RAF CUTS DEFENCE REVIEW HITS HERCS AND TYPHOONS

DRONE SAFETY
A TRAINER SPEAKS
MILITARY | COMMERCIAL | BUSINESS | UNMANNED | ENGINES | SYSTEMS & FUTURE TECHNOLOGY

FIT FOR A
+ FIGHT? IT’S J-20 VS F-35
HOW TEAM AS ASIA GOES
TEMPEST WILL FIFTH-GEN
FUTURE-PROOF
THE FIGHTER

HAWAIIAN HYBRIDS
ELECTRIC TRIALS IN MAUI SKIES
MAY 2021 Vol 100 No 5 £5.40

JETBLUE
05
UNVEILS TRANSATLANTIC PLANS
STRAP LINE 9 770306 563325
 THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE AIR ARMS INFORMATION AVAILABLE

Whether your background is in

military analysis, the defence
industry, maintenance, repair
and overhaul or research, this
is what you need.

• Research and analysis

• Threat assessment Cons
ta
upda ntly
• Competitive comparison t
moni ed and
tored
• Developing new more with
market opportunities 1,000 than
c
every hanges
3 mo
nths

Comprehensive and THE ESSENTIAL ONLINE AIR ARMS DATABASE

accurate data

Profiles for over 380 air

arms in 199 countries

Multi-service operations

Secure online access

Downloadable
ExcelTM reports

EMAIL: info@AirForcesIntel.com

www.AirForcesIntel.com
671 AFI promo fp.indd 91 21/07/2020 09:40

A
s countries continue to ramp up
their COVID-19 vaccination efforts
and spring – for some of us at
least – appears to have sprung, the
feeling of hope is tangible. For many
of our readers this may mean the
chance to see loved ones again,
while for others it may signal a tentative return to
planning trips. The aviation world, however, remains
a heady mixture of positives and negatives.
Despite the lack of flying, commercial aviation
continues to innovate. Indeed, stakeholders appear
to have made the most of the downtime, embracing
new technologies, rethinking their business models
and even bulking up their portfolios.
The pandemic seems to have inspired something
of a ‘pioneer’ spirit across the sector. Turn to pages
28 to 33 to hear how Hawaii’s glorious landscape
has attracted a group of next-generation aviation
mavericks looking for the ideal setting for their
hybrid trials. On pages 44 to 48, JetBlue Airways
president Joanna Geraghty speaks candidly to AIR
International about the steps she and her team have
been taking to ensure the airline would not only
survive the pandemic, but remains steadfastly on
course, not least with its much-anticipated entry
into the transatlantic market.
And lest we leave you under the illusion that all is
sweetness and light in the commercial world, there
remains the ongoing saga of the Boeing 777X. Turn
to pages 92 to 97 for an update on the fate of the
much-delayed airliner.
On the military side, the long-time tussle between
budget and requirements continues. In the aftermath
of the integrated defence review on March 22, who
did the RAF’s Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal
Sir Michael Wigston, think he was kidding when he
said in a Tweet: “Today’s Defence Command Paper
is our mandate for the Royal Air Force to underpin UK
COVER IMAGE: With China’s J-20 fighter prowling
the skies, some of its East Asian neighbours are
boosting their military with fifth-generation fighters
Alan Warnes
Welcome
sovereignty, security and prosperity into the future”? ABOVE: The Boeing 777X
will emerge into a world
Granted, an additional $2 billion was found for
very different to that in
the next-generation combat air system and Team which it was conceived
Tempest (see pages 22 to 27), but look at the Rolf Bewersdorf/Lufthansa
downside: retiring the E-3D Sentry AEW1 this year
will leave an airborne early warning and control
(AEW&C) capability gap between 2021 and 2025.
Then there are the deals that will have to be
undone. Only three E-7A Wedgetail AEW1s are now
earmarked to take over the E-3D’s role, not five.
Consider too the withdrawal of the RAF’s Tranche 1
Typhoons just five years after they were deemed to
be good enough for Quick Reaction Alert (QRA)
and Red Air flying. The UK MOD ordered 200
AIM-120D AMRAAMs in a $650 million deal during
2018, to arm the Tranche 1s for the future. That deal
will be cancelled, particularly with the UK looking
to the MBDA Meteor as the air-to-air missile for the
F-35B. The UK has also stalled on a 45 F-35B buy.
Spin plays a big part in the RAF now, and it doesn’t
look set to go away just yet.
Whatever your aviation interest, and whatever
season it is where you are, here’s hoping you
too can see light at the end of the tunnel – and
that you continue to enjoy our fresh and insightful
interpretation of global industry developments. As
ever, we look forward to feedback and suggestions:
on page 18 there are details on submitting items for
our ‘Checking In’ feature.
The Air International team
May2021 3
 34 58
06 COMMERCIAL NEWS
Contents
Virgin Galactic takes the next steps in its journey into space,
while sustainability remains high on the aviation agenda, with
Widerøe unveiling details of its all-electric passenger aircraft
ambitions and Britten-Norman trialling the use of hydrogen
fuel cells in commercial aircraft.
10 MILITARY NEWS
The USAF’s 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs office has
announced that Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, will be
the official location of three new squadrons of the F-35A
Lightning II. Elsewhere, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation will build
an additional 25 UH-60M Black Hawks for the Saudi Arabian
National Guard.
14 UAV FOCUS
New autonomous platforms are to be introduced into the UK
military, the Australian Department of Defence has shortlisted
five bidders for its SEA129 maritime unmanned aerial system
(UAS) requirement, and Gray Eagle passes the one million
flight hours mark.
16 ROTARY FOCUS
Leonardo hopes its Vergiate-built AW149 will take over
from the Royal Air Force’s Puma HC2, the Royal Navy’s first
Crowsnest-equipped helicopter is ready for deployment,
and Bell Helicopter opts for sustainable aviation fuels at its
training academy.
18 BUSINESS FOCUS
Dassault Aviation test pilots take the company’s latest Falcon
4 May2021
52 44
business jet for its maiden flight, Bombardier and Gulfstream
mark large-cabin, long-range business aircraft milestones,
and UK business aviation buckles under the joint weight of
COVID-19 and Brexit.
20 TECHNOLOGY FOCUS
Germany’s Lilium unveils a proposed seven-seat version of its
electric vertical take-off and landing Lilium Jet air-taxi aircraft.
Meanwhile, US Air Force trials of its collaborative weapon
technologies under the Golden Horde Vanguard programme
have completed a second flight demonstration.
22 TEAM TEMPEST TAKES A NEW APPROACH
In this exclusive look behind the scenes of Britain’s new
Future Combat Air System, Jon Lake gets under the skin of
an aircraft due to enter service in just 14 years’ time, and yet
its configuration is still undecided – but intentionally so.
28 HAWAIIAN HYBRIDS
Short routes and a strong carbon-neutral policy make Hawaii
the ideal backdrop for hybrid-electric trials. Matteo Legnani
speaks with the aviation pioneers working to make hybrid-
powered aircraft a reality in the Pacific.
34 DRAKEN’S RED MIRAGE
Florida’s Draken International is amassing a fleet of Mirage
F1s for aggressor training, among them, 19 former Spanish
Air Force F1M jets. Salvador Mafé Huertas delves deeper.
38 TEXAN STAR
The Beechcraft Texan T1 has replaced the Shorts Tucano on
 SUBSCRIBE
AND SAVE!
A subscription to
the fast jet training course at RAF Valley AIR International Integrated Review of Security, Defence,
and the aircraft is performing to offers great savings on Development and Foreign Policy’, The
expectations, as demands on the training the cover price Royal Air Force has been hit particularly
system expand. Paul E Eden reports. See pages 82 and hard in March’s British defence and security
83 for details review. Jon Lake reports.
44 BREAKING BOUNDARIES
JetBlue Airways chief executive Joanna Geraghty tells 68 FUEL FOR THOUGHT
Chris Sloan how the New York-based carrier has weathered Efforts to make aviation fuel more sustainable regularly
the COVID-19 storm, from introducing 80 new routes, to hit the headlines, but work is also under way to ‘green’
welcoming its first fleet of A220s. other uses of fuel at the airport, from terminal heating to
ground handling vehicles. Tara Craig hears how hydrogen, in
50 CONCEPT INSIGHT: BELL’S APT particular, may be the answer.
Khalem Chapman explores Bell’s innovative and growing
family of Autonomous Pod Transport (APT) cargo drones that 74 ASIA’S FIFTH-GENERATION FACE-OFF COVER STORY
have been designed to perform multiple missions for both With China’s new J-20 fighter prowling the skies over its
civil and military operators. homeland, some of its neighbours are also boosting
their military with fifth-generation fighters, as Alan
52 FUTURE FRENCH FALCONS Warnes investigates.
The French Navy will receive its first Dassault Albatros
maritime surveillance aircraft in 2025, to replace the Falcon 84 EYE IN THE SKY
200 Gardian and the Falcon 50M Surmar (Surveillance- Flying drones isn’t as easy as it looks. Mark Broadbent
maritime), reports Henri-Pierre Grolleau. speaks to training provider CEO Jon Parker about the type of
instruction required, the qualifications needed for insurance
58 THE FUTURE IS NOW purposes and the impact that a well-trained pilot can have on
Howard Slutsken talks to the president and CEO of Canadian the reputation of this fledgling sector.
vertical-lift airline Helijet, who believes that its three decades
of experience leave his company ideally placed to spearhead 92 777X PROGRAMME UPDATE
the move towards large-scale urban air mobility. Boeing has postponed the introduction of its 777X by a
further two years. What’s behind this latest delay, and does
64 SAVAGE CUTS TO THE RAF it hint at greater changes at play in a COVID-19 ravaged
​Known officially as ‘Global Britain in a Competitive Age: The market? Mark Broadbent reports.

May2021 5
 COMMERCIAL News by Mark Broadbent

Hydrogen
powered Islander
An electric-powered A BRITTEN-Norman Islander will be used
Islander demonstrator is to research the utility of hydrogen fuel
due to fly in 2022
cells for commercial aircraft in Project
Britten-Norman
Fresson, a consortium led by Cranfield
Aerospace Solutions.
According to Britten-Norman, the
project will “exploit recent advances in
hydrogen fuel cell technology to develop
a commercially viable, retrofit powertrain
solution” for existing aircraft.
The consortium includes Ricardo UK, which
brings expertise in fuel cell systems, and
Innovatus Technologies’ ultralightweight
tank design that uses patented cellular core
composite techniques.
Project Fresson intends to fly a zero-
emissions demonstrator by September
2022. Britten-Norman said: “Having
completed a comprehensive evaluation
of technologies and configurations for
sustainable aircraft propulsion, the
Fresson team concluded that hydrogen
fuel cell technology is the optimum
solution to meet environmental,
regulatory and operational requirements
for this size of aircraft.”

IATA’s Digital Travel Pass is
one of several health apps
under trial IATA
Travel apps: a new must-have
DIGITAL APPS enabling passengers to prove
their health credentials to airlines, airports and
border control agencies by showing proof of a
COVID-19 vaccination or negative test result,
are high on the industry agenda.
Different solutions to document and verify
health status are now available, with various
apps under trial by airlines (some of which
are evaluating several apps). Cathay Pacific,
JetBlue, Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic and
United Airlines have trialled the World Health
Organization’s CommonPass, while the
International Chamber of Commerce AOKpass
has been used by Alitalia and Etihad Airways.
AirAsia has developed Scan2Fly, while British
Airways and American Airlines are trialling
Verifly. American introduced the latter on all
international routes to the US, while BA is
using it on the routes to the US currently in
operation out of London Heathrow.
Singapore Airlines was first to trial
International Air Transport Association (IATA)
Digital Travel Pass, with IAG (despite BA
using Verifly), Qatar Airways, Emirates, Etihad
Airways and Copa Airlines also set to trial it.
The apps are arriving in a complex travel
picture, where there is revived travel demand in
some countries (including the UK and US) due
to falling infection rates, increased vaccinations
and easing of lockdowns, yet rising infections
and continued tight travel restrictions in many
other markets, especially Europe.
All the apps are intended to provide the
health data airlines and airports want, and
assure passengers. Lufthansa Group CEO
Carsten Spohr remarked in March 2020
during the group’s annual results: “Instead of
quarantine rules that are hard to control, we
need international digital tests and vaccination
certificates to enable people to travel again.”
British Airways CEO Sean Doyle said: “It is
essential we do as much as we can to help
those who are eligible to fly and prepare to
help our customers navigate the complexities
around changing global entry requirements
when the world re-opens.”
Rather than an app incorporating passenger
health information, Airbus recently launched
Tripset, a travel companion app that informs
passengers about available flights and the
relevant required health data.

FRENCH LEISURE carrier Corsair has embarked on a fleet renewal
programme by receiving its initial Airbus A330-900neo. It is the first of five
to replace the airline’s now-retired Boeing 747-400s. Two more are due for
delivery in May, a fourth in December 2021 and the fifth in June 2022. The
jets are equipped with 352 seats in a three-class layout.
6 May2021
A EUROPEAN Union Aviation Safety bulletin issued in late March
provided guidance for pilots regarding COVID-19 vaccination. It said:
“Operators and aircrew members should consider a waiting period of
48 hours after each dose of vaccine, before aircrew members should be
engaged in any flight-related tasks….This interval could be extended to
72 hours for aircrew members performing single crew operations.”
 News COMMERCIAL

Imagine
Virgin Galactic’s
latest spaceship
VIRGIN GALACTIC is preparing for the next
steps in its journey to start space tourism
flights after unveiling its latest spaceplane,
VSS (Virgin SpaceShip) Imagine.
Ground trials will be conducted at the
company’s Spaceport America base in
New Mexico before glide testing take
place this summer. In May 2021, VSS
Unity – which reached orbit in January
2020 – is scheduled to conduct its next
test flight. Work on VSS Inspire, which will
follow VSS Imagine, is also under way.
VSS Imagine is finished entirely in what
the company describes as a mirror-like
livery composed of an undisclosed
dynamic material designed to reflect
changing colours as the vehicle travels
from earth to space.
As its name – SpaceShip III –
implies, this is the company’s third-
generation spacecraft. Its modular
100%-composite design features
improved maintenance access and flight
rates which, the company has said, will
lay “the foundation for the design and
manufacture of future vehicles”.
It added: “The introduction of the
Spaceship III class of vehicles is an
important milestone in Virgin Galactic’s VSS Imagine following
its rollout at Spaceport
multi-year effort that targets flying 400
America Virgin Galactic
flights per year, per spaceport.”
Six passengers will be carried by
the Virgin SpaceShip, which is air-
launched by the Virgin Galactic’s
WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft. A hybrid
rocket motor uses a relatively benign
fuel and oxidiser to accelerate the craft
for its ascent to orbit, where passengers
will experience several minutes of
weightlessness. A glide re-entry
and landing at Spaceport America is
carried out without propulsion.

THE LUFTHANSA Group will focus on leisure routes in its COVID-19 recovery.
It is introducing 23 new short-haul connections from Frankfurt and Munich
and, on June 1, launching new long-haul unit Discover. Lufthansa CEO
Carsten Spohr said with larger-capacity Airbus A380s/A340-600s and Boeing
747-400s removed from fleet planning there should be opportunities for the
carrier to boost revenue.
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES placed the most substantial order the Boeing
737 MAX has received in years, signing a purchase agreement for 100
firm aircraft and 155 options. The deal increases Southwest’s backlog
for the MAX to more than 600 aircraft spanning the 737-7 and -8
variants. Southwest has been a 737-only operator for nearly 50 years.
May2021 7
 COMMERCIAL News by Mark Broadbent

Assembly has started on
the first UltraFan engine
Rolls-Royce
ROLLS-ROYCE has begun assembly work
on the first UltraFan demonstrator engine
at its Derby facility. Known as UF001, the
UltraFan progress
powerplant is the basis for a potential new
turbofan family for both narrowbody and
widebody airliners.
Work is under way on the engine’s
initial module, with its carbon-
titanium fan system in production at
the company’s Bristol factory and its
gearbox in Dahlewitz, Germany. Rolls-
Royce plans to complete assembly by
the end of 2021. The company did not
disclose a target date for the engine’s
first test run, but it noted the initial test
will be powered by 100% sustainable
aviation fuel.
Rolls-Royce’s president civil aerospace,
Chris Cholerton, said UltraFan “is arriving
at a time when the world is seeking ever
more sustainable ways to travel.” The
company claims the engine will offer a
25% fuel burn improvement on the first-
generation Trent.
UltraFan is set to be the largest aero-
engine ever developed, with its 140in
fan diameter exceeding the 134in
diameter of the in-development Boeing
777X’s General Electric GE9X. It
will feature a lean-burn combustion
system, carbon-titanium fan blades, a
composite casing and advanced ceramic
matrix composites.

ZeroAvia wants to develop
a 50-seat hydrogen-
powered airliner by 2026
ZeroAvia
ZeroAvia’s ambitious electric dream
SUSTAINABILITY CONTINUES to move to
the foreground in commercial aerospace,
as evidenced by a recent announcement
regarding the development of a zero-carbon
hydrogen-electric engine for a 50-seat airliner.
ZeroAvia intends to design a
2MW-capable hydrogen-electric powertrain
for what it calls a “full-size regional
aircraft” by 2026. The project follows
its development of a 600kW powertrain
hydrogen-electric powertrain it is aiming
to fly on a 19-seat aircraft by 2023 and
introduce to commercial service in 2024
(see AIR International February 2021).
The company has attracted £17.6m in
new funding for the 50-seat aircraft project,
including from British Airways and existing
investors Horizon Ventures, Breakthrough
Energy Ventures, Ecosystem Integrity Fund,
Summa Equity, Shell Ventures and SYSTEMIQ.
The financing “accelerates the larger
hydrogen-electric engine development for the
50-plus seat aircraft and supports additional
commercial airlines’ initiatives to adopt
hydrogen in aviation,” said ZeroAvia. Total
funding raised since the firm’s inception totals
£53.7 million, including a £12.3 million grant
from the UK government.
Meanwhile, Airbus Commercial Aircraft
president Guillaume Faury told a March 2021
Eurocontrol webinar that it was necessary to
more aggressively adopt sustainable aviation
fuels (SAFs) in addition to new aircraft. Airbus
will increase the amount of SAF that can be
used in its aircraft, he said. The company flew
its A350-900 test aircraft F-WXWB (c/n 1) on
100% biofuel earlier that month.
Faury stressed SAF usage and new
technologies (such as Airbus’ own ZEROe
hydrogen aircraft concepts) are not mutually
exclusive: “We’re not saying it’s hydrogen and
it’s not sustainable fuels. It’s both.”

Robot RAY to improve cleaning CANADIAN COMPANY Aero HygenX has
developed an autonomous robot designed
to destroy viruses and bacteria inside an
aircraft cabin.
The RAY robot delivers high-frequency
ultraviolet-C (UVC) light to disinfect aircraft
cabins between flights. It destroys up to
99.99% of pathogens, including the COVID-
19 virus, the manufacturer says.
An Aero HygenX spokesperson told AIR
International: “The use of RAY would also
reduce the need for frequent chemical-
Aero HygenX’s fully based disinfection that could potentially
autonomous robot uses impact aircraft interior surfaces and
UVC light to destroy
sensitive equipment, and also leave
viruses and bacteria
Aero HygenX residues that may come into contact with
passengers and crew.”
They added: “RAY produces quick
and safe turnaround times, creating
a safer environment for the crew and
passengers. You don’t have to worry
about chemicals eating away at aircraft
interiors or employees wearing PPE to
spray. [It] creates a strong comfort level for
passengers when travelling.”
De Havilland Aircraft of Canada is
supporting Aero HygenX in developing and
marketing RAY. The system was added
to the manufacturer’s manual as the
recommended disinfection solution for its
Dash 8 In November 2020. Aero HygenX
told AIR International it is beginning to
deliver RAY to airlines, although no public
announcements have yet been made.

AIR TAXI developer Lilium has announced a seven-seater Lilium Jet to
transport people and goods. Using the company’s proprietary ducted electric
vectored thrust technology, the jet follows on from the previously flown five-
seat demonstrator. The German company wants to introduce it to commercial
service in 2026.
8 May2021
DUTCH AFTERMARKET specialists Fokker Services and Fokker
Techniek have been acquired from GKN Aerospace by investment
company Panta Holdings. A statement said the companies “will
continue to invest in technology innovations, advanced processes and
engineering excellence” in aftermarket services. Sister company Fokker
Technologies remains in GKN Aerospace ownership.
 News COMMERCIAL

Widerøe’s all-electric target

NORWEGIAN REGIONAL carrier Widerøe
plans to introduce an all-electric passenger
aircraft in 2026.
The airline has joined forces with airframer
Tecnam and Rolls-Royce for an initiative
that Tecnam said will “cover all elements
of developing and delivering an all-electric
passenger aircraft that could be used
in the Norwegian market”. Tecnam will
provide aircraft design, manufacturing
and certification capabilities and Rolls-
Royce will contribute propulsion and power
systems expertise.
Norway’s topography means aviation is
an important part of regional connectivity.
According to Widerøe CEO Stein Nilsen, the
country’s extensive network of short take-
off and landing airports “is ideal for zero-
emissions technologies”. The Norwegian
government’s ambitions are for electric
aircraft to be used routinely for domestic
scheduled services by 2030 and for zero-
emissions domestic flights by 2040.
Before the pandemic, Widerøe offered
around 400 flights a day from 44 airports,
where 74% of those services had
distances of less than 275km and some
rotations had flight durations of between
seven and 15 minutes. All-electric aircraft
“will enable people to be connected in a
sustainable way”, according to Tecnam. Tecnam’s P2012 Traveller
Widerøe chief strategy officer Andreas Aks is the basis for the all-
added the airline will ensure the capabilities, electric aircraft Tecnam
processes and procedures required for zero-
emissions operations are “designed and
approved in parallel with the aircraft being
developed and certified”.
Tecnam’s P-Volt, an all-electric variant of
the company’s 11-seat P2012 Traveller, will
be the testbed. Rolls-Royce and Widerøe
began jointly researching electric aircraft
concepts in 2019; Tecnam also has a
strategic partnership with Rolls-Royce to
modify its P2010 aircraft with the H3PS1
hybrid-electric propulsion system.

IATA’s latest Safety Report

CIVIL AIRCRAFT accidents fell from 52 in 2019
to 38 last year according to the International
Air Transport Association (IATA) 2020 Safety
Report, with the number of fatal accidents
year-on-year decreasing from eight to five.
IATA member airlines’ accident rate was
0.83 per million flights, an improvement
on the five-year (2016-2020) average of
0.96, although this was against a 53% year-
on-year decrease in total flights to 22 million
due to COVID-19.
Overall, the global accident rate (measured
by accidents per one million flights) was 1.71,
or one accident every 0.58 million flights. This
exceeded both the 2019 figure (1.11 or an IATA’s director general and CEO Alexandre The fatality risk, which measures exposure Total commercial aircraft
accident every 0.9 million flights) and the five- de Juniac noted: “the numbers don’t lie” and to a catastrophic accident with no survivors, accident numbers fell in
year average (1.38, one accident every 0.75 acknowledged “the industry did take a step was unchanged from the five-year average 2020 Airbus
million). Hull loss rates rose slightly in 2021 back on performance in 2020”. However, he of 0.13. IATA said: “A person would have to
compared with the five-year average: it was said: “We will have even sharper focus on travel by air every day for 461 years before
0.21 for jets (compared to the 0.20 average) safety during this period of reduced operations experiencing an accident with at least one
and 1.59 for turboprops (compared with the and as flight schedules are rebuilt when the fatality [and] travel every day for 20,932
1.07 average). world reopens.” years to experience a 100% fatal accident.”

SPANISH DEVELOPER Dante Aeronautical and regional airlines Volotea and
Air Nostrum are seeking EU funding to electrify fleets of in-service aircraft.
Dante wants to convert nine-19-seater aircraft in an approach it notes is
“a much faster process” than developing an aircraft from scratch”. Dante
previously announced a plan to develop a new 19-seat commuter aircraft
with 400nm range.
START-UP carrier Norse Atlantic Airways, launched in March, is leasing
six AerCap Boeing 787-9s and three 787-8s to connect London, Paris
and Oslo to New York, Los Angeles and Miami. Despite current market
uncertainties, it sees promise in low-cost transatlantic air travel,
although it cautioned that future growth “will be based exclusively on
demand and profitability”.
May2021 9
 MILITARY News by Dave Allport

RAF suffers in new

UK Defence cuts
Lockheed Martin F-35B
Lightning II ZM144 ‘010’on
HMS Queen Elizabeth
(R 08) on June 9, 2020,
during initial Carrier Sea
Training with the type.
The newly published
Defence Command Paper
confirmed that more than
the 48 F-35Bs currently
on order will be acquired
by the UK but failed to
provide any indication as
to how many more will be
involved
MOD Crown copyright

A FURTHER series of defence cuts have
been announced by the UK government
as part of its future defence strategy,
retiring older aircraft in order to fund new
technology development.
Firstly, on March 16, the government
published Global Britain in a
Competitive Age: The Integrated
Review of Security, Defence,
Development and Foreign Policy,
which sets out its vision for UK defence in
2030. This was a general overview and
gave no real details of exactly what was
to come.
A week later, on March 22, the Defence
Command Paper (DCP), titled Defence
in a Competitive Age, was released,
giving more precise information about how
future objectives will be achieved. This was
the document in which all the bad news
was revealed, the majority of it targeting
the Royal Air Force.
An in-depth analysis is given in the
feature Savage Cuts for the RAF on p64-
67, so we will not dwell on the details here,
but merely give an overview of the major
elements. There is also coverage of how it
affects UK UAVs, in More autonomy, more
drones on p14 and details of changes to
the helicopter force in End of the road for
Puma on p16.
For the RAF F-35B Lightning II, there
was a glimmer of hope, after much media
speculation prior to publication of the
DCP, that there would be no further orders
beyond the 48 aircraft already on contract.
The DCP stated that the RAF would: “grow
the Lightning II Force, increasing the fleet
size beyond the 48 aircraft that we have
already ordered.”
It gave no further clue as to exactly
how many more would be ordered or
whether the total would come anywhere
near the previously planned tally of 138.
Another positive aspect, however, is that
it confirmed more UK weapons will be
integrated onto the F-35B fleet.
It also reiterated that the RAF “will
continue to grow its combat air capacity
over the next few years as we fully
establish all seven operational Typhoon
squadrons.” The RAF will spiral develop
Typhoon capability, including integrating
new weapons, such as the UK-developed
‘SPEAR Cap 3’ precision air-launched
missile. Further strategic investment in
the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) is
also due to follow, amounting to more than
£2bn over the next four years.
The good news is tempered by
confirmation that the RAF “will retire
equipment that has increasingly limited
utility in the digital and future operating
environment.” This will involve rationalising
older fleets to improve efficiency, including
retiring the 24 Tranche 1 Typhoons by
2025. The Hawk T1 fleet will also be axed
in the same year.
The RAF will retire the BAe 146, as
previously planned, by 2022 and take
the 14 remaining C-130J Hercules out of
service by 2023. To partially compensate,
the A400M Atlas force will “increase its
capacity and capability”.
The E-3D Sentry will retire in 2021, as
part of the transition to the more modern
and more capable fleet of three E-7A
Wedgetails in 2023, cut from the five
aircraft originally planned. It was also
confirmed that 16 long-range Protector
RG1 remotely piloted systems will be
acquired, down from the “more than 20”
figure previously quoted.
In terms of rotary-wing capabilities, “the
oldest CH-47 Chinook helicopters will
be retired and there will be investment,
alongside the US, in newer variants,
enhancing capability, efficiency and
interoperability.” There will also be
investment in a new medium-lift helicopter
in the mid-2020s, which will make it
possible to consolidate the disparate
fleet of medium-lift helicopters from four
platform types to one, including replacing
the Puma HC2. The Army will also retain
and upgrade the Watchkeeper UAV.

USAF’s first F-15EX delivered The first US Air Force F-15EX,

20-0001 ‘ET’/‘40 FTS’, already
fully painted in 40th Flight
Test Squadron markings,
during its delivery flight from
St Louis, Missouri, to Eglin
AFB, Florida, on March 11.
The aircraft had been formally
handed over the previous day.
It had made its maiden flight
on February 2 – see F-15EX
takes maiden flight, March,
p10 USAF/Tech Sgt John McRell

GENERAL ATOMICS Aeronautical Systems Inc was awarded a $12.95m
firm-fixed-price foreign military sales contract on March 30 for the UK
MQ-9 Second Operating Location Alternate Reaper by the USAF Life
Cycle Management Center. It covers one MQ-9 Reaper Block 1, Lynx SAR,
embedded GPS/INS and UK specific modifications. Completion due July 1.
10 May2021
THE ROYAL Thai Air Force has retired its Aero Vodochody L-39ZA/ART
Albatros fleet. The last operational aircraft were withdrawn from use
March 31. The type’s final unit was 41 Wing’s 411 Squadron at Chiang
Mai Air Base. The type had been in service since the first of an initial
order for 36 were delivered in October 1993 and four more April 1997.
 News MILITARY

US Army awards FLRAA Ilyushin Il-112V

demo contracts resumes flight testing
US ARMY contracts have been awarded
to the two companies competing in the
Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA)
competition for Competitive Demonstration
and Risk Reduction (CD&RR) Phase 2.
The awards from US Army Contracting
Command on March 30 comprised
$292.65m for Bell Textron and $284.39m
for Sikorsky Aircraft. Bell is offering the
V-280 Valor, while Sikorsky, in a joint bid
with Boeing, is proposing the Defiant-X.
An initial $19.5m was released to each
contractor from US Army Fiscal Year 2021
research, development, test and evaluation
funds at the time of the award.
Estimated completion date for both
contracts is May 30, 2022.
The US Army Program Executive Office,
Aviation, working with Army Contracting
Command, awarded these Project
Agreement Holder (PAH) deals under the
Aviation and Missile Technology Consortium
Other Transaction Authority (OTA). These
OTA agreements will require the PAHs to
complete an initial preliminary design event
for major subsystems and the conceptual
weapons system. CD&RR Phase II will
be carried out in near parallel with the
programmatic source selection activities and
supports preliminary analysis of requirements
for Special Operations Command, MEDEVAC
and Defense Exportability Features in
FLRAA. This strategy will enable the winning
offeror to complete both air vehicle and
weapons system preliminary design reviews
in less than a year after the programmatic
contract award, thus advancing the schedule
to an earlier Milestone B decision – providing
more time for detailed design, building and
testing of prototype air vehicles.
RUSSIA’S Ilyushin Il-112V light
military transport has resumed
flight testing. The first prototype,
RF-41400 ‘01 Yellow’, built under
contract to the Russian Ministry of
Defence, took to the air again on
March 30 at the VASO Aircraft Plant
airfield in Voronezh.
During the flight, the operating
modes of the engines, the stability
and controllability of the aircraft and
the operation of its main systems
were checked.
The flight lasted about 30 minutes
and did not encounter any problems.
This first of two planned
prototypes was rolled out at
Voronezh on November 27, 2018.
It then made its maiden flight on
March 30, 2019, from there. After
its first flight, the prototype was
grounded while a series of weight-
reduction modifications were
undertaken. Although it had been
planned to re-fly the aircraft in April
2020, this was delayed by necessary
runway repairs at Voronezh. Both
prototypes are due for hand-over to
the Russian Ministry of Defence by
the end of 2021 for State testing.

Additional MQ-4C Triton

order for US Navy
AN ADDITIONAL MQ-4C Triton unmanned
aircraft system has been ordered for the
US Navy. Northrop Grumman Systems
Corporation was awarded a $98.9m
modification to a previously awarded,
fixed-priced incentive (firm target)
contract on March 26 by US Naval Air
Systems Command for the single low-
rate initial production Lot Five MQ-4C.
Work is expected to be completed
in January 2025. Financing for the
purchase has been directed from fiscal The first prototype Ilyushin Il-112V light military transport aircraft, RF-41400
years 2019, 2020 and 2021 US Navy ‘01 Yellow’, gets airborne on March 30 at the VASO Aircraft Plant airfield in
aircraft procurement funds. Voronezh for its second test flight. United Aircraft Corporation

Saudi Arabia One of the first Republic of Singapore Air Force H225Ms, serial number 202, during a pre-delivery flight test near the factory at

orders 25 more
Marseille-Marignane – see story Singapore’s first H225M delivered on next page Republic of Singapore Air Force

Black Hawks
SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT Corporation is to
build an additional 25 UH-60M Black Hawks
for the Saudi Arabian National Guard. A
$99.89m modification to a previous contract
was awarded to the US manufacturer
on March 24 by US Army Contracting
Command, for manufacture of the 25
modified UH-60Ms.
The Black Hawks are being acquired using
2021 foreign military sales funds and the
estimated completion date for the contract
is October 31, 2024. A total of 24 UH-60Ms
for the Saudi Arabian National Guard have
previously been ordered, in three batches
of eight. Originally, Saudi Arabia had been
seeking a total of 72 UH-60Ms for its
National Guard, but it is unclear whether this
remains the eventual requirement.

THE FIRST Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Chengdu JF-17 Thunder has arrived in
the country. The dismantled aircraft was unloaded from Pakistan Air Force
Ilyushin Il-78 R09-001 on March 21 at an unconfirmed location believed to
have been NAF Base Makurdi. The NAF has ordered an initial three JF-17s
and production of serials NAF-720, NAF-721 and NAF-722 is complete.
TWO FURTHER H225s have been ordered by the Japan Coast Guard
(JCG). The order for the two was announced by Airbus Helicopters on
March 30. They will take its total Super Puma fleet up to 17: two AS332s
and 15 EC225LP/H225s. The JCG – the largest Super Puma operator in
Japan – received its tenth H225 in February.
May2021 11
 MILITARY News by Dave Allport

Singapore’s first H225M delivered

SINGAPORE HAS taken delivery of its
first H225M medium lift helicopter. The
handover was announced by Airbus
Helicopters on March 29.
The helicopter had been loaded on board
Antonov Airlines An-124-100 UR-82027
in Marseille, France, on March 20, then
airfreighted with a stopover at Mumbai,
India, before arriving at Paya Lebar Air
Base the following day.
A contract for these helicopters to
replace the Republic of Singapore Air
Force AS332M1 Super Puma fleet was
announced by the manufacturer on
November 8, 2016. The number involved
in the deal has never been officially
announced, but it is believed to be 16.
The first delivery had previously been
planned for the end of 2020, but
disruptions in the supply chain due to the
COVID-19 pandemic meant that this date
had to be put back.
Singapore’s fleet of H225Ms is expected
to assume a wide range of different roles,
including search and rescue, aeromedical
evacuation, humanitarian assistance and
disaster relief operations. Initially, the
RSAF will be conducting flight tests and
training on the H225Ms.
Once operational, they will progressively
replace the RSAF’s Super Pumas, which
first entered service in 1983.

