JULY 22, 2019 - No. 058 In This Issue Frankfurt Airport is Using Machine Learning to Predict Aircraft Arrivals Forsyth Tech to build lab at airport UK Reveals High-Tech Programs in Air, Space and Propulsion Future fighter jets will use AI-enabled weapons and sensors Airbus' new bird-plane hybrid is both fascinating and unsettling Atlantic County seeks to build hangar for maintenance company Tiny UK startup takes on Google's Wing in the race to a drone traffic control system Bendixing Receives Certification for Three Highly Anticipated Cockpit Upgrades Lion Air becomes First A330neo Operator in the Asia-Pacific Region GKN Fokker Marks Centenary How autopilot was born a century ago Elon Musk: SpaceX Starship prototype to fly from Florida in coming months Frankfurt Airport is Using Machine Learning to Predict Aircraft Arrivals German airport operator Fraport has started using a new predictive runway arrival time technology at Frankfurt Airport to improve the estimated arrivals and departures for the 1,500 flights that take off and land at one of Europe's busiest airports. Developed by FlightAware using its Firehose application, the new predictive runway technology provides estimated landing times based on statistical analysis of the trajectories and time stamps of the hundreds of thousands of flights managed by the company's web-based flight tracking platform. Using a proprietary data processing application, the predictive aircraft landing time technology uses machine learning models to predict when a flight will actually touchdown on one of Frankfurt's runways. Dr. Pierre Dominique Prümm, Fraport's executive board member for aviation and infrastructure, told Avionics International that the new tool will help to improve Frankfurt's ability to plan for landings and takeoffs while also enhancing their ability to share updated ground status with other airports. Aircraft positioning information collected from the predictive arrival models will be run through Frankfurt's IT team's internally developed artificial intelligence models which are used to generate estimated times along the inbound process chain. That will help to improve Frankfurt Airport's ground staff's ability to know exactly when an arriving aircraft will actually open its doors at the arrival gate, rather than using the best available estimate. "In terms of resource allocation management for instance, we are better prepared to avoid so called "stand conflicts", where one aircraft ends up waiting for another to move before it can occupy its parking stand. The new tool also allows our operational staff in the towers to get a clearer picture of upcoming ground movements at an earlier stage resulting in more efficiency and time savings," said Prümm. Frankfurt currently serves 94 passenger airlines flying to 306 destinations in 98 different countries, and ranks as the fourth busiest airport for passenger traffic in Europe. Prümm said he believes the accuracy of their ability to predict arrival times will also help to improve aircraft servicing and ground handling times. FlightAware's Firehose application provides a secure streaming data feed of flight positions and flight status data via a combination of worldwide air traffic control data, ADS-B and aircraft datalink information. The Texas-based company's flight tracking service includes a private network of ADS-B ground stations in 195 countries, and also pulls surveillance data from Aireon's global space-based ADS-B network as well as satellite and VHF data link communications. According to FlightAware CEO Daniel Baker, their new predictive technology program features 12 different machine learning applications, including predicted landing times, predicted gate arrival, departure times and airport arrival/departure capacity. Baker said the use of the technology at Frankfurt could help to reduce the amount of time passengers wait at gates for ground crews to arrive and improve each individual airline's ability to prioritize flights and adjust holding times for connecting passengers. "We're just starting to bring this revolutionary technology to market and many airlines have been quick to see the value in having better insight. For them, it means less crew timeouts, faster turn times and better aircraft utilization - in some cases, the optimization is so great that it facilitates additional flights to be scheduled," said Baker. https://www.aviationtoday.com/2019/07/19/frankfurt-airport-using-machine-learning-predict- aircraft-arrivals/ Back to Top Forsyth Tech to build lab at airport Forsyth Technical Community College will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the Woodruff Aviation Technology Lab at 11 a.m. Wednesday to begin construction of the $16 million lab at Smith Reynolds Airport in Winston-Salem. The lab at 2739 Aviation Drive will be 53,000-square-feet with a 12,000-square-foot air-frame lab that can accommodate eight aircraft. The two-story building will include classrooms and components labs including sheet metal, composite structures, avionics/electrical, paint, aircraft welding and piston/turbine engines. Students will have the opportunity to earn associate degrees in aviation systems technology and aviation electronics. https://www.journalnow.com/news/local/forsyth-tech-to-build-lab-at-airport/article_b148791d- 