January 4, 2018 - No. 001 In This Issue 2017 was the safest year in aviation history; though caution urged on remarkable figures continuing Groundbreaking ceremony of Air University Aerospace and Aviation campus held at Kamra Magnetic MRO Continues to Grow with a New Strategic Investor Four Commercial Trends Hitting Aviation in 2018 Transport Canada Approves Level-D Viking Twin Otter Sim Workhorse Receives FAA Certification for Test Flights of SureFly Airlines seek better fog prediction mechanism Facial recognition trial saving time at Brisbane Airport Korea Establishes Alliance to Take Avionics to International Markets Behold! SpaceX's 1st Falcon Heavy Rocket on the Launchpad 2017 was the safest year in aviation history; though caution urged on remarkable figures continuing New figures released in separate reports by the Aviation Safety Network and Dutch aviation consulting firm To70 reported that 2017 saw not a single commercial passenger airplane fatality, making it the safest year for aviation ever. With only two fatal accidents to passenger airliners, both involving small turbo-prop planes, 2017 was much better than could reasonably (and statistically) be expected, and was again better than last year's remarkable performance. To70's report puts the fatal accident rate for large commercial passenger flights at 0.06 per million flights, or one fatal accident for every 16 million flights. The Aviation Safety Network (ASN) also reported there were no commercial passenger jet deaths in 2017, but 10 fatal airliner accidents resulting in 44 fatalities on-board and 35 persons on the ground, including cargo planes and commercial passenger turbo prop aircraft. The ASN's statistics are based on all worldwide fatal commercial aircraft accidents (passenger and cargo flights) involving civil (not military) aircraft of which the basic model has been certified for carrying 14 or more passengers. Consequently, the June 7 accident involving a Myanmar Air Force Y-8F transport plane that killed 122 is not included. Though even when including military transport aircraft as well as non-commercial flights, the total number fatalities would be 230 in 24 fatal accidents. Still the lowest numbers in modern aviation history. The low number of accidents comes as no surprise, according to ASN President Harro Ranter: "Since 1997 the average number of airliner accidents has shown a steady and persistent decline, for a great deal thanks to the continuing safety-driven efforts by international aviation organisations such as ICAO, IATA, Flight Safety Foundation and the aviation industry." To70 are keen to point out that even with so few fatal accidents to examine, there were several serious non-fatal accidents in 2017, most pressingly a number of engine related accidents occurred, including the spectacular loss of the engine inlet fan and cowling on an Air France A380 In addition to the non-fatal accidents, there are a number of notable events that have been excluded from the statistics. Examples of these accidents include: the fatal injury to a person caused by jet blast when standing close to the airport fence at St Maarten's airport, and a cargo aeroplane accident at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, when the aeroplane overran the runway and ended up in a village close to the airport, killing 35 on the ground. Expert View from To70, other risks: "Not all of the safety risks are related to aviation technology. The increasing use of lithium-ion batteries in electronics creates a fire risk on board aeroplanes as such batteries are difficult to extinguish if they catch fire. Airlines worldwide are training their crews to fight any fires in the cabin; the challenge is keeping such batteries out of passenger luggage. Despite the good news, a note of caution needs to be sounded. Whilst the safety levels of modern civil passenger airplanes remain high, the extraordinarily low accident rate this year must be seen as a case of good fortune. Statistically speaking, in a dataset that starts with over thirty million flights, there is little difference between two accidents and ten accidents. That this year's accidents only resulted in 13 fatalities is even greater fortune. There is no room for complacency. Civil aviation, whilst an industry with a very high level of safety, does still carry very large risks. Looking at the programmes for the first few safety conferences planned for 2018, we see a number of areas requiring attention. The application of new technologies in design, construction and operations is timely in relation to maintenance issues that have arisen on the engines used on the 787 Dreamliner. Human factors are, understandably, high on the agenda. Mental health issues and fatigue are central to this topic. Another prominent theme amongst safety professionals in the coming year is airline business models and how the industry runs itself." http://www.transportsecurityworld.com/2017-was-safest-year-in-aviation-history-though-caution- urged-on-remarkable-figures Back to Top Groundbreaking ceremony of Air University Aerospace and Aviation campus held at Kamra RAWALPINDI: The groundbreaking ceremony of the Air University Aerospace and Aviation campus was held on Tuesday at the Aviation City in Kamra, said a statement from the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi carried out the earth breaking and later unveiled the plaque of Air University Campus. Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman was also present on the occasion. Chairman Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra Air Marshal Ahmer Shehzad, during the ceremony, highlighted the various features of the newly established Aviation City, which is aimed to become an aviation hub in the region. "The realisation of Air University Aerospace and Aviation Campus is, in fact, part of the strategic vision of Pakistan Air Force to develop Industry-Academia linkage in the form of Aviation City. It is heartening to share that this strategic initiative also holds significant potential to attract a large number of international scholars and trainees who, besides providing intellectual exchange, would enhance Pakistan's image with obvious economic and diplomatic gains," said the chief of air staff. "The campus would also play a significant role in addressing the emergent new geopolitical realities in the region. I am confident that with the government's patronage, PAF will be able to achieve a wide range of strategic gains linked to aviation technology," added Aman. He also said that the PAF will be able to achieve a wide range of strategic gains linked to aviation technology. Aman, addressing the attendees, said focused research and development of the aviation industry in the recent past have yielded positive results for which the country is proud, added the PAF statement. "The current challenges facing the country demand greater focus on indigenous efforts. This requires skilled manpower which entails investment in education. As such, developed nations invest heavily in education and their leadership focuses on human resource for re-shaping the destiny of the countries," said the premier. The recently inaugurated Aviation City is a landmark initiative by the PAF, which would house various hi-tech and state of the art academic, research and development institutes for achieving self-reliance in the field of aviation. The Air University Aerospace and Aviation Campus forms the nucleus of the Aviation city and is modelled after the internationally acclaimed aviation universities in the world. https://www.geo.tv/latest/174971-groundbreaking-ceremony-of Back to Top Magnetic MRO Continues to Grow with a New Strategic Investor Magnetic MRO, a global Total Technical Care maintenance and asset management organisation, has today announced change in its shareholder structure. Its major shareholder, a private equity firm BaltCap, together with minority shareholders, are selling 100% of the shares in Magnetic MRO to Guangzhou Hangxin Aviation Technology ("Hangxin"). Magnetic MRO has grown over the past 5 years from a labor intensive maintenance facility into a technologically advanced, innovative, know-how and capital driven service and asset management organization. It has succesfully grown by launching new business units, opening new facilities and securing numerous long term agreements with premium carriers. Magnetic MRO sales increased exponentially in 2010-2017 and is expected to grow with same rate over the upcoming years. The number of employees has increased from 160 to over 440. "We are pleased to welcome Hangxin as our shareholder at a time when we are focused on expanding our global presence," said Magnetic MRO CEO Risto Mäeots. "Magnetic MRO management has been actively looking for opportunities to expand into Asia, the highest growth market in aviation. Hangxin, with its existing geographical presence and service portfolio, is complementary to Magnetic MRO, creating substantial synergies and new business opportunities." "We are very pleased to welcome Magnetic MRO to the Hangxin team. Magnetic MRO and its team have developed a high quality, reliable, customer-focused MRO business," said Mr. Lv Haibo, the Vice President of Hangxin. "We fully support the existing strategy and executive management team, and will support Magnetic MRO's focus on continuing to deliver value to its existing customers, and expanding its global MRO presence." Guangzhou Hangxin Aviation Technology Co., Ltd. established in 1994, provides technical solutions in the field of aircraft engineering and safety to the Chinese aviation industry. Companies five main core businesses are component MRO, airborne equipment R&D, aviation test equipment R&D, aircraft retrofit programs, aircraft data analysis & application. Hangxin serves over 50 airlines in Asia, Middle East, Europe and North America. In 2015, Hangxin was officially listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange GEM. Magnetic MRO is an EASA and FAA certified Total Technical Care and Asset Management Organization headquartered in Tallinn, Estonia with a strong presence in Europe, Russia, Africa and USA. The company has two decades of MRO experience along with an established reputation regarding technological advancements and innovative solutions in integrated MRO services. The company is specialized in integrated MRO services varying from engines management to line and base maintenance, from components to landing gear solutions, from engineering services and asset management to interior solutions and full aircraft painting. