March 2, 2022 - No. 14 In This Issue : Maine aerospace company passes rocket engine test : Russian aerospace firms to be denied access to UK insurance : How Russia's invasion of Ukraine is changing air travel : Ukraine invasion: Has the time come for Indian aviation to be self-dependent? : North Carolina’s secret sauce for attracting new jobs? Community colleges : SWISS Plans to Become First Airline to Use Solar Fuel : Position Available: AFSEC hiring for Aerospace Engineer, GS-0861-15 Maine aerospace company passes rocket engine test BRUNSWICK, Maine (AP) — A Maine aerospace company has conducted a successful rocket engine test and can move forward on its plan to launch rockets. The company, bluShift Aerospace, conducted the test in front of hundreds of people via a YouTube livestream on Tuesday in Brunswick. The company said in a statement that the test went well and “clears a path toward the company’s next suborbital rocket, Starless Rogue, and orbital rocket, Red Dwarf.” The company plans to use the orbital rocket to deliver small satellites into polar orbit around Earth, The Times Record reported. The company launched a 20-foot (6-meter) prototype rocket a little more than 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) during a major test run in January 2021. The company is headquartered at the former Brunswick Naval Air Station. https://apnews.com/article/space-launches-business-maine-brunswick-fc251e6ce5d7c7d014621f4f43300ff6 Russian aerospace firms to be denied access to UK insurance Legislation will ban UK-based insurers or reinsurance firms from offering contracts linked to Russia Lloyd's of London said it was in ‘regular communications with the UK government and international regulators’. Photograph: Andrew Winning/Reuters Russia’s aerospace and aviation sectors will be blocked from accessing insurance through the UK market as part of Britain’s latest efforts to put pressure on Moscow over the invasion of Ukraine. The legislation, which is to be put before parliament in the coming days, will prevent UK-based insurance or reinsurance firms from offering contracts linked to Russia, whose businesses and oligarchs are already facing a raft of UK, US and EU sanctions. The rules could come into force as early as next week and are intended to “severely limit” the industries’ access to global markets, the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, tweeted on Thursday, as Russian forces continued to attack cities across Ukraine. “Coupled with similar actions by the EU, this move further isolates Russia’s economy from the international financial system,” the Treasury added. Neither the Lloyd’s of London insurance market nor the Treasury were able to immediately confirm the value of soon-to be blocked insurance contracts. It was also unclear whether the rules would require insurers to cancel existing contracts or just block new transactions. The sanctions have so far targeted two industries in which London, and Lloyd’s in particular, are considered global leaders. The UK is also a leader in the maritime insurance industry, but British sanctions have largely avoided targeting industries such as shipping. The EU has also avoided such sanctions, which could affect energy supplies, given the bloc’s reliance on Russian oil and gas. However, it is understood that the Treasury is considering expanding the sanctions to ban other Russia-linked industries. Patrick Tiernan, the chief of markets at Lloyd’s, said: “We are in regular communications with the UK government and international regulators and are working closely with the Lloyd’s market to uphold the implementation, at pace, of sanctions applied by governments around the world. We continue to monitor the unfolding situation in Ukraine and our thoughts are first and foremost with those people directly affected.” https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/mar/03/russian-air-and-space-sectors-to-be-denied-access-to-uk-insurance How Russia's invasion of Ukraine is changing air travel The Russian invasion of Ukraine is turning into a seismic event for the aviation industry just as it emerges from the COVID-19 downturn. Why it matters: The closure of vast stretches of airspace from North America to Russia has airlines scrambling to determine what routes are still feasible and which flights can be rerouted. Flight times are increasing, along with their carbon footprints. In many cases, new U.S. airline routes to avoid Ukrainian and Russian airspace have been adding time to long-distance flights, resulting in greater emissions and higher costs for airlines amid increasing fuel prices. The big picture: The prohibition of U.S. airlines from Russian airspace is blocking the most efficient flight paths between continents, including for flights between much of the U.S. and South Asia. Zoom in: According to Umang Gupta, managing director at Alton Aviation Consultancy, the typical flight time between Europe and Asia is about 11.8 hours, and 13.5 hours flying the reverse leg. • “In a best-case scenario, more than two hours of flight time will be added in each direction,” Gupta told Axios. The roundtrip fuel burn would increase by more than 20%, he said, and that's