Kyle Martin, vice president, European affairs for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), opened the conference by setting the scene. “I’m surprised to believe the rulemaking for what we’re going to discuss…started 30 years ago.”

“We’ve gone through a journey to where we are today—we have our regulatory regime in place, we have operations happening, but there’s definitely a massive untapped potential.”

The history of the rule—known as COM-SET IMC—began in 1993 with a meeting in Rome, Italy, and ICAO published the  initial standards and recommended practices—SARPs—in 2005. EASA and QinetiQ conducted a study that had an outcome supporting SET commercial operations with the appropriate safety mitigations in 2007, further paving the way. The rulemaking itself was launched in 2012, and the official proposed rulemaking was published in 2014.

In March 2017, GAMA celebrated at AERO Friedrichshafen the codification of the brand-new regulation—2017-363—and operators could ostensibly move forward, utilizing it to guide single-engine turboprop flying for commercial purposes, unlocking that potential. Six years on, that’s only very partially true.

Defining COM-SET IMC

The U.S. has allowed for the operation of single-engine turboprop aircraft—such as the Pilatus PC-12, TBM series, and Cessna Caravan—in instrument meteorological conditions since the publication in August 1997 of a simple and clear update to FAR 135.163 (62 FR 42374) stating the equipment requirements for single-engine turbine aircraft operating under IFR on a Part 135 air operator’s certificate (AOC). Canada secured its approval even earlier, under Policy Letter 80 in 1993. Until 2017, there was no correlating approval under EASA regulatory framework. 

However, that final rule contains requirements beyond what has been required by the U.S. and Canadian aviation authorities. It includes:

• the requirement to use routes or operate within areas “where surfaces are available that permit a safe forced landing to be exceuted”
• the need for proof that “an acceptable level of turbine engine reliability [has been] achieved in service by the world fleet for the particular airframe-engine combination”
• specific maintenance instructions included in the operator’s maintenance program, plus the need for an engine monitoring program or automatic trend monitoring, and “a propulsion and associated systems reliability program”
• flight crew composition and training/recurrent check program
• special operating procedures, including in-flight shutdown (IFSD)
• a “safety risk assessment” 
• a list of required equipment significantly longer than that in FAR 135.163

While these requirements may sound generally reasonable, in practice it has been a different story with operators who might seek compliance, but instead find alternate means to conduct business.

According to the folks at GAMA, with the EU’s larger population (739 million) and aggregate economy ($16.6 trillion) larger than the U.S. (314 million and $15.7 trillion, respectively), the disconnect is striking. At the time of the publication of the EASA rule, there were only 12 single-engine turboprops operating under EASA exemption, versus a fleet of 673 in the U.S.—many of those Cessna Caravans delivering cargo for FedEx, DHL, and other entities. Following EU implementation, that number has risen—to a mere 60 aircraft.

Yet the single-engine turboprop market has been a strong driver of growth in the industry overall, selling well with updated, more efficient models entering the mix, in high demand. Innovation surges throughout the turboprop segment as well, with advancements such as autothrottles, digital data management, and safety protocols like Garmin’s Autoland. So there appears to be a discrepancy between the fleet numbers and those on commercial operating certificates: “Only a small fraction of that [fleet] is actually working in the commercial IMC market,” said Martin, where their efficiency, reliability, and improvements to safety can benefit the public. One example: JetFly, represented at the SETOps conference, has 40 PC-12s in its fleet, yet not on an AOC. Contrast this with Tradewind Aviation, based in Connecticut, which just took delivery of the first of 20 more PC-12s to bring its fleet to 38 of the turboprops. All of those Tradewind aircraft have flown safely across the north Atlantic Ocean from the OEM’s production facilities in Switzerland.

As it turns out, the restrictions placed within the regulation are archaic and constrain the true potential of the modern single-engine turboprop fleet. “Operators are essentially not able to take full advantage of the high efficiency and reliability of the PC-12, and other single-engine turbine aircraft,” said Martin. “ They have to do strange routings to keep within a distance of landing sites, they have to go through an extensive bureaucratic process with their national authorities to get those routes approved, reviewed, questioned—it’s taking a lot of extra effort for no added [value].”

Performance-based rules should allow the operator to follow the intent of the rule and gain some ease of compliance. “But the inspector level at authorities,” added Martin, “they like to ask for paperwork, documentation, and justification—and re-justification. So there’s a mass of uncertainty out there.” Small operators feel that burden acutely, as they don’t have the staff to deal with the extra workload.

Some within EASA recognize that the industry suffers from over-regulation, a feeling that representatives from the agency revealed on Thursday at AERO during a report-out. The timing provided an opportunity for the assembled members of the SETOps conference to come up with specific, actionable recommendations to take to EASA to help streamline the current regulations and make them more workable.

In-Flight Shutdowns and Safe Landing Sites

Ralph Menzel spent 33 years flying as an operator and pilot prior to joining EASA in 2005. He served as the PCM for Pilatus, among other contacts with the segment. Menzel pointed out several pain points that he’d observed, including the difficulty in identifying landing fields outside of aerodromes and “getting them discussed with the national authorities.” These landing spots are significant, as, per the rule, an operator must be generally within gliding distance of a previously-deemed-suitable spot to land at all times along the route.