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12389041/magnetic-mro-continues-to-grow-with-a- new-strategic-investor Back to Top Four Commercial Trends Hitting Aviation in 2018 Despite longer-lasting aircraft, more durable engines and innovations in maintenance techniques, recent research has shown maintenance spending continues to increase. In fact, airlines now spend more money on maintenance than on fuel or crew. The need to cut maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) costs is a pressing issue for airlines. So is the need to keep assets operationally available. How can airlines keep aircraft in the air while reducing maintenance costs? Here are four major technological developments that can help airlines meet these challenges and produce significant benefits across the commercial aviation industry through 2018. Seeing double: Digital twins will set new maintenance standards Maintenance is one of the major contributors to aircraft operating costs. Flight delays and cancellations from unplanned maintenance cost airlines billions of dollars every year - not to mention the impact on customer satisfaction. Because of this, the minimization of operating costs and optimization of operational availability continue to be top priorities for airlines. Digital twins, a state-of-the-art method of monitoring engines when in use, will help airlines achieve these aims. A digital twin refers to a virtual replica of a physical asset, like an aircraft engine, which can display how the engine is running to engineers on the ground while the aircraft is still in the air. These can then be linked to IT systems to help streamline and optimize maintenance processes and operational availability. Doubling down on maintenance To make this happen, engineers compile thousands of data points specific to each asset during the design and manufacturing phase of the engine. These are then used to build a digital modal that tracks and monitors an asset in real-time, providing essential information throughout an asset's lifecycle, such as engine temperature, pressure and airflow rate. By implementing digital twins and creating a virtual model of the asset, organizations can receive early warnings, predictions and even a plan of action by simulating "what-if" scenarios based on weather, performance, operations and other variables, helping keep aircraft in service for longer. GE helped develop the world's first digital twin for an airplane's landing gear. Sensors were placed on typical failure points on the asset, such as hydraulic pressure and brake temperature, to provide real-time data and help predict early malfunctions or diagnose the remaining life cycle of the landing gear. Armed with this sort of data, engineers and MROs can compare data gathered by sensors on the asset to that of its digital twin, which can be put through the same paces the engine experiences as it takes off, flies through different types of weather and undergoes regular wear and tear. If the two data sets don't match up, then a request can be put in for the engine to enter servicing. According to IDC, companies that invest in digital twins will see a 30% improvement in cycle times of critical processes, including maintenance. In 2018, expect to see more benefits as the technology matures. AI in the sky: Taking predictive maintenance from luxury to must-have Artificial intelligence (AI) is invading the skies. A SITA report claims half of airlines surveyed will invest in AI and cognitive computing in the next three years, while a recent Aviation Digital Transformation survey saw 37% of respondents identify AI as a key area for investment. One of the biggest opportunities for AI involves predictive maintenance. An Oliver Wyman reportsuggested that predictive analytics can help optimize maintenance planning and capacity by reducing the need for routine maintenance and only triggering repairs when needed - helping increase fleet availability by up to 35% and reduce labor costs by 10%. AI is helping bring this to reality by using data from in-service aircraft to predict potential issues. These algorithms are learning to predict delays and faults, giving airlines, airports and MROs a better chance of avoiding them. The ability to correctly predict the right moment to repair or replace a part is key to this approach - if done too far in advance, the benefits of longer usage are lost, but if done too late, unexpected failures can result in unavailable assets and lost revenue. Airlines look to the cloud But one of the main challenges facing AI adopters is that storing and analyzing vast quantities of data can overwhelm IT systems. The next generation of cloud solutions are here to help