A BIOSHOCK TO AVIATION - Royal Aeronautical Society

 
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A BIOSHOCK TO AVIATION - Royal Aeronautical Society
April 2020
AEROSPACE

                                                                                              END OF AN ERA FOR
                                                                                              THE FIGHTER PILOT?
                                                                                              SPACEFLIGHT IN 2020
                                                                                              KING AIRS TO THE
                                                                                              RESCUE

                             www.aerosociety.com
April 2020
Volume 47 Number 4

                                        A BIOSHOCK TO AVIATION
                                                             COVID-19: THE GLOBAL AEROSPACE INDUSTRY
Royal Aeronautical Society

                                                                FACES ITS TOUGHEST CHALLENGE YET

                   APRIL 2020 AEROSPACE COVER FINAL.indd 1                                                      23/03/2020 12:55
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A BIOSHOCK TO AVIATION - Royal Aeronautical Society
Correspondence on all aerospace matters is welcome at: The Editor, AEROSPACE, No.4 Hamilton Place, London W1J 7BQ, UK               publications@aerosociety.com

  Volume 47 Number 4
  April 2020

     EDITORIAL                                                                                                                 Contents
     A flock of ‘Black Swans’                                                                                                  Regulars
                                                                                                                               4 Radome                                                             12 Transmission
     Just how resilient is global aerospace and aviation to external shocks and                                                The latest aviation and                                              Your letters, emails, tweets
                                                                                                                               aeronautical intelligence,                                           and social media feedback.
     disruption? We may be about to find out. So far it has coped with ‘Black                                                  analysis and comment.
     Swan’ events of the 1991 Gulf War, 9/11, SARS, the 2008 financial crisis                                                                                                                       58 The Last Word
     and the Icelandic volcano. Each time, passenger growth dipped but then                                                    11 Pushing the Envelope                                              Keith Hayward considers
     quickly recovered as the insatiable demand for air travel returned even                                                   Rob Coppinger on how the                                             the wider implications for
                                                                                                                               5G telecommunications                                                the aerospace industry in
     stronger than before. Today, however, the engines that power the global                                                   revolution can benefit the                                           the wake of the Coronavirus
     aviation industry seem to have ingested several Black Swans at once leading                                               aerospace industry.                                                  outbreak.
     to fears that the entire sector could stall. Aviation was already struggling with
     Boeing’s 737 MAX crisis – which sees one half of the mega-duopoly in limbo                                                Features
     as its single-aisle line is grounded for over 12 months. Meanwhile concerns

                                                                                                                                                                   Korean Air
     over climate change and ‘flight shaming’ were gaining ground among
     consumers. Last month, came the news that the UK will leave EASA –
     something that had previously only been envisaged in ‘worst-case’ scenarios.                                              14
     In normal times, each of these ‘Black Swans’ would be headline news but                                                                                                                                                   32
     all are now overshadowed by the biggest and most significant Swan – the
     global Coronavirus pandemic, which has led to grounded fleets, closed                                                     Bioshock to aviation –
                                                                                                                               what next?                                                          The show must go on
     borders and passenger demand going off a cliff edge – in an unprecedented                                                 What is the impact on the                                           A report from the 2020
     crisis in aviation’s history. Flight schedules now look like something from the                                           aerospace industry of the                                           Singapore Air Show.
     1960s and the dawn of the jet age. That aviation will eventually come back is                                             Coronavirus pandemic?
     not in question but in what form? Civil aviation is the lifeblood of the world’s                                          20 Breaking through the
     globalised economy, the sinews of commerce and a sector that has lifted                                                   HUD glass ceiling
     the horizons of millions of people around the world. If anything, this crisis is                                          Does the Chief of an Air
     demonstrating that, however high-resolution a screen, or fast the bandwidth,                                              Force necessarily need to be                                                                        36
                                                                                                                               a pilot?
     people crave face-to-face contact.
                                                                                                                                                                   2Excel Aviation
                                                                                                                                                                                                    36 Wings of change
     Tim Robinson, Editor-in-Chief                                                                                             25                                                                   The RAeS Global
                                                                                                                                                                                                    Megatrends conference
     tim.robinson@aerosociety.com
                                                                                                                                                                                                    looks at the longer-term
                                                                                                                                                                                                    future of aerospace.
                                                                                                                                                                                     Firefly Aerospace

