June 8, 2017 - No. 046 In This Issue SpaceX wins contract to launch secret Air Force space plane Boeing Woos United and Lion in a Bid to Boost Max 10 Launch Industry Associations Respond to White House ATC Privatization Initiative After Years of Silence, We Finally Know More About the SR-71 Blackbird's Successor IATA urges governments to implement policies on use of sustainable aviation fuel AirCorps Aviation Launches Aeroscan, 3D Laser Scanning Technology NASA turns to UAVs for ambitious research projects Airbus CTO Sees Electric Aircraft Drastically Changing Commercial Aviation Conair Reaffirms its Trust in Ramco Three in-flight tech improvements passengers should know from Honeywell's Dallas demo SpaceX wins contract to launch secret Air Force space plane SpaceX has won an Air Force contract to launch a secretive, unmanned X-37B space plane later this year. The upstart rocket outfit edged out United Launch Alliance -- a joint venture between Boeing (BA) and Lockheed Martin (LMT) -- that until recently had a monopoly on United States military launches. But SpaceX has been on a roll with military contracts. Its latest win is the deal announced Wednesday for SpaceX to handle the launch for the fifth X-37B mission, slated for later this year. The most recent X-37B mission was launched by ULA and ended about a month ago, after it spent nearly two years in space. Because the X-37B program is largely a confidential military endeavor, the financial terms of the SpaceX deal were not revealed, and the company declined to comment. SpaceX had to fight for the chance to break up United Launch Alliance's monopoly and land lucrative military contracts. That started in 2014, when SpaceX sued the government, saying the Air Force wasn't giving SpaceX fair consideration when it awarded contracts. The suit was eventually settled, and SpaceX completed its first mission for the Air Force in 2015. The company also signed an $82.7 million military contract last April to send two Air Force GPS satellites into orbit in 2018. Not much is known about the X-37B plane, which launches vertically on a rocket but lands on a runway much like an airplane. We do know it's a project under the defense department's Rapid Capabilities Office -- which works on technology to combat urgent national security threats. The plane will carry more "experimental payloads" on this next launch, according to a statement from Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office director Randy Walden. Specifically, it will carry equipment to test "experimental electronics and oscillating heat pipes" during long trips in space, according to a press release. (Heat pipes can be used on satellites to help regulate their temperature in space.) The Air Force did not say why it chose SpaceX for this launch, but there are a couple reasons why SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket may be more appealing than United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket. For one, there's price. SpaceX has been hard at work trying to reuse parts of its rocket in order to bring down the cost of launches. The Falcon 9's sticker price of $62 million is already much lower than that of the Atlas V, which is estimated to cost over $100 million. The deal also serves to keep Russia out of the equation. United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket uses Russian-made engines, which has long raised concerns among national security experts. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket engines are made entirely in the U.S. http://money.cnn.com/2017/06/07/technology/future/spacex-air-force-launch- contract/index.html Back to Top Boeing Woos United and Lion in a Bid to Boost Max 10 Launch Boeing Co. is in talks with United Airlines and at least five other companies as the U.S. planemaker tries to line up initial customers for its 737 Max 10 jetliner and gain ground on a fast-selling Airbus SE model, people familiar with the matter said. The roster of potential buyers of the largest-ever 737, which is expected to launch this month, spans the globe. Initial sales prospects include Indonesia's Lion Mentari Airlines PT, the aircraft-leasing arm of China's development bank, Jet Airways India Ltd., SpiceJet Ltd. and Copa Holdings SA, said the people, who asked not to be named because they weren't authorized to speak publicly about the negotiations. The U.S. manufacturer is seeking a groundswell of orders to demonstrate the Max 10's market appeal and strike back at the A321neo, Airbus's largest narrow-body jet, which is capturing trans-continental routes once dominated by Boeing's out-of-production 757. The Max 10 talks aren't final and Airbus could still try to thwart the sales ahead of the Paris Air Show later this month. A spokesman for Chicago-based Boeing declined to comment on the talks. Megan McCarthy, a spokeswoman for United, declined to comment on a potential order, as did CDB Aviation Lease Finance, the Chinese aircraft lessor, and SpiceJet. Lion, Jet Airways and Panama City-based Copa didn't immediately comment. 