But achieving the needed improvements through another rulemaking Menzel feared would take “another 30 years. The easiest task is to [make the updates] through a safety promotion, interpretive material—things that we can put together right now.”

In-flight shutdown procedures form another critical area of needed clarification and work, along with safe forced landing site selection. A working group centered around the Luxembourg civil aviation authority, DAC-LU, has begun, with “good discussions already,” according to Menzel. 

For example, some countries are imposing operating weather minima on safe forced landing sites, regardless of the fact that when the engine-out approach is to an airport or aerodrome, the standard approach minima cannot be used because the aircraft is not following the published approach path. Conversely, if the safe forced landing site is not an aerodrome, no weather minima exist in the first place—and there’s typically no observation provided.

To counter this, DAC-LU conducted a study putting flight crews through a series of 50 IFSD approaches while wearing view-limiting goggles simulating IFR conditions and determined that with proper training, pilots could make the approaches safely in all weather conditions. The plan is to produce special guidance materials and an NPA for the next update to the rule.

Another problem surrounds the availability and suitability of the flight simulators for use in the required initial and recurrent training for COM-SET IMC approval, with only one available previously—a Cessna Caravan sim in Wichita, Kansas. “To take an aircraft out of revenue service, first to do a class rating course and the ACC, I probably need the aircraft out of service for six days, seven days—versus the simulator. Look, I’d love a full flight simulator based in [London] Gatwick—brilliant—but we need to be realistic,” said Edwin Brenninkmeyer, CEO of Oriens Aviation, Pilatus, and Tecnam sales and service for the British Isles.

What’s Really Happening Here

But we all know what happens when excessive regulation strangles business—the clever ones create workarounds. Nicolas Chabbert, senior vice president of the Aviation Division at Daher, has been involved in the process heavily for at least the last 15 years, and Daher has supported those operators seeking AOCs under the 2017 rule. Chabbert pointed out this “elephant in the room” during the technical discussion of the rule in practice: Operators may be using aircraft to provide shared “rides” outside of the AOC to avoid the onerous burden of the rule, or while waiting for mitigations to take place.

“The reality of the [reported] numbers that we are talking about, it’s a very small fraction of people that are using the TBM in commercial operations,” said Chabbert. “We see that we have a lot of other types of activity that are coming from—[flight sharing] apps, you know, fractional [operations]—we can have some type of usage, that is shared between people, and separation between the aircraft they are renting, and the rental.”

The complex regs have done nothing to advance safety—which should have been the point—in Chabbert’s view. “Today, there’s no safety objective that has been achieved. This is a lie in Europe. We have a roadmap, we have the safety analysis, we have the technology, we have the motivation from the operators. We just need to make sure that what we are going to apply makes sense and is not going to destroy what we think is an addition to the wealth of those in the nation, of the [transportation] choices that we have in Europe.

“I was involved for those 30 years, and in fact, for real for the last 15 years, [and hoped] that I would see, as we speak today, a large majority of operations under SET. This is not the case. What can we do to make it a real goal, and how long are we going to give ourselves so that instead of looking at the facts today where it’s a minority that is under SET, it becomes a majority? Do we need two years? Five years? Fifteen years? What we need is to basically set objectives so that we can have a very simple way to operate, and make sure that the market will then grow, and that operators can make money.”

The Takeaway

With the right correction—implemented in a timely fashion—there’s much to gain as the GA industry sits at a unique tipping point, able to provide an answer to sustainable, efficient transportation solutions while maintaining a high degree of safety. At the same time, there can be clarification between private and commercial operations instead of the shades of gray prevalent today.

The industry has demonstrated its ability to drive towards greater efficiency—with a 2 percent gain as targeted since 2009—and a commitment to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The broader acceptance and distribution of sustainable aviation fuel to more and smaller GA airports underscores this promise, along with the early implementation of alternative energy sources. Add to this a commercially viable program, and it’s clear the potential this market segment has for growth in the future as well as today. GAMA plans to consolidate the outcomes from the meeting into recommendations to EASA, and it will publish the results.

The post Single-Engine Turboprop Commercial Ops in the EU Still in a Tangled Web appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In fact, we are already doing it, according to key industry leaders from ZeroAvia, Daher, Textron eAviation, Pilatus, and Elixir, at the General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s luncheon. “GA is the solution to this,” said Kyle Martin, GAMA vice president of European affairs.

The event focused squarely on illuminating that message so that those who were there could spread it beyond the walls of Messe Friedrichshafen—and beyond the confines of the general aviation industry into the greater world that needs to understand it. Rather than being an easy target for blame under the auspices of climate change, GA already demonstrates the innovative answers that are possible. Stopping flying is not the answer—flying in better and more sustainable ways will be.

Eric Hinson, GAMA chairman for 2023 and president and CEO of Simcom International, kicked off the lunch with his observations. “I’m going to begin by talking just a little bit about the importance of GA—and I think that’s an important message that we in the industry need to do a better job of communicating. [GA] is basically a connectivity tool that connects people, product, and services.” Those not in GA see it through a myopic view—the high net-worth individual who gets out of a jet—and not for the intrinsic value it provides to nearly everyone in some way.”

Those companies working on solutions in both short- and long-range segments include, according to Hinson, GAMA members and others which are “working on hydrogen-powered solutions…[and] working on electric propulsion to replace fossil-based fuels—and so I’m very confident that over the next 10 to 15 years we are going to see significant advancements in our capability to replace fossil-based fuel for short-range flying. That’s happening here in Europe as well as in the United States. 

