October 22, 2018 - No. 083 In This Issue FedEx funds $2.5M in scholarships for aviation students Groups have eye on aviation maintenance school Merged aircraft-maintenance firm looks to grow in Tucson, Marana Asia Pacific airlines tackle manpower and wildlife trafficking GLOBALJET Launches Major Redesign to Website for More Robust Customer Experience Conklin & de Decker Relaunches Aircraft Comparison Products HYDRO Announces The Expansion of Its Global Partner Network Airbus Focused on HEMS at Helitech Amsterdam Navy Implements New Inspection Procedures after Window Falls from Helicopter at Atsugi How the aviation industry is turning to blockchain SpaceX competitor Vector raises $70 million to build more rockets FedEx funds $2.5M in scholarships for aviation students With the rise of e-commerce and a wave of retirements, FedEx is ready to fund future aviation professionals. FedEx Express - a subsidiary of Memphis-based FedEx Corp. - announced Oct. 18 it will provide $2.5 million in grants via its newly created FedEx Purple Runway Aviation Scholarship program. As part of that, FedEx Express is partnering with six universities and technical schools that provide training for students interested in being pilots, aircraft maintenance technicians or other aviation careers. "E-commerce is driving increasing demands on both air and ground transportation networks at a time when large numbers of workers in these fields are retiring, or nearing retirement," said David Cunningham, president and CEO of FedEx Express, in a release. "We are working with schools to strengthen the pipeline of talented and diverse pilots, mechanics and other aviation professionals." The grant money will fund scholarships at the University of Memphis, Delta State University, University of North Dakota, Indiana State University, Tennessee College of Applied Technology and Arkansas State University Mid-South. This new scholarship program is part of FedEx's aviation pathways program, Purple Runway - A FedEx Pathways Program, that was announced in April 2018 to help grow the pool of future pilots. FedEx has more serves more than 220 countries and territories with more than 425,000 employees. FedEx currently has about 4,800 pilots. https://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2018/10/19/fedex-funds-2-5m-in-scholarships-for-aviation.html Back to Top Groups have eye on aviation maintenance school HUNTINGTON - A feasibility study to potentially bring an aviation maintenance school to Huntington Tri-State Airport is underway. "Today we are formalizing our agreement with Marshall University and Marshall University Research Corp. to continue those efforts by signing a memorandum of understanding," Huntington Tri-State Airport director Brent Brown said. The three entities, along with Marshall University's Robert C. Byrd Institute (RCBI), are conducting the study. "The aerospace industry in West Virginia has great potential and an aviation maintenance program would be an integral part to the future of aerospace, and I believe our airport would be the right place for that program to operate," Brown said. Brown said there are so many skilled workers in this area who are looking for job opportunities. "We can re-utilize their skills and train them for careers in the aviation industry," he said. John Maher, vice president for research at Marshall University, says the opportunities in aerospace are available in the Tri-State region. "The airport has some developable land they have been looking at in a strategic way, and HADCO (Huntington Area Development Council) has been kind enough to bring in an economic development consultant that got this started," he said. "RCBI was able to get a U.S. Economic Development Authority grant called RCBI AERO to look at the development of the commercial cluster. So with all these folks working together, we got going on the potential for a maintenance school here." "We see aerospace as a growth sector," said David Lieving, president and CEO of HADCO. "This partnership gives us another outlet to help grow the aviation and aerospace sector in our area." "We expect to have the results of the study by mid-November and a determination of feasibility by the end of the year," Maher said. With an aviation program, he said, Marshall will be able to train a new workforce for the growing industry in the Tri-State, leading to a growing economy and job opportunities. "Then there would be a supply of trained mechanics and folks who do aircraft maintenance, and repair operations want to co-locate at a nice airport like Huntington Tri-State Airport, which would have a school that will provide them with their mechanic base," he said. "There is a real opportunity to make this region an aerospace hub." http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/groups-have-eye-on-aviation-maintenance-school/article_97b0b1ed-7d25-5da1-94ab-46d7d2c8ba6c.html Back to Top Merged aircraft-maintenance firm looks to grow in Tucson, Marana Tucson's Ascent