Airbus on Wednesday tapped European helicopter operator and longtime collaborator Avincis as its latest urban air mobility (UAM) partner. The companies plan to develop a concept of operations and mission profiles for the operation of eVTOL air taxis in “target regions” across Europe and beyond.

“eVTOLs will play an important role in our long-term fleet strategy as these technologies continue to evolve to give us further reach and capability in the field,” said John Boag, CEO of Avincis.

Avincis is one of the world’s largest aerial emergency services providers, with bases across Europe, Africa, and South America, including in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Mozambique, and Chile.

The company’s fleet comprises more than 220 aircraft, of which about 60 are Airbus models. The manufacturer’s CityAirbus NextGen, a prototype for which was unveiled in March, could be the first eVTOL model in the Avincis fleet.

“[Avincis’] established operational network, which is essential to enabling key missions such as emergency medical services, search and rescue, and firefighting, will be a valuable tool to collectively explore the mission potential of CityAirbus NextGen,” said Balkiz Sarihan, head of UAM at Airbus. “Through this collaboration, we will explore how eVTOLs can contribute to missions that save lives and protect communities, a shared goal among our two companies.”

The zero-emission, lift-plus-cruise design is built for a pilot to fly as many as three passengers in urban environments, but it could fly autonomous in the future. It will have a range of about 50 sm (43 nm), cruise at 75 mph (65 knots), and weigh about 2 tons, with a 40-foot wingspan.

The design includes a V-shaped tail, fixed wings, and eight electric propellers, each supplying a pair of electrical power units. During flyover, Airbus says, the aircraft will produce just 65 dBA of noise—about the volume of a typical office.

The cyclic, pedal, and collective controls typically found on rotorcraft will be replaced by a single piloting stick that controls all aircraft axes: a design the manufacturer claims is a first in the helicopter industry. The stick can be used to perform takeoff and landing, climb, descent, acceleration, deceleration, turn, and approach.

Use cases for the air taxi include passenger transport, medical services, and ecotourism. Airbus seeks to certify it in the enhanced category under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) Special Condition for VTOL (SC-VTOL) regulations. FAA certification would follow shortly after.

CityAirbus NextGen is expected to make its maiden flight later this year and is undergoing testing of electric motors, rotors, flight controls, avionics, and other systems at the company’s test center in Donauwörth, Germany.

At the same time, Airbus continues to set the stage for the aircraft’s eventual debut.

The manufacturer in February partnered with international helicopter and fixed-wing lessor LCI in a collaboration focused on three key areas: UAM strategy, commercialization, and financing. The same month, the company added vertiport developer UrbanV and electric infrastructure provider Enel to its partnership with ITA Airways, the flag carrier of Italy, for a planned air taxi rollout in the country.

Airbus also intends to fly CityAirbus NextGen in Germany, Norway, Japan, and Latin America.

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The manufacturer describes the Wingman model as a “fighter-type drone” that could be commanded by the pilot of an existing combat aircraft, such as the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Like a wingman in the traditional military aviation sense, it would support the mission lead with augmented capabilities. But unlike crewed fighter aircraft, it could take on high-risk missions that pose a threat to human personnel, receiving commands from a pilot that is shielded from exposure to risk.

“The German Air Force has expressed a clear need for an unmanned aircraft flying with and supporting missions of its manned fighter jets before the Future Combat Air System [FCAS] will be operational in 2040,” said Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space. “We will further drive and fine-tune this innovation made in Germany so that ultimately we can offer the German Air Force an affordable solution with the performance it needs to maximize the effects and multiply the power of its fighter fleet for the 2030s.”

FCAS is a European defense and security initiative aiming to develop a “system of systems” that delivers all of the capabilities and functionality of its constituent subsystems. Airbus co-leads the program alongside Dassault Aviation and Spain’s Indra Sistemas.

At the core of FCAS will be a Next Generation Weapon System, in which uncrewed remote carriers work together with a New Generation Fighter (NGF): a sixth-generation fighter jet intended to replace Germany’s Typhoons, France’s Dassault Rafales, and Spain’s McDonnell-Douglas EF-18 Hornets by the 2040s.

Both the uncrewed aircraft and NGF will be connected to a “Combat Cloud” comprising sensor nodes in space, in the air, on the ground, at sea and in cyberspace.

“[Remote carriers] will fly in close cooperation with manned aircraft, supporting pilots in their tasks and missions,” Airbus explains on its website. “Military transport aircraft such as Airbus’ A400M will play an important role: as motherships, they will bring the Remote Carriers as close as possible to their areas of operation before releasing up to 50 small—or as many as 12 heavy—remote carriers.”

According to Airbus, Wingman is designed to carry weapons and “other effectors.” It would be able to perform a range of tasks, including reconnaissance, target jamming, and firing missiles. Pilots would always be in control and act as the final decision makers from the safety of a larger aircraft, allowing the uncrewed aircraft to do the work.

