November 8, 2023 - No. 046 In This Issue : VIRGIN ATLANTIC TO FLY FIRST 100% BIOFUEL FLIGHT ACROSS THE ATLANTIC : FAA completes SpaceX Starship safety review as environmental assessment remains ongoing : Broken Supply Chain Hobbles Offshore S-92 Operators : Patent granted for hybrid power system for electric flight : Latest Boeing EcoDemonstrator Studies Tackle SAF’s Contrail Effects : MightFly’s giant cargo drones to aid US Air Force in delivery missions : Eagle Program Keeps Citation Excels Flying : Sanctions Force Russian Companies To Refurb Aging Airliners : Cessna Aircraft Company : American Airlines’ oldest aircraft VIRGIN ATLANTIC TO FLY FIRST 100% BIOFUEL FLIGHT ACROSS THE ATLANTIC AUGUST 5TH 2023 GLOBETRENMDER AVIATION Virgin Atlantic is planning to operate the world’s first transatlantic flight powered entirely by ‘sustainable aviation fuel’ (SAF) in November 2023. Jenny Southan reports This month, Virgin Atlantic and Rolls-Royce conducted a successful ground test of a Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine powered by SAF, which apparently has at least a 70 per cent smaller carbon footprint (across its lifespan) than fossil fuel. The test marks a key milestone in the airline’s mission to be less harmful to the environment. On November 28, 2023, it will fly the world’s first 100 per cent SAF-powered flight across the Atlantic from London Heathrow to New York JFK on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Fuel suppliers Air bp and Virent will supply the 60 tonnes of SAF required for the SAF, which can be made from used cooking oil and animal fat, and can be blended with conventional jet fuel. By 2030, the is broad consensus that all flights should be powered by at least 10 per cent SAF, but with climate change already getting more acute, critics say this is too little, too late. Nevertheless, proponents of SAF say it has a fundamental role to play in aviation’s decarbonisation and pathway to Net Zero 2050 (when carbon emissions are balanced out by carbon removal). Today, SAF represents less than 0.1 per cent of jet fuel volumes and fuel standards allow for just a 50 per cent SAF blend in commercial jet engines. The one-off Virgin Atlantic flight in November will demonstrate the potential of SAF as a 100 per cent drop-in replacement for fossil fuel today. Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, says: “We need UK government support to create a UK SAF industry to allow for every single flight out of the UK to operate with 100 per cent SAF – if we make it, we can fly it.” Virgin Atlantic The realisation of the 100% SAF transatlantic flight taking to the skies is a challenging task requiring cross industry collaboration and dedicated project teams working on the research, testing and operations to make it happen. The Virgin Atlantic led consortium, joint funded by the Department for Transport, includes Rolls Royce, Boeing, University of Sheffield, Imperial College London and Rocky Mountain Institute. The successful bench engine test is a key milestone, however further permissions and safety approvals are required for the flight to take off in November. Virgin Atlantic and the consortium will leverage the 100 per cent SAF transatlantic flight to further SAF use, as well as addressing other environmental impacts of the sector. The project will demonstrate further reductions in CO2 from operational efficiencies, contribute to research and development into the non-CO2 effects of flying, and provide an end-to-end life cycle analysis of the flight. Any residual CO2 emissions from the flight will be mitigated using innovative carbon removals from biochar projects. FAA completes SpaceX Starship safety review as environmental assessment remains ongoing Aria Alamalhodaei 4:16 PM CDT•October 31, 2023 Image Credits: SpaceX (opens in a new window) The Federal Aviation Administration has finished a key portion of the launch license review for SpaceX’s Starship, bringing the company one step closer to a second launch. Regulators said Tuesday that they completed a safety review focused on how a Starship launch could affect public health and property. That review evaluates SpaceX’s “safety organization, system safety processes, flight safety analysis, and quantitative risk criteria for launch, reentry, and vehicle disposal,” an FAA spokesperson said in a statement. That regulators have completed the safety review portion of the license is critical — especially considering that the first Starship orbital flight test in April ended in a spectacular midair explosion of the vehicle. However, this does not mean that regulators have given SpaceX a green light for launch. The company is still awaiting the results of the environmental assessment, which the FAA is conducting in consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). That updated biological