September 23, 2021 - No. 74 In This Issue : Honeywell And Wood Introduce Groundbreaking Technologies To Support Efforts Toward Carbon-Neutral Sustainable Aviation Fuel : SKYBLUE Jet Aviation Celebrates Opening of New Cirrus Training Center : Airbus Reveals The Shape-Shifting Xtra-Performance Wing : The climate can't wait for electric planes. Sustainable fuel may be the answer : Sikorsky Helicopter Completes First Flight Using Biofuel : Turkey’s Baykar rolls out its vertical take-off, landing drone : Restarting International Travel with Technology : Vinata Aeromobility hopes to perform flying-car trial by 2023, flights by 2025, says CEO : Virtual Training for Real Applications : NASA, FAA Invite Media to Briefing on Air Traffic Control Updates : CREW DRAGON: FORMER PROJECT LEAD REVEALS STARK DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SPACEX AND NASA Honeywell And Wood Introduce Groundbreaking Technologies To Support Efforts Toward Carbon-Neutral Sustainable Aviation Fuel DES PLAINES, Ill. and ABERDEEN, Scotland, Sept. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) and Wood (LSE: WG) today announced a comprehensive package of technologies to support the effort to produce carbon-neutral aviation fuel. When used together, the technologies, which are based on Honeywell's UOP Ecofining process technology and Wood's hydrogen plant technology, could reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 100% using certain feedstocks when compared to traditional petroleum aviation fuel. The UOP Ecofining process technology converts waste oils, fats, and greases into Honeywell Green Jet FuelTM, a drop-in replacement for jet fuel. When using a feedstock such as used cooking oils, lifecycle GHG emissions can be reduced by 80% at this stage compared to conventional petroleum jet fuel. As the next step in enhancing the Ecofining process technology offering, Wood's technology will be integrated to use the byproducts of the UOP Ecofining process technology to produce renewable hydrogen, reducing lifecycle GHG emissions a further 10% when compared to the total GHG emissions produced by conventional petroleum jet fuel. The renewable hydrogen is then injected back into the Honeywell Ecofining process to remove feed impurities and create a cleaner burning renewable fuel. The carbon dioxide (CO2) that is generated from the production of the hydrogen can be captured and routed for permanent underground sequestration using the Honeywell H2 Solutions technology suite, further reducing lifecycle GHG emissions an additional 10% when compared to the total GHG emissions produced by conventional petroleum jet fuel. The combination of technologies results in an aviation fuel that is effectively carbon neutral compared to petroleum fuels. "The combination of these technologies from Honeywell and Wood greatly reduces fossil carbon dioxide emissions compared to traditional fuels by using byproducts to provide hydrogen for the Ecofining process," said Ben Owens, vice president and general manager of Honeywell Sustainable Technology Solutions. "As a result, a renewable fuels refinery can be essentially self-sustaining in hydrogen production while reducing the carbon intensity of the renewable fuels to very low levels." "Wood has a rich history of collaborating on technology developments with Honeywell and together we are now producing solutions for the production of carbon-neutral renewable fuels," said Andy Hemingway, President, Energy, Optimization, and Innovation, at Wood. "This solution utilizes our long-established experience in hydrogen plant technology to help fuel producers reduce operating costs while meeting sustainability goals with proven, reliable and efficient technologies." Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other federal government agencies worked together to introduce the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge with a goal to produce 3 billion gallons per year of sustainable aviation fuel by 2030 in the U.S. If those 3 billion gallons of SAF were produced using Honeywell's comprehensive package of technologies, it could result in the equivalent of 34 million metric tons of cumulative carbon dioxide avoided per year, depending on the oil and fat feedstock mix used. The UOP Ecofining process has been used for commercial production of sustainable aviation fuel since 2016 by World Energy in California. The facility remains the only 100% renewable jet fuel unit in the world. The Ecofining technology is used in most 100%-biofeed units producing renewable diesel and all the licensed renewable jet fuel production in the world today. Honeywell UOP currently has licensed 22 Ecofining units in nine countries around the world, processing 12 different types of renewable feedstocks. Wood is a FTSE 250 company and a global leader in engineering and consultancy across energy and the built environment, helping to unlock solutions to some of the world's most critical challenges. The company provides consulting, projects, and operations solutions in more than 60 countries, employing around 40,000 people. Wood is a pioneer in hydrogen production technology with an experience list of more than 120 hydrogen and synthesis gas plants worldwide. Wood's hydrogen technology, based on their unique Terrace Wall™ reforming furnace, has been selected for more than 120 hydrogen and synthesis gas plants worldwide. Honeywell UOP (www.uop.com) is a leading international supplier and licensor of process technology, catalysts, adsorbents, equipment, and consulting services to the petroleum refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries. Honeywell UOP is part of Honeywell's Performance Materials and Technologies strategic business group, which also includes Honeywell Process Solutions (www.honeywellprocess.com), a pioneer in automation control, instrumentation and services for the oil and gas, refining, petrochemical, chemical and other industries. Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 technology company that delivers industry specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help everything from aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/honeywell-and-wood-introduce-groundbreaking-technologies-to-support-efforts-toward-carbon-neutral-sustainable-aviation-fuel-301383441.html SKYBLUE Jet Aviation Celebrates Opening of New Cirrus Training Center STUART, Fla., Sept. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- SKYBLUE Jet Aviation, now the exclusive Cirrus Training Center (CTC) between Pompano and Melbourne, Florida will be hosting an invitation-only cocktail reception to launch the opening of its new training center. The event will be held atSKYBLUE Jet Aviation (KSUA), 2315 SE Witham Field Drive on September 30th, from 4-7pm. The CTC event will feature Cirrus aircraft on display and discussions with SKYBLUE Jet Aviation Executives, Cirrus management and Cirrus Standardized Instructor Pilots (CISPs). During the reception, guests can explore the latest in Cirrus Aircraft technology and range of aircraft with a 2021 Generation 6 SR Series and SF50 Vision Jet on display®. Attendees will also be able to experience and schedule flight training or rental of SKYBLUE's new SR20, a five-seat aircraft with features such as Cirrus Airframe Parachute System® (CAPS®), Cirrus Perspective + avionics by Garmin featuring 10" screens, digital 4-in-1 standby instrument, which provides backup altitude, airspeed, attitude, and slip/skid data. They will also provide a glimpse at some of the aircraft's luxury features including remote keyless entry, interior/exterior ambient convenience lighting, and the Carbon, Platinum and Rhodium design suites with premium leather and bolstered seats. "We are thrilled to be a Cirrus Training Center, this marks a new era for SkyBlue," said Tomas Bueno, CEO for SKYBLUE Jet Aviation. As a CTC, SKYBLUE is now part of the Cirrus Global Network of training centers with Cirrus Instructor Pilots. As a Cirrus Training partner, SKYBLUE maintains stringent standards, performance targets and integrates smart technology. The Cirrus Aircraft and SKYBLUE Jet Aviation brands are synonymous with safety, innovative technology, and superior customer service. Established in 2013, SKYBLUE Jet Aviation is a family-run aviation company based in Stuart, Florida. They operate out of Witham Field Airport. The company prides itself on delivering the highest level of service and quality, with the industry's topflight instructors. SKYBLUE Jet Aviation is known for their strong focus on service, technology and the community including the Stuart Airshow event each Fall. From flight training to Maintenance Services, every SKYBLUE Jet Aviation customer served becomes part of the family. Ensuring they are provided the tools, training, and assistance to be competent and confident to fly an aircraft safely