“The other area that is equally important is really focused on long-range flying, because we’re always going to have a power-density problem for some time to come—so the long-range solution there is a lot tougher. And of course, the answer there is sustainable aviation fuel.”

There are several legitimate concerns about the current implementation of SAF both in Europe and North America. The first lies in its composition—what biosource it’s derived from, and whether corn-based, cooking oil-based, or various silage-based processes. A second concern lies in how “green” the process of making the fuel is—such as the source of electricity for the manufacturing plant—and how much energy is used in delivering the fuel from its production facility to the distribution points on airports. As Martin would sum up later in the program, in pointing out the value of the book and claim system that allows operators to take credits for SAF entered into the fuel stream: “Trucking tanks of SAF from a Neste factory in Finland to the south of Spain is not the most sustainable approach.”

A corollary to this lies in the current state of electric propulsion, which we have seen this week in several spots on the show floor at AERO—Pipistrel and H55, for two examples—but both directed at short-hop training flights and perceived by some as having limited value to the marketplace.

It’s easy for naysayers to throw rocks at these efforts, but the fact is we won’t get to a solution unless we work on the problems and try new things.

The State of GA in Europe

Martin followed Hinson at the luncheon with his insights into the status of the general and business aviation industries in the EU and UK, including the recovery post-pandemic and political elements affecting both that return to “normal” and moving forward.

“The great news is that we are powering through the COVID recovery,” said Martin. “We are showing growth across all four main product sectors, whether it’s piston airplanes for the training market, turboprop airplanes for the transportation and air services market…the business jet market is growing and coming back—it’s being held back a bit by supply chain constraints, but many new products are coming to the market and that will help boost numbers in the years ahead. And the helicopter market’s finally coming back.”

In addition, traffic numbers reflect the normalizing of the GA industry, with 2022 IFR traffic numbers showing “strong growth versus 2021,” as Martin noted.

Martin also emphasized the value of GA in sustainability problem solving: “Our industry is absolutely the incubator and the growth engine for sustainable and safe aviation technology.” Yes, it’s simply easier to innovate and iterate using small aircraft—we witness all the time how new tech in our GA cockpits “trickles up” to larger platforms until it makes it onto a Part 25 transport category jet a decade—or more—later. At Oshkosh this summer, you’re certain to see an airline captain gazing wistfully at the instrument panel on an RV-series. The most innovative solutions will happen first in the skunkworks of our GA manufacturers, the labs of small but feisty aerospace startups, and in the hangars of our kitbuilders. The first applications may be limited in scope—but that’s the point. You want to test things on a small batch first.

Industry Panel on Workforce, Energy

In parallel to the discussion of sustainability is attracting the workforce that will develop it. To this end, the discussion turned to an industry panel led by Cate Brancart, GAMA’s manager for European operations and safety. 

The panel featured:

• Cyril Champenois, co-founder and CMO of Elixir Aircraft
• Nicolas Chabbert, senior vice president of Daher’s Aircraft Division
• Jane Lefley, strategy associate for ZeroAvia
• Rob Scholl, president and CEO of Textron eAviation
• Urs Thomann, director of technologies and processes, Pilatus Aircraft

Scholl’s organization—newly formed to consolidate Textron’s efforts in several future-leaning sectors—represents well the human energy derived from a company’s dedication to innovation. “We are seeing a lot of people express interest in coming to work for our organization,” said Scholl, “because everything that we’re doing right now—as you see from this group on stage—is new…For those people who want to take on the challenge in this exciting industry, these projects offer a unique opportunity to really get into something that no one in the world has done before.”

That’s a key part of the GA story we need to tell, according to the panelists.

Specifically, bringing young people into GA OEMs is another goal—and one that Elixir seems to have done naturally, with an average age of 34 or 35, according to Champenois. “We are at a turning point in general aviation,” he said, regarding not only energy sources but the way aircraft are manufactured to reduce parts count and streamline processes. “We feel that [the younger generation] was kind of lost for the past 20 years because nothing was really moving.”

A market-based approach will provide the most practical solutions. “We all know that we have the difficult challenge [ahead] to transition to the alternative fuels,” said Chabbert. “This is something that is a ‘must.’ We all know that this is on our trajectory to become neutral by 2050—it’s a key element to our strategy. But…let’s go back to the roots. What is the market wanting? ‘Cause if we’re just about to propose a bunch of technologies, I think we’re probably going to miss the main thing that we’re doing, [which] is to address the market needs.”

As for attracting new entrants to the workforce, Daher relies upon its apprenticeship program. “We have renewed our workforce, and the way that we do that is through apprentices—we have doubled the number of apprentices about every year, so it is a growing number of new people to us.” The younger generation is environmentally sensitive, he added, “so I think they are also after a project that is going to rehabilitate Earth.” Of the apprentices they engage, 80 percent transition to full-time employment, according to Chabbert.

“Agility is one thing that is going to be important,” said Thomann. “If the workforce is agile in selecting their employers, then the employers have to become agile as well.” A diverse workforce is a critical piece too—and across the industry panel, they discussed how they are helping to grow the applicant pool so that the best and brightest minds get the education they need and become visible to the companies that need their talents. Pilatus has also recently implemented better compensation strategies to help attract and retain the people it wants in the organization—instead of keeping bonuses until the end of the year, they incorporate the higher pay rate in a much more transparent way so that its personnel can plan more accurately.