for the most fuel-efficient wide body aircraft flying today, such as the Boeing 787-9 or Airbus A350-900. • “At today's oil prices of around $100/bbl, this will translate into nearly $25,000 of additional expenditure for the airline round trip,” Gupta said. To cover costs, airlines would need to increase fares by more than $120 for a round trip ticket. • “Several US carriers also use Russian airspace to fly to Asia and will have to look for alternative longer routes, or perhaps even consider 'tech stops' to refuel, reduce passenger capacity or cargo on board,” he said. • Between the lines: For many people, air travel comprises the largest part of their annual carbon footprint. The war in Ukraine and resulting airspace disruptions means flights could have a greater footprint, simply due to the added time in the air and fuel burned. • • Gupta said that may be offset somewhat, though, since some airlines are suspending flights that would be forced to fly especially long routes. Passengers could choose an alternative such as stoping in Dubai on the way to Asia. • According to FlightAware data, United Airlines has rerouted its flight from Chicago to Delhi to travel a far more southerly route, which has added at least an hour to the eastbound journey, and about two hours for the return. It previously tended to fly across Greenland, and would transit Russian airspace on its way back south. • Routes between Europe and Asia are particularly affected, since they have to reroute to the south, sliding below Russian airspace. • Air cargo routes are also shifting, which could exacerbate supply chain woes. Many cargo flights transited Russian airspace to fly between Europe, Asia and the U.S., for example. • Yes, but: Any added flight time is a small inconvenience compared to what the Russian airspace industry is about to go through, experts said. • Aeroflot, the country’s most prominent airline, uses modern Boeing and Airbus aircraft, and both companies are pulling out of the country and ceasing to provide aircraft maintenance and parts. • About half of the Russian airline fleet is leased, which means the planes' owners will move to take possession of the aircraft, according to aviation industry analyst Richard Aboulafia of AeroDynamic Advisory. • “Higher costs and more time is almost a luxury compared to the complete extinction of Russian aviation for as long as this lasts,” Aboulafia told Axios. https://www.axios.com/ukraine-russia-war-reroutes-your-flight-7a588564-0be9-4bf9-b682-8ada85915ba5.html Ukraine invasion: Has the time come for Indian aviation to be self-dependent? The country needs to take a 360-degree stock of its aviation industry to avoid getting a Russia-like situation in the eventuality of a conflict, urges a leading aviation expert. The Russian aerospace industry is very advanced and has given the world well-known aircraft brands like Beriev, Ilyushin, Irkut, Tupolev and Sukhoi. The sanctions imposed by the US and its NATO allies on Russia must serve as a lesson to the Indian aviation sector. In the eventuality of India getting drawn into a conflict with a hostile nation, it will need to take appropriate action to minimise damage to a high strategic value sector like aviation. "The unfortunate scenario with Russia and Ukraine should be an eye-opener for the Indian aviation ecosystem and decision-makers at the highest levels. Even though Russia has a far more developed aircraft maintenance industry, the dependence of Russian airlines on foreign original equipment makers (OEMs) and foreign maintenance, repair and overhaul (MROs) contractors has resulted in their entire civil aviation industry coming to a standstill," said Rohit Tomar, partner at aviation consultancy, Caladrius Aero Consulting. The Russian aerospace industry is very advanced and has given the world well-known aircraft brands like Beriev, Ilyushin, Irkut, Tupolev and Sukhoi. However, manufacturers Airbus and Boeing account for over 60 per cent of the civilian aircraft flying in the country. Following sanctions, the two have curtailed Russia from accessing their repair manuals, spares supplies and servicing facilities in other countries. "India is far more exposed with almost 90 per cent dependency on the foreign OEMs and MROs. The strategic think tanks now need to seriously ponder why the western OEMs would not be keen to give these capabilities to India. The simple answer is because the lack of such capabilities can easily be leveraged to enforce sanctions against a country to force it to come to the negotiating table," added Tomar. According to official estimates, the market size of the country's civil aviation industry is currently pegged at Rs 90,000 crore. Of this, the MRO segment accounts for about 15 per cent share, or Rs 13,500 crore. However, as things stand today, 85 per cent of MRO-related work gets offshored to countries like Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore and the UAE, with only 15 per cent being done in India. Manufacture in India? Another area that India needs to focus on is aircraft manufacturing. Since 2016, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has started inducting the indigenously developed single-engine