US Army orders 30
more HH/UH-60Ms SNC unveils AFSOC A-29B
TWO NEW contracts were awarded
recently to Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
for procurement of 30 new Black Hawks
in heritage colours
for the US Army, split between HH-60M
medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) and
UH-60M variants.
The most recent deal, awarded on March
25 by US Army Contracting Command, is
worth $94.28m and will cover six Program
Year 5, Lot 45 HH-60Ms.
Financing came from fiscal year 2021
US Army aircraft procurement funding
and estimated contract completion date
is July 31, 2022.
Earlier, on March 22, a $30.96m
contract was awarded to the The second of three Embraer A-29B Super Tucano aircraft for US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), serial number
manufacturer for nine UH-60Ms and 15 20-2102, painted in a special heritage colour scheme. The aircraft has yet to be delivered and is currently being prepared at SNC’s
HH-60Ms. Estimated completion date modification facilities in Centennial, Colorado SNC
for this order was given as June 30,
2023, with the acquisition financed by SIERRA NEVADA Corporation (SNC) has requested by AFSOC. The aircraft had SNC is also contracted to provide ground
fiscal year 2021 US Army funding. unveiled the second of three Embraer arrived at SNC’s modification facilities support equipment, pilot training including
During the previous month, on A-29B Super Tucano aircraft for US Air in Centennial, Colorado, on February 23 difference training and instructor pilot
February 26, another US Army contract Force Special Operations Command from the Embraer Defense & Security final upgrade training, contractor logistics
had been awarded for four UH-60Ms – (AFSOC) in a special heritage colour assembly line in Jacksonville, Florida. support, spares and sustainment.
see April, p10. scheme. On March 29, SNC released AFSOC will use the A-29Bs for training Both the first aircraft (serial number
images of the aircraft, serial number US-allied pilots through the Combat 20-2101) and the second are currently
20-2102, showing it painted in the Aviation Advisor (CAA) programme, which undergoing modification in SNC’s facilities
India receives three heritage colour scheme of the P-51 helps build international partner capacity. in Centennial. Final production and
more Rafales Mustangs and P-47 Thunderbolts flown
by US Army Air Forces during World War
A contract for the first two was awarded
to SNC on February 26, 2020. Later, on
assembly of the third is now underway
at Embraer´s facilities in Jacksonville.
A FOURTH batch of Indian Air Force (IAF) Two combat operations in the China, May 11, 2020, the company announced Final delivery of all three aircraft will take
Dassault Rafales has arrived in India. The Burma and India campaigns around 1944. that it had been contracted to provide a place this year, with training and support
three aircraft, all single-seat Rafale EHs – The special scheme had been specifically third aircraft. activities continuing through to 2024.
serial numbers BS008, BS009 and BS010

First Danish F-35A flown

– landed after dark at Jamnagar Air Force
Station on the evening of March 31. They
had made a direct ferry flight from Istres,
France, refuelling en route from United
LOCKHEED MARTIN has flown the first After completing three more factory pilots to take place. The first flight by a
Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defence
F-35A Lightning II for the Royal Danish flight test sorties in the hands of Danish pilot in Denmark’s own F-35A is
A330 MRTT tankers.
Air Force (RDAF) from its facility in Fort Lockheed Martin and US Air Force test expected to occur sometime in May.
The first batch of five IAF Rafales had
Worth, Texas. pilots, it was scheduled to be formally Up to six of the 27 Danish F-35As
arrived in India on July 29, 2020 – see
The aircraft, serial number L-001 handed over to the RDAF during a being acquired will remain at Luke as
First Indian Rafale delivered, September
(c/n AP-01), made its maiden flight on ceremony at Fort Worth on April 7. part of the pool used to retrain all F-35
2020, p10. A second batch, comprising a
March 8 and the manufacturer said Following that formal acceptance, it partner countries' pilots as they convert
further three, arrived on November 4. The
it had passed all of its planned test is then being flown to Luke Air Force onto the type. The first RDAF F-35 is
third batch, also of three aircraft, arrived
targets during the sortie. Base, Arizona, for training of RDAF scheduled to arrive in Denmark in 2023.
on January 27.

BOEING HAS received a contract for 11 additional P-8A Poseidons under
Lot 12 production. The $1.62bn contract, awarded by US Naval Air Systems
Command on March 31, includes nine for the US Navy and two for the Royal
Australian Air Force (RAAF). The contract is expected to be completed in
September 2024. Order totals are now 14 for the RAAF and 128 for the USN.
12 May2021
BELL BOEING Joint Project Office has been awarded a contract for
the production and delivery of two additional CV-22B Ospreys to USAF
Special Operations Command. The $182.18m deal was awarded by
US Naval Air Systems Command on March 18 as a modification to a
previously awarded contract. Completion is anticipated in March 2025.
 News MILITARY

US special ops CN235

visits the Netherlands

US Air Force Special Operations Command/427th Special Operations Squadron CN235 96-6043,
callsign ‘RCH55,’ departs from Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands on March 24 while routing back
home from the Middle East. This was the first ever visit of an AFSOC CN235 to the Netherlands. It
arrived via Souda, Crete, and Aviano, Italy, then departed for Keflavik, Iceland Dino van Doorn

Tyndall gains three

F-35A squadrons
A RECORD of Decision has been issued
by the US Air Force (USAF) making
Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, the
official location to host three new
squadrons of the F-35A Lightning II.
The selection of Tyndall was announced
by the base’s 325th Fighter Wing (FW)
Public Affairs Office on March 29.
USAF officials chose Tyndall based
on numerous attributes, including
infrastructure capability, quality of
life for airmen, and airspace. The
selection process included a thorough
environmental impact analysis,
in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act.
The decision followed a 2018
proposal by the USAF to base F-35s
at Tyndall after extensive damage
caused by Hurricane Michael prompted
efforts to completely redesign the
base to become what the Department
of Defense describes as the first
‘Installation of the Future’. This has
enabled the USAF to rebuild the facility
specifically to accommodate the
unique needs of the F-35A.
The F-35As will be delivered to three
fighter squadrons at Tyndall in multiple
phases, with the first aircraft planned
to arrive in September 2023. Each
of the squadrons will have 24 Joint
Strike Fighters assigned from the total
of 72 aircraft allocated to Tyndall’s
325th Fighter Wing – once full mission
capability has been achieved.
Tyndall adjoins the massive Gulf
Range Complex, comprising 130,000
square miles of training airspace over
the Gulf of Mexico, making it one of
the few facilities in the US capable
of supporting large-scale air combat
training. Direct access to this range is
essential for fifth-generation fighter
readiness and for live-fire testing
and training.

A CONTRACT for four additional CMV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft for the
US Navy has been awarded to the Bell Boeing Joint Project Office. The
$309.58m deal was awarded by US Naval Air Systems Command on
February 26. Completion is expected in March 2025. The US Navy intends to
order 48 CMV-22Bs to replace the C-2A Greyhound.
May2021 13
 UAV FOCUS by Mark Broadbent

More autonomy,
more drones

Autonomous systems such
as LANCA will continue to
be a focus for UK defence
Defence Science Technology
Laboratory
THE RECENT Defence Command Paper
reaffirmed plans to introduce new autonomous
platforms into the UK military. While the
publication did not include specific detail on
projects or systems, it said “uncrewed and
autonomous platforms including swarming
drones” will be part of the planned £2 billion
Future Combat Air System investment.
Various efforts under way reflect this overall
objective, including the work to explore how
unmanned ‘loyal wingmen’ can be brought into
operations. One initiative in this area to emerge
recently is Project Vixen, which is reportedly
studying how to integrate large unmanned
systems into a future maritime aviation force.
According to a report by industry news
service Naval Technology, the Royal Navy is
examining the use of carrier-based, fixed-wing
UAVs for strike, aerial refuelling, surveillance
and electronic warfare in the carrier air wing.
Project Vixen also involves the Royal Navy and
Royal Air Force studying how loyal wingmen
could work from both land and sea, the
report adds.
An additional UK ‘loyal wingman’ initiative is
the previously announced Project MOSQUITO,
which involves a Spirit AeroSystems-led
consortium developing a Lightweight
Affordable Novel Combat Aircraft (LANCA)
demonstrator. Initial flight tests are planned
for 2023.
A separate project is under way exploring
how large UAVs might be used for maritime
cargo transport. Early in 2021, a pre-
procurement notice on the UK public services
contracts website listed an MOD request for
information (now closed) seeking industry
responses to help it better understand
“the potential for the market to provide an
autonomous maritime airborne heavy lift
capability for the Royal Navy”.
Responses will inform future decisions on
such systems “to support the development of
the Royal Navy’s autonomy network and the
creation of the Future Maritime Aviation Force”,
the listing said. It also noted: “For clarity, this
RFI is not a bidding opportunity but a means
by which industry can provide information. The
authority makes no obligations or undertakings
in any way to... invite tenders for the capability
which is the subject of this RFI.”

Australia’s SEA129 shortlist FIVE BIDDERS are currently on the Australian
Department of Defence shortlist for its
SEA129 maritime unmanned aerial system
(UAS) requirement.
The five – BAE Systems Australia, Insitu
Pacific, a combined Northrop Grumman
Australia/Leonardo team, Raytheon Australia
and Textron Systems Australia – are
progressing to Block One of SEA129 Phase 5,
The Northrop Grumman/Leonardo which is seeking to find a UAS for the Royal
proposal for SEA129 includes the Australian Navy.
AWHero MUAS platform, pictured in
a sea trial Leonardo
Rolling five-year block modernisations
incorporating new technology upgrades
are planned for SEA129. The Australian
government’s minister for the defence industry,
Melissa Price, said: “This process will allow
Australian businesses to be directly involved
in providing greater situational awareness for
the fleet.”
Australia’s acting defence minister Marise
Payne said SEA129 will acquire maritime
unmanned intelligence, surveillance,
reconnaissance and targeting aircraft to
complement the Royal Australian Navy’s
current shipborne sensors and systems to
boost a vessel’s surveillance capability.

THE UK Army will continue to use the Thales Watchkeeper WK450
UAV, the Defence Command White Paper said, despite loss of an
example in an October 2020 Cyprus training flight. Operated by 47th
Regiment Royal Artillery at Larkhill, Wiltshire, the UAV has intelligence,
surveillance, reconnaissance and target acquisition capabilities.
AIRASIA PLANS to launch a drone delivery service as the airline seeks to
diversify. Its logistics unit Teleport, currently testing an urban drone delivery
service with state-backed firm Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity
Centre, intends to conduct its first delivery by the end of this year. An air taxi
service could follow within 18 months.

14 May2021
 UAV FOCUS

Integrating
unmanned
systems
A Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS flies
over Unmanned Air Test and Evaluation 24
during a November 4, 2020 demonstration
at Naval Air Station Patuxent River Naval Air
Warfare Center Aircraft Division

A NEWLY released Unmanned Campaign
Plan identifies important considerations
for integrating unmanned systems
into US Navy and US Marine Corps
operations.
The report highlights three key issues:
advancing manned-unmanned teaming,
building a digital infrastructure to
speedily adopt unmanned capabilities,
and incentivising rapid development
and testing.
Other priorities are defining
capabilities and adopting an approach
to “disaggregate common problems,
solve once and scale solutions across
platforms and domains”.
The services should pursue “an
agile and aggressive approach”
to develop new technologies, and
invest in networks, control systems,
infrastructure, interfaces, artificial
intelligence and data, the report says.
Detailed milestones for technology
maturation and acquisition and a
“holistic approach to developing and
deploying unmanned systems” are
required to reduce risk and ensure
technologies can operate within the
navy’s broader systems architecture,
it adds.
Underpinning the plan is what a US
Navy statement calls “a return to ‘Great
Power Competition’” in geopolitics. This
wider picture will create, it says, “an
inflection point” in military capability
where a “traditional force structure
will not be enough in the face of new
warfighting demands”.
Gray Eagle’s
million hours
MORE THAN one million flight hours have More than a million flight
now been amassed by the US Army’s General hours have been amassed
Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc (GA-ASI) by the Gray Eagle variants
since its 2004 debut
MQ-1 Gray Eagle family.
Becki Bryant/US Army
The milestone, passed on March 16 during a
US Army sortie, came 17 years after the initial
Gray Eagle variant, Army IGNAT, undertook
its first flight. Since then, more than 250
Gray Eagle-series aircraft, including the new
Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER) variant
with 40 hours’ endurance, have flown well
over 800,000 hours supporting deployed
operations. GA-ASI claims “a better than 90%
mission capable rate” for the system. The
GE-ER is also to receive a 200hp enhanced
heavy fuel engine, dual 7.5kW brushless
generators and the ability to carry air-launched
weapons and long-range sensors.

Liverpool’s UAV focus

AN AGREEMENT between Liverpool’s
combined authority and consultancy Drone
Major Group will see a test and development
site for small drones created in the city
region. The Phoenix I initiative is described
by Drone Major Group as “the first in
a series of interconnected projects” to
create “commercially viable, scalable and
environmentally sustainable drone services”
in the UK.
Its focus will be to advance operational
drone capabilities specifically in “urban
logistics, the environment, security,
Liverpool will host
a UAV test and
development centre
Drone Major Group
maritime logistics, port/maritime, and the
wider community”.
Peel Ports Group, Logistics UK, SP Energy
Networks, the Manufacturing Technology
Centre and Liverpool John Lennon Airport
are partners in the project. Technology
specialists from the University of Liverpool
autonomous systems and Liverpool John
Moores University drone research groups will
also be involved. Drone Major Group founder
Robert Garbett says the goal for a “sustainable
and commercially viable” drone ecosystem
puts Liverpool “ahead of the curve” in the UK.

ALTHOUGH THE US Army is currently looking at replacements for its
RQ-7 Shadow tactical UAV, it has awarded Textron Systems a $607m
contract to provide continued logistics support, field services and
engineering for its fleet. The contract also covers the retrofit of Block II-
standard RQ-7s to the latest Block III configuration introduced in 2020.
SWISSDRONES recently showed another use-case for UAVs in a challenge
set by French powerline operator RTE. The company flew its SDO 50 V2
system on a pre-set flight path along a 1-2km stretch of a 400kV line in
southwest France, with two 100-megapixel and one 150-megapixel cameras
taking high-resolution images of line defects.

May2021 15
 ROTARY FOCUS by Mark Broadbent

End of the road for Puma

The RAF’s Puma HC2s, LEONARDO HELICOPTERS is pitching its
five of which are seen AW149 to the UK Ministry of Defence to
here in December 2020’s succeed the Royal Air Force’s Puma HC2
Exercise Wessex Storm,
that the recent Defence Command Paper
will be retired by 2025
SAC Emma Wade / confirmed will be phased out of service
Royal Air Force by 2025.
The paper stated: “Investment in a new
medium lift helicopter in the mid-2020s
will enable a consolidation of the army’s
disparate fleet of medium lift helicopters from
four platform types to one.”
These helicopters are the Puma HC2,
Bell 212 operated in Brunei, Bell 412s
based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, and Airbus
Helicopters AS365 Dauphins used by UK
Special Forces. (The report lists all these
as “army” helicopters but the Pumas and
AB412s are flown by the Royal Air Force.)
Leonardo believes the AW149 is ideally
suited as a Puma replacement. The company
said: “The AW149 fits the bill as a cost-
effective, proven, single-type multi-mission
medium role helicopter. Leonardo has an
active AW149 supply chain and is therefore
able to deliver ‘military off-the-shelf’ aircraft in
less than 24 months, prior to the current Puma
2025 out of service date.”
Leonardo produces the AW149 at its Vergiate
factory in Italy but for the UK requirement
the company would look to develop and
manufacture the helicopter at its Yeovil facility.
UK managing director Nick Whitney said:
“Leonardo has worked closely with the UK
government over the recent period and very
much welcomes the announcements and
opportunities which can result from the
industry/government partnerships moving
forward. We very clearly recognise the
responsibility on industry to adapt to the new
environment, which the government
has outlined.”
First flown in 2009, the AW149 is,
Leonardo says, “configurable for a wide
range of demanding missions” including
resupply, load lifting, troop transport,
casualty evacuation, close air support,
combat search and rescue and special
operations. Its current operators are the
Egyptian Navy, Royal Thai Army and Royal
Thai Police.
Likely competitors to the AW149 for the
UK requirement are the Airbus Helicopters
H175, NHIndustries NH90 and Sikorsky
UH-60 Black Hawk.

Airbus and Draken bid for UK SAR AIRBUS has teamed up with Draken Europe The companies provided few specific
BELOW: Airbus and Draken in a joint bid to meet the UK’s forthcoming details of what they describe as a “UK-based
Europe are bidding for second-generation search and rescue partnership”, but said they will offer “advanced
UKSAR2G Airbus (UKSAR2G) requirement. helicopter, fixed wing and unmanned aircraft
supported by a diverse array of integrated
mission-critical technologies”.
The UKSAR2G programme will procure
the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s new
helicopter rescue service to succeed the one
that is currently provided by the Bristow Group
with Sikorsky S-92A and Leonardo AW189
helicopters from ten bases.
A newly updated procurement timetable
issued by the UK Department for Transport in
March 2021 said bidders have until September
next year to provide submissions. Contract
award is planned for the following month,
October 2022, with the service scheduled to
become operational on September 30, 2024.
Airbus reported that its aircraft and support
capabilities, combined with the experience
of Draken Europe (formerly Cobham Aviation
Services), will provide “a comprehensive
next-generation enhancement” to UK search
and rescue.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency intends
to award UKSAR2G in three lots, covering
“fast, urgent, short-range rescue”, “high
endurance, long-range rescue” and “fixed-
wing and potentially UAV rapid search”.

BELL HELICOPTER is now using sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) for
its 20-strong fleet operated by the Bell Training Academy and for
demonstrations. The company is also exploring SAF usage for the
Autonomous Pod Transport and Electrically Distributed Anti-Torque
demonstrator. Avfuel Corporation is supplying the fuel.
CHC GROUP is to buy Babcock International Group’s offshore oil and gas
aviation business for an undisclosed fee. The Aberdeen-based Babcock unit
flies crews to offshore platforms in the North Sea, Denmark and Australia
using around 30 helicopters including Airbus H145s and H175s. The sale is
due to complete in Q2 2021.

16 May2021
 ROTARY FOCUS

‘Baggers’ at Culdrose
THE ROYAL Navy is preparing to deploy the
airborne surveillance and control (ASaC)-
configured Merlin HM2 after the first
Crowsnest-equipped helicopter was delivered
to 820 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) at RNAS
Culdrose, Cornwall.
Three Crowsnest-configured Merlin HM2s
will embark on HMS Queen Elizabeth when
the UK’s new Carrier Strike Group undertakes
its initial deployment later this year, with full
operational capability targeted for May 2023.
Providing airborne early warning and
control, Crowsnest is an essential surveillance
capability for the Royal Navy’s new aircraft
carriers. It features a modified Thales Cerberus
mission system and Searchwater 2000 radar,
the latter carried on the port side of the
helicopter. This gives rise to the affectionate
nickname, ‘Baggers’, a moniker formerly held
by 849 Naval Air Squadron and its Sea King
ASaC7s, retired in 2018, whose capability the
ASaC Merlin revives.
Commodore Steve Moorhouse, Commander
UK Carrier Strike Group, who will direct HMS
Queen Elizabeth’s first deployment, said the
ASaC Merlins “will offer long-range intelligence
and surveillance against surface and airborne
threats, and the ability to command and
control strike missions”.
Commander Ian Varley, the Commanding
Officer of 820 NAS, said almost his entire
squadron will deploy with HMS Queen Elizabeth
to the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and into
the Indo-Pacific region later this year.
Lockheed Martin is responsible for Crowsnest The first Crowsnest-
design and development, with modification equipped Merlin HM2 at
RNAS Culdrose LPhot Kyle
work undertaken by Leonardo Helicopters in
Heller/ Royal Navy
Yeovil, Somerset.

Essex Helimeds’ new roost

THE ESSEX and Herts Air Ambulance Trust
(EHATT)’s two helicopters, Leonardo AW169
G-HHEM and McDonnell Douglas MD902
G-EHEM, will shortly operate from a new
purpose-built facility at North Weald Airfield
in Essex.
Contractor Barnes Construction handed over
the building to the EHAAT in March 2021.
Operations are scheduled to begin in June
following the completion of internal fit-out. points for electric cars. The building has been
Designed by architects Hurley Porte & designed to retain heat, reduce noise pollution
Duell and structural engineering specialists and maximise natural light.
Superstructures, the facility can house both It includes space for training, mentoring, The Essex and Herts
helicopters and two of the air ambulance patient liaison and cross-training with other Air Ambulance AW169
outside the new North
charity’s rapid response vehicles. emergency services.
Weald facility, funded with
Features include underground heating A visitor centre will enable the charity to the help of a £4.5m UK
beneath the helipad to keep it free of snow and engage with the community, fundraisers and government grant
ice, rooftop photovoltaic panels and charging clinical colleagues. Simon Murdoch

OFFSHORE HELICOPTER services specialist NHV Group is using a
Leonardo AW139 to support Kinsale Energy as it uses the Stena Spey
rig to decommission wells in the Celtic Sea, 50km south of Cork.
Operations by NHV Denmark, the company’s Danish branch, began
in April 2021 for a duration of six to eight months.
MORE THAN 600,000 flying hours have now been amassed by the 400-plus
examples of the Bell/Boeing V-22 Osprey operated by the US Marine Corps,
US Navy, US Air Force and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. Naval Air
Systems Command recently ordered kits for nacelle improvements and the
conversion area harness onto the CV-22.

May2021 17
 BUSINESS FOCUS by Dave Willis

Latest Falcon leaves the eyrie
DASSAULT AVIATION test pilots Bruno Ferry and Fabrice
Valette completed the maiden flight of the company’s
latest Falcon business jet on March 10. The prototype
Falcon 6X (F-WSIX, c/n 1) completed a 2hr 30min
sortie from Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport in southern
France, during which it reached a maximum altitude of
40,000ft (12,192m) and speed of Mach 0.8. No problems
were encountered during the flight, with Ferry later
commenting it demonstrated “precise handling in all
phases of flight”.
Eric Trappier, chairman and chief executive officer of
Dassault Aviation, stated that the flight was dedicated
to Olivier Dassault – the grandson of company founder
Marcel Dassault – who was killed in a helicopter crash
three days before the Falcon 6X flew. Olivier Dassault
achieved several point-to-point speed records in Falcons
between 1977 and 1996.
After completing its initial evaluation at Bordeaux-
Mérignac the prototype will relocate to Dassault’s facility
at Istres-Le Tubé, near Marseille, where it will be joined
by two further Falcon 6Xs for the flight test programme.
Both of the additional aircraft were in final assembly by
mid-March. Service entry is planned for late next year.
The 6X is the largest Falcon variant flown and boasts
the widest fuselage cross-section of any business
jet not derived from an airliner. Power for the new
aircraft comes from a pair of Pratt & Whitney Canada
PW812D (the ‘D’ standing for Dassault) rated at 13,500lb
st (60.0kN) each. Cabin height is 6ft 6in (1.98m),
width 8ft 6in (2.58m) and length 40ft (12.30m), with
accommodation for up to 16 passengers in three areas.
At the core of the aircraft’s flight deck systems is the
EASy III suite, based on Honeywell Primus Epic avionics,
with four 14.1in (35.8cm) displays, plus the FalconEye
head-up display with a combined vision system and
IntuVue RDR-4000 weather radar. Maintenance is
assisted by the new FalconScan advanced diagnostic
system, which monitors over 100,000 parameters on
the aircraft.
Carrying eight passengers and a crew of three at
Mach 0.80, its long-range cruise speed, the aircraft
has a design range of 5,500nm (10,186km), decreasing
by 400nm (741km) at Mach 0.85. Maximum operating
speed and altitude are Mach 0.9 and 51,000ft (15,545m).
The Falcon 6X is the first business jet to be able to use
its flaperons as flaps and ailerons, its electrically-driven
flaps and flaperons controlled by a fly-by-wire flight
control system that improves short field performance.
Development of the Falcon 6X was triggered by the
termination of the 5X in December 2017, work on
which ended after repeated delays to the Silvercrest
engine produced by Safran. The 6X retained most of
the aerodynamics and systems of the earlier design,
but introduced a slight (1ft 8in [51cm]) fuselage stretch
as well as the PW812D engines. Dassault conducted a
‘virtual roll out’ of the prototype in December 2020, after
a traditional ceremony was ruled out because of the
COVID-19 pandemic.

ABOVE: Prototype Dassault

Falcon 6X F-WSIX departs
Bordeaux-Mérignac for its
maiden flight on March 10
Dassault Aviation
Difficult times for UK business aviation
BUSINESS AVIATION in the United Kingdom
is suffering from greatly reduced demand and
regulatory difficulties due to the challenges
of the COVID-19 pandemic and the country’s
exit from the European Union. According to
WingX Advance managing director Richard
Koe, operations in January and February this
year fell by approximately 65% over the same
period in 2020, itself down around 25% on the
previous 12 months, giving the UK the worst
figures in Europe.
The decline is largely due to the strict
lockdown restrictions in effect in the UK for all
of 2021 so far. In addition, flights to Europe
have been hampered since the end of the
Brexit transition period by time-consuming
clearances required to operate to the European
Union (EU). Third and Fourth Freedom rights
covering non-scheduled flights to and from the
UK were granted for EU operators by the Civil
Aviation Authority for the first three months of
2021, but not reciprocated by all EU countries,
with operators finding flights to Germany and
Spain especially difficult to organise. Without
the reciprocal block permits UK companies
have to submit permit applications with an
individual state for each flight, which has
proven to be a lengthy and often costly
process. Extension of the UK’s block permit
scheme beyond April 1 was conditional on each
EU country offering reciprocal freedoms to UK
operators. By March 24, agreements had only
been reached with France and Italy.

Checking In before reaching me in Portugal ... but reading this

Do you hold a passionate opinion
about a civil or military aviation issue
or a view on AIR International’s
content? We are listening. Particularly
in such extraordinary times, we enjoy
a lively dialogue with you through our
news, features and analysis.
Get in touch at airinternational@keypublishing.
com and start the subject line with Checking In.
Neither COVID-19 nor Brexit can stop our
readers from getting their hands on the
latest copy of AIR International…
A happy reader
IT’S NOT that I mind my AIR International
magazine taking a sightseeing trip via Hungary
month’s news… this month… that’s just grand.
So… you will keep sending my magazines directly
to Portugal, right? Please?
PS AIR International is my drug. I’m always happy –
at least, until the last page.
António Gomes Pereira, by email
Ed: It’s good to know we can spread a bit of
happiness, António, amid the global challenges
for mailing and delivery services.
Turn of the Turboprop
The ATR is the surviving and dominant player
in this market segment simply because of the
excellence of its design, which was right from
the get-go.
So if Embraer wants to get back into the game
with a clean sheet of paper design, I think that
it should be a high-wing design, unlike the EMB
130. A low-wing design will necessitate a tall
and stalky landing gear [OK, undercarriage, if
you prefer] but that will make it difficult to load
freight if it has to switch roles from transporting
passengers to hauling cargo.
What’s left to improve on the ATR if a totally new
design is launched? The latest, quietest, most
fuel-efficient engines? The ATR can be upgraded
to do that too. A carbon fibre airframe? Maybe,
but that would require a huge investment in new
plant equipment and the market requirements
might change.
Name and address supplied, by email
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this month’s
issue – turn to pages 27, 63, 80 and 97 for the
questions we’d most like to have you answer …

18 May2021
 BUSINESS FOCUS

Ice Cool Global

Maintenance repair and overhaul organisation Duncan Aviation recently delivered a refurbished Bombardier Global Express XRS from its facility
at Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport in Michigan. The aircraft featured a customised digital black and grey paint scheme and interior
Duncan Aviation

Sovereign’s
reign ended
TEXTRON AVIATION has ceased production
of the Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign+
midsize business jet. The aircraft has been
replaced in the company’s portfolio by
the 680A Citation Latitude, which entered
service in 2015, and the super midsize
700 Citation Longitude, certified in 2019.
The Latitude has a larger circular fuselage
mated to the wings, tail surfaces and Pratt
& Whitney Canada PW306D turbofans of the
Sovereign; the Longitude utilised the same
new fuselage cross-section.
Cessna used a longer Citation Excel fuselage
and new wing for the Sovereign, with the
prototype first flying in February 2002 and
certification following in June 2004. A total of
349 baseline Sovereigns were delivered before
production switched to the Sovereign+ in
2012, 94 of which were built.
The ‘Plus’ incorporated uprated PW306D
(rather than C) engines with autothrottles,
winglets and Garmin G5000 avionics in place
of the original Honeywell Primus Epic suite.
Standard seating comprised double club
accommodation for eight passengers. Production of the Cessna
While the Sovereign sold well soon after its 680 Citation Sovereign+
introduction in the market, in recent years stiff has ended David Willis
competition and Cessna’s overlapping product
line have greatly reduced demand. Recent
deliveries comprised just six in 2018, eight in
2019 and six in 2020.
The decision to end production was
announced in March. At the same time the
company revealed it had stopped building the
King Air C90GTx, the last variant of the long-
running twin-turboprop family.

Large business jet milestones

IN LATE March both Bombardier and
Gulfstream reported reaching milestones
in deliveries of their large-cabin, long-
range business aircraft. Bombardier
announced on March 29 that it had
delivered the 50th Global 7500 large
business jet. The first Global 7500 entered
service in December 2018, followed by 11
more in 2019 and 35 in 2020, plus three
so far this year. By February this year
Bombardier had reserved registrations for
87 Global 7500s. Production costs for the
aircraft decreased by 40% over the first
50 assembled, with Bombardier expecting
them to fall by a further 20% by the time
the 100th is rolled out.
Meanwhile, Gulfstream revealed on
March 25 it had handed over the 100th
example of its G500/G600 family. The Gulfstream has delivered
the 100th example of
milestone aircraft was a G500, which was
its G500/G600 family
certified in September 2018, followed by Gulfstream Aerospace
the G600 in August 2019.
May2021 19
 TECHNOLOGY FOCUS by Dave Allport
An artist’s impression AS PART of its ongoing development of
Mach 4+ airliner
of the 50-passenger commercial supersonic aircraft, Aerion has
Aerion AS3 Mach 4+ revealed plans for a Mach 4+ airliner. The
commercial airliner Aerion
Reno, Nevada-based company gave a first
glimpse of its proposal, the Aerion AS3, in
an announcement on March 29. The AS3 is
designed to transport up to 50 passengers
over a range of 7,000nm. The proposed
aircraft would be able to fly from Los
Angeles to Tokyo in less than three hours.
Golden Horde completes
second flight demo
Air Force Test Center
F-16DM 91-0465 ‘ET’
from the 40th Flight Test
Squadron prepares to drop
four CSDBs during the
second Golden Horde
test near Holloman Air
Force Base, New Mexico,
on February 19 USAF/
Tech Sgt John Raven
US AIR FORCE trials of its collaborative
weapon technologies under the Golden
Horde Vanguard programme are continuing
to make progress following a second flight
demonstration. The Air Force Research
Laboratory (AFRL) revealed details of the test
on March 5, although it had taken place on
February 19.
The aircraft used for the trial was Air
Force Test Center F-16DM 91-0465 ‘ET’
from the 96th Test Wing/40th Flight Test
Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
Four Collaborative Small Diameter Bombs
(CSDBs) were dropped from the aircraft
during this second test. The first test had
taken place on December 15 last year,
when two CSDBs had been launched.
However, due to an improper weapon
software load, the collaboration guidance
commands were not sent to the weapon
navigation system. Without the updated
20 May2021
Aerion
proposes
Aerion’s target is to have the AS3 in the
air before the end of the decade. It will
build on work already undertaken on the
company’s AS2 supersonic business jet.
With conceptualisation and design work
already underway and based around input
from potential customers, Aerion plans
for the AS3 to incorporate revolutionary
advances in technology to make
improvements to the aircraft’s operational
target locations, the weapons impacted a
fail-safe target location.
Despite this, Steven Stockbridge, the
Golden Horde principal investigator, said:
“I’m very pleased with results of this first
test. The team saw good performance from
the networked collaborative sub-systems
and understands the root cause of the
weapons not impacting the desired targets.”
Subsequent to the first flight, the team
resolved the weapon software issue,
incorporated changes to further improve
integrated system performance and
verified the new software in hardware-in-
the-loop simulations.
A CSDB is a Small Diameter Bomb
modified with networked collaborative
autonomy (NCA) payloads. NCA technology
gives weapons the ability to rapidly
respond to changes in their battlespace
without real-time human intervention,
efficiency and reduce the environmental
impact of supersonic flight.
Earlier this year Aerion expanded its
ongoing partnership with NASA’s Langley
Research Center, with the intention of
accelerating the realisation of commercial
high-speed flight and faster point-to-point
travel, specifically studying flying in the
Mach 3-5 range. Aerion will reveal further
details of the AS3 in late 2021.
allowing them to effectively modify their
actions to optimise mission success. The
CSDB technology team was led by the AFRL
and Scientific Applications & Research
Associates as the prime contractor, which
provided the home-on-GPS-jam seeker.
Supporting contractors included L3Harris
providing the Banshee 2 networked
software defined radio, Georgia Tech
Research Institute supplying the radio
antenna, collaborative autonomy processor
and algorithms, and Boeing integrating the
new technologies into its SDB-I weapons.
During the test, the CSDBs established
communications with each other, identified a
pop-up target and followed the predetermined
rules of engagement. They then proceeded to
successfully evaluate and assign themselves
to multiple targets, striking them in a time-
synchronised manner. A third and final CSDB
flight test is scheduled in the spring.