“An additional focus is on increasing the overall combat mass in an affordable manner so that air forces can match the number of opposing forces in peers or near-peers in conflicts,” Airbus said Monday.

The company said the 1:1 Wingman model on display at ILA Berlin will be akin to a “show car,” featuring various concepts and capabilities that may not make it onto the final design.

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Leadership on the flight deck sets those apart from the general pilot population—and there are ways to build your capabilities in this regard with greater assumption of authority along the way. We spoke with longtime FLYING contributor Pia Bergqvist about her journey from a well-rounded general aviation pilot to the left seat of a regional airliner—and, most recently, to the right seat of a Boeing 737 for a major U.S. airline. Her experience illuminates one way to accomplish the goal of becoming an airline pilot, and in this Q&A she shares her tips for being prepared when the opportunity knocks:

FLYING Magazine (FM): How did you know you wanted to pursue a career as a professional pilot, and specifically as an airline pilot?

Pia Bergqvist (PB): I grew up in Sweden and dreamed of being a pilot since I was 8 years old. Unfortunately, the challenge in researching the path to get there in the era before the internet, along with the fact that I was a woman desiring a very male-dominated profession, made my dream job seem unattainable.

• READ MORE: Airline Pilots Must Not Dismiss Mental Well-Being

I finally began pursuing my career in my late 20s. One of the first things I did was to become a member of Women in Aviation International, and I attended the conference in 2000. I remember visiting several airline booths and being blown away by all the women who were airline pilots. At that time, the one that stood out the most was FedEx, where I met a Swedish pilot who described her job. She flew all over the world, had lots of time off, and made enough money to live by the beach.

FM: When you committed to the pursuit, how did you identify the airline(s) you wanted to aim for? How did that choice affect your plans for training and what you needed to have on your résumé before applying?

PB: At the time when I started flying, I would have needed a significant amount of time flying as captain of a twin-turbine aircraft, preferably at a regional airline, before applying for a position with a major airline. While FedEx was my top choice, other attractive choices included United, American, Continental, and UPS, as they were all flying internationally.

I based my pick of potential regionals on advice from flight instructors at the flight school where I received all of my primary training—Justice Aviation in Santa Monica, California. The regional airlines of choice on the West Coast were SkyWest, Mesa, and American Eagle. I applied for my first airline job on September 10, 2001. As a result of the tragic events that followed the next day [on 9/11], I shelved my airline dream for nearly two decades.

FM: How did you build time before applying? What were the minimums when you made the application 20 years ago versus five years ago?

PB: When I first started flying, pilots were getting hired by regional airlines with as little as 1,000 hours of total time and a hundred hours of twin time. The industry was booming. I built most of my flight time through flight instruction before sending in my application with about 900 hours [under] my belt. I also built some twin time by flying from Torrance, California, to Nantucket, Massachusetts, and back in a Beechcraft Duchess.

At that time, the interview process was much more rigorous than it is today, and applicants had to have the written ATP test completed. Regionals also conducted cognitive tests and simulator evaluations.

• READ MORE: Airline Pilots Flying to Age 67?

Today, the FAA requires airline pilots to have at least 1,500 hours (or 1,000 through a limited number of approved flight training programs) and to complete an ATP-CTP training program before they can take the controls of an airliner—a change that resulted from the Colgan Air crash in 2009. Most airlines these days, whether regional or major, only require an application

and an interview. Whereas the major airlines used to require turbine PIC [pilot in command] time, some pilots are now hired with just a few hundred hours as a first officer.

FM: What tips do you have for that first interview?

PB: The most difficult part of getting hired with a major airline is actually getting to the interview stage. Stay in touch with the captains and flight instructors that you fly with. They will be a great resource when it comes time to apply as you will need several letters of recommendation. Meeting with the hiring teams at job fairs, meet-and-greets, and aviation conferences are also a good way to get your foot in the door.

There are many things that go into a successful interview. Make it clear that you really want to be there. Go in with a positive attitude. Dress well and make sure you’re groomed to look the part. Professional interview coaching companies, such as Emerald Coast, Cage Marshall Consulting, Raven Career Development, and Career Takeoff, are almost a must for a successful airline pilot interview. They will provide practice scenarios, targeted to your airline of choice, that will develop the confidence you need as you sit down to get grilled.

FM: How did initial training at the regional go? What tips would you give for a prospective pilot to help them prep for success in training?

PB: The initial training at the regional level can be very challenging. There are many new concepts that go into flying in a professional crew environment versus flying in general aviation.

Get familiar with the flows, callouts, and other procedures that are written into the company’s standard operating procedures [SOPs] manual as early as possible. The only way to learn these procedures is by constant repetition, so having a “paper tiger”—basically a printed version of the flight deck layout—and using it for chair flying is a very good way to get ready. Understand that it can take hundreds of repetitions to learn the proper procedures to an acceptable level. Just keep going.

Practice the flows, callouts, and procedures for normal, non-normal, and emergency operations until they’re perfect. And keep practicing them during times when you’re not in simulator training or the actual airplane. Being able to immediately and accurately execute emergency procedures is critical in those rare and unexpected situations, such as an engine failure.