process this data, meaning everything from predictive maintenance to in-flight performance and the real- time aging of the aircraft can be better tracked and understood. Cloud solutions are a vital tool in the new aviation IT landscape, especially when dealing with scheduled and unscheduled aircraft maintenance. Having smarter assets and mobile devices wirelessly connected to store data in the cloud removes the need to physically store and process data on-site. As digitalization transforms business models in 2018, the application of advanced analytical methods from AI will no longer just be good to have - it will soon be business critical. Mobility and the cloud at your service - SaaS offerings make mobile deliver Airlines aren't just eyeing the cloud as an answer to dealing with AI. Cloud services go hand in hand with mobile solutions, and recent IFS research of 200 aviation professionals found mobile computing is one of the top five areas identified for investment in 2018. Over 30% of respondents identified mobile as being a key driver of digital transformation. Software as a service solutions are helping drive new efficiencies into commercial aviation operations, particularly for line of business needs such as line maintenance execution and planning. Previously airlines and MROs have been concerned about the amount of physical hardware they might need to adopt new technologies, but the transformation into a SaaS/mobile environment using tablets or devices and eliminating the cost of purchasing and managing on premise technology is proving to be attractive. Cloud-based mobile solutions can be rolled out to the workforce with no physical installation required. Consequently, airlines can focus on the value they receive, not the infrastructure they need, removing a barrier to change. Drones: An autonomous inspector calls Some of the biggest improvements in maintenance techniques can be derived simply from engineers being able to take a closer look at everyday tasks, such as aircraft inspections. A task that unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) will revolutionize in 2018. Today, typical visual inspections of commercial aircraft can take up to six hours. Drones have the potential to cut this time dramatically while offering greater accuracy of checks - freeing up engineer time, reducing maintenance costs and improving safety. Initial drone systems have already been used to enhance visual checks made by engineers. Low- cost carrier easyJet has been trialing drones for known or unknown fuselage inspections for some time now and is looking to fully implement the solution for hail and lightning strike damage in 2018. But developments are now being made to automate these inspections - not replacing engineers, but giving them better tools, ones they can deploy quickly with less planning and training. Workers would still control the flight of the drone, but by using visual processing algorithms combined with enterprise IT systems means the drone can send work orders straight to the maintenance crew as soon as a fault is identified. Safety first But challenges remain. Drones must receive FAA approval for both outdoor and indoor flights. FAA Part 107 requires unmanned aircraft operators to ensure that aircraft and controls are fit for safe operation prior to any flight. Regional regulations that change from country to country and state to state must also be considered, as do operational complications, such as security safeguards, communication with ongoing air traffic and airport authority approval to make sure drones are used safely. Despite these hurdles, there is a growing opportunity for the industry as the benefits start to outweigh the challenges in 2018. For example, in the U.S., a new initiative - the UAS Integration Pilot Program - was announced. It aims to pair unmanned aircraft operators with state and local governments to safely expand cutting-edge unmanned aircraft operations. The program will shape a regulatory framework that balances the benefits of UAS technology while lessening the risks to public safety and security. Commercial aviation leads the way The aviation industry is at the forefront of innovation - IFS research confirmed that commercial aviation leads in the take-up of new technologies for digital transformation to overcome some of the industry's greatest challenges. Airlines, MROs and other parties are constantly looking to make major improvements in operational processes and, although these technologies may be at the start of their aviation lifespans, the commercial aviation industry is fully aware of the benefits they will bring. http://www.aviationtoday.com/2018/01/01/digital-twins-ai-mobile-apps-drones-4-tech- developments-set-hit-commercial-aviation-2018/ Back to Top Transport Canada Approves Level-D Viking Twin Otter Sim Pacific Sky Aviation, the sister company of Viking Air, secured Transport Canada level-D approval for a Twin Otter Series 400 full-flight simulator that will be able to provide training in both wheeled and seaplane configurations. The simulator, manufactured by TRU