 | Flight International | 2-8 June 2015
Lockheed Martin Commercial Flight Training,
which acquired Sim-Industries in 2011, and
Mechtronix.
Flightglobals latest figures record a total of
1,231 commercial simulators in use in the in-
dustry. Some 34% of these devices are based
in North America (the USA accounting for
30% of the world), while Europe and Asia-
Pacific have 27% and 26% of the share re-
spectively. Looking at the leading countries,
China comes in second after the USA, with a
9% share for the 107 simulators based there.
The UK and France are the most popular loca-
tions for Europe, where a combined number
of 134 simulators are based.
While three manufacturers are pre-eminent
on the equipment side, the marketplace in
terms of operators is much more fragmented.
According to proprietary figures, CAE is again
the biggest individual player, with a 14% share
of the training market. The company operates
training facilities around the globe and owns
close to 170 airliner devices based across 26
countries. FlightSafety International, Ameri-
can Airlines and Boeing Flight Services follow
with shares of 6%, 5% and 4% respectively.
Operators with smaller shares than that make
up the remaining 71% of the market.
TYPES
When it comes to aircraft types, the Airbus
A320 and Boeing 737 families NG and clas-
sic variants combined dominate with 21%
and 18% of the market share respectively.
Simulators for the A330/A340, 777 and 747
widebodies have shares of 9%, 6% and 5% of
flightglobal.com
 CENSUS

MARKET SHARE BY SIMULATOR MARKET SHARE BY COUNTRY

MANUFACTURER
Total: 1,231 Total: 1,231 Canada
France 4%
L-3 Link UK Other
6% 45%
CAE 23%
FSI
58% 9%

UK
6%

Other
10% China
9% USA
SOURCE: Flightglobal SOURCE: Flightglobal 30%

MARKET SHARE BY AIRCRAFT MARKET SHARE BY REGION

MANUFACTURER
Total: 1,231 Total: 1,231 Asia Pacific 26%
Bombardier
Airbus 6% Europe
33% Embraer 27%
7% Middle East
8%

Boeing
46% Other ATR
5% 3% North America South
34% Africa America
1% 4%
SOURCE: Flightglobal SOURCE: Flightglobal

the overall marketplace. Boeing represents MARKET SHARE BY OPERATOR

46% of the airliners simulated while Airbus Total: 1,231
totals 33%. Embraer, Bombardier and ATR ac- Other
71%
count for 7%, 6% and 3% of commercial air-
craft simulated while the 5% represents other
aircraft manufacturers.

Boeing Flight
Services
4%

American AIrlines
Flight Academy CAE
5% 14%
SOURCE: Flightglobal FlightSafety International 6%

MARKET SHARE BY AIRCRAFT TYPE

Total: 1,231 737 Classic 767

E-170/175/190/195 4% 3%
4%
747 Other
5% 34%
777
6%
A330/A340
9%

737NG
Download your free copy of the 14%
Civil Simulator Census 2015 at A320 family
SOURCE: Flightglobal 21%
flightglobal.com/civilsims

flightglobal.com 2-8 June 2015 | Flight International | 27

CIVIL SIMULATORS

KEN WALKER LONDON

Boeing Flight Services

G
operates 17 training iven the unprecedented wave of air-
campuses worldwide liner orders of recent years, strong
demand for simulators is unsurpris-
ing. CAE, which claims the top slot
in civil simulation equipment sales, ended its
financial year on 31 March having sold 41 full-
flight simulators (FFS), the second-highest
total ever, after 2013-2014s record of 48 (the
latest years number did not include a further
11 deployed to CAEs own training centres.)
The Canadian company is in the unusual
position of both selling its simulators to air-
lines, but then competing with them in the
third-party training market through its own
training centres. CAEs group president, civil
simulation and training Nick Leontidis ac-
knowledged the potential conflict of interest
during the World Aviation Training Confer-
ence and Tradeshow (WATS) in Orlando,
Florida, in April, but takes the view that: If
we dont sell [simulators], someone else will.
CAE has close links with fellow Canadian
company Bombardier over its much-delayed
CSeries regional jet, which is approaching ser-
vice entry.
We have a dual relationship with CAE
and Lufthansa Flight Training [LFT], ex-
plains Firas Saleh, Bombardiers director, air-
craft training. CAE manufactures the Bom-
bardier CSeries simulators, while CAE and
LFT have created a joint venture, Flight
Training Alliance, which is Bombardier Com-
mercial Aircrafts authorised training provid-
er and essentially trains our CSeries custom-
ers on Bombardiers behalf, using our
syllabus and methodology.
Usually for any new programme, the sim-
ulator needs to be ready to support the aircraft
Boeing Flight Services