'Better Airplane' The newest 737 Max would seat about 220 passengers in a single-cabin layout popular with budget carriers while burning about 5 percent less fuel than its similarly sized Airbus rival, according to the U.S. company. The Boeing jet isn't slated to enter the commercial market until 2020. Airbus delivered the first A321neo earlier this year and has garnered 1,416 total orders, according to the company's website. "We aren't looking to simply build something on par with the A321neo," said Randy Tinseth, a Boeing vice president for marketing. "We're bringing a better airplane to the market -- and that's our focus." Airbus sales chief John Leahy dismissed the competitive threat in comments to reporters this week, saying the U.S. planemaker was responding to the A321neo only because the Airbus plane outsold the Max 9 by a four-to-one ratio. The Max 10's frame would be five feet longer than that of the Max 9. Boeing doesn't break out its Max sales by variant. Boeing is "flailing about, trying to come up with some answer to it that doesn't cost them a fortune," Leahy said. "Usually those things in aviation don't work successfully." United Fleet United Continental Holdings Inc. is studying whether to convert 61 orders for the 737 Max to the -10 version, while taking a handful of Boeing 777-300ERs, the largest twin-engine jetliner currently flying, some of the people said. The carrier gained the production slots last year after it converted an earlier order for the Boeing 737-700 to the Max. The Chicago-based airline is also considering an A321neo order, the people said. Chief Executive Officer Oscar Munoz said United, the third-largest U.S. carrier, was "interested" in the Max 10, during a brief interview on the sidelines of the International Air Transport Association meeting in Cancun, Mexico, this week. Jet Airways, India's biggest full-service airline, is preparing to order 50 single-aisle jets, Bloomberg reported June 5. The airline, which operates an all-Boeing narrow-body fleet, is evaluating the Max 10, the high-density Max 200 as well as the Airbus A321neo. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-07/boeing-said-to-woo-united-lion- in-bid-to-buttress-max-10-launch Back to Top Industry Associations Respond to White House ATC Privatization Initiative The topic of air traffic control (ATC) privatization has been controversial since it the beginning. Although U.S. President Donald Trump officially announced the White House's ATC reform initiative June 5, that concept is not new. (In fact, reports have emphasized that the initiative is largely based on the U.S. introduced by Rep. Bill Shuster (R- Pennsyvania). It passed through the a House of Representatives committee February 2016.) But in response to the June 5 announcement, several organizations from the aviation industry voiced their stances on ATC privatization. No less than 16 organizations coauthored and signed a letter to Trump, voicing concerns. While Trump mentioned how airlines and airline passengers would benefit from the initiative, he did not elaborate on the benefits for general aviation. This concept is at the center of the letter. Aircraft Electronics Assn. (AEA) signed the letter, and also gave a statement of its own. The association plans to send its president, Paula Derks, and chairman, David Loso, to speak with various congressional leaders about the initiative. "With the airlines in charge of air traffic control, it's increasingly possible that airport access to general aviation aircraft could become restricted, and that a private organization could be empowered with taxing authority," said Paula Derks, AEA president. "The volume of air traffic in the United States, including general aviation traffic, far exceeds that of any other nation. Modernizing the nation's aviation system should be the focus and is much more important than privatizing the system, which is the safest in the world." The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Assn. (AOPA) also signed the letter and gave a statement of its own: "While AOPA is open to proposals aimed at making the air traffic control system more efficient and delivering technology in a timely and cost-effective manner, we have consistently said we will not support policies that impose user fees on general aviation," said Mark Baker, AOPA president and CEO. "As the air traffic debate continues, we are also concerned about the impact of these proposed reforms on general aviation based on what we have seen in other countries." The National Business Aviation Assn. (NBAA) signed the letter, as well. Its own statement calls for system modernization, not privatization. "NBAA has worked for many years to promote technologies, policies and procedures that ensure America's aviation system remains the largest, best, safest and most diverse system in the world," said Ed Bolen, NBAA president and CEO. "We are deeply concerned with the president's call for ATC privatization - a concept that has long been a goal of the big airlines. No one should confuse ATC modernization with ATC privatization - the two are very different concepts." Air Line Pilots Assn. International (ALPA) released a statement showed that the association views the initiative as an opportunity for progress: "The Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l believes that air traffic control reform presents an opportunity to secure the reliable, predictable, and sufficient funding needed to enhance the global leadership role that the United States currently holds in aviation safety and efficiency," said Capt. Tim Canoll, president of ALPA. The Aerospace Industries Assn. (AIA) noted FAA reauthorization in a statement attributed to its president and