071f-52d7-a135-2e8e403d90f8.html Back to Top UK Reveals High-Tech Programs in Air, Space and Propulsion The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Royal Air Force (RAF) will invest in hypersonic propulsion, small satellites, and so-called flying wingmen and swarming drones. The R&D programs were announced in front of 40 air force chiefs and military commanders at the Air and Space Power Conference in London. The two-year hypersonic propulsion contract is worth about £10 million ($12.5 million) to a team comprising BAE Systems, Reaction Engines, and Rolls-Royce. The focus will be on enabling technologies "for increased aircraft performance and capability," according to an RAF statement. To date, Reaction Engines has been the UK leader in hypersonic propulsion with its Synergetic Air- Breathing Rocket (Sabre). But the company's main aim has been to provide power for a satellite- launching spaceplane. BAE Systems made a "strategic investment" in the company in 2015. An alternative means of launching satellites at lower cost than ground launch is provided by Virgin Orbit, which is developing a Boeing 747 as a launch platform for a rocket. The first drop test was performed last week at 35,000 feet. The RAF is planning to send a test pilot to join this project at the Mojave Space Port, California. British Defence Minister Penny Mordaunt announced a £30 million ($37.5 million) investment in a small-satellite demonstrator that will be launched within a year. This would lead to a small-satellite constellation for multiple purposes. This project would be supported by a transatlantic team of UK and U.S. defense personnel named Team ARTEMIS. A number of U.S. commercial companies are already offering small-satellite constellations, but an earlier military program run by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) was an expensive failure. Air Chief Marshall Sir Stephen Hiller, Chief of the Air Staff, said, "ARTEMIS gives us the opportunity to grow skills, understand the military relevance of small satellites, and consider how to get space- based information to the warfighter in operationally relevant timelines." Mordaunt said that the new program "may eventually see live high-resolution video beamed directly into the cockpit of our aircraft, providing pilots with unprecedented levels of battle awareness." The MoD has already part-funded a small satellite named Carbonite 2, which has been providing color video surveillance imagery from space. The partner is British company Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), which claims to be the world leader in small satellites. AIN understands that SSTL will participate in Team ARTEMIS. Hillier confirmed that a project named LANCA (Light Affordable Novel Combat Aircraft) had reached the feasibility phase. The aim is to develop an unmanned flying wingman "to enhance the capability of our existing and future fast jet aircraft," Hiller added. The MoD's Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) sought proposals for this £4.5 million ($5.6 million) project last year, at which time it expected the proposals to be delivered by the end of last year and to select up to three bidders. The project was open to small and medium enterprises and academia as well as aerospace majors, and the aim was to seek "a significant reduction in cost and development time compared to traditional combat air systems." The RCO has also been working on swarming drones. "The results thus far are looking pretty impressive," said Hillier. Earlier this year, a £2.5 million contract was given to a consortium led by Blue Bear Systems Research. He said that No. 216 Squadron would be re-formed "to bring this capability to the front line by 2026." He later told journalists attending the conference that this was an incremental acquisition from a range of providers since there was already a lot of drone technology to harness. He was hoping to develop an initial capability to deploy "within a year." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2019-07-19/uk-reveals-high-tech-programs-air- space-and-propulsion Back to Top Future fighter jets will use AI-enabled weapons and sensors The Navy is currently analyzing air frames, targeting systems, AI-enabled sensors, new weapons and engine technologies to engineer a new 6th-Generation fighter to fly alongside the F-35 and ultimately replace the F/A-18. The Navy program, called Next-Generation Air Dominance, has moved beyond a purely conceptual phase and begun exploration of prototype systems and airframes as it pursues a new, carrier- launched 6th-Gen fighter to emerge in 2030 and beyond, service officials explained. "Some important areas of consideration include derivative and developmental air vehicle designs, advanced engines, propulsion, weapons, mission systems, electronic warfare and other emerging technologies," Navy spokeswoman Lt. Lauren Chatmas told Warrior earlier this year. A formal Analysis of Alternatives, expected to complete this year, is weighing the advantages of leveraging nearer-term existing technologies such as new variants or upgrades to cutting edge weapons, sensors and stealth configurations - or allowing more time for leap-ahead developmental systems to emerge. The current analysis follows a now-completed