assessment, being performed under the Endangered Species Act, will examine potential impacts to the local environment. The FWS and FAA initiated that review on October 19, and they have 135 days to provide an updated assessment. Among their considerations are SpaceX’s new water deluge system, which SpaceX installed after the orbital launch mount was destroyed by the rocket booster’s ultra-powerful engines. SpaceX’s Starship is the most powerful rocket in human history. The nearly 400-foot-tall Super Heavy booster and upper stage (also called Starship) took off on its maiden test flight on April 20. The launch vehicle did not complete stage separation, which triggered an automated self-destruct command that detonated the rocket over the Gulf of Mexico. For its part, SpaceX has said that it’s ready to go for a second orbital flight test. In testimony provided to lawmakers earlier this month, SpaceX’s VP of build and flight reliability Bill Gerstenmaier said that Starship has been ready for its next flight test “for more than a month.” In a tweet last week, SpaceX said it conducted a wet dress rehearsal of the stacked vehicle in preparation for launch. Starship and Super Heavy were loaded with more than 10 million pounds of propellant today in a flight-like rehearsal ahead of launch. FAA completes SpaceX Starship safety review as environmental assessment remains ongoing Broken Supply Chain Hobbles Offshore S-92 Operators Aircraft's dispatch reliability plummets as safety concerns rise By MARK HUBER • Contributor - Rotorcraft November 1, 2023 Supply-chain woes continue to adversely impact offshore helicopter operators, according to a notice recently issued by the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers’ (IOGP) aviation subcommittee (ASC). In a recent IOGP ASC safety notice to members, the organization branded the situation as “serious and deteriorating,” saying it presented “significant safety and operational risks.” While the problems were particularly acute with regard to the Sikorsky S-92, with 86 percent of its fleet flying offshore energy, the ASC said the situation pervaded the entire industry. But the S-92, with its unique capacity to carry 19 passengers and service deepwater clients, drew the majority of the ASC’s attention based on operator surveys. Data from the three largest civil S-92 operators—Bristow, CHC, and PHI, which together account for 61 percent of the fleet—revealed that 20 aircraft (13 percent of the fleet) are AOG while waiting for replacement main gearboxes. Three other operators reported another 11 S-92s are also AOG. The overall AOG number is likely to double by the end of 2024 given Sikorsky’s low aircraft production rates—it delivered four S-92s in 2022. One operator reported that S-92 AOG days at the parts level increased from 214 in 2022 to 3,009 year-to-date. Overall fleet dispatch reliability now hovers at 80 percent, as opposed to the industry average of 96 percent. The situation has triggered a variety of adverse maintenance practices, according to the ASC, including parts cannibalization, up by 50 percent to 106 percent, with more than 50 parts being taken from an aircraft entering maintenance “not uncommon.” Maintenance extension requests to the OEM have increased by an average of 850 percent year-to-date. The time to complete a 1,500-hour inspection has increased by 75 percent (to 75 days), requiring 25 percent more manpower, and triggered a 57 percent increase in overtime. The ASC concluded that the climate created the “potential and conditions for a serious safety event that is clearly growing unless action is taken.” Operators are forced into contracts that apply “punitive financial penalties for not meeting aircraft availability targets.” According to the ASC, such provisions “will not improve availability, but will worsen the operators' position further and potentially add further stress and risk to their maintenance departments.” It predicted that S-92 parts availability “has the potential to deteriorate further in the coming 12 months, leading to further reductions in aircraft availability.” IOGP reiterated operator “resilience strategies” suggested earlier in the year, including raising stakeholder awareness and transparency, temporary sharing of contracted aircraft assets, and not punitively adding to operational risks via contract penalty clauses. The ASC concluded that “effective local action and engagement between individual clients and contracted operators is essential if the safety risks are to be mitigated and our normal very high levels of safety performance maintained.” Sikorsky president Paul Lemmo said the OEM was working diligently to resolve supply chain issues, significantly increasing main gearbox production and assisting its own suppliers with resolving bottlenecks. He partially attributed the issue