CEO David F. Melcher. Some concerns AIA has could be resolved during that process. The FAA's current authority and funding extends only through September without reauthorization. "We look forward to the release of further details and to working with Congress and the Administration on FAA Reauthorization to ensure that our air traffic control system remains the gold standard for safety and reliability and to enhance the certification process to allow products and innovations to come to market in a timely fashion," said Melcher. The National Air Traffic Controllers Assn. (NATCA) posted this statement, attributed to its president, Paul Rinaldi: "NATCA shares the Administration's commitments to infrastructure modernization and providing the National Airspace System (NAS) with a stable, predictable funding stream. We look forward to reviewing the specifics of the air traffic control (ATC) reform legislation so we can evaluate whether it satisfies our Union's principles, including protecting the rights and benefits of the ATC workforce." Read the full statement here. http://www.aviationtoday.com/2017/06/06/industry-associations-speak-response-white- house-atc-privatization-initiative/ Back to Top After Years of Silence, We Finally Know More About the SR-71 Blackbird's Successor Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works recently divulged some information about the SR-72 program to build a successor to the iconic SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft. The advanced aircraft development division of Lockheed Martin told Aviation Week that hypersonic technologies, including a combined cycle propulsion system that merges a supersonic jet engine with a rocket engine, have advanced to the point that work on the planned SR-72 can begin in earnest. On paper, the SR-72 will be a strike and reconnaissance aircraft capable of topping Mach 6. "We've been saying hypersonics is two years away for the last 20 years, but all I can say is the technology is mature and we, along with DARPA and the services, are working hard to get that capability into the hands of our warfighters as soon as possible," Rob Weiss, Lockheed Martin's executive vice president and general manager for Skunk Works, told Aviation Week. The Air Force and DARPA have been working on the early development of a hypersonic successor to the SR-71 since the early 2000s. In 2013, the USAF announced that it had begun design work on a scaled demonstrator of the SR-72. Since then, however, almost no details about the program have been released.Now Skunk Works has confirmed that ground tests on a combined cycle engine with elements of a scramjet and rocket engine were conducted from 2013 to 2017. Lockheed Martin partnered with Aerojet Rocketdyne to began work modifying an off-the-shelf turbine to build a combined cycle engine back in 2006. The advanced aircraft division also said that it was getting close to starting full scale development of a flight research vehicle (FRV) that could be piloted or operated remotely. This FRV is expected to be about the size of an F-22 and use a full combined cycle propulsion system, according to Aviation Week. Lockheed Martin optimistically plans to fly an FRV in the early 2020s. Following demonstrator flight testing, a full-scale twin-engine SR-72, about the same size as the SR-71, could achieve first flight before 2030. The SR-72 program has been under the hood for years, and details are still tantalizingly lacking. In the 2020s, however, we could finally see what Skunk Works has been up to for the past two decades. http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a26796/hypersonic-sr-72-aircraft/ Back to Top IATA urges governments to implement policies on use of sustainable aviation fuel The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has approved a resolution that urges governments to implement policies to expedite the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). This resolution is a reaffirmation of the aviation industry's commitment to work with governments in implementing the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) global CO2 emissions agreement. IATA director general and CEO Alexandre Juniac said: "The CORSIA agreement is a vital part of our strategy on combating aviation emissions. We are committed to carbon neutral growth from 2020 and to cutting net emissions to halve 2005 levels by 2050. "While offsetting is critical to managing emissions in the short-term, in the long-term, we rely on clean technology improvements to achieve our goals. "Sustainable aviation fuels are an integral part of our comprehensive strategy but at the moment they are not being produced in enough quantity at a competitive cost." IATA's newly approved resolution has also urged the governments to expedite the deployment of SAF by providing a suitable regulatory structure to accelerate the development of SAF production facilities. It has urged the governments to support SAF demonstration plants, supply chain research and development, as well as help the industry with easier access to finance such as loan guarantees and capital grants. IATA has also recommended to put SAF on an equal footing with automotive biofuels through equivalent public incentives. In a separate development, the association has passed a resolution that will help accelerate the modernisation and transformation of the air cargo