multi-role light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas into its fleet. Starting in the 1980s to replace IAF's aging Mig-21 fleet, bureaucratic delays and alleged lobbying by arms lobbies delayed the LCA programme by more than 30 years. The Ukraine conflict shows the need to step on the gas to develop a robust aeronautical engineering ecosystem. "This war also highlights the need to not only manufacture aircraft in India but also to make them marketable internationally. Marketing of aviation products requires investments and ancillary infrastructure from the country of manufacturing, which includes insurance and financing support," argued Tomar. The country currently does not manufacture passenger aircraft. Attempts are underway to promote GIFT City near Ahmedabad as a vibrant hub for aircraft leasing. "The fact that western countries have been successful in isolating Russian manufactured aviation products globally is part of their strategy to continue the dominance of western manufactured products in aviation. It's not surprising that China identified this critical area as a power lever and invested and has built an indigenous product to negate the negotiating power of western countries," Tomar cautioned. https://www.businesstoday.in/industry/aviation/story/ukraine-invasion-has-the-time-come-for-indian-aviation-to-be-self-dependent-324651-2022-03-03 North Carolina’s secret sauce for attracting new jobs? Community colleges GREENSBORO, N.C. — The students huddled around, leaning in as the milling machine began shaving steel from the block, cutting precisely the right shape for a machine part. Machining Instructor David Seeke talks them through what’s happening as one student runs the controls. Seeke and a half-dozen students watch the machine run in one corner of the cavernous Center for Advanced Manufacturing at Guilford County Technical Community College. There are rows of equipment, it almost looks like a factory floor. Students here are training to be part of North Carolina’s emerging manufacturing economy. The new factories in North Carolina don’t make cigarettes or textiles, they’ll be making batteries for electric cars or pharmaceuticals. What You Need To Know Since the beginning of 2021, North Carolina has announced more than 26,000 new jobs coming to the state Community colleges have long had a strategy of training the workforce to meet the needs of employers In the Triad, Toyota is planning a new plant for electric car batteries and Boom Supersonic plans to make supersonic jets. Both companies said the skilled workforce helped them choose North Carolina “We fuel the job engine here in North Carolina,” said North Carolina Community College System President Thomas Stith Since the start of 2022, North Carolina has seen a slew of big economic development announcements. Eli Lilly is building a new plant in Cabarrus County and adding 600 jobs. Boom Supersonic at Piedmont Triad Airport plans to create 1,750 jobs by 2030 and build the next generation of supersonic planes. Pharmaceutical company BestCo is adding almost 400 jobs in Iredell County. Sherwin-Williams also plans to add almost 200 jobs in Iredell County. The state announced more than 24,000 new jobs last year, including big names like Apple, Toyota and FUJIFILMS. Late last year, Toyota announced plans to build a new factory for electric vehicle batteries not far from GTCC’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing. The Toyota factory is a $1.3 billion project and will eventually create 1,750 jobs at the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite in neighboring Randolph County, the company said. Seeke said that when the battery factory opens, he will have students ready to start work there. “Toyota has machines that we don’t have,” he said. So his department will work with Toyota to get the right brands of equipment to start training up students so they will be prepared for the jobs. Having the right workforce was a key part of attracting Toyota to North Carolina. “North Carolina offers the right conditions for this investment, including the infrastructure, high-quality education system, access to a diverse and skilled workforce, and a welcoming environment for doing business,” Ted Ogawa, CEO of Toyota Motor North America, said in December when announcing the new factory. Having trained workers was a big part of Boom Supersonic’s decision to make its new jets in Greensboro, too. “With some of the country’s best and brightest aviation talent, key suppliers, and the state of North Carolina’s continued support, Boom is confident that Greensboro will emerge as the world’s supersonic manufacturing hub,” Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, said earlier this year. Boom Supersonic plans to assemble next-generation supersonic jets at Piedmont-Triad International Airport. (Photo: AP) ‘We fuel the job engine’ Bringing the new supersonic jet manufacturing site to North Carolina involved a number of state agencies, including the Governor’s Office, the Commerce Department and the community college system, according to Gov. Roy Cooper. The community colleges were just one part of attracting the company to Piedmont