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  bill.read@aerosociety.com                   AEROSPACE is published by the Royal        Any member not requiring a print
                                                                                                                               28 Space debris                                                     Space 2020 – a look
                                              Aeronautical Society (RAeS).               version of this magazine should
  Production Manager
                                                                                         contact: membership@aerosociety.com   Can we solve the                                                    ahead
  Wayne J Davis                               Chief Executive
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  Publications Executive                      to represent the opinion of the RAeS.      ISSN 2052-451X                        42 Message from our President
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                                                                                                                               44 Book Reviews
  Book Review Editor                          Printed by Buxton Press Limited,
  Brian Riddle                                Palace Road, Buxton, Derbyshire                                                  48 Library Additions
                                              SK17 6AE, UK
  brian.riddle@aerosociety.com                                                                                                 50 NAL Sound Archive
                                              Distributed by Royal Mail
                                                                                                                               52 Society news
                   Additional content is available to view online at: www.aerosociety.com/aerospaceinsight                     54 Obituary
                    Including: New Member Spotlight – Shumit Das, NATO’s new capability acquisition programme, Can             55 Paris Branch
                      the UK join the hypersonics race?, Covid 19 - a pandemic hits aviation, King Air 200s add mission        56 New Members Spotlight
   Online                     capability to UK Coast Guard, Should CAS be a pilot?, Space missions for 2020.

         @aerosociety            i   Find us on LinkedIn     f     Find us on Facebook            www.aerosociety.com                                                                                                 APRIL 2020        13
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Blueprint
         INTELLIGENCE / ANALYSIS / COMMENT

                     Quieter tail rotor
                     The shrouded tail rotor design has been
                     redefined to optimise the noise signature, as
                     well as to improve the service life and ease of
                     maintenance.

                                                                          Larger cabin
                                                                          The rear cabin has been enlarged to give an
                                                                          additional seat – allowing for eight
                                                                          passengers plus a single pilot. Part of the fuel
                                                                          cells have been relocated from the rear cabin
                                                                          wall to the cabin floor.

                     W
                     GENERAL AVIATION

                     SH09 design tweaked
                         Switzerland's Kopter, which in January, announced it would be acquired by Leonardo, has
                         revealed final design features to its SH09 single-engined light helicopter. The tweaks come
                         from lessons learned from the flight testing of its P3 prototype. The company expects to
                         assemble its first production SH09 later this year. The SH09 will be manufactured in Lafayette,
                         Louisiana, US, as well as a new facility in Mollis, Switzerland. Deliveries are set to begin in
Kopter

                         2021, with the company saying that it has orders for more than 70 helicopters.

4        AEROSPACE
A BIOSHOCK TO AVIATION - Royal Aeronautical Society
Optimised main rotor                           SH09 specifications
                                               Crew/passengers		 5-9
The main rotor mast has been elongated to
                                               Range				430nm
improve handling qualities, while the blade
                                               Max cruise speed 		 140kt
shape has been optimised to enhance
                                               MTOW				6,283lb
performance. The architecture features
inter-blade elastomeric dampers and external
flight control lines to ease maintenance.

                                                  Glass cockpit
                                                  The SH09 features a Garmin
                                                  G3000H glass-cockpit with two
                                                  12in touch-screen displays. The
                                                  avionics suite has the capability
                                                  to integrate a four-axis autopilot
                                                  to allow for IFR operations.

Skids updated
Landing skids have been updated with a
modified geometry and a simpler attachment
to the fuselage.

                                                                                       APRIL 2020   5
A BIOSHOCK TO AVIATION - Royal Aeronautical Society
Radome
    COVID-19
           DEFENCE                                                                            AEROSPACE

       Military exercises curtailed Farnborough cancelled
       Military exercises and           has also been cancelled.
       routine operations are           International exercises in
       now being affected by            Morocco, South Korea