to a post-Covid surge in S-92 flying hours, which increased by a fifth. In a statement provided to AIN, Lemmo said the company is taking various actions to address the “unprecedented” S-92 spares situation, in part driven by a “22 percent increase in S-92 aircraft flight hours over the last three years. This increased utilization has added to the fleet operating hours but also created more pressure on parts required.” “Sikorsky experts have provided S-92 suppliers technical and operational support so they can accelerate delivery of parts,” he added. The company “has been assisting S-92 suppliers throughout all tiers of the supply chain to source specialty metals, components, and other raw material.” Lemmo said these efforts were beginning to produce results, noting that “we have increased main gearbox output by 40 percent in 2023 compared to 2022. We have delivered 31 year-to-date and project providing 40 in 2023 versus 28 delivered in 2022.” He said Sikorsky “will continue these efforts for as long as it takes to accelerate delivery of the parts our customers need.” His comments built on remarks made by Sikorsky executives speaking at Heli-Expo earlier this year. Leon Silva, Sikorsky's executive v-p of global, commercial, and military systems, admitted that ongoing supply chain problems had dragged down S-92 fleet utilization rates and dispatch reliability percentages “into the high eighties.” He said the company “continues to work diligently on the supply chain” and had established what amounts to an emergency center at Sikorsky’s Trumbull, Connecticut facility to work with suppliers to resolve issues. Aside from ongoing supply chain woes, Sikorsky’s commitment to the civil market remains suspect after the company was acquired by defense contractor Lockheed Martin in 2015. It has discontinued production of the S-76 rather than manufacture it with a federally-mandated crash-resistant fuel system. Earlier this year, Sikorsky announced it was shelving the S-92B program and moving the anticipated certification date of its A+ upgrade for the helicopter into 2025, some three years later than originally planned. As a result, deliveries of A+ kits ordered today will not happen until 2026. Several helicopters in the installed fleet of more than 300 S-92s have nearly reached their 30,000-hour life limit, but Sikorsky has no plans to extend it. Though the company continues to accept orders for the $40 million S-92, it cannot deliver one for at least two to three years, it said. Patent granted for hybrid power system for electric flight By General Aviation News Staff October 31, 2023 · GOLETA, California — LaunchPoint Electric Propulsion Solutions has received a U.S. patent for its “Lightweight, High-Efficiency, Energy-Dense, Hybrid Power System for Reliable Electric Flight.” The patent is a milestone in LaunchPoint’s “mission to revolutionize electric flight and propel the aerospace industry into a new era of efficiency and reliability,” according to company officials. “At its core, the patent describes an innovative system engineered to deliver power-dense, efficient, and reliable power for electric aircraft, supporting onboard applications as well as driving rotors and propellers for lift and thrust,” company officials explain. “Electric propulsion holds immense promise for aircraft due to electric motors’ superior power-to-weight ratio compared to piston or turbine engines, enabling placement in aerodynamically favorable positions on aircraft,” officials continued. “However, the limitation of electric aircraft propulsion comes from the need for electric energy storage in the form of batteries, which are heavy and bulky. Typically, battery powered aircraft can only fly relatively short distances. For extended-duration flights, the battery electric propulsion concept proves unsuitable, and it has become universally known that the overall best solution is a hybrid-electric propulsion system.” The patented LaunchPoint Hybrid Power System (HPS) combines an internal combustion engine with LaunchPoint’s dual Halbach array generator and a small battery pack to power a distributed electric drive system. It also includes energy and power management software tailored for various aircraft missions, company officials noted. “In short, the LaunchPoint HPS elevates system-specific power while reducing energy storage mass,” company officials explained in a press release. “Moreover, the system excels in regulating variable voltage sources such as permanent magnet generators while functioning as a microgrid power manager, optimizing energy resources for reliable and fault-tolerant flight. Multiple systems can be used in parallel on the same DC Bus to achieve redundancy and availability goals. For more information: LaunchPointEPS.com. Latest Boeing EcoDemonstrator Studies Tackle SAF’s Contrail Effects