Triad Airport, but having trained workers is key to bringing in these massive projects. In addition to the Center for Advanced Manufacturing, GTCC also has an aviation maintenance program right next to PTI Airport. “We’ve been involved in the courting process, the economic development process, doing presentations to the companies and letting them know how we can support the workforce,” GTCC President Anthony Clarke said. His college is getting ready to scale up its programs to help staff, both at the Toyota plant and Boom Supersonic. “We have meetings planned with both companies to help us start to talk about what jobs, what competencies they need. But I’m confident, for both Toyota and for Boom Supersonic with our long history in aviation, that we’re going to be able to provide the skilled workforce that they’re looking for,” Clarke said. He said the school already has 400 students in its aviation program and hopes to increase that number to 600 in the coming years. For the Toyota plant, Clarke said his staff has been working with Randolph County Community College to make sure Toyota will have the skilled workers it needs to fill 1,750 jobs in the coming years. “Workforce is one of the key things that companies look for when they come to an area,” he said. It’s not just GTCC, all of North Carolina’s 58 community colleges work closely with companies and economic development officials to tailor training to the needs of employers. “We fuel the job engine here in North Carolina,” said North Carolina Community College System President Thomas Stith. “We stand ready to support expanding business and new business locating here in North Carolina.” “The North Carolina Community College System works extremely close with business and industry,” he said. “We are always a key partner in the recruitment process with new industry.” That’s been part of the community colleges’ strategy for decades, to tailor programs to train the workers companies need. And the state puts millions of dollars into that strategy. “You see investments in advanced manufacturing, you see investments in the ability to provide customized training for our citizens. You also see us having the ability to provide that education and training for individuals that may look for new opportunities and new careers,” Stith said. “Our long-term strategy and continuing strategy is to ensure that the community college system is innovative, that it is nimble, and that it is meeting the needs of our business and industry partners,” he said. At GTCC, that nimble approach has paid off. The college runs an apprenticeship program for students who can work and go to school, with employers paying them while they’re on the job and in the classroom. Kamala Harris visited Durham Technical Community College Wednesday and toured a union apprenticeship program for students working to become electricians. (AP Photo: Ben McKeown) ‘America’s best-kept secret’ In his State of the Union address Tuesday, President Joe Biden cited his wife, full-time teacher Jill Biden, and called community colleges “America’s best-kept secret.” The next day, Vice President Kamala Harris and Labor Sec. Marty Walsh flew down to North Carolina to visit Durham Technical Community College. The pair, flanked by the governor and elected leaders from the area, toured a union apprentice program teaching students to be electricians in the Triangle’s booming construction industry. The labor secretary said community colleges like Durham Tech “are the engines of equity in higher education, and they are the key to growing our middle class by creating pathways, school to career, for American students.” Speaking to about 100 people at the college, Walsh announced a new federal grant program to give $45 million to community colleges around the country. “This program will help community colleges strengthen and connect people to training,” he said. “This new fund will focus on areas like women, workers of color and marginalized communities that have been shut out from too many opportunities in the past.” The Longleaf Commitment Last year, Gov. Roy Cooper announced a new program to take COVID-19 relief money from the federal government to help pay community college tuition for 2021 and 2022 high school graduates. “To date, 11,604 students have received a Longleaf Commitment Grant totaling $4,614,021,” the governor’s office said Thursday. “North Carolina’s community colleges are our not-so-secret weapon when it comes to building a talented workforce, and Longleaf Commitment grants are helping to make education and training more accessible and affordable,” Cooper said. The governor visited Central Piedmont Community College Thursday to highlight the grant program. “These grants are already helping North Carolinians get the skills they need by making community college debt-free, and I encourage all eligible graduating high school seniors to take advantage of this funding,” he said in a statement. “Education translates into opportunity, and with this grant, we are excited to provide more opportunity to our diverse student populations across the state,” said Stith, the community college system president. “North Carolina’s ‘Great 58’ community