industry. The resolution has also called for the air cargo industry to take a customer-centric approach to transformation in order to meet the evolving shipping needs. http://www.aerospace-technology.com/news/newsiata-urges-governments-to-implement- policies-on-use-of-sustainable-aviation-fuel-5835657 Back to Top AirCorps Aviation Launches Aeroscan, 3D Laser Scanning Technology With the world's fleet of affordable, airworthy aircraft aging, owners and operators are continually facing the challenge of obtaining replacement parts to keep them flying. When the original manufacturer no longer exists, or has discontinued a certain part, maintenance groups must find a way to reverse engineer and refabricate that item, often as a one-off product. Making sure that the newly-made part conforms to all specifications and fits first time is key to making the process financially viable. This is where AirCorps Aviation's recently launched subsidiary, Aeroscan can really make the difference in getting a complex maintenance or restoration project done on time and on budget. Aeroscan has the ability to inspect or reverse engineer aircraft parts using state-of-the-art 3D laser scanning technology, which makes measuring, modeling, and fabricating complex-shaped aerospace parts that fit first time a reality. Aeroscan's technicians can precisely measure the dimensions of almost any aircraft part or structure, and quickly import these data into a computer solid modeling program to recreate the scanned objects digitally. This then gives the team all the dimensional information they need to accurately manufacture new components. This isn't the only benefit of 3D scanning though, as it's also an efficient way of assessing structural damage following an incident, for example. Other applications include: RVSM inspection, corrosion inspection, hail damage depth, fixture measurement, first article inspection, part archival, cabin retrofits, propeller comparison, fuselage measurement/straightness and tooling measurements. The company uses portable 3D laser scanning equipment which they selected as their preferred tool partly because of it's accuracy and rapid data acquisition, but also because of its versatility with respect to the size, material or location of the objects needing to be scanned. Traditional measurement methods use tools that do not provide the same level of precision nor the speed of dimensioning that 3D scanning can. Aeroscan's personnel honed their expertise while working under the umbrella of their parent company, applying 3D scanning with great effect to reverse engineering efforts in the restoration of WWII aircraft. This success has allowed Aeroscan to service and provide solutions to the larger aerospace industry beyond the warbird niche. While there are other scanning services available, Aeroscan's evolution from an aviation company ensures that their team has the expertise necessary for aerospace efforts. Aeroscan's ability to quickly reverse engineer and also deliver fabricated aircraft parts to spec solidifies them as full service provider. Aeroscan LLC. operates from the Anoka county airport in Blaine, MN. For more information and 3D scanning aerospace applications, visit their website at www.3daeroscan.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/3daeroscan. http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbird-articles/aircorps-aviation-launches-aeroscan-3d- laser-scanning-technology.html Back to Top NASA turns to UAVs for ambitious research projects Three teams of NASA researchers who have dreamed up potential solutions for pieces of the unmanned aircraft systems puzzle have received the nod to officially begin formal feasibility studies of their concepts. The trio of investigations are part of NASA's Convergent Aeronautics Solutions project and are expected to take between 24 and to 30 months to complete. "Our idea is to invest a very modest amount of time and money into new technologies that are ambitious and potentially transformative," said Richard Barhydt, NASA's acting director of the Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program."They may or may not work, but we won't know unless we try." The studies will explore whether and how it might be possible to: Build a path toward safe inclusion and certification of autonomous systems in aviation. Autonomous systems, such as self-driving cars and future UAS, rely on learning algorithms that adapt to new goals and environments. The idea is to develop autonomy- enabling algorithms that lay a foundation for establishing justifiable confidence in machine decisions and, ultimately, lead to certification of autonomous systems. Develop new methods and technologies for a remotely-piloted drone to make sure it's "fit to fly" before every single flight. The idea is to verify the aircraft is structurally and mechanically sound, and that all its onboard systems have not been damaged or hacked in some way. If it's not sound, the aircraft will ground itself. Use quantum computing and communication technology to build a secure and jam-free network capable of accommodating hundreds of thousands of drones flying each day. Because of the manner in which data is organized and processed, quantum computing enables certain computations and communications to be done much more efficiently than a regular computer. For example, quantum computers may be able to solve