Researchers are encouraged by early findings on a Boeing 737 Max 10 airliner The Boeing 737 Max 10 EcoDemonstrator followed by NASA's DC-8 Airborne Science Lab participate in the latest studies on the effects of SAF on contrail production. (Photo: Boeing) By GREGORY POLEK • Senior Editor November 5, 2023 While estimates of the extent to which the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) reduces CO2 emissions in aircraft can vary, aerospace manufacturers generally cite an 80 percent lifecycle carbon emissions benefit for 100 percent SAF. Scientists know less about how the contrails produced by SAF emissions differ from those generated by kerosene, however, prompting Boeing to partner with United Airlines and NASA to study the phenomenon with its latest EcoDemonstrator aircraft. Contrails, or the persistent condensation trails produced when airplanes fly through cold, humid air, can trap heat in the atmosphere, some of the latest research suggests. To learn more, Boeing in early October began flying a CFM Leap-1B-powered 737 Max 10 destined for United Airlines on 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and conventional fuel in separate tanks, alternating the fuels during testing. Studying multiple fuels with the same engine allows researchers to differentiate the emissions reductions resulting from advanced engine technology from those resulting from advanced jet fuel chemistry. Although the sample of results from last month’s testing remains too small to draw any conclusions, researchers from Boeing, NASA, GE Aerospace, and German aerospace research center DLR expressed optimism over the observations from the first three weeks of trials. Speaking late last month from Boeing offices in Seattle, DLR research team lead Christiane Voigt explained some of the science behind SAF’s effect on the production of contrails. “These sustainable aviation fuels have a lower aromatic content and these are precursors to the soot particle emissions and the soot particles are the precursors for the ice crystals and contrails,” she noted. “Science tells us that warming from contrails might be as large as the warming from CO2 emissions.” NASA’s DC-8 Airborne Science Lab flies behind the 737 to measure emissions produced by each type of fuel and contrail ice particles. Based at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, the DC-8 incorporates a suite of sensors and data systems adaptable to specific missions or instruments. Nicki Reid, operations engineer/DC-8 mission manager for the NASA Airborne Science Program, explained that the DC-8 flies between four and five miles behind the EcoDemonstrator while the research team alternates from one fuel to another in the Max 10. “We’ll fly through for maybe 20 or 30 minutes sampling on jet-A, and then as we’re coming back through, we’ll make a turn and fly through that exact same position in the air so that we’ll have the same humidity, the same altitude, we’ll have the engines running at the same power and we’ll direct the Boeing team to switch to the SAF so that we can determine the actual difference between both of those fuels,” she said. The most recent EcoDemonstrator flights build upon testing in 2021 and 2022 on a 737 Max 9 and a 777-200ER, respectively. Analysis of the resulting data confirmed that the use of paraffinic SAF yields “dramatic” particle emission reductions, the extent to which depending on the chemical composition of the SAF used. “We know from ground measurement tests that we reduced soot emissions when we go with paraffinic fuel relative to higher aromatic fuels,” explained Boeing emissions technical fellow Steve Baughcum. “And because it was a synthetic fuel and never really had any sulfur in the feedstocks, it’s a low-sulfur fuel for us so that we expect both to reduce soot emissions and the volatile aerosols that are being produced by the aircraft. So we can basically explore how those reductions change the contrail properties that we measure in the aircraft.” Funded by the FAA’s Ascent Center of Excellence, the SAF for the most recent studies comes from World Energy in California. While Boeing has set a target date of 2030 to begin delivering aircraft compatible with 100 percent SAF, company vice president of product development Mike Sinnett explained that the transition will require examination of the long-term effects of using the fuel on each aircraft component that touches fuel. Sinnett added that researchers know that running 100 percent SAF in aircraft that have had long-term exposure to jet-A could result in seal damage. SAF lacks the aromatics contained in jet-A, which helps seals swell to prevent leakage. Although they know running 100 percent SAF on a new airplane not exposed to conventional jet fuel will not affect the seals, the long-term effects on the entire fuel system and other