Initial Capabilities Document detailing some of the sought-after requirements for the new aircraft, or "family of aircraft," Chatmas explained. Anticipated decisions about a 6th-Gen fighter balance themselves upon the as-of-yet unknown maturity of various promising new weapons and technologies nearing a threshold of operational possibility. For instance, some now-in-development next-gen stealth technologies, including new radar-evading configurations, coating materials and advanced thermal-signature reduction are fast-approaching levels of combat readiness. Yet, absent a clear timeframe when, for example, new stealth or AI enabled sensors can ensure overmatch for decades to come, Navy developers are thinking it may make sense to push the current "art-of-the-possible" to the maximum extent. This challenge, explored by a Naval Postgraduate School essay called "The 6th-Generation Quandry," poses the question as to whether it might be equally if not more effective to postpone formal 6th-generation development until truly breakthrough advances emerge, while pursuing advanced variants of current, yet upgradable platforms in the interim. The 2016 paper, from the Naval Postgraduate School Acquisition Research Program, cites a handful of current systems showing significant long-term promise. The paper sites "new models of the F-35 optimized for air combat," the emerging B-21, drone-launching C-130 "mother ships" and "weapons truck arsenal planes" are positioned to optimize current technological progress. These systems, including a B-52-like arsenal plane, unmanned fighter jets, AI-empowered sensors and new weapons with unprecedented range are designed to accommodate new iterations of AI, processing speeds, software upgrades and other incremental improvements. According to this logic, there simply might not be enough of a margin of difference in performance between the best upgraded platforms of today - and something entirely new which could be built in the next 10 years or so. Could these upgradable systems, fortified by new-iterations of stealth technology now being woven into the B-21, themselves be sufficient to propel naval aviation superiority for decades? This would alleviate the risk and expense of pursuing something truly "breakthrough" in the near term, potentially freeing up funding and resources to explore paradigm-changing air-fighter technologies for the long term. Furthermore, current sensors, avionics and weapons systems are increasingly AI-reliant, a circumstance which makes it easier to greatly improve performance by integrating new algorithms, analytics or processing speed. In effect, all of this raises the question as to whether an entirely new airframe is truly needed to achieve overmatch in coming decades? By 2030? These questions seem to be informing the current Navy rationale, which is to look at both new airframes as well as adaptations of the best of what's available. The latter option brings its own advantages, because various industry developers are already building prototypes of 6th-Gen fighters with newly designed, stealthier airframes. Looking at applications of AI, miniaturized long- range sensors, targeting technology and drones operating with ever-increasing levels of autonomy - some contend that perhaps some of the most essential ingredients of long-term transformational technologies are, in effect, already here. This would be the basis upon which a nearer-term aircraft, drawing from some off-the-shelf-items, would be pursued. Some of these decisions are also expected to be impacted by the success with which the Navy is able to keep extending the combat service life of the F/A-18. The Navy's F/A-18 Service Life Extension Program has already extended the aircraft's initial plans to fly 6,000 flight hours to 8,000 hours through a series of upgrades. Now, looking at the airframes and the state of cutting-edge avionics, the service is hoping to push its fleet of F/A-18s to 10,000 hours. Navy officials tell Warrior these upgrades are significant and, in many cases, can bring the F/A-18 combat performance well into the future. Some of the adjustments start with the airframes themselves; Service Life "Assessment" Programs look to possibly replace the center "barrel" of the airframe and analyze the fatigue of the Nacelle (engine coating or skin), service officials say. The F/A-18 upgrades also add new navigation technology, digital memory devices, mission computers, helmet-mounted cueing systems, Electronically Scanned Array Radar and an advanced targeting sensor called Infrared Search and Track, As a passive sensor, IRST enables better targeting while not emitting a signal, making it vulnerable to enemy electronic warfare attacks. All Paths Point to 6th-Gen AI There is widespread consensus that applications of AI appear to provide the framework for the most defining expected technological progress. In fact, a 2017 paper from a 16-nation NATO conglomerate of analysts, called the Joint Air Power Competence Center, raises questions about when, and how, AI may outpace the human ability to keep up. The essay, titled "Air Warfare Communication in a Networked Environment," quotes Air Force Acquisition Executive William Roper from his previous role directing the Pentagon's Strategic Capabilities Office, saying "AI is