certification and ops-evaluation of the regula-

tory authorities such as Transport Canada, the
FAA [US Federal Aviation Administration]

time to get
and EASA [European Aviation Safety Agen-
cy], which would come and fly the plane and

real for
simulation
Record orders for airliners around the globe are in turn
feeding through to demand for simulator-based training Boeing says business
and the ever-more sophisticated devices themselves. We is so strong, it is
turning some away
look at how the market and the technology are evolving
28 | Flight International | 2-8 June 2015 flightglobal.com

the simulator to test the fidelity of the simula-
tor. The aircraft certification is expected by
the end of this year.
The CSeries flightdeck, and thus CAEs
simulator, will have a radically different look
to previous Bombardier products.
On the CSeries weve had the luxury of
starting from scratch; were not writing the
design to achieve commonality [with other
Bombardier aircraft], says CSeries pro-
gramme director Sebastien Mullot. We real-
ly went for the best technologies available, so
we werent encumbered by anything.
We are using the CAE/LFT
network to bring training
closer to our customers
Firas Saleh
Director, aircraft training, Bombardier
This is the first time weve used sidesticks
on an aircraft and its the first FBW [fly-by-
wire] aircraft for us. The big benefit of sides-
ticks is that they dont take up space in the
cockpit, so we can have large display screens;
we have a really large LCD, 5in by 15.1in,
much larger than anything to date.
We have a simulator demonstrator thats
been around since 2005 to develop the con-
trol laws.
However, the lack of commonality with
previous Bombardier products will mean that
a full initial [training] course on a simulator
will be required for any pilot, says Saleh.
There will be no credits given. Whether a
pilot comes from Airbus or Embraer etc, that
pilot will still have to do a full initial course,
the length of which is still subject to approval
by the authorities. Currently, Bombardier is
looking at eight, 4h simulator sessions, plus a
check ride of 4-5h.
Our plan is to have one CSeries simulator
in Montreal. We are also using the CAE/LFT
Boeing
flightglobal.com
Airbus is developing more of its own simulator software for types such as the A350
AIrbus
A350 sims are being sited near customers
training network to access the market globally
and bring training closer to our customers.
Meanwhile, a new name in the civil simu-
lator marketplace is Lockheed Martin Com-
mercial Flight Training (LMCFT).
Lockheed, which has had long experience in
providing military simulators, acquired Sassen-
heim, Netherlands-based Sim-Industries in
2011, rebranding it earlier this year.
COMMONALITY
LMCFT produces simulators for the Boeing 737,
767, 777 and 787, as well as the Airbus A320
and A330/340, and is developing one for the
A350. It has two commercial aviation training
centres at Incheon in South Korea, and at So
Paulo in Brazil, where its primary partner GOL
Airlines has trained more than 1,700 pilots.
LMCFT believes several factors will help
it compete in a crowded marketplace, nota-
bly shared investment and technology read-
across between its military and civil simula-
tor sectors. Combining OEM cockpit
equipment and commercial off-the-shelf
products also gives its devices a modular de-
sign that takes advantage of commonality
MARKET
AIrbus
and enables easier maintenance and lower
life-cycle costs, it argues.
The new generation of airliners that will in-
creasingly enter service in the next few years
has created an unprecedented situation for
simulator manufacturers.
Increasingly, the aircraft manufacturers are
taking a larger role on simulators for new de-
signs such as the A350 and 787. Prior to that,
we would get block diagrams and informa-
tion and our engineering team would write
our own software, says John Van Maren,
vice-president, simulation at FlightSafety In-
ternational (FSI) .
With the A350, however, were getting
software black boxes [from Airbus]. This
means that the task for simulator manufactur-
ers such as FSI is shifting, from engineering
to integration.
Its a paradigm shift, says Van Maren. If
something goes wrong with one of the black
boxes, we have to have very close ties to the
OEM and take it back to them; we cant fix it
ourselves, he says. The situation is analo-
gous to that of modern cars, whose complexi-
ty takes all but the most basic maintenance
tasks beyond the owners capabilities.
This change has both positives and nega-
tives, he says.
A major pro is that we are using the soft-
ware thats deployed in the actual aircraft, or
modified by the OEM, so we know its accu-