parts of the airplane such as the wings and engines need further study. “The other issue is the density differences change how you gauge the fuel,” noted Sinnett. “We account for that in the flight test environment, but certainly over the longer term we’ll have to make sure that our fuel gauging systems or fuel quantity systems can account for a much broader range of densities that we see today in conventional jet fuel.” MightFly’s giant cargo drones to aid US Air Force in delivery missions The eVTOL-firm's ALMS technology assists cargo aeroplanes in autonomously loading, unloading, and delivering goods. Jijo Malayil Published: Nov 06, 2023 07:17 AM EST MightyFly's Second-Generation Aircraft MightFly Cargo delivery drone startup MightyFly has bagged a significant contract from the US Air Force for further development of technology related to its autonomous hybrid eVTOL cargo aircraft. The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract worth $1.25 million will given to MigthyFly by the US Airforce's emerging technology development unit AFWERX. The grant is intended to further research on MightyFly’s Autonomous Load Mastering System (ALMS), a pivotal technology helping to make the logistics process completely independent. The San Francisco-based MightyFly aims to equip enterprises and governments with rapid, low-cost, carbon-neutral cargo transportation options. With the association with the US Air Force, it plans to leverage its "know-how to develop a system that directly addresses agile and expedited logistics needs and provide a major feature that is needed for the successful integration of autonomous aircraft within logistics," said Manal Habib, CEO of MightyFly, in a statement. Eagle Program Keeps Citation Excels Flying Making Excels like-new adds value to older airframes By MATT THURBER • Editor-in-Chief November 1, 2023 The best-selling midsize Citation Excel is still available for purchase in factory-new form, having morphed from the original 560XL in various iterations and now called the Ascend. But not surprisingly, a team of former Cessna Citation executives have taken on a small corner of the used market for the Excel and created a refurbished version—the Citation Excel Eagle—filling a market niche for buyers who like the airplane but don’t want to spend $17 million on the newest version. While the Excel Eagle is new in terms of avionics, interior, paint, and some other features, it does start with a preowned airframe and the existing engines, but the mod package extends the life of the Excel well into the coming decades. Business jets, after all, fly very little in corporate, non-fleet service. Even some high-time airframes that came from fleet operators have logged relatively few hours compared with airplanes flown by airlines. In other words, there is a lot of life left in Excels of all types. A notable difference between the Ascend and the rest of the Excel fleet is that the new model has a flat floor, which actually lowers the cabin interior height. So a taller occupant might find a refurbished Excel with its trenched floor more accommodating, further lending to the appeal of programs like the CitationPartners Excel Eagle. There is another key difference between the Ascend and earlier models and that is the Ascend’s autothrottle system. Presumably, Garmin could at some point certify autothrottles for G5000-upgraded Excels, but that hasn’t happened yet. The Eagle program was launched by Russ Meyer, his son Russ Meyer III, Gary Hay, and Joe Hepburn. The senior Meyer was Cessna chairman for 32 years (now chairman emeritus) and is chairman of CitationPartners. Russ Meyer III, president of CitationPartners, managed the Citation CJ3 and Mustang programs. Hay’s roles at Cessna included worldwide marketing, sales, and customer support, and he succeeded Meyer as CEO in 2000. Hepburn also held a significant role during the CJ3 program and led product support and the piston business unit. “We were all involved in the Excel development,” Hay said, explaining that the founding team’s experience and the suppliers they organized for the project led to the name CitationPartners. Textron Aviation is well aware of the Eagle program, Hepburn explained. In fact, CitationPartners even uses the old Cessna three-pennant logo from the company’s piston past. “There’s been very little pushback,” he said. And, Textron Aviation benefits from Excel Eagle owners who participate in the ProParts hourly parts cost program, not to mention making service centers available to work on Eagles. “If you need factory support, you can get it. Intro CitationPartners is Breathing New Life into Older Cessna Citation Jets – AINThere’s goodness for both [of us].” Doing the Work The CitationPartners team doesn’t do the work on the aircraft, although Hepburn puts his maintenance background to work