progressing beyond the human ability to interface with it." For instance, "smart sensors" able to gather, analyze and organize vast volumes of combat information in milliseconds, using AI-fortified algorithms, are now being built into airframes themselves to combine new sensing technology without increasing an aircraft's radar signature. The absence of an external antenna, pod or structured array of some kind removes otherwise more radar-detectable structures from an airframe. "Smart sensors and smart antenna arrays with adaptive properties would be embedded into the structure of an aircraft," an essay from Jain University's International Institute for Aerospace Engineering states. ( "Sensor Technology and Futuristic Of Fighter Aircraft, " Jain Univ). At the same time, while massive increases in sensor ranges, data-sharing and long-range connectivity will continue to bring as-of-yet unprecedented advantages to warfare operations, there are also challenges which emerge as combat becomes more networked. Referring to this phenomenon as creating clusters of "embedded ISR," the Joint Air Power Competence Center paper warns of security risks and what it calls "hyper-connectivity." New much-longer range sensors and weapons, incorporating emerging iterations of AI, are expected to make warfare more disaggregated, and much less of a linear force on force type of engagement. Such a phenomenon, driven by new technology, underscores warfare reliance upon sensors and information networks. All of this, naturally, requires the expansive "embedded ISR" discussed by the paper. Network reliant warfare is of course potentially much more effective in improving targeting and reducing sensor-to-shooter time over long distances, yet it brings a significant need to organize and optimize the vast, yet crucial, flow of information. "Not everybody in the network needs to see and hear everything. There needs to be a hierarchy, and a backup architecture for degraded network operations," the paper writes. These types of challenges, wherein vast amounts of ISR data needs to be aggregated, analyzed and organized, are precisely what AI and high-speed processing can address. Using advanced algorithms and real-time analytics, computing power can instantly identify and disseminate key moments or items of combat relevance, thereby establishing priorities and massively quickening the human decision cycle. AI-informed combat decisions, enabled by accelerated real-time analytics, allow human decision makers to draw upon otherwise inaccessible pools of data. Algorithms can integrate new information, instantly compare it against vast amounts of stored data, and come to informed conclusions without requiring human intervention. Often referred to as easing the "cognitive burden," AI and iterations of man-machine interface, can perform time-consuming or otherwise impossible information-analysis tasks, all while a human functions as ultimate decision-maker in a command and control role. While AI is quickly advancing toward being able to discern and organize seemingly subjective information, there are many decision-making abilities and problem solving faculties regarded as unique to human cognition. https://www.foxnews.com/tech/future-fighter-jets-will-use-ai-enabled-weapons-and-sensors Back to Top Airbus' new bird-plane hybrid is both fascinating and unsettling Airbus unveiled a new concept airplane called "Bird of Prey," which seems fitting because this thing seems designed to prey on your deepest fears. The bird-like conceptual airline design features multiple propellors, a rudder branded with the Union Jack, and something called "feathered wings" which I can't seem to unsee. The body of the plane is bronze-colored and looks more fish-like than anything else. The addition to the tendril-tipped wings, though, make it clear that Airbus' designers had birds on the brain when they came up with this one. Airbus unveiled the concept at the Royal International Air Tattoo air show in the UK. The French aerospace giant thankfully has no plans to build or manufacture this chimeric monstrosity, which is probably for the best. More intriguing is the propulsion system undergirding this fantastical experiment. Using technology now under development, the Bird of Prey could provide a 30-50 percent reduction in fuel burn compared to equivalent aircraft today - a major leap in efficiency. "One of the priorities for the entire industry is how to make aviation more sustainable - making flying cleaner, greener and quieter than ever before," Martin Aston, a senior manager at Airbus, said in a statement. "We know from our work on the A350 XWB passenger jet that through biomimicry, nature has some of the best lessons we can learn about design. Who can't help but be inspired by such a creation?" Hey, if designing some weird bird-plane is what it takes to "inspire" the airline industry to ditch fossil fuels in favor of more clean-burning energy, I'm all for it. I'll strap on a pair of Hawkman wings myself like I'm in a Terry Gilliam movie. But the adoption of hybrid and battery-powered propulsion systems in aviation is taking its sweet time because putting planes in the air is heavy stuff. Flying requires an incredible amount of energy, and presently, batteries are too heavy and too expensive to