                                                                       Farnborough International
       the Coronavirus outbreak.        and Israel have also been
       On 11 March, NATO                cancelled or scaled back.
       closed the Norway-                Meanwhile, air
       based exercise Cold              forces have been busy in
       Response, which would            transporting vital medical
       have involved 15,000             supplies, including virus                          On 20 March, Farnborough International Air Show announced that this year's global
       troops. NATO's tactical air      testing kits, patients from                        aerospace trade exhibition and air show, set for 20-24 July, would now be cancelled
       warfare exercise, Frisian        worst affected areas to                            due to the Coronavirus. The organisers say the show will return in 2022. The move
       Flag, set to take place          ones with more capacity,                           came on the same day that the Royal International Air Tattoo reached a similar decision
       in The Netherlands from          as well as helping                                 and cancelled its 2020 air show. Other trade shows and exhibitions cancelled or
       23 March - 4 April and           repatriate tourists stuck                          postponed include AERO Friedrichshafen, ILA Berlin, EBACE and the Hamburg
       involving around 50 aircraft     overseas.                                          Aircraft Interiors show as well as Cosford and Yeovilton air displays.

           AIR TRANSPORT                                                                                                 SPACEFLIGHT

       COVID-19: airlines go into full                                                                                  ESA closes spaceport,
       lockdown mode                                                                                                    NASA halts work on SLS
                                                                            As AEROSPACE goes                           On 16 March the                 home working. In the US,
                                                                            to press in mid-March,                      European Space Agency           NASA has yet to cancel
                                                                            the world's airlines                        (ESA) announced that            launches, including the
                                                                            have begun cancelling                       all launches from its           first SpaceX Crewed
                                                                            services and grounding                      spaceport in French             Dragon mission in May
                                                                            fleets as the COVID-19                      Guiana, South America,          but has instituted remote
    ICAO

                                                                            pandemic has closed                         were suspended                  working plans for its
           international borders and load factors have plummented. In the US, United has                                indefinitely due to the         employees. It has also
           reduced its international services by 95%, while in Europe, budget carrier Ryanair is                        Coronavirus pandemic.           suspended all production
           to ground almost its entire fleet after 24 March. In Australia, flag carrier Qantas has                      Meanwhile, the Agency           and testing work on the
           cut all international flights and stood down 20,000 of its staff, while Cathay Pacific is                    has shifted the majority        Space Launch System
           to reduce its flights by 96% over April and May. IATA now estimates that the world's                         of its personnel at its         (SLS) rocket at two
           airlines are facing losses of $252bn. In the UK, Airlines UK is pressing the Government                      ESOC mission control            facilities in Louisiana and
           for an emergency £7.5bn cash injection. (See ‘A bioshock to aviation’ p 14).                                 centre in Germany to            Mississippi.

    NEWS IN BRIEF
                                        on 14 March. The lightly                   and MiG 29s as part of                all components of the          together to manufacture
    Boeing has requested a              loaded aircraft was                        its training with the US Air          spacecraft fit for the Mars    additional medical
    $60bn bailout, including            supposed to make a stop                    Force.                                adventure need more time       ventilators for the UK
    loan guarantees, from               over at Los Angeles but,                                                         to complete’, according        National Health Service
    the US Government,                  because of the US ban on                   The European Space                    to ESA.                        for the Coronavirus
    to protect itself and               international flights, made                Agency (ESA) and                                                     pandemic. Led by Meggitt,
    the 2.5million jobs and             the non-stop flight in 16                  Russia’s Roscosmos                    US aircraft manufacturer       which already produces
    17,000 companies in its             hours.                                     have announced that the               Textron is to lay off 7,000    oxygen systems for
    wider supply chain during                                                      Exomars mission launch                workers for four weeks due     aircraft, GKN, Airbus,
    the Coronavirus crisis.             US flight training                         has now been delayed                  to the Coronavirus. Most of    Thales and Renishaw from
                                        contractor Air USA                         until 2022. The mission, to           the layoffs will come from     the aerospace industry
    An Air Tahiti Nui Boeing            is reported to have                        land the European rover               the company's factory in       together with McClaren
    787 Dreamliner has set              bought 46 former Royal                     Rosalind Franklin on the              Wichita, Kansas.               and Nissan from the
    a new record for the                Australian Air Force                       Red Planet, was originally                                           automotive sector. The
    world's longest airline             (RAAF) F/A-18 Hornets.                     intended to be launched               A consortium of UK             aim is to produce an initial
    flight after flying 9,765           Air USA already operates                   this summer. However,                 aerospace and automotive       5,000 ventilators followed
    miles from Tahiti to Paris          BAE Hawks, Alpha Jets                      ‘tests necessary to make              companies is to work           by an additional 30,000.