as a proficient pilot. SKYBLUE Jet aviation maintains the highest safety and professional standards for its training department and goes above and beyond for all clients who use its aircraft management services. To learn more about SKYBLUE Jet Aviation and Cirrus Aircraft Training in the SR20, contact us at http://www.skyblueja.com/contact-team https://www.yahoo.com/now/skyblue-jet-aviation-celebrates-opening-200500161.html Airbus Reveals The Shape-Shifting Xtra-Performance Wing Airbus has today revealed a creative new wing demonstrator. The Xtra-Performance Wing can increase its wingspan and has gust sensors to change its shape during flight. The natural evolution Airlines across the globe are determined to optimize efficiency. By doing so, they can cut both costs and emissions, two prime goals of the market. Wing advances have long contributed to efficiency increases over the years. For instance, winglets save the industry billions of dollars every year by reducing induced drag. So, it’s not a surprise that Airbus is keen to keep innovating the wing. Sabine Klauke, Chief Technical Officer at Airbus proudly shared details about what had been going under the moniker of X-wing. At the Airbus Summit in Toulouse today, she explained that the demonstrator is another instance of her company’s technology-oriented solutions to decarbonize aviation activity. With it, the firm is making great progress in active control technology via research and applied testing of numerous technologies based on nature. “It brings us to the subject where you could think about flying birds and how they adapt in the different flight missions or the different parts of the flight in terms of span, in terms of shape, and in terms of aerodynamics.” – Sabine Klauke, at the Airbus Summit. A dedicated force The demonstrator is being conducted under Airbus’ subsidiary, UpNext. This branch concentrates on future technologies and accelerating their research and development. In doing so, it is actively shaping the aerospace industry. It utilizes demonstrators to emulate, mature, and verify new projects. Airbus is significantly focused on its wing ambitions. Its ‘Wing of Tomorrow’ research and technology program is making major breakthroughs amid the assembly of its first full-size wing prototype. This initiative looks to test the latest composites and new aerodynamic tech. Airbus also hopes to evaluate how wing manufacturing can transition to the new climate. With the program, three full-size prototype wings will be produced. One will help to understand systems integration, while another will be compared with computer modeling. The third unit will help ramp up industrial production. The Xtra-Performing Wing is expected to fly by the middle middle of the decade. Notably, those in attendance at the Airbus Summit hint that it will be Airbus’ grandest wing revolution since the Sharklet, which was launched in 2009. The bigger picture Airbus is fixed on helping the aviation industry reach sustainability goals over the next few decades. Within the market, airlines and airports have net-zero targets for 2050. So, creative touches such as this wing demonstrator will undoubtedly help with these ambitious motives. https://simpleflying.com/airbus-reveals-the-shape-shifting-xtra-performance-wing/ The climate can't wait for electric planes. Sustainable fuel may be the answer More than 50 airlines, oil companies and other companies, including Delta, BP and Boeing, pledged on Wednesday to replace 10% of global jet fuel supply with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2030. It is one of the boldest commitments yet to tackle the environmental impact of air travel and will require an exponential increase in the production of SAF, which currently accounts for only 0.1% of jet fuel used in commercial aviation. Produced mainly from recycled food and agricultural waste, such as used cooking oil, SAF is a type of biofuel that cuts greenhouse gas emissions by 80% compared to conventional jet fuel, and is viewed as critical to reducing aviation's fast-rising carbon emissions. Given that electric and hydrogen-powered planes won't be available for at least another decade, even for short-haul flights, SAF "holds one of the most important keys to decarbonizing aviation," said Matteo Mirolo, aviation policy officer at Transport & Environment, a green campaign group in Europe. But SAF's green credentials come at a hefty price, and it's in very short supply. That's what makes Wednesday's announcement from the "Clean Skies for Tomorrow" coalition so ambitious. Other signatories include Airbus, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines and Shell. SAF currently costs between two and eight times more than its fossil fuel-based alternative. In 2019, fewer than 200,000 metric tons were produced globally — less than 0.1% of the roughly 300 million metric tons of jet fuel used by commercial airlines, according to a November 2020 report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and McKinsey, which has also signed up to the pledge as a business that relies on air travel. The report found that if all publicly announced SAF projects are completed, volumes will reach just over 1% of expected global jet fuel demand in 2030 — a fraction of the target unveiled on Wednesday. "This is a fundamental step up in the industry," said Anna Mascolo, president of Shell Aviation, which this week announced it would produce 2 million metric tons of SAF a year by 2025, or 10 times more than what was produced globally in 2019. "We need to put more effort into decarbonizing the [aviation] sector," Mascolo told CNN Business, adding that "sustainability will have a price." Who will pay is unclear. Germany's Lufthansa says fewer than 1% of its passengers currently make use of an option to offset their CO2 emissions by paying more for their tickets to cover the extra cost of using SAF. According to Mascolo, cargo operators, whose revenues are more resilient than passenger carriers, will play a key role in SAF investments, as will companies that want to offset emissions from business travel. Fueling demand The pledge unveiled on Wednesday seeks to send a "strong demand signal" to the market so that fuel producers have more confidence investing into SAF, said Lauren Uppink Calderwood, head of aviation, travel and tourism industries at the WEF, which brought the coalition of companies together. "We need to see money going into new [SAF] plants," she added, noting that there are currently only about three producing significant volumes, with a further 10 sites expected next year. To encourage more business travelers to cover the higher costs of SAF, the coalition — which also includes Bank of America, Deloitte, and Boston Consulting Group — has developed a SAF certification system that enables companies to buy SAF to offset their emissions from travel. This is important for companies that have already set net zero emissions targets. "Carriers alone aren't going to be able to carry the cost burden," Uppink Calderwood said. "If they were to commit to purchasing the fuel they wouldn't be able to sustain their business," she added, saying that the purpose of the coalition is to distribute the risk and cost across the value chain. A growing number of airlines around the world are already using SAF in their operations, but generally in small amounts blended with standard jet fuel. Over the past decade, SAF has been used on 360,000 commercial flights, the vast majority of which took place in the past five years, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). IATA estimates forward purchase agreements for SAF will total $13 billion this year, up from just $2.5 billion in 2016. That number could reach $30 billion by 2025, which would still amount to less than a fifth of the global airline industry's jet fuel bill in 2019, according to IATA. Governments are also adopting policies to promote and even mandate the use of SAF, which experts say will be critical to boosting supply and demand. Norway and Sweden, for example, require that a minimum amount of aviation fuel sold in the countries must be SAF. SAF mandates have also been proposed in the United Kingdom and European Union, while the current US administration is contemplating incentives to support SAF production, according to a recent Reuters report. "In 2016 there were two countries that had a SAF policy, now there are 36 countries," said Chris Goater, head of corporate communications at IATA. "More and more governments are starting to see the benefit of embracing SAF in different ways. Ultimately, that's got to give momentum to some sort of global agreement," he added. Decarbonizing aviation The pandemic delivered a sharp cut to aviation's carbon emissions in 2020, but the reduction promises to be temporary. Global air traffic is expected to double to 8.2 