Latvian airline airBaltic has replaced pilot briefing packages with electronic operational flight plans that airBaltic pilots access by iPad. Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic, said, “We introduced iPads for our pilots already back in 2014, saving vast amounts of printed paper each year and providing additional operational efficiency. “Now we are taking yet another significant step in the electronic flight bag project, by replacing one of the last documentation that pilots had to print before each flight with a digital solution.” Pilot briefing packages contain operational flight plan, weather forecast, information about the relevant airports among other documentation. During the flight pilots had to fill these forms by hand and submit them for post-flight processing. Now the entire process has been implemented on iPads. Back in 2014 when airBaltic introduced iPads, it meant pilots avoided carrying between 10-15 kg of flight details, manuals and reference material to each....
FlightLogger, a provider of management software for flight schools, believes commercial pilot flight training could be at a turning point following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since last autumn, FlightLogger has posted an update on the current state of pilot training based on fresh statistics from currently 118 pilot training organizations using the digital FlightLogger platform for managing daily operations. “We’re gathering data on both how many students are actively progressing through training programs each month and how many flights are being registered at the training organizations,” says FlightLogger’s blog. “Activity still declining, but pilot training could be at a turning point,” continues FlightLogger. “For the fifth consecutive month our statistics show a decline in activities when looking at the average number of active students per academy. Since September 2020 where numbers were at their highest following the first wave of Covid-19, we have witnessed a 15.4 % decline....
France and Italy have announced they are cooperating on a new generation of the SAMP/T anti-air system they developed in the early years of this century to give it new capabilities. Florence Parly, French Minister of the Armed Forces, and her Italian counterpart Lorenzo Guerini jointly welcomed the launch of the new program in March. The SAMP/T, developed by the Franco-Italian consortium Eurosam, is used by the French Air & Space Force and by the Italian army to provide a ground-to-air, medium-range defense capability against aircraft and some ballistic missiles. It has been deployed operationally in a NATO framework. It consists of a multifunction fire control radar, a ground-based launch system and Aster 30 B1 missiles. The new SAMP/T NG program will evolve the current system so that it better meets new threats that are “faster, more maneuverable, stealthier and used in combination with cyber attacks, decoys, multiple jammings and....
Raytheon Intelligence & Space, a Raytheon Technologies business, will continue operating and maintaining the US government's Relocatable Over-the-Horizon Radar (ROTHR) system under a $146 million, five-year contract. Originally developed to track long-range targets for aircraft and ships, ROTHR is now the primary detection system for border security and drug smuggling interdiction for the Joint Interagency Task Force South. In 2020 alone, ROTHR contributed to the seizure of 26 metric tons of cocaine from drug smugglers attempting to cross into US territory. "Raytheon Technologies' ROTHR systems have supported US Navy operations for over 30 years," said John DeSimone, vice president of Cybersecurity, Training and Services for RI&S. "We will continue to work closely with the Navy and JIATF South to help protect our national security." The contract covers operations and maintenance at six ROTHR locations in Puerto Rico, Texas and Virginia. Each radar provides more than 2.5 million square miles of....
The German Defense Ministry has shelved plans for a next-generation air defense system, instead investing in counter-drone technology and upgrades to the country’s aging Patriot fleet. The announcement comes after months of studying options between the costly Taktisches Luftverteidigungssystem, or TLVS, aimed at destroying sophisticated missiles and aircraft, and cheaper weapons for intercepting enemy drones. Ministry officials told lawmakers they plan to begin modernizing the Patriot missile defense inventory starting in 2023 to keep the system usable through 2030. The decision amounts to a win for manufacturer Raytheon Technologies, which had feared losing the preeminence of its global cash cow over a novel system developed by a major European country. In a second step, officials in Berlin want to field a new defensive system against short-range threats, eventually replacing the “old and qualitatively and quantitatively insufficient” Ozelot fleet, according to a ministry statement. That project has the potential to spark....
Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI) has appointed Serdar Tamer as director of business development for Turkey, Greece and India. Tamer has over two decades of sales and financial management experience, including senior roles within the aviation and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) industries. At JSSI, he will be based in Istanbul and responsible for managing strategic sales and support plans across his target region. He will also offer focused support for aircraft owners and operators throughout the Indian subcontinent, including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, following the retirement of industry veteran Gregory Olympios. Mark Winzar, JSSI’s senior vice president of business development for EMEAA and APAC said, “The last decade has seen strong growth in private jet usage and ownership across Turkey, Greece and India, and the five-year forecast for further growth bodes well for opportunities in the region. We are delighted to welcome Serdar Tamer as a dedicated local....