FM: What was upgrading to captain like?

PB: When it came time for me to move from the right seat to the left seat, it felt very much like it felt to become a flight instructor. I questioned whether I was really ready to be the one in charge of the ship.

The key to success was channeling what I had learned from the captains who I enjoyed flying with as a first officer. So, pay close attention to what the captains do to get the airplane off the gate; how they deal with challenging situations with passengers, gate agents, and rampers; what they do if there is an maintenance issue or emergency, and so on. The schoolhouse upgrade training is great, but the more experience you have seeing how the real-world operations go, the better.

The training is basically identical to the first officer training, albeit with different flows and more responsibilities. Often, captain candidates are paired with first officers through the training and check rides. Your partner can make or break you, in either seat, so do your best to find a good one.

FM: When did you know you were ready to apply for the next step, the majors?

PB: Most people in the industry consider [this to be] an unprecedented time in airline pilot hiring. Everyone I flew with, whether captains or first officers, at the regional airline was talking about moving on.

There were many first officers I flew with who moved on before I did. There were some things in my personal life that held me back, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the regional airline, [but] it was time to move on. The working conditions, destinations, pay, and retirement plans are more attractive at the majors, even with the huge pay bump we got at the regionals in 2022.

I was proud to be a regional airline captain. But now I feel like I have reached the pinnacle of my career.

FM: How did you approach that training differently, knowing what you know now?

PB: I found the training at the major airline much more relaxed. Perhaps it was because I was more prepared and ready for the hard work that is required of pilots in airline training departments. But it appeared to me that the level of respect at the major airline was higher.

At the regional level, there were hard limits on how many extra hours of training pilots could receive or how many events could be unsuccessful before they let a trainee go. As a result, the stress level was high.

From my very loosely gathered data, it appears that about 15 percent of the trainees at my regional airline were let go for one reason or another. That stressor didn’t exist at the major airline where I trained. We were made to feel very welcome and part of the family.

FM: What qualities do you think pilots need to cultivate to shine in a sea of candidates for the same role?

PB: Be professional, both in appearance and the way you handle yourself. Be prepared. Make sure you keep current on company SOPs, FARs, and instrument procedures, how to interpret weather data, and other details that you should be familiar with as a professional pilot. Build relevant flight time. Volunteer with aviation organizations to show your passion for the profession.

If you’re applying for a major airline job, go the extra mile and visit a job fair, conference, or meet-and-greet to get your name on the radar. Keep in touch with people you’ve met, and treat people with kindness and respect. Before an interview, seek help from one of several airline interview prep companies, but find a way to be yourself.

The stakes are way too high to just “wing it.”

This Q&A first appeared in the March 2024/Issue 946 of FLYING’s print edition.

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“Looking further out, the GTF engine availability issues and the phasing of AOG [aircraft on ground] aircraft being taken out of service, together with limited visibility on when these aircraft will be returned to service, makes it difficult to accurately predict the number of assets we will have to produce capacity,” said Spirit chief commercial officer Matt Klein during an earnings call earlier this week. “For the full year 2024, we estimate we will have an average of about 25 [AOG], finishing the year with about 40 AOG.”

As a result, the carrier expects capacity growth to be flat or slightly up compared to 2023. Last month, Spirit announced it would defer new aircraft deliveries slated for mid-2025 into late 2026 to the 2030s and furlough 260 pilots.

“The impact on our business associated with these Pratt engine issues cannot be understated,” said Spirit finance chief Scott Haralson on the call.

Like many other operators of the issue-plagued engine type, Spirit said it receives credits from Pratt & Whitney for the groundings.

In the first quarter, Spirit received nearly $31 million in AOG credits. According to data from Cirium Fleet Analyzer, the carrier has a total of 207 aircraft in its fleet with 18 A320neos and one A321neos in storage.

So far this year, the airline has seen an average of nearly 18 grounded aircraft each month.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

The post Spirit Expects to Ground Nearly 20 Percent of Its Fleet appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

IndiGo is India’s largest airline, flying 100 million passengers in 2023.

“We are delighted to partner with Rolls-Royce for their future-ready Trent XWB engines as we expand our widebody aircraft fleet with an agreement to order a new fleet of A350-900 aircraft,” said Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo. 

• READ MORE: IndiGo Places Record Airbus Order

According to Rolls-Royce, the Trent XWB is the “world’s most efficient large aero engine in service,” offering a 15 percent fuel consumption advantage over the first generation of Trent engines. 

The engine also “goes farther on less fuel” and is certified to operate on a 50 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blend. The Trent XWB has also been proven compatible with 100 percent SAF for the future, the company said.

• READ MORE: India’s Prime Minister Takes Flight in Tejas Fighter

“This substantial order from IndiGo for our Trent XWB-84 engines is a great win for Rolls-Royce,” said Ewen McDonald, chief customer officer at Rolls-Royce. “It reaffirms the position of the Trent XWB as the future-ready, engine of choice among airline operators.” 