Simulation + Training, replicates operations to and from any airport-or GPS coordinates-which will help customers operating from remote locations, Viking noted. With the seaplane configuration, pilots will be able to practice takeoffs and landings in a range of sea states, winds, and water conditions, including glassy water, using level-D capabilities. That configuration is expected to be available beginning in mid-February. "The simulator's leading-edge technology will allow [Pacific Sky Aviation] to provide training for customers with diverse requirements, including operation of both wheeled and seaplane configurations of the Series 400 Twin Otter," said David Curtis, Viking president and CEO. "This state-of-the-art training will not only enhance pilot proficiency and safety, but will also reduce the risk inherent with using actual aircraft for training." The approval was the culmination of "several years of hard work and brain power" from Viking, Pacific Sky, TRU Simulation, Honeywell, and the National Research Council of Canada, added Pacific Sky CEO Michael Coughlin. Pacific Sky Aviation, which also uses a Twin Otter flat-panel training device, will offer a range of Twin Otter type courses with the trainers, including initial, recurrent, differences, and upgrade courses. Training on the simulator has already begun with the first two customers. Based near Viking at Victoria International Airport and in Calgary, Canada, Pacific Sky provides training, Twin Otter Series 400 production flight testing, aircraft ferry services, corporate flight operations, and aircraft maintenance services. Viking launched the Twin Otter Series 400 production program in 2007. Since then, the company has sold aircraft to customers in 29 countries. Viking in 2016 further expanded its portfolio, acquiring the type certificates of the CL-215, CL-215T, and CL-415 firefighting amphibious turboprops from Bombardier. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2018-01-02/transport-canada- approves-level-d-viking-twin-otter-sim Back to Top Workhorse Receives FAA Certification for Test Flights of SureFly™ Electric Hybrid Helicopter CINCINNATI, Jan. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Workhorse Group Inc. (NASDAQ: WKHS), an American technology company focused on providing sustainable and cost-effective electric mobility solutions to the commercial transportation sector, today announced it has received an Experimental Airworthiness Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that will allow the company to conduct test flights of its SureFly™ electric hybrid helicopter. The first test flight is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.local time in Las Vegas on January 8, 2018, prior to the start of the 2018 Consumer Electronic Show (CES). On December 27, 2017, Workhorse announced that it intends to spin off its SureFly business into a separate publicly traded company called SureFly, Inc. SureFly, the world's first electric hybrid helicopter, features a drone-like octocopter design, a two- person, 400-pound payload capacity and a range of approximately 70 miles. SureFly was first unveiled at the Paris Air Show in June 2017, and will be on display at the Workhorse CES exhibit, located on the Central Plaza at Booth #31, near the main entrance of the show. The company is currently accepting SureFly pre-orders at www.workhorse.com. http://www.aviationpros.com/news/12389070/workhorse-receives-faa-certification-for-test-flights- of-sureflytm-electric-hybrid-helicopter Back to Top Airlines seek better fog prediction mechanism NEW DELHI: Airlines today sought better fog prediction mechanism for flight operations during the winter season in a meeting with Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha. Concerns were raised about additional costs involved for airlines due to diversions and cancellations in a meeting held to review standard operating procedures for flight operations during fog. Hundreds of flights were delayed at Indira Gandhi International airport earlier this week as the season's worst fog hit Delhi bringing down visibility to zero. Over 300 flights were affected on December 31 and more than 500 were hit on January 1. "Chaired a meeting with all aviation stakeholders to review and refine the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fog-affected days. Many constructive suggestions received: more inputs welcome," Sinha tweeted today. A source present at the meeting said accuracy of prediction of fog was among the many issues raised at the meeting. Aviation sources have said that the fog on new year's eve was unforeseen and airlines could not deploy pilots trained to operate flights in low visibility. As a result, as many as 50 planes destined for Delhi had to be diverted to other airports. The IGI has advanced CAT III B technology which aides during landing in low visibility conditions. Airlines have to deploy pilots trained in CAT III B landing on the basis of weather prediction for the destination. Various steps to improve passenger convenience and to help reduce costs for airlines were also discussed. Vistara's Chief Strategy and Commercial officer Sanjiv Kapoor shared some of his concerns on Twitter on Tuesday. "Aircraft do not get assigned a departure sequence number until all aboard and doors closed. That is what needs to change. That is what leads to pax and crew being held on board for hours waiting for their turn to depart," he posted. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/airlines-seek- better-fog-prediction-mechanism/articleshow/62356927.cms Back to Top Facial recognition trial saving time at Brisbane Airport Technology provider SITA says trials of facial recognition technology at Brisbane Airport have shown a 70 per cent reduction in processing times for boarding and checkin. In March, Air New Zealand, Brisbane Airport and SITA commenced an Australia first trial featuring the use of facial recognition technology at checkin and at the boarding gate. Under the trial, passengers heading across the Tasman from Brisbane flying Air New Zealand approach a self-service checkin kiosk featuring SITA Smart Path technology. At checkin, the kiosk creates a "single secure token" using sophisticated biometrics - which in this case is the passenger's face - that is linked to passenger's travel documents. When it comes time to get on the aircraft, passengers simply walk through an automated boarding gate which uses facial recognition technology to verify the correct passenger is boarding the correct aircraft without the need to present a boarding pass, a passport or travel document. SITA president for Asia Pacific Sumesh Patel says there have been significant time savings at what he describes the "touch points" of a passenger's end-to-end journey from checkin to boarding. "The current initial findings show that it will help reduce overall time by about 70 per cent with these biometric technologies at the touch points," Patel told Australian Aviation during a recent visit to Australia. "Why this is important is today's passenger, when we surveyed them, basically what they said is what they are looking for in terms of their airport experience is fast, easy and secure. That's the top of their priority list. "But the challenge is how do we reconcile the passengers' demand for an efficient and seamless journey with the increasing need for effective security. "For years, airports, governments and technology providers like us are juggling in terms of these conflicting demands and the answer for that we know is biometrics." The increasing use of self-service options by airlines and airports was reflected in the recent SITA 2017 Air Transport IT Trends Insights report, which showed airports around the world were projected to spend US$8.4 billion on IT related matters in 2017, a 20 per cent rise from US$7 billion actual spending in 2016. Further, the report, published in September, said airlines were also lifting their IT budgets, with projected spending forecast to rise to US$24.3 billion in 2017, up 11 per cent from US$21.9 billion in 2016. In terms of self-service options, the SITA report found 97 per cent of airlines planned to offer checkin, boarding and flight status notifications via mobile by 2020. This compared with 73 per cent for mobile checkin, 70 per cent for mobile boarding and 68 per cent for flight status notifications via mobile currently. The increasing use of automated or self-service options is being rolled out as industry forecasts show the number of air travellers exceeding seven billion a year by 2035, compared with about 3.5 billion a year currently, with the bulk of that growth expected to occur in the Asia Pacific region. While there will always be a need for staff-assisted options for checkin, bag drop, border processing and boarding for passengers such as parents travelling with young children, the elderly or those with language issues, Patel said the trend was for more self-service, not less. "One of the most lowest scores in terms of passenger satisfaction is when they go through the passport check or when they are physically stopped or when there is a physical contact," Patel said. "The same survey shows that the passenger experience is much higher when they use the self- service. "Everyone will get use to self-service." The first phase of the Brisbane Airport trial involved the use of facial recognition biometrics only at checkin and boarding. However, Patel said it was anticipated the technology would soon be used at automated bag drop kiosks, as well as for border processing. "We already have the bag drop integrated and it is currently under test. We will put that in trial in Q1 2018. And immigration we are working with the authorities to try to integrate that," he said. "We are going to use the same infrastructure as what they have. The good thing is we don't have to replace everything, we just have to add to the existing gates the facial recognition camera. "It uses the same database as immigration has, it uses the same infrastructure in terms of the gates which are there. It can be easily integrated with the current infrastructure which are at the airports." Patel said Australia