achieve liftoff. Energy density - the amount of energy stored in a given system - is the key metric, and today's batteries don't contain enough energy to get most planes off the ground. To weigh it out: jet fuel gives us about 43 times more energy than a battery that's just as heavy. Airbus' idea of biomimicry, which it defines as "the design and production of materials, structures and systems inspired by nature," is certainly intriguing. And Airbus isn't alone in thinking that airplane wings, traditionally thick and sturdy, could use an upgrade. A team of NASA researchers are working on a new type of flexible wing that morphs as it flies. Measuring 14 feet or four meters wide, the new wing is constructed from thousands of 3D-printed reinforced polyetherimide units that fit together and function in a similar way to a bird's wing. https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/19/20700614/airbus-bird-of-prey-plane-hybrid-concept Back to Top Atlantic County seeks to build hangar for maintenance company Atlantic County officials are prepared to build a $4.5 million hangar at the Atlantic City International Airport if negotiations succeed to bring a charter plane maintenance and repair operation. It would require financing through the Atlantic County Improvement Authority, said County Executive Dennis Levinson, with the debt guaranteed by the county. The South Jersey Transportation Authority on Thursday approved a resolution directing Executive Director Stephen Doherty to negotiate a ground lease for the project with the ACIA, as a way of fostering economic development in the area. A similar arrangement was used to construct the first building of the National Aviation Research and Technology Park at the airport. It is now fully leased. But the hangar will only be built once an agreement is reached with the company, Levinson said. And it will require support from county freeholders. The 22,500-square-foot hangar would be built between existing Hangar 1 and Hangar 2, on land already deemed developable in the Federal Aviation Administration's Master Plan, according to the resolution. If negotiations are successful, the project would create about 125 jobs, officials said. The county has been trying to increase use of the airport as a way of diversifying the economy. A 2015 report by consultant AngelouEconomics identified the aviation industry as the region's best bet for bringing good paying jobs to the area. There was no discussion of the project at the SJTA meeting, but afterward Levinson said the project is his main priority. "We are on the cusp of something amazing that is going to change the whole dynamics of this county," Levinson said. He said county officials are working with the Atlantic County Economic Alliance to bring the plan to fruition, but the financing of the hangar through the ACIA will require support of county freeholders. "We are going to do everything we can to encourage it," Levinson said. He said the company wants to locate here but has not "signed on the dotted line yet." Economic Alliance Executive Director Lauren Moore said it is the first maintenance and repair operation to be targeted by a coalition of county government, the SJTA and the alliance to help diversity the economy. "It will bring in 125 jobs in three-and-a-half years, and pushing 200 jobs in over five years," Moore said. He said the company is a high-level charter company that services artists, musicians and professional sports teams. "They would do maintenance here, and as the project matures for them, they may want to start commercial flights as well out of ACY," Moore said. Moore said he came back to work in Atlantic County after 20 years in Trenton because of the county's commitment to make projects happen, and willingness to fund them. "It will complement the aviation technical school we want to develop out of the airport as well," Moore said. "And it's right on the back of the momentum of our technical park." Levinson said the company would bring in three Airbus A320s, two Embraer 145s, pilots, mechanics, flight attendants and support personnel. "They would come here and be part of the fabric of the community, spend money buying housing, sending kids to school," Levinson said. "It would be a big plus for us." The ACIA would issue bonds and lease payments would pay them off, Levinson said. "If it's done the way I want it to get done, it shouldn't cost taxpayers two cents," he said. Atlantic County would guarantee the debt, and he would need freeholder support. Atlantic County Freeholder Director Amy Gatto said she believed the freeholders would support the initiative since it's in line with the county's overall strategy to create an aviation hub at the airport. "We are looking forward to additional details at a future freeholder meeting," Gatto said. Levinson said the county has a strong financial position, with low debt service and the ability to move quickly. "We can't wait for the state," Levinson said. "Their bond rating is not as good as ours." https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/atlantic-county-seeks-to-build-hangar-for-maintenance- company/article_03453a6e-1cfc-5c13-8fc8-a86eef53de73.html Back to Top Tiny UK startup takes on Google's Wing in the race to a drone traffic control system A future where drones