The post IndiGo Places Order for 60 Rolls-Royce Engines appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Airbus on Thursday unveiled the full prototype of its four-seat CityAirbus NextGen to the public. The electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) design makes its debut ahead of its anticipated maiden voyage later this year.

CityAirbus NextGen is a zero-emission, lift-plus-cruise design for a variety of missions in major cities and urban environments, including passenger transport, medical services, and ecotourism. Airbus will partner with operators and airlines to fly the model worldwide.

At first, the eVTOL will be flown by a pilot. But it’s equipped with an operational automated flight mode that could enable autonomous operations in the future.

“Rolling out CityAirbus NextGen for the very first time is an important and very real step that we are taking towards advanced air mobility [AAM] and our future product and market,” said Balkiz Sarihan, head of urban air mobility (UAM) at Airbus.

Airbus revealed the NextGen concept—a descendant of its CityAirbus demonstrator—in 2021. The aircraft is designed for a pilot to fly up to three passengers, with a range of about 50 sm (43 nm) and cruise speed of 75 mph (65 knots). It weighs approximately two tons and has about a 40-foot wingspan.

The NextGen design includes a V-shaped tail, fixed wings, and distributed electric propulsion system, with eight electric propellers and 16 electrical power units. Airbus in 2021 said these features will keep sound levels below 65 dBA during fly-over and below 70 dBA during landing.

The aircraft was built using a mix of in-house and externally supplied components, such as wings from Spirit AeroSystems, flight controls from Thales and Diehl Aerospace, and electric motors from MagicAll.

CityAirbus NextGen will include a human machine interface, with a single piloting stick controlling all aircraft axes and replacing cyclic, pedal, and collective controls. Airbus claims the design is a first in the helicopter industry. Using the stick, a pilot will be able to perform takeoff and landing, climb, descent, acceleration, deceleration, turn, and approach.

Airbus will certify the air taxi in the enhanced category under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) Special Condition for VTOL (SC-VTOL) regulations. The manufacturer describes these as “the most stringent certification requirements.” FAA certification is expected to follow in the months and years beyond.

The unveiling of the NextGen prototype took place as Airbus opened its CityAirbus test center in Donauwörth, Germany, a site dedicated to eVTOL aircraft development. Donauwörth will host remaining tests of the aircraft’s electric motors, rotors, and other systems such as flight controls and avionics, required before it makes its maiden flight. Airbus began operations at the facility in December after powering on the first NextGen model.

Airbus intends to fly the air taxi in countries such as Italy, Germany, Norway, and Japan, as well as regions such as Latin America. But it will need to establish operational partners and infrastructure such as electric aircraft chargers prior to a rollout.

Recently, the manufacturer expanded its partnership for service in Italy—which already included ITA Airways, nation’s flag carrier—to include vertiport operator UrbanV and green energy firm Enel, which will help airports transition to electric infrastructure.

It also intends to collaborate with international helicopter and fixed-wing lessor LCI to develop business models and partnership scenarios revolving around AAM strategy, commercialization, and financing.

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Airbus on Tuesday announced an agreement with international helicopter and fixed-wing lessor LCI to jointly set the stage for advanced air mobility (AAM) operations of emerging aircraft, including electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis and other electric models. The collaboration will hone in on three key areas: AAM strategy, commercialization, and financing.

The partners will study AAM market perspectives and forecasts, conduct industry research, and leverage data analytics to uncover new applications and missions. They will also develop new AAM solutions, exploring the commercialization of aircraft fleets, batteries, and charging networks.

“For two decades, LCI and Airbus have delivered capacity and financing solutions to airlines and operators across the globe, and we are now extending that to advanced air mobility,” said Jaspal Jandu, CEO of LCI. “Transportation and logistical networks have a duty to be efficient, sustainable, and scalable. Both LCI and Airbus take a holistic and pragmatic view of advanced air mobility, including vehicles and also infrastructure, financing, and network adoption.”

Under the agreement, LCI will become a “key financial partner” for certain Airbus AAM projects, such as those focused on emergency medical services. The lessor will use its network to boost global adoption and acceptance of emerging aircraft. It also intends to explore leasing and finance solutions for potential buyers of the CityAirbus NextGen, Airbus’ flagship eVTOL air taxi model.

The all-electric CityAirbus NextGen is designed for a pilot to fly up to four passengers, with a 50 sm (43 nm) operational range and 75 mph (65 knots) cruise speed. The model includes fixed wings, V-shaped tail, and distributed electric propulsion system that powers eight electric propellers.

Airbus finalized assembly of the first CityAirbus NextGen model and powered on the aircraft at the end of 2023. The next phase will be a test campaign using the manufacturer’s new AAM test center in Donauwörth, Germany. Those flights represent a step toward type certification of the aircraft with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

“We are excited to extend our long-standing relationship with LCI, an innovative lessor that is globally unique in its positioning across the commercial fixed-wing, helicopter and AAM sectors,” said Balkiz Sarihan, CEO and head of urban air mobility (UAM) at Airbus. “LCI’s combination of operational expertise, customer networks, and financial insights complements Airbus’ technical innovation in flight technologies and will enable us to collectively drive the development of advanced air mobility.”