certain problems in a few days that would take millions of years on the average computer. The three studies were selected by a team of NASA aeronautics managers, led by recently retired TACP Director Doug Rohn, who made the decisions after hearing proposals offered by the principal investigators. To be considered, research teams had to form on their own, represent multidisciplinary talents, and have members from more than one of NASA's aeronautics centers in Virginia, California and Ohio. The three selected proposals join five that were selected in 2016 and six that were selected in 2015. http://www.uasmagazine.com/articles/1703/nasa-turns-to-uavs-for-ambitious-research- projects Back to Top Airbus CTO Sees Electric Aircraft Drastically Changing Commercial Aviation In the near future, commercial aviation could see disruptive technologies, such as airline cabin passenger configurable modules, autonomous air taxis and a hybrid electric powered airframe the size of an A320, said Paul Eremenko, CTO of Airbus. On the second day of the 2017 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Aviation Forum, Eremenko discussed these and other disruptive technologies and innovative concepts that the French original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is currently researching. Eremenko admitted that all segments of aviation have traditionally lagged behind other industries, in terms of introducing new and innovative technologies, due to the stringent levels of certification they're required to meet. But he said Airbus is looking to lead the charge as aviation enters new areas and modes of transportation and technological capabilities in the future. "We're used to being the masters of our technological destiny, to being the drivers of key technologies needed to make each successive generation of our products," Eremenko said. "And suddenly we find that consumer electronics, automotive and other industries outspend, outpace and out-innovate us in digital, electrical and manufacturing technologies." Eremenko, hired by Airbus in 2015 to serve as CEO of its outpost, A3, after serving as director of engineering at Google, was promoted to CTO of Airbus in 2016. However, he has worked in aerospace in the past. During his AIAA speech, he pointed to three periods of aerospace revolution: the first occurring with the Wright Brothers first flight, the second occurring in the 1950s with the dawn of the jet age and the third one occurring right now with drones, electric powered aircraft and new concepts for vertical flight. The bulk of research and development around electric propulsion aircraft at Airbus is occurring at its E-Aircraft System House in Munich, Germany. Interest in developing hybrid and electric propulsion aircraft for Airbus is motivated by the goal of reducing aircraft emissions and noise. The airframe manufacturer's primary partner in this pursuit is Siemens, which, jointly with Airbus, conducted the first flight of its serial hybrid aircraft, the E-Star, in 2013. This aircraft featured a 30-kilowatt internal combustion engine running at constant speed, and a 70-kilowatt electric motor enabling the ability to "downsize the power generation for cruise while augmenting it with stored electric energy for takeoff and climb," according to Eremenko. Today, Siemens is flying a much more powerful electric demonstrator aircraft known as the "Extra," which is an aerobatic aircraft modified to fly with an electric motor . It delivers 260 kilowatts of power in a 50-kilogram package, with 10 times the power of the previous generations of electric aircraft demonstrators used by Siemens and Airbus. Later this year, Airbus expects to conduct the first hover flight of Vahana, its electric powered, single-passenger autonomous vertical takeoff and landing, passenger-carrying aircraft. To develop Vahana as a product demonstrator, Airbus is primarily using commercial off the shelf (COTS) technologies. CityAirbus is the next step in progression for electric powered aircraft ambitions at Airbus, which Eremenko described as a four-seat, all electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, and the "flagship" of the Airbus urban mobility division. The first flight of CityAirbus is expected to occur in 2018. It is currently being developed at the E-Aircraft Systems House, which is capable of testing power systems in excess of 20 megawatts. Eremenko said the ultimate goal, though, is the development of a completely new, single- aisle aircraft, powered by hybrid electric propulsion technology. In pursuit of that goal, Airbus is working toward the development of a demonstrator aircraft known as the "E-Fan X." "A few years ago the state of the art of flight weight components were measured in the 10s of kilowatts. Today it is in the 100s of kilowatts, and we believe with a strong push we could demo a two-megawatt flight weight hybrid electric power system in about three years," Eremenko said. "The ultimate prize for us is to enable a hybrid electric propulsion architecture for a single-aisle aircraft at the scale of an A320 family. This takes us into the power range of around 20 megawatts for cruise and 40 megawatts for power," he added, noting that he would not predict a date for the first flight of such an aircraft. Eremenko admitted that as of today, a hybrid power chain is less efficient than a conventional gas turbine engine