billion passengers in 2037, according to IATA, which predicts that aviation's 2019 emissions peak of around 900 million metric tons of CO2 will be exceeded within the next two to three years. At the same time, the window to cut the world's reliance on fossil fuels and avoid catastrophic changes to the climate is closing rapidly. The International Energy Agency forecasts that aviation's share of global carbon emissions will increase to 3.5% by 2030 from just over 2.5% in 2019 in the absence of efforts to further decarbonize. While the aviation sector has not yet committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 — a goal that some experts say is necessary to align with the Paris climate goals — SAF will nonetheless be critical to helping the industry reach its existing goal of halving carbon emissions by 2050 relative to a 2005 baseline. That amounts to a threefold reduction on emissions in 2019. "Aviation has a huge climate problem and if we don't provide it with SAF, it's not going to start solving its problem," said Mirolo at Transport & Environment. But not all SAF is created equal. There are multiple ways to produce the fuel, not all of which are considered sustainable. For example, reusable plastics and even some edible oils and sugars generate more CO2 than jet fuel over their lifecycle when burned. There are also concerns that fueling planes with edible material may increase demand for land, putting food security at risk while contributing to deforestation and therefore increasing greenhouse gas emissions. "Sustainable aviation fuel can live up to its name only if the feedstock fulfills sustainability criteria," according to the report by the WEF and McKinsey, which lists waste and residue oils, such as used cooking oil and animal fats, as among the more sustainable raw materials. Other sustainable raw materials include various agricultural and forestry residues and municipal solid waste, although the processes to turn them into SAF are more complex and the technology not yet available at scale. By far the cleanest means of producing SAF is through combining green hydrogen with carbon dioxide captured directly from the atmosphere to produce synthetic fuel. This is sometimes called e-kerosene or power-to-liquid. But the technology to develop this is immature and it could take a decade before it is widely available, according to Sami Jauhiainen, vice president of business development at Finland's Neste, currently the world's largest SAF producer. "We are actively looking at investment opportunities on the e-fuel side," Jauhiainen told CNN Business. He said that the challenge of decarbonizing aviation is such that a range of technologies and feedstocks need to be explored. "If you look at the urgency we are dealing with in tackling climate change, and the carbon budget we have available to meet a 1.5 degrees Celsius trajectory, we can't wait to have e-fuels," he added. https://www.kake.com/story/44792833/the-climate-cant-wait-for-electric-planes-sustainable-fuel-may-be-the-answer Sikorsky Helicopter Completes First Flight Using Biofuel Sikorsky has approved the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), often referred to as biofuel, for the S-92 helicopter as an alternative to petroleum-based fuels and the aircraft completed its first flight. The approval occurs as companies across the aviation industry are taking steps to meet environmental challenges, including transitioning to sustainable aviation fuels derived from renewable non-fossil fuel sources and utilized by aircraft certified for Jet A/A-1 fuels. CHC Helikopter Service of Norway, was the first to fly the S-92 helicopter using Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (HEFA-SPK) which is one of seven types of approved SAFs available today. SAFs are capable of reducing lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80% when compared to petroleum-based jet fuels. HEFA-SPK is produced from waste and residual feedstock such as used cooking oil. GE Aviation, which manufactures the CT7-8A engines that power the S-92 helicopter, supports Sikorsky’s ambitions to reduce carbon emissions through the use of SAF. GE is heavily involved in the qualifying and testing of approved SAF blends. Norwegian offshore helicopters will be the first to fly commercial flights on biofuel on the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter. The use of biofuel across the S-92 global fleet is an additional benefit to the offshore oil and gas mission. https://www.mbtmag.com/home/news/21735051/sikorsky-helicopter-completes-first-flight-using-biofuel Turkey’s Baykar rolls out its vertical take-off, landing drone Leading defense company Baykar has unveiled for the first time its newly designed drone that can hover, take off and land vertically at Turkey’s largest technology and aviation event, Teknofest. The flight tests of the vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) are due to be completed soon. Mass production and delivery phases are expected to start in 2022. The new UAV does not need a landing track and can take off from several different places, including naval or mobile platforms, said Burak Özbek, an air vehicle design engineer at Baykar, which is already known worldwide for its landmark Bayraktar TB2 and Akıncı drones. The UAV takes off using its four electric engines, then flies using its internal combustion engine, Özbek told Anadolu Agency (AA) Thursday. “We are currently completing flight tests, after which we hope that we will be able to see their mass production and delivery in 2022,” he said. Thanks to its hybrid engine system, the UAV can fly up to 12 hours, the engineer said, adding that its engine can also charge the vehicle’s battery. It has a take-off weight is 50 kilograms (110 pounds) and can carry 5 kilograms of useful loads, like thermal cameras, laser designators or distance meters, Özbek said. With a wingspan of 5 meters (16 feet), the UAV is capable of taking off from a 20-meter by 20-meter (66-foot by 66-foot) area. “Its operational altitude is 9,000 feet (2,743 meters) but it can fly up to 15,000 feet,” Özbek said, adding its flying speed is around 40-50 knots. Indigenous engine The UAV is an observer drone and Baykar works with domestic and foreign partners on the systems installed in it, he said. The company said that the tested UAV is equipped with an engine produced by Turkish engine maker Erin Motors. This engine has an electronic fuel injection system, making it much more reliable, he said, adding that there are only a few similar UAVs in the world. The UAV technology is in direct proportion to battery technology, he stressed and said its new versions have a higher capacity for carrying ammo. Stressing that the avionics, electronic systems and software in this UAV have already proven themselves in the Bayraktar TB2 and Akıncı UAVs, he explained that Baykar uses the same systems for all of its vehicles. One of the biggest aviation events in the world, Teknofest kicked off Tuesday, drawing thousands of aerospace and technology enthusiasts to Atatürk Airport. The six-day event is hosting a range of activities, from air shows featuring warplanes, UAVs and helicopters, to seminars, summits, competitions and fairs. The 2021 edition has seen some technology competitions take place prior to the main event. The festival features dozens of competitions in categories like smart transportation, helicopter design, biotechnology, robotics, flying cars, rockets and unmanned underwater systems. Organized by the T3 Foundation and the Industry and Technology Ministry, Teknofest is held in various Turkish cities in even years and in the metropolis of Istanbul in odd years. Over 200,000 students in 45 teams applied for this year’s competitions, marking a significant increase from the previous three years. Around 100,000 visitors are allowed in an area of 450,000 square meters (4.84 million square feet) at the same time due to pandemic-related measures. Last year, the event was organized virtually in southern Gaziantep province due to pandemic measures. In 2019, some 1.72 million people visited the event in Istanbul. https://www.dailysabah.com/business/tech/turkeys-baykar-rolls-out-its-vertical-take-off-landing-drone Restarting International Travel with Technology After a promising spring and summer filled with vaccinations and loosening quarantine restrictions, the delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) is now reminding the world it’s still in the midst of a pandemic. For those vaccinated, the world and skies are more open than they were a year ago, with the new obstacle being how to verify the vaccination status of would-be world travelers. It’s a problem vaccine passports and biometric technology are solving. Rise of the Travel Pass The IATA Travel Pass was originally conceived and worked on as a contactless