In order to ensure a diverse talent pool, Chabbert added: “We need to bring in schools—I mean, it is not new, it is nothing that has not been done, it is something that we stopped doing. We have to resume and get the schools into our plans so [the students] can actually practice, and get themselves exposed to the different jobs. With the kind of diversity that we’re talking about, it is data management with a technology-driven approach.”

Telling the GA Story

All of these topics circle back around to one critical concern: Many governments around the world appear to be moving against the GA industry, setting targets for carbon emissions that may not be realistic. If we don’t achieve those goals, will the rug be pulled out from under us? That question was the final one put to the panel—poignant at AERO because of recent movements in the Netherlands’ Schiphol Airport to propose a ban on business jets, and there’s legislation in France seeking to reduce or stop short-haul flights—or the insane idea we might ban flying altogether in order to achieve net-zero.

To combat this, we need to take control of the narrative. “We have to educate… we are not a victim…we have to be proud of saying our story—and say it loud and clear: that is what we do and why we do it,” said Chabbert. “We need to make our story and to praise it.”

Lefley concurred: “I agree with you—I think the industry faces an existential threat ultimately, which is why new technology like what ZeroAvia is doing is so critical. One of the things we need to do is to educate governments and the public about the fact that people are doing this already, and that it can be done safely.

“I think it’s easier to use technology than to force everyone to stop flying,” she concluded.

It’s a global story we must tell, and the examples set in the EU—making progress on regulatory coordination and public understanding—will provide a roadmap for the innovation of the industry to drive us forward.

The post General Aviation Has a Great Sustainability Story To Tell appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

To pursue further the development of sustainable aviation fuel solutions and alternative energy sources for its aircraft—current and future models—Diamond Aircraft Austria, together with its sister company Austro Engine, announced this week at AERO the projects it has undertaken recently towards this future.

“Next to the all-electric eDA40, SAF will become a near-term available solution for sustainable aviation,” said Robert Kremnitzer, head of the design organization for Diamond Aircraft Austria. “In the piston engine segment, we have the big advantage that most of our existing fleet is already using jet fuel. With this program we ensure that sustainable alternatives to [these] fuel types may be used as soon as they become available at airports with general aviation fuel stations with no or only minor adaptations to the aircraft.”

Austro will cooperate with fleet customer Lufthansa Aviation Training, fuel producers, and universities—and also with other GA partners, including a Germany-based initiative, aireg (aviation initiative for renewable energy in Germany e.V.).

“We believe the coexistence of several technologies is strategically sensible for general aviation,” said Felix Zahradnik, chief technology officer for Austro Engine. “In addition to further innovations in the field of material science and combustion process development, the key to sustainability lies in the type of fuel used. By using regeneratively produced fuels, not only can the existing infrastructure be utilized, but also the CO2 balance is significantly and directly influenced. The goal of current efforts is clearly the release of sustainable fuels for currently available aircraft.”

The partnership plans to result in an ATSM-accepted D7566 SAF blend, which will be a drop-in replacement for GA aircraft in the next couple of years. The company plans to power its own fleet with the blend by 2025, and gain market acceptance with the SAF by 2030. A 100-percent pure, unblended SAF is on the horizon for 2050.

The post Diamond Partners with Austro Engines on SAF appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The milestone? Cirrus marks its 9,000th delivery of an SR-series airplane this year, and much as it did with the 7,000th delivery and 8,000th delivery, it has crafted a limited edition run of the SR series, with comprehensive owner packages and bespoke exterior and interior designs. 

The 9,000th SR Packages

“The SR Series continues to move people, businesses, and imaginations as we reach another significant delivery milestone,” said Zean Nielsen, CEO of Cirrus Aircraft, in an accompanying statement. “Our talented Xi Design Studio collected inspiration through the lens of our customers and the worldwide travel and freedom personal aviation offers. The 9,000th SR Series delivery means that 9,000 owners are living the Cirrus Life enabled by the best-selling high-performance piston aircraft in the industry for over two decades.”

The design carries two themes, according to Ivy McIver, SR series program manager. The first is the number “9” that is integrated into several places on the aircraft. The second is the color orange—incorporated into the scheme by Xi Design Studios to create four palettes: ’Balos,’ ‘Lava,’ ‘Magma,’ and ‘Santorini,’ using Sherwin-Williams paint in Lava Orange and Aegean Blue.

• READ MORE: We Fly: Cirrus SR22T 8000

The owner packages also include five Bose A30 headsets and two Garmin D2 Aviation watches, along with five-year warranty and maintenance programs for a total ownership experience.

More Cirrus Metrics

Before Simmons made it to the big announcement, he took time to review a handful of significant numbers that Cirrus has achieved over its 24-year history. Among them, the fact that those 9,000 airplanes—the SR fleet—have amassed more than 15 million flight hours—and for the past nine years, Cirrus has delivered more than 300 piston aircraft per year. In 2022, the SR series was again the top-selling piston aircraft for the 21st year in a row.