Lilium unveils eVTOL aircraft
GERMANY’S LILIUM has unveiled a
proposed seven-seat version of its electric
vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) Lilium
Jet air-taxi aircraft. The enlarged version,
which was announced on March 30, has
been secretly under development by the
company for the last two years. Lilium
says that it aims to launch commercial
operations with this series production
variant in 2024.
The Munich-based company has been
developing proprietary technology that
powers its eVTOL jet designs since 2015.
This led to the current five-seat technology
demonstrator but, in 2018, Lilium applied for
concurrent type certification with EASA and
the FAA for a larger, seven-seat version.
B-1B becomes ground
integration lab at Edwards AFB
RECENTLY RETIRED US Air Force Rockwell
B-1B Lancer 86-0099 ‘Ruptured Duck’
has arrived at Edwards Air Force Base,
California, to become a ground-based
integration lab for future upgrades.
The Edwards-based 412th Test Wing made
the announcement on March 8, although the
aircraft had landed at Edwards on February
23, marking its final flight. The Lancer had
previously been operated by the 28th Bomb
Wing’s 37th Bomb Squadron ‘Tigers’ at
Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota.
It will now become the Edwards Aircraft
Ground Integration Lab (EAGIL), a non-
flying aircraft that will support planned
testing needed to sustain and improve
the B-1Bs warfighting capabilities for
years to come. The aircraft is one of the
17 B-1Bs that are being retired by the US
Air Force to ensure sufficient funding is
available for the remaining operational
aircraft (see April issue, p13).
Stephen Salas, B-1 Platform Lead,
Global Power Bombers Combined Test
Force, explained: “We plan to do avionics
software, weapon and hardware testing,
Lilium plans to use the type to provide
urban, suburban and regional connectivity.
Initially, Lilium states that it will operate
routes between a network of cities,
enabling much faster travel times than
existing high-speed alternatives, at a
comparable cost per trip.
As scale and technology advances,
Lithium believes it will be able to expand
its network across larger regions,
connecting communities that do not
currently have access to high-speed travel.
Designed to be operated by a single pilot
and to carry up to six passengers, the
new design features 36 ducted fans, with
a wingspan of 13.9m and length of 85m.
Normal cruising altitude will be 10,000ft,
new equipment fit checks and prototyping
efforts. EAGIL will also be used to support
weapon load training, egress training,
as well as aircraft familiarization for
new personnel.”
He continued: “EAGIL will save 100-200
days of scheduled downtime for our two
flyable developmental test aircraft.”
A detailed review determined which aircraft
TECHNOLOGY FOCUS
with a cruise speed of 280km/h and a Lilium’s concept for its
maximum range of 250km+ including new, seven-seat eVTOL
Lilium Jet, which was
reserves. The proprietary technology at
unveiled on March 30 Lilium
the core of the Lilium Jet is Ducted Electric
Vectored Thrust (DEVT) which the company
says it has refined through successive
generations of technology demonstrators.
Electric jet engines integrated into the
wing flaps provide advantages in payload,
aerodynamic efficiency and a lower
noise profile, while also providing thrust
vector control to manoeuvre the Lilium
Jet through every phase of flight. Lilium’s
electric jet engines rely on just a single
stage rotor/stator system driven by an
electric motor, which means it produces
zero emissions.
systems need to be maintained to allow the US Air Force B-1B Lancer
aircraft’s use for ground testing and other 86-0099 shortly after arrival
at Edwards Air Force Base,
training uses.
California, on February 23
This review was used to establish regular after its final flight. It will
maintenance schedules and help determine become a non-flying ground
annual support costs. The CTF intends to integration laboratory at the
leave the B-1B ‘tow capable’ so that the jet base to assist with future
can be moved around the airfield, based on upgrades of the type USAF/
test requirements. Giancarlo Casem
May2021 21
new app
Team Tempest takes a
In this exclusive
look behind the scenes
of Britain’s new Future Combat Air
System, Jon Lake gets under the skin of an
aircraft due to enter service in just 14 years’ time,
and yet its configuration is still undecided – but
intentionally so
T
he Tempest name refers
to a planned new fighter
aircraft expected to sit
at the heart of what will
be a ‘system of systems’,
consisting of crewed
and uncrewed platforms,
weapons, sensors and other force
elements. That ‘system of systems’ is
also called Tempest, and to add to the
risk of confusion, the UK industry
team working on this whole Future
Combat Air System (FCAS) is known
as Team Tempest.
The aerospace industry has long
been somewhat platform-centric,
based around the development and
production of a particular aircraft
type. In more recent times, those
aircraft types have been ‘weapons
systems’, and the sensors and fire
control systems they carry have
become progressively more important.
Those systems are today at least
as significant as the airframe and
22 May2021
powerplant, but the aerospace
industry has continued to focus on
building individual platforms.
The product has always tended to
be a standalone platform, albeit one
equipped with important sensors,
systems and weapons. By contrast,
the new FCAS, rather than being a
single standalone platform, will be a
connected network of capabilities,
hence a ‘system of systems’.
This new approach is required
because air forces are facing a
very complex and dangerous threat
environment that is changing rapidly,
and one that is proliferating around
the world. Technology (and especially
threat technology) is changing so
rapidly that the framework of the
new FCAS needs to be extremely
adaptable, responsive and upgradable.
Leonardo’s director of major air
programmes, Andrew Howard, told
AIR International that “the future of air
operations will not be about groups of
individual
aircraft
flying
individual
missions in
a warfighting
posture. It will be
about rapid and
large-scale information
exchange across a
network of distributed
capabilities, on an almost
constant basis, within the air
domain, and across all other
domains, such as land, sea and
space. This ‘system of systems’ model
underpins the Tempest concept and
requires a completely new approach.”
Elements and categories
The core element is “likely to be a
manned or optionally manned system
but there will be a number of other
systems or components that sit
around it,” said Michael Christie, BAE
pproach
Systems’
director
of future
combat
air
systems,
and the
company’s
senior
representative on
Team Tempest.
Christie defines these
elements according to
four broad categories.
As well as the first, the core
platform, there are what he
calls adjuncts, a more generic term
for the loyal wingman/remote carrier
unmanned combat aerial vehicles
(UCAVs) that will also be developed.
These could have a range of different
capabilities, and could even fulfil
different roles.
The third category refers to
‘effectors’, a term Team Tempest
prefers to ‘weapons’ because they
may not deliver kinetic effects. The
final category is command, control
and communications.
A radical approach
The UK-led FCAS and the next-
generation Tempest aircraft at its core
are being developed in a radically
new way, and this can make the
programme difficult to understand
and to follow. Judged by conventional
metrics, the programme might appear
to be lagging behind rival US and
Franco-German-Spanish efforts to
develop new-generation combat
aircraft and combat air systems, for
example, but to make that assumption
would be a mistake.
Although Team Tempest is looking to
produce a flexible, affordable combat
aircraft that reaches the market in the
2030s, the team is in no rush to get
an aircraft into the air or even to lock
down the design.
Tempest will be a ‘system of systems’ with a
manned (or optionally manned) fighter aircraft at
its heart – the final design, however, may differ
substantially from the configuration featured in BAE
Systems’ marketing effort All images by BAE Systems
Development of Tempest is
proceeding apace, but there are
few obvious milestones or markers
of progress, since a key feature
of the programme is that it is
quite deliberately concentrating
on developing and maturing the
technologies and capabilities required.
Platform development will be
compressed and left until the last
moment, thanks to extensive and
indeed unparalleled use of model-
based systems engineering
and design.
Quite simply, this is because, as
Andrew Kennedy, head of group
strategy, BAE Systems Air, observed:
“The sooner you lock down the design,
the sooner it’s obsolete!”
Michael Christie acknowledged that
this approach means that “some
people are nervous – it feels like
you’re not firming things up until later,
and that’s partly true, but what you
also get from it is much greater
May2021 23
 maturity, much greater understanding
of the system and how it works, so
that you don’t spend the period taking
a requirement and translating it into a
product, trying to work out what the
requirement really means.”
Leonardo’s Andrew Howard gave more
details: “Traditionally, the capabilities
we could bring to the battlespace
were restricted at an early stage by the
decisions made in designing a platform.
An aircraft would be designed and built,
and then companies like Leonardo would
work to equip it with useful technology.
If you wanted a specific capability, but it
wouldn't fit on the aircraft, then straight
away you've got a costly and time-
consuming problem to solve. We, as
Team Tempest, have recognised that this
model is no longer fit for purpose.”
What this all means is that although
the US NGAD programme already
has a flying demonstrator, and while
Dassault and Airbus aim to fly a fighter
technology demonstrator by 2026, neither
programme is necessarily any further
ahead than Tempest. Some would argue
that this apparent ‘early lead’ may actually
condemn these programmes to being
far behind Tempest when they eventually
produce an in-service aircraft. Essentially,
these programmes are following a
more traditional model – setting the
requirement early, designing the solution,
and then refining and testing it. And if the
capabilities and characteristics of the core
element are set in stone, then it follows
that the design of the other elements will
be less flexible and less adaptable.
By the time most aircraft programmes
become public knowledge, a
configuration has been chosen, and
concept artwork usually bears a close
resemblance to the eventual production
aircraft. Michael Christie, however, has
already cautioned that the fighter that
emerges from the FCAS programme
“may not look like the concept aircraft
unveiled in 2018.”
Although BAE produced full-scale
models of a notional Tempest design,
and displayed them at airshows at
Farnborough, Fairford, Cosford and
Duxford, and despite multiple computer-
generated renderings and animations
showing the same basic twin-finned,
“The future of air
operations will be about
rapid and large-scale
information exchange”
- Iain Bancroft, director of major
air programmes, Leonardo
twin-engined tailless Delta design, the
FCAS core element could look very
different indeed.
When AIR International spoke with
Michael Christie in March 2021, he said
“we're still looking at multiple options for
the configuration of the core, manned, or
optionally manned platform. We're looking
at the balance between the various
components and at how best to distribute
capability across the overall system. We
will model various different sizes and
shapes and the different capabilities
and roles that each of the components
carry out, trying to find the balance
between the most effective and the most
affordable. So we will be keeping our
options open for a while yet.”
What this means is that other elements
of the ‘system of systems’ can be
adapted to compensate for features that
might be missing from the core platform,
or vice versa. For example, if it is found
to be more efficient and cheaper to
leave penetrating reconnaissance to
an adjunct, then that can be done. The
NGAD and SCAF teams, working in a
more traditional way, will very soon have
to determine exactly what level of LO will
be required – a decision that will result in
the design being frozen. Team Tempest
can continue to mull that over, and to take
account of changes to the threat, and of
the performance and characteristics of
different adjuncts and effectors.
Christie was unwilling to say how many
configurations were being examined.
“We're looking at many configurations.
But I don't really want to give a number
because I don't think it means that much.
We have the ability to assess many more
configurations than before,” he said.
“If I look back to the days when I was an
aerodynamicist on Typhoon, we looked
at a range of different configurations,
the P110, P113, P120, etc. We had
to go through a whole series of wind
tunnel tests and gradually mature the
product. I could never have depended
on computational fluid dynamics in those
days to do that.
“I can do that synthetically now an
awful lot more quickly than I was able to

Carrier implications
Adapting the core manned Tempest fighter
for carrier operations would be a massive
task, and one that would impose tight
constraints on the design. The aircraft would
need to be able to withstand the stresses
and fatigue loads imposed by arrested
carrier landings and catapult launches,
which would increase structural weight,
although overall mass would still need to be
kept relatively low.
Quite apart from weight limits, the size of
aircraft carrier deck elevators would restrict
the aircraft’s overall length (and wingspan).
Other design requirements would include
a rugged, long-stroke carrier landing gear
with associated additional internal volume
and a suitable arrester hook, that would
need to be fully retractable to preserve LO
characteristics. Carrier operations would
also demand enhanced corrosion protection,
and potentially different LO treatments/
coatings. Take-off performance and low-
speed handling and control authority would
need to be adequate for catapult launch.
The aircraft would need to be able to fly a A digital thread runs right through the Tempest
standard carrier approach, with the pilot programme, from concepting, through to design,
getting a good view ‘over the nose’. manufacturing, sustainment and operation Ray Troll

24 May2021

do it back in the
1980s. We can rattle
through these configurations
at a great pace. We can do things in
a matter of days that would literally have
taken months and years. In some of the
work we've done, we've been able to
run 60 configurations through a high-
performance computer, again in a matter
of days.
“But I don't necessarily want
everybody continually looking at lots of
configurations. We need to make a
clear decision.”
One of the concepts that has been
looked at is to treat the core fighter as
a ‘minimum viable platform’, adding
software and plug-and-play equipment
modules to flex its role, rather than
treating the aircraft as a multi-role
platform in the traditional sense. The
same airframe shape would perform
different roles, according to what
equipment was fitted, but the different
aircraft would fundamentally share the
same platform.
New design techniques
The Boeing/Saab T-7A programme
demonstrated that by using advanced
digital design and cutting edge
manufacturing it was possible to produce
a brand new, clean sheet of paper
airframe more ABOVE: The core Tempest aircraft will be augmented
cheaply than simply by a host of adjuncts and effectors, including UAVs
buying an off-the-shelf trainer. of various shapes and sizes, among them ‘loyal
wingmen’ and attritable swarming drones
Dr Will Roper, the Pentagon’s former
Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for BOTTOM: Fixed jigs will be rare in BAE Systems’
Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, ‘factory of the future’, but advanced robotics will be
exploited this capability when he outlined clearly in evidence
his new ‘Century Series’ concept for
building future fighter aircraft. BELOW: This view of the Tempest configuration
Roper urged the development of a series shows to advantage some of the LO characteristics
that will feature on whatever configuration is
of shorter-lived aircraft programmes that eventually chosen
would share some common components
and subassemblies. Roper’s vision
saw new designs being rolled out on a
predictable cycle, replacing older models
in production – much like new versions of
the iPhone. Roper wanted to see
a rapid iteration of new designs,
rewarding the “volume of design”, not
production numbers.
A similar approach to FCAS could
theoretically see different operators
procure different elements of the
‘system of systems’ – perhaps with a
different core platform to suit different
requirements – Sweden, for example,
might want a lightweight fighter optimised
for operation from austere road strips,
while another operator might prefer a
narrowly focused BVR system.
But while Christie admits that he
“bought into some of the thinking of the
century series,” he cautions against trying
to design too many different platform
types, “because there's a non-recurring
cost to doing that.”
The cynical observer might suspect that
BAE Systems is unlikely to embrace small
production runs of aircraft, having
May2021 25
 spent the last three decades becoming
more and more adept at exploiting
today’s combat aircraft business model,
which rewards production longevity and
numbers over dynamic design. The more
aircraft a manufacturer builds, the longer
that company will be able to earn money
from sustainment and support revenues.
Carrier capability
There have been numerous suggestions
that the Tempest programme could or
should produce a carrier-capable version
(see Carrier implications, page 24). When
Labour peer Lord West of Spithead (the
former First Sea Lord) asked about this
in February 2019, Earl Howe, the Minister
of State at the Ministry of Defence, said
that any new combat air system would
“need to be interoperable with the
Carrier Enabled Power Projection (CEPP)
programme.” He added that carrier basing
would be considered “for any unmanned
force multipliers which may form part
of the future combat air system,” while
seeming to imply that there would be no
requirement for a manned combat aircraft
on the carrier beyond the F-35.
There is a significant ‘carrier lobby’ in
the UK, and some still press for a carrier-
based version of the core manned fighter.
AIR International asked Michael Christie
how dismayed he would be if someone
told him that there was now a requirement
to operate Tempest from a carrier.
“I’d be surprised, but I might not be
dismayed. It will definitely be a challenge
to do everything that we're trying to do
and also make it carrier suitable. If that's
a decision that is going to be made then it
has to be made early, because it will have
a profound effect on the configuration.
Carrier capability would have to be built
into the requirements. I don't think it’s
likely to be a requirement given that the
UK already has a carrier capability.”
With so much still to be decided it will be
26 May2021
some time before anyone sees anything
approaching a final Tempest aircraft
design, even though Team Tempest “The sooner you lock
is aiming to achieve an IOC (Initial
Operational Capability) in 2035, with FOC down the design, the
(Full Operational Capability) in 2040. To
get hung up on the configuration would sooner it’s obsolete!”
be to fundamentally misunderstand what
the FCAS is all about. - Andrew Kennedy, strategic
campaigns director, BAE
Six major workstreams
When looking at Tempest, it is tempting Systems Air
to concentrate on some of the exotic
technologies that the aircraft will or might
incorporate. Much has been written about
future ‘virtual cockpit’ technologies, haptics
(technology that simulates what would be
felt by a user interacting directly with physical
objects) and wearable technologies, and
even directs energy weapons. But perhaps
more significant than these individual
technologies are the six major workstreams
that make up the programme.
The first of these is concepting, which
Christie describes as being “almost like
the integrating workstream.”
The second workstream covers next-
generation technologies, many of which
cannot be talked about, but which include
low observability.
The third includes both power and the system will have to be rapidly
propulsion technologies, and the fourth reconfigurable and upgradeable. This will
covers sensing technologies, while the require open architectures in the FCAS
fifth is based around airframe technology. but also in the design, development and
The sixth workstream is built around manufacturing sphere, as well as very
enabling technologies, including agile project management. Everything
manufacturing, model-based systems about Tempest will be quite different
engineering, and the digital enterprise. to the way that BAE Systems and its
The key to success for the next partners have managed and executed
generation of combat aircraft will be combat aircraft programmes in the past.
what is now called ‘dominance in the BAE’s ‘factory of the future’ is
information space’. It is all about finding, emblematic of the new approach. A digital
disseminating and exploiting information, thread runs through the entire process,
and this will place a huge emphasis on from concept work, through to the design
new technologies, including artificial process and into manufacturing.
intelligence and autonomy. To succeed The new factory will move away from
in a rapidly changing threat environment, fixed jigs as far as is possible, and will
This Tempest configuration appears futuristic
and ‘stealthy’, and that’s probably why it was
chosen to form the basis of full-scale models and
press imagery. It looks as you’d expect a mid-
century sixth-generation fighter to look – twin-
finned, tailless, delta winged. However, the real
thing could turn out very differently

The future of air operations will entail a ‘system
of systems’, with multiple assets exchanging
information constantly within the air domain, and
across land, sea, space and cyberspace
make unparalleled use of robotics and
additive manufacturing (3D printing).
Furthermore, it promises to reduce
timescales, leveraging higher yields and a
higher ‘right first time’ rate.
Programmatics
Getting to grips with the work of Team
Tempest and the FCAS project means
understanding that there are now
effectively two related programmes
running in parallel. One is a British
national combat air acquisition process,
while the other is a trilateral international
technology programme. The UK effort will
move into its concept and assessment
phase this summer, using funding
allocated in the 2021 Defence Command
Paper, ‘Defence in a Competitive Age’.
The national and international
programmes have run in parallel, but
the intent is for both to coincide at
some point later in the year, moving
to a joint statement of work and then
joining together in a single organisational
Those who value aesthetics in aircraft design
may be reassured by the reminder that
this, now very familiar twin-finned,
pelican-nosed configuration – may
not be the final Tempest design
structure later in the programme. This
has been laid out in the Trilateral MoU
signed by the Swedish, Italian and UK
governments at the end of last year.
After the concept and assessment phase,
the next big milestone will be the alternate
systems review, which is when the system
will be defined, and when the formal
requirement will start to firm up. There will be
a much clearer idea of what the system will
be, and what the elements of the system are.
The alternate systems review for the overall
‘system of systems’ is probably 18 months
away from starting, while the core platform
review is probably two years away.
The whole process will be far less
sequential than traditional programmes,
with much more work being conducted
in parallel. In a traditional programme the
customer issues a requirement, to which
industry then responds. But for Tempest,
there is a more iterative process between
customer and industry, with dynamic
operational analysis, and with system
development proceeding simultaneously.
Partnership
“One of the core tenets of the Future
Combat Air System programme is that
it is definitely international by design,”
Michael Christie says.
“On day two, as soon as we had
unveiled the concept model, we started
talking to our partners in Sweden and
Italy. We’ve got a group of nations who
have come together and who want to,
and know how to, collaborate.”
Christie explained further: “We have a
very good coverage of all the capabilities
that are required to bring a complex
combat aircraft system into play. We all
understand how to compromise and
come up with a solution that works for
everybody. That in itself is as important
as some of the technical skills. In this
market if you know how to come together
and work effectively as a team you’ve
probably got a bit of a winning formula.”
As well as the three key nations of the UK,
Italy and Sweden (each of which is capable
of designing and manufacturing whole
aircraft, and each of which has capabilities
in sensing and weapons), the UK partners
are determined to make the programme
accessible to new partners joining later.
“All of the partners working together at
the moment are experienced in the export
market, and we’re experienced in how
you gain export customers in this very
complex sector,” Christie insisted.
“I know from my time working on
Typhoon and Hawk exports that you don't
do exports these days without having
some kind of share of the work going to
your export partners.
“One of the lessons learned from
previous programmes is that if it's all too
tightly ‘stitched up’ up-front, it becomes
very challenging later in the programme.
So this is a programme that has set out to
be international by design.”
Those involved are also determined to
ensure that any new Tempest partner will
have some level of freedom of action in
terms of both operational sovereignty and
freedom of modification.
Industrial construct
One of the most important tasks over
the next few months will be building the
necessary governmental and industrial
constructs. “Rather than starting with a
structure, we're starting with an outcome
in mind, and this is that we want an
efficient, competitive delivery construct,”
explained Michael Christie.
Team Tempest is looking at a very wide
range of alternative structures, and is
hoping to learn from NETMA, Panavia and
Eurofighter, as well as from other consortia
and similarly complex programmes. The
team wants to avoid duplication in the
delivery construct, and needs to move
at a very rapid pace if it is to meet the
ambitious target of an IOC of 2035.
It is still too early to say what the
Tempest platform will look like, what
adjuncts and effectors will form the other
elements of the Future Combat Air
System, or even exactly how the
programme will be run. What is certain,
however, is that the Tempest Team will
shake up FCAS development once and
for all.
Checking In
Do you think Tempest will be here
in 14 years?
Share your view at
airinternational@keypublishing.com
under the subject heading Checking In.
May2021 27
 Hyb
Matteo Legnani speaks with the next generation
of aviation pioneers helping make hybrid-powered
aircraft a reality in the Pacific

28 May2021
ybrids
in Hawaii
T
he scenic ‘Road to Hana’
is one of Hawaii’s most
travelled attractions.
Situated on Maui, it runs
through 620 curves and 59
bridges for 52 miles from
Kahului along the island’s
jagged eastern coast, punctuated by
spectacular waterfalls and breathtaking
cliffs. Despite the stunning views, with
so many twists and turns, driving can
sometimes feel arduous.
This has resulted in numerous souvenir
shops springing up along Highway 360
(which is its official designation) selling
T-shirts proudly proclaiming, ‘I survived
the Road to Hana’.
While tourists flock all year round, eager to
spend up to two hours on the most famous
route in Hawaii, for locals it’s all a different
story. The narrow carriageway and the tight
corners are not attractions, but obstacles
to overcome when trying to get from A to B
and back again as quickly as possible.
This is one of the main reasons for the
popularity of air travel between the two
towns, the Kahului (OGG)-Hana (HNM)
route having been part of the network
of local carrier Mokulele Airlines (9X) for
years. By air the trip takes around 15 to 20
The Electric EEL
in the skies over Hawaii
All images Ampaire unless stated
minutes, which saves around 90 minutes
compared with the road journey. Typically
operated twice a day in each direction, the
connection is part of the Hawaii Essential
Air Service (EAS), meaning that it’s funded
by US Federal money.
Global pioneer, new identity
On November 20, 2020, the OGG-
HNM air route became the first in the
world to be flown regularly by hybrid
electric equipment, with California-based
company Ampaire trialling services using
its EEL aircraft.
Hawthorne Municipal Airport, a
May2021 29
 few metres away from the Tesla design
centre in Los Angeles, has been home
to Ampaire since its creation in 2016
by Kevin Noertker and Cory Combs,
two young entrepreneurs who share a
professional background at Northrop
Grumman Aerospace.
However, on February 18 this year it was
announced that the company was to be
taken over by fellow Californian firm Surf
Air Mobility (SAM), through a stock deal
30 May2021
valued in excess of $100m. SAM is both
a scheduled flight operator, using a fleet
of 12 eight-seat Pilatus PC-12s across a
dozen destinations, and the manager of an
online booking platform that interconnects
around 2,000 aircraft operators with 5,000+
customers. This sort of ‘Uber of the skies’
allows travellers to pick a route, select an
aircraft and fly when they prefer for a fixed
rate. It is understood that this part of the
business (and additional financial support
for development programmes) is what
attracted Ampaire towards SAM as it hugely
increases the market perspectives for its
hybrid electric technology.
Sudhin Shahani, Surf Air Mobility's
co-founder and CEO, said: "The addition
of Ampaire’s proprietary hybrid electric
powertrain technology is a critical
component in Surf Air Mobility’s plans
to dramatically improve the affordability,
accessibility and environmental footprint of
aviation, beginning with regional travel.”
All Ampaire employees were invited
to move to SAM. Ampaire CEO and
co-founder Kevin Noertker was appointed
president of a new division within SAM –
AMP. "Working with Surf Air Mobility will
allow us to follow the successful path of
hybrid electric automobiles and take that
model to the sky more quickly,” he said as
the deal was announced.
SAM’s acquisition of Ampaire came
almost a year after parent company Surf
Air bought charter broker BlackBird Air,
a digital marketplace focused on small
aircraft urban mobility.
How it all started
“Cory and I both had been given a lot
of responsibility in our 20s to manage
major aspects of aircraft and satellite
programmes, heady stuff for recent
graduates of Stanford and Caltech,
respectively,” Ampaire’s then CEO Kevin
Noertker told AIR International.
“Cory was the first to embrace the
revolutionary potential of electric aviation
and persuaded me to join him in forming
Ampaire. He’d been dreaming of electric
airplanes for years before we took that
step and his instincts were exactly right.
That’s been confirmed by the support
we have received from NASA, the US
Department of Energy, airlines, business
incubators and the venture capital
community, who all see vast opportunity
for electric aircraft.”
While other companies around the
world (including the likes of Eviation
Aircraft and Zunum Aero) elected to
work on ‘clean sheet’ designs to develop
electric aircraft, Ampaire followed a more
evolutionary (and cost-effective) strategy,
by ‘electrifying’ existing examples.
“One of the advantages of the Ampaire
approach is the ability to move quickly,
innovate, iterate, learn and apply lessons
gained through putting a series of
testbed aircraft in the air. By beginning
with hybrid-electric upgrades for current
production aircraft, we achieve three
critical objectives: we move swiftly to
bring aircraft to market; we manage
technical risk; and we use financial
resources judiciously. A lot of promising
programmes are undone by delays and
mounting costs over the course of a long
certification [process]. We intend to avoid
those pitfalls,” explained Noertker.
In May 2019, Ampaire unveiled its first
‘electrified aircraft’: a six-seat Cessna

337 Skymaster modified by substituting
its rear Continental IO-360 piston engine
with an electric propulsion system that
was powered by lightweight batteries
housed in the passenger cabin. The
result was a ‘parallel hybrid’, meaning the
internal combustion engine and electric
motor work in concert to optimise power
output as the aircraft flies.
Enter the Electric EEL
It was renamed Electric EEL, a reference
to the electric fish inhabiting fresh waters
of the Amazon and Orinoco river basins
in South America, but also a ‘hat-tip’ to
the original 337 designation with the 3s as
backward Es, and the 7 an upside down
and mirrored L.
Brice Nzeukou, Ampaire product
manager when AIR International spoke
to the team, explained some of the wider
thinking: “The Skymaster was chosen
because it has been a reliable testbed for
various experiments in the past, including
those by NASA, and because of its in-line
thrust, which allows the substitution of
one of the two engines without modifying
the characteristics of the aircraft. The
two engines work independently and
power can be applied to each of them
at different ratios: for example, at take-
off we can have 95-100% power from
both engines if the runway is short, but
elsewhere we can apply full power to the
combustion engine while keeping the
electric at lower power, or vice versa.”
Following a May 2019 Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) airworthiness
approval to begin a test flight programme,
on June 6, 2019 the EEL demonstrator
registered N72342 (c/n 337-01567) took
to the sky for the first time from Camarillo
in Ventura County (situated to the north
of the Los Angeles metropolitan area),
with test pilot Justin Gillen in command
and Russell Newman as flight engineer.
The inaugural flight anticipated a test
programme taking approximately 30
months, with additional propulsion
configurations tested, and an STC
(supplemental type certificate) expected
to be issued by the end of 2021.
Just 15 months later, on September 10,
2020 a second EEL prototype made its
maiden flight from Camarillo. A ‘refined’
version of the first aircraft, with batteries
moved from inside the cabin to a pod
under the belly, the powerplant on
N337EE (c/n 337-01600) differs from the
configuration of the first demonstrator,
which had a gas engine in front and the
electric system aft. It sports a 310hp
Continental IO-550 engine in the rear
paired with a forward electric motor with
excess power capability limited at 214hp
for this application.
Following four weeks of flight testing
(during which it flew for more than 30
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT:
CEO Stan Little wants Mokulele to be the first
carrier in the world to fly the hybrid Cessna Caravan
on a commercial flight with paying passengers
HonoluluAirTeamImages.com/Andrew Hunt
A rendering of how the Eco Otter SX could look
In time, it is hoped that the price to retrofit an aircraft
will be comparable to existing overhaul costs
Spectacular scenery has made the ‘Road to Hana’ a
tourist favourite, but locals are less enamoured of its
twists and turns Wikimedia Commons/dronepicr
Surf Air Mobility aims to bring more affordable,
sustainable and personalised air transport to
everyone, beginning with regional travel Surf Air
hours across 23 missions with a 100%
dispatch reliability), on October 8,
N337EE set an apparent world record
for the longest electrically powered flight
by an aircraft designed for commercial
operation. It covered the 341 miles
separating Camarillo Airport and Hayward
Executive Airport – situated in the
southeastern part of the San Francisco
Bay Area – without stopping en route. The
‘hop’ took two hours 32 minutes, at an
average speed of 135mph and with the
cruise portion levelling off at 8,500ft.
It was this second demonstrator that
was shipped to Maui for trial flights in
co-operation with Mokulele Airlines at the
start of November 2020. Nicknamed Hawaii
Bird, the aircraft was partially disassembled
at Hayward and put back together at
Kahului Airport before starting flights to and
from Hana on November 20. This was the
first time an electrically powered aircraft
has flown under an FAA ‘Market Survey’
experimental aircraft certificate in order to
gain real-world flight experience.
The Pacific archipelago was a front-runner
for these pioneering operations, as Nzeukou
explained: “Hawaii was the perfect stage
for our trial flights because of the strong
carbon-neutral policy implemented by State
Governor David Ige, because of the good
relationship with Mokulele, and because our
sponsor Elemental Excelerator – a clean-
tech incubator that partly funded the
May2021 31
 CLOCKWISE FROM THIS IMAGE:
The second Electric EEL example in flight
Ampaire co-founder Kevin Noertker believes that working with SAM will
enable the team to quickly follow the hybrid electric automobile model
The Electric EEL over Maui – Hawaii’s carbon-neutral policy made it the ideal
place for Ampaire’s test flights
Ampaire team members Brice Nzeukou, Kevin Noertker, Doug Shane and Justin Gillen
flights – has its main office in Honolulu.”
Asked about the selection of the Kahului-
Hana route above others in the area,
Nzeukou said a variety of factors
were considered: “We chose it because
it’s the shortest among those flown by
Mokulele, because it allowed us not to fly
over water and because it is EAS-funded
and, as such, containing costs has double
the importance, for the airline and for
federal funding.”
Drilling down to the hard numbers, the
product manager evidenced a range of
promising data from the experimental aircraft:
“Besides being environmentally friendly, with a
25-30% reduction in total emissions, the
hybrid propulsion is also cost-effective,
with overall costs down 25-30% as the
consequence of the reduction in fuel
consumption and maintenance. On a
larger aircraft, such as the Eco-Otter SX
[a hybrid version of the 19-seat Twin Otter]
we are working on, we conservatively
project 10,000 hours between electric
power unit overhauls or replacements and
up to 5,000 hours between those for the
combustion powerplant, as the result of
the increased efficiency allowed by this
type of propulsion.”
Flying activity in Hawaii saw N337EE
32 May2021
plying the route from OGG to HNM and
back from November 20 to December 8. In
total it made 22 sorties over 17 flying days
for a total time in the air of 23.6 hours.
The longest flight, for air-to-air video and
photography, was nearly three hours.
Cockpit insights
Test pilot Justin Gillen described to AIR
International his daily routine in Maui: “We
operated VFR only, meaning we remained
clear of the clouds. At that time of the year
on Maui, clouds are typically around 2,000
to 3,000ft, so we flew at 1,500 to 2,000ft.
Each one-way trip was a 20-minute flight
with the in-flight airspeed near 130mph, for
best operational efficiency.”
Gillen described the EEL system as
“very intuitive and easy to use”, adding:
“In the cockpit, apart from the two
independent throttles for the combustion
and electric powerplants, the only
change on the instrument panel is the
addition of a ten-inch touchscreen which
displays the electric power system
parameters. Various temperature gauges
monitor the system health and provide
battery charge information.
“In the air the handling qualities, meaning
manoeuvrability and stability of the EEL,
are [largely] unchanged, as compared
with the baseline Super Skymaster with
the Robertson STOL kit. The performance
numbers of the EEL are quite respectable,
especially when compared against the
original stock Skymaster.”
On the ground, the ‘core’ of the system
is a 480 volt, three-phase recharger for
batteries manufactured by Australian
company Electro Aero. In Kahului, the
EEL’s batteries were powered back up
in just 30 minutes by Gillen after each
rotation to Hana: “With the aircraft electric
power system in standby and the ground
charger powered on, I inserted the high-
voltage charger plug into a receptacle in
the cowl of the front motor and pressed
the ‘charge’ button on the charger unit's
touch screen. Once charging, the monitor
screen in the aircraft indicated how much
time remaining was required for the
charge to complete.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Kevin Noertker
is hugely enthusiastic about the
results of trial flights: “Our activities
with Mokulele Airlines have confirmed
a large potential market in Hawaii.
The continental US and Europe are
enormous markets, too. In the United
States you have a lot of regional hubs
with underserved smaller communities
within a few hundred miles, but no rail
service, as in Europe. Swiss investment
bank UBS estimates the global market
for hybrid-electric aircraft at $178 billion
through 2040 – that doesn't sound
unrealistic to us. That’s why we have
discussions ongoing with airlines around
the world to understand their needs
and how our products can fill them.
We see substantial opportunities for a
hybrid-electric upgrade of the nine-seat
Cessna Caravan, for example.
“We are already working on the Eco
Otter SX, a hybrid-electric version of the
popular de Havilland Canada DHC-6
Twin Otter, preserving payload capacity
and the ability to routinely fly stage
lengths of 200 nautical miles or more.
“Configuration studies and
programme risk reduction activities are
Test pilot Justin Gillen recharging the Electric
EEL’s battery pack going on now with support from NASA.” “We're shooting for late 2023,” he
So far, Ampaire has 15 regional airlines revealed to AIR International, adding that
Pilot perspectives and air-taxi customers who have signed “it will be several years before we’ll retire
AIR International asked test pilot Justin Gillen
letters of interest. “We’ll convert a number the last turbine engine in our fleet, but it
to share the piloting procedures he followed
of these to firm orders as we present will certainly be in this decade”.
during the EEL flights in Hawaii, starting from
final aircraft configurations and our He added: “Realistically, we can get
getting on board the airplane until getting off
development roadmap. Stan Little, CEO to 50% hybrid by 2025 and I hope that
after engine shut-down.
of Southern Airways/Mokulele Airlines by 2028 you’ll be asking when we'll be
He said: “Starting the electric motor is
is on record as wanting to put Ampaire retiring the last hybrid plane in favour
quite simple. Once the system is through
hybrid-electric aircraft into service as of all-electric.”
its boot sequence, the motor is enabled
soon as possible,” revealed Noertker. Talking about conversion costs,
using a switch that places the system into
For his part, Stan Little said: “Ampaire Mokulele’s chief executive has great
‘run’ mode, and the motor ‘idles’ at near
actually reached out to Mokulele several expectations: “Our goal is that the
100rpm. The IO-550 start sequence is per
years ago, even before Southern Airways conversion to electric will cost roughly
the manual. Once the electric power system
acquired them. The previous chief the same as an overhaul of the existing
is operating, it supplies power to the aircraft
executive, Rob McKinney, lived in Maui turbine engine. So, when aircraft owners
battery, similarly to the alternator of the
and believed that green energy would be reach TBO [time between overhauls],
engine it replaces, so we don’t really have to
extremely popular with locals. they'll be able to choose whether to
worry about running the battery down on the
“The fact that Mokulele flies some of the overhaul or convert for roughly the same
starter of the other engine.
shortest commercial routes in the world, up-front cost.
“Before the flight, in addition to the normal
like the 12-minute hop from Kahului to “After that, we expect savings in the
337 pre-flight checklist, we perform a brief
Hana, made it a great fit for both parties, range of 25%-35% with the hybrid
full-power health check on the electric motor
knowing that battery life would likely be propulsion, while our passengers will
and verify both powerplants are supplying limited in the early days of development.” enjoy a quieter cabin. But, more than that,
electric power to the main aircraft bus. they will sleep better at night knowing
“The take-off run is also very similar to Ambitious plans how much gentler these aircraft are on
the Super Skymaster. In cruise, we set the From those humble beginnings, electric our planet.”
engine power using the 337 manual and set propulsion technology has evolved so With the team’s ambition and dedication
the electric motor into a cruise power state. quickly that Little plans for Mokulele leading to such promising results so early
The descent, pattern and landing is all per Airlines to be the first carrier in the world on in the project, the largely untouched
the 337 manual, and we set down easily on to fly the hybrid Cessna Caravan on a landscape of Hawaii looks like the perfect
the 3,600ft long runway at Hana. commercial flight with paying passengers, stage for this exciting new chapter in
“The only difference in ground operations hopefully within just a couple of years: commercial aviation.
is that taxiing the aircraft on the electric
motor allows us to shut down the internal
combustion engine, keeping it cooler and
saving a small amount of fuel. The aircraft
is very quiet when taxiing on the electric
system only, so it is important to watch for
folks on the ramp who are expecting to
hear any approaching aircraft; to someone
wearing hearing protection, the electric
aircraft is virtually silent.
“Shutting the system down is very similar to
the start. Of course, the IO-550 is shut down
by retarding its mixture to cut-off, and the
electric motor is shut down by moving the
mode switch from ‘run’ to ‘stop’, the system
enters a standby mode and the front propeller
slowly and silently winds down to a stop.”