Airbus is working with Groupe ADP, the organization that manages Paris’ international airports, and regional French authorities to fly the CityAirbus NextGen at the 2024 Olympic Games in the nation’s capital, where other manufacturers such as Germany’s Volocopter and China’s AutoFlight also intend to demonstrate their respective air taxis.

Recently, the company stepped up its partnership for the aircraft’s rollout in Italy, where it is working with ITA Airways, the country’s flag carrier, to build a nationwide AAM ecosystem. It added vertiport operator UrbanV and green energy company Enel, which will assist airports with the transition to electric infrastructure, to the partnership. Prior to the initial partnership announcement in 2022, ITA purchased 28 Airbus aircraft, leasing another 56 following the agreement.

Beyond CityAirbus, the manufacturer is developing four low-carbon ZEROe aircraft concepts, each powered by hydrogen and built to fly 100 to 200 passengers. It hopes to introduce a commercial, low-carbon aircraft by 2035 and recently partnered with four Scandinavian firms to study hydrogen infrastructure at airports in Norway and Sweden.

Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, meanwhile, launched a dedicated drone and uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) business in November, signaling its interest in self-flying electric aircraft. Airbus already produces several UAS—such as the long-range, high-flying Zephyr—but last month expanded its portfolio with the acquisition of Aerovel by Airbus Helicopters.

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The new rule requires manufacturers to incorporate improved fuel-efficient technologies into airplanes manufactured after January 1, 2028. It also applies to subsonic jet airplanes and large turboprop and piston-engine airplanes that have not yet been certified, the FAA said.

• READ MORE: FAA Proposed Rule Targets Turbine, Turboprop, and Piston Aircraft Fuel Efficiency

“We are taking a large step forward to ensure the manufacture of more fuel-efficient airplanes, reduce carbon pollution, and reach our goal of net-zero emissions by 2050,” said FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker.

Among the aircraft that will be required to meet the new standards are the Boeing 777X and newly built versions of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner; the Airbus A330neo; business jets including the Cessna Citation; and turboprop transports such as the ATR 72 and Viking Air Limited Q400. The regulation does not affect airplanes currently in service. 

• READ MORE: ‘We Need to Fly Aircraft—We Don’t Fly PowerPoints’

Civil aircraft such as those listed contribute 9 percent of domestic transportation emissions and 2 percent of total U.S. carbon pollution, according to the FAA. 

The final rule, which can be found in the Federal Register, is part of the U.S. Aviation Climate Action Plan aimed at achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from the American aviation sector by 2050.

The post FAA Releases Final Rule on Aircraft Fuel Efficiency for Emissions appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Daher’s position demonstrates well the state of the global aerospace market.

“We are in a paradox situation—some are happy; some are not happy,” said Patrick Daher, board chair for the Daher group, in kicking off the company’s performance review for 2023 in Paris on February 7. “We are feeling the impact of the international situation, and then we are still recovering from COVID, but the COVID crisis is over for us…But some international threats—for example the war in Ukraine and the Middle East, the future elections, the situation in China—all these events have created a political instability that is really worrying for the future.”

Yet industry events such as the 2023 Paris Air Show indicate where the future lies—with caution as to the expense of making change. “As chairman [of] the Salon de Bourget in 2023 and chairman of Daher…I have the chance to see that energy transition is coming with a really high price,” said Daher. “Speaking about industry, we have really good news in terms of an increase in production.”

In 2023, Daher recorded strong deliveries of both its TBM and Kodiak series turboprops, with a total of 56 TBMs and 18 Kodiaks, for a total of 76 units. In addition, it counts more than 100 turboprops in its order book, taking it well into 2025.

READ MORE: Daher Delivers 100th TBM 960

An Industry Overview

At the same time, major Daher client and partner Airbus has never manufactured so many aircraft—a record number went out the door in December, as Daher noted in the report. That is in spite of the constant pressures brought on by inflation, provisioning difficulties, recruitment challenges, rise in wages, and lowering margins. Collectively these have led to soft pricing models that have persisted through the past couple of years.

“We have forgotten how to deal with such problems of inflation that we experienced 20 years ago,” said Daher. “It was really hard to find raw materials, and this was linked to geopolitical problems, [such] as the war in Ukraine. We were missing material. This lack of raw materials is linked to the mismanagement of the supply chain—the suppliers failed to ship what we needed to manufacture our aircraft—and to produce what our clients asked us to do.”

Another problem Daher noted has been the lack of employee candidates. “It is not easy to recruit the right profiles…The COVID crisis changed behaviors in terms of wages and employees, so it is really hard for us to hire and find talents.” This has driven companies like Daher to invest heavily in training—because like never before they have had to recruit from outside the aviation industry.