travel app before the pandemic struck. When COVID-19 emerged and shuttered the aviation industry, the IATA development team retuned the app to serve as a tool to help aviation rebound. Now, 51 airlines from all corners of the globe have enrolled with and are trialing the IATA Travel Pass. “Historically, we were working on a contactless application and the objective of that application was to use facial recognition in order to process the passengers throughout the airport in a more fluid way,” explains Frédéric Leger, director, airport, passenger, cargo and security products, IATA. The Travel Pass would have travelers scan their passports, take a picture of themselves along with a motion capture to prove they’re alive, then put that digital identification on their phone. Then a passenger could transmit that data via the Travel Pass to the airline and airport and go seamlessly through the airport using only facial recognition. Leger says that they had a handful of airlines and governments working with them on the app when COVID-19 surfaced. “We immediately identified the fact that, of course, not handing over the paper passport and the paper boarding pass would already be a benefit in the crisis. But then, we also realized that we could, at the same time, include the test certificate, and, at a later stage, the passport certificate into the app and link it to our 60-years-old thematic platform where we are, in fact, checking the regulatory requirements for one individual to travel from one region to a destination through a transit point,” explains Leger. He adds that at the same time, IATA was being asked to enter the vaccine passport space as there were other digital health providers positioning themselves as an intermediary between the airlines and the passengers at a potentially high cost for the industry. “So, clearly having in mind those different aspects, we have entered that space,” Leger continues. Like all of their products, IATA designed the Travel Pass in conjunction with the industry, taking in feedback from airlines and governmental bodies. Leger says all their solutions are based on industry standards and the Travel Pass is building off existing IATA framework – One ID – which is a prior initiative launched for the digital identification of passengers. “We have set up an industry, a user group, whereby we have 20 airlines from around the world, of different sizes, helping us to define what is it we want to develop within the app. So, it was very driven by the airlines themselves,” Leger says. On the governmental side, the challenge has been keeping up with the shifting regulatory landscape COVID-19 creates. Leger notes they are constantly monitoring the regulatory requirements and what governments want to introduce, “because IATA has, historically, a very good relationship with governments and with international organizations.” “We’re managing the travel requirement regulations. They were doing it for passports, visas, and now they are focusing also on the health aspect,” he continues. “As you can imagine, the rules are changing, because some countries are moving from green or orange to red countries. So, the team is very, very busy.” The Travel Pass is updated daily, with Leger saying that the app used to be updated roughly 50 times a week and now it is updated more than 200 times. The app has peaked above 200 updates in a single day due to COVID regulation changes. “For example, when the European Commission is introducing the Vaccine Certificate and the QR code that is made available on your paper certificate or on the digital certificate, obviously Travel Pass is able to scan that QR code and to generate your digital Vaccination Certificate or Test Certificate into Travel Pass. It’s for you to use it, to check against the regulations, to see if it’s good for your destination and transit point, but also to use on your phone to show to the different stakeholders that you have been vaccinated and that it’s not a fake certificate,” Leger says. The Travel Pass is also able to interface with different vaccine passport programs and differing government’s regulatory apps and frameworks. “The app is able to scan the different QR codes that are made available from the different governments. So, in Singapore or in Qatar or in China, they were the first countries to issue the certificate with a QR code that can be flashed by an application for you to ingest the information of your certificate on your phone and create that digital certificate. So, today I think we have written more than 30 types of QR codes from different parts of the world. And we are adding new countries’ QR codes, as soon as they make it available. So, that’s one way we connect the different landscapes developed by the governments,” Leger says. The other way the Travel Pass connects to verify a passenger’s status is via a government’s national database of tests and certificates. The app can pull from a connected government’s database of tests or vaccination certifications for a passenger to then show at the airport. “We are also giving the possibility for you, if you decide so, to share your digital certificate with the airlines or with the governments, so that you can be processed a little bit faster than if you have to show your phone,” points out Leger. “But again, this remains the decision made by the passenger. So, you are prompted before your flight or you’re prompted with a suggestion for you to share your information, if you wish to, and then you can have access to fast track.” Securing and maintaining passenger privacy is a core tenant of the app. Leger says the Travel Pass would be ineffective, losing passenger’s trust, if it didn’t put privacy first and ensure the sensitive information it relays stays secure. “I think, it is very important for the passengers that we preserve the privacy of the passenger, because we don’t store the data. The data is always on your phone. And if you delete the app, the information is deleted on the phone. So, you have also the guarantee that the information, your personal information, is not going to be shared, unless you decide to do so with the government,” he says. “I don’t think an app like that would ever work if we didn’t respect the privacy of the passengers. And that’s a fundamental aspect of the solution.” Trialing the Travel Pass For an airline to utilize the IATA Travel Pass, they first need to trial it, which IATA invites them to do. “There’s the soft aspect of the project and the more hard aspect of the project. The soft aspect of the project is, obviously, for the airlines to select a route where they are going to try out the application. And then they have to inform their staff first and then the passengers who are going to be part of the trial, for them to download the app and explain to them what’s the benefit and how it will work. And then, of course, their staff is aware, so that when the passenger is coming with the app, they know what to do with it and to ask the right questions. And for that, usually, it’s a three to four weeks trial,” explains Leger. All Nippon Airways (ANA) was the first airline in Japan to trial the Travel Pass, beginning their journey with the app in March and conducting their trial at the end of May. “We worked closely with IATA to determine the details of the trial. At the end of May, ANA successfully conducted a two-week trial on our Tokyo/Haneda–Honolulu and Tokyo/Haneda–New York/JFK routes,” says Miku Kaminogo, manager of Alliances & International Affairs at ANA. “The trial was in line with ANA’s goal to seek innovative digital solutions and help customers seamlessly and securely manage their international travel in order to meet the latest global COVID-19 health requirements.” ANA is now currently in the process of evaluating the commercial and technical requirements for implementation. The airline is also in close communications with the Japanese authorities as government acceptance of IATA Travel Pass is a critical factor for implementation, says Kaminogo. Japan Airlines (JAL) started their trial in June and finished at the end of August. “Since earlier on in 2021, through learning the functions and the potential possibility this app could deliver to international travel, we decided to launch a trial period to understand the features and any operational adjustments necessary,” says Saori Utsunomiya, assistant manager digital CX strategy and innovation, JAL. Utsunomiya adds that the small market of international air travel affected the number of participating customers. “However, JAL gained 200 participants despite the circumstances,” Utsunomiya continues. “Although there is room for improvement, we believe the trial has been successful overall with no critical issues. We have learned the amount of time consumed at the check-in counter to confirm the customer’s travel