May2021 33
RedM
M
Draken’s

The Ejercito del Aire’s Ala 14 painted its M

F1Ms in an attractive brown, beige and bl
camouflage Draken International

Florida’s Draken International is amassing a fleet of Mirage

F1s for aggressor training, among them 19 former Spanish
Air Force F1M jets. Salvador Mafé Huertas delves deeper

A
fter the Ejercito del Aire
(EdA, Spanish Air Force)
retired its fleet of Dassault
Mirage F1M fighters in
2013, the Fuerza Aérea
Argentina (FAA, Argentine
Air Force) came very close
to buying 16 of the upgraded jets. In the
event, a combination of political and industrial
challenges scuppered the deal and it seemed
likely the aircraft would be scrapped.
In November 2017, the US company
Draken International announced that
it had acquired 22 Mirage F1 aircraft
“predominantly flown by the Spanish Air
Force”. These included 19 Mirage F1Ms
and one F1BM, all of them with significant
remaining flying hours available. The F1M
aircraft had been modified from eight
F1CE and 11 F1EE machines.
Draken secured the fleet for €11.6m, a
bargain compared with the €50m
offered by Argentina for just 16 Mirages.
In March 2018, the aircraft were
disassembled and shipped from Valencia
in Spain to Tampa, Florida, then moved
by road to Lakeland Airport, Draken
International’s Florida headquarters.
South African company Paramount
Aerospace Systems, which had
performed systems integration for
the Spanish Mirage F1 upgrade, had
mediated the deal. It is a subsidiary of

34 May2021
Mirage
ainted its Mirage
eige and black

The Ejercito del Aire’s Ala 14 painted its Mirage F1Ms in

an attractive brown, beige and black camouflage Draken International

Paramount Group, a global aerospace
and technology company that
subsequently provided technical support
for the Mirage F1Ms’ regeneration in
Florida, where the F1M maiden flight
occurred on November 22, 2019.
In addition, Paramount had sold an
ex-French and Space Air Force Mirage
F1B two-seater (serial 509) to Draken
International, its first flight in the US
having taken place on November 19.
During 2020, Draken bought 25
Jordanian Mirage F1s, including two
ex-Qatari two-seaters, one of which
had previously flown with the EdA as
CE.14C-85. A large stock of spare parts
and engines was also acquired.
Red Air bases
Under the US Air Force’s huge
Combat Air Force Contracted Air
Support (CAF CAS) programme,
Draken International and Tactical
Air Support (TacAir) will support
aircrew training with ‘Red Air’
adversary aircraft (traditionally known
as ‘aggressors’ among USAF crews)
at three locations, while the Airborne
Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC), will
provide adversary air support at two.
Air Combat Command released full
basing details for initial CAF CAS
basing on July 21, 2020. Draken

May2021 35
 International will provide aggressor
support at Seymour Johnson AFB,
North Carolina, and Kelly Field, Texas,
while TacAir will work at Kingsley Field
Air National Guard Base, Oregon, and
ATAC at Holloman AFB, New Mexico,
and Luke AFB, Arizona.
Draken International will help train new
aircrew at the F-15E Strike Eagle Formal
Training Unit (FTU) at Seymour Johnson
and pilots from the F-16 FTU at Kelly
Field, part of Joint Base San Antonio-
Lackland. Draken is expected to serve
the contracts with its Mirage F1Ms and
newly acquired Denel Cheetahs.
The Seymour Johnson contract is
worth US$74.5m and that at Kelly Field
US$28.2m. Work at both locations began
in late summer 2020.
Dassault began delivering the Mirage
36 May2021
F1 late in the 1960s and the aircraft’s
dazzling performance then makes it a
capable aggressor now.
Pilot perspective
Draken International pilots Jon ‘Catfish’
Flickinger and Jason ‘Wilson’ Lollar
shared their early experiences flying the
Mirage F1M.
Flickinger said: “Previously, I flew F-16s
and A-4s, and now I have 3,500 hours
total in civilian aircraft and fighters,
including 120 hours in the F1. After 12
years flying the F-16, I transitioned to
Draken in 2016 and flew the A-4 for
three years before becoming F1 Chief
Pilot. My conversion to the F1 was fairly
simple, involving approximately six
flights with a South African F1 instructor
before an FAA [Federal Aviation
Administration] checkride. Other aircraft
I’ve flown have better turning capabilities,
but the speed of the F1 in so many flight
regimes really sets it apart. It’s very easy
to learn to fly, but has some ‘gotchas’
that new pilots must be aware of or they’ll
quickly get themselves into trouble. It’s a
very good near-4th-generation adversary
aircraft for the USAF.”
Lollar said: “I have 3,000 hours total
flying experience of which approximately
60 hours is in the F1 so far. I started
out as a USAF F-15E navigator, then
converted to become an F-15C pilot.
“The conversion to the Mirage F1M was
quite interesting, studying and learning to
fly a French-built aircraft. There are quite
a few good design features, including an
ingenious autopilot system.
“It is of the same generation as the
 Draken International
Ex-Spanish Mirage F1M and F1BM Fleet
Spanish Spanish Dassault Post-
serial designation designation upgrade
number designation
C.14-04 C.14A F1CE F1M
C.14-18 C.14A F1CE F1M
C.14-21 C.14A F1CE F1M
C.14-36 C.14A F1CE F1M
C.14-41 C.14A F1CE F1M
C.14-42 C.14A F1CE F1M
C.14-43 C.14A F1CE F1M
C.14-44 C.14A F1CE F1M
C.14-54 C.14B F1EE F1M
C.14-5 C.14B F1EE F1M
C.14-57 C.14B F1EE F1M
C.14-60 C.14B F1EE F1M
C.14-63 C.14B F1EE F1M
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:
C.14-64 C.14B F1EE F1M Mirage F1M C.14-21, wearing the Ala de Caza 14
C.14-67 C.14B F1EE F1M (Ala 14) code 14-14, was withdrawn from use and
C.14-68 C.14B F1EE F1M preserved at the unit in 2010. It was sold to Draken
C.14-70 C.14B F1EE F1M International in 2018 Salvador Mafé
C.14-72 C.14B F1EE F1M
Former CE.14C-85 at Draken’s Lakeland facility
C.14-73 C.14B F1EE F1M Draken International
CE.14-87 CE.14B F1CE F1BM
Draken International Mirage F1M drivers Jon
‘Catfish’ Flickinger (left) and Jason ‘Wilson’ Lollar
F-15. The logic behind the mechanical,
(centre) Draken International
hydraulic, fuel and flight control systems
has many similarities, not to mention the Disassembling a Mirage F1M Tono Fernández
fact that it is loaded with round dials and
switches… I feel very much at home in Once in Lakeland, the Mirage F1Ms were checked
the F1. The jet also ‘talks’ to the pilot and regenerated by South African technicians from
Paramount José M Ramos Navarrete
at various speeds, g and AoA [angle of
attack], much like the Eagle. This was Draken made its initial Mirage F1M flight at Lakeland
especially helpful in the initial landing in November 2019 Draken International
pattern training.
“It doesn’t quite turn like an Eagle,
especially at higher altitudes, and it lacks
the radar capabilities and HOTAS [hands
on throttle and stick] of my beloved
F-15C. But I very much enjoy flying the F1.
It is a nimble and smooth-flying jet that
can really get up and go, although it tends
to perform best in fast straight lines. The
climb-to-altitude and high-speed runs at
low and high-altitude are very fast!”

May2021 37
 Wing Commander Chris Ball, Officer
Commanding 72(F) Sqn, believes the best
trained pilots also have an appreciation for
what came before. He flew Texan ZM325
alongside RAF Battle of Britain Memorial
Flight Spitfire Mk XVI TE311 in July 2020,
marking the 80th anniversary of that
seminal engagement. Air Commodore Mark
Flewin, RAF Typhoon Force Commander, was
at the Spitfire’s controls
Cpl Ed Wright/UK MOD Crown Copyright 2021

38 May2021
 Texan
The Beechcraft Texan T1 has
replaced the Shorts Tucano

Star
on the fast jet training course
at RAF Valley and the aircraft is
performing to expectations, as
demands on the training system
expand. Paul E Eden reports

T
he number plate of 72
Squadron, Royal Air
Force, latterly stationed
at RAF Linton-on-Ouse,
North Yorkshire, passed
to the Texan Integration
Squadron (TIS) at RAF
Valley, Anglesey on October 31, 2019.
The occasion ensured the proud
traditions of an important RAF unit
would continue, but also marked the
imminent closure of Linton as an active
military airfield and the final withdrawal
of the Shorts Tucano from the UK’s
basic fast jet training role.
The final Tucano graduates had
received their wings on October 25,
after which a nine-aircraft formation
bade the type’s farewell to the area.
Those final students were the last
of many who learned their trade on
the aircraft during its 30 years of
operational service.
Among them, Wing Commander
Chris Ball followed the usual route from
Linton to the Hawk T1 at Valley, before
serving three tours on the Tornado
GR4, including one as an instructor
on XV (Reserve) Squadron, the type
operational conversion unit. That
experience, combined with a USAF
exchange posting to fly the F-15E
Strike Eagle, again as an instructor
pilot, made him ideal to command
the TIS and, today, 72
(Fighter) Squadron.
Although
a basic
fast jet training (BFT) unit is operating
the Beechcraft Texan T1, Ball sees
great significance in the ‘Fighter’ tag
and worked hard to have it reinstated.
Historically, several RAF squadrons
acquired role designators during
the 1930s, but dropped them at
the outbreak of World War Two for
security reasons. They were gradually
reintroduced post-war, but 72 Sqn
operated helicopters from 1961 to
2002, when it became a Tucano
operator as 72 (Reserve) Sqn. With the
‘Reserve’ titles no longer in use, Ball
was determined to reinstate ‘Fighter’.
“Ultimately, we’re training pilots
who might be asked by the
government, to go out and face
very real threats during operations
on behalf of the UK’s citizens,” he
says. “Being able to draw on the
experiences of those that have

May2021 39
 gone before us, as encapsulated in our
squadron’s history, is key to developing
that capability. I’m adamant that we take
seriously anything that might interfere
with a student’s learning, but that is very
different to giving them everything on a
plate – they need grit and determination,
a little bit of confidence and a whole lot of
humility to be successful fighter pilots.”
This may not feel important to students
now, continues Ball, “but rallying around
to build up the squadron and build on that
heritage definitely creates a really positive
vibe about the place. It’s when they find
themselves in that difficult place, perhaps
on the night before a checkride, or
launching on their first QRA mission, that
they’ll realise the importance of heritage
and likely draw on it”.
Ball’s sentiment speaks much to his view
of BFT, which is all about the student. The
modern RAF wants its carefully selected
pilot candidates to succeed and does all
it can to help them do that, a policy in
some ways at odds with the past, when
a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach saw more
regular ‘chopping’ and less sympathetic –
ultimately less effective – instruction.
However, this is not to suggest that the
introduction of an entirely new training
aircraft and the graduation of the first
courses under Ball’s command, have not
presented a variety of challenges that
he and the team at Valley have had to
negotiate. Delivering its output under the
UK Military Flying Training System (MFTS)
construct, 72(F) Sqn is a combined
civilian/military unit.
“We originally planned to have seven
Ascent Qualified Flying Instructors
(QFIs) and 13 military instructors, two
of whom are Royal Navy,” explains Ball.
40 May2021
“But we now expect to exceed this
slightly: devastation of the airline industry
by COVID-19 has helped us recruit
instructors, although clearly in difficult
circumstances. We also have six qualified
instructors who teach ground school
lessons and deliver simulator sorties.”
Course evolution
Simulation is a key element of the Texan
syllabus, as befits a modern training
system. Desktop, task and full simulators
are integral to the course. Desktop
training is achieved using replica control
columns and touchscreens; the task
trainer has three large flat screens ahead
of a ‘cockpit’ and the full simulator offers
all-round imagery for an immersive ‘flight’
experience. The courseware is primarily
digital and praised by instructors and
students alike, although the latter were
less impressed with the personal devices
they were issued on the initial Texan
course, a problem since addressed.
That first Texan course of one Royal
Navy and five RAF students began
late in October 2019 and graduated on “We originally planned to have
November 13 last year. Acknowledging
that there would inevitably be areas seven Ascent Qualified Flying
for improvement, Ball encouraged the
students to speak out when they found Instructors and 13 military
aspects that could work better for them
or which failed to deliver as expected. instructors, two of whom
Their candour not only served them and
the syllabus well, but also placed them are Royal Navy. But we now
in the unique position of having influence
over the teaching of the generation of expect to exceed this slightly”
fighter pilots who will follow in their wake.
Ball is delighted with the improvements – Wing Commander Chris
made as a result and adds: “Evolution
is always rapid during the formation of a
Ball, Officer Commanding
new training system and so it has been 72(F) Sqn
Flying training students throughout history would recognise the ritual
of the pre-flight walkaround. A fighter pilot from any time between
the 1930s and 2000 might also have perceived familiarity in the
Tucano cockpit, but that of the Texan is geared to fourth and fifth-
generation jets SAC Leather/UK MOD Crown Copyright 2021

BOTTOM: Wing Commander Chris Ball, Officer
Commanding 72(F) Sqn, previously flew the Tornado
GR4 and F-15E Strike Eagle
UK MOD Crown Copyright 2021
BELOW: Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, Chief
of the Air Staff and the RAF’s most senior officer,
awards ‘wings’ to the only Royal Navy student on the
first Texan course
SAC Leather/UK MOD Crown Copyright 2021
with the Texan. Specifically, regarding
the courseware, the team did a fantastic
job in developing the technical aspects,
including animated graphics showing
how the engine, hydraulic system and
oxygen system work – their achievement
was acknowledged with an Air Marshal’s
[three-star] commendation.
“The team that designed the syllabus,
its content and the flow of lessons, how
we’d execute certain tasks and so forth,
also did a great job, but of course they
did it while we had little experience of the
Texan and before we’d actually seen how
the students would cope. So, following
the completion of course two, we did a
review of the syllabus and content and
made changes, although these were
surprisingly minor.
“But one could argue that a flying
training system never ceases evolving.
We’re always seeking to improve the
student experience, maximise the
learning and deliver more efficiently. And,
of course, our customer, the front line,
is constantly evolving, too, so training
requirements shift.”
Texan time
When it comes to the aircraft itself, the
Texan T1 is based on the T-6C, a familiar
and well-proven platform directly related
to the Beechcraft T-6A and T-6B in
service with the US Air Force and US
Navy, respectively. It is proving every bit
as capable as anticipated in RAF service,
albeit after facing challenges with its
clearance to fly over water.
As they progress through the basic fast
jet training course, students learn close
formation flying, operating just 2m off
the wing of a second Texan UK MOD Crown
Copyright 2021
Media claims that the aircraft was unable
to fly over the sea were misguided,
especially considering that the fleet was
flown to Valley from Wichita, Kansas,
an impossible journey without overflying
considerable tracts of ocean. However,
the US-pattern harnessing delivered with
the aircraft was unfamiliar to most UK
pilots, although interestingly not to Ball,
whose previous experience placed him in
good stead. “I quickly felt at home having
done a tour flying the F-15E, which has
the same torso-harness, but I think all
the pilots quickly adapted and embraced
the new kit. Once you’re in, it’s very
comfortable,” he says.
In addition, the aircraft’s US survival
equipment was unproven as far as UK
military flying regulations were concerned
and its efficacy needed to be assessed,
should a crew find itself ejecting into
the cold waters of the Irish Sea. While
the media enjoyed misconstruing the
situation, Ball was pleased to see the
airworthiness authorities working to
ensure he, his team and future students
could fly safe in the knowledge that in an
emergency, everything ought to work as
advertised. “We’ve learned a lot,” he says,
“although we were absolutely right to
tread carefully during the early days.”
The original contract was for ten aircraft
and associated training, but with demand
for new pilots expanding, the fleet has
grown. Four new aircraft arrived at Valley
on November 3 last year, ready to join the
active flightline once minor ejection seat
modifications were completed.
May2021 41
 The UK’s demand for frontline pilots has increased since the
MFTS requirements were agreed and the Texan fleet has thus
gained an additional four aircraft. Although simulation is more
important than ever, the Texans are still kept busy SAC Leather/
UK MOD Crown Copyright 2021

With 14 Texans, the BAE Systems

Hawk T2 advanced fast jet trainers of IV
(Army Co-operation) and XXV (Fighter)
Squadrons, and the Airbus Helicopters
Jupiter HT1s of 202 Squadron sharing the
station, Valley has become much busier
of late. With BFT now at the station, the
Texan and Hawk operations are grouped
under 4 Flying Training School (4 FTS) for
the first time. The station’s commander,
former Tornado navigator Group Captain
Andy Turk, is also commandant of 4
FTS. He takes a pragmatic approach to
expanding capability.
“RAF Valley has seen a substantial
increase in flying, with Texan operations
maturing and our Hawk throughput
increasing to meet frontline requirements,”
he says. “The station is now supporting
an increase from 5,500 Hawk hours per
year to a planned output of 14,000 hours
across Hawk and Texan.
“This increased flying is spread across
RAF Valley and Mona [nearby, on
Anglesey] predominately, but also further
afield with ‘landaways’, where appropriate,
and operations at other airfields, including
Hawarden [near Chester]. A near tripling
of output, it puts pressure on the airfield,
airspace, aircraft, instructors and the
entire support system, so we have had to
plan and synchronise operations far more
carefully to deconflict the aircraft types.
“This puts requirements in place in
terms of pulsing our operations by type
– a Hawk departure wave, followed by a
Texan recovery wave, for instance – which
allows us to deconflict or safely integrate
the differing aircraft movements in the
circuit. We also need to optimise the
available airspace to ensure we operate
as safely as possible while our traffic
density increases. There is a conscious
decision to steadily put in place
processes and balance our output and
safety carefully at every step, which may
impact our tactical efficiencies.”
For example, to preserve priority Texan ABOVE: Ascent, a Babcock and Lockheed Martin
operations the training school may have joint venture, delivers the BFT construct, with the
full involvement of RAF and Royal Navy instructors.
to cancel a Hawk formation if it suffers
The BFT building was originally the RAF Search
a delay and misses its airspace slot but, and Rescue Force HQ Cpl Peter Devine/UK MOD Crown
in macro terms, the system allows RAF Copyright 2021
Valley to deliver the best levels of basic
and advanced fast jet training hours. ABOVE LEFT: Group Captain Andy Turk, Station
Work is ongoing to optimise aircraft Commander RAF Valley and Commandant of 4 FTS
Cpl Simon Armstrong/UK MOD Crown Copyright 2021
operations, but once COVID restrictions
ease, having Texan and Hawk students
and instructors at the station will deliver
other benefits as personnel mix formally
and socially. “There are great benefits for
cross-fertilisation of ideas and coherency,”
agrees Turk.
“With Texan and Hawk under 4 FTS, we
can provide a support wrapper around
the students as they progress back-
to-back through the training system.
Students and instructors live and work
together and therefore, even by simple
osmosis, naturally share ideas and learn
from each other. As commandant, I’m
keen to ensure we maintain continuity
with our students throughout their time
with us, benefiting both the individual and
RAF Valley by improving its instructional
standards across the piste.”
It would be reasonable to expect that

42 May2021

The atrium of the BFT/72(F) Sqn building provides a welcoming space that now houses the squadron’s
memorabilia Cpl Simon Armstrong/UK MOD Crown Copyright 2021
the first course with a new training
system might suffer delays. Factor
in COVID-19, which struck around
four months in, and that initial Texan
graduation ought to have been severely
delayed. In fact, the course took a little
over 12 months, but the graduation
ceremony suffered because friends and
families could not attend.
Nonetheless, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike
Wigston, Chief of the Air Staff, was in
attendance and 72(F) Sqn’s building
enabled a more inclusive ceremony than
might otherwise have been the case.
Built as the RAF Search and Rescue
Force headquarters, it is a modern
building with a large atrium and
surrounding balcony. The former now
houses the squadron archive and an
extensive display of memorabilia, while
the latter enabled instructors and other
staff to provide socially distanced
applause as their charges were ‘winged’.
Acknowledging the slight elongation of
that first course, Wg Cdr Ball says: “We
Media claims that the aircraft was unable to fly over
the sea were misguided, especially considering the
fleet was flown to Valley from Kansas, overflying
considerable tracts of ocean
paused for a few weeks, but quickly
resumed flying and have since worked
hard to maximise output while trying to
maintain a COVID-safe environment; the
course should be 11 months. It comprises
one month of ground school, including
lectures and all three simulator types,
prior to first flight.”
By the end of the course, students
will have flown about 70 hours in the
aircraft and spent around 50 hours in the
simulator, with plenty of briefs, lessons,
planning sessions and personal self-
study. “I wouldn’t like to estimate the
number of hours of self-study, but I can
say that the instructors are demanding
and don’t tolerate any hint of lack of
preparation,” says Ball.
Describing the flying portion of the
course in more detail, he adds: “It starts
with the conversion or convex phase,
known as CV, which involves starting up,
shutting down, take-off, landing, spins,
stalls, aerobatics and so on. After this we
start teaching instrument flying, where
the students have to demonstrate that
they can fly an instrument departure; join
an airway; carry out a practice diversion,
often to one of our local civilian airfields,
including Liverpool, Hawarden, Blackpool
and the Isle of Man; recover from unusual
positions; and recover back to Valley with
various levels of instrument failure.”
Then it’s on to low-level flying, which
develops to include simulated strafe
targeting to plus or minus 10 seconds
and reacting to electronic warfare threats
triggered by the QFI in the back seat.
“Maximum performance manoeuvres, or
MPMs, follow that, where we introduce
them to the idea of most efficiently flying
the aircraft – it’s a fundamental of air
combat,” says Ball.
Next, it’s close formation flying,
which involves taking off, landing and
manoeuvring while approximately 2m
away from another Texan, then tactical
formation flying, including tail-chasing and
formations at low and medium levels.
“Finally, we get to the composite phase,
when we expect them to demonstrate
any of the skills taught so far in sorties
that combine many of the disciplines
described above. At this point we’re also
making them landaway, which means
planning two complex sorties first thing
in the morning with a quick lunch and
fuel stop between them. We’re stressing
their fuel management, throwing in
emergencies and overall making sure they
are ready to step up to the next level and
fly the Hawk,” says Ball.
He came to RAF Valley to command
what was then the Texan Integration
Squadron in September 2018. The
challenges have been great, but the
rewards tangible, so what would he look
back on most fondly? “My personal
professional highlight was qualifying as
a QFI, while graduating the first course
was a squadron highlight. But for me, the
absolute best part is seeing the smile on
a student’s face when they successfully
complete that last sortie and effectively
graduate from the Texan to the Hawk.
May2021 43
 Breakin
boundaries
S
ometimes things are just
As COVID-19 continues to ravage much of not meant to be. Last
year was supposed to be
the aviation industry, airlines globally have a time of celebration as
JetBlue Airways hit its 20th
cut plans, deferred orders and withdrawn anniversary. Unfortunately,
aircraft. But in an exclusive chat with COVID-19 had other plans
as the whole industry was brought to its
JetBlue Airways’ chief Joanna Geraghty, knees on a scale never seen before.
Chris Sloan heard how the firm has broken High-flying JetBlue was no exception
to the devastation. From its Q4 2020
away from the norm results, the New York-based carrier
recorded a capacity reduction

A220: the carrier welcomed the first of 70 A220s at the end

of last year. Its range and low cost per ASM offer economic
advantages, and the interior gives the passenger a widebody
experience in a narrowbody aircraft JETBLUE AIRWAYS

44 May2021
ing
es
of 47% and a 67% plummet in
revenue year-on-year. Meanwhile,
the halcyon days of a healthy
10.8% profit margin in 2019 were
ravaged by a 77% loss just 12 months
later – and that is better than most. The
situation is dire, but instead of clipping its
wings, JetBlue is playing the long game.
Almost one year into the pandemic,
AIR International sat down with JetBlue
president and chief operating officer,
Joanna Geraghty, for an exclusive chat.
Geraghty, who was appointed to her
current job title in May 2018,
is the highest ranked
woman at a major
US operator
and a
15-year veteran with JetBlue, having
previously served as executive vice-
president and chief people officer.
Consequently, she has a wealth of
experience confronting previous crises,
such as the energy price spikes between
2005-07 and the ‘Great Recession’ of
2007-09. During the talk with Geraghty,
I had the distinct impression she thrives
under pressure.
Pandemic problems
With 40% of its traffic touching the virus
epicentres of New York, Boston and Los
Angeles, according to figures from travel
data and analytics firm Cirium, it’s fair
to say JetBlue has faced an additional
layer of challenges – although this has
led to opportunities. Geraghty said: “Our
geography has been among the most
challenged in the US throughout the
course of this pandemic. [Coronavirus]
obviously bore down here in New
York very early on. And
we saw bookings
nearly dry
up overnight, and that's where our team's
creativity and nimbleness came in. We
decided if the people aren't in New York,
we're going to go where the people are.”
Historically, JetBlue has never been one
to ‘waste’ a crisis, and the pandemic
is no exception. “If you look at the
2008 timeframe, that's when we built
our Caribbean franchise. So, in these
moments of uncertainty, you not only
have to focus on the urgent and what
is right in front of you, but also not lose
perspective on longer term opportunities.
“We actually announced more than
80 new routes this year, which is just
remarkable in a pandemic. We have
accelerated our growth out of [New
York] Newark. We have announced
Miami [International], which was always
in [our] plan, but was not going to be
quite so soon. Los Angeles has been
another great opportunity to grow for
May2021 45
 us. It has been an airport that has been
historically a bit harder to get into and
we have been able to take advantage
of that as well. And then London; we
have not announced what [gateway] yet.
But I can tell you that with this dynamic
environment, we believe there is a lot of
opportunity there,” she added.
Geraghty is not alone in her belief that
COVID-19 vaccines will determine the
real trajectory of recovery, yet she is
buoyant that JetBlue is positioned well for
it: “There remains so much uncertainty
around what recovery is going to look like.
We are seeing in our data and booking
statistics that every time the case counts
come down, there is a spike in demand.”
She highlighted green shoots in booking
patterns: “Early in the pandemic [around
the] March and April timeframe, we
were not able to stimulate demand with
promotional activity. That is something we
can do now. [During the fourth quarter of
2020] over the holiday period, we have
had some of the strongest load factors
since the onset of the pandemic.
“Our loads were up about ten points
in Q4 over Q3, and we expect [this] to ABOVE: The New York-based firm has unveiled the
continue to [rise] as we move into the newest iteration of its Mint premium product to be
first half of [2021]. So that is a sequential used on the London link JETBLUE AIRWAYS
improvement. The good news is with
some of the stay-at-home orders being LEFT: JetBlue president and chief operating officer
Joanna Geraghty has been with the company
lifted, we're hopeful that transatlantic
since 2005 JETBLUE AIRWAYS
travel will come back. As for the
Caribbean, the CDC [Centers for Disease BELOW: JetBlue and American Airlines have
Control and Prevention] order that came partnered to form the largest domestic alliance in
out [on] January 26 was the effective date recent history FLICKR COMMONS/GLENN BELTZ
requiring anybody coming into the United
States from an international location [to
provide] a negative COVID-19 test. That
impacts all our Caribbean markets [as] we
are a big player down there. I think the
good news is people will adjust. We have
already seen testing capabilities start to
grow in parts of the Caribbean. And then
for those who do not want to go there
because of that complexity, we have seen permanently axing all long-haul rotations,
them change their focus [onto domestic JetBlue believes it will succeed. With an
locations like] Florida and booking other upgraded cabin featuring its popular Mint
leisure destinations across our network,” business class product, its competition-
she said. busting fare structure and its new Airbus
According to Geraghty, there is much A321LR, the company certainly intends
pent-up demand, especially for leisure to capture a swathe of the market.
travel, which bodes well for summer Additionally, Geraghty pointed out that
2021: “We expect we'll be at about 80% smaller aircraft types play to JetBlue’s
capacity of where we were in 2019. benefit: “If you think about flying to
JetBlue is very well positioned because Europe with narrowbodies, you get the
we are largely a leisure carrier and we advantage of a smaller plane that you
expect [this] to come back more quickly don't have to fill as much as a widebody.”
than business traffic.” So, what is the recipe for success? Look
no further than the firm’s transcontinental
London calling playbook. Data from Cirium confirms that
Despite COVID-19 eliminating almost all JetBlue has become one of the top three
international air travel, JetBlue remains players in available seat miles (ASMs)
undeterred from its much-anticipated and second place for the number of
entry into the transatlantic market, as it flights. Geraghty boldly stated JetBlue’s
plans to launch services to London from intentions for its new UK services: “We're
Boston/Logan and New York/JFK around going to disrupt London the same way
Q3 of 2021. With other airlines having that we disrupted the transcontinental
failed in this sector, including Primera space. Our prices are going to be very
and Wow Air, and the likes of Norwegian competitive – we want customers to

46 May2021
experience [our] Mint [product] going
to London and we do not want them
to pay US$8,000 to do so… [With] 24
single aisle seats [and] doors on every
suite [it will] give a sense of privacy. And
we are excited about the two bulkhead
seats called the studio. Those will enable
you to sit with somebody and work or
dine together on the flight. We haven't
announced our core product, but [it] is
going to be great too.”
She added: “If you think about pricing
before JetBlue stepped into those
markets, we cut [fares] by more than half
on flights from New York to California.
We entered that market with premium
cabin fares as low as US$499. We have
literally changed the industry. There were
very few lie-flat products, now there's
[examples] in almost every major city out
there. We think London is ripe for the
same type of disruption.
“Pre-pandemic, [premium transatlantic
cabin fares] were high and a product that
very few could afford [on routes] between
New York and London. Unless you have
a corporate contract with tremendous
discounts, Joe Public is probably not
buying that seat. That, for JetBlue, is a
great sign that this is a place where we
can probably disrupt.”
With slots hard to come by at London’s
Heathrow Airport, and those reportedly
already gained by JetBlue at neighbouring
Gatwick and Stansted, speculation
remains about which of the city’s
gateways will be served: “We haven't
announced what airport yet. But I can tell
you that with this dynamic environment,
we believe there is a lot of opportunity
there,” said Geraghty.
Enter the A220
For further proof that JetBlue is doing
anything but staying on the ground,
figuratively and realistically, the carrier
welcomed its first of 70 A220s on the final
day of 2020. The type – set to replace the
carrier’s fleet of ageing Embraer E190s –
will open an entire new swathe of network
opportunities thanks to the A220’s range
and low cost per available seat mile
(CASM). “If you look at the economics
of the A220, it is a game changer with
30% less fuel burn than the E190, said
Geraghty. “This is something that will set
us up for the long-term.
“It is a fabulous aircraft; the interior,
the big windows, the two-three [seat]
configuration. We think it is going to be
very attractive to customers. It gives
you that almost widebody experience
in a narrowbody aircraft. We are all very
excited about the flexibility and range of
this platform. We also have options for
the A220-100 within our agreement with
Airbus. The E190 has been a great market
finder for us, particularly out of Boston.
This will enable us to put more seats
in some markets that probably needed
additional lift [from the Massachusetts
capital]. Then there's certain airports that
we could not do with the E190… or the
A320; this will give us access to that.”
Partnering up
The airline’s most dramatic move caught
the industry off guard with a bombshell
announcement in July 2020. JetBlue
and Dallas/Fort Worth-based American
Airlines are set to form the largest
domestic alliance in recent memory.
Only 20 years into its history, JetBlue
has become one of the big three players
in the New York and Boston markets.
As of February 2021, the firm sits in
third place for ASM with 958 million, just
behind rivals United Airlines and Delta
Air Lines at 1.18 billion and 1.06 billion,
respectively. Meanwhile, JetBlue’s new
partner, American, sits a distant fourth
with 386 million ASMs.
JetBlue’s disadvantage has more limited
relevance, particularly in the heartland of
the United States away from the coastal
centres. With this partnership, it will add
several domestic destinations on its own
metal and via codeshare.
As a result of the tie-up, the newly
combined ASM will equate to roughly
1.34 billion (using February 2021 as a
benchmark) and placing the
May2021 47
 Northeast Alliance carriers into first place. compete heavily with each other on [and affects] the culture of a company.
“This [Northeast] Alliance will routes, particularly out of Florida and “JetBlue's special sauce are the people
supercharge our recovery. It is unique the Caribbean. that fly the aircraft, our inflight and airport
that it’s domestic and that is an exciting crew members.
opportunity for us. The [deal] covers any Company culture “You want to emerge from this crisis
flights to and from Boston and the three Geraghty believes the airline’s staff are having not just created a whole set of
New York area airports [JFK, LaGuardia powering all these initiatives and setting new opportunities, but also having shown
and Newark] and all the connections a course for recovery. Positively, they your people that you can do so, but also
there – that is a tremendous amount of have, in turn, powered her and the senior treating them right.
flying. There are two very large legacy figures at JetBlue to fly through the “Every day I am inspired to get out of
competitors in the Northeast. This alliance unprecedented headwinds brought by bed because I see our crew members
between JetBlue and American will give COVID-19. going to the airport, flying aircraft [and]
customers a third choice with a very “We have been very focused on how we serving our customers because they care
expansive network. For customers, this is make sure we take care of our people so much about JetBlue. They want to
what is going to be very [useful] because and make sure they truly see JetBlue as a make sure that we are here to stay and
if we do not fly there, then you can leader in how we demonstrate what's the continue to do what we do best, forcing
codeshare on American.” right thing to do during times like these. others to raise their game and delivering
Geraghty added: “If you look at JFK “The best example is we have not [either] a great customer experience. They have
peak daily departures in 2019, we had furloughed [nor] sent any WARN [worker been doing that throughout the course of
174. This Alliance will enable us to grow adjustment and retraining notification] Act this pandemic during times where it has
out of [John F Kennedy between] 220-240 notices out. been downright scary. So, if that doesn’t
daily [rotations] operated by JetBlue. That “We have not furloughed ever in our inspire you every day – when you see
is tremendous growth in an otherwise history. That is an important thing your crew members doing that – I don't
slot constrained airport. At LaGuardia because that changes people's lives know what else will.”
in 2019 we had 18 daily departures;
this will give us 50-60 daily [rotations].
Meanwhile, Newark will go from 35
rotations up to 70-80 at some point. [For]
Boston we were at 178 peak departures
in 2019; this will bring us to 210-230
over the next few years. It sets us up for
longer term success. It gives JetBlue
greater relevance in areas that would not
otherwise be possible because they are
either congested or slot constrained. We
can bring our trusted brand, low fares and
great service to all sorts of American’s
customers who haven't had the chance to
fly us because their footprint isn't as large
in the Northeast as ours is.”
The effects are profound, with several
rival carriers protesting to the US
Department of Transportation (DoT),
claiming it is a monopolistic action.
While several have coined the move a
merger, many industry observers beg ABOVE: According to Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue’s company culture means the airline has avoided having to
to differ as both JetBlue and American furlough staff during the pandemic JETBLUE AIRWAYS

While JetBlue’s largest New York hub is at JFK,

it also maintains a presence at neighbouring
LaGuardia and Newark Airports JETBLUE AIRWAYS

48 May2021
 MAIL ORDER 105/21

SU-57 FELON MUSTANG: THE UNTOLD STORY

Modern Military Aircraft Examines the history of

Series: Volume 2 the Mustang afresh,
A detailed look at the design, within the orbit of tactical
characteristics and combat doctrine, strategy and
capabilities of the fighter. even politics, as well as
Softback, 96 pages the changing nature of
World War II.
Hardback, 304 pages

Subscribers call for your £2 discount Subscribers call for your £4 discount

ONLY £14.99 Code: KB0043 ONLY £20.00 Code: KB0036

BRITISH FIGHTERS OF THE 1970S AND ‘80S FAIREY FIREFLY - AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY

The Lightning and Phantom Historic Military Aircraft

fighter aircraft and the part Series, Volume 1
they played in the latter A portrait of one of
stages of the Cold War. the Royal Navy’s most
Softback, 96 pages. effective aircraft.
Softback, 96 pages

Subscribers call for your £2 discount Subscribers call for your £2 discount

ONLY £14.99 Code: KB0057 ONLY £14.99 Code: KB0014

RAF AIRCRAFT IN THE COLD WAR 1970-90 RAF AIRCRAFT OF THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN

Air-to-Air A photographic
Images. A unique guide to surviving
illustrated look planes from the
at the Cold War Battle of Britain.
planes of the RAF Softback, 160
as seen from the pages
cockpit. Softback,
128 pages.