“All these factors in 2023—after COVID, we were expecting 2021 and 2022 to be difficult—but these problems arrived in 2023,” Daher said. “All of these factors resulted in our weakened profitability. We need to consider the energy transition and the decrease in carbon intensity…2023 highlighted the emergency but also the [convergence], vis-à-vis the problem of decarbonization.”

The Daher group considers government support crucial—specifically CORAC, the French council for civil aviation research—and 300 million euros per year have been earmarked by CORAC to help fund the energy transition. “Aviation industry, all research efforts, have converged, because in the past each company focused on a specific research field, but right now there is a really clear target: low-carbon, low-emission aircraft,” Daher said.

Eco-Pulse Update

For the French OEM, the convergence flies today via its hybrid-electric Eco-Pulse technology demonstrator, which uses a TBM airframe, electric motors and powertrain components form Saran, and electric power storage by Airbus in a distributed lift model (simply put) to test various components and how they interact in actual flight operations. The Eco-Pulse retains a Pratt & Whitney PT6A turboprop engine, but in December made its first flight segments completely powered by the six electric motors.

“It is a major step towards decarbonization,” said Daher. “Because high voltage electricity can be a good solution…we are continuing with some hybrid tests. This is the first step…People thought I was crazy [last year] when I spoke about this target [to have a marketable product by 2027], but we are headed in that direction.” It will be a TBM or Kodiak because those are the models Daher has in its portfolio, but the company has yet to determine which will be chosen and exactly what that will look like.

FLYING asked if the OEM could share any feedback—including any performance data, if possible—from those first flights. Christophe Robin, vice president of engineering for Daher’s aircraft division, provided this insight: “EcoPulse is a technology demonstrator, therefore, aircraft performance is not the goal. The EcoPulse configuration has been chosen with the strategy of increasing the level of complexity in hybridization to develop a ‘maturity picture’ for all of the technologies involved—including examining side effects such as weight penalties, as well as issues induced by HIRF (high-intensity radiated field) and lightning.”

READ MORE: We Fly: Daher TBM 960

Log’in, Shap’in, Fly’in

To support innovation efforts, Daher launched its second tech center, Log’in, in Toulouse, also geared toward decarbonization. “Out of 7 million tonnes [of carbon emissions] we realized that a big quantity is related to our clients, and we want to work on these figures [as well] in order to work on decarbonization,” said Daher.

Fly’in will be the third tech center Daher launches, in Tarbes, focused on aircraft development, “stepping up” in both technology and the drive towards net-zero emissions.

FLYING also asked Daher to expand on the current projects that have already been realized from the new technology centers and Eco-Pulse. Robin shared a portion of what the group has learned thus far, and what it expects to benefit from. 

“In addition to the aspects of EcoPulse that are linked to aircraft hybridization, another important focus is demonstrating the application of advanced composites on aircraft,” said Robin. “Under the guidance of Daher’s research and technology teams, EcoPulse is using composites for the aircraft’s winglets, engine pylons, Karman and battery fairings, as well as the air inlet—which were produced primarily with an infusion-based carbon/cork micro-sandwich. A goal of EcoPulse is to make it possible to evolve the performance and feasibility of integrating these technologies on secondary parts/components of Daher-built aircraft, while developing rapid prototyping skills used within the aviation framework.”

This is complementary to other developments underway at Daher—including projects in cooperation with partners such as CORAC (the French Council for Civil Aeronautical Research).

Pascal Laguerre, chief technology officer for Daher, provided significant insight beyond the Eco-Pulse demonstrator. “Taking a wider view for activities outside the framework of EcoPulse, Daher devotes a significant part of its overall R&D budget to thermoplastics,” said Laguerre. “This material is particularly promising in the world of aerostructures for future applications on production aircraft. It lends itself more easily to the automation of production (issue of throughput), and it is recyclable, repairable and weldable. Its mechanical properties make it possible to use less material and, overall, make structures lighter—all of which are key qualities with a view toward reducing carbon emissions. This is focused on accelerating the development of real applications in the future for the benefit of its customers, including [several more widely focused] projects.”

For example, as part of CORAC, Daher leads the largest French research project on thermoplastics in current execution, called TRAMPOLINE 2 (TheRmoplAstic coMPosites for hOrizontaL tail plaNE), as well as utilizing induction welding instead of riveting—with a weight savings of 15 percent.

Also, the investment has already borne fruit in components that will be found on the company’s current TBM product lines.

“After more than three years of R&D work, Daher succeeded in manufacturing rudder pedals in recycled high-performance thermoplastic composites from production scraps to equip the TBM, which have been certified for flight on production TBMs,” said Laguerre. “In addition to being lightweight, thermoplastics have low thermal conduction, as well as equal or better physicochemical and mechanical properties: It’s a win-win for Daher customers. And beyond the environmental benefits, the cost of these parts is significantly reduced compared to metal machining.