when researching a customer’s airplane to make sure it qualifies for the Eagle treatment. At the same time, he can evaluate the inspection status to make sure any near-term work is done at the same time so the customer doesn’t have to bring the airplane in for an inspection or maintenance event soon after delivery. “We can deliver it free of any major inspections for a year,” said Hepburn. Some inspections can be deferred, for an additional fee, but in general, it’s much less expensive to do the work while the airplane is down for the Eagle upgrade. CitationPartners has contracted with Yingling Aviation at Wichita’s Eisenhower National Airport to do the Eagle upgrade. This includes the Garmin G5000 avionics package, a custom interior, maintenance, and inspections to enroll in ProParts (which comes with no enrollment fee or for existing ProParts customers, lower hourly rates), and complete strip and repaint. “Yingling has been a fabulous partner,” Hay said. Once inducted, CitationPartners hires local test pilots to fly the Excel and note any discrepancies. The company team members monitor all the work and once an airplane is done, the test pilots conduct final flight tests in preparation for delivery. More than 1,100 Excels and XLSs are still flying and may qualify for the Eagle upgrade. CitationPartners and Yingling can handle up to two upgrades per month as Yingling’s technicians have become more efficient and have lowered the time for the Eagle conversion to four months from five. “We think [the uptake rate] will accelerate,” said Russ Meyer. “We know who owns every Excel.” The Citation Excel Eagle upgrade includes a custom interior, available in three outfitting levels, crafted by a team of interiors specialists at Yingling Aviation. (Photo: Citation Partners) Upgrade Options The full Citation Eagle upgrade costs $1.55 million, and this includes avionics, interior, and paint as well as up to $25,000 worth of repairs, if needed. The Garmin G5000 avionics suite weighs about 200 pounds less than the Honeywell avionics that it replaces, and there is a “modest” useful load increase of about 50 pounds due to the need to install some ballast in the nose to maintain the original weight and balance configuration. Eagle owners can use FlightSafety’s G5000-equipped level-D Excel simulator at its Wichita, Kansas learning center for differences and recurrent training. Buyers of the Eagle upgrade get a bonus, compared to having the G5000 avionics done by a Garmin dealer. CitationPartners includes the optional Garmin Awareness & Protection package, which adds synthetic vision, Surface Watch, underspeed protection, and Flightstream 510 wireless gateway. The avionics package comes with three multi-pane 14-inch displays, dual Garmin attitude and heading reference systems, two touchscreen controllers, integrated engine indicating and crew alerting system, GFC 700 autopilot with emergency descent mode, digital GWX 75 radar with advanced weather detection and avoidance technology, ADS-B Out and In, WAAS/LPV approaches, Mid-Continent Standby Attitude Module, and electronic charts. Available options are controller-pilot datalink communications (compatible with FAA Data Comm and EASA Link 2000+) and Garmin Iridium satcom for voice calling, messaging, and weather information. Most original knobs and switches are retained, but the upgrade also adds an autopilot control panel under the forward edge of the glareshield—replacing the crew alerting system (CAS) annunciator panel—and two primary flight display controllers. The original pressurization system is unchanged and isn’t controlled by the new avionics. With the removal of the annunciator panel, CAS messages are now displayed on the center multifunction display. The CitationPartners Excel Eagle program adds value to older airframes. (Photo: Citation Partners) Choosing the Interior Customers have a few options for their Eagle interiors, including three outfitting levels: sport, classic, or custom. Every occupant gets a USB-A and -C outlet. The customer can select from a variety of optional add-ons such as an Airtext bulkhead display/moving map or Gogo Business Aviation’s Avance L3 or L5 air-to-ground connectivity system. Interior features include new veneer, carpeting, sidewalls, window shades, upgraded seats, and custom plating. Before the work starts, Citation Partners invites customers to visit Yingling Aviation to consult on the interior and paint design. When it first launched, CitationPartners planned to buy Excels and then do the upgrade and resell them. It did so with the first six Eagle Excels, which were purchased from Textron Aviation. But all Excel models are getting hard to find, with few coming on the market. The last three Eagles were individual owner airplanes. “We would love to acquire them when they’re available at a realistic