Aviation Services recently helped make some history by preparing the first Boeing 777 jetliner for retirement after Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways donated the 24-year old plane to the Pima Air & Space Museum. In January 2017, the aircraft maintenance company welcomed the last Boeing 747 jumbo jet flown by a U.S. carrier when Delta Air Line's last 747 touched down for mothballing at Pinal Airpark. It's all in a day's work for Ascent, which is steeped in aviation history of its own. In 2016, Ascent Aviation at Tucson International Airport merged with Marana Aerospace Solutions at Pinal Airpark to create one of the leading aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul companies for both wide body and narrow body aircraft in North America. The merger combined two of Tucson's oldest aircraft maintenance companies to create one of the largest such facilities in the world. Ascent is a successor to Hamilton Aviation, which was founded right after World War II. Marana Aerospace's maintenance operation at Pinal Airpark was acquired in 2011 from Oregon-based Evergreen International Airlines, which operated a maintenance center there since the mid-1970s. Ascent's president, Dave Querio, knows the history well after serving in executive roles for Evergreen and Hamilton, and later heading Ascent from 2009 to 2013. "It's kind of a conglomerate of the old Tucson brand and the Marana brand, into one," said Querio, who returned to Tucson in 2016 to head the merged company. Though the combined operation uses the Ascent name, the Pinal operation still maintains the Marana Aerospace brand. Querio said the merger combined Ascent's expertise in narrow-body airliners with Marana Aerospace's capabilities for servicing wide-body jetliners, including Boeing's iconic 747. The combined company provides maintenance, flight line, storage and reclamation services at its two facilities, which span more than 1,250 acres and include five hangars. Its customers include major airlines, charter operators and aircraft leasing companies. The merger has had multiple benefits, allowing the company to consolidate executive positions, use the same business-management software system and share tooling, hangars and other resources. "Our sales teams can cross-market because a lot of our customer base have both wide-body and narrow-body aircraft, so now we give them options of expertise of narrow-body in Tucson and wide-body in Marana," Querio said. "It just made total sense." Between both operations, Ascent now has about 330 employees, and maintenance techs are now cross-trained on both narrow- and wide-body jets, he said. GROWTH MINDSET Ascent is looking to grow its operations both organically, and perhaps through acquisition opportunities, Querio said, citing a recent wave of consolidation in the industry. The privately owned company doesn't disclose its revenues. Querio said his company is always looking to add certifications to work on certain aircraft types, recently adding Embraer E190 and Bombardier CJR 700 and 900 series narrow-body jets to its roster. "Our plans are to grow the company and grow the company significantly, but there's only so much we can do with the property as far as aircraft maintenance goes," he said, adding that the company has looked at adding component overhaul capabilities and expanding machine-shop services, for example. The merger initially helped both companies solve their problems in attracting enough skilled workers. "For many years, Marana and Tucson always fought for people," Querio said. "We were stealing people from Marana, Marana was stealing people from us, and it's very difficult to get people and keep people." But like other aircraft-maintenance companies, Ascent's growth is being hampered by an industrywide shortage of experienced aircraft mechanics that is projected to worsen over the next decade. "We are restricted right now by manpower," Querio said, adding that his goal is to have 500-plus workers. "We're in a phase in our industry where we are retiring out a lot of the baby boomers who were more laborers than technology geeks back in the day, and there's been a huge gap since the dot-com boom." On the other hand, new technologies such as composite structures used by Boeing on its 787 Dreamliner demand new skills, Querio said. Ascent has worked closely with Pima Community College's well-regarded aviation-technology program to get FAA-certifiable workers. It also has expanded links to other aviation tech schools in the region, as well as scooping up some departing military mechanics from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Querio said. But the bigger need is for experienced technicians, and Ascent has tripled the number of recruiters it has hired to find workers worldwide, said Scott Butler, Ascent's chief commercial officer, who was lured from the San Diego area in August. In a business that is cyclical from year to year as well as seasonal, it's tricky to line up