because it includes the additional steps of converting to and from electrical energy. Therefore, he believes Airbus and others will have to find increased efficiencies in other areas for this concept to become a desirable product. But Eremenko and Airbus already see other areas that can derive increased efficiency as a result of the use of hybrid electrical power. For example, simplifying the onboard systems required to power airframes and enable fundamentally different aircraft configurations. "For the first time since the jet age of passenger aviation ... we're really thinking about opening up the design trade space, beyond the tube and wings configurations," Eremenko said. "Hybrid propulsion enables us to think about distributed thrusters, creating a blown wing effect that could allow shrinking the wing area, or using differential thrust to control the yaw of the aircraft, reducing the vertical tail surface, or boundary level ingestion to re-ingest the wake at the tail of the airplane cutting the overall drag by up to 10%." http://www.aviationtoday.com/2017/06/06/airbus-cto-sees-electric-aircraft-drastically- changing-commercial-aviation/ Back to Top Conair Reaffirms its Trust in Ramco British Columbia, Canada/Chennai, India - June 6, 2017 - Canada's most experienced specialty aircraft operations provider, Conair announced that it has upgraded to the Series 5 version of Ramco Systems' Aviation Suite, in order to utilize the advanced features of the product and benefit from increased productivity. Ramco Aviation Suite V5.7 has brought automation across Maintenance & Engineering, Supply Chain Management, MRO Sales and Finance, coupled with Smart Operations & Smart Search. The application has helped in providing seamless integration along with comprehensive features matching Conair's requirements. Heather Murley, Vice President Finance, Conair, said, "The upgrade to Ramco Aviation v5.7 has enabled our business to get seamlessly connected. The comprehensive application from Ramco will not only simplify the life of a shop floor mechanic, but also streamline company-wide operations, eliminating unnecessary manual steps and ensuring real-time data availability to support decision making. With the ability to carry out smart operations and complete transactions through a single click, we are now moving a step further towards digitization." Commenting on the go-live, Virender Aggarwal, CEO, Ramco Systems, said, "We are humbled by the trust and belief that our long-standing customers continue to place on us. Conair is one such association which has grown over the years. We are happy to see the progress the company is making and their decision to invest in the latest suite will further propel the company to take advantage of latest technologies. Our successful track record and customer trust have played a pivotal role in building the Aviation practice. With compelling features like Mobility, Bots, and HoloLens, we will continue to focus on helping aviation companies gain the technology edge." Designed to be accessible on cloud and mobile, Ramco Aviation Software continues to add technological innovations with 'Anywhere Apps', redefining the power of Mobility, to significantly reduce transaction time both during AOG conditions and critical aircraft turnarounds. The software helps aviation companies ensure zero tolerance to error, with higher safety standards. Ramco is changing the paradigm of enterprise software with ZERO UI powered by cool new features such as Chatbots, Mail bots, HUBs and Cognitive solutions. Furthering this, the company has also developed application compatibility on Microsoft HoloLens to bring Augmented Reality which improves efficiency in maintenance operations. With 75+ Aviation leaders onboard, Ramco is the solution of choice for several large airlines and top heli-operators and multiple MROs in the world. About Conair Aviation Conair is Canada's most experienced specialty aircraft operations provider, delivering a comprehensive range of aerial fire control products and services to a variety of national and international customers and partners. Conair has a long-standing reputation for providing service excellence and is an industry leader. With over 47 years of fire management experience in aerial forest fire fighting and employ more than 300 skilled people, Conair participates in excess of 8,000 fire management flight hours flown every year. The company maintains its position as a leader in specialized services, including aeronautical engineering design and support services as well as technology and knowledge transfers that are related to fire-fighting activities. About Ramco Systems Ramco is a fast growing enterprise software player disrupting the market with its multi- tenanted cloud and mobile-based enterprise software in the area of HCM and Global Payroll, ERP and M&E MRO for Aviation. Part of the USD 1 billion Ramco Group, Ramco Systems focuses on Innovation and Culture to differentiate itself in the marketplace. On Innovation front, Ramco has been focusing on moving towards Cognitive and Robotic ERP with features such as Chatbots - which allows users to complete transaction using natural conversations; Mail It - transact with the application by just sending an email; HUB It - a one screen does it all concept built to address all activities of a user; Thumb It - mobility where the system presents users