can easily and cheaply do many useful things such as deliver packages, undertake search and rescue missions and deliver urgent medical supplies, not to mention unclogging our roads with flying taxis, seems like a future worth shooting for. But before all this can happen, we need to make sure the thousands of drones in the sky are operating safely. A drone needs to be able to automatically detect when entering into the flight path of another drone, manned aircraft or restricted area and to alter its course accordingly to safely continue its journey. The alternative is the chaos and danger of the recent incidences of drones buzzing major airports, for instance. There is a race on to produce just such a system. Wing LLC, an offshoot of the Alphabet / Google- owned X company, has announced a platform it calls OpenSky that it hopes will become the basis for a full-fledged air-traffic control system for drones. So far, it's only been approved to manage drone flights in Australia, although it is also working on demonstration programs with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. But this week, Altitude Angel, a U.K.-based startup backed by Seraphim Capital and with $4.9 million in funding, has launched its own UTM (Unmanned Traffic Management) system. Its Conflict Resolution System (anti-collision) is basically an automatic collision-avoidance technology. This means that any drone flying beyond the line of sight will remain safe in the sky and not cross existing flight plans or into restricted areas. By being automated, Altitude Angel says this technology will prevent any mid-air collisions, simply because by knowing where everything else is in the sky, there'll be no surprises. Altitude Angel's CRS has both "strategic" and "tactical" aspects. The strategic part happens during the planning stages of a flight, i.e. when someone is submitting flight plans and requesting airspace permission. The system analyses the proposed route and cross- references it with any other flight plans that have been submitted, along with any restricted areas on the ground, to then propose a reroute to eliminate any flight-plan conflicts. Eventually, what happens is that a drone operator does this from an app on their phone, and the approval to flight is automated. The next stage is tactical. This happens while the drone is actually in flight. The dynamic system continuously monitors the airspace around the aircraft both for other aircraft or for changes in the airspace (such as a temporary flight restriction around a police incident) and automatically adjusts the route. The key aspect of this CRS is that drones and drone pilots can store flight plans with a globally distributed service without needing to exchange private or potentially sensitive data with each other while benefiting from an immediate pre-flight conflict resolution advice. Altitude Angel CEO and founder Richard Parker says: "The ability for drones and automated aircraft to strategically plan flights, be made aware of potential conflict and alter their route accordingly is critical in ensuring safety in our skies. This first step is all about pre-flight coordination, between drone pilots, fleet operators and other UTM companies. Being able to predict and resolve conflict mid-flight by providing appropriate and timely guidance will revolutionize automated flight. CRS is one of the critical building blocks on which the drone and automated flight industries will grow." Altitude Angel won't be the last to unveil a CRS of this type, but it's instructive that there are startups confident of taking on the mighty Google and Amazon - which also has similar drone delivery plans - to achieve this type of platform. https://techcrunch.com/2019/07/19/tiny-uk-startup-takes-on-googles-wing-in-the-race-to-a- drone-traffic-control-system/ Back to Top Bendixing Receives Certification for Three Highly Anticipated Cockpit Upgrades ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., July 19, 2019 - BendixKing, a business unit of Honeywell (NYSE: HON), has received Supplemental Type Certificates for its AeroVue Touch, AeroFlight, and AeroCruze 230, allowing all three products to be installed in certified, general aviation aircraft. Now, owners can easily modernize their aircraft with cockpit solutions that improve reliability and increase safety. "BendixKing strives to give owners the opportunity to bring more advanced technology into their aircraft at an affordable price," said Gregg Cohen, president, BendixKing. "With the new certifications, operators can not only modernize their cockpit, but in doing so, enhance the safety and efficiency of their aircraft." The BendixKing AeroVue Touch primary flight display, which made its Oshkosh debut last year, is now available for 353 aircraft types on the Approved Model List Supplemental Type Certificate. The display has the highest-resolution electronic flight instrument system on the general aviation market and features Honeywell's SmartView synthetic vision system, terrain awareness, a moving map, a vertical situation display, aeronautical charts, and traffic and weather information. These features are consolidated within a near-4K high-resolution, 10.1-inch touchscreen display, increasing safety while reducing workload for pilots. Every safety-critical