health requirements via IATA Travel Pass has drastically decreased compared to checking paper test certificates – from taking 3 minutes per customer to as fast as 10 seconds in average” ANA officials say that with being the first airline to trial the Travel Pass in Japan, there was a good amount of interest around the app. On May 11, ANA invited customers to participate in the trial. The trial was conducted on ANA’s Haneda-Honolulu and Haneda-New York/JFK routes from May 24 to June 6, with about 50 passengers registered for it. “We believe the benefits of IATA Travel Pass include: allowing travelers to check the latest travel and health requirements of their destination and verify whether they meet them, providing a touchless and seamless experience, managing passenger data in a secure way, and reducing the risk of fraudulent COVID-19 test and vaccination certificates,” says Kaminogo. Leger says that as part of the trial, IATA surveys the passengers to understand their views on the application. And IATA also surveys the staff of the airlines to get their feedback. Then on the hard side of the process is giving the airlines the option to integrate the Travel Pass into their own app. “So, the objective of what we have developed is not for IATA to make available the app. It’s more for the airlines to integrate the functionality of Travel Pass into their own app. Because if you travel with an airline, you want to use the app of the airline’s to do all of the functionalities that I’ve just described, be it the digital ID, or be it understanding the regulatory requirements, or even defining where you can be tested in a lab and collecting your information on the airline app to then do your check-in and to do your booking and to issue and to print your boarding pass,” Leger says. Airlines also have the option of using the IATA Travel Pass app outside of their own app, if they choose not to integrate it. ANA officials say the app addresses key pain points for passengers, helping them keep on top of the regularly changing COVID regulations around the world, and also takes some of the burden off of airlines who are responsible for ensuring passengers are compliant with these regulations. “From the airline perspective, we are often responsible for ensuring that passengers comply with entry requirements. Yet, we have no way of verifying the authenticity of test and vaccine information presented by travelers. Furthermore, because it takes significant time to check each document, it will be extremely time consuming and resource intensive for check-in agents to verify every single passenger once travel demand picks up,” says Kaminogo. “We think that a securely managed app such as IATA Travel Pass will help address the challenges mentioned above and contribute to the restart of travel.” Utsunomiya says that JAL received similarly positive feedback from their passengers who chose to utilize the app. “We have received positive responses such as: Since it is digitalized and stored in your own device it is impossible to lose compared to paper certificates, there is no need to revisit the clinic to receive paper certificate, check-in procedure became faster and smoother, being able to see the verification prior to departure provided peace of mind, the app functions without any internet once the personal data is registered,” Utsunomiya says. Though, Utsunomiya also notes that there were some challenges with the app that the airline had to overcome. The limitation of healthcare institutions that were able to issue COVID-19 test results via IATA Travel Pass decreased the opportunities of customers who did not live nearby or if they had a preferred clinic not listed. In the future, the increase of healthcare institutions is expected which will make the app more reachable and practical for travelers. “Also, since the IATA Travel Pass app is only delivered in English as of today, we had to take extra steps in creating Japanese instructions to make clear of how to use the app. We will hope for the IATA Travel Pass itself to cover multilanguage, or either consider a way to translate the app through system integration,” Utsunomiya adds. The Biometric Boon When the pandemic comes to an end, Leger says the Travel Pass will continue to live on as a contactless travel and biometric app. “We always had in mind that if and when COVID would disappear, the application that you have downloaded, and that you are using to manage your digital identity, or to understand the regulatory requirements, will still be of use after the crisis. So, we have tried to build a product that is sustainable beyond the crisis. Of course, today the primary focus is making sure that the industry restarts and that people can understand the requirements, get their tests and certificate, and then use that to travel,” Leger says. “But when these will disappear, hopefully in the next 18 to 24 months, the app might still be used for the contactless purpose or for additional services that we are thinking about right now.” However, biometric technology and contactless travel has been an area where the United States has lagged compared to other areas. Hans Miller, co-founder of Airside, says, though, the pandemic has accelerated the acceptance and deployment of biometric technology and speculates that it will be adopted sooner than it would have without it. “We think that what the industry calls ‘seamless travel’ is being greatly accelerated by the pandemic. Seamless travel is the idea of using facial recognition technology in place of presenting physical documentation at every touch point along your journey,” Miller says. “We think along with that, you’re going to see some interesting twists,” he continues. “It wouldn’t surprise me to see reservation systems pop up for going through security or visiting a certain destination, like Venice, Italy. This would enable a metered flow through choke points. We think that things like fast lanes where you’re pre-approved or pre-cleared, like TSA Pre-Check, will become even more important and popular to increase the flow of people and reduce crowding in lines.” For example, Airside is currently partnered with American Airlines to provide a mobile ID verification service for bag check and lounge access. “The trial was very successful. We’re thankful for our partners at American Airlines and Thales, who really are doing a phenomenal job. There are many, many other tests and pilots and prototypes being rolled out around the world using facial recognition to make travel faster and easier with less crowding and fewer lines,” Miller points out. Miller says biometric identity technology is enabling seamless travel in airports like Dubai and Shanghai, but that the U.S. is not yet at the biometric tipping point. “When everyone becomes more educated about biometrics and comfortable with how they can be used safely and securely, you’ll see them used interoperably everywhere, or at least at a critical mass number of locations, and that will be the tipping point. It’s similar to the way we got used to using mobile boarding passes. It will snowball very, very quickly,” Miller says. He adds that one hurdle to creating seamless travel in the U.S. is solving for domestic security checkpoints and having the TSA evolve from checking physical IDs. “We think TSA is on the cusp of being able to accept digital IDs. I’ll let them speak to that, but they’ve certainly been quite vocal that that’s their goal. We think that within the next 12 months, we’ll see a dramatic increase in the number of test and prototype sites. We expect to see a continued rollout of facial recognition for seamless travel at all access points, like bag check, check-in, TSA security and boarding, at pretty much every major airport in the U.S.,” Miller says. In Japan, Utsunomiya says that JAL has already implemented their own biometric and seamless travel technology. “The digital credential platforms, travel passes and vaccine certificates, are expected to play a role to realize a seamless and contactless travel. Japan Airlines has already introduced ‘Face Express’ — a seamless check-in process by using facial recognition system. In future, there is a possibility that digital credential platforms such as IATA Travel Pass, which has a feature to register each user’s facial data and passport data in everyone’s device, to be integrated to the seamless travel process,” Utsunomiya explains. Utsunomiya adds that they see the future of travel becoming more and more digital in the wake of COVID-19. “Digitalization of all travel requirements including COVID-19 test results, vaccine certificates will boost the efficiency of international travel. On the other hand, consideration for non-digital customers is mandatory to provide air travel in the post COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the digital/paper formats should become globally standardized so that all travel industry stakeholders as well as each country’s government authorities are able to validate the requirements instantly for all customers,” Utsunomiya continues. Miller says misconceptions about the technology remain in the U.S. Privacy remains the largest concern among passengers. But the way some of the technology is designed can help eliminate the concerns. “When you’re talking about this type of program, an access program, a travel program, not criminal investigations, the biggest thing for people to know is that the actual image of their fingerprint or the actual image of their face doesn’t need to be stored centrally. What the technology is using for the most part are templates. The software will look at your biometric and pick certain reference points that are particularly useful, and then match it up with your face or your fingerprint when you present yourself the next time. It’s not something that somebody can go back and say, ‘this is definitely full prints for this person.’ At least, that’s not how we’ve built our technology at Airside,” Miller says. Miller reiterates, however, that the pandemic has shown what the benefits of biometric technology are and says the pandemic has been a double-edged sword in that regard. On the one hand, it has shown the benefits of adopting the technology, while on the other it has caused operational hurdles that prevent the technology from being able to gain a foothold as the pandemic rages on. “I think that the pandemic has really increased the level of interest in this because it’s touchless, it’s faster, there’s a lot of health benefits to go into a seamless travel digital ID future,” Miller says. “And you’ve seen that play out in things like other verticals, like telehealth. “The pandemic has brought an operational hammer blow to airlines and airports and TSA, as they struggled to deal with the complete collapse of volume followed by the surge that’s come this summer,” Miller continues. “The pandemic has made it really clear what the benefits of seamless travel will be, and what we see is a lot of preparatory work going on across the industry right now with multiple airlines working to get their programs lined up. As day-to-day operations stabilize, we expect to see these new innovations and new initiatives start to become more prevalent in the public eye.” Ultimately, to get international travel to return to its pre-pandemic levels, Leger says that biometric and seamless travel technology are a “must-have.” “Clearly, it helps the passengers. It helps the airlines, the airport, as well as the governments. And we are doing that in a very safe environment, of course, to make sure that we comply with the regulatory requirements and respect the rules and make sure that there are no additional infections by only transporting people who have been tested or who have been vaccinated. And that’s the primary objective of what we’re trying to do here and to help the restart,” Leger says. “The easing of travel restrictions by countries around the world will be the key to stimulating demand. The reopening of borders needs to be based on the epidemiological situation of each country,” Kaminogo adds. “We believe IATA Travel Pass will play an important role not only in restarting international travel, but also in driving the future of contactless travel. In the future, we hope that travelers will be able to utilize IATA Travel Pass and biometric technology to proceed through airport checkpoints using their face as their passport and boarding pass.” https://www.aviationpros.com/aviation-security/screening-technology/article/21233708/restarting-international-travel-with-technology Vinata Aeromobility hopes to perform flying-car trial by 2023, flights by 2025, says CEO According to Yogesh Ramanathan, Founder and CEO of Vinata Aeromobility, the company is hoping to perform flight trials of their Hybrid-electric Flying car by 2023 and make it available for Commercial flights by 2025. At present, they have the proof-of-concept for their technology and a scaled-down model is ready. Their designs show a 1-ton-weighing, two-seater vehicle that resembles a quadcopter. The company says that their vehicle is designed to carry a payload of 250kgs, at a top speed of 120kmph, with a 60-minute flight time endurance, while being powered by both bio-fuel and batteries. In a conversation with Zee media, Yogesh elaborated on the plans of his company and the flight path that lay ahead for them. The proposed vehicle is said to be made of lightweight and high-strength carbon fibre and composites and would be totally autonomous, while also providing the option for an onboard pilot. “We are working on this vehicle from 2019, flying car has been everyone’s childhood fascination. We’ve always wondered about how automobile technology is proven and aviation technology is proven, but why is there no flying car? I thought of using my experience in Industrial automobile engineering and ventured into my entrepreneurial journey," Yogesh says. They are a 15-member team with engineers from various domains, guided by veterans in the field of aviation and related disciplines. “Our goal is to reduce the hours taken for transportation to minutes and we are designing out vehicle with that in mind,” he said. He adds that the vehicle is designed keeping in mind passenger safety. According to him, the vehicle features Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), which uses multiple propellers and motors, in order to act as a backup in case of a failure. The working motors and propellers would be able to safely land the flying car. This is in addition to the backup power which provides electricity to the motor, in case the generator(bio-fuel) power is interrupted. Queried about the investment that went into the project, Yogesh said that the initial funding was from his own sources in the family. However, he added that they were looking at external funding in order to work on the full-scale model. He envisions the market cost of an operational flying car at around Rs 4-5crore. In terms of their business model, Vinata is looking at the sale of the vehicles, besides offering them as a service, based on demand. He added that their firm was looking at setting up a large R&D facility in one of the Indian states and is looking forward to Government support for the same. On when he foresees his technology to be a reality, he said, “We are hoping to have flight trials with our full-scale model by 2023 and hope to make it available for the common man by 2025, by when we would also establish Vertiports for Vertical take-off and landing”. Interestingly, their vehicle is not just about vertical take-off and landing(VTOL). Yogesh says that it would also be capable of travelling short distances on wheels, using its batteries. India’s Minister for Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia had recently tweeted about having seen the concept model of the hybrid flying car. “Once this takes off, flying cars would be used for transporting people &cargo, as well as for providing emergency medical services” read his tweet. The team is also headed for London to unveil their concept in greater detail at the Helitech Exhibition in London. https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-vinata-aeromobility-hopes-to-perform-flying-car-trial-by-2023-flights-by-2025-says-ceo-2912378 Virtual Training for Real Applications Virtual reality (VR) technology is changing the way many safety critical industries are delivering training, including aviation and aircraft ground handling. VR, as an immersive technology, is helping those organizations that are embracing it to streamline their operations, improve capabilities and improve personnel training. For the aviation industry, virtual reality and simulation is nothing new when it comes to pilot training, but for training on aircraft ground handling it is slowly making its in entry, according to Shantanu Gupta, founder and director of Tecknotrove Systems. “Given the expensive nature of the aviation industry and the high cost of making mistakes, VR makes business sense for training on aircraft ground handling. There are many documents made by several bodies, including IATA and ICAO, on the best practices and training procedures for maintaining safety on ground while handling aircraft,” he says. “But all of this data is analog, i.e., it is stored in books and presentations at best. We use VR to convert the training manual from analog to digital to make it more usable. VR is becoming a great asset for aviation companies to provide better service and train their staff in a more accurate way”. How Common is VR? KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has two VR courses available for aircraft ground handling at the moment: one is for attaching