And the SF50 has had its own hit parade. As it approaches 500 deliveries this year, the Vision Jet has increased in both market share and its ability to expand the market overall. For the fourth year in a row, in 2022, it was the top-selling jet with 95 units shipped.

But the Vision Jet notched other milestones in recent months, including the first and second saves using the CAPS, or Cirrus Airframe Parachute System. For customers and pilots seeking to acquire the SF50 type rating under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), it has dropped the minimum number of hours to enter the program from 500 to 250 in certain circumstances.

Cirrus has also added more affiliates in Europe in recent years, including the most recent addition of Orbifly, in France, in March 2023. In October 2022, it added CK Aviation in the UK, and in July 2021, Daedelus.

Sustainable Cirrus

Cirrus has been one of the first OEMs to test out unleaded fuel in its high-performance SR22 and SR22T engines—using the Continental IO-550-N, and TIO-550-K1, respectively. And ti continues to move forward with testing using GAMI’s UL100 as part of the EAGLE program to move towards unleaded fuels.

And the SF50’s Williams International FJ33 engine is all ready to run on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Cirrus was an early SAF adopter with the Vision Jet. From a noise standpoint—also very important, especially under EU skies—the Vision Jet registers between 69 and 71 decibels during flyover, according to its EASA type certificate.

The post Cirrus Marks 9,000th SR in 2023 With Limited Edition appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Elixir co-founder, CMO, and COO Cyril Champenois delivered the update at a press briefing in which he confirmed the company’s engineering origins, and its proactive timeline starting in 2015. “At that time, we created the company with 50,000 euros,” said Champenois. “After seven years we are now almost 100 employees in the company, and we are growing fast. After two years to conceive the design for the Elixir, three years to certify it, and seven years [total] to deliver the first aircraft, we are now reaching 70 firm orders for our aircraft.”

“At the moment we have 14 jobs open…at the GAMA conference we were discussing the workforce challenges we are facing, and we are struggling to hire.” Though this has been a challenge, Elixir still managed to deliver its first 10 units in 2022, beginning with the first shipment in February 2022.

A Minimum of Parts

The low-wing, two-seater is powered by the 100 hp Rotax 912is, well-suited to the training mission, certified under EASA CS-23 and undergoing FAA validation. It features a simple cockpit in its most cost-effective version, though it’s still capable enough for IFR training. 

What sets the airframe apart is its minimum of parts—the composite structure has been designed from OneShot carbon fiber components, and has no spar, ribs, or stringers. The low parts count not only helps achieve manufacturing efficiencies but also drives a lower operating cost, as little as $37/hour. Robust landing gear also serves well for student laps around the pattern. A BRS ballistic parachute recovery system comes standard.

Elixir plans another model, powered by the 140 hp Rotax 915 series, and targeted to private buyers on an IFR mission. It will feature a full glass cockpit as well.

Sales to Mermoz Academy

Elixir announced it has just signed an agreement with Mermoz Academy, one of the largest aviation training organizations in France, for a total of 6 aircraft. Mermoz’ Stephane Meyer was on hand to confirm the arrangement, which builds on the success it has had selling the company’s first model to flight schools on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

“We are demonstrating that we are able to attract big, professional [academies] to our aircraft,” said Champenois. “Big challenges faced by the flight school are solved by this new generation of aircraft, especially regarding fuel consumption and the operating cost and the environmental impact.”

Those orders add to ones posted by early U.S. partner Cirrus Aviation in Sarasota, Florida, which has a total of 10 aircraft on order, to be delivered over the course of 5 years. Cirrus has also been instrumental in another element of Elixir’s planned growth: a U.S. facility for assembly of kits imported from the company’s main base in La Rochelle, France. 

“Knowing that the market is mainly in the U.S., we are already working on the opening of facilities in Florida, where we will assemble kits that will be shipped from France and be reassembled there. As you know, 60 to 70 percent of the market is in the U.S. and we have to be there.”

Champenois also alluded to upcoming financing that will help secure the company’s needed expansion at the La Rochelle-Île-de-Ré Airport (LFBH).

The post Elixir Aircraft Signs Mermoz Academy Order, Plans Sarasota Assembly in Florida appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In a reception hosted on April 19, H55’s André Borschberg, co-founder and executive chairman, joined BRM CEO Milan Brištela in updating on the joint project, based on the Bristell B23 CS-23 certificated two-seat, low-wing airplane.

The B23 Energic is closing in on its own European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) CS-23 type certification, with a robust testing program out of H55’s home base at Sion Airport (LSGS) in Switzerland. The B23 Energic utilizes H55’s EPS 100 kW propulsion system, and should be capable of training missions standard for initial pilot certification, according to the company.

“With the change of requirements of EASA, we are proposed to adapt the design of this motor, and the certification is scheduled for next year—not far away, mid 2024” said Borschberg. “So I’m very happy…these technologies satisfy the requirements for certifications,” that pertain to testing the ability of the airframe/motor/battery pack to survive and contain an overheating or fire scenario.

The first application for the model is in flight training, according to Borschberg. In fact, a parallel project the company is working on is the electrification of the Piper Archer in concert with CAE and the OEM. “That’s also scheduled for 2025,” he confirmed, progressing with a version of Safran’s ENGINeUS 100 hybrid electric motor, also capable of 100 kW.