Subscribers call for your £4 discount Subscribers call for your £2 discount

ONLY £17.99 Code: KB0012 ONLY £17.99 Code: KB0005

TO VIEW OUR FULL shop.keypublishing.com/books

RANGE OF BOOKS, Or call UK: 01780 480404 - overseas: +44 1780 480404
VISIT OUR SHOP Monday to Friday 9am-5:30pm GMT. Free 2nd class P&P on all UK & BFPO orders. Overseas charges apply.
All publication dates subject to change

105 Key Books MO FP.indd 97 03/03/2021 10:44:24

Bell’sAPT
Khalem Chapman explores Bell’s innovative and growing family of
Autonomous Pod Transport (APT) cargo drones, that have been designed to
perform multiple missions for both civil and military operators

Design
Bell’s APT family boasts a unique unmanned eVTOL
design, with its most notable features being its two sets
of wings – set up in a biplane-like configuration – and
Propulsion and systems its lack of an established central fuselage. Instead, the
Each variant of Bell’s APT family is powered by a hybrid/electric propulsion system, that is firm opted to use a detachable cargo pod in place of
referred to as a vertical thrust module. This module also includes the aircraft’s batteries and a larger, fixed fuselage, which would have made the
speed controlling systems. Each wing is equipped with an electric motor that drives a pair of platform heavier and slower.
gimballed propellers. The APT 20 is fitted with four two-bladed propellers in total, while the APT This detachable cargo pod is located in the centre
70 employs the same number of four-bladed propellers. of the UAV’s boxy structure and can be modified to
Bell boasts that customers will benefit from the eVTOL platform’s quick battery swap and suit a customer’s specific mission requirements. The
recharge capabilities, which further reduces operational turnaround times, the aircraft’s logistical pod has been aerodynamically shaped to reduce the
footprint and sustainment costs. amount of drag it generates during forward flight,
The company has designed the APT family to fly autonomously along predetermined routes, allowing it to be faster and more manoeuvrable.
but the aircraft can be flown remotely if desired. While the latter has occurred more often during It can also be easily detached, enabling prospective
testing, the overall aim is for the production models of the UAV to fly autonomously. With this in operators to quickly reconfigure the platform with
mind, the APT family boasts beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) detect and avoid capabilities and a new payloads for different mission sets, reducing
built-in global positioning system (GPS) to support navigation. overall turnaround times and increasing the UAV’s
Bell has also designed the APT family to be easily operated. It can be controlled using a operational flexibility. By following this modular
touchscreen system and its single-user interface means that the platform can be rapidly design, the APT can also be rapidly disassembled
deployed from obscure landing areas, while requiring less operational support. and reassembled by a single person so that the

50 May2021
 IN RECENT YEARS, Bell has been actively developing a family of modular, autonomous electric vertical
take-off and landing (eVTOL) multi-copter cargo systems for the commercial and military unmanned
aerial vehicle (UAV) markets. Concept
Insight
Described by the company as being “scalable, flexible and sustainable,” the APT family has been
uniquely designed to be highly efficient, while
having the ability to be rapidly deployed and
quickly reconfigured for different mission
sets. These eVTOL UAVs have been developed
to conduct package delivery, medical transport,
humanitarian assistance/disaster relief (HA/DR), resupply and sustainment operations.
The firm boasts that the APT family will be well suited for transporting small cargo loads
in both a commercial and military setting. It adds that the platform is “three times faster than
a ground vehicle [with] no runway necessary” and that its flexible logistics footprint will allow
customers to keep “operations simple, efficient and fast.”
There are three different versions of the APT that are currently being developed, comprising the APT
20; APT 70; and a third, larger militarised variant – which has yet to be officially named, although it
is rumoured to be called the APT 100. Bell has appropriated these designations in accordance with the
payload capacities of each variant. Presently, the APT 20 and 70 are undergoing respective flight test
campaigns, while the third version is in the conceptual stage of development.
For the APT family, Bell covers the design, systems integration and production of the platform, while Textron
Systems provides the command and control systems. During the demonstration phase, the aircraft’s detect
and avoid technology is being provided by Xwing and its weather avoidance systems are from CASA.

MAIN IMAGE: A digital rendering

of Bell’s APT 70 in flight over an
urban area. The company has
developed this family of eVTOL
multi-copter UAVs to be offered
to both commercial and
military operators Bell
Militarised Variant
While Bell has yet to officially name this variant of the APT family, it
has noted that the platform will be militarised and will boast unique
capabilities to support military operations in the field (for instance it will
have a remote payload release capability). The company also intends
to exploit the modular design of the APT 20/70 by keeping the UAV
easy to assemble and disassemble in the field. Reports state that Bell
is aiming to have built this militarised version built by the end of 2021.
According to a Janes article – published on October 14, 2020
– this variant of the APT family will carry payloads of up to 100lb
and will boast a maximum speed of 130kts, allowing it to fly at
ranges of 56km – much like the APT 70.

APT 20
The APT 20 was the first incarnation of Bell’s innovative eVTOL
multi-copter UAV family to complete its maiden flight – the company
announcing that achievement in January 2018. This variant is the
smallest of the family, measuring 3ft in height and 5ft wide. It has
a gross weight of 55lb and is able to carry a 20lb payload. The
platform’s maximum range is 29km and it can reach speeds of 90kts.

platform can be stored and transported with ease.
The APT’s biplane-like wing configuration presents
additional advantages for Bell’s radical design,
increasing its mission range and its stability during
forward flight. Distinctively, the UAV also employs a
tail-sitter style landing gear, meaning that it rests on
its tail while on the ground. This innovative design
choice provides the APT with a smaller operational
footprint, enabling it to take-off and land in confined
spaces in any environment. With no runway required
for its use, the APT boasts a high degree of flexibility
and can be operated in a variety of challenging
conditions and locations.
During take-off, the UAV gets airborne vertically
before transitioning into a horizontal position for
forward flight, much like a tiltrotor platform – such
as the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey – would do. By
transitioning to forward flight following take-off, this
ultimately enhances the aircraft’s overall endurance
and improves its energy consumption.
APT 70
Bell’s APT 70 is almost double the
size of the APT 20, boasting a height
of 6ft and width of 9ft. The platform
has a gross weight of 300lb and
can carry a 70lb payload. With a top
speed of 110kts, the company states
that the APT 70 has a maximum
operational range of 56km.
This variant of the family completed
its first autonomous flight at a Bell
facility near Fort Worth, Texas, on
Bell APT 70 – registration N314AN – pictured while taking part in a
August 26, 2019. The APT 70
demonstration under NASA’s SIO programme in September 2020 Bell
completed its first test flight with a
59.9lb payload in October that year. In December 2020, Bell flew the APT 70 with a 110lb payload
along a pre-programmed 12.9km route at its test facility near Fort Worth.
More recently – on February 1, 2021 – the platform demonstrated its commercial capabilities by
completing a point-to-point package delivery along a predetermined 6.4km route in the AllianceTexas
Mobility Innovation Zone. Two years prior, Bell was selected by NASA to demonstrate the APT 70 in the
administration’s Systems Integration and Operationalisation (SIO) programme. Demonstration flights
under this project began in 2020.

May2021 51

An artist’s impression
of the Albatros – when
compared with the current
Falcon 50M and Guardian,
it will offer considerably
expanded capabilities
Dassault Aviation
M
ajor changes are
expected over the
coming years for the
French Navy maritime
surveillance force. The
three Dassault Aviation
business jet types of
the Falcon family currently in service with
the French Navy – Falcon 10MER, Falcon
200 Guardian and Falcon 50Mi – have a
combined average age of 39 years and a
replacement is required.
The six Falcon 10MER twins (see
December 2020, P36) have recently
been upgraded and will soldier on for the
foreseeable future in the training and VIP
transportation roles with Escadrille 57S,
at Landivisiau, Brittany. The five Flottille
25F Falcon 200 Guardians, in service
in the Pacific from Tahiti-Faaa (French
Polynesia) and Nouméa-La Tontouta (New
Caledonia), have served faithfully for more
than 40 years, but are now ageing fast.
The eight Falcon 50M surveillance
aircraft in service with Flottille 24F at
Lann-Bihoué in south Brittany were
procured in two batches. The first four
were purchased on the second-hand
market while the next four Falcons were
obtained from the French Air Force as
52 May2021
Falcon 50Ms (maritime surveillance)
with no rescue capability. However, the
ex-Armée de l’Air aircraft have now all
been modified with a hatch that allows
them to drop marine markers and survival
rafts, bringing them to a configuration
close to that of the four original Falcon
50Mi (maritime intervention) variants.
Even though not fully identical to the
first four Falcon 50Mi, they have also
become Mi in the process, with all eight
aircraft to remain in service with Flottille
24F at Lann-Bihoué until being replaced
with the new Albatros. In addition, the
eight aircraft are due to be fitted with
the Safran Euroflir 410 forward looking
infrared (FLIR) turret that will replace their
outdated Chlio FLIR.
Military variants
One of Dassault Aviation’s strengths is
to design and build both fighters and
business jets in parallel.
The Falcon 10, 20, 50 and 900
corporate jets have long been used for
military missions and they constitute
a bridge between the civil and military
worlds. These multirole Falcons met with
considerable success and a large number
of military operators still use, or have
Fa
used, Falcons for maritime missions.
Dassault Aviation’s extensive experience
in the field of maritime aircraft (Alizés,
Étendards, Super Étendards, Atlantic
1s, Atlantique 2s and Rafales) is a
crucial advantage for operations
in a salt-laden environment and its
engineers have become experts in
airframe corrosion protection.
Derived from the 2000
The Dassault Aviation Falcon 2000LXS
has been selected as part of the Avsimar
(Avions de Surveillance et d’Intervention
Maritime) programme, the French MoD
recently announcing an initial batch of
seven aircraft have been ordered, with
a global requirement for 12 aircraft. To
be officially called Albatros (not to be
confused with the Aero Vodochody L-39
Albatros), the new aircraft will be delivered
from 2025 to carry out an extremely
wide range of missions, including search
and rescue, traffic interdiction, sovereign
interests and fishery protection.
The Falcon 2000 programme was
launched at the Paris Air Show in
1989 and the aircraft first flew in 1993.
According to Dassault, more than 600
Falcon 2000 corporate jets have been
alcons
Future French
delivered to various customers. An
increasing number of advanced systems
have been progressively integrated into
the airframe for a better performance,
to reduce aircrew workload, ameliorate
connectivity and provide improved in-flight
entertainment. Seven main variants have
been developed to better match the
needs of the customers:
— Falcon 2000, the initial version
certified in 1994 and powered by
CFE738-1-1B engines
— Falcon 2000EX, with less thirsty
PW308C turbofans and additional fuel to
increase range (certified in 2003)
— Falcon 2000EX EASy, introduced
in 2004. From then on, the EX and all
subsequent variants have been equipped
with the EASy (Enhanced Avionics
System) flight deck and an advanced
digital instrument panel derived from
technologies developed by Dassault
Aviation for its combat aircraft
— Falcon 2000DX, a further improved
version introduced in 2007
— Falcon 2000LX, fitted with winglets
to help reduce fuel consumption and
increase range
— Falcon 2000S, developed from 2011
to become entry-level model. It is fitted
with slats running along the whole length
of the leading edge of the wings to offer
better short field characteristics, like the
Falcon 900 trijet
— Falcon 2000LXS, the most modern
variant combining the long range of the
Falcon 2000EX/LX and the take-off
and landing performance of the 2000S.
Introduced in 2004, the LXS can carry
six passengers and luggage at Mach 0.8
over 4,000nm (7,408km).
Contract with Japan
Like its predecessors, the Falcon 2000
has all the required qualities to satisfy
the specific needs of military operators
and the type is already in service for
various missions in numerous countries.
For example, the Armée de l’Air et de
l’Espace currently operates a fleet of four
The French Navy will
receive its first Dassault
Albatros maritime
surveillance aircraft in
2025, to replace the
Falcon 200 Guardian
and the Falcon 50M
Surmar, reports
Henri-Pierre Grolleau
aircraft from Villacoublay, in the suburbs
of Paris, for VVIP transportation and
medical evacuations.
South Korea has selected the Falcon
2000S airframe to develop an electronic
intelligence/electronic warfare variant with
locally designed systems, exploiting to
the full the aircraft’s 12,192m ceiling that
provides a very good detection capability.
Dassault Aviation won a contract with
the Japanese Coast Guard in March 2015
and six Falcon 2000 Maritime Surveillance
Aircraft (MSA) were eventually ordered
in batches. The first two were delivered
in mid-2019. At the time, the Avsimar
programme had been launched by
the French MoD and the contract with
Japan confirmed the Falcon 2000LXS
was the ideal aircraft to meet the French
requirements.
Jean-Louis Montel, senior adviser to the
Dassault Aviation CEO, explained: “In the
nineties, we had developed the Falcon
900 MSA from the Falcon 900B trijet for
the Japanese Coast Guard. Our Japanese
customer was extremely happy with its
two Falcon 900 MSAs and they naturally
asked us to provide a replacement for
these ageing aircraft. We had to address
a stringent and very clear requirement.
We soon determined that the Falcon
May2021 53
 The Guardian, a maritime
surveillance derivative of the
Falcon 20/200 family, has proved
highly successful in French Navy
service Dassault Aviation
2000 twinjet was the best platform for
the maritime surveillance role as it offered
operational performance close to those of
the Falcon 900 MSA, but at much lower
operating costs.
“The Falcon 2000 has only two engines
compared to three on the Falcon 900,
so its maintenance costs and logistics
requirements are smaller. The twin-engine
configuration is a blessing as it gives us
more options to install new systems in
the rear fuselage, where the third engine,
its air intake and its jet pipe are fitted on
Falcon 50M and Falcon 900 MSA trijets.
“The third turbofan had forced our
engineers to design a special system to
release air-droppable rescue kits through
a hatch in the forward fuselage of the
Falcon 50M and Falcon 900 MSA. On the
Falcon 2000LXS, the dispensing system
is at the rear end of the fuselage, in a
much better adapted location.”
Ideal configuration
During the early phase of development,
Dassault Aviation engineers spent a lot of
time and effort determining which Falcon
2000 variant would be the best for the
maritime role. “We initially retained the
Falcon 2000S, but we soon concluded it
was not the best candidate as its range
was not long enough,” said Montel. “We
eventually chose the Falcon 2000LXS. Its
slats run the whole length of the wing’s
leading edge and its large fuel capacity
offered the best compromise between
short field performance and endurance
on station.”
The Falcon 2000LXS soon proved to be
the right choice for the modification to the
54 May2021
MSA standard. “The Falcon
2000’s airframe built from advanced
materials is comparatively lighter than
that of the Falcon 900,” said Montel.
“This gave us more options and more
weight and volume margins to fit in the
various systems required for the mission.
The configuration of the airframe allowed
engineers to install the radar in a radome
under the belly whereas on the Guardian,
the Falcon 900 and the Falcon 50M, the
radar is mounted in the nose.
“This is a decisive advantage because
the field of view of a nose-mounted radar
is only about 200° while the Albatros’
Searchmaster fuselage-mounted radar
will offer a 360° surveillance capability.
“This will be an operational revolution
for French Navy aircrews, providing them
with much better situational awareness
and a better understanding of the tactical
Modular by design
As a part of a fully modular concept, the
Albatros could serve as a basis for a variant
optimised for combat operations thanks to
the adoption of plug-ins. The aircraft can
readily accept additional sensors around the
airframe (notably at the wing tips and on the
fin) and hardpoints under the wing.
To keep development and production costs
under strict control, Dassault Aviation wants
to retain the aircraft’s current architecture
with its belly-mounted radar and its optronics
turret under the rear fuselage.
Even though no self-defence suite has been
adopted for the French aircraft, the Albatros
can be equipped with radar and laser
warning receivers and decoy dispensers, and
even with a radar jammer. This option is on
offer for prospective export customers for
operations in high-threat environments.
If required, weapons such as anti-ship
missiles could be carried under wing
pylons. In the cabin, one or two additional
workstations could be installed to
accommodate up to two extra crew
members and increase the aircraft’s
combat capabilities.
The Euroflir 410
optronics turret under
the rear fuselage and
the Searchmaster radar
under the front fuselage
can clearly be seen on
this artwork depicting
the future Albatros
Dassault Aviation
 Searchmaster AESA radar
Like the Japanese Falcon 2000 MSA, the
future Albatros will be equipped with the
A Falcon 50M undergoes
Thales Searchmaster AESA radar already maintenance at its
adopted by the French Navy for its upgraded Lann-Bihoué home base,
Atlantique Standard 6 maritime patrol in Brittany
aircraft. The new radar relies on AESA (active
electronically scanned array) technology
borrowed from the latest variant of the
Rafale’s RBE2 radar, but with specific
architecture and algorithms for maritime
patrol missions over the sea.
It is fully capable of detecting and tracking
small targets such as submarine periscopes,
snorkels or radio antennas in high sea states,
or small fast attack craft travelling at high
speed in stormy conditions.
It also offers more traditional functionalities
to detect large vessels at extreme distances
in adverse weathers.
The Searchmaster relies on a double
mechanical/electronic scanning to guarantee
an optimal rate of visibility for each search systems,” said Montel. “Their overall missions. The aircraft is flown by a
sweep, allowing small, pinpoint targets to architecture is similar, but customers have crew of two pilots, without an in-flight
be tracked with outstanding accuracy. On each chosen specific equipment to match engineer. A head-up display and the
the Albatros, the sensor will remain largely their respective needs. For example, FalconEye enhanced vision system used
unchanged, but its interface will be modified optronics turrets and aircrew workstations for approaches in reduced visibility or bad
compared to that of the Atlantique Standard are not the same on Japanese and weather are available on option, but have
6 to facilitate its integration with the Falcon French aircraft.” not been ordered by the French Navy.
2000LXS Albatros airframes and systems. While the Guardian and the Falcon 50M
Comprehensive systems had only one workstation for the radar
situation around them. Great care has Albatros aircrews will have at their operator, the Albatros’ rear cabin will have
been taken to refine the aerodynamical disposal a whole range of advanced three forward-pointed workstations – two
integration of the Seachmaster’s radome systems to perform their missions. In the for sensors/mission management and one
onto the airframe to reduce drag while flight deck, an EASy 2 suite optimised for for the radio communications. The aircraft
guaranteeing excellent radar detection maritime missions will be installed for the will be equipped with an extensive suite
range. As a result, the Albatros’ pilots. Compared with the EASy 2 cockpit of sensors that will include the state-of-
performance will remain very close to that fitted to civilian Falcon 2000s, it will offer the-art Thales Searchmaster AESA radar,
of the civilian Falcon 2000LXS in terms of additional modes for maritime operations, an AIS interrogator, the Safran Euroflir 410
maximum speed and maximum range.” including SAR patterns and homing cues optronics turret and a direction finder to
The future Albatros will differ from for the delivery of marine markers and air- locate SAR beacons. This sensor suite will
the Japanese aircraft in several ways. droppable rescue kits. provide a major step forward in detection
“To summarise, we could say that the These modifications are already in and identification capabilities for the
Japanese and French aircraft share the service on Japanese Falcon 2000 MSAs aircrews of Flottilles 24F and 25F.
same origin, but are fitted with different as they are indispensable for maritime The aircraft’s connectivity with

The future Albatros

will be based on the
highly successful
Falcon 2000LXS
business jet
Dassault Aviation

May2021 55

The massive SKADs used on the first four Falcon
50Ms will be replaced by more compact types on the
Albatros Images by HP Grolleau unless stated
A Falcon 50M silhouetted by the sunset
56 May2021
higher echelons and with other assets
belonging to the French Navy or to other
agencies will be excellent. Albatros
aircrews will have at their disposal
a whole assortment of radios and a
K-band Satcom to share data – receive
and transmit – with other players in their
operating areas and with C² (command
and control) centres.
Optimised for SAR missions
Search and rescue is a priority for
Flottilles 24F and 25F and the Albatros
will excel in the role. Like the Falcon
2000 MSA, the Albatros will be fitted with
two large observation windows on the
sides of the fuselage giving outstanding
visibility for visual searches of survivors.
As mentioned, it will also be equipped
with a SAR beacon, that will operate
in the 121.5, 243 and 406 MHz bands.
Dassault Aviation has taken advantage
of the Falcon 2000LXS’ twin engine
configuration to find a solution to
facilitate the release of SKADs (survival
kits air-droppable).
“We have given up the heavyweight
SKADs used on the first four Falcon 50M
aircraft,” said Montel. “They weigh 80kg
“The Falcon 2000’s twin-engine configuration
is a blessing as it gives us more options to install
new systems in the rear fuselage”
Jean-Louis Montel, senior adviser to the Dassault Aviation CEO
apiece and contain a 25-person life raft,
but prove very difficult to manhandle
inside the cabin, to bring them above
the release hatch protected by a wind-
blast deflector. We have now switched to
lightweight SKADs, that weigh only 20kg
for a six/nine-person life raft and have a
diameter of only 30cm.
“The Albatros will carry a higher number
of these smaller SKADs to keep the
same overall rescue capability, like the
last four Falcon 50Ms in service with
Flottille 24F. We will exploit to the full the
Falcon 2000’s internal configuration with
its baggage compartment that can be
accessed in flight, like on all aircraft of the
Falcon family. On the MSA/Albatros, the
SKAD dispensing hatch is located in this
former baggage compartment.”
Radical improvements
Compared with the Guardian and the
Falcon 50M, the Albatros is a bigger
and much more modern aircraft that
will offer substantially better operational
performance. Its cruise speed will
be slightly higher and its endurance
significantly longer, for example it will be
able to remain on station for 2 hours 45
Falcon 8X MPA
For customers requiring an even more potent
maritime patrol aircraft, Dassault Aviation is in
a position to develop a specific variant of its
Falcon 8X trijet, its largest business jet. “The
Falcon 2000 MSA/Albatros is ideally suited
for coast guard style missions and could be
developed into a combat platform,” said the
company’s Jean-Louis Montel.
“In some ways, it is an entry-level product
within our range of multirole platforms derived
from our business jets. The Falcon 8X is a
considerably bigger aircraft, with a 33,113kg
/ 73,000lb take-off weight compared to A Flottille 24F Falcon 50M over dense clouds
19,414kg / 42,800lb for the Falcon 2000.
That’s clearly something different as the 8X
could stay on station 50% longer. Its much
The screen of the Falcon 50M’s Ocean Master 100 radar with a Chlio FLIR image in a window. The Albatros’
longer cabin could accommodate a larger Searchmaster will be considerably more capable
number of workstations.
“The aircraft would be fitted with a
comprehensive self-defence suite and with
sonobuoys to track submarines,” said Montel.
“Its wing pylons would be fully capable of
accepting torpedoes and heavy-weight anti-
ship missiles. As a result, it would be better
equipped for high intensity warfare combat
operations against a near-peer adversary.”
The Falcon 8X airframe has already been
selected by the French Air and Space force as
its future ELINT platform to replace the fast-
ageing Transall Gabriel. Named Archangel,
the new aircraft will be equipped with the
latest generation of sensors and will offer
considerably expanded capabilities in terms
of speed, range and ceiling, a vital advantage
for ELINT missions. Two Archangels have been
ordered, with a third on option.

minutes at 1,200nm (2,222km) from its
base. That far exceeds the 1h 30min at
1,000nm (1,852km) for a Falcon 50M.
Aircrew comfort is a major factor to
maintain operational efficiency after
many hours of intensive operations,
so it’s not surprising to learn Dassault
Aviation engineers have come up with all
the comforts to ensure crew members
remain fully alert. These include toilets
and a galley in the forward part of the
main cabin. The Guardian and the Falcon
50M are narrow cabin aircraft in which it
is impossible to fully stand up while the
Falcon 2000LXS has a spacious cabin
allowing anybody shorter than 1.85m to
stand up, there again a major advantage
for crew comfort. Like all turbofan-
powered aircraft, the Albatros will not be
subjected to the vibrations of propeller-
driven aircraft that are also much noisier.
Different schemes
Dassault Aviation produced the Japanese
aircraft in its Mérignac factory, near
Bordeaux. The aircraft were delivered
green, without any military equipment,
and then flown to the USA to be modified
up to the required standard by L3 Harris.
The first few French aircraft will be
assembled in France, but outfitted with
their mission suite up to Albatros standard
directly by Dassault Aviation, in Mérignac.
As part of the ‘Make in India’ industrial
compensation programme following the
purchase of 36 Rafale omni-role fighters
by the Indian Air Force, it is understood
the production of all Falcon 2000 jets
will be progressively transferred to the
Dassault Reliance Aerospace Ltd (DRAL)
plant in Nagpur, India.
This will also make room in Mérignac
for the future Falcon 6X assembly line
(the first Falcon 6X was rolled out by
Dassault Aviation on December 8, 2020).
Consequently, the final few aircraft will
be produced in Nagpur, delivered green,
and flown to France for the conversion to
Albatros standard.
The first three Albatros aircraft should be
delivered to the Marine Nationale in 2025
for operational evaluation by the CEPA,
the French Naval Aviation operation
evaluation centre, and for the beginning of
the conversion of Flottilles 24F and 25F.
Under current plans, all 12 aircraft
should be in service by 2030.
Dassault Aviation feels the aircraft has
strong potential in the export market
and the French announcement will
significantly bolster its chances of
attracting new customers.

May2021 57
now
The future is

58 May2021
w With more than three decades under its belt,
Canadian vertical-lift airline Helijet is well-placed to drive the
move towards large-scale urban air mobility, reports Howard Slutsken

I
f the plethora of prototypes popping
out of hangars around the world is
anything to go by, urban air mobility
(UAM) may well be the future of
short-distance commercial aviation.
Whether powered by electric or hybrid
propulsion systems, the possibility of
minivan-sized vertical take-off and landing
(VTOL) aircraft could be the fulfilment of
pop-culture promises of flying cars made
as far back as the 1950s and 1960s.
However, on Canada’s West Coast,
a vertical-lift airline has been shuttling
passengers between two major urban
centres for more than three decades, long
before UAM became an acronym.
Helijet International, with its fleet of
12-seat Sikorsky S-76 helicopters, has
been linking British Columbia’s largest
city and commercial centre, Vancouver,
with Victoria, the province’s capital city,
since 1986. Located at the southern tip of
Vancouver Island, Victoria’s Ogden Point
Heliport is, as the crow flies, 61 miles
south of the Vancouver Harbour Heliport,
an S-76 flight of about 35 minutes.
Helijet also connects downtown
Vancouver with Nanaimo, a small city
about 38 miles to the west, with a quick
flight time of just 16 minutes.
The alternative, and much slower,
method of crossing the Strait of Georgia
has traditionally been on a passenger

A Helijet S-76 gets ready for the

short, 16-minute flight from Nanaimo
to the Vancouver Harbour Heliport
Heath Moffatt/ Helijet

May2021 59
 Helijet Fleet
Model Registration Notes
Sikorsky S-76A C-FZAA
Sikorsky S-76A C-GHJP
Sikorsky S-76A C-GHJV Assigned to B C Ambulance Service
Sikorsky S-76A C-GHJW Highest time S-76A worldwide
ABOVE: Helijet’s route map, linking Vancouver with Victoria and Nanaimo Helijet Sikorsky S-76A++ C-GIHS
Sikorsky S-76B C-GHJT
MAIN IMAGE: Helijet is uniquely positioned to be at the leading edge in developing Sikorsky S-76C++ C-GBHJ
a viable UAM service Helijet
Sikorsky S-76C+ C-GCHJ Assigned to B C Ambulance Service
Sikorsky S-76C+ C-GHHJ Assigned to B C Ambulance Service
Helijet Factoid
Sikorsky S-76C++ C-GHJK
IATA JB
Sikorsky S-76C++ C-GHJL
ICAO JBA Sikorsky S-76C+ C-GIHJ Assigned to B C Ambulance Service
Callsign Helijet Airbus AS350B-2 C-GHJS Based in Sandspit, Haida Gwaii
Founded 1986 Learjet 31A C-GHJU Charter aircraft
Headquarters YVR, Vancouver Pilatus PC-12 C-GJRG Charter aircraft

ferry, a 90-minute cruise plus driving
time to and from the B C Ferry terminals.
Another option – floatplane service
between the cities – pre-dates Helijet’s
launch. Harbour Air continues to provide a
fair-weather only, fixed-wing link between
the cities and other coastal destinations.
Watching one of those float planes gave
the spark of an idea to helicopter pilot
Danny Sitnam – more accurately, to his wife
– as they drove over Vancouver’s iconic
Lions Gate Bridge in the early 1980s.
“She looked at it and said: ‘You know,
how come you don’t run your helicopter
back and forth? Wouldn’t that be more
technologically advanced than running
a seaplane?’” said Sitnam, Helijet’s
president and CEO, in an interview with AIR
International. “I started thinking about it –
an IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) helicopter
that could fly in inclement weather. I could
fly early in the morning and late at night,
and I could upscale the service. A lot of
businesspeople were using the seaplanes,
and as I dug into it, I found out that it was
mostly business and senior government
[people] going back and forth.”
Sitnam put together a business plan
targeting those time-sensitive passengers
who could benefit from a same-day return
helicopter flight, which would offer greater
reliability than a floatplane service and
would be capable of flying safely during the
West Coast’s winter season. To simplify
the journey for his arriving passengers, he
included a shuttle bus service linking the
heliports to the downtown cores, a ride of
just a few minutes.
Then he shared his business plan with
his partners.
“‘That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard
– leave me alone,’ was the response,”
chuckled Sitnam. “But we finally had the
guts and a little bit of funding to launch
our service. And my partners are still my
partners, 35 years later.”
The noisy Bell
On November 27, 1986, Helijet launched
its Vancouver to Victoria service with a
13-seat Bell 412, a twin-turbine utility
helicopter that had been converted into
a passenger aircraft.
“We had one passenger that day,”
admitted Sitnam.
Nevertheless, response to the service
was positive, and passenger loads began
increasing soon after the harbour-to-
harbour flights were introduced.
To be a good neighbour, Helijet had
commissioned noise studies near both
heliports prior to launch, to confirm local
communities would not be unduly affected.
Arrival and departure flight paths were
flown over water, avoiding the residential
neighbourhoods in both city centres.
However, when the helicopter was
in cruise flight, the design of the early
Bell 412’s rotor system created a very
penetrating noise footprint. Helijet’s 412