rate. A con is that the engineer does not
know enough about the internal workings of
the module, since theres no visibility into
what the module is doing.
I think the OEMs are seeing an opportuni-
ty to better protect their intellectual property,
instead of handing over block diagrams that
show their internal workings.
2-8 June 2015 | Flight International | 29
CIVIL SIMULATORS
LMCFT says it believes that Lockheeds
legacy as a systems integrator will help it cope
with this trend.
For its part, Airbus says it is developing
more of the software for simulators partly be-
cause of the increasing complexity of aircraft
such as the A350 and A380, but also because
of export control limitations. The simulator
manufacturers appreciate receiving a plug
and play system from the OEM, believes
Antoine Renaud, head of Airbuss simulator
data group.
Airbus plans to station A350 simulators
close to its customers location, which is why
an early location will be Singapore, which may
eventually have up to four such machines.
This is the place where we believe we have to
be, says Renaud. The first is scheduled to be
in place by the end of this year.
Boeing Flight Services, meanwhile, reports
that demand for simulator training is busier
than ever. Were going gangbusters, says
Sherry Carbary, vice-president, Boeing Flight
Services. Were actually turning customers
away on a daily basis.
CAPACITY
Boeing Flight Services operates 17 training
campuses worldwide, with three offering ad-
vanced 787 training suites for both flight and
maintenance technician training. Three 787
simulators are based at London Gatwick, with
two apiece at Miami and Singapore. One simu-
lator has also been placed in Shanghai, specifi-
cally for Boeings Chinese customers.
Were always looking at what makes sense
in terms of more capacity. Weve added multi-
ple devices across the network and we keep
adding them, says Carbary.
If youre a new customer or youre operat-
FlightSafety
International
operates 300
simulators
30 | Flight International | 2-8 June 2015
Bombardier plans to use providers global networks to offer training for its new CSeries
ing a new Boeing aircraft type and need train-
ing, you will always get your training time.
But its the case that were sometimes so
full that if someone calls us and says Id like
to get 20 crews [trained] on the 777, we have
to sometimes say: We cant do it.
To get round this problem, Boeing some-
times refers the customer to airlines with
which it has a close relationship and which
may have spare simulator capacity.
Like Airbus, Boeing is moving towards a
situation where it has more input into simula-
tors, notably those for the 787. The simulator
will still be produced by the simulator manu-
facturer, says Carbary, but the Boeing com-
ponent has grown quite a bit. As well as the
data packages it traditionally supplied to the
simulator manufacturers, Boeing now pro-
vides hardware: All the stuff that will be on
the flightdeck.
New features are starting to be incorporated
Flight Safety
Bombardier
into the latest generation of simulators. Fol-
lowing a series of loss of control in flight
(LOC-I) accidents in recent years that have
made it the worlds primary cause of airline
fatalities, the phenomenon is starting to be
tackled in simulators.
At WATS, CAE announced it had qualified
the worlds first simulators equipped with
Upset Prevention and Recovery Training
(UPRT) instructor stations approved by both
the FAA and EASA. New FAA regulations to
enhance training to tackle LOC-I are on the
way, but the move by CAE pre-empts these.
UPRT is a very hot topic in the industry,
confirms Dr Nidal Sammur, director, engi-
neering, at FSI. Software is currently being
developed to allow stall manoeuvres and re-
covery to be performed.
FSIs recovery programme has been demon-
strated to a number of major flight operations
departments and has been extremely well re-
ceived, says the company. Its first such pro-
gramme has been developed not for an airliner
but the Gulfstream G550 executive jet, with
training now underway in Savannah, Georgia.
Were going gangbusters.
Were turning customers
away on a daily basis
Sherry Carbary
Vice-president, Boeing Flight Services
Among other developments from FSI is a
new software module that gives greater fideli-
ty for taxiing practice. That is being installed
on new-build simulators and will be available
for retrofitting.
FSI operates a fleet of some 300 simulators
in 40 learning centres around the world.
The company has primarily focused on pro-
viding simulators for the regional airliner
market but, like many airlines, is up-gauging.
We have an A350 simulator in test today,
flightglobal.com
 MARKET