Origins of H55

Borschberg’s name may ring a bell for other reasons: He was co-founder and CEO of Solar Impulse, which completed its first round-the-world flight in 2016. H55 is the technological derivative of that project, with a mission to bring electric aircraft into certification and operations.

Its core product centers around the energy storage side of the equation, with its Electric Storage System (ESS). The ESS consists of battery packs, battery management systems, and interfaces with the EPS, or electric propulsion system in question. The ESS is lightweight and scalable to a customer’s requirements and designed to sustain voltage up to 1,250 volts.

The post H55 Electrifies the Sustainable Trail at AERO appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Autothrottle Progress

At a press briefing at AERO 2023 in Friedrichshafen, Germany, on April 19, Peter Kriegler, vice president of sales at Honda Aircraft, gave an update on the Elite II’s next upgrades—specifically its autothrottle. The AT is a key component that must be in place in order to complete the Garmin Autoland suite on the HondaJet—which will make it the first twin-engine jet approved with this functionality. The Elite II gained FAA certification without the AT; this update has been projected for completion in the summer 2023, and Kriegler confirmed that progress is on track.

“It’s really about operational improvements to the aircraft, from a capability standpoint, from a safety standpoint, with the Garmin systems that we’re introducing in the cockpit,” said Kriegler, “as well as just a collection of refinements that we’ve learned from over the years.”

Increased Performance

On the display floor for the first time at AERO, the HondaJet shown is not yet the Elite II version—but once it finishes EASA validation, the new model will post improved performance, as a result of a 200-pound maximum gross weight increase that has enabled increases in all weight limits, including the fuel load, which went up by 217 pounds. That will boost the jet’s range to 1,547 nm, up from the original HondaJet’s 1,241 nm and the Elite’s 1,457 nm. The New York to South Florida route in the U.S. is made easily achievable.

• READ MORE: We Fly: HondaJet Elite

The Elite II also features a new matte black exterior paint finish that has proven popular and striking on the ramp, with two of the new schemes delivered thus far, according to Kriegler. 

When the company paused production of the HA-420 model to accommodate the certification of the Elite II, it impacted deliveries, bringing the 2022 total for the company down to 18 units. However, it’s making up for lost time in 2023, and Kriegler anticipates that the first EASA-validated Elite II will be ready right after that process is complete.

Efficiency Story

With sustainable aviation top of mind at AERO, it follows that Honda Aircraft would also want to highlight its own chops in this area, which are significant. While the base model has always posted up to a 15 percent lower fuel burn than comparative models in the category, according to the company, it is also making forays into the future with its own testing on sustainable aviation fuel.

“In an effort to be environmentally responsible, we really put a huge emphasis on fuel efficiency,” said Kriegler. “As we look to the future where we’re using SAF, our partner in our engine program, GE Honda Aero Engines, has begun testing on 100 percent SAF, so we look to the future where we can fly in emission-free flight.”

The post HondaJet Close to EASA Certification on the Elite II appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Whether he meant it to become a catchphrase or not, when Nicolas Chabbert, senior vice president of Daher’s Aircraft Division, talked of making real progress on sustainability through methodical increments that will be relevant and sellable to the market, he managed to encapsulate what so many in the industry have felt: We’re making our way towards sustainability with the quotidian work that the general aviation industry does with each more efficient aircraft—in Daher’s case, the TBM 960 and the Kodiak 900 and 100—better data monitoring and analysis, and the application of lessons learned.

Near-Term and Long-Term Goals

With sustainable aviation critical to keeping us in the air, several movements are underway that provide both near-term and long-range solutions. “For us, we believe that the future of aviation is going to lie in technology, and technology is going to have different aspects,” said Chabbert in Daher’s press conference at AERO 2023 in Friedrichshafen, Germany, on April 19.

• READ MORE: AERO Friedrichshafen Focuses on Sustainability, Single-Engine Turboprop Ops

The first step is one most manufacturers have embraced and operators are willing to adopt if they haven’t already done so—or had the chance—and that’s sustainable aviation fuel. “The planes that we have flown from Tarbes [for display at AERO] were both fueled with SAF,” he said. “We have the ability to use—on the field—the SAF, and that’s important for us that this adoption has been made.”

Adding to this is another near-term project, the EcoPulse demonstrator, a TBM airframe utilizing hybrid energy technology to test out various concepts using electric and traditional means of propulsion. Chabbert identified three main areas of focus during the testing: the choice of using the traditional means of energy or electric motorization in a given phase of flight, the storage of energy in fuel or batteries, and how that energy is distributed to the engines. 

The distribution element turns out to be a key part of the puzzle. “That is something that most of the people are forgetting,” said Chabbert. “It’s probably where technology is most critical today, and I gotta tell you that with all of the things that I’ve been able to monitor…a lot of the people that we’ve visited, I am surprised that we are discovering things ourselves that have not been disclosed by anyone—and distribution of energy is going to be one of the challenges to make technology available on our aircraft.”

“The plane is flying—it’s currently into a very thorough test flight campaign,” said Chabbert. “We are going to display the airplane at Paris Air Show, Le Bourget, and we are going to be able to fly [in] an electrical mode just after Le Bourget.”

Once Daher has completed part of the program—in conjunction with Airbus and Safran, the two partners on this demonstrator, “we will make some decisions, [and] we will take the time for the analysis,” concluded Chabbert. “So [then] we can specify what will be the first hybrid aircraft, which we intend to announce by the end of our middle-term plan, which will end in 2027.  We are committed to come with a real solution in the marketplace. 