60 May2021
had a four-bladed main rotor, engineered
as two, stacked, two-bladed rotors hubs
from the Vietnam-era UH-1 ‘Huey’ and
civilian Bell 212 – helicopters not known
for quiet flight.
The 412 flew at an altitude of between
4,000ft and 5,000ft, but was flying the
same route on all flights – much to the
irritation of the residents of the region’s
picturesque islands.
“We had a tremendous number of
complaints from the Gulf Islands, and
specifically from one of the [Canadian
government] ministers who had a home
there,” said Sitnam. “She picked up
the phone and called the Minister of
Transport and said, ‘I don’t want Helijet
flying over my house anymore.’”
In response, Helijet developed 16
different flight routes to limit any one
community’s exposure to the 412’s noise,
which Sitnam described as “beating right
through the floor”.
“We decided that we had to move away
from that aircraft, and even though we
had made every effort to mitigate noise,
we were not satisfying the communities,”
he said.
The sleek S-76
Sitnam explained that Jack Donahue,
Sikorsky’s then head of sales, had spent
“a lot of time” in Vancouver reviewing
Helijet’s operation, and suggested the
airline consider the S-76. Sitnam agreed
to Donahue’s proposal and, in mid-1987,
Helijet began flying the S-76A, with two
helicopters replacing the single Bell 412.
“It was night and day. The noise footprint
was much better. It was a faster aircraft,
it’s a great looking aircraft and it was
doing more for the passenger experience,”
confirmed Sitnam.
The sleek Sikorsky was a perfect match
for Helijet’s operations, and the twin-turbine
helicopter has become synonymous with
rotary-wing flights in the region. “People
say ‘There goes a Helijet’ when they see a
helicopter fly over,” he added.
Now, thirty-five years later, the airline
operates a fleet of 12 S-76s, comprising a
mix of models including ‘A’, ‘A++’, ‘B’, ‘C+’
and ‘C++’ aircraft.
In 2017, Helijet was recognised by
Sikorsky for providing 30 years of safe
S-76 flight operations. Most recently, in
January 2021, Sikorsky congratulated
Helijet for reaching the remarkable
milestone of 47,000 flight hours in one of
the airline’s original S-76As, the highest time
airframe of the model, worldwide.
Helijet also operates an Airbus AS350
B2 helicopter based in Sandspit, Haida
Gwaii Islands, on British Columbia’s
rugged coast, about 750km north of the
airline’s Vancouver International Airport
(YVR) headquarters.
Four of the S-76s are configured for
medical transport and are assigned
May2021 61

to operations with the British Columbia
Ambulance Service, with the remaining
eight helicopters flying passenger
services, both scheduled and charter.
In addition to the scheduled services
between Vancouver-Victoria and
Vancouver-Nanaimo, Helijet’s S-76s
ferry passengers to the region’s world-
renowned sport fishing lodges and
resorts under seasonal charter contracts.
For a time, the airline also had a helicopter
service between Victoria and Seattle’s
Boeing Field (BFI), and fixed-wing Beechcraft
1900 flights from Campbell River to BFI, but
neither route proved successful.
Recognising the range and speed
limitations of its helicopters for certain
missions, Helijet operates a Lear 31A
corporate jet and a Pilatus PC-12
turboprop for fixed-wing charters.
A quick check-in
A flight with Helijet from Vancouver to
Victoria begins at the Vancouver Harbour
Heliport, close to the downtown business
core. The terminal is also only a short walk
from a transit hub at Waterfront Station,
served by buses, two rapid transit lines, a
regional train service and the SeaBus ferry
plying the harbour to North Vancouver.
Check-in is easy and can take place up
to just 20 minutes before departure. With
a maximum of 12 passengers on the S-76,
there’s only a short wait, if any.
Currently, with COVID-19 protocols in
place, the check-in process may take a
bit longer, explained Rick Hill, Helijet’s
62 May2021
vice president, commercial and business
programmes: “We follow all of the
government health authority protocols.
When you check in you must answer a
series of questions and your temperature
is taken prior to boarding. Everyone must
wear a mask in the terminals, on the way
to the aircraft and in the aircraft for the
duration of the flight.
“Between every flight, our ramp team
sanitises the high-touch surface areas of
the aircraft. Every night, when it’s back at
the base, the helicopter gets a deep clean.”
In 2019, Helijet operated up to 16 daily
round trips between Vancouver and
Victoria – with selected flights making a
quick stop at the airline’s YVR terminal
– along with six round trips from
Vancouver to Nanaimo.
As a result of the pandemic, Helijet
has reduced its schedule to four daily
flights on the Victoria route, and three
on Nanaimo. But Hill is optimistic about
a rebound in demand: “I believe that
once we have vaccinations and we’re
putting COVID behind us, people are
going to want to again meet face-to-face,
especially in the Victoria corridor with
government and commerce.”
Helijet’s fares reflect the airline’s
premium service, ranging from C$240
to C$350 each way, with corporate
packages and sale fares available.
Its terminals in Vancouver, Victoria and
the newest facility in Nanaimo may not
be as sumptuous as a high-end lounge
at a major international airport, but they
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE:
Helijet operates 12 Sikorsky S-76s in
its fleet Dan Barnes/ Helijet
Helijet’s Vancouver Terminal includes
a business centre, with views of the
harbour Heath Moffatt/ Helijet
Four of Helijet’s S-76s are assigned
to the B C Ambulance Service
Heath Moffatt/ Helijet
With its S-76s equipped for
Instrument Flight, Helijet can maintain
its schedule in inclement weather
Dale Klippenstein/ Helijet
Helijet’s S-76s have a 12-passenger
cabin, with four-point belts at each
leather seat Dale Klippenstein/ Helijet
are comfortable and more than suitable
for the short time most passengers will
spend there before a flight.
A business centre and self-serve
galley with complimentary hot and cold
beverages, snacks and light meals are
available all day at all three of Helijet’s
terminals. Guests can also enjoy their
favourite local beer and wine, served in
the afternoon by Helijet’s agent/bartender.
And without a doubt, the views of
Vancouver’s harbour and North Shore
mountains are a fabulous sight – although
perhaps not on an overcast winter day.
Up and away
Boarding is quick and simple, entailing a
short walk to the helicopter and then into
the cosy cabin configured with three rows
of four leather seats each. Helijet’s ramp
team is there to help any passengers who
need assistance.
Safety regulations require that seats in
new helicopters have four-point harnesses
– comprising lap and shoulder belts – and
Helijet’s S-76C models were delivered
with that safety feature installed. Its S-76A
models predated the regulation and only
required lap belts, but Hill said that it was
important to be consistent across the
aircraft: “We operate both models and we
retrofitted the ‘A’ models with the four-point
belts. It takes a little longer to buckle in,
but passengers take to it really well. They
know it’s a safety issue.”
Once seated and belted, the doors are
closed and the captain or first officer turns
and gives a safety briefing, along with
details of the flight. Then it’s a good idea
to insert the complimentary foam earplugs
or activate noise-cancelling earbuds, since
the passenger cabin is just below the
helicopter’s twin turbine engines.
The start-up procedure is much like a
small twin-turboprop commuter plane, but
instead of propellers spinning at the front
of each engine, the 44ft diameter four-
bladed main rotor begins to whirl.
The heliport is in the Vancouver Harbour
(YHC) control zone, so the pilots get
their clearance from controllers in the
world’s highest control tower, atop one
of the downtown office buildings. It can
be a busy airspace with helicopter and
floatplane traffic, as well as traffic transiting
the zone or heading to YVR.
The best in-flight entertainment
The S-76 is wheel-equipped and, once
pre-flight checks are complete, the pilots
taxi a few feet from the parking spot to the
heliport’s operations area. Then, seemingly
without any effort, the helicopter lifts into
a low hover for a moment, while the pilots
perform a final check on the aircraft’s
engines and systems.
With a forward tilt, the S-76 begins its rapid
climb to a cruising altitude of between 4,000-
5,000ft, flying one of the designated routes
between the two cities. At a cruise speed of
125kts, it takes just a bit more than half-an-
hour for the flight.
Passengers flying on a sunny day will enjoy
the world’s best in-flight entertainment simply
by looking out of the window. A spectacular
flight over the region’s beautiful Gulf Islands
and waterways may even feature a surprise
glimpse of a pod of orcas.
Too quickly, the S-76 begins its descent,
swinging south of Victoria over the Strait of
Juan de Fuca and then westbound to the
heliport at Ogden Point, home to the city’s
cruise ship terminal.
Touching down, the helicopter quickly rolls
to the terminal. The pilots give the engines a
few minutes to stabilise after the flight, then
shut down.
Hopping on the complimentary shuttle bus,
passengers can be at the B C Provincial
Parliament buildings or in downtown Victoria
in just minutes.
Instrument procedures
Even when the weather is fine and clear,
all Helijet flights operate under Instrument
Flight Rules (IFR) flight plans, ensuring
that the aircraft will fit smoothly into the
region’s saturated airspace.
When it’s rainy and the ceilings are
low on a dark winter day, however,
Helijet still maintains its schedule. Only
icing conditions or fog will keep an
S-76 grounded. Every S-76 is fully IFR-
equipped, and each of Helijet’s 60 pilots
maintains IFR currency.
In concert with NAV Canada, the
country’s air traffic services provider,
Helijet has developed instrument flight
routes, including an approach to a ‘point- of the recently established Canadian
in-space’ close to each city’s heliport. Advanced Air Mobility Consortium
Although the crew could bring the S-76 to a (CAAM), an organisation with a mission
hover at that position, the normal procedure “to build an ecosystem of national
is the same as an airliner’s instrument collaboration in creating and operating
approach to an airport runway – if the pilots a sustainable, equitable and profitable
break out of the clouds and can see the advanced air mobility industry in Canada.”
helipad when reaching the Decision Height Over 35 years, Helijet has developed the
(DH), they continue and land. If not, the route structure, terminals and air traffic
pilots begin a missed approach and fly control procedures that could transition to
to an alternative landing location, which a UAM model with electric VTOL aircraft.
may be at YVR or YYJ (Victoria) airport. Although there is much regulatory
In those rare cases, Helijet will arrange and technological work still to be done,
transport to the downtown heliport for Sitnam is upbeat about his airline’s future:
its passengers. “I am excited and focused on UAM, and I
Four S-76s operate the daily scheduled think hybrid propulsion will be an interim
routes, with the four other passenger step before full electrics come in.
helicopters available for charter, on “At present, we’re looking at setting up a
standby, or in the hangar for maintenance. separate division that will only focus on
“In the morning, if we have an issue with the study and development of UAM and
an aircraft that’s going out on scheduled the integration of eVTOL into Helijet’s
flights, we have a replacement ready,” existing structure.”
explained Hill.
Looking forward to UAM
Helijet is possibly the world’s most
successful – and certainly the longest-
operating – helicopter airline, and Sitnam
recognises that its accomplishments
have been due to the hard work of the
150 people in his team: “At the end of
the day – and I’ve said it since day one
– it’s about the people. It’s about the
perseverance of people, the drive and
will to succeed, and to do what they
believe in. We continue to diversify. As we
look at what we do best, which is offering
great service, high standards
and high safety, we also want to explore
new technologies.”
Checking In
With urban air mobility vehicles on the
horizon and no longer in the realms of
science fiction, Sitnam believes that
Helijet is uniquely positioned to be at the Is large-scale urban air mobility
leading edge in developing a viable UAM really feasible and, if so, how soon
service: “The key thing that we bring to can we reasonably expect to see it?
the table as Helijet, is that we have a
Share your view at
market that’s mature, with passengers
airinternational@keypublishing.com
who are used to flying VTOL.” under the subject heading Checking In.
Helijet is one of the founding members
May2021 63
 The Royal Air Force was hit particularly hard
in March’s British defence and security
review. Jon Lake reports
I
t is known officially as ‘Global Britain
in a Competitive Age: The Integrated
Review of Security, Defence,
Development and Foreign Policy’, but
no one would have guessed that from
the optimistic words of senior officers.
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal
Sir Michael Wigston said: “Today’s
Defence Command Paper is our mandate
for the Royal Air Force to underpin UK
sovereignty, security and prosperity into
the future.”
64 May2021
Wigston will be “underpinning” with a
significantly smaller force at his disposal,
after some significant capability holidays
and having lost some really useful assets.
And while Defence Secretary Ben Wallace
criticised some of his parliamentary
colleagues for wanting to “play Top
Trumps with our force numbers”, there is
no doubt force size can be vital and we
should perhaps remember that quantity
has a quality all of its own.
The review said all the right things
FOR
about turning the UK’s current forces into
credible ones, and about modernising for
the threats of the 2020s and beyond. The
2021 Defence Command Paper ‘Defence
in a Competitive Age’ that followed the
review also said it aimed to seek out and
understand future threats, and to invest in
the capabilities needed to defeat them.
The paper accurately described a
more unstable world and a deteriorating
global security environment, yet it was
shaped more by budgetary constraints
 RIGHT: The MOD’s medium lift helicopter fleet,
including the RAF’s ancient Pumas, will be
replaced, though the review did not make clear
which other medium lift helicopters were also
to be replaced. The list could include the Puma,
Merlin, Gazelle, Bell 212, Bell 412, and Dauphin
– and possibly the army’s Wildcats MOD Crown
Copyright 2021

BELOW: The RAF’s C-130J Hercules are reaching

their sunset somewhat earlier than planned. Their
loss represents a reduction of nearly a third of the
RAF’s transport fleet, and most of its tactical and
special forces capabilities SAC Tom Cann/MOD Crown
Copyright 2021

than by threat perceptions, and cut the

force structure necessary to combat the
growing array of threats to the UK.

Riddled with spin

As has become depressingly familiar to
observers of the defence ministry and
the armed forces, bad news was dressed
up as good, and both the review and
the Command Paper were riddled with
‘spin’. The review marked the first time
the UK has backed off from its original
commitment to buy 138 F-35s over the
life of the programme. But in the review
an unspecified force size of more than the
48 aircraft now on order was presented
not as a reduction, but an increase.
“In recognition of its battle winning
capabilities we will commit to grow the
fleet beyond 48 aircraft.”
The paper did say the UK Ministry of
Defence (MOD) will “integrate more UK
weapons onto Lightning II and invest to
ensure that its software and capability are
updated alongside the rest of the global
F-35 fleet”. This confirms recent rumours
that all of the RAF’s F-35Bs (even the
earliest LRIP aircraft) will eventually be
upgraded to full ‘Block IV’ software
standards, and that no aircraft will be left
behind. But in a rare piece of bad news
for the Royal Navy (which was generally
recognised to have done very well indeed
from the review) it does mean that there
are unlikely to ever be enough F-35s to
fully equip both carriers simultaneously.

OR THE RAF
This makes it likely that the Carrier Strike
Group (CSG) will continue to rely on being
augmented by US Marine Corps F-35s,
and helps to explain the importance
attached to the recently revealed ‘Project
Vixen’, which is studying the addition of a
large unmanned aerial vehicle – perhaps
a tanker like the US Navy’s MQ-25

The C-130J has been a virtually constant fixture on Operation Shader, and
the 14 aircraft force has consistently flown the same number of hours as
the larger A400M fleet. Here a C-130J runs up at RAF Akrotiri, prior to a
mission Sergeant Bryden/MOD Crown Copyright 2020

May2021 65
 The review contained some good news for the
Future Combat Air System, confirming £2bn of
funding over the next four years, allowing the
programme to move to the concept and evaluation
phase BAE Systems
Stingray, or a loyal wingman-type drone
that would support the F-35B Lightning
flying strike, surveillance and electronic
warfare missions. Similarly, the review
proclaimed: “The Royal Air Force will
continue to grow its Combat Air capacity
over the next few years as we fully
establish all seven operational Typhoon
Squadrons.” And yet, the RAF will “retire
equipment that has increasingly limited
utility in the digital and future operating
environment. This will include rationalising
older fleets to improve efficiency, retiring
Typhoon Tranche 1 by 2025”.
It's hard to see how seven frontline
squadrons will be sustained after the
retirement of 24 Tranche 1 Typhoons,
with just 67 Tranche 2 and 40 Tranche 3
aircraft. The Tranche 1 aircraft were saved
from the scrapheap in the 2015 Strategic
Defence and Security Review, which
resurrected them for adversary training
and quick reaction alert (QRA) duties
– using them to provide extra mass,
increasing force resilience and freeing up
newer Typhoons for deployments and
air-to-ground missions, and helping to
maintain the throughput of trained crews.
Their out-of-service date was extended to
2040 in line with the rest of the fleet.
While the Tranche 1 aircraft were
effectively limited to the air defence role
by their software, they do have an air-
to-ground capability using Paveway II/
Enhanced Paveway II, and a relatively
cheap upgrade could have brought
them to virtual Tranche 3 standards. The
Spanish Tranche 1 upgrade shows what
is possible – removing obsolescence
issues, adding Storm Shadow and Meteor
and opening the door to an AESA retrofit.
In recent years, Tranche 1 Typhoons
have been used on Operations Azotize
and Biloxi, and have been used in the
Falklands and on QRA.
66 May2021
The MOD isn’t admitting it, but AIR
International understands the real
reason for standing down the Tranche 1
Typhoons is all about manning – with the
Typhoon force desperately short of pilots.
There was some good news for the
Typhoon force, with confirmation that
Radar Two will be funded (though it was
not revealed how many aircraft will be
retrofitted), and that the SPEAR Capability
3 deep strike missile will be integrated.
Rationalising more old fleets
Some 36 Hawk T1s will be retired under
the same headline of “rationalising older
fleets to improve efficiency”. The aircraft,
currently operated primarily by 100
Squadron and 736 Naval Air Squadron
in the adversary training role, may be
“replaced by virtual training” or more likely
by a contractorised solution of some sort.
It is hard to see how any such solution
could offer better value for money to the
taxpayer than Hawks it already owns that
have been fully amortised (capital cost
written off). The fate of the Red Arrows
has not been detailed.
Ominously, the review did promise
to “enhance the new military flying
training system with further investment
in synthetic training that will deliver more
capable pilots more quickly and more
efficiently”. AIR International will return
to this subject in future, but suffice it to
say that many in the RAF remain nervous
about plans to increase the proportion of
synthetics to live flying training.
The E-3D Sentry has played a vital role
supporting UK air defence and deployed
operations, but a scandalous failure to
upgrade them has left a hollowed out
force that is now two generations behind
its contemporaries. But a once seven-
strong E-3D force is to be retired this
year and will be replaced by a “more
modern and more capable fleet” of just
three E-7A Wedgetails in 2023. The claim
is that these will transform “UK Airborne
Early Warning and Control capabilities”,
though capacity and resilience will be
a real issue, while the commitment to
base them at RAF Lossiemouth could
also prove problematic if, as seems
increasingly likely, Scotland pursues a
path to independence. It will also leave a
two-year capability gap.
Although the review envisages the UK
“projecting our influence” and operating
“on the world stage”, one major cut will
see the retirement of the BAe146 as
planned by 2022 and the premature
retirement of the C-130J Hercules, the
tactical air mobility workhorse, in 2023.
The review states: “Twenty-two A400Ms,
alongside the C17s, will provide a more
capable and flexible transport fleet.”
Even if the A400M Atlas force does
“increase its capacity and capability”, it
is hard to see how the fleet can double
its output in order to compensate for
the 5,500 flying hours now being flown
by the C-130J. Nor has any preparation
been made to take on the C-130J’s
Capping the F-35B buy at, or close to, 48 aircraft
would represent a reduction of 90 aircraft from the
original planned order. It will leave the Royal Navy
carriers dependent upon the USMC to augment
the UK F-35Bs if they are to carry a meaningful
air wing. During Groupex, HMS ‘Queen Elizabeth’
embarked just five RAF F-35Bs, and ten from the
US Marine Corps MOD Crown Copyright 2021

BELOW: Removing some 24 Tranche 1 Typhoons
from service will make the force less resilient,
and will make it much harder to sustain seven
frontline squadrons. The Tranche 1 aircraft
currently fly adversary training and air defence
missions – a cheap upgrade could widen the
scope of their capabilities MOD Crown Copyright 2021
The RAF allowed its fleet of E-3Ds to become
obsolete and unavailable by not investing in
necessary upgrades. Retirement of the E-3D had
become inevitable, but there will be a three-year
capability gap before three E-7A Wedgetails enter
service SAC Amy Lupton, RAF/MOD Crown Copyright 2020
special forces capabilities, nor its little-
known SIGINT capability. AIR International
wonders whether the RAF is banking
on Airbus coming up with an innovative
availability contract to boost A400M
flying hours – noting the very impressive
availability and utilisation of the Voyager.
There are reportedly ambitions to buy
14 extended-range CH-47F or MH-47G
Chinooks to replace nine early Chinooks,
and to invest “alongside the US, in newer
variants of this operationally proven
aircraft, enhancing capability, efficiency
and interoperability”. Few would claim
the Chinook force is under-equipped or
under-resourced and the loss of nine
airframes can’t be regarded as a tragedy!
The MOD has confirmed it will invest in
a new medium lift helicopter in the mid-
2020s. This will replace the ageing Puma
and will enable a consolidation of the
disparate fleet of medium lift helicopters
from four platform types to one.
There was some more helpful news
for the RAF in the review and in the
Command Paper. Nine MQ-9 Reapers will
be replaced by 16 long-range Protector
remotely piloted systems. These will form
the backbone of the UK’s persistent,
multispectral surveillance capability, while
retaining the ability to strike decisively.
The army will also retain and upgrade its
Watchkeeper UAVs. Development of the
LANCA ‘loyal wingman’ UCAV system is
to continue, as will work on developing
combat drone swarm technologies.
Gloomy outlook
Best of all on the ‘cuts today, jam
tomorrow’ front was the confirmation
of £2bn of funding for the FCAS (Future
Combat Air System) programme (see
pages 22-27) over the next four years.
This will include taking the programme
into its concept and assessment phase,
building firm foundations for the Tempest
sixth-generation fighter – allowing
the RAF to operate in tomorrow’s
increasingly competitive and complex air
environment, and, it is hoped, repeating
the tremendous success of the Typhoon
for the British aerospace industry.
But that was a rare ray of light in what
was otherwise a gloomy outlook for the
The A400M will have to fly morning, noon
and night if it is to plug the gap left by
the retirement of the Hercules. The review
made vague promises of increasing the
capacity and capability of the A400M force.
It remains to be seen what these are
MOD Crown Copyright 2020
RAF. On Twitter, Air Marshal (ret’d) Greg
Bagwell, former Deputy Commander
(Operations) at RAF Air Command and
now President of the Air & Space Power
Association, said he had “waited a few
days to let the totality of the MOD’s
Defence Command Paper sink in”, before
endorsing a paper by Professor Peter
Roberts of the defence think-tank RUSI.
This paper concluded that the review had
marked: “A real change in the positioning
of the UK’s armed forces, ending the era
in which they could realistically describe
themselves as ‘Tier One’, ‘First in Class’
or ‘Full Spectrum’.”
Bagwell went on to say: “Ignoring the
spin and yet untold truths (which are
disappointing, but wholly expected in
this day and age), any single issue could
be argued in isolation as a logical step,
but when you add them altogether you
cannot form any other conclusion than
UK defence will be weaker.”
He continued: “Turning to Air Power
specifically – the reduction (yes,
reduction) in air assets makes us less
able to control the air (the key tenet
of Air Power). Just as an example, if
we knew then that we would cap and
reduce our AEW capability, would we
have committed to so many P-8s? The
simple truth is that space, cyber and AI
are being used as replacements to mask
the losses, when they should have been
seen as enhancements. Unfortunately, we
have not had the resource to deliver those
enhancements without getting rid of the
mass we once had.” This is criticism from
a credible critic.
The Freeman Air and Space Institute
at King’s College London predicted
the review would follow the usual
pattern – of highlighting all of the new
technologies and capabilities that would
permit the UK to act as a major world
power with smaller armed forces; of then
realising that achieving these ambitions
was unaffordable without significant
investment; and of then trying to release
money for the new capabilities by saying
certain items of equipment were most
unlikely to be required in future.
That seems to be exactly what has
happened. Again.
May2021 67

Airbus is currently developing the ZEROe
concept aircraft powered by two hybrid
hydrogen turbofan engines Airbus
M
uch of the bad press
that the aviation
industry faces is
down to its impact
on the environment.
Enormous effort is
going into finding an
acceptable alternative fuel to cut down
emissions but, of course, jet fuel is not
the only energy source required by the
aviation sector. All sorts of on-airport
vehicles require fuel, and then there’s
the heating of terminals and other
airport buildings. This is where the
concept of switching fossil fuels for
hydrogen comes in.
According to US non-profit
organisation the Hydrogen Energy
Center (HEC), in environmental terms,
hydrogen has three principal benefits.
First, using it can significantly reduce
68 May2021
pollution. Combining hydrogen
with oxygen in a fuel cell produces
energy in the form of electricity. The
advantage of using hydrogen as an
energy carrier is that when it combines
with oxygen the only byproducts are
water and heat. No greenhouse gases
or other particulates are produced by
the use of hydrogen fuel cells.
Second, it can be produced locally.
Finally, making hydrogen from water
(green hydrogen) means that the
production system is sustainable.
Water is separated into hydrogen
and water by electrolysis – renewable
energy sources such as wind, hydro,
solar and tidal can be used to power
the electrolyser, further underscoring
the sustainability of the system.
There is plenty of scope for using
hydrogen in airports. Fuel Cell
FU
& Hydrogen Energy Association
president Morry Markowitz has said:
“Hydrogen fuel cells can provide
power to nearly any application, from
fuel cell-powered shuttle buses taking
passengers to and from their hotels
or rental car stops, the rental cars
themselves, and the whole range of
vehicles and equipment that service
the airport, such as baggage tow
tractors, tugs, loaders, forklifts and
other equipment.”
Gas specialist Air Liquide, for
instance, supplies 35-70 MPa
hydrogen charging stations suitable
for fleets of utility vehicles and the
FUEL
for thought As airports around the world continue to
flaunt their ambitious net zero carbon targets,
Tara Craig looks into what is fast emerging as
a potential ‘wonder fuel’ for the future: hydrogen

specific requirements of the aerospace
industry. Integrated directly on site,
they can charge vehicles in less than
five minutes, the French firm says.
Self-sufficiency
However, a handful of farsighted
airport operators have already begun
to take the hydrogen experiment to
the next level.
Avinor-run Oslo Airport unveiled its
own hydrogen refuelling station in
2015, while Leeds Bradford Airport
(LBA) recently announced its intention
to become the first UK regional airport
to produce its own hydrogen. The
Yorkshire airport has partnered with
industry leader ITM Power, publishing
proposals for a new sustainable
energy hub that will use hydrogen
and rapid EV charging facilities to
power the airport’s fleet of vehicles,
as well as enabling LBA to fuel the
next generation of hydrogen- and
EV-powered ground handling vehicles.
The initiative is part of LBA’s
application for a replacement terminal.
The application was approved, despite
objections, on February 12, 2021,
meaning that work could start on the
energy hub as early as 2022.
Charles Johnson, head of
development at Leeds Bradford
Airport, said: “This represents
a significant investment in the
sustainable future of the airport,
preparing us for the new wave of
hydrogen and EV powered specialist
vehicles on the horizon.”
“Green hydrogen provides the
missing piece in the transport jigsaw,
freeing transport to perform all the
functionality currently delivered by
diesel, while emitting nothing but clean
water and helping us power our way
to a net zero future,” added Duncan
Yellen, ITM Power’s managing director.
Energy transition
Prompted by the French government’s
energy transition strategy, which has
called for the country to reduce its
consumption of fossil fuels by 30% by
2030, a group of aviation stakeholders
has called for expressions of interest
to explore the opportunities generated
by hydrogen in Paris airports.
Paris Region, Choose Paris Region,
Groupe ADP, Air France-KLM and
Airbus want to anticipate and support
developments that could help
transform the Paris airports into true
"hydrogen hubs".

May2021 69

The ITM Power electrolyser is
a modular structure, designed for rapid
stack exchange in the field ITM Power
This call for expressions of interest
focuses on three main themes. The first
is the storage, transport and distribution
of hydrogen (gaseous and liquid) in an
airport environment (storage systems,
micro-liquefaction, aircraft fuelling, etc).
The second is the diversification of
hydrogen use cases in airports and in
aeronautics (ground handling vehicles
and equipment, rail transport at airports,
energy supply for buildings or aircraft
during ground operations, and so on).
Copenhagen Airport will lead the ALIGHT
project, looking into potential emission-free
operations of airports Copenhagen Airport
70 May2021
The third theme is the circular economy
around hydrogen (recovery of hydrogen
dissipated during liquid hydrogen fuelling,
recovery of a byproduct from a reaction to
produce decarbonated hydrogen, etc.).
Hydrogen heating
Kirkwall Airport in the UK’s Orkney islands
has installed a hydrogen combustion
engine that will be coupled with the
facility’s existing heating system to meet
the energy requirements of the main
Electrolyser stacks offer high power density
in their performance class, high efficiency
and low transformation costs ITM Power
A Climeworks direct air capture plant in situ
at Hinwil, Switzerland Climeworks
airport buildings. Its installation is part of
a collaboration between the European
Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) and
Highlands and Islands Airports Limited
(HIAL) aimed at decarbonising heat
and power at the airport through green
hydrogen technology.
An energy consumption study delivered
by EMEC found that space and water
heating demand in the airport terminal
represented the biggest source of
greenhouse gas emissions after aircraft
operations. As a result, EMEC has
contracted Renfrew-based engineering
firm Doosan Babcock, together with
its combined heat and power (CHP)
manufacturer 2G, to provide the hydrogen
combustion technology.
Due to be deployed for an extended
trial period at the airport, the CHP plant
will use green hydrogen supplied by
EMEC to generate electricity, as well as
recover and use byproduct heat to deliver
an efficient and comprehensive energy
solution. It is the first 2G 100% hydrogen
CHP system installed in the UK.
“HIAL is committed to making the
Highlands and Islands a net zero aviation
region by 2040. This pioneering project
at Kirkwall Airport is an exciting next step
towards decarbonising our operations
and enabling greener air services,” said
managing director Inglis Lyon.
The ALIGHT project
While Kirkwall has focused on
something tailored very much to its own
requirements, a European consortium
has recently won a grant of close to €12m
to develop and demonstrate specific
solutions, ultimately illustrating how
an airport can be designed to operate
completely without carbon emissions and
provide the infrastructure necessary to
make aircraft carbon-neutral.
Leading the group is Copenhagen
Airport (CPH), working in collaboration
with the Danish Technological Institute
and 14 other European partners, among
them airports in Lithuania and Rome,
along with the company that is building
Poland’s Centralny Port Komunikacyjny
airport, set to open in 2027 between
Warsaw and Lodz.
The ALIGHT project aims to develop
solutions to two overall challenges. First,
the process and logistics of handling
sustainable aviation fuels in an operational
context, including procurement, blending,
fuelling, quality controls and safety
processes. Second, the incorporation of
smart energy solutions for other airport
operations, including on-site production
of sustainable energy, as well as energy
storage and electrification. The project
is also focusing on developing the
aircraft stand of the future, supporting
sustainable aircraft fuels such as electric
power and hydrogen.
Copenhagen Airport CEO Thomas
Woldbye explained: "With this project,
we aim to develop specific solutions and
create a comprehensive concept for
designing the airport of the future. We
must be able to provide an infrastructure
for the aircraft of the future, which may be
electric or powered by hydrogen or other
sustainable fuels.
“At the same time, we will investigate
how we can integrate electrification and
solar panels into airport design, so that
we can power buildings, vehicles and
aircraft and thereby eventually completely
phase out carbon emissions."
ALIGHT will run for four years and the
results and experience from the work
undertaken at Copenhagen will be shared
and replicated at other airports.
Looking ahead
In late 2019, London Heathrow Airport
announced trials of a new technology
that would use renewable hydrogen to
turn unrecyclable passenger waste into
new generation, low-carbon products
such as airport furniture, uniforms and
alternative fuels. Meanwhile, back in 2016,
easyJet hit the headlines when the airline
suggested that passengers could find
themselves drinking the water byproduct
from the hydrogen fuel cells powering the
landing brake system.
However, for every seemingly outlandish
idea there will be several that work and
will end up making a real difference to
both the environment and the bottom line.
As governments continue to put pressure
on airports to slash carbon emissions, we
can expect to see hydrogen becoming
an increasingly commonplace part
of daily operations, and we can look
forward to an innovative approach to
the replacement of fossil fuels with less
harmful alternatives.
Fuel from air
Rotterdam The Hague Airport, SkyNRG
and Swiss direct air capture pioneers
Climeworks have revealed plans to
develop ‘Zenid’, a demonstration plant
producing fully circular sustainable
aviation fuel directly from air.
The plant will be powered by regionally
sourced renewable energy and combines
several innovative technologies, namely a
direct air capture plant that provides CO2
to a highly efficient co-electrolysis unit,
then turns the CO2 and added water into
syngas. The syngas is, in turn, transformed
into liquid hydrocarbons by a modular
Fischer-Tropsch reactor before being
refined into sustainable aviation fuel.
May2021 71
 The 2G 100% hydrogen CHP
system at Kirkwall Airport
will be the first of its kind
installed in the UK 2G
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made
from air via direct air capture offers a
carbon-neutral solution for aviation and
contributes to the net zero targets in the
aviation industry.
Airport director Ron Louwerse
commented: “Rotterdam the Hague
Airport is very proud to be one of the
kickstarters of this groundbreaking
project, together with Schiphol Group and
RHIA [Rotterdam The Hague Innovation
Airport]. It fits exceptionally well within
our strategy to facilitate and accelerate
sustainability and innovation in aviation,
Orca, Climeworks’ new direct air capture plant in
Iceland, combines direct air capture technology with
the underground storage of carbon dioxide Climeworks
72 May2021
to be at the cradle of sustainable aviation
fuel made of CO2 from air.”
Climeworks’s Christoph Gebald added:
“The launch of Zenid demonstrates the
commitment of the aerospace industry
towards fully circular fuels from air
and their role in substantially reducing
aviation’s CO2 emissions.”
Hydrogen-powered
commercial flight
In September 2020, aviation firm ZeroAvia
completed the world’s first hydrogen fuel
cell-powered flight of a commercial-grade
aircraft. A modified Piper M-class six-
seat plane took off from Cranfield Airport
in the UK, completing taxi, take-off, a full
pattern circuit and landing.
ZeroAvia described the flight as marking
a major step towards the use of zero-
emission hydrogen as the primary
energy source for commercial aviation.
The company believes that hydrogen-
powered aircraft will ultimately match
the flight distances and payloads
achieved by current fossil fuel aircraft.
The hydrogen-electric powertrain
developed by ZeroAvia is projected to
have lower operating costs than its jet-
fuelled competition due to lower fuel and
maintenance costs.
The flight was conducted as part of
the UK government HyFlyer project, a
collaborative effort involving ZeroAvia,
the European Marine Energy Centre and
fuel cell engineering business Intelligent
Energy. The project aims to showcase low
carbon powertrain technology that could
replace conventional engines in propeller
aircraft. It follows the UK’s first ever
commercial-scale battery-electric flight,
conducted in the same aircraft in June.
By means of the project, Intelligent
Energy is optimising its high-power fuel
cell technology for application in aviation,
while EMEC is supplying green hydrogen
for the flight tests.
The next – and final stage – of the
programme will be a 250-mile zero
emission flight out of an airfield in Orkney,
due to take place before the end of 2021.
The demonstration of this range is roughly