function is accessible within two pilot touches on the display and all functions are available within four touches or less, making the system intuitive and easy to learn. For owners upgrading to a digital cockpit, AeroVue Touch offers a modular and compact unit that comes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity as a standard feature. AeroVue Touch allows pilots to seamlessly upload flight information in under four minutes and software updates in less than ten minutes and also has self-contained architecture, which allows the system to be expanded to two or three displays with ease. BendixKing previously obtained a Technical Standing Order for its AeroFlight KI 300 attitude indicator. This standalone replacement for the KI 256/255 flight director indicator or KG 258 attitude indicator can be used as a backup or primary system. BendixKing has now obtained a Supplemental Type Certificate for the AeroFlight KA 310 autopilot adapter. With the addition of the KA 310, the KI 300 can now be used as a sole-source, three-axis attitude reference and flight director for BendixKing KAP 100, 150, 200 and KFC 150, 200, 225 autopilots. With this upgrade, owners save the typical $4000 to overhaul mechanical gyros every 800 hours, while also having much of the same information available in a primary flight display at a much lower cost. The BendixKing AeroCruze 230 autopilot is also now available for certified aircraft. A slide-in replacement for the KFC 150, the AeroCruze 230 is the only touchscreen autopilot on the general aviation market giving owners an affordable, quick upgrade path for their legacy autopilot. It reuses the servos already in the aircraft, dramatically cutting down on installation cost. With the purchase of AeroCruze, owners also automatically receive a new two-year warranty on those servos. https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/business-general-aviation/press- release/21089224/bendixking-by-honeywell-bendixing-receives-certification-for-three-highly- anticipated-cockpit-upgrades Back to Top Lion Air becomes First A330neo Operator in the Asia-Pacific Region Indonesian carrier Lion Air has received its first A330-900, becoming the first airline from the Asia- Pacific region to fly the A330neo. The aircraft is on lease from BOC Aviation and is the first of 10 A330neos set to join the airline's fleet. The A330neo will be used by Lion Air for non-stop long-haul services from Indonesia. These include pilgrimage flights from cities such as Makassar, Balikpapan and Surabaya to Jeddah and Medina in Saudi Arabia. The flight time for such routes can be up to 12 hours. Lion Air's A330-900 is configured for 436 passengers in a single-class configuration. The A330neo is the true new-generation aircraft building on the most popular wide body A330's features and leveraging on A350 XWB technology. Powered by the latest Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, the A330neo provides an unprecedented level of efficiency - with 25% lower fuel burn per seat than previous generation competitors. Equipped with the Airbus Airspace cabin, the A330neo offers a unique passenger experience with more personal space and the latest generation in-flight entertainment system and connectivity. https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/commercial-airline/press-release/21089276/airbus-lion-air- becomes-first-a330neo-operator-in-the-asiapacific-region Back to Top GKN Fokker Marks Centenary On 21 July, GKN Fokker marks its centenary. Exactly 100 years ago, aviation pioneer Anthony Fokker registered the ''Nederlandsche Vliegtuigenfabriek'' which led to the formation of the world famous Fokker business. A Dutch industry-wide celebration event took place on 14 March in Amsterdam, to jointly recognize the centenaries of GKN Fokker, Royal NLR and KLM. In September, GKN Fokker will host an employee celebration in the Netherlands. GKN Fokker's outstanding people and technologies were fully integrated into GKN Aerospace in 2015. The result is a stronger GKN Aerospace with market leadership positions in aerostructures, engine systems and special technologies, increased exposure to key growth platforms, a comprehensive global manufacturing footprint of 50 sites in 15 countries and strong technological offerings. Thanks to the pioneering spirit and the efforts of founder Anthony Fokker, many hundreds of millions of people worldwide have been brought together. His innovative heritage still characterizes today's GKN Fokker business. Many advanced aircraft have GKN Fokker innovations on board, and over 400 Fokker aircraft are operational worldwide. By pursuing innovations in technology, GKN Fokker supports a sustainable aerospace future in a smart and economically viable manner. Over the past 100 years, GKN Fokker has served as an ambassador and figurehead for the Netherlands in the global aerospace community. Together with its 3,300 Dutch employees across seven Dutch sites, the business continues to be an industrial champion and major contributor to the economy of the Netherlands. John Pritchard, CEO of GKN Aerospace ASEA said: "100 years on, we have achieved the dream of our founder, with our future firmly built on the foundation of a century of innovation. The entrepreneurship of Anthony Fokker has evolved