says Van Maren. Currently, he believes the
only operational A350 simulator is at Airbuss
Toulouse plant, although I know one or two
others have been delivered. FSIs example is
completing its testing procedures but he can-
not say for which customer it is destined.
CONVERSION
Boeing is placing emphasis on the relatively
short time required to convert from other
types in its range to the 787. A 777 pilot, for
example, would require just five days to move
over to the more modern design: two in the
classroom and three in an FFS.
It is aiming for similarly short conversion
times to its latest aircraft, the 737 Max and the
777X. In the Max development, were count-
ing on pilots coming off the [737] New Gener-
ation on to a Max with very little additional
training needed, says Carbary. The details
are still being worked through, and the regula-
tor will have to get involved to certify the re-
quired training period. A similarly small
jump is the goal with the 777X.
Airbus, too, is emphasising the short time
required for conversions. The A330 and A350
days four working on systems knowledge in
the classroom, followed by another four in the
simulator although the simulator in this
case need not be an FFS Level D machine, on
which hours spent are accorded the same
credit as flying the real aircraft. It will, in-
stead, be a fixed-base Level Two machine.
Meanwhile, new materials and technolo-
gies are being pressed into service to improve
the appearance of simulator visuals. FSIs
vice-president, visual systems, Jon Hester,
points to the increasing use of glass, rather
than the metallised plastic Mylar, as mirrors
within simulators.
For maximum visual fidelity, the surface
onto which images are projected should be as
close to spherical as possible. What the indus-
try does now is take a metallised plastic,
stretch it over a frame and pull it into shape
with a vacuum. This isnt a precise spherical
surface; use glass and you get a better picture.
Youve also got a very smooth surface, whereas
with plastic you get micro-cracks in it because
of the vacuum. This gives a less crisp image.
Mylar is also more susceptible to damage:
Somebody can accidentally poke a hole
through it with a screwdriver.
Advances are also afoot in the type of pro-
jectors used. The FAA has certified the first
laser phosphor projector, which gives a crisp-
er image and whose considerably longer life-
cycle compared to its predecessors eases the
pressure on maintenance teams from having
to swap out lamps in the increasingly restrict-
ed down-time allocated to simulators. With
airlines racing to train enough crews for their
growing fleets, it is becoming increasingly

Boeing
will have a common type rating. Converting common for simulators to be operating 20h
to the new generation twin-jet will take eight Boeing says 787 conversion time is short out of every 24h.