had "always been quite advanced in terms of the technology adoption". "That's why you can see that the first airport we are trialling the single token is Brisbane Airport," Patel said. "For us, Australia has always been quite advanced in terms of embracing new technologies and innovation. I'm sure they will continue to be one of the leading airports to embracing the new technologies." Brisbane Airport general manager strategic planning and development Roel Hellemons said when the trial was launched it was a "great opportunity for passengers to help shape the future of travel". "We're always striving to improve the airport experience at Brisbane Airport and this trial will allow us to test and refine new technology that we hope will make standard check-in and boarding processes more efficient and secure in the very near future," Hellemons said in March. "A key benefit of working with SITA is its technology integrates with our existing common-use infrastructure - check-in kiosks and boarding gates - and can be used by any airline that operates on a common-use kiosk. As we progress we hope to integrate with various government systems for immigration and border checks." SITA has published a video of passengers using Smart Path on its YouTube channel. http://australianaviation.com.au/2018/01/facial-recognition-trial-saves-time-at-brisbane-airport/ Back to Top Korea Establishes Alliance to Take Avionics to International Markets South Korea plans to take on the international market. With a newly established Aviation Industry Alliance, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said it hopes to expand exports "through technical cooperation with overseas large aircraft manufacturing companies," according to a Dec. 27, 2017, announcement. The ministry highlighted the concept of the "Smart Cabin," as an area of interest for the alliance. The Smart Cabin would reduce weight and maintenance through wired terminals for passenger Wi- Fi and use window and ceiling displays, according to the ministry. Companies involved include Asiana Airlines, Gridspace, Digitron, Korea Carbon, Electronics, Telecom , WiJet, Symboli Imaging, Dobolink, Inuk Creative, Uniquest, Space Research Institute, Production Technology Research Institute and Aerospace Industry Promotion Association. "Discussions on the research and development and commercialization plans for the application of the electronic cabinets of electronic and communication technologies will be actively conducted," the ministry said. http://www.aviationtoday.com/2018/01/02/korea-establishes-alliance-take-avionics-international- markets/ Back to Top Behold! SpaceX's 1st Falcon Heavy Rocket on the Launchpad If you needed a reminder that SpaceX is about to debut its huge new Falcon Heavy rocket, here you go. The company just released some gorgeous photos and a spectacular video of the Falcon Heavy standing at Kennedy Space Center's fabled Pad 39A - the one-time jumping-off point for space shuttle and Apollo moon missions - ahead of its planned liftoff later this month. (SpaceX has not announced a target date yet.) "With more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff - equal to approximately eighteen 747 aircraft at full power - Falcon Heavy will be the most powerful operational rocket in the world by a factor of two," SpaceX representatives wrote on Twitter and Instagram, where they posted the new video. That power comes from a whopping 27 first-stage Merlin engines - three times more than SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket has. Indeed, the Falcon Heavy's first stage is essentially three Falcon 9 cores strapped together. These three boosters are designed to be reusable; after liftoff, they will fly back down to Earth for pinpoint, vertical landings, as they do on most Falcon 9 flights. Like the Falcon 9, the Heavy is a two-stage rocket. The second stage is powered by a single Merlin, which is identical to the one in the Falcon 9's upper stage. If all goes according to plan, this month's shakeout cruise will send a red Roadster built by Tesla - the electric-car company Musk runs - into deep space. "Test flights of new rockets usually contain mass simulators in the form of concrete or steel blocks. That seemed extremely boring," Musk wrote in an Instagram post last month. "Of course, anything boring is terrible, especially companies, so we decided to send something unusual, something that made us feel. The payload will be an original Tesla Roadster, playing [David Bowie's] 'Space Oddity,' on a billion-year elliptic Mars orbit." Of course, there's no guarantee everything will go according to plan. Maiden launches are risky endeavors, and Musk has stressed that we shouldn't be surprised if the first Falcon Heavy dies a fiery death. "I hope it makes it far enough away from the pad that it does not cause pad damage. I would consider even that a win, to be honest," Musk said at a conference last July. "Major pucker factor, really; that's, like, the only way to describe it." https://www.space.com/39264-spacex-first-falcon-heavy-launchpad-photos-video.html Curt Lewis