“In addition, Daher has obtained the first results of an R&D project called CARAC TP, carried out in collaboration with a set of academic laboratories competent in composite materials. The objective [is] to identify and characterize the thermoplastic composites best suited to aeronautical applications and compare them to thermoset materials. The project makes it possible to study materials in depth through multiple tests that go beyond the scope of qualification programs carried out in the industry: impact resistance, fire resistance, environmental aging (ozone, UV, fluids), impact of manufacturing processes on physicochemical properties, material performance, etc.”

Daher looks also outside its walls to new small businesses to help drive this innovation charge. Encouragingly, more than 300 aerospace-relevant startups took part in the Paris Air Show.

“We had 25 of these startups at the Daher stand at Le Bourget,” said Daher, noting that the company looks forward to engaging with these innovators, perhaps through acquisition or collaboration, on various projects.

WATCH: We Fly the Kodiak 900, Ready for Grand Adventures

The Takeoff 2027 Strategy

Daher reported a strengthening bottom line but noted there is room for improvement. At the press conference, Daher CEO Didier Kayat indicated the belief that Daher would become profitable based on its strategic realignment to better serve four sectors: aircraft, industry, industrial services, and logistics. The company also plans a transformation of the organizational structure by 2025, to help align and draw down any existing silos between the business functions.

To this end, Daher made a quartet of additions to its executive committee in the later part of 2023. On October 1, Alain-Jory Barthe joined Daher’s Industry division as senior vice president. Then, on January 1, Cédric Eloy became the head of the Industrial Services division as senior vice president of manufacturing services, and Julie de Cevins became the group’s chief sustainability officer—a key appointment, given the group’s charge to attain net-zero goals by 2050. Finally, on February 1, Aymeric Daher became senior vice president of the Logistics division.

Daher is adapting its organization to support the four business units, with the following actions:

• To create a managerial culture that is based in what it calls the “Daher Leadership Model”—effectively empowering a cadre of 1,500 leaders within the company to act with an entrepreneurial spirit
• To anticipate challenges and innovate toward decarbonisation solutions, with Eco-Pulse among other projects
• To support the acquisitions needed for growth across the four sectors.

Acquisitions have already borne fruit for the company, including the Stuart, Florida, facility.

“The acquisition of AAA strengthened the Industrial Services division, for example,” Daher said. “We are now the leader of industrial services…We can support aircraft manufacturers in peak periods.”

If Daher can make its way through the concurrent challenges of acquisition-driven growth, corporate restructuring, price pressures, and order fulfillment, its plan for the years ahead puts it on track to form part of the global solution to decarbonization—as well as providing the aircraft the customer demands for the future.

The post Daher’s Decarbonization Plans Drive Towards Hybrid-Electric Aircraft, Composites appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Now for this week’s top story:

NFL Drone Incursions Prompt Super Bowl Flight Restrictions

What happened? A recent incident involving a rogue drone pilot at an NFL game has drawn the attention of the FAA, which announced a temporary flight restriction (TFR) within 2 nm of Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the venue for Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

The incident: A Pennsylvania man faces felony federal charges and up to four years in prison for flying an unlicensed drone at the AFC championship game on January 28, pitting the Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The pilot also did not possess a remote pilot certificate.

TFRs around stadiums are standard during NFL regular-season and playoff games since 9/11, typically restricting drones that fly at or below 3,000 feet agl within 3 nm of any venue that seats 30,000 or more. But stadiums are often ill-equipped to enforce the rules, and only the FBI and Department of Homeland Security have the authority to jam or bring the drones down.

Super Bowl Security: Given a rise in drone-related incursions, the FAA this week outlined the TFR in place around Allegiant Stadium and the surrounding area. Flights of all kinds will be heavily restricted on game day, with various other limitations in place throughout the week. The agency also released guidelines for GA pilots and other pilots.

Like traditional pilots, drone pilots who enter the TFR without permission could face criminal prosecution or fines in excess of $30,000, or their drone may be confiscated. The worries are not unfounded. During Super Bowl LIII between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams in 2019, a drone nearly caused a midair collision with Air Force F-16s over Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Quick quote: “Without a change in federal law, mass gatherings will remain at risk from malicious and unauthorized drone operations. For more than a year, we have been calling for passage of the bipartisan Safeguarding the Homeland from the Threats Posed by Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act, which would empower state and local law enforcement to safely mitigate drones…It’s time for Congress to act,” the NFL said in a statement to FLYING.

My take: The bill the NFL spokesperson is referring to, introduced in May, would extend FBI and DHS drone takedown authority to officials who can act more quickly, or who may even be on-site. The legislation has been endorsed by the NFL, MLB, NASCAR, and NCAA.

And given how common the issue has become, the bill may be necessary. Cathy Lanier, NFL chief of security, estimated there were some 2,500 drone-related incursions over stadiums during the league’s 2022 season—nearly double the 1,300 such incidents the season prior. None of these have resulted in injury. But a few drones have dropped items such as leaflets into crowds of spectators, raising alarm bells about what else they could carry.