equivalent to busy major routes such as
Los Angeles to San Francisco or London
to Edinburgh.
ZeroAvia and EMEC have also developed
a hydrogen airport refuelling ecosystem
(HARE) at Cranfield Airport.
All eyes on Kirkwall
Kirkwall Airport operator Highlands
and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) has
embarked on a £3.7m project to develop
a sustainable aviation programme that
“ZeroAvia believes that hydrogen-powered
airliners will ultimately match the flight
distances and payloads achieved
by current fossil fuel aircraft”
Kirkwall may be a small airport but its location
makes it the perfect test environment when
short routes are required HIAL Group
could transform short flight travel between
remote communities.
Part-funded by UK Research and
Innovation (UKRI) through the Industrial
Strategy Challenge Fund, the SATE
(Sustainable Aviation Test Environment)
project will create the UK’s first
operationally-based, low-carbon aviation
test centre at Kirkwall Airport.
Launched as part of UKRI’s Future
Flight Challenge, which supports the
development of environmentally friendly
ways to fly, the project will operate for
an 18-month period initially. Different
types of low-carbon aircraft will be tested
to identify the next generation of air
services as well as the operational airport
infrastructure necessary to support
sustainable aviation.
Addressing the challenge to improve
UK regional air connectivity and helping
to decarbonise the Highlands and
Islands region, the innovative project
will stimulate job creation and use local
renewable energy, supporting Orkney’s
net zero ambitions.
SATE’s technology partners — Ampaire,
ZeroAvia, Loganair, Windracers and
Flarebright — will trial a host of new
transport options. These will include
testing low-carbon aircraft using electric,
hydrogen or sustainable aviation fuels
(SAF) to replace conventional fossil
fuels, as well as drone applications for
supplying on-demand medical supplies
to health centres.
Consortium members will also be
looking at how to implement zero-
carbon airport infrastructure using
green energy sources, as well as digital
networking and the development of
resilient communications. The socio-
economic impact of new technologies
and services in the region, and the skills
and training needed to support them,
will be assessed.
As an early-adopter of a number of low-
carbon technologies, Orkney is the ideal
‘living laboratory’ for testing new types
of aviation and aerospace technology.
Kirkwall Airport is well suited as a test
environment location due to the variety
of short routes it offers, acting as a hub
that connects Orkney’s far-flung island
communities through its inter-island
flight service.
ZeroAvia carried out its test flights in a Piper
Malibu Mirage turboprop modified with a
300kW battery electric power system along with
a customised cockpit display and computer ZeroAvia
May2021 73
 ASIA’S FIFTH G
FACE-O
The Royal Australian Air Force has a
requirement for 72 F-35As, with 33 so far
delivered, most if not all to the first unit –
3 Squadron at Williamtown RAAF
A
s more countries become
increasingly jittery over
the strategic aspirations
of China, many of Asia’s
air forces are acquiring
newer more sophisticated
fighter solutions. Aware
of the resurgent China and on-off threats
from North Korea, they are becoming
ever-vigilant, wary of China’s increasing
airborne threat and particularly mindful
of Beijing’s fifth-generation fighter,
the Chengdu J-20. China is the only
74 May2021
nation other than the USA with such a
sophisticated fighter in the region.
The advance of futuristic technologies,
including low-observability and newer
weapons are formulating more capable
tactics. All this sits at the forefront of new
air combat technology and is the reason
why Australia, Japan and South Korea
have opted to buy the F-35 Lightning.
Well, it’s not the only reason because
despite the F-35 nay-doers, most allies
know that integrating into the US way of
doing things brings benefits, particularly
during a military crisis, which never seems
to be far away in Southeast Asia.
Not all those feeling threatened, like
Taiwan, can afford the fifth-gen jet,
and even if they could, the US would
be reluctant to sell to an island where
Chinese espionage is so rampant.
With its advanced sensors and data
fusion, the F-35 can suck up information
and share it with other aircraft, ships and
troops on the ground better than ever
before. Enhancing an air force’s situational
awareness and combat effectiveness is
H GENERATION
-OFF
the name of the game; if you are part of
the USA’s inner circle of trust even better.
It wasn’t too surprising that the first
overseas visit by President Joe Biden’s
administration was to the region. US
Secretary for Defense, Lloyd J Austin III,
and Secretary of State, Antony Blinken,
both visited South Korea, then Japan
during 2+2 sessions with their opposite
numbers. On March 16 Blinken, standing
alongside Japanese officials, said:
“China uses coercion and aggression to
systematically erode autonomy in Hong
Kong, undercut democracy in Taiwan,
abuse human rights in Xinjiang and Tibet
and assert maritime claims in the South
China Sea that violate international law.”
In South Korea, he added: “We are
clear-eyed about Beijing's consistent
failure to uphold its commitments and we
spoke [with South Korean officials] about
how Beijing's aggressive and authoritarian
behaviour is challenging the stability,
security, and prosperity of the Indo-
Pacific region.
“Beijing's actions make forging a
With China’s new J-20
fighter prowling the
skies over the country,
some of its neighbours
are boosting their
military with new fifth-
generation fighters too,
writes Alan Warnes
common approach among our allies
all the more important at a time when
we're seeing a rollback of democracy
and human rights around the world,
including in Burma, where the military is
attempting to overturn the results of the
democratic election by brutally repressing
peaceful protesters.”
South Korea’s Foreign Minister Chung
Eui-Yong had earlier said: “When both
countries are together, we can have the
strongest power... our greatest asset,
which is the US alliance, can be sound
May2021 75
 There is one fighter regiment of J-20As
currently serving the PLAAF at Wuhu
in eastern China, but it’s unclear if
the logistics are in place for a
forward deployment Alan Warnes
The 11th F-35A for Japan taxies in at Misawa Air Base where it serves
with the 302 Hikotai. A second unit, 301 Hikotai, is set to work up at
the facility with F-35As, having retired its F-4EJs at Hyakuri. Japan
is now the biggest export customer and views the threats from North
Korea and China very seriously Masanori Ogawa
Clearly there are a lot of differences
between China and the US allies, and
both sides have to prepare for any
eventuality. Japan and South Korea share
good military relationships with the USA
and have either the USAF’s F-35 Joint
Strike Fighter based in their country, or
are buying them. Both Japan and South
Korea are even building their own new
generation fighters.
China’s adversary fighter
One of the biggest dangers to the
allies’ aspirations for air superiority in
Southeast Asia is set to be the Chengdu
J-20. It’s China’s first fifth-generation
fighter aircraft, operated by the Peoples
Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and
is their equivalent to the very capable
Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor. The US
sees it as a big threat, particularly as
numbers are slowly growing; there are
believed to be about 50 operational even
if only 20+ have been seen.
The first regular operational PLAAF unit
to receive the J-20A is the 9th Brigade
at Wuhu in the Eastern Command. An
image released in December 2019, by
the PLAAF showed a J-20 serialled
62001, the first official acknowledgement
that a new unit had been formed. It is
76 May2021
unclear how many have been delivered,
as the PLAAF is keen to keep this secret,
but at least 20 different serials have
been identified. Doug Barrie from the
International Institute of Strategic Studies
(IISS) told AIR International, “The 9th is
the first operational outfit and work-up
is in progress. The annual rate beyond
that remains to be seen, but converting
one brigade a year seems possible,
depending on the PLAAF's plan overall.”
He added: “In terms of capability in
the air-to-air role the combination of the
PL-15 missile for beyond visual range
(BVR) and PL-10 for within visual range
(WVR) combat is a potent mix, and if
the PL-16 [export version is CM-102 and
referred to as an air launched supersonic
anti-radiation missile] does emerge as a
similar weapon to the PL-15 and allows
the internal carriage of six rather than
four – as is the case with the PL-15 –
then this will further benefit the aircraft.
The addition at some point of a rocket-
ramjet AAM, be it the [active radar
guided long range BVR] PL-21 or another
development, will also enhance its
weapons inventory.”
The Flight Test and Training Base at
Dingxin, also known as the 176th Brigade
and the Flight Training Base in Cangzhou,
referred to as the 172nd Brigade, are
also known to be operating J-20A/Bs. A
single jet made its first public display at
Zhuhai Airshow in November 2016, but
in November 2018 a three-ship formation
appeared on the first day, then on the last
day, November 12, four J-20s returned.
During the final pass two of them opened
their twin large weapons bays under their
fuselage to show four beyond visual range
(BVR) PL-15s air to air missiles (AAMs)
nestling inside.
These missiles are thought to house a
small AESA radar and have a range of
around 250km (130 miles). Alongside
them on the intake hardpoints were two
short-range PL-10 AAMs that boast a
range of 20km (12 miles) and are capable
of engaging off-boresight targets.
A cannon is also thought to be on
board. These initial J-20s (often termed
the J-20A) are being powered by an
upgraded Russian Saturn AL-31FN
engines and not the WS-15 originally
intended to power them. Issues with
the latter has meant a stopgap solution
had to be found so the aircraft could be
pushed into service in 2017, well ahead of
schedule, because of China’s increasing
security challenges in the region.
In late December 2019, images
appeared of new J-20s (known as
J-20Bs) modified with the Shenyang
WS-10C Taihang engine, as another
stopgap for the original WS-15 Emei
powerplant, which is currently in testing.
The latter cannot yet provide the thrust-
to-weight ratio need to push the J-20 to
supersonic speeds without the use of
afterburners, making the jet unstealthy.
The WS-10C features saw-toothed
exhaust petals and is believed to power
a handful of J-20Bs, whereas the AL-31
has flush exhaust petals and powers
the earlier J-20As. The J-20 is thought
to be equipped with an AESA radar
and, at Zhuhai, a chin-mounted electro-
optic sensor was evident, while it has
been reported there are six electro-optic
apertures positioned around the aircraft
that form a passive detection system.
It’s obvious the J-20’s strengths lay in
being a highly effective air superiority
fighter, even if some of its capabilities
might be restricted now. During
discussions with Chinese sources at
Zhuhai 2018, it was clear the aircraft was
being focused on tracking and destroying
high valued assets such as AWACS
(Airborne Warning and Control System),
SIGINT (Signals Intelligence) platforms
and air-air tankers when required.
Working with fourth generation Su-35
and J-10s the PLAAF/PLAN (People
Liberation Army Navy) fighter package
would be formidable, and undoubtedly
aircraft carriers would also be a target.
The US and its allies know they have to
be on their guard against such assets,
and it’s one of the reasons why Australia,
“We’re focused on being ready for a high-end
fight under any conditions”
Major General Lansing Pilch, Pacific Air Forces
Air and Cyberspace Operations Director
Three of the first four JASDF F-35As
built at Lockheed Martin fly over the
desert during a mission out of
Luke AFB, Arizona where they were
used for training Lockheed Martin
Japan, South Korea have been keen to
modernise their fleets.
Boost for Australia
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
ordered its first 14 F-35A Lightning
IIs on November 25, 2009 at a cost
of AU$3.2bn. It led to the first F-35A
arriving in the country on December 10,
2018. Australia’s Minister for Defence,
Christopher Pyne was at RAAF
Williamtown when they arrived.
Pyne told reporters: “This is the most
advanced, multi-role stealth fighter in
the world. It will deliver next-generation
capability benefits and provide a major
boost to our intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance capabilities.”
He added: “The Joint Strike Fighter can
get closer to threats undetected; find,
engage and jam electronic signals
from targets; and share information with
other platforms.”
The total requirement is for 72 aircraft,
the bulk of them delivered to Williamtown
AFB, New South Wales. The first unit, to
re-equip was No 3 Sqn, which received
its first aircraft in December 2018, leading
to the first pair of Australian-trained
pilots making their first flight on July
15, 2019. One of them was Squadron
Leader William Grady, a former USAF
F-22 Raptor exchange pilot. The then
No 3 Sqn commanding officer, Wing
Commander Darren Clare who handed
over command last September said:
“The introduction of a fifth-generation
aircraft and all of its new systems has
been highly complex. It has only been
since January 2019 that we started
testing out how the F-35A integrated with
the Australian logistics, base support and
local training systems.”
RAAF Williamtown is also home to
the No 2 Operational Conversion Unit,
the RAAF’s F-35 schoolhouse, that is
working up as is the next operational unit
and 77 Sqn, which retired its F/A-18A/B
Hornets on December 11 last year. A third
operational F-35A unit will be established
at RAAF Tindal in the Northern Territory,
with all 72 aircraft scheduled to be
fully operational by 2023. The RAAF is
considering topping up the fleet to
May2021 77
 fully operational by 2023. The RAAF is
considering topping up the fleet to 100
with a third batch of 28 F-35As, but the
decision is not expected to be made until
later this decade. RAAF F-35As reached
initial operational capability (IOC) on
December 28 last year, and to date 33
have been delivered.
Current weapons load includes the AIM-
120-C7 AMRAAM, AIM-9X Sidewinder
and GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition
(JDAM), all carried in the jet’s internal
weapons bays. The RAAF will eventually
field the Kongsberg/Raytheon Joint
Strike Missile (JSM), along with Japan,
on their F-35s. The JSM can conduct
suppression/destruction of enemy air
defences (SEAD/DEAD) and offensive
anti-surface warfare against targets on
land, at sea, and in littoral environments.
Norway’s air force will be the first to
declare the fifth-gen JSM, IOC on the
F-35As in 2023. Operating the F-35A
alongside Australia in Asia Pacific are
Japan and South Korea, which Minister
Pyne claimed in 2018 “are closely aligned
with Australia’s pursuit of shared strategic,
security and economic interests”.
Japan’s strategy
The F-35A has been in service with the
Japanese Air Self Defence Force (JASDF)
since March 2019 and the 24 fighters
are operated by 302 Hikotai (Squadron)
at Misawa. The second F-35A unit to
re-equip with F-35As is 301 Hikotai, which
lost its F-4EJs on December 15, 2020
and relocated from Hyakuri to Misawa the
same day. The unit is expected to receive
its first F-35As sometime in 2021.
Japan faces the strategic rivalry of
both China and an increasingly assertive
Russia. The Tokyo MoD announced
A VMFA-121 F-35B wearing the USS America titles is seen at Yokota Air Base on February
9, 2021. The USMC units are regular features on USS aircraft carriers now Masanori Ogawa
78 May2021
its selection as the JASDF’s next-
generation fighter aircraft on December
19, 2011 following the F-X competitive
bid process. The signing of an initial
LOA (Letter of Offer and Acceptance)
for four aircraft was officially announced
on June 29, 2012, with the Japanese
Ministry of Defence stating the cost of
each F-35A was approximately 10.2bn
yen (US$128m). There is a current total
requirement for 42 aircraft. Following
assembly of the first four (AX-1 to AX-4)
in the US, the remaining 38 are being
assembled at the Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries (MHI) Nagoya-Komaki Final
Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility.
It was believed local production would
cease after the aircraft ordered through
to Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP)-12,
with future deliveries to come from the
US production line in Fort Worth, but
the Japanese Government reportedly
reversed that decision in December 2019
after MHI scrambled to save costs. The
most recent jets to leave the production
line and test fly are 19-8724 and 19-8723
on February 19 and 24, 2021 respectively.
The four US-built aircraft were delivered
to Luke AFB, AZ for training from August
2016 to March 2017 and transferred to
Misawa in May 2018. Funding for 43 had
been approved through to FY2020, with
the 43rd aircraft being a replacement for
the jet lost, with the pilot, off the coast
of Japan on April 9, 2019. In Fiscal Year
“Japan is now set to start work on a sixth-generation
fighter, to secure its air superiority and keep pace
with the technological advances of China”
2020, the Japanese MoD also included
six F-35Bs that it reports will include a
superior electronic protection capability.
On December 17, 2018, the Japanese
cabinet approved a plan to add an
additional 105 Lockheed Martin F-35s
to its initial fleet of 42 aircraft. In a press
briefing, the chief cabinet secretary
Yoshihide Suga confirmed that the
country’s Medium Term Defence Program
had been approved by the cabinet,
covering 105 F-35As and 42 STOVL
(Short Take Off and Landing) F-35B with
some of the latter for the Navy. Following
this, on July 9, 2020, the US approved
the US$23bn 105 aircraft buy. Made up of
63 F-35As and 42 F-35Bs, it makes it the
biggest export market for the fifth-gen jet.
It’s unclear if these will be built at Nagoya-
Komaki or Fort Worth.
Japan has plans to deploy the F-35Bs
along the edges of the South China
Sea and East China Sea, evidenced by
the JASDF’s retrofit of the Izumo-class
carriers for amphibious operations.
The United States Marine Corps (USMC)
has based VMFA-121 with its F-35Bs at
Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni,
Okinawa since January 2017. The
fighters, says the USMC “bring strategic
agility, operational flexibility, and tactical
supremacy to III Marine Expeditionary
Force”. In October 2020, another F-35B
unit stood up at MCAS Iwakuni, after
VMFA-242 traded in its F/A-18Ds.
The first of 60 F-35As on order by the ROKAF
was rolled out on March 27, 2018. Around 30
have now been delivered Lockheed Martin
RIGHT: MBDA signed a contract with Korea
Aerospace Industries (KAI) on November 22,
2019 to integrate the Meteor beyond visual
range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) on to
the KF-X. In this artist’s impression there
are four of them nestling under the main
fuselage MBDA
At the time Brig Gen Chris McPhillips,
commander of 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in
Okinawa, Japan, said: “F-35B basing in
Japan is not by accident. It has occurred
here more rapidly than in other parts
of world, which is a testament to our
commitment to Japan and the region.”
He also spoke of the “great power”
competition unfolding in the Indo-Pacific
region between the US and China.
In March, F-22A Raptors from the
199th Fighter Squadron, Joint Base
Pearl Harbour-Hickham, Hawaii arrived
at MCAS Iwakuni. They are part of the
US Indo-Pacific Command’s dynamic
force employment concept, that supports
the National Defense Strategy effort,
to conduct training with allies while
maintaining global peace and security.
Major General Lansing Pilch, Pacific Air
Forces Air and Cyberspace Operations
director said of the deployment: “This
operation demonstrates our commitment
to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific
through the flexibility of our forces.
“We’re focused on being ready for a
high-end fight under any conditions. This
operation gives our airmen an opportunity
to train with the USMC and their fifth-
generation aircraft, as well as potential
opportunities to integrate and fly with
allies in the region.”
USAF Lt Col Patrick J Chapman,
Pacific Air Forces, Air and Cyberspace
Operations branch chief of operations
ABOVE: All four of the JASDF F-35As were
delivered from Luke AFB to Misawa Air Base
in Japan in March 2018. To date the JASDF
has received34 F-35s of 147 on order,
which includes a requirement for 42
F-35Bs, as Japan seeks to create an
amphibious force Lockheed Martin
force management, added: “I think this
is a great example of showing how
we can be strategically predictable,
but operationally unpredictable. We
can operate in a place and time of our
choosing with our fifth-generation forces
in support of our commitments to our
allies and partners.”
USAF F-35As from the 388th Fighter
Wing at Hill AFB have also deployed to
Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, which the
USAF says “helps to demonstrate the
continuing US commitment to stability
and security in the region”.
Japan is now set to start work on a
sixth-generation fighter to secure its
air superiority and keep pace with the
technological advances of China. As
a result, Tokyo’s Ministry of Defence
has selected Lockheed Martin as the
integration support company, to partner
the project lead, Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries (MHI). This should ensure
interoperability between US and Japan.
Tokyo wants to field the fighter, known
as F-X (but officially referred to as the F-3)
to replace the Mitsubishi F-2, by around
2035 at a cost of around US$40bn. The
MoD will continue discussions with the
US and the UK to pursue the possibility of
collaboration on the F-X at system level,
such as engine and avionics in order to
reduce development cost and technical
risk. Tempest (see pages 22-27) was
thought to be an option, but since
May2021 79

ABOVE: Final assembly of South Korea’s new fifth-generation KF-X was started in September and is expected to
make its first flight in 2022 KAI
Lockheed Martin are now involved, that’s
unlikely to happen. On F-X, the Japanese
MoD stated: “We will develop it by making
maximum use of technological and
human resources possessed by domestic
companies and further strengthening
collaboration between the government
and companies and between the
companies, as well as considering the
direction of international collaboration.”
New generation South Korea
The Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF)
has taken delivery of 27 F-35As,
operated by the 151st Fighter Squadron
at Cheongju Air Base. They are part of
an initial requirement for 40, announced
on March 24, 2014. The first pair were
delivered to Cheongju on March 29,
2019, joined by a further two on July 15.
On October 10, 2019, the South Korean
government announced it would begin
The 11th F-35A for the ROKAF departs Lockheed Martin on October 23,
2019, in company with two other examples. They were delivered to the
151st Fighter Squadron at Cheongju AB Lockheed Martin
80 May2021
the second phase of its plan to acquire
additional Lightning IIs. Under F-X III, the
RoKAF will receive an extra 20 F-35As for
US$3.3bn, with the aircraft expected to
be delivered from 2021-2025.
The Seoul government has also been
working over the past decade, on
developing a fifth-generation fighter,
referred to as KF-X since 2015. Viewed
as one of South Korea’s most important
projects, with its new cutting-edge
capabilities, KF-X will eventually replace
the older generation fighters to take on
the future needs of the battlefield.
During September 2019, the Defense
Acquisition Program Administration
(DAPA) announced that a critical design
review (CDR) of the fighter had given
the go ahead for the construction of the
prototype. Korean Aerospace Industries
(KAI) announced in mid-March this year,
that the final assembly had begun – the
forward/middle/rear fuselage and main
wing/empennage all being fixed together
into one whole final aircraft.
First flight is due next year, with systems
development expected to be completed
in 2026. South Korea, like so many other
countries, is keen to bolster its indigenous
technologies, which means KAI will
develop new avionics like the mission and
flight control computer.
After a functional test later this year,
the system will be installed in KF-X for
a ground test and eventual first flight.
Additionally, core equipment such as the
AESA (airborne electronically scanned
array) radar and EW (electronic warfare)
suite, IRST (infrared search and track) and
EO TGP (electro-optical targeting pod) are
being developed in South Korea. Hanwha
Systems is developing the AESA radar. On
November 22, 2019, MBDA was awarded
a contract by Korea Aerospace Industries
(KAI) to integrate the Meteor beyond visual
range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) onto the
KF-X. The deal includes integration support
to KAI, transfer of technological know-how
and manufacture of test equipment for
the KF-X integration and trials campaign.
MBDA has several marketing campaigns
in the region, centring around the Meteor
BVRAAM and could see European
teeth added to more of the region’s next
generation fighters.
Later this year the UK’s Carrier Strike
Group is set to sail into the Pacific with
around 15 USMC/UK F-35Bs aboard
HMS Queen Elizabeth. Southeast Asia
looks set to become a beehive of cutting-
edge fighters from most of the main
military players. All we need now is Russia
to enter the fray with the Sukhoi Su-57
and, given that both Russia and China
look to increase military ties, that’s a
distinct possibility.
Checking In
Do you think the J-20 poses a
genuine threat to the F-35 and
other US-built fifth-gen fighters?
Share your view at
airinternational@keypublishing.com
under the subject heading Checking In.
 AVIATION SPECIALS ESSEN T IA L R E AD I N G F R OM KE Y P U B L I S H I N G

F-14 TOMCAT THE GULF WAR RUSSIAN C-130 HERCULES

50th Anniversary tribute to the
legendary USAF fighter.
30th anniversary special looking AIRPOWER This much-anticipated special
backat the operations that still Modern-day Russian publication covers many of
echo in global politics today. air power in detail. the military versions.

£7.99 inc FREE P&P* £8.99 inc FREE P&P* £8.99 inc FREE P&P* £8.99 inc FREE P&P*

DAKOTA AFOTW SPITFIRE 85 RAF AIR

85th anniversary of
legendary aircraft.
PACIFIC ASIA Celebrating the 85th anniversary
of Britain’s greatest fighter
CAMPAIGNS
Air power analysis and profiles The main air campaigns of the
from the Pacific Asia region. RAF over the past 30 years.

£7.99 inc FREE P&P* £8.99 inc FREE P&P* £8.99 inc FREE P&P* £8.99 inc FREE P&P*

AVIATION SPECIALS
ESSENTIAL reading from the teams behind your FAVOURITE magazines
FREE Aviation Specials App

HOW TO ORDER Simply download to purchase digital versions

of your favourite specials in one handy place!
VISIT PHONE Once you have the app, you will be able
shop.keypublishing.com/specials UK: 01780 480404 to download new, out of print or
ROW: (+44)1780 480404 archive specials for less than the
cover price!
*Prices correct at time of going to press. Free 2nd class P&P on all UK & BFPO orders.
Overseas charges apply. Postage charges vary depending on total order value.
121/21

121 Aviation Specs FP.indd 49 16/03/2021 14:10:29

 A Y ,
T E F
S M A Y TIOE O N NS
HO Y S IVERCRIP
TA EL BS
S D U
E T S
E
FR RIN
L P
AL

Print, digital and bundle subscriptions: Quoted rates are for UK subscriptions paying by Direct Debit. Quoted savings based on those rates
versus purchasing individual products. Standard one-year print subscription prices: UK - £54.99, EU - £62.99, USA - £62.99, ROW - £69.99

airinternational.com
USA CUSTOMER?
Visit imsnews.com/
OR CALL: +44(0)
airinternational Your customer code: AI0521

145 AI Subs DPS.indd 48 01/04/2021 14:40:30

 SAVE
E 4
45% UP
TO
Choose your 12-month subscription offer:
PRINT DIGITAL PRINT + DIGITAL
From £44.99 £34.99 From £53.99
(saving 30%) (saving 40%) (saving 45%)

WHY SUBSCRIBE? S TAY

•FREE delivery to your door HOME,
•SAVE on the cover price STAY SAF
•NEVER miss an issue FREE E DELIVER
•Exclusive DISCOUNT ON ALL P
R
Y
SUBSCRI INT
offers for subscribers PTIONS

/air-international
1780 480404
Lines open
Monday-Friday;
9am-5.30pm
GMT

Offer closes 30 June 2021

145/21

145 AI Subs DPS.indd 49 01/04/2021 14:42:02

EYE IN T

84 May2021
THE SKY
Commercial applications using UAVs are common, but contrary
to popular opinion, flying them requires both skill and training.
Mark Broadbent hears from training provider CEO Jon Parker

May2021 85
 T
he public has long laboured
under the illusion that
drone flying is the aviation
equivalent of ‘point and
shoot’. When it comes
to the commercial use of
UAVs however, professional,
licensed and fully trained pilots are
essential. Skilled drone pilots are also
crucial to reducing risk and putting
clients at ease, as well as helping build
a better reputation for the commercial
UAV industry.
What is perhaps seldom
appreciated, however, is
that insurers require
a certain level of
training for
those
86 May2021
planning to operate UAVs commercially.
Jon Parker, CEO of the unmanned
systems training provider Flyby
Technology, told AIR International: “If you
want to undertake commercial work at
any professional level you need to be
trained, because it will be very obvious if
you’re not. Insurers issue a specific kind
of insurance to fly drones commercially,
EC Regulation 785/2004, for £750,000
third-party liability. To get that insurance
you need training.”
Parker added: “Everybody thinks drones
are robots of the sky. Nothing could be
further from the truth; these are remotely
piloted aircraft. My vision is to have a
worldwide training organisation that trains
to the highest standards.”
York-based Flyby Technology now offers
a world first: a beyond visual line of sight
(BVLOS) training course. Students attend
a drone flight school, receiving tuition
from ex-military pilots with decades of
operational and training experience.
The regulations
In the UK, the Civil Aviation Authority
(CAA) CAP 722 guidance is the key
document for UAV operations in
civil airspace. It notes: “Operations
are regulated in a manner that is
proportionate to the level of risk the
individual operation presents.”
Flights fall into one of three categories:
open, specific, and certified. The Open
Category covers operations with a low
risk to third parties conducted within a set
of basic predefined limitations.
Operators do not require the CAA’s
authorisation to fly, but their system must
weigh under 25kg. They must not fly more
than 400ft above the surface, or within
the Flight Restriction Zone of a protected
airfield or in any other restricted airspace
without permission.
Specific Category operations are those
that, the CAA says, “present a greater
risk…or where one or more elements of
the operation fall outside the boundaries

LEFT: Flyby’s instructors assess students’ flying
skills and learning curve
BELOW: Flyby CEO Jon Parker
“Everybody thinks drones are
robots of the sky. Nothing could
be further from the truth”
Providing COVID-19 support
Flyby Technology’s advanced BVLOS
technology has been used to fly live
COVID-19 samples from hospitals and test
sites to laboratories in support of NHS Test
and Trace, as well as test kits and personal
protection equipment.
The first project, based at Broomfield
Hospital in Chelmsford, part of Mid and
South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, is being
run by a company called Apian, founded by
clinical entrepreneurs and doctors Hammad
Jeilani and Christopher Law, which installed
infrastructure at hospitals, laboratories and
warehouses to enable UAV operations.
Apian is working with the Civil Aviation
of the Open Category”. This covers more
complex activities, such as flying over
property, inspections, photogrammetry,
filming, or flying close to people.
A CAA operational authorisation is
required for any Specific Category
flight. The regulator evaluates a safety
risk assessment and evidence from the
operator, with each approval specific to
that operator laying out the privileges
and limits of the flight. In January 2021,
it became mandatory for any drone
pilot undertaking commercial work in
the Specific Category to hold a General
Visual Line of Sight Certificate (GVC),
which is also required for insurance
purposes where commercial operations
are involved.
The Certified Category covers operations
with an equivalent risk to manned
aviation. They will be, the CAA explains,
“subject to the same regulatory regime
(ie certification of the unmanned aircraft,
certification of the UAS operator, licensing
of the remote pilot)”, although the exact
regulations for this category are still
under development.
Beyond visual line of sight
Flyby offers an A2 Certificate of
Competency (A2CofC) for the relatively
slow-flying and lightweight drones
operated for Open Category operations
and a GVC course for the Specific
Category. Students on the GVC course
with Flyby also receive the A2CofC
qualification. “We offer both courses
because they both have utility. We have
one combined course; that gives our
students a competitive edge at the
Specific Category level,” explained Parker.
Unmanned systems technology and
applications continually evolve. Cargo
delivery – dropping off online shopping,
transporting humanitarian aid, resupplying
offshore energy platforms – and aerial
filming are perhaps the most obvious
functions. However, as technology
advances, more complex uses are
emerging, such as infrastructure surveys,
remote surveillance of accident scenes
from a control centre, and optical/
acoustic mapping.
Authority, the UK Space Agency and
emergency services to provide a network of
secure air corridors to enable safe, rapid and
effective drone delivery across the NHS.
Jon Parker explained: “The drones are
supplementing current logistics, keeping
the testing machines operating to capacity.
This makes the whole system more efficient,
bringing to bear the full capacity of the testing
infrastructure. We are talking here about
the kind of aerial innovation that has
been missing since the days of the Apollo
space missions and it has moved forward
exceptionally quickly over the last few
months. We are learning some great lessons
from our successes so far.”
May2021 87
 These applications require more
sophisticated training. Flyby’s new BVLOS
course, the company explains, “takes
how drones have been used by the
military – flying them all over the world
on missions controlled by pilots out of
sight or even hundreds or thousands
of miles away – [and] turns that into a
civilian concept”.
There are no borders in advanced
BVLOS flying, as control passes between
operators in different cities, regions,
countries or continents. Parker gave
some detail: “I can fly a drone from
Leicester, but I might hand over to
another pilot in Qatar.”
“I’ve got to hand over an aircraft, its
system, context, operational mode and
tasking to a non-English speaker in a
separate continent to that in which the
aircraft is flying. And it’s dark there but
the aircraft is flying in daylight here.”
Flyby teaches advanced BVLOS in
an intensive month-long course at its
specialist flying school in Leicestershire,
operating along the same lines as an
airline pilot training establishment.
Students receive a uniform and undertake
two weeks of classroom-based training
on regulations, technical solutions and
the human factor challenges of BVLOS
drone flying.
There is simulator work and then a
mixed simulation/live-flying phase.
Graduates receive pilot’s wings and will
be “the best qualified in the world…able
to fly drones anywhere”, the company
claims, preparing them for taking on the
various emerging applications.
Flyby also produces bespoke design,
build and operational services. It can train
clients’ staff to pilot bespoke systems or
provide them with qualified pilots who
have been through their courses.
Quality instruction
But what makes for good training in the
commercial UAV sector?
“To my mind it has to be delivered in
a way that gets the message across
in the shortest time to keep the costs
down for the student,” said Parker. “But
[students] are interacting with some of
the highest technology that exists, for
instance, artificial intelligence, comms,
video, LIDAR, sensor fusion and core
computing, so I need the best instructors
in the world.”
Flyby’s staff are former Royal Air Force,
Royal Navy or Army Air Corps pilots
who were senior post-holders at the
BELOW: A General Visual Line of Sight Certificate is
required to obtain the insurance needed to fly UAVs
commercially Annalisa Russell-Smith
“If you know why [the rule]
was written, then you’ll
know why complying with
it is the best option”

Instructors build a Training Needs Analysis document

with learning objectives, tasks and standards.
Courseware is “designed specifically for optimum
retention” Annalisa Russell-Smith

88 May2021

RAF’s esteemed
Central Flying
School (CFS)
experienced in what
Parker calls a “highly
specialised, highly nuanced,
delicate delivery of expertise”.
Modelled on the CFS
The company’s teaching methods are
directly modelled on those used by the
CFS, Parker explained: “We ensure the
instructor cadre teaches everything the
same way the first time, the ‘give’ as we
call it, so the student doesn’t have to
learn the way one instructor teaches. That
gives flexibility to modify the training to
the student’s needs.”
He feels the CFS-trained instructors’
background makes Flyby stand out.
According to Parker, they offer “expert
understanding of when to talk and when
not to talk, where in the work cycle the
student finds themselves, where their
peak loading is [and] how much extra
capacity they’ve got to absorb extra
learning points”.
The instructors, Parker explains, are also
sufficiently experienced to assess their
students’ understanding, knowing when
to deliver the crucial learning point. “Only
a CFS examiner knows how to do that;
we’re so lucky to have that as our USP,”
he said.
Teaching which skill in which order is
often the hardest thing, Parker adds:
“How can we push and stretch an
individual so they get along the pipeline
as far as they can in the shortest possible
time but without being saturated? Once
we know what we need when, we design
and review it.”
Instructors build a Training Needs
Analysis document with learning
objectives, tasks and standards.
Courseware is “designed specifically for
optimum retention”, according to FlyBy,
giving the student confidence to think and
act appropriately in any scenario.
Parker points out that although
commercial aviation training incorporates
workload management, “drone flying is
different. There’s a lot of automation in the
aircraft and complex, nuanced new skills.”
Rules for UAV operations to ensure
system, operator and public safety are
intrinsic to the courses, according to
Parker. “We give our students the correct
interpretation; how and why the rule was
devised,” he stressed. “If you only see
the rule itself, you might think ‘that might
not apply to me’ or ‘how can I get around
that?’. If you know why it was written,
then you’ll know why complying with it is
the best option.”
Another Flyby instructor is the CAA
examiner for multi-engine pilots. “He is
Drones have flown live COVID-19 samples from
Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford to laboratories in
support of NHS Test and Trace
British Drone Consortium
Flyby Technology is part of the British
Drone Consortium, a collective of specialist
UK-based providers focused on developing,
building, training and operating UAVs
over a wide range of applications in the
commercial drone sector.
Flyby’s training services consultancy
sits alongside other capabilities from other
consortium members.
SkyLift designs, develops and operates
drones for specialist roles in hostile and
rugged environments, focusing on cargo
transport, security and maintenance tasks.
Electric Aviation contributes synthetic
environments and routing algorithms
so businesses can operate drones in all
airspace categories.
Production company Red Air Media
supports a client’s promotional and social
media requirements.
Silverback Security Academy provides
career development opportunities in the
security industry.
“It’s a fascinating group; quite often we
work as a collaboration to develop a solution
for a company,” explained Parker.
May2021 89
 a precious commodity to us; he’s going to they’re technical, procedural, human or become ever more sophisticated?
be our resident examiner for our BVLOS environmental, and describes how we When working with a new client, Parker
course,” said Parker. “It means we can support you in the field if you have explained, “I always say: ‘I don’t want to
say, ‘it’s not us giving out the award of the any issues.” talk about aeroplanes’. We ask: ‘what is
wings at the end, it’s the CAA’. That’s not So how does Flyby intend to meet it you want to do, for how long, at what
been done before. We’ll be giving wings the UAV industry’s needs as the sector level, at what budget, in what weather,
away from a resident CAA unit within our expands and use-cases for drones with whom, for whom?’.”
own organisation.” Flyby assesses the mission, terrain,
weather, vehicle and sensor requirements,
Operations manual “Drone flying is different. and what Parker calls “the whole
A concept of operations (CONOPS) system of systems: pilots, mobility,
approach is at the core of Flyby’s There’s a lot of automation communications, IT, industrial relations,
model. Each student receives a tailored process and regulations”.
operations manual to take away and in the aircraft, and complex, He added: “Having all those pieces in
use when working commercially. place gives us the capability. I don’t care
Parker explained: “It describes nuanced new skills” what the aircraft looks like, what it is. I
your processes, procedures and don’t care what colour it is unless there’s
behaviours, how you will react in a requirement to tell me it must be pink or
certain situations, what measures you black. We don’t build an aeroplane and
put in place to achieve a safe operation try and sell it; we build a capability, which
before, during and after the flight, and is everything.”
your attitude towards perfection and
continuous development.” Forging a new path
Adding: “The regulator can then read Parker continued: “We must not be
that you have invested correctly in your reactive. Those [organisations] who train
training and aircraft, are continuing to the pilots of the future will sell the kit to
modify and improve your procedures, and the companies that those pilots work for,
that you understand the human failings because they’ll want what they’ve been
that could impact safety. It looks at your ABOVE: An operations manual tailored to the student trained on.”
plan to mitigate all the risks, whether is at the core of Flyby’s model. He feels different thinking about the
people trained to operate unmanned
systems is needed. Current commercial
Flyby Technology’s drone training or military pilots make “exceedingly good”
1: Students purchase a drone and a Flyer ID from the Civil Aviation Authority, which requires all
UAV operators, he accepts, but Flyby’s
drone pilots to be registered. Flyby provides advice on this process; it also sells drones.
courses are designed for people with
2: With the equipment and registration in place, there are face-to-face learning modules run in
no previous aviation experience to learn
COVID-19-compliant conditions in an online classroom, culminating in an exam. Instructors work
a new skill or bring a new dimension to
with the student to build their operations manual.
what they do.
3: Instructors test the student’s ability to operate their drone using what they have learned in
“I don’t want to miss a pipe fitter or
accordance with the manual by means of a Flight Skills Test. This assesses both flying and the
welder from Harrogate who wants to get
learning curve after making mistakes. Once students pass, they receive a certificate showing
into drones and has got this amazing
they met the standard, enabling them to work commercially as a drone pilot.
idea,” Parker concludes. “I need the
4: Graduates receive mentoring and ongoing support from an instructor. Further training tailored
innovator, the person that doesn’t think in
to individual needs is offered to those who want, or require, additional qualifications. Flyby offers
a straight line, the zigzagger who goes
an advanced BVLOS course and a separate extended visual line of sight module that will enable
through the wood in a completely different
an operator to fly their drone further away than 500m.
way and forges a new path.”