“What you will see on the demonstrator is not what is going to be the product. That is the difference between what you demonstrate and what you are going to use. [We will take] those specifications, and come back with our different vendors and see who is going to be able to deliver what we need to put together in our one product solution.”

Kodiak 900 EASA Validation

This year’s AERO is also the European debut for two aircraft—though one has yet to make its way across the pond. The Kodiak 900, which debuted at EAA AirVenture 2022, had secured its validation on April 3 under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and Daher is set to deliver its first unit to a European customer this fall.

Chabbert identified the 900 as a great fit for the local market. “I have to say that this is the perfect aircraft for the German market. This is a King Air 350-sized cabin, and this is the aircraft that can not only take a lot of people, but it can safely fly IFR—and fast—to destinations that are short hops that are typical of a country such as Germany, but also looking at the landscape in Europe [in general].”

Watch: We Fly: Kodiak 100 In Training

The Kodiak 100 on display came over from the U.K. for the event, and Chabbert highlighted the updates that will be available to the 100 series. The first fits well in with Daher’s environmental message—a 5-blade composite Hartzell propeller that debuted at Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo last month. One of the biggest achievements for the new prop vis-à-vis the European market is its reduced noise signature, a full 6-plus decibels below the 4-blade prop. “The TBM 960 is at 76.9, the Kodiak 900 is at 78, so all those aircraft are in exactly the noise signature that is the lowest in the market,” said Chabbert.

The other is the upgrade path to the Garmin G1000 NXi, now available as both a new flight deck moving forward, and a retrofit kit.

Daher has delivered a total of 323 Kodiaks, with most orders to deliver in 2024 representing an even split between the 100 and the 900.

TBM 960 Completes a Year

The other aircraft to grace the display floor at AERO was F-HAHF, serial number 1409—the first production TBM 960. It’s been on a tour over in the U.S. as well as around Europe, and now gives the audience at Friedrichshafen the chance to see its new Pratt & Whitney PT6E-66XT up close.

But it’s what’s behind the powerplant that makes a big difference, and Daher has been learning a lot since the model’s introduction. It features the EPECS (engine and propeller electronic control system), which sends a bevy of engine data—including fault messages—to the avionics and in downloadable form.

“We have worked with Pratt & Whitney on almost predictive maintenance, and this is more or less a new field. We learn a lot—it was not easy to adjust—and I think there is still a lot we can do, but this defines the modern support for the fleet,” said Chabbert of the incredible amount of data to analyze.

Daher has delivered a total of 1,139 TBMs, with the TBM 900 series set to achieve delivery number 500 sometime in the late summer of 2023.

Me & MyTBM App

The final effort covered by Daher in its themes on sustainability and safety is the evolution of its pilot app, Me & MyTBM, into a means by which pilots can actually change their habitual patterns. What does this have to do with efficiency? That’s one aspect of the scoring used within the app’s challenge portion. But even more critical may be the app’s ability to connect the pilot with an instructor—and work towards safer operations, such as more stabilized approaches. “We can change—radically—aviation safety with data,” said Chabbert.

New features on the sixth version of the app—in the five years since its launch—include:

• Multiple pilot tracking per aircraft
• Flight-type qualification, to distinguish between training and passenger flights, for example
• Automatic download of data
• Tracking of flights with multiple landings
• An updated challenge summary, with a printout allowing for an instructor to validate and sign

A Real Tomorrow

“So this is definitely tomorrow,” said Chabbert, “but this is a real tomorrow, this is actual, this is not something which is presented on PowerPoint. You can come to Tarbes, you can see the demonstrator, you can see what we actually do.”

The post ‘We Need to Fly Aircraft—We Don’t Fly PowerPoints’ appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Piper Aircraft announced at AERO 2023 this week in Friedrichshafen, Germany, that the M500, M600, and many Meridian models are now able to use sustainable aviation fuel, as well as Garmin PlaneSync for the G3000 equipped M600/SLS to come in Q2 this year.

The SAF news is welcome, particularly in the current climate in the European Union, where goals to reach net-zero emissions are keenly felt. The series is powered by variations on the Pratt & Whitney PT6 twin-shaft turboprop powerplant, with the PT6A-42A at 600 shp. The FAA blessing—SAIB 56-R4—as well as EASA approval covers SAF nominally using up to a 50/50 blend with traditional jet-A for the moment, as percentages up to that ratio are most widely available. 

Ron Gunnarson, Piper’s vice president of sales, marketing, and customer support, characterized it at the press conference, “[The approval of SAF] is for use in every country that the M class can operate, including here [under EASA]. So all jet fuel that meets the requirements of the American Society for Testing and Materials [ASTM] can be used in the Piper PA-46 powered aircraft. The introduction to this will not require a change in any aircraft specifications, and will not require a change in placarding or even in the pilot’s operating handbook.” 

The 1:1 Demand Pull

Global economic forces continue to mean Piper is building about as many aircraft as the general aviation market demands, relaxing some from tense highs last year, in which the OEM delivered 236 units—with 70 of those in the M class, including the M350, M500, and M600. M350 demand in particular is going strong—following move ups in the market from Cirrus ST series drivers who see only a small delta between the top of that price range and the $1.6 million for the M350.