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From yuckspeak to tales of yore, send your offcuts to murdo.morrison@flightglobal.com
Not over till the
Flight lady sings
May I suggest you get your
esteemed Opera(tions) Editor up
to Holland Park sharpish to
report on this, writes Charles
Slingo Gilson, attaching this
publicity poster (right).
Sadly, it is not a hilarious mu-
sical based on life on the worlds
oldest and finest aviation maga-
zine (theres a bidding war be-
tween Andrew Lloyd Webber
and Cameron Mackintosh for that
one), but rather an honest and
funny opera based on a true story
of a refugee trapped and living at
a major international airport.
Gilson notes: I have the strong
impression some designer has
taken a good long look at the
mags cover design still, imita-
tion being the sincerest form and
all that.
We are duly flattered.
Pearse envoy
Following our recent Straight &
Level piece about Connecticuts
claim to the first man to under-
take powered flight one Gus-
tave Whitehead in 1910 New
Zealand has entered the fray.
A phone card produced by Tel-
ecom New Zealand, spotted by
Alexander Field, honours Kiwi
Richard Pearse, the first to
achieve a powered take-off in an
aeroplane 1903. Field admits
to not knowing about Pearse, de-
spite being an avid follower of
aviation history, and a Google
enquiry sheds only a little more
light on the aviators exploits.
There are suggestions that
Pearse, a farmer and inventor,
may have built and flown a pow-
ered aircraft nine months before
the Wrights. But because he was
from a remote part of a country
that was itself pretty cut off from
Call me later?
flightglobal.com
Imitation of Flight: is this some sort of cover-up?
the world, his claims gathered lit-
tle traction. His modesty, plus a
lack of written and photographic
evidence, ensured his obscurity.
Pearse continued his home-
built exploits into the 1940s but
became reclusive and paranoid.
He died in 1953, but many in
New Zealand, where he has a
memorial, consider him the real
father of powered flight.
Youre Spitfired!
The Daily Telegraph may be the
favoured read of retired group
captains in the English shires, but
they would have been spluttering
into their G&Ts at the sight of its
recent front page faux pas. They
werent the only ones. Serious-
ly, how can the Telegraph not
know the difference between a
Hurricane and a Spitfire? thun-
dered former Top Gear presenter
Jeremy Clarkson on Twitter.
STRAIGHT&LEVEL
Opera Holland Park
Wright idea
While the British government
was shelving aeronautics as
outside serious
consideration of a
ministry juggling
National
Insurance, pensions and
disestablishment of the
church, Italy had made up her
mind that it would be a
suicidal policy to pooh-pooh
all that was likely to follow
the great pioneer work of the
Wright brothers.
Bombers away
The invasion of the Low
Countries brought the RAF
the opening for
which it had been
anxiously waiting
since the
beginning of the war.
Everyone unites in a chorus
of praise for the work of our
bomber pilots. They were
daring and they were clever.
Super plan
The Minister of Aviation
expresses the hope that
BOAC will
consider
developments of
the Super VC10
to meet the competitive
challenge of the big new
250-seat developments from
Boeing and Douglas.
Soviet link
Honeywell has clinched an
agreement with the Soviet
Union to develop
a new civilian
satellite
navigation
Battle not get it wrong system which will link the
Soviet global national
satellite system, Glonass,
Down blunder and the US Navstar Global
Not that we can be too cocky. Positioning System for the
Russell Hancock and several oth- first time.
ers wrote to us to point out that
after highlighting another publi- 100-year archive
cations hilarious typo in Straight Every issue of Flight
& Level we went on to refer to from 1909 onwards
Scoot as an Australian airline. It can be viewed online at
is, of course, Singaporean. Hum- flightglobal.com/archive
ble pie duly consumed.
2-8 June 2015 | Flight International | 33
letters
FLIGHT
INTERNATIONAL
We welcome your letters on
any aspect of the aerospace
industry.
Please write to: The Editor,
Flight International, Quadrant
House, The Quadrant, Sutton,
Surrey SM2 5AS, UK.
Or email flight.international@
flightglobal.com
The opinions on this page do not
necessarily represent those of the editor.
Flight International
Letters cannot
without a full postalpublish
addressletters
sup-
without
plied mayname andpublished.
not be address. Letters must
may
be nobemore
also than 250
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on flightglobal.com
must be no longer than 250 words.
Worrying threats
to flight safety
Your letters Putting profit before
proficiency and Get a grip
EASA (Flight International,