price,” said Meyer Senior. “We do see some softening in the market.” “People hang onto them,” Hay said, and thus they are ideal potential customers to make their aircraft like new again. “If we find a used aircraft that comes on the market, we might look at it,” said Meyer III. “There are not many coming on now, the market for the Excel is very strong.” Another attraction of the Eagle program is the bump in value, which Vref Aircraft Value Reference has acknowledged. “It’s very much worth the transformation,” he said. “Vref bumps up the value by $1.9 million, so financially it’s a strong sell. It almost makes the Eagle pay for itself.” An advantage of the Eagle upgrade is that an owner of an older Excel can get most avionics features of the new Citation Ascend while retaining the taller cabin with the trenched aisle. (Photo: Citation Partners) Sanctions Force Russian Companies To Refurb Aging Airliners Preowned Tupolev Tu-204 and Ilyushin Il-96 aircraft are now being sourced as bizjet replacements As recently as September 2021 at the Russian Business Aviation Exhibition in Moscow, Western-made business jets were being marketed to Russian customers, but this stopped with the introduction of sanctions in 2022. (Image: AIN) By EUGENE GERDEN October 25, 2023 Russia’s business aviation sector is struggling to source and operate viable aircraft in the wake of international sanctions imposed more than 18 months ago. According to numerous Russian media reports, the shortage has intensified in recent months, prompting the industry to repurpose aging Soviet-era airliners into private jets, mainly to meet the needs of corporate flight departments. Large Russian state-backed corporations, such as Gazprom, Rosneft, and Rostec, have operated large fleets of largely Western-made business aircraft, serving the extensive travel needs of their top managers. Now, due to sanctions covering the provision of maintenance services and parts, they have found it hard to keep these in service, and harder still to replace aircraft. According to a recent report of the Russian Kommersant business newspaper, the space agency Roscosmos and energy group Gazprom are looking to restore dismantled Tupolev Tu-204s. According to industry analysts’ estimates, the cost of converting the 200-seater jets into VIP transports will run up to around $40 million and would presumably involve airframes fitted with older Russian Perm PS-90 engines as opposed to more recent PS-90A2 turbofans that Pratt & Whitney developed with Perm. A spokesman for Roscosmos, which needs to fly personnel to and from its rocket launch sites, is looking to buy preowned Tu-204 and later Tu-214 airliners. Some companies are also considering conversions of the larger Ilyushin Il-96 airliner. Russian companies now have no way to legitimately and directly acquire Western business aircraft. However, according to Dmitry Petrochenko, with Russia’s BizavNews platform, sourcing imported aircraft via intermediaries is “difficult, but realistic.” At face value, aircraft like the Tu-204 are poor substitutes for North American large-cabin, long-range alternatives, due in part to their requirement to have three pilots, while burning a lot of fuel and needing longer runways. However, sanctions apart, Russia’s weakening ruble currency is another reason companies are having to confine their aircraft shopping to the domestic preowned market and scrap heap. Meanwhile, the sanctions are starting to bite even harder. At the end of August, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued even more specific lists of sanctions, targeting individual Russian aircraft operators, including Meridian Air, North-West, Premier Avia, and RusJet. The aim is to make it even harder for these companies to maintain their fleets. While flights to Kremlin-friendly countries will likely not stop, legal experts believe the new edicts could pave the way to more aircraft being impounded outside Russia, as has already happened with some jets owned by Russian oligarchs. Potentially, the new list could induce airports in countries that have remained open to Russian visitors, such as the UAE, to refuse to allow sanctioned aircraft to land. Cessna Aircraft Company History Cessna Aircraft Company, now known as Textron Aviation, has a rich history in the world of aviation. Here is a brief overview of the company’s history and its contributions to aviation. The Founding Years 1911-1927 The Cessna Aircraft Company was founded by Clyde Cessna in 1911 in Wichita, Kansas. Clyde Cessna was one of the early pioneers of aviation, and he built and flew his own aircraft. In 1916, he designed and built the first aircraft that would bear the Cessna name. The First Cessna Aircraft 1927-1930s In 1927, the Cessna Aircraft Company introduced its first commercially successful aircraft, the Cessna Model AA. It