ST Engineering has launched for the first time an anti-microbial coating solution with fusion resonance technology that fully meets aviation requirements. The solution called Plasma ResoShield is able to neutralize pathogens before they land on surfaces. The innovative neutralizing capacity of this solution promises high-impact protection lasting up to a year upon application. This solution will give more options to operators looking to disinfect and keep their cabin interiors safe through a robust and lasting solution. Ling Meng Geah, Head, Program Office, Cabin Interiors, ST Engineering said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how we view and manage air travel. We are committed to using our aviation and certification expertise to work with our airline customers and industry partners to help increase passengers’ confidence and comfort in flying. The launch of Plasma ResoShield is one such example of using innovative and enduring cabin interior solutions to enhance flying experience and safety.”....
Collins Aerospace’ Pro Line Fusion integrated avionics system for Cessna Citation CJ2+ light business jets is being certified by FAA. Owners now have a new aftermarket option for taking advantage of NextGen airspace enhancements while adding the many other benefits of Pro Line Fusion when upgrading from Pro Line 21. The Pro Line Fusion upgrade includes the ability to operate in modernizing global airspace with localizer performance, including vertical guidance (LPV) approaches, radius-to-fix (RF) legs, as well as SBAS capable GNSS\Best-Equipped, Best-Served (BEBS) future enhancements. Global Performance Based Navigation (PBN), FANS-1/A and CPDLC capabilities. Standard industry-leading high-resolution synthetic vision, including Collins Aerospace’s patented airport dome feature, and extended runway centerlines. Three touchscreen 14.1-inch widescreen LCDs with advanced graphics, configurable windows and eyes-forward, touchscreen navigation. Touch-interactive maps with high-resolution topography, weather and obstacles plus geo-referenced electronic charts displaying own-aircraft position. Collins’ patented ChartLink which automatically stages relevant charts per the flight....
A team of aerospace specialists has launched the world’s first in-flight emissions study using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on a wide-body commercial passenger aircraft. Airbus, German research center DLR, Rolls-Royce and SAF producer Neste have teamed up to start the pioneering ‘Emission and Climate Impact of Alternative Fuels’ (ECLIF3) project looking into the effects of 100% SAF on aircraft emissions and performance. Findings from the study - to be carried out on the ground and in the air using an Airbus A350-900 aircraft powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines - will support efforts currently underway at Airbus and Rolls-Royce to ensure the aviation sector is ready for the large-scale use of SAF as part of the wider initiative to decarbonize the industry. Fuel-clearance engine tests, including a first flight to check operational compatibility of using 100% SAF with the aircraft’s systems, started at Airbus’ facilities in Toulouse, France, this....
ExecuJet, part of Luxaviation Group, is expanding the company’s Middle East activities, adding a Global 6000 and a Global 7500 to the regional fleet. The Global 6000, which joined the fleet in February 2021 for a Turkish client, is based at Istanbul’s Atta Turk International Airport. The new Global 7500, which joined the fleet in December 2020 to become the first Global 7500 in the Middle East and the third aircraft of its kind in the Group, is based under private operations at Al Maktoum International Airport. Mike Berry, ExecuJet’s president aviation services and vice president Middle East, says: “The Global 6000 is an outstanding aircraft for work or relaxation and the Global 7500 is simply one of the world’s leading large, long-range business jets.” The fleet growth supports a rising level of business at the fixed-base operations (FBOs) run by ExecuJet in the Middle East. Berry adds: “Movements are....
airBaltic replaces pilot briefing packages with electronic operational flight plans
Commercial pilot flight training a turning point following the impact of Covid-19 (FlightLogger)
France & Italy to cooperate on a next-gen anti-air system development for new capabilities
Raytheon to continue operating and maintaining US government’s ROTHR system
Germany to upgrade its aging Patriot fleet for next-generation air defense system
JSSI appoints Serdar Tamer as director of business development for Turkey, Greece and India
ST Engineering unveils anti-microbial coating solution to meet aviation requirements
FAA certifies Collins’ Pro Line Fusion integrated avionics system
Aviation specialists launch first in-flight 100% sustainable aviation fuel emissions study on commercial passenger jet
ExecuJet expands ME activities
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