into the world-class GKN Aerospace business. We are proud to be part of the successful Netherlands aviation industry, together with KLM, NLR and many other businesses. We are perfectly positioned to shape a sustainable aerospace future together." https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/commercial-airline/press-release/21089220/gkn-aerospace- gkn-fokker-marks-centenary Back to Top How autopilot was born a century ago Just over 100 years ago in Paris two men flew in a biplane along the River Seine, lined with spectators. When one pilot lifted his hands in the air and the other walked out onto the wing it was the first public demonstration of autopilot. In the plane that day were two men. French mechanic Emil Cachin and American aviation pioneer Lawrence Sperry. Sperry was the son of the famous inventor and entrepreneur Elmer A. Sperry, often referred to as the "father of modern navigation technology." He created several companies during his lifetime, including an electric, mining machine and fuse wire company. But then he established the Sperry Gyroscope company, a business that grew to become a global technological powerhouse. Elmer's company turned the gyroscope, a children's toy, into usable technology to help tackle real-world problems. Among his creations were a version of the gyrocompass, used by the U.S. Navy and adopted by many other countries during the first world war. Over this period, he also developed a gyro pilot system for ship's steering and built the first full gun battery fire control system. He also designed a gyro stabilizer, designed for ships, to reduce the roll caused by waves, particularly during rough conditions. Lawrence Sperry's original aircraft gyroscopic autopilot was a smaller, lighter version of the gyro stabilizer based on the same principles. "I mean they were fundamental to all flying. A lot of people made gyroscopes but Sperry was right at the beginning," says Graham Rood, a retired aviation engineer. "For engineers and certainly people who can look back and understand history they were real giants of aviation and that's how they should be remembered. " The Sperry corporation went on to develop other gyroscopic instruments such as the artificial horizon and the heading indicator which are still built into many of today's modern aircraft. While gyroscopes were Elmer's and Laurence's most successful venture they continued to create a wide variety of equipment and machinery. In total, they held more than 400 patents for new inventions across several different industries. What later became the Sperry Corporation, before a series of corporate mergers, eventually became a part of the American global IT company Unisys. Following the merger, some of its former divisions were sold off and have gone on to form parts of Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, United Technologies and finally Northrop Gruman. Last year, each company had revenues of more than $30 billion. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/19/how-autopilot-was-born-a-century-ago1.html Back to Top Elon Musk: SpaceX Starship prototype to fly from Florida in coming months A prototype of SpaceX's heavy-lift rocket that could one day send humans on deep-space missions could begin flying within the coming months, according to CEO Elon Musk. Named "Starship," Musk responded via Twitter Friday night that the Texas and Florida prototypes are scheduled to fly in two to three months. The aerospace company is currently building its Starship prototypes in two locations: Boca Chica as well as in the isolated dirt pathway on Cidco Road here in Cocoa. Simultaneously building multiple Starships in both locations, Musk said in May, they would look to see which location is most effective. "Both sites will make many Starships," Musk said via Twitter. "This is a competition to see which location is most effective. Answer might be both." In order to be ready to fly from Kennedy Space Center pad 39A, Musk said a separate Starship launch structure is being built off-site. As for what will happen to the old launch tower in pad 39A. Musk said, "(It) won't change. Starship launch structure will be attached to the other side from tower." The ultimate goal is to build a Starship and Super Heavy rocket - the massive booster that will carry Starship, which together would stand at nearly 400-feet in height and would send crewed and cargo missions beyond low-Earth orbit including to the moon and Mars. SpaceX already has its first paying customer for Starship - a Japanese billionaire, Yusaku Maezawa, has paid for several seats on Starship for a trip around the moon scheduled no earlier than 2023, one year before NASA is scheduled to return humans to the moon. The first full test flight is currently scheduled for no earlier than 2020. Meanwhile, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 40, SpaceX is targetting to launch its cargo Dragon spacecraft atop its Falcon 9 rocket for the 18th mission under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract on July 24, the 50th anniversary of when Apollo 11 splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. https://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2019/07/20/elon-musk-spacex-starship- prototype-fly-florida-coming-months/1784871001/ Curt Lewis