Work is under way to provide

secure air corridors that will
enable drone delivery across
the NHS

90 May2021
 AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT IS COMPLIMENTARY* TO ALL QUALIFIED PERSONNEL
Management
DRONE THREATS
ADDRESSING DRONE THREATS
COLLABORATIVELY
U in the
nmanned aircraft are
increasingly populating
airspaces around the
globe, whether they
are being used for
recreational purposes,
operational applications or, in the future,
for home delivery. When they operate
in the vicinity of airports, they can pose
a threat to safety and security, often
forcing ATC and airport authorities to
suspend activities and divert flights
until the situation is resolved. Damage
caused by unmanned systems colliding
with airframes or being sucked into
engine intakes may result in sudden loss
of control or thrust. During take-off or
landing, when airplanes have limited
maneuverability due to their lower
airspeeds, a drone collision can have
tragic consequences.
Drone sightings around of airports
can be the result of unintentional
incursions, often caused by recreational
users lacking proper training or
misunderstanding airspace restrictions.
Such events can also be caused by
technical failures of the drone-pilot
datalinks. Certain UAS guidance systems
include automated failsafe return-
to-base protocols and geofencing,
preventing unintended incursions.
However, there is one scenario that
remains at the forefront of concerns:
rogue drones or non-co-operative
40 ISSUE 4 2020
Available four times per year, Air Traffic Management is the only
dedicated publication to serve the information needs of the ATM
and CNS community. Registering is quick and easy. In just five minutes
you could be registered to receive the industry’s most respected
055 ATM new subs fp.indd 48
Established for over 25 years, Air Traffic Management is the world’s
leading independent magazine covering all aspects of the ATM and
Communications, Navigation and Surveillance industry worldwide.
Register now for your complimentary* subscription.
unmanned systems flying unregistered
and undeclared into regulated airspaces
around airports or close to sensitive
infrastructures. By default, such drones
would definitely seek to stay out of any
UTM system, with the intent to cause
disruptions and harm flight operations.  management initiative funded by the
Terrorist attacks or the Gatwick drone
incident have shown us that outdated
information, perceived as new, can lead
to errors in judgement that complicate
and prolong the joint response. There are
drone detection solutions available that
prevent mistakes caused by retention
of outdated information and help
organisations to reduce the time between
detection and resolution to a minimum.
The key is accurate information sharing
to support adequate decision-making.
Outdated information,
perceived as new,
can lead to errors
in judgement that
complicate matters
Thomas Terschlusen, 42 Solutions
and trusted magazine in either printed or digital format.
*The publisher reserves the right to refuse an application for a complementary copy if the completed
registration does not comply with the publisher's terms of control.
Non-qualifying readers visit airinternational.com/atm or call to subscribe +44(0) 1780 480 404.
42 Solutions’ Sparrow system provides
threat mitigation to airfields increasingly
exposed to non-co-operative unmanned
aircraft activities. It was designed
using findings established during the
GAMMA project, a global ATM security
European Union. GAMMA stems from
the recognition that while the SESAR
initiative is effectively addressing some
security issues in new global ATM
scenarios, there is a need to extend
its scope to ensure a comprehensive
assessment of security threats and
vulnerabilities affecting the ATM
ecosystem. GAMMA adopts a holistic
approach to assess ATM security, using
a ‘system of systems’, inclusive of all
ATM assets and all forms of threats.
Solely addressing drone threats without
considering the ATM ecosystem as a
whole will be of limited efficacy.
Global incident management based
on agile collaboration between all
involved stakeholders is the key to
ensuring efficient threat mitigation.
To fulfill this need, Sparrow combines
all critical functions to present the
user with comprehensive situational
awareness aimed at facilitating
information-sharing, decision-making
and threat management. The system can
be connected to a variety of sensors of
different technologies (ie, electro-optical,
radar, RF). The system fuses sensor
airinternational.com/atm
ISSUE 4 2020
reports with other data such as UTM
and ATM information, with integrability, sensors. Sparrow collected, assessed
interoperability and scalability as key
drivers, so that it can also work within
existing ATM and UTM environments.  the sensors behaved. All sensors were
he NATO Communications and
The
Information Agency (NCIA) hosted a live
trial at the Joint Nucleus Counter-UAS w w Usingw . aani rintegrated
Test Center of the Ground Based Air
Defence Command in the Netherlands
-October 2, 2020.
from September 28-October
42 Solutions deployed its UAV threat
multiple sensor platforms. The system
mitigation solution and interfaced it with disseminated critical information to a
was configured with electro-optical and
RF sensors as well as doppler radars to
ensure maximised ed detection quality.
Sensor providers Rinicom, Robin Radar
and Rhode & Schwarz were associated
with the trials. The anti-UAS squad
from the Nordrhein Westfalen Police
in Germany also participated, bringing
valuable user experience.
he main goal of the trials was to
The
assess the detection capabilities of all
connected components, in particular
the ARTEMIS RF detector developed
by NCIA. Too compare the different
THE WAR IN THE SKIES OVER EUROPE
detection profiles and performances,
up was proposed
a technical trial set-up
by 42 Solutions, aimed at facilitating
a cloud-like network, in which all
sensors would share their data. The
interfaces of systems connected to
Sparrow were developed by 42 Solutions, multiple interoperable sub-systems,
who also integrated their record and
replay solution, Transcriber, allowing a
synchronised ed replay of all sensors either awareness that can be understood
simultaneously or individually.  and used by all parties. Standards and
he Joint Nucleus Counter-UAS Test
The
Center and NCIA staff developed several
AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
NEWK
LOO
Management
European
scenarios to test the capabilities of the
and classified the data, sharing it with
observers and allowing them to see how
visualised on one screen, the Sparrow C2
(Command & Control) position.
t r a f f ipan-tilt-zoom
cmanagement.net
camera control unit, the operator could
get visual confirmation of the detection/
Munich Airport CEO
classification from the sensor and
act accordingly. Next, the C2 system
Jost Lammers
mobile app used by the security forces
on recovery and
and to an ATM air situation display
display, 42
Solutions’ Merlin, providing everyone
growth
with up-to-date information.
During the trial, all sensor outputs were
recorded and the results made available
for further analysis (see visual below):
The war I
• The yellow dots represent the drone’s
flight log
• The red background shows that a
drone has been detected and has been
either classified by a sensor or the C2
threat assessment module
• The cone-shaped triangles show the
corresponding detection envelope
from the relevant RF sensor
• The labels show the information as
skies over
received from the sensors
One of the key aspects that came out
of all debriefings was the necessity to
have integrated solutions that combine
Europe
working in a collaborative way to
produce a comprehensive situational
interface definitions are crucial so that
the industry and the user community can plan to address these contingencies.
The EU and
NCIA trial visualisation of drone detections
ANSPs go
head to
head over
Sesar2+
Can ATM afford the post-COVID-19 recovery costs?
ISSUE 4 / 2020
SESAR 2+
Reforming the Single
DRONE THREATS
Covering the world’s most global industry since 1993
About...
THOMAS TERSCHLUSEN
Thomas is an independent business
development specialist and aerospace
enthusiast who supports 42 Solutions
with sales and business development
activities. As a private pilot, former air
traffic controller and air force officer,
Thomas served for numerous years
in the French Air Force and then held
ANSPs share their reactions to the European Commission’s proposals
various executive positions in business
development, key account and sales
management for companies ANSthat Czech Republic
fully understand why the Commission
provide both airborne and ground-based
CNS/ATM solutions. issued the new regulation package now,
at the dawn of a new period of ANSP
regulation. Even without having the
feedback
move in the same direction and design from the previous period
systems that ffit into a broader – the Commission never bothered to take
picture.  period: two years. Two years is the average
the outcome of the previous regulatory
Whether intentional or unintentional,
drone incursions will continue stepstointo account, even in the case of
cause
unanticipated disruptions if target-setting
they are – we all see that change is
not properly identified andnecessary.
dealt with.I fully agree with the implicit
Airports, ANSPs, security forces intention
and of the Commission not to
law enforcement agencies all pretend any
need to bemore that this is regulation
able to speak the same language of ANSPswhenonly. It is primarily about their with apparently no effect at all. Separate
it comes to detecting and resolving
capacity anand price-setting.
incident. With increasing demand What Ifor
really do not understand is
unmanned flights, the global ATM,
how the UTM
regulation is constructed and
and UAS community needsthat to work on Iacannot support. I probably
is what
contingencies
will not beatmthe first to state that the text For example, the decision to delegate
28 41
ISSUE 4 2020
ISSUE 4 2020
is complicated, full of ambiguities and service provision to subjects other than
uncertainties in its interpretation. Despite current ANSPs should always be in the
this, I would like to stress just a few points hands of the owner of the asset (airspace),
which are difficult to understand and have which is the State – with full respect to the
no visible positive impact. view of the Commission, of course.
The first is the length of the reference The third point is price-setting,
especially the separate unit rate for
lead time to set the targets, prepare the the upper airspace and modulation of
plans and approve them. The proposal charges. We all feel that the current
thus condemns ANSPs to instant and route-charging system is obsolete and
continuous performance planning and that it needs to be adapted to the needs
the regulators to instant and continuous of regulated monopoly services provided
evaluation. Nice job for many officials, but by commercial subjects. We have many
examples in current regulated monopoly
economic certification, which is also part of industries of how to set prices for the
this proposal, falls into a similar category. network and for service provision, all of
The delegated acts and implementation which work. I suggest we take inspiration
acts are also more frequent than necessary. from these industries and not replicate
the weaknesses of the current system.
There are certainly some aspects I can
support. Refraining from obligatory
grouping of ANSPs and States into
FABs is welcome. FABs have had many
positive and negative effects. If we
need to concentrate on the positive
The current SES2+ ones, we must have freedom of
choice and this part of SES2+ is
regulatory scheme
a step towards it. The focus of
regulation on capacity in the
is too prescriptive European context is something
I also appreciate.
In summary, the current
Jan Klas, CEO,
SES2 + regulatory scheme is too
ANS Czech Republic prescriptive; it deals to a great
extent with micromanagement
of ANSPs. And this is not the role of
the regulator of any industry. The new
regulatory scheme should focus on
ATM
AWARDS
Are you on the
shortlist for 2020?
Find out on Page 17
SESAR 2+
minimum levels of service provision and
on creating economic stimuli for ANSPs
to provide capacity at a reasonable price.
In other words, the regulator should
create the parameters of demand
for the services – safety, capacity The proposals are mainly
– and ANSPs should be paid for concerned with structural
delivering it to the maximum
changes and disconnect
desirable extent. Or to leave
the market to others. liability/responsibility from
decision-making power
BULATSA
B
Professor Klaus-Dieter Scheurle,
ULATSA welcomes the Single
CEO, DFS
European Sky initiative and the
goal to simplify the regulatory
framework. It supports the SES vision
and undertakes all necessary efforts
to contribute to its high-level goals, as
evidenced by the safe, quality and cost-
efficient services with a zero-delay policy benefits we should focus on sustainable DFS
A
provided after the Ukrainian crisis in 2014- fuels and technologies. ny change of the SES framework
2019, despite the significant traffic increase The new SES2+ developments should must have the aim of creating the
– a 60% increase in 2019 compared to 2013. not lead to extra financial burdens on prerequisites for achieving an
Bulgaria was the first territory to have ANSPs and airspace users. However, improved, interoperable European ATM
its revised performance plan approved the mandatory terminal services system for all airspace users in all phases
with the measures taken to provide the market opening, the new PRB funding of flight that meets an agreed safety level,
necessary capacity. through ANS charges and the additional is ecologically sustainable and which
In the current situation of the COVID-19 economic certification of ANSPs would enables an optimal economic operation,
pandemic, the company has continued to do this. A future single, EU-wide en route conforming to the requirements of
demonstrate its reliability, capacity and charge could devalue competitive and Europe’s business locations. Changes need
resilience to crises by providing safe and cost-efficient services. The new ATM to actually improve the status quo.
continuous service. Data Service provision may lead to the A functioning SES requires a framework
The revised SES2+ represents creation of monopolies and for the performance regulation
a dramatic shift from the distribution of businesses that recognises the different local
2013 vision. The lack among several requirements and creates incentives
of assessment of the leading providers, for the respective ANSPs to achieve
impact, risks, costs Lack of assessment of in contradiction their objectives. This certainly requires
and benefits makes the impact, risks, costs to the principles competent supervisory authorities.
it difficult to reach
and benefits make it hard of fair and loyal Nonetheless, the responsibility for
conclusions on the competition. performing the tasks assigned to them,
pros and cons. Some to reach conclusions on Data is a crucial and for achieving the objectives set by
of the assumptions the pros and cons part of ANS the competent supervisory authorities,
behind the new texts BULATSA provision and has still lies with the increasingly
belong to the pre-COVID implications relating entrepreneurial ANSPs.
times and are addressing to safety, security and At the same time, a Single European
pre-COVID problems and cybersecurity. In any case, Sky requires competent and co-operative
solutions. At the same time the market conditions in ANS should management of the European network
COVID-19 lessons learnt are missing. be introduced with great caution. in which the system partners in air
The expected environmental benefits
are also too optimistic. As an example,
Some of the new proposals, such as the
approval of strategic investment plans
transport (in particular, civil and
military airspace users, airports and
according to the NM, the route network by airspace users and elements of the ANSPs) work together to find the best
efficiency in 2019 has been 97.18%, while network functions, stray too much into operational solutions for optimising
in 2020, despite the dramatic traffic
downturn, it is so far 97.43%. ATM’s
the micromanagement of air navigation
services with questionable benefits,
the European airspace. In this context,
centralised and decentralised functions
contribution to emissions reduction while the responsibility remains with the must be combined in accordance with the
is very limited and many factors out States and the ANSPs. competence, responsibility and liability
of the ANSPs’ control need to be taken We believe that only a total system of the parties involved (ie, collaborative
into consideration, such as weather, approach, collaborative work and decision-making).
avoidance of conflict areas, operational decision-making – including input from Another important element for
constraints, airlines’ preferences, etc. all relevant stakeholders – is the way to improving the European network is
Therefore, for real environmental achieve the SES vision. to promote the co-operation of ANSPs
ISSUE 4 2020 29
055/21
09/02/2021 14:42:09
 wait
The

goes on
Boeing has yet again pushed back on the
introduction of the 777X. What’s behind
this latest delay and does it indicate a more
fundamental shift in the market?
Mark Broadbent reports

92 May2021
A
significant announcement in
Boeing’s Q4 2020 results,
disclosed in January 2021,
was a further two-year
delay to the 777X. The
manufacturer will now hand
over the initial customer
example in late 2023 at the earliest.
The revised handover date means the
777X’s operational debut will occur a full
decade after its unveiling at the Dubai
Airshow in November 2013. Back then, the
manufacturer’s plan was to fly the aircraft
in 2019 and start deliveries in 2020: ten
years between formal launch and service
entry will be the longest time Boeing has
taken to bring a new airliner to market.
N779XY departs Everett on its first flight
in August 2020 Jim Anderson/Boeing
As the industry adapts after the crushing
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the
latest Triple Seven will find itself in a
market radically different to that from
which it was launched.
Lengthy delays
Although Boeing rolled out the first 777-9
test aircraft, N779XW (c/n 64240), at
Everett in March 2019, the aircraft did not
fly until January 25, 2020.
Engine supplier General Electric
redesigned a part in the GE9X turbofan
after reliability trials revealed a problem in
the stator vane in the second stage of the
powerplant’s high-pressure compressor.
Separately, in September 2019, the static
test airframe’s rear fuselage suffered a
depressurisation during wing ‘up-bending’
trials, where the wings are stretched
upwards to a level far beyond anything
expected in commercial service.
These issues meant that by the time
N779XW flew, Boeing had already
postponed service entry to early 2021.
Despite flight trials starting in July 2020,
Boeing moved the delivery target again to
2022 and then, in January 2021,
came the delay to 2023. In an official
statement, the company cited several
factors being behind the latest revision,
including “an updated assessment of
global certification requirements, the
company’s latest assessment of
May2021 93

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE
British Airways is expecting to take delivery
of its 18 777Xs between 2024 and 2027
Boeing
Lufthansa is expected to be the 777X
launch operator in 2023 Lufthansa
Assembly underway at Everett
Rolf Bewersdorf/Lufthansa
94 May2021
COVID-19 impacts on market demand,
and discussions with its customers with
respect to aircraft delivery timing.”
Boeing’s Q4 2020 earnings recorded
a $6.5 billion “reach-forward loss” on
the 777X. The company’s CFO Greg
Smith explained in an earnings call with
investors that the figure reflects additional
cost of design modifications.
Writing in Forbes in January 2021, the
Teal Group consultancy’s vice-president
analysis, Richard Aboulafia, reflected:
“A significant loss on the 777X is
certainly bad news for a company
grappling with technical execution
problems on many of its jetliners, military
and space programmes.”
Boeing warned of further delays and
losses in the Form 10-K annual report
filed with the US Securities and Exchange
Commission on February 1, 2021. The
company noted “one or more” of several
factors “could result in additional reach-
forward losses on the 777X.” It listed
these issues as “continued market
uncertainty, the impacts of COVID-19
on our production system, our supply
chain and customers, further production
rate adjustments, contraction of the
accounting quantity, and potential risks
associated with the testing programme
and the timing of aircraft certification.”
Boeing noted that lessons learnt from
recertifying the 737 MAX are being
brought into the 777X’s development.
During the earnings call, Boeing
Commercial Airplanes CEO David
Calhoun remarked that this process
“involves making prudent design
modifications as necessary to meet the
various global regulators’ expectations.”
Calhoun echoed: “Our decision to make
these modifications, which will involve
 New interiors
For major network airlines, premium first and business classes generate
yield and maximise revenues, much of it from business travellers.
COVID-19 has inevitably led to discussion regarding how the increase in
home working will affect corporate travel demand.
Between 10% to 20% of corporate travel will not return, believes
Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr. On the publication of the company’s
annual results, he said: “We expect that the global demand for air travel
will no longer grow as dynamically in the long term as it did. People’s
travel behaviour will change, both in terms of leisure and business travel.
Global air transport will have to restructure itself.”
InterContinental Hotels Group CEO Keith Barr is more optimistic,
saying during the company’s 4Q 2020 earnings call: “I think the death
of business travel has been exaggerated… I am actually confident that,
in the medium-term, business travel will come back and there will be
other drivers as well, speaking to a number of CEOs who are now looking The 777X will enable operators such as Lufthansa to introduce new premium
at reducing their office space footprint. People are talking about having cabin products, including direct access to aisles from each seat Lufthansa
smaller offices and less meeting space, so they are going to have to use from each seat. Similarly, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines have
hotels as gathering places. I think the business recovery will be more promised all-new business class cabins and new first-class suites for
robust than people are giving it credit for.” their aircraft, while Qatar Airways looks set to adapt its existing QSuite
The 777X’s arrival will enable airlines to introduce new cabin products. for the type. Emirates President Sir Tim Clark has previously said that
Operators have provided few exact details so far, but Lufthansa will the carrier’s 777X cabin will resemble its A380 cabin, including a minibar
introduce an all-new business class cabin with direct access to the aisle at each seat and a communal ‘social area’.

firmware and hardware changes to the

actuator control electronics, reflects our
current judgment of global regulators’
compliance expectations.”

Fewer orders
Boeing’s Form 10-K filing included
another striking figure about the 777X. A
table listed 191 firm orders for the aircraft
as of December 31, 2020 – more than a
third down on the 309 orders reported in
the Form 10-K issued 12 months earlier,
which itself was down from the 326
orders recorded on December 31, 2018.
The company’s orders and deliveries
website still refers to 344 orders having
been placed for the 777X.
The fall in orders reflects how COVID-
19 has ravaged air travel. According to
a March 2021 analysis by aviation data
specialist Cirium, global passenger air
traffic fell by more than 50% year-on-
year. Widebodies account for 32% of
the 5,500 passenger airliners removed
from service since spring 2020, the
consultancy said.
In this sense, a lower 777X firm order Delivery delays order – said during the CAPA Live virtual
figure is unsurprising. Industry executives, The big picture inevitably means airlines summit in February 2021 that the Gulf
analysts and commentators widely have postponed new aircraft while airline was “unlikely” to receive 777Xs
believe it will take years for pre-pandemic the industry gets back on its feet, and before Q1 2024. Full-year results from the
levels of passenger numbers and routes early 777X delivery timelines have been International Airlines Group disclosed that
to return, and airlines are revising their adjusted accordingly. Lufthansa will British Airways will receive its 18 aircraft in
operations and reducing fleet sizes now introduce 20 777-9s from 2023 2024-2027 instead of 2022-2025.
accordingly. (Airbus has suffered too: it to 2025 instead of the planned 2021- During the Boeing earnings call, Smith
lost 16 A330 and 32 A350 orders in 2020 2023 window. Sir Tim Clark, president said the revisions “will result in some
and two A350s early in 2021, according of fellow launch operator Emirates – cash flow headwinds in ’21 and ’22.”
to its orders and deliveries data.) the largest buyer with 115 currently on He added: “We expect cash flow to

777X Timeline
November June September October January April-Sept January
2013 2019 2019 2019 2020 2020 2021
Boeing
launches Boeing
777X family, Testing issues, delays first The three Boeing
intending to achieve first reportedly an aft- flight to early The first of four other flight test postpones
flight in 2019 and service GE discloses redesign fuselage decompression, 2020 and delivery 777-9s undertakes aircraft conduct their first delivery
entry in 2020 on GE9X turbofan during ground trials to early 2021 its first flight initial flights to 2023

May2021 95
 completes our market-leading widebody
family with a distinct competitive
advantage. Across the total widebody
market of more than 8,000 projected
deliveries over the next two decades, we
see replacement demand for over 1,500
large widebody airplanes.”
According to Boeing, the latest 777 will
offer “more market coverage and revenue
capability than the competition and an
exceptional passenger experience”,
improve as we get closer to entry into significant impact on passenger traffic, combining “the best of the passenger
service and begin deliveries in late ’23. particularly international long-haul routes preferred 777 and 787 families with new
We anticipate the programme to turn cash serviced by large widebodies such as the advances to deliver the flight experience
flow positive approximately one to two 777X, which has shifted the anticipated of the future.”
years after starting initial deliveries.” replacement wave and overall demand for It adds the aircraft will offer 10% lower
widebody airplanes to the right.” operating costs and fuel burn than the
Looking ahead However, he remained upbeat: “Despite rival Airbus A350-1000.
The rescheduled deliveries and the order the challenges we and the industry are
cancellations indicated by the Form 10-K facing, we are confident in the 777X Fragmenting fleets
raise a fundamental question: will the and the unmatched capability it will offer Richard Aboulafia believes the pandemic
post-COVID-19 market warrant a high- our customers. With the most payload has “accelerated a secular shift in airline
capacity airliner? Boeing’s Calhoun capacity and lowest operating cost fleet planning.” He wrote for Forbes:
acknowledged: “COVID-19 has had a per seat of any widebody, the 777X “Airlines want more aircraft that are
smaller and medium range to connect
more city pairs, a process known as
Boeing 777X key facts route fragmentation. They want fewer twin
• The 777X will be the largest twin-jet passenger airliner ever developed. There are two aisles, especially large ones.”
variants: the 777-9 with 426 seats and a 7,285nm range, while the 777-8 has 384 seats This was evident before COVID-19 struck.
and an 8,730nm range. Boeing paused 777-8 development in 2019; currently, the only During the 2010s, sales of slightly smaller
customer is Etihad Airways in the United Arab Emirates with eight orders. widebodies such as A330s and 787s
began outstripping those of larger jets.
• General Electric GE9X turbofans generating an 105,000lb (470kN) maximum take-off After the initial crop of orders in 2013/14,
the 777X has secured only 59 orders.
thrust have the largest fan diameter of any commercial jet engine, at 34in
There is a wider trend for airlines to
‘down-gauge’ existing large widebody
• A folding wing tip mechanism is designed to maximise efficiency and lift-to-drag orders to slightly smaller-capacity aircraft.
characteristics while maintaining taxiway and gate compatibility. At the gate, with its For example, Cathay Pacific converted
2.1m-long outboard wing sections in an upright position, the 777X will have the same six A350-1000s to -900s and United
212ft 8in (64.8m) wingspan as previous 777 models. The crew will lower these sections changed 45 -1000s to -900s. Back in
prior to departure to extend the wing to its full 235ft 5in (71.7m) span for flight, with the June 2019, Tim Clark indicated that
sections automatically retracting on landing. Emirates might substitute some of its
777X orders for smaller 787-9s.
• The 777X has a carbon fibre wing spar, panels, skins, stringers, ribs, tips and leading Another issue is the youthful Triple Seven
and trailing edges. At 105ft (32m) long, the spar is the largest single-piece composite part population already in service. A 2019
developed for an airliner. There are redesigned fuselage fairings and a new empennage. A CAPA Centre for Aviation analysis noted
variable-camber wing trailing edge and a gust suppression system distribute loads evenly. that half of all 777-300ERs in service had
been built since 2012: “Those aircraft

96 May2021

are far from having replacements be
considered. Even earlier aircraft still have
many years ahead.”
Boeing ramped up Triple Seven
production during the 2010s, building
8.3 examples per month from 2013 to
2016 (although output later slowed to
seven and then five per month). Aboulafia
told AIR International that although this
“was useful for the company to bring
in cash” it also stifled demand for the
succeeding generation.
Of course, there are also other large-
capacity types – A330s, A350s and 787s
– with many years’ service ahead. All
these factors make excess capacity an
issue in a downsized post-pandemic air
transport world: Cirium reckons there
is “a large fleet surplus of around 6,000
passenger jets.”
With more than enough aircraft to satisfy
demand, Aboulafia told AIR International
he feels “the huge overhang in -300ER
capacity needs to be built down” before
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT
There is capacity to carry 46 LD-3 containers in the
777X’s belly hold Marian Lockhart/Boeing
Four 777-9s are involved in flight and certification
test work Marian Lockhart/Boeing
Folding wing tips optimise in-flight efficiency and
gate compatibility Rolf Bewersdorf/Lufthansa
In January 2020, the 777X takes flight after a delay
due to engine development issues Boeing
777X sales increase. “That will take this
decade, and perhaps longer,” he believes.
Demand levels
Pandemic effects aside, there are other
structural factors at play. Generally, it has
been the case that only certain operators
require the payload/range capabilities
of the very largest jets. Such aircraft are
purchased selectively, with only smallish
fleets operated to cater for certain
markets – the A380 is a recent example.
Furthermore, increasingly capable
single-aisle aircraft mean large 777-type
widebodies no longer hold a monopoly
on flagship long-haul routes. As Boeing’s
2019 Commercial Market Outlook noted,
nearly 40 new routes beyond 3,000nm
were introduced in 2016-2019 – all with
single-aisle jets. Airbus has received more
than 500 orders for the 4,700nm-range
A321XLR, due to fly in 2022.
So are large twin-aisles like the Triple
Seven a thing of the past? Aboulafia
Checking In
Aviation is undergoing phenomenal
change. How can Boeing ensure
the 777X is still relevant when it
finally reaches market?
Share your view at
airinternational@keypublishing.com
under the subject heading Checking In.
777X test fleet
• N779XW (c/n 64240), aka WH001
Avionics/systems, brakes, flutter, ice
shapes, low-speed aerodynamics and
stability and control
• N779XX (c/n 64241), WH002
Autoland systems, ground effects and
stability and control
• N779XY (c/n 65799), WH003
Auxiliary power unit, avionics, flight loads
and engine performance
• N779XZ (c/n 65800), WH004
Environmental control system, noise level,
extended-range twin-engine operations
performance, functionality and reliability
told AIR International he thinks “demand
will swing back long-term” but, in his
view, the 777X will “for years struggle for
commercial relevance.”
He said: “It’s going to depend on Asia
growth resuming, since that’s really the
market that needs the 777X’s combination
of capacity, belly cargo and range.
And the Asia market has been rather
depressed for the past three years or so.”
Despite the current uncertainties making
it difficult to judge the exact size and
impression of the 777X’s presence on the
market in the years ahead, there is a
wider point that needs to be made.
Airlines like to have aircraft with
complementary payload, range, seat and
cargo configurations, to provide flexibility
to move capacity around as demand
levels and market opportunities change.
Operators will still want to have different
ingredients to hand for the complexities
of network planning and the 777X will
likely be in the mix.
May2021 97
 INTERNATIONAL

The Team
Sally Gethin Editor
Tara Craig Acting Assistant Editor

Next
Gordon Smith Group Editor, Commercial Aviation
Carol Randall Associate Editor, Commercial Aviation
Martin Needham Assistant Editor, Commercial Aviation
Thomas Lee Assistant Editor, Commercial Aviation
Mark Broadbent Contributing Editor
Thomas Haynes Digital Reporter

John Sootheran Acting Group Editor, Modern Military

Month
Jake Hamilton Associate Editor, Modern Military
Rob Coppinger Associate Editor, Modern Military
Khalem Chapman Assistant Editor, Modern Military
Dave Allport Assistant Editor, Modern Military

Carly Hurd, Debbie Walker,

Tracey Croft & Dave Robinson Design
Steve Donovan Head of Design

Sue Blunt Production Editor

David Taylor Associate Production Editor
Sally Hooton Sub-Editor

In June’s issue,
(*UK scheduled on-sale Sue Rylance Sub-Editor
date. Please note that
Andrew Mason Commercial Sales Manager,
overseas deliveries are

on sale from May 27*

Commercial and Military
likely to be after this.) andrew.mason@keypublishing.com
Tristan Taylor Head of Sales, B2B
Susan Cook Commercial Sales Manager, B2B Aviation
susan.cook@keypublishing.com
ABOVE:
French Air
Phénix rising Debi McGowan Ad Production Manager
Kay Townsin Ad Production
and Space Force A focus on France’s Airbus A330 Multi Role Janet Watkins Head of Production
Tanker Transport Finbarr O’Reilly Head of Publishing
Martin Steele Head of Distance Selling
Middle East majors Carol Pereira Head of Finance
Vicky Macey Chief Digital Officer
We analyse the strategies of Emirates, Qatar Hans Seeberg Head of Content
Airways and Etihad and ask what the future Mark Elliott Chief Content & Commercial Officer
could hold for the trio Adrian Cox Group CEO

NATO Multinational MRTT unit The Information

How the Dutch-based unit will serve Europe’s
air-to-air needs
Passport to normality
Could digital health apps help the aviation
industry bounce back from the pandemic?
The Il-76 turns 50
The entire contents of AIR International is © copyright, and no part of it may
be reproduced in any form or stored on any form of retrieval system without
the prior permission of the publisher. Publisher: Mark Elliott.
All items submitted for publication are subject to our terms and conditions,
which are regularly updated without prior notice and are freely available from
Key Publishing Ltd or downloadable from www.keypublishing.com
Distribution by Seymour Distribution Ltd T. +44 (0)020 7429 4000
Printed by Acorn Web Offset Ltd., Normanton, West Yorkshire, UK.
We are unable to guarantee the bona fides of any of our advertisers. Readers
are strongly recommended to take their own precautions before parting
with any information or item of value, including, but not limited to, money,
manuscripts, photographs or personal information in response to any
advertisements or inserts within this publication.

A fitting tribute to the Soviet old-timer Please refer to main

Subscriptions Advert within the
magazine or contact:
All change! Subscriptions & Mail Order,
PO Box 300, Stamford, Lincs
To find a stockist near you,
visit www.airinternational.com

BELOW: We explore the boom in passenger-to-freighter PE9 1NA UK

T +44 (0)1780 480404 F +44 (0)1780 757812
Etihad Airways conversions
Email Subscriptions: subs@keypublishing.com
Email Mail Order: orders@keypublishing.com
Or order online at: www.keypublishing.com

Readers in USA may place subscriptions by telephone toll-free 800-428-3003.

AIR International, ISSN 0306-5634 (USPS 4349), is published monthly by Key
Publishing Ltd, PO Box 300, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1NA, UK.
The US annual subscription price is $72.99. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent
named World Container Inc., 150-15, 183rd Street, Jamaica, NY 11413, USA
Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn NY 11256.
US Postmaster: Send address changes to AIR International,
World Container Inc., 150-15, 183rd Street, Jamaica, NY 11413, USA

Subscription records are maintained at Key Publishing Ltd,

PO Box 300, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1NA, UK.
Air Business Ltd is acting as our mailing agent.
• ISSN 0306-5634 •

Air International is published monthly by

Key Publishing Ltd,
PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1XQ, UK
98 May2021 T +44 (0)1780 755131 F +44 (0)1780 757261
 REGISTER FOR YOUR COMPLIMENTARY* SUBSCRIPTION AIRPORTS
I N T E R N A T I O N A L

Number one for editorial

quality & independence
Published four times a year and for over 50 years, Airports International is the leading magazine
for keeping the industry informed of the most significant international developments
and technological innovations.

Editorial insight, delivered across print, digital and online platforms, includes the major areas of
airport investment, airside in the terminal and land side, as well as regulatory issues,
environmental and sustainability challenges and global trends.

Registering is quick and easy. In just five minutes you

could be registered to receive the world’s number one airport magazine.

LOG ON AT airinternational.com/api

iPhone & iPad Android Available on

PC, Mac, kindle fire and
Windows 10 from

PC & Mac kindle fire

AIRPORTS INTERNATIONAL IS FREE*

TO ALL QUALIFIED PERSONNEL!
*The publisher reserves the right to refuse an application
for a free copy if the completed registration does not
comply with the publisher’s terms of control.

Non-qualifying readers visit airinternational.com/api

or call +44(0) 1780 480 404.

056/21

Requirements for app: registered iTunes account on Apple iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Internet connection required for initial download. Published by Key Publishing Ltd. The entire contents of these titles are © copyright 2021.
All rights reserved. App prices subject to change. After three years, you will be prompted to update your details to renew your subscription.

056 API Subs Reg FP.indd 29 09/02/2021 14:15:51

 PREPARE TO PREVAIL
www.draken.aero
Draken.indd 1 31/03/2021 09:28:35