work and have enough workers at the right time, said Butler, adding that the company tries to keep its workforce stable by booking a three- to six-month backlog of contract work. "That's our job, is to try and weather those (lean) months and find that other customer to drop in, to keep a forecast that allows our planning group to keep the head counts stable," Butler said. MAJOR PLAYER Ascent is one of the larger U.S. maintenance companies but faces stiff competition from global players like Singapore-based ST Aerospace, which has large maintenance centers in Texas and Alabama, and Washington-based Aviation Technical Service, said Ron Donner, chief editor of Aircraft Maintenance Technology magazine. Ascent benefits from Arizona's dry desert climate, making it an ideal place to store aircraft, Donner said. "Arizona is a major player because of the climate down there - operators don't send their planes to Seattle," Donner said. But like the industry as a whole, Ascent faces a shortage of skilled workers that will only get worse unless more efforts are made to attract young people to the trades, he said. Boeing and Airbus have projected that some 20,000 new aircraft will join the market in the next eight years, Querio noted. Donner said entry-level wages in aircraft maintenance start as low as about $10 an hour and nationally average about $20 an hour, according to a study by ZipRecruiter. Wages vary by specific positions, experience and regions, but the overall median wage for aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians was $29.45 per hour, or about $61,000 a year, according to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics. "It will take a few years, and you'll be able to make a good living," Donner said. Ascent's Butler said wages haven't risen much in several years, as many operators offshored work to less costly overseas shops, but that may be changing. "Aviation started seeing the wage growth before and started outsourcing to other countries awhile ago, when the capacity was there," Butler said. "But now that we've increased the market size in Asia and in South America, that has started filling up those shops as well, so there is that market pressure to raise those rates." https://tucson.com/business/merged-aircraft-maintenance-firm-looks-to-grow-in-tucson-marana/article_e8c5b7cf-3763-5173-8a93-0876539e6161.html Back to Top Asia Pacific airlines tackle manpower and wildlife trafficking The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) passed six resolutions at the conclusion of its annual assembly in Jeju, South Korea, Oct. 19. They included two new resolutions addressing the issue of aviation manpower and wildlife trafficking. Other resolutions passed tackles aviation infrastructure, safety and passenger rights. ICAO has outlined the need for over 620,000 pilots, 1.3 million aircraft maintenance personnel and 125,000 air traffic controllers over the next 20 years to meet the needs of the growing aviation sector. The new AAPA resolution calls for governments to support ICAO's Next Generation Aviation Professionals initiative to invest in aviation education, as well as promote best practices in human resource development. These include reviewing retirement age, addressing gender equality, gender bias and promoting diversity. AAPA director general Andrew Herdman gave the example of how female pilots still represent less than 10% of the community despite widespread recruitment efforts. In addition, he pointed out that pilot salaries vary across countries, although rates in developed and developing countries are narrowing. "It is an international market and there should be an international rate." he said. Wildlife trafficking has gained media attention in the region and AAPA is looking to tackle the $20-$25 billion criminal industry, collaborating with airports, freight forwarders and enforcement agencies. The association encourages airlines to support the principles outlined in the Buckingham Palace Declaration of the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce. AAPA signatories include All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways. "We are already involved with a number of awareness raising efforts with interest groups, government agencies and NGOS," Herdman said. "It's about building community support and sharing intelligence to tackle such activities." AAPA is also urging governments and operators to work together to ensure implementation of the global aviation emissions trading scheme, CORSIA, without unnecessary duplication. The European Union Emission Trading System does not apply to non-EU services to and from Europe, but applies tariffs on flights within the EU. When CORSIA comes into effect in January 2019, international flights within the EU will be counted twice. AAPA and other aviation associations have written to the European Commission on the matter. http://atwonline.com/aeropolitics/asia-pacific-airlines-tackle-manpower-and-wildlife-trafficking Back to