Officials are also wary of rogue drones at airports. Occasionally, these have led to mass flight delays or cancellations, including at the two largest airports in the U.K. Increasingly, drones have been reported to smuggle contraband or weapons into prisons or across the U.S. southern border.

Deep dive: Could One Pilot’s Mistake Deter Rogue Drones at the Super Bowl?

In Other News…

Airbus Charts Path for Electric Air Taxi Rollout in Italy

What happened? The manufacturer of popular aircraft such as the A320 family also has its sights set on advanced air mobility (AAM). Airbus this week added two new partners to its collaboration with ITA Airways, the flag carrier of Italy, with an eye toward standing up an AAM ecosystem in the Mediterranean country, including electric aircraft, chargers, and vertiports.

Gli aerotaxi: That’s Italian for “the air taxis,” and Airbus’ electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) CityAirbus NextGen could fly in the country in the next few years. The manufacturer expects to obtain European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) CS-23 certification for the air taxi in 2025, it has said previously.

On February 1, Airbus and ITA added vertiport operator UrbanV and green energy firm Enel—which will assist airfields with the transition to electric infrastructure—to the partnership. Without a vast network of electric aircraft chargers and vertiports, air taxis will have a difficult time scaling. The electric ground vehicle industry has addressed the issue by installing universally accessible systems nationwide.

Deep dive: Airbus Expands Partnership for Italy Air Taxi Rollout

Air Taxi Manufacturer EHang Reveals Low $330K Price Tag for Flagship Model

What happened? Chinese eVTOL manufacturer EHang—which in October obtained the world’s first type certificate for an air taxi, its flagship EH216-S—plans to sell the aircraft for just $330,000 in China. Though the price tag is only intended for the firm’s home country, EHang intends to expand nationwide as early as this year, and it could undercut competitors.

The air taxi landscape: Outside of Lilium and its $10 million Pioneer Edition Jet, few of EHang’s competitors have publicly stated price tags for their air taxi designs. But using available information and a bit of math, it’s possible to estimate where EHang stands.

United Airlines’ purchase of up to 200 Archer Aviation Midnight aircraft for $1 billion, for example, equates to $5 million per unit. Per a 2021 investor presentation, rival Joby Aviation estimated its S4 will cost about $1.5 million each to produce. And based on previously announced aircraft orders, Beta Technologies’ Alia sells for about $4 million. Other players are also looking in this range, which is in a different stratosphere from EHang’s $330,000 list price.

Deep Dive: EHang Reveals Low $330K Price Tag for Self-Flying Electric Air Taxi

And a Few More Headlines:

• Archer has begun building three type-conforming Midnight aircraft to use in for-credit FAA testing later this year.

• Space tourism business Virgin Galactic is grounded by the FAA after an alignment pin detached during its latest mission.

• Beta and Bristow Group demonstrated the former’s Alia conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) aircraft.

• Hybrid-electric airplane manufacturer Heart Aerospace raised $107 million in a series B round.

• Drone racing has been confirmed as an event at The World Games 2025, the lesser-known sibling of the Olympic Games.

On the Horizon…

There’s more drone-related legislation making its way onto Capitol Hill.

The Drone Evaluation to Eliminate Cyber Threats Act of 2024 (DETECT Act), introduced Wednesday by Senators Mark Warner (D-Va.) and John Thune (R-S.C.), calls on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) within the Department of Commerce to create cybersecurity guidelines for government use of drones.

Among other things, DETECT would set cybersecurity guidelines for all U.S. government agencies, prohibiting them from acquiring drones that don’t fit the standards. It also directs the Office of Management and Budget to enforce the rules whenever they are codified. Warner and Thune previously introduced several bills taking aim at the perceived threat of drones manufactured in China.

The FAA too has its eye on drones. The regulator on Thursday released its final report from the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Detection and Mitigating Systems Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC). That’s a mouthful, but essentially, the ARC’s recommendations could align stakeholders in regards to the way they monitor drones and take down rogue aircraft. The ARC comprises representatives from more than 50 groups in the crewed and uncrewed aviation communities, government entities, law enforcement, subject matter experts, and others.

While the final UAS Detecting and Mitigating Systems report was welcomed with open arms by groups such as the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the FAA still awaits reauthorization. This week, members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee called on new FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker to “pick up the slack,” arguing that portions of the House-approved bill could be implemented by the agency without congressional authority.

Mark Your Calendars

Each week, I’ll be running through a list of upcoming industry events. The 11th Annual eVTOL Symposium wrapped up Thursday in Silicon Valley, California, but here are a few conferences to keep an eye on:

• Drone Show Korea 2024—March 6-8 in Busan, South Korea
• World’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Conference—March 17-19 in Jerusalem
• AUVSI Xponential 2024—April 22-25 in San Diego 
• Vertical Flight Society’s Forum 80—May 7-9 in Montreal

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The post The FAA’s Plan to Stop Drones From Spoiling the Super Bowl appeared first on FLYING Magazine.