was a monoplane known for its ruggedness and reliability. This marked the beginning of Cessna’s prominence in the aviation industry. Growth and Innovation 1930-1940s During the 1930s and 1940s, Cessna continued to innovate and produce a series of successful aircraft, including the Cessna Airmaster and the Cessna T-50 Bobcat, which was used for military training during World War II. Cessna Airmaster (above) and Cessna T-50 Bobcat Post-War Expansion 1950s-1960s After World War II, Cessna focused on producing civilian aircraft. The Cessna 140 and Cessna 170 became popular choices among private pilots. However, it was the introduction of the Cessna 172 Skyhawk in 1956 that would become one of the most iconic and widely used general aviation aircraft in history. Cessna 140 Cessna 170 Cessna 172 Skyhawk Jet Age and Corporate Changes 1960s-1980s Cessna expanded into the jet aircraft market in the 1960s with the Cessna Citation series. The company also underwent several ownership changes during this period, including being acquired by General Dynamics in 1985. Temporary Production Halt 1986-1996 In 1986, due to liability concerns and a decline in the general aviation market, Cessna suspended production of single-engine aircraft. This decision had a significant impact on the aviation industry. Rebirth and Modern Era 1996-Present Cessna resumed production of single-engine aircraft in 1996, and the company was later acquired by Textron Incorporated in 1998. Under Textron’s ownership, Cessna underwent a rebranding as Textron Aviation, and it continued to produce a wide range of aircraft, including the popular Cessna Citation series of business jets and the Cessna Skyhawk series. Today, Textron Aviation is a leading general aviation manufacturer, and the Cessna name remains synonymous with private and general aviation aircraft. The company’s legacy continues through its ongoing commitment to innovation and providing a wide range of aircraft solutions for both civilian and military customers. Interested in looking at more Cessna models up close, you can view our inventory here, look at specs, and even get in touch with a sales executive to answer your queries. American Airlines’ oldest aircraft Chris Lomas Updated: November 2, 2023 American Airlines (AA/AAL) is one of the world’s largest and most iconic carriers, with a history dating back to 1930. Today, American Airlines boasts a vast fleet consisting of a diverse range of Boeing, Airbus and Embraer types. Whilst the operator has a diverse fleet of modern aircraft, it also retains some older jets in active service. Let’s take a look at the oldest aircraft in the American Airlines fleet. As we’re interested in the most senior aircraft, we will only look at aircraft over 10 years old. Which is the oldest American Airlines aircraft? The oldest aircraft in the American Airlines fleet is N102UW, a 25 year old Airbus A320-214 built in June 1998. This workhorse frequently flies up to 8 flights per day, and is most commonly used on the US domestic route network on sectors of under 2 hours flight time. N102UW originally flew for US Airways, and was incorporated into the American fleet following their merging of the carriers in 2013. N102UW is the oldest aircraft in the American Airlines fleet, and is seen here flying with its original US Airways livery at LAX in 2004. Closely following N102UW is another Airbus narrowbody N700UW, a 25 year old Airbus A319 also originally delivered to US Airways in September 1998. As of late 2023, the aircraft appears to be based in Charlotte (CLT), and makes regular trips to destinations including Columbus (CMH), Sarasota (SRQ), Asheville (AVL), and Louisville (SDF). Whilst primarily used for domestic sectors, N700UW also makes the occasional trip to Bermuda (BDA). American Airlines’ second oldest airframe, N700UW is seen landing at Miami Airport in 2021. What is American Airlines’ oldest widebody aircraft? American Airlines’ oldest widebody aircraft is N770AN, A Boeing 777-223ER built in December 1998. The aircraft frequently operates transatlantic sectors from US airports including Los Angeles (LAX), Dallas (DAL) and Charlotte (CLT) to destinations including London Heathrow (LHR), São Paulo (GRU) and Athens (ATH). American Airlines’ second oldest widebody is a N717AN, a Boeing 777-323ER built in October 2012. N770AN wearing the gleaming American Airlines chrome livery, departing Los Angeles in 2003. What is American’s oldest regional jet? American Airlines’ oldest regional jet is N625AE, an Embraer ERJ-145LR built in January 1999. The aircraft is one of 65 of this type operated by subsidiaries on behalf of American, in this case Piedmont Airlines (PT/PDT). The aircraft was delivered wearing the original livery of American Eagle. American Airlines’ oldest regional jet N625AE landing at Toronto in 2020. Curt Lewis