with option to choose rather than type values and Prompt It - a cognitive ability which will let the system complete the transaction and prompts the user for approval. With 1600+ employees spread across 22 offices, globally, Ramco follows a flat and open culture where employees are encouraged to share knowledge and grow. No Hierarchies, Cabin-less Offices, Respect work and not titles, among others are what makes the team say, Thank God it's Monday! Chosen as Preferred Next-Gen MRO IT Vendor by ARSA; Positioned as 'Achiever' in Everest Group's Multi-country Payroll Platform Assessment; Winner of ISG Award for Innovation; Winner of HR Vendors of the Year Award 2016; Winner of CIO Choice Honor & Recognition 2016 For more information on Ramco Aviation, please visit http://www.ramco.com/aviation http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12341548/conair-reaffirms-its-trust-in-ramco Back to Top Three in-flight tech improvements passengers should know from Honeywell's Dallas demo As travelers bring more and more connected devices aboard planes, airlines are racing to install the next generation of in-flight WiFi that promises speeds to rival your home internet. But the arrival of faster WiFi is just one part of a technology revolution that's poised to change aircraft from the cockpit to the brakes. Last week, Honeywell Aerospace, a leading manufacturer of avionics, engines and other aviation products, offered a glimpse of what that future might look like when it showed off its Boeing 757 test aircraft at Dallas' Love Field as part of a 26-city tour to visit clients and potential customers. Crammed with more electronics than seats, the demo aircraft is a mobile laboratory for technologies the company says will make the ride smoother and more enjoyable for passengers while improving operating efficiency for airlines. "The big vision is nose to tail (connectivity). Giving operators and passengers a safer, more productive and efficient experience," said Erica Brinker, Honeywell's senior director of connected aircraft. "What we say is 'anticipate the possibilities,' because we want to give people the ability to anticipate." Here's a look at three ways new technologies are changing flights: Streaming at 35,000 feet After more than a decade of relying on ground antennas to beam signals to aircraft, airlines and their technology partners are quickly moving toward satellite-based systems that promise significantly faster speeds offering the ability to stream movies and music in- flight. Both Fort Worth-based American Airlines and Dallas-based Southwest Airlines struck deals in 2016 to bring faster satellite-connectivity to larger portions of their fleets. Honeywell has struck deals with more than 20 airlines, although it hasn't disclosed which ones, for its JetWave technology that provides the hardware to receive signals from the satellite network operated by Inmarsat. During the company's Dallas demonstration, the system provided download speeds as fast as 30 megabits per second. In addition to faster speeds, Honeywell's technology also promises to minimize disruption to the flow of data by using a pair of receivers in the JetWave modem to provide continuous coverage, even over open water, Brinker said. Smoother skies While pilots are always attentive to weather forecasts and the potential for turbulence, sharing that information has often been done by word of mouth as pilots communicate with each other and air traffic controllers. Honeywell is working to bring more of that information into the cockpit in a format that can be pulled up on a tablet, making it easily used by commercial airlines and corporate or general aviation fliers as well. With a few swipes through the app, a pilot can pull up live maps showing the weather conditions and where they're likely to encounter turbulence. The company is also working on software that optimizes flight plans to adjust the aircraft's position to minimize turbulence and maximize fuel efficiency. According to Honeywell, these technologies can help cut fuel costs as much as 5 percent, which translates into tens of millions of dollars for large airlines. Smarter maintenance The largest commercial aircraft sport tens of thousands of sensors that collectively generate hundreds of terabytes of data. Aerospace manufacturers are looking at new ways to capture that data and put it to use, with Honeywell identifying maintenance as one of the most promising areas. For now, the technology is focused on pulling maintenance records for a given airline or aircraft -- which often takes the form of a mound of paperwork -- into a single system that can be easily navigated on a tablet. It's also testing connected equipment like a new version of auxiliary power units that can alert ground crews if there's a problem, allowing more time to secure a replacement part if needed and cutting down on delays. As the amount of data captured from aircraft increases, it will open up new possibilities to better predict when parts will wear out and need maintenance. "The biggest piece is [that] you need to be able to understand the data," said Honeywell product marketing manager Nate Turner. "The benefit to operators is they can anticipate repairs or issues that come up and be proactive." https://www.dallasnews.com/business/airlines/2017/06/06/honeywell-shows-next- generation-flight-technology-dallas-visit Curt Lewis