Top GLOBALJET Launches Major Redesign to Website for More Robust Customer Experience AVON, CT, USA: October 15, 2018 - GLOBALJET Services, Inc., a leader in on-location aviation aircraft, avionics, safety, and professional development training, has officially launched its new enhanced website. This dynamic website will better serve the needs of a growing customer base for aviation maintenance training opportunities. The enhanced design will help visitors successfully navigate their way to locate effective training solutions more rapidly than ever before. Visitors have access to nearly 700 worldwide approved aviation maintenance, avionics, safety or professional development course selections with greater and more comprehensive class details. This added degree of flexibility aligns with GLOBALJET's core practice of delivering customer-driven onlocation aviation training programs ideally suited to meet specific needs of a diverse audience. Customers can access GLOBALJET's website (https://www.globaljetservices.com) with their mobile device or traditional desktop computer, using many of today's most popular internet browsers. The new website's added features include: Class description expanded to include more details and course specifics Cycling "News" area to inform visitors of recent, significant events involving GLOBALJET Enrollment options to subscribe to newsletters and schedule distributions More company literature available to download or review online Immediate access to course overview descriptions while browsing the list of scheduled courses Ability to learn more about your course instructor's aviation background and qualifications To learn more, visit the GLOBALJET Services website at: globaljetservices.com; or contact GLOBALJET via email at sales@globaljetservices.com or phone at 860-651-6090. https://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12433920/globaljet-launches-major-redesign-to-website-for-more-robust-customer-experience Back to Top Conklin & de Decker Relaunches Aircraft Comparison Products Aviation research and consulting firm Conklin & de Decker introduced what the company is calling a "complete relaunch" of its platform at NBAA-BACE this year. Product updates include an interactive online aircraft comparison report-called the Conklin & de Decker Report-and a new mobile app. The report and the app integrate three of the company's previous products: Aircraft Cost Evaluator, Aircraft Performance Comparator and AircraftPedia. Conklin & de Decker was acquired by Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI), a provider of maintenance support and financial services for business aviation, last May. "We are extremely excited to deliver the first wave of enhancements to the Conklin & de Decker platform this week at NBAA-BACE," said Conklin & de Decker co-founder and vice president Bill de Decker. "From range, speed and rate of climb to door height, takeoff weight and fuel cost-with a few taps, customers can now quickly compare key ownership data for virtually any business aircraft." According to Conklin & de Decker, the report and app can compare data for more than 500 jets, turboprops, pistons and helicopters. The database includes aircraft images and diagrams along with performance and specification data. Search results can be filtered by cost, number of passengers, speed and range. The company says it plans to add additional features such as advanced forecasting and budgeting, third-party tools and fleet support. https://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Conklin-231725-1.html Back to Top HYDRO Announces The Expansion of Its Global Partner Network Biberach/Baden, Germany, October 18, 2018 - HYDRO today announced it signed a global distribution agreement with JB Roche (MFG) Ltd. and Liftsafe Fall Protection Inc. This relationship with JB Roche and Liftsafe Fall Protection will increase product availability and give customers access to even more Ground Support Equipment (GSE) products. "First and foremost this agreement is a benefit for our customers," states Peter Prinz, CEO of HYDRO. "Together with JB Roche and Liftsafe Fall Protection we can offer an even wider GSE portfolio to our customers than before. This supports us on our way being the Partner to talk to for aircraft maintenance equipment." All products will be delivered in the well-known highest quality standard of HYDRO, as well as precisely when and where the customers need them. HYDRO sold its first tripod-jack in 1966, since then the company has grown its portfolio to include Ground Support Equipment, Airframe and Engine Tooling, Engine Transportation, Engineered Solutions, and Service. The HYDRO Ground Support Equipment portfolio covers more than 3,000 products. HYDRO's passion for precision doesn't just refer to precision in every detail; it means the company precisely provides products that are fully aligned to the needs of OEMs, airlines and maintenance facilities around the world. Before HYDRO launches