a jetway bridge to the aircraft, the other is for aircraft pushback. “When new personnel arrive who are responsible for these two specific tasks, they are trained by using VR. We supply the VR courses to colleges as well, where this training is delivered every day,” KLM officials say. VR training is being slowly but surely recognized as a new cost-efficient method for training personnel. “It is not very common yet, but the adaptation process has already started in many big companies, leading ground handlers, in general, as it was expected. Of course, for any big handling company with hundreds of stations spread across the globe, the investments are most likely to be returned very soon because of the easy scalability of such training solutions and it’s digital/virtual nature,” says Grigory Rodionov, founder and chief executive officer of AVIAR. “VR training has been evolving rapidly in different sectors around the world. According to IATA, VR can reduce training duration by 25 percent while simultaneously improving the knowledge retention of your trainees by four times,” says Cisse Abdoulaye, chief operations officer of ground handling and cargo at National Aviation Services (NAS). “While it has been established as a great tool for training, it has been slow on the uptake in the aviation sector, and ground handling in particular. This has been mainly due to two reasons – firstly the costs involved and secondly the scarce availability of such courses.” According to Rodionov, however, the future of VR training seems to look bright even though the growth was slowed down by the pandemic and its effect on the whole air transport industry. “Cutting the costs is still in the main priorities of top managers and it is understandably not easy for them to think of any innovations under that pressure. We expect that 2022 will be better than last year, and 2023-2024 hopefully will bring us a huge demand for VR training pushed by the full aviation sector recovery,” he says. Advantages and Disadvantages of VR Training According to Abdoulaye, VR training has several advantages over traditional training that include comfort, safety, adaptability, convenience, interest and retention. “The ramp environment can be very noisy, making it difficult to concentrate. VR provides a more suitable environment to focus on the training and get the hands-on experience required,” he says. “Working in a secure environment with no exposure to the ramp side threats makes the process safer and more secure while avoiding any security issues. Using VR means one does not need to utilize real company assets, so there is no chance of damage or inappropriate use of expensive equipment.” Systems can be used multiple times, so there are little technical issues to worry about. “For instance, if a real aircraft is involved, one cannot start and stop it multiple times. With VR, one can also replicate or have different scenarios in a variety of conditions thereby making VR a more convenient training tool,” says Abdoulaye. “In addition, VR allows repetition in a controlled environment, which generates more interest in the trainee and allows more information retention.” Gupta observes that theoretical training without interactivity does not keep the trainees engaged and thus leads to low retention of knowledge. “In addition, there are several constraints with classroom training like inability to train on weather conditions, emergency situations, low visibility operations. Whereas live training is risky, expensive and less practical because of it dependency on availability of an aircraft and access to airside VR training complements theoretical training with practical experience,” he says. “It helps trainees to be better engaged in the process as they are immersed in a realistic training environment. This, in turn, improves retention and learning. One can create multiple scenarios in a virtually realistic environment that allows trainees to familiarize themselves with the airside environment, different aircraft types, as well as learn to operate in varying levels of visibility during day and night and even practice in emergency situations that are not possible to create in real life conditions.” VR training is not to replace classwork. “The main purpose of VR is to add a new dimension to conventional training processes by bringing the realistic virtual airport into the classroom and let the students start developing their practical skills much earlier, getting an in-depth understanding of their future workplace and all the processes and the equipment nuances,” says Rodionov. Among the pros of VR training versus on-the-job training is the fact that VR training is much less expensive, according to Rodionov. “Just because it is all virtual. So, one can get rid of any associated costs like using real aircraft and equipment, parking stands, fuel, transportation, accommodation, insurances, supervisors, repairs and so on,” he says. “VR training does not require any special buildings, prepared and equipped areas, mock-up zones. Any classroom with 3m-by-3m empty space is fine. Unlike during conventional practice at the real ramp or mock-up area one is not limited by the exact type of equipment available.” VR training, however, also bears some limitations compared to traditional training. Aside from the upfront cost of implementing VR tools, one disadvantage is the chance of cyber sickness or comfort issues with extended wear of the goggles, observes Abdoulaye. “A minor human nature aspect could also be that trainees know that they are in simulations and errors will not cause any real damage. This may make them slightly less attentive or focused, but it is a very small probability,” he says. “VR training also isolates trainees from wider social interaction with peers, which has its own cons.” Rodionov observes that since training is all virtual, all objects in VR are weightless. “So, for instance, one can move a 200 kg tow-bar almost effortlessly. In most cases, we simulate the weight of the virtual objects via inertia and also, if the object is heavier than 30 kg, we block the free movement of it. For example, it just cannot be carried by hand, only by pushing or pulling along the surface. But many people do not see it as a huge problem, which affects the training goals,” he says. “In some cases, it takes time, from 3 to 15 minutes for some people to get used to controls and user movement in VR,” Rodionov continues. “It mostly happens to mature audiences. We see that younger people are completely fine with it. The comfort of VR headsets is in constant improvement, so every new generation is lighter, thinner and has a better image quality. But the best existing devices in terms of graphics quality and the realism still require a connection to a PC. So, this wire attachment is sometimes annoying. But we believe that it will be gone in two to three years.” Types of Training Abdoulaye believes that in ground handling, multiple courses can be delivered effectively through VR, especially those involving safety and equipment, customer service, etc. “This is mainly because trainees can get significant hands-on experience without the hesitation or nervousness of working on real equipment,” he says. “They can practice more in different conditions and scenarios, giving them more experience during training and finally protecting equipment since its expensive to buy and maintain.” “We cannot think of any ground handling training that could not be done in VR. But the most suitable involve expensive, hazardous and unsustainable environments,” KLM officials say. From AVIAR’s experience, VR is suited for all underwing operations, but especially for those where operators are in close contact with the aircraft. “Actually, the aircraft is the most expensive part of the turnaround process, and every minute an aircraft spends on the ground is strictly scheduled, so usually it is not possible to have the real aircraft just for training purposes. And here is where VR can really help,” says Rodionov. “In VR, one can practice with almost identical virtual aircraft as long as it is needed. Examples of such scenarios include aircraft marshalling, post arrival checks, chocks and cones placement, GSE connection/disconnection, passenger bridge operations, aircraft cargo doors operations, aircraft water servicing, aircraft toilet servicing, aircraft refueling, pre-departure checks, pushback.” Raising Safety Awareness Indeed, VR training can be used to raise safety awareness in aircraft ground handling. VR can be utilized to develop a culture and awareness of safety by creating scenarios which allows for significant practice and experience, according to Abdoulaye. “By ‘living’ an emergency situation in VR and seeing and understanding the impact of one’s decisions, one becomes even more aware of safety procedures,” KLM officials