12-18 May) left me worried as to
where the aviation industry and
safety in particular are being led.
Not only do I not want a
tired and stressed captain and
an incompetent, cash-strapped
600h first officer in charge, but
I also do not want them flying
aircraft that have been main-
tained but not inspected by li-
censed aircraft examiners.
It seems to me that the one in-
dustry claiming to be totally safe-
ty-orientated has in fact not taken
on board any lessons at all from
previous accidents, and commer-
cial pressure is winning through.
Regulatory oversight was first
implemented by the (UK) gov-
ernment in 1919 to protect citi-
zens from the hazard above. The
dog was clearly in control of the
tail back then. However, it would
seem that today the tail is indeed
wagging the dog.
The situation is an accident
waiting to happen.
Steve Roberts
Bracknell, UK
34 | Flight International | 2-8 June 2015
flight.international@flightglobal.com
pends on the operation, but yes,
comfort
spinning up the wheels before
Right at the seat of the matter landing would reduce tyre wear.
Its time to speak up for the The main question (Flight In-
people who keep airlines air- ternational, 5-11 May) is whether
borne: the self-paying, self- its worthwhile, given that any
loading cargo. system would add weight and
Private passengers usually fuel consumption. Despite many
cannot afford business class, bright ideas, none has demon-
we end up in cattle class strated an economic advantage.
and try to like it. Only some Airliner wheels are not gener-
Rex Features
airlines make liking it more ally balanced after assembly (be-
difficult than others, and they yond aligning any balance mark
are the ones with the short Sitting comfortably? Too bad on the tyre with the inflation
seat pitch. valve), because the effects of tyre
The entire airline industry should reconsider the wisdom or other- wear and the simple mass of the
wise of allowing reclining seats in economy: short-haul or long-haul. wheel together make precision
When the guy in front of you reclines his seat, he steals a balancing pointless.
chunk of your already severely limited space. The sole solution is to Des Senior
recline likewise, and steal space from the guy behind you.
On 30 August 2014, The Independent reported the arrest of a
Luton, UK
French passenger on an American Airlines Miami-Paris flight, which A weapon called
was diverted to Boston after he objected when the woman in front
reclined her seat. the word
That report referred to an incident on United 1462, two days be- Okay, so it seems the battle
fore, when a passenger used a $22 device called a Knee Defender. against airframer is lost. But
On finding she couldnt recline her seat, the woman in front threw a weaponised (Flight Interna-
glass of water over him. tional, 12-18 May)? Whats
I predict, before long, a stand-up fight over reclining seats. In wrong with armed? It even
economy, they should be banned altogether. When is ICAO going to saves time, space and ink!
wise up? Supposing for a moment that
David Boggis the word weaponised actually
Matignon, France exists; wouldnt it mean turned
into a weapon, like the Japanese
suicide bombers or the German
no further than we the passen- Mistel combination?
In defence of BA gers combing the internet for Rich Lambert
I think David Stevens (Flight In- the best deals. Companies are no Farnborough, UK
ternational, 26 May-1 June) is less culpable, trimming travel
being a little unkind to BA. They
have had to respond to the com-
budgets by insisting their em-
ployees take EasyJet and Ryanair.
Could Typhoon
petitive threat of the no frills air- It remains to be seen whether cross the pond?
lines and have arrived at a rea- the Ryanair leopard can really Your recent editorial (Flight In-
sonable compromise. change its spots, but I for one re- ternational, 5-11 May) can be
I am happy to survive a 1-2h main sceptical. condensed to: In future, the
flight without food if I can enjoy Philip Rogers USA will be looking for more
civilised treatment, land at an Huntingdon, UK bang from its shrinking buck.
airport close to my destination Did the recent Red Flag perfor-
and have confidence in the train- mance of the [Royal Air Forces
ing and professionalism of their Wearing debate? Eurofighter] Typhoon impress
crews and ground staff. Wear on aircraft tyres arises from the locals sufficiently to make it a
If we are to place blame for re- three main causes: initial touch- worthwhile contender?
duced legroom, thin profile seats down, rolling and cornering. The Ian Kennett
and minimal cabin service, look proportion each contributes de- Harlow, UK
Build your career
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 RECRUITMENT
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WORK EXPERIENCE Dave Dennison