a new product, it has been rigorously tested in harsh operating conditions. The company sets the standards with its uncompromising safety, total functionality, reliability, longevity and user-friendliness. The JB Roche products will enrich the HYDRO portfolio with inflatable shelters for outdoor aircraft maintenance. Hi tech fabrics and design, to withstand the harshest weather conditions; this is what this shelters sets apart. The inflatable aircraft shelters quickly encapsulate the engine, windscreen and fuselage of most aircraft in minutes making it the smarter alternative to the traditional aircraft maintenance hangar. "We are pleased to develop a strong relationship with HYDRO by complementing their GSE portfolio," said Ian Nagle, Managing Director of JB Roche. "As the AOG specialists trusted by the world's leading airlines and MROs, we are thrilled to provide our products to a broader audience via the global HYDRO network." Engine and aircraft access stands and platforms from Liftsafe Fall Protection will complete the GSE portfolio from HYDRO. "Our products are used worldwide and are able to provide a safe working platform for regular maintenance thus allowing for workers to conduct their jobs with peace of mind", states Claude Leduc, Managing Partner of Liftsafe Fall Protection. "Through rigorous product testing, we have refined our products to perform when it counts. This is why we are thrilled to develop our business relation to a real partnership with HYDRO. Liftsafe Fall Protection and HYDRO both give the same promise to their customers." The partnership will enlarge the access for customers to engine and aircraft access stands and platforms in the European, African, and Asian region. https://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12433914/hydro-announces-the-expansion-of-its-global-partner-network Back to Top Airbus Focused on HEMS at Helitech Amsterdam Airbus Helicopters focused on the emergency medical services (EMS) mission at this year's Helitech International show. The helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) sector currently accounts for more than half of the helicopter market, and Airbus claims its models account for approximately 60 percent of the in-service fleet. Steady demand for new helicopters from EMS operators has helped to blunt the otherwise steep decline experienced in the civil rotorcraft market over the past few years. That demand is now underpinning a gradual recovery in the market, and Airbus hopes to consolidate its leading position in the sector, leveraging its long expertise and portfolio of dedicated EMS solutions. At Helitech, Airbus Helicopters exhibited an EMS-configured H145 operated by the Royal Dutch Touring Club (ANWB), which offers a range of services related to roadside assistance and medical and repatriation assistance abroad. Its seven helicopters and 33 pilots fly more than 8,000 flights per year for four trauma centers and the Fryslân Regional Ambulance Service. The ANWB uses the Airbus Helicopters H145 as an ambulance for those living on the Wadden Islands, who have no local hospital provision. The H145 is maintained at readiness at Leeuwarden Air Base. The medical equipment in the helicopter is comparable with that in a normal "road" ambulance, and there are seats for an ambulance nurse, a general practitioner, midwife or paramedic, and one family member, as well as the patient. The ANWB MAA also operates four Airbus Helicopters H135s as what it calls trauma helicopters. These carry a Mobile Medical Team (usually a doctor and a nurse) directly to wherever specialist emergency medical assistance is needed, augmenting rather than replacing the ambulance. Two spare helicopters (one H135 and one H145) provide cover when an aircraft is down for maintenance, and to ensure the continuity of helicopter ambulance care for the Wadden Islands. These are usually based at the ANWB Medical Air Assistance hangar at Lelystad Airport. The H135 has traditionally been Airbus Helicopters' best-selling EMS helicopter, but there has been a growing shift to larger helicopters for this role, with increasing demand for larger cabins, more equipment, and better IFR and all-weather capabilities. The H145 has assumed ever greater importance as an EMS platform thanks to its high performance and spacious cabin. Optional equipment and a plug-and-play design philosophy make the aircraft versatile enough to be quickly converted from EMS to other roles including disaster relief or mountain rescue. Displayed alongside the H145 on the Airbus Helicopters stand at Helitech was a full-scale mock-up of the H160 configured as an EMS machine. With the largest cabin in its class, wide opening sliding door and a roll-in stretcher capacity, Airbus Helicopters believe that the H160 will be a successful next generation high intensive care helicopter ideal for transporting critical patients or incubators over long distances. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2018-10-19/airbus-focused-hems-helitech-amsterdam Back to Top Navy Implements New Inspection Procedures after Window Falls from Helicopter at Atsugi Oct. 18--YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan -- After a window fell from a Navy MH-53E helicopter at Naval Air Facility Atsugi in July and made Japanese headlines, the service this week announced new maintenance procedures to help prevent future occurrences. On July 27, an MH-53E Sea Dragon was hovering about 6 to 8 feet above the flight line when a window fell off the aircraft, according to a Navy statement. No one was hurt, and the helicopter landed safely afterward. Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters in July that members of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force saw the window falling soon after the helicopter took off, according to a July 28 report by Kyodo News. The Navy responded by grounding all MH-53E aircraft in the region and opened an investigation. The results -- released this week -- showed "the accident was most likely caused by inadvertent release of a loose emergency handle," the service said. Though the investigation has concluded, the Navy said all remaining MH-53E Sea Dragons in Japan are being "individually reviewed for clearance" before they are returned to normal flight operations. A Kanagawa Prefectural Office official said they are aware of the investigation report's release and are seeking details through the South Kanto Defense Bureau, which regularly communicates with U.S. Forces Japan. A base affairs official at the prefectural office said there are concerns that such accidents could cause greater danger if they occur above a residential area. From the investigation's results, the Navy has implemented new procedures for maintenance inspections "to prevent this from happening again," according to the Navy statement. "Every MH-53E aircraft operating in the region was inspected in accordance with the updated procedures and will be re-inspected in the same way prior to each flight," the statement said. The Navy also recommended that it and the Marine Corps both include the Navy's new inspection procedures in their routine maintenance operations for all H-53E aircraft. The Navy's follow-up actions align with what the prefecture and South Kanto Defense Bureau requested the day of the accident. Motoyasu Mitsumori, who leads the prefecture's U.S. military-facilities relations division, said they asked for "precise and accurate information" about the incident, an investigation into its cause and that the U.S. take necessary measures to prevent accidents from reoccurring. "There were no damages this time, but it could be a catastrophe if something falls off of an aircraft above a residential area," Mitsumori told Stars and Stripes on Thursday. "We want them to take all possible measures to ensure safety on a day-to-day basis." Mitsumori said the Kanagawa governor is the chair for a group made up of prefectures hosting military bases that made a similar request to the Japanese government in February after a series of U.S. military aircraft incidents, including the emergency landings of Okinawa-based Marine Corps helicopters. The Atsugi accident came about six months after a window from a Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter fell onto a sports field near Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, where more than 50 elementary schoolers were playing. One boy's hand was slightly injured by a rock that was sent airborne. That incident prompted outcries from Okinawan citizens and a rally to remove U.S. forces from the island. The prefecture's late anti-base Gov. Takeshi Onaga, who died in August, called the ordeal "terrible and unforgivable," according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK. Early this year, Onodera reportedly asked Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to take additional measures to prevent future mishaps. In June, Onodera emphasized the importance of U.S. military aircraft safety at a joint press conference with Mattis in Tokyo. The Navy said the Atsugi helicopter that dropped the window remains at the base and will be airlifted to the U.S. for routine scheduled maintenance unrelated to the July's incident. "While it would have been possible to repair the aircraft in Atsugi, the aircraft is approaching a service-life requirement for depot-level maintenance and it was determined to be more cost effective to return the aircraft early," the Navy said in an email to Stars and Stripes on Thursday. Moving forward, the service's Sea Dragon helicopters will be returning to Japanese skies again -- but not until all precautions have been taken. "The U.S. Navy takes this situation very seriously and will only return these aircraft to flight ready status after applying the new inspection procedures," the service said in its statement. The Navy declined to answer when all helicopters will be back to normal operations because the service "does not