colleges are essential to the state’s economic recovery efforts and are well poised to prepare the workforce needed today and tomorrow.” “Receiving the Longleaf Commitment grant has meant a lot to me. I am able to use this grant to cover any additional costs to finish my degree,” Leila Turner, Central Piedmont Community College student and Longleaf Grant recipient, said in a news release from the governor’s office. “I am grateful to have this opportunity, and I look forward to continuing to focus on my studies without any financial stress,” Turner said. https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/charlotte/business/2022/03/03/north-carolina-s-secret-sauce-for-attracting-new-jobs--community-colleges SWISS Plans to Become First Airline to Use Solar Fuel The new process uses concentrated sunlight to produce carbon-neutral fuel. SWISS and the Lufthansa Group have concluded a strategic collaboration with the Synhelion company to bring its solar aviation fuel to market. This will make SWISS the first airline in the world to use ‘sun-to-liquid’ fuel. The process devised by Synhelion uses concentrated sunlight to produce carbon-neutral kerosene. With this collaboration, SWISS and Synhelion are playing a pioneering role in the production and adoption of sustainable aviation fuels. SWISS and the Lufthansa Group have concluded a strategic collaboration with ETH Zurich spinoff Synhelion to bring solar aviation fuel to market. This will make SWISS the first airline in the world to use solar kerosene. “ Our team-up with Synhelion is founded on our shared vision to make carbon-neutral flying in regular flight operations possible through the use of solar fuel,” explains SWISS Chief Executive Officer Dieter Vranckx. “We are proud that SWISS will be the first airline in the world to fly with solar kerosene. In partnering with Synhelion, we are supporting Swiss innovation and are actively pursuing and promoting the development, the market introduction and the scaling-up of this highly promising technology for producing sustainable fuels.” “We believe in a globalized world connected by climate-friendly mobility,” adds Dr. Philipp Furler, Synhelion’s co-founder and CEO. “Our next-generation carbon-neutral solar kerosene is an economically and ecologically viable substitute for fossil fuels. The commitment of SWISS and the Lufthansa Group underlines the aviation sector’s keen interest in our solar fuel. And we are looking forward already to the day the first SWISS aircraft takes off with our solar kerosene.” Synhelion has developed a key technology for manufacturing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from renewable energy sources. The unique procedure uses concentrated solar heat to manufacture syngas which can then be synthesized into kerosene using standard industrial processes. This sun-to-liquid fuel closes the fuel carbon cycle: when combusted, it will only produce as much CO2 as went into its manufacture. The new fuel thus makes a major contribution to effectively decarbonizing air transport. Synhelion will build the world’s first-ever facility for the industrial production of solar fuel in Jülich (Germany) this year. SWISS is set to become the first customer for solar kerosene in 2023. Under the collaboration now concluded, SWISS and the Lufthansa Group will support the development of Synhelion’s planned commercial fuel production facility in Spain, too. Swiss pioneer Synhelion, SWISS, Edelweiss and the Lufthansa Group have been working together since 2020 to help reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of Swiss aviation through the use of solar fuels. The Lufthansa Group and SWISS have been pursuing and promoting comprehensive measures to minimize their carbon dioxide emissions for several years now and work closely with their partners to steadily further reduce the environmental impact of their business and operational activities. SWISS will be substantially increasing its use of sustainable aviation fuels in the next few years to help achieve its climate objectives. In view of the limited availability of biofuels, however, alternatives will be required. “This is why we are actively supporting the development of solar fuels,” stresses SWISS CEO Vranckx. “We want to be a pioneer in their use. So our involvement with Synhelion is a key element in our long-term sustainability strategy. https://metroairportnews.com/swiss-plans-to-become-first-airline-to-use-solar-fuel/ Position Available: AFSEC hiring for Aerospace Engineer, GS-0861-15 Air Force Safety Center KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- The Air Force Safety Center is now recruiting for an Aerospace Engineer GS-0861-15. The primary purpose of this position is to serve as engineering expert & consultant for aircraft airworthiness assurance & safety risk management, leading multi-discipline teams of engineers & aviation safety specialists. These teams establish AF-wide initiatives & develop objectives in aviation mishap causal analyses, hazard identification & risk mitigation technologies USA Jobs Announcement number: 639162900 Announcement will open on 25 Feb 2022 and closes 4 Mar 2022. jobs aerospace engineering Curt Lewis