Relentlessly rethinking rotorcraft
Having entered the industry with Bell Helicopter almost 12 years ago in a structural research role, engineer
Dave Dennison has advanced to become assembly line manager for its 525 programme, in Amarillo, Texas
Where did you start out?
My first job was at a private golf
course in high school, working as
a cart boy, caddie and golf shop
attendant. I worked for seven
years at that job all the way
through college, and learned a lot
about how to deal with custom-
ers with high expectations. My
first aviation job was working for
Bell Helicopter right after I grad-
uated from Georgia Tech. I was
hired on to the research struc-
tures organisation as an airframe
designer. Some of the early pro-
jects I worked on involved ad-
vanced composites design, de-
sign for survivability and
advanced tiltrotor concepts.
What came next?
I have worked in a number of
roles and programmes primarily
in airframe design. I was a de-
signer and technical lead on the
Armed Reconnaissance Helicop-
ter (ARH) programme helping
build four prototype aircraft, and
helped start a production line for
a US Army programme. After
that, I was the airframe technical
lead for a single-engined light
helicopter development pro-
gramme, transitioned into the
technical lead for the Bell 429
wheeled landing gear variant,
and the technical lead for a cost
and weight reduction pro-
gramme for the Bell 429. This all
led to being named the airframe
supervisor for the brand new Bell
525 Relentless. I helped lead that
team through the conceptual,
preliminary and detail design of
the airframe structure, which has
personally been the most reward-
flightglobal.com
Dennisons assembly manager role is his first outside engineering at Bell
ing role in my career. Building on
that experience, I transitioned to
a manager role, leading the sys-
tems integration design team on
the 525. Finally, I transitioned
out of engineering for the first
time, as the assembly manager
for the 525. I started at Bell Heli-
copter in July of 2003, so I am
quickly approaching 12 years
now. I have been in my most re-
cent role for six months.
How large is your team?
My team is currently approach-
ing 60 highly motivated individ-
uals. These include mechanics,
electricians, supervisors and
managers. This is my first ven-
ture outside of engineering, and
has been a terrific experience.
Build your career
Try Flightglobal Trainings new site for the fastest
route to building your aerospace and aviation career
Bell Helicopter
save lives, is really at the core of
Few people get the opportunity
to heavily influence the design
of a cutting-edge rotorcraft, and
then get to build it after the de-
sign is complete. The learning
opportunity is immense. We are
currently building flight-test ve-
hicles to support our certifica-
tion programme, but later this
year will start building produc-
tion aircraft. We will be acceler-
ating our line quickly to meet
the huge market demand for this
product. My primary objectives
are to make sure the build of the
aircraft is on schedule, on budg-
et, safe, and of high quality. Ad-
ditionally, I am responsible for
ensuring the long-term strategy
of the Bell 525 production and
2-8 June 2015 | Flight International | 43
working week
make sure it meets our pro-
gramme objectives. This allows
me to be fairly strategic in my
role, which is always fun and
exciting.
Whats the most difficult part of
your job?
The most difficult part of my job
is keeping focused on the long-
term goals. The key to success is
being able to filter out the day-to-
day noise, and ensure you are
making progress towards your
overall big picture objectives
every day.
Whats most enjoyable?
Being around aircraft is always
exciting. The complexity of these
machines and seeing how all the
systems work together is fantas-
tic. However, seeing the passion
in our customers, and how they
use these products every day to
why we do what we do. That is
by far the most enjoyable and re-
warding aspect of my job.
What position do you hope for?
Personally, I would love to have
the opportunity to lead a new de-
velopment programme some
day. I, like so many others, got
into this business to invent new
products and technologies. Inno-
vation is incredibly exciting. n
Looking for a job in aerospace?
Check out our listings online at
flightglobal.com/jobs
If you would like to feature in
Working Week, or you know
someone who does, email your
pitch to kate.sarsfield@
flightglobal.com
Training courses to take you there
www.flightglobal.com/training
 01 - 02 SEPTEMBER 2015
MOHAMMED V INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CASABLANCA, MOROCCO

THE
NEW DESTINATION
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