discuss future operations due to security." https://www.aviationpros.com/news/12433828/navy-implements-new-inspection-procedures-after-window-falls-from-helicopter-at-atsugi Back to Top How the aviation industry is turning to blockchain Research from professional services business Accenture reveals aviation companies are buying into the concept of blockchain at a faster rate than previously thought. As per Aviation Week, 86% of aerospace and defence companies expect to be using the technology by 2021. The sector has the third highest level of expected blockchain adoption across the 18 industries polled, coming marginally behind the semiconductor and health payment industries. Indeed, blockchain has been tipped by Accenture as a key emerging technology for the past two years running. John Schmidt, Accenture's managing director of aerospace and defence, says: "It's very rare that we talk about something two years in a row but this technology is taking off much faster than we thought it would." He estimates that more than half of companies are already actively working with the technology and predicts it will soon become a a "game-changing innovation for this sector." Accenture is working with aerospace company Thales to develop a blockchain-based system to track aircraft parts and materials. "Blockchain technology offers a new, elegant and secure way for the industry to track and trace myriad components while deterring counterfeiting and improving maintenance capabilities," explains Schmidt. Rather than employing proof-of-work to validate transactions, as per the public blockchains used in cryptocurrencies, private blockchains sit on secure networks or servers. They function much like a regular database, but where the data can't be altered or destroyed. This means a critical part, such as an aircraft engine, can be accurately tracked throughout its lifetime, helping to identify potential problems early on. Blockchain is rapidly finding new applications in this industry beyond component tracking. Examples of it already in everyday use are numerous and diverse, ranging from flight operations and identity management to tokenised ticketing, fuel payment systems and even loyalty schemes. Singapore Airlines has introduced a miles-based blockchain based digital wallet called KrisPay, developed with Microsoft and KPMG. Using KrisPay, travellers can convert air miles into cryptocurrency to pay for goods and services. Russian aviation refuelling company GazpromneftAero has teamed up with S7 Airlines and Siberia Airlines to launch a blockchain-based smartcontract system for fuel payments. Still in development, Dubai Airport is working on a gateless border using blockchain and biometric technology. Despite blockchain being so new, there is an encouraging level of collaboration across the industry. Earlier this year SITA, a technology company owned by more than 400 airlines, launched the Aviation Blockchain Sandbox, to explore the potential applications of blockchain in aviation. This project follows on from its FlightChain initiative, working with selected major airports to demonstrate the safe use of blockchain technology for managing real time flight data. At the current accelerated rate of development, Schmidt's prediction of full scale adoption of blockchain across the industry within the next few years could become a reality. https://cryptonewsreview.com/6143-2/ Back to Top SpaceX competitor Vector raises $70 million to build more rockets Space company Vector today announced it has raised a $70 million funding round to build the Vector R and Vector H rockets. Vector focuses on the use of smaller rockets to put microsatellites in orbit and make deliveries. Vector plans to launch its first rocket later this year in Kodiak, Alaska and complete 12 Vector R flights in 2019, cofounder Jim Cantrell told VentureBeat in a phone interview. To accommodate more flights, Vector plans to expand its factory near Tucson, Arizona. "It's an ecosystem philosophy that once these inexpensive launches are more available, and available to service individually the needs, that there will be a stimulus to the demand of that service by more companies coming into being," Cantrell said. Cantrell has previously worked with NASA as well as space agencies in the former Soviet Union and France, and he was an early SpaceX employee. The $70 million funding round was led by Kodem Growth Partners, in conjunction with Morgan Stanley Alternative Investment Partners. Existing investors Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Shasta Ventures also participated in the round. Vector has 150 employees and is based in Tucson, Arizona, with offices in Huntington Beach and San Jose, California. Vector was created in March 2016 by Cantrell along with John Garvey, Eric Besnard, and Shaun Coleman. Since company launch, Vector has raised more than $100 million. https://venturebeat.com/2018/10/19/spacex-competitor-vector-raises-70-million-to-build-more-rockets/ Curt Lewis