say. Most aircraft ground handling incidents occur when the aircraft is parked and when there is a close contact between the aircraft and ground support equipment, says Gupta. “An aircraft that breaks down just before take-off is an expensive problem that can costs millions. VR training solutions can help in improving safety awareness during aircraft ground handling for new recruits as well as the experienced staff,” he says. During ground operations, several pieces of equipment like passenger boarding bridges, baggage trucks and carts, pushback tractors and tow-bars, cargo loaders, refueling trucks and cleaning trucks come in close contact with the aircraft posing great risk to the airplane and the property, observes Gupta. “Safe operations during ground handling is a shared responsibility between operators and airports. Thus, group training in VR of drivers, pushback operators, wing walkers, ATC, security staff, rescue and firefighting, airport authorities can really help in improving safety awareness. VR training allows group training of multiple players operating in the same environment.” VR is the only type of media which lets the users find themselves inside the scene. “It is completely different from pictures or videos. For instance, one can literally walk around the aircraft and along the ramp with all the equipment and staff and find the problems. One can visualize any hazardous situation, as close to reality as possible, and can let students see it from the first person’s perspective,” he says. “Also, in some scenarios we recreate the aftermath of some major mistakes so the students can see how bad it could turn in case of error. And the efficiency of such training is undoubtedly high.” VR training will not likely completely replace on-the-job training in the near future. “However, VR will definitely help companies to improve the training process by filling the knowledge and skill gaps between the classroom and the real work. Better trained staff means safer and better operations and as a result operational cost reduction,” he concludes. https://www.aviationpros.com/ground-handling/ground-handlers-service-providers/ramp-operations-training/article/21235856/virtual-training-for-real-applications NASA, FAA Invite Media to Briefing on Air Traffic Control Updates NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will hold a virtual briefing for media Tuesday, Sept., 28 at 1 p.m. EDT to discuss efforts to improve the sustainability of aviation through the demonstration of more efficient airport operations, contributing to the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to tackle climate change. Panelists will include NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson, as well as several leading airport and airline partner representatives. To receive the Zoom registration link, media must RSVP by emailing their name, affiliation, and telephone number to J.D. Harrington at: j.d.harrington@nasa.gov by 11 a.m., two hours before the start of the event. Over the past five years, NASA’s Airspace Technology Demonstration 2 (ATD-2) project, which ends Thursday, Sept. 30, has demonstrated numerous benefits using new Integrated Arrival, Departure, and Surface (IADS) technology at both the Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The agency has transferred technology and knowledge from these demonstrations to the FAA for nationwide implementation. The ATD-2 IADS system improves the predictability and efficiency of surface operations at the nation’s busiest airports through time-based metering of departures, tools for scheduling departures into busy overhead traffic flows, and improved sharing of flight operations information among various airport stakeholders. For more information about NASA’s aeronautics research, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/aeroresearch https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-faa-invite-media-to-briefing-on-air-traffic-control-updates CREW DRAGON: FORMER PROJECT LEAD REVEALS STARK DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SPACEX AND NASA CAN AN ASTRONAUT TWEAK THEIR own rocket? Yes, but it depends on who made it. Garrett Reisman is someone with experience in two radically different space organizations. At NASA, he flew on three space shuttles across two trips to the International Space Station, one in 2008 (where Reisman arrived and returned on different shuttles) and one in 2010. In 2011 he joined SpaceX, where he helped develop the human-carrying Crew Dragon capsule that flew on the Inspiration4 mission. Speaking with Inverse, Reisman explains that the two organizations are worlds apart when it comes to getting things done — where SpaceX likes to move fast and adjust on the go, NASA is far more cautious in its decision-making. “[At SpaceX] we would make a decision in a single meeting that would take years to reach the same decision point at NASA,” he says. This cultural difference is perhaps best exemplified by Reisman’s experience of trying to get a change to the space shuttle. NASA had a shuttle cockpit avionics upgrade program to tweak the vehicle’s information displays — but even then, the team was extremely limited. Reisman’s job was to develop a new way of doing procedures in case of, say, engine failure. These procedures used a physical paper guide, so astronauts had to flick to the correct page, identify the fault, and follow the instructions. His improved method would use a tablet computer hooked up to the vehicle’s telemetry string. That way, instead of identifying the fault and flicking to the correct page, the tablet could locate the relevant issue and display the proper instructions. “That immediately got shot down,” he says. “There was no budget to do all the testing, we can’t possibly do anything that complicated!” Reisman had another idea. NASA printed the procedure guide in black and white. Could NASA print the manual in color to improve usability? He admitted that NASA might have to buy color printers, but wouldn’t it be worth it? “[They said] ‘what if people are colorblind?’,” Reisman says. “I'm like, ‘well, you test all of us to make sure we're not colorblind as part of the selection criteria.’ They're like, ‘well, still, we can't do it.’” Reisman ultimately managed to get one change of any substance into the procedure system. A lot of instructions had steps laid out with dashes to delineate the desired value. That could cause problems when the instruction read to “set temperature — 20,” as it could read as both 20 and minus 20. “So I said, ‘instead of using a dashed cut, we use an arrow,’” he says. “And they said, ‘okay!’ That's the one thing I changed!” Reisman once told the story to Chuck Yeager, the first pilot to fly faster than the speed of sound. Yeager lamented the fact that the astronauts weren’t involved enough in the design and operation of hardware. “I told him this whole story, and he just looked at me, and he said, ‘you sorry bastard!’” he says. “It was frustrations like that that helped precipitate the decision to go to SpaceX.” SPACEX AND NASA: WHY IS NASA SO SLOW? It’s important to note, Reisman explains, that NASA doesn’t work this way because it doesn’t want to move fast. It’s because of two main reasons: Complicated supply chains: NASA has several contracts, suppliers with subcontractors, and complex supply chains. SpaceX sources more of its components in-house, which means it can make more changes without drawing the ire of third-party suppliers. Aversion to risk: SpaceX hosted a series of uncrewed flights before moving to the crewed stage. That meant it could test ideas like landing a Falcon 9 booster on a drone ship or returning a Starship to Earth before adding people. NASA did not have the same luxury — the first shuttle launch to space in 1981 sent up two astronauts. While NASA conducted a series of test shuttle launches before the first crewed mission, they did not go as far as space. SpaceX didn’t start out with these benefits, Reisman explains. Instead, CEO Elon Musk initially started by visiting traditional aerospace suppliers for components. Musk took a “first principles” approach and asked why suppliers charged so much for something they could do in-house for a fraction of the cost. Those cost savings ultimately developed SpaceX’s in-house approach, fostering a Silicon Valley-style fast-moving culture to prototyping. This new approach has ultimately come to benefit NASA, too. The agency employed SpaceX to build the Crew Dragon to send astronauts to and from the ISS. In April 2021, it also announced it would use SpaceX’s under-development Starship as a lander for the Artemis crewed lunar missions. As the new era of space travel brings in new companies with new ideas, it could ultimately benefit the entire industry. https://www.inverse.com/innovation/spacex-nasa-culture-clash Curt Lewis