“We’re in a pull market for both our trainers and in our M class aircraft—let’s just say it’s not pulling quite as hard as it was maybe a year ago,” said Gunnarson. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing. With 35 years in this business at three different OEMs, I can say that what we were experiencing last year from a production versus supply was unsustainable. I think we’re seeing some of the normalizing, if you will.”

In 2022, Piper delivered 236 aircraft, which was a 14 percent increase over its 2021 figures. Looking ahead, Gunnarson notes that 2023 will continue the trend, as the demand continues and the company’s ability to meet it improves. “For 2023, we’re on track to deliver about 265 aircraft, about 10 percent additional growth, with that same kind of mix. It might be heavier in the M class in 2023. We’ve had strong demand for our M350, the most that we’ve had for several years.

“The dealer pull for the M350 this year was 30-plus aircraft,” Gunnarson added—the most it has seen in recent memory.

Piper shepherds about 70 M class aircraft per year out the door, with 140 in the PA-28 series, which includes the DX, LX, and the Piper 100i.

Garmin PlaneSync

Piper had previewed its latest addition to the Garmin G3000-equipped M600/SLS models—including Garmin PlaneSync—to its customers at the National Business Aviation Association’s convention last fall, and now it’s preparing for the release of the new suite of capabilities for these M-class airplanes using that integrated flight deck.

Updates begin with the addition of enhanced taxi routing via 3D Safe Taxi and preprogramming of taxi clearances. By inputting the cleared route into the GTC touchscreen controller, a routing appears on the multifunction display in a top-down view for increased situational awareness.

The enhancements continue with CAS-based checklists, which will pop up with many corresponding crew alerting system messages, bringing the most likely process to resolve the issue directly to the pilot. Garmin and Piper have also added a glide range ring, stabilized approach annunciations, and additional weight and balance performance features.

Finally, pilots will now have the ability through PlaneSync to remotely “wake up” the airplane and check certain functions and status reports from wherever they have an internet connection. These parameters include database and battery states, and fuel and oil levels. On board the airplane, only the left-hand PFD turns on when the pilot accesses these functions, and only partially so as to conserve battery power.

PlaneSync is anticipated to gain FAA certification in Q2 2023, with EASA and Transport Canada validation to follow.

The post Piper M Class Is Ready for SAF, Garmin’s PlaneSync appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

AERO 2023 takes place in Friedrichshafen, Germany, from April 19 through 22, promising its massive exhibit halls and ramp near the Zeppelin hangar will be buzzing with the more than 635 exhibitors that plan to attend. We hear that Gulfstream’s even going to fly in its G500—a first for the business jet OEM.

Here are just a couple of key elements we’re looking forward to reporting on during FLYING’s time at AERO next week.

Sustainability Trail

Alternative fuels and propulsion take center stage on AERO’s Sustainability Trail this year, with those exhibitors “committed to sustainability in aviation” identified, according to a release from AERO. 

Tobias Bretzel, AERO show director at trade show organizer, said, “The future of aviation is extremely exciting, but also sustainable. The innovative power of the industry is enormous and AERO visitors can look forward to seeing many ‘green’ technologies in the exhibition halls and learning about them in numerous conferences. Ecology and economy often go hand in hand: electric flight, for example, makes flying not only low-emission and low-noise, but also significantly cheaper.”

As a complement to this, AERO will host a full-day symposium on the use of hydrogen as an aviation fuel for the first time on Friday, April 21, featuring research centers, universities, and industry representatives which will “provide answers as to how and whether the various systems can be installed in small aircraft, helicopters and transport aircraft,” according to the release.

To learn more, visit the AERO site.

Single-Engine Turboprop Ops

EASA’s much-anticipated decision to open up the potential to operate single-engine turbine aircraft commercially at night and in instrument meteorological conditions—termed “CAT-SET-IMC”—promises to charge up this corner of the industry, and coming after 20 years of considerable effort to achieve the possibility. 

In part to support this, AERO will host a Single Engine Turboprop Operations Conference (SETOps) on Friday, April 21, with a day full of seminars and training moments. According to a release from Emerald Media, which first introduced SETOps in the UK, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association/Europe (GAMA Europe) is supporting and promoting its move into the EU. 

The program includes the following:

• Bruno Budim, former executive director and accountable manager of BenAir Norway, Europe’s experienced Cessna Caravan operator, and long-time ambassador and promoter of CAT-SET-IMC in Europe, “will disclose the key findings of a GAMA and EBAA-backed SETOps’ Operators’ European survey,” according to Emerald Media.

• Darrell Swanson, co-founder of UK AAM management consultancy EAMaven, “will highlight the important pathfinding role SETops operators can play to help the challenging new world of advanced air mobility.”

• Dedicated sessions on MRO and engine support, pilot supply, and the need for close collaboration with small airports. 

• Speakers from industry leaders, including Daher, Pilatus, Garmin, Oriens Aviation, Oysterair, Jetfly, AOPA Germany, Rheinland Air Services, and Ampaire. EASA will be represented on a panel with GAMA, EBAA, and Daher. 

Single-engine turboprops also form an efficient and “here now” way to reduce emissions, through the use of SAF where possible, and owing to their overall fuel efficiency. 

Those interested in participating can book here.

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