6   AEROSPACE
A BIOSHOCK TO AVIATION - Royal Aeronautical Society
DEFENCE                                                                                               AIR TRANSPORT

     Boeing reveals FARA contender                                                                            Regional airlines go
                                                                                                              under in US, UK
                                                                                                              On 4 March, cash-               to the Coronavirus
                                                                                                              stricken UK regional airline    outbreak. Meanwhile, in
                                                                                                              Flybe collapsed, with its       the US, regional carrier
                                                                                                              aircraft impounded and          Minneapolis-based
                                                                                                              the company going into          Compass Airlines, which
                                                                                                              administration late in          flies feeder services
                                                                                                              the evening. The airline,       for American Airlines
Boeing

                                                                                                              which employed over             and Delta Air Lines as
         Boeing has revealed its entry for the US Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft                2,000 workers, had              American Eagle will close
         (FARA) programme to replace OH-58D Kiowa Warrior scout helicopters and some AH-64                    previously warned that          down on 7 April. In St
         Apaches. Powered by a single General Electric T901 engine, the as yet unnamed Boeing                 it needed a Government          Louis, regional airline Trans
         Future High-Speed Armed Scout Helicopter is fitted with a single six-bladed main rotor, four-        loan of £100m to keep           States, Airlines will also
         bladed tail rotor and four-bladed pusher prop. The helicopter will have a modular cockpit            operating, amid a slump         cease flight operations on
         with a reconfigurable large area display and a pilot-optional autonomous capability.                 in flight bookings due          1 April.

         AEROSPACE                                                                 GENERAL AVIATION

         UK to leave EASA, says                                                    Hybrid-electric VoltAero Cassio
         Minister                                                                  begins flight tests
         UK Transport Minister           powers would revert
         Grant Shapps MP has             back to the UK in a
         revealed that Britain           gradual way – with the
         is to leave EASA fully          aim of the UK developing
         after Brexit at the end of      its own certification and
         2020 – with civil aviation      standards. Meanwhile,
                                                                        VoltAero

         regulatory powers               UK aerospace and
         reverting back to the           defence trade body
         national CAA.                   ADS had previously                    France’s VoltAero has said it has began flight tests with its hybrid-electric powered
         Speaking to US trade            estimated that it would               Cassio prototype from its HQ in Royan-Médis Aérodrome, France. The aircraft is based
         publication Aviation            take 5-10 years and 300               on a modified pusher-puller Cessna 337 with two Safran electric engines replacing
         Week, in Washington             staff for the UK to regain            the forward piston engine. Formed by ex-Airbus CTO Jean Boti, the current testing is
         DC on 6 March Shapps            its responsibilities and              focused on a powertrain for a six-seat version of the aircraft, which will be followed by
         said that regulatory            oversight.                            validation of aerodynamics and configurations for four and nine-seat variants.

                                         Air National Guard. The
         US carrier Silver Airways is    500 F-35s delivered so                Babcock’s Offshore             UAV manufacturer UMS            Russian flag carrier
         to introduce four new ATR-      far comprise 354 F-35As,              business has won a new         Skeldar has launched            Aeroflot has taken delivery
         600 regional turboprops         108 STOVL F-35Bs                      five-year shared contract      a new V-150 VTOL                of the first of an eventual
         into its Caribbean              and 38 carrier-capable                with three oil and gas         platform to support             22 Airbus A350-900s.
         operation this year. The        F-35Cs.                               operators for helicopter       tactical operations
         first aircraft, an ATR 72-                                            transport in the North         including military              Bell and a Sikorsky-
         600, began flying in March      A prototype of SpaceX’s               Sea. The contract will         missions, surveillance,         Boeing team are to go to
         which will be followed          Starship spacecraft was               initially see Babcock          police and emergency            the next stage of the US
         by three ATR 42-600s in         damaged on 28 February                operate over 100               response and homeland           Army's Future Long Range
         April, June and July.           when a stainless steel                helicopter flights each        security. The V-150 can         Air Assault (FLRAA)
                                         tank was blown off the                month from Sumburgh            carry multiple payloads in      programme. Bell will offer
         On 3 March, Lockheed            test stand in Boca Chica,             in Shetland, on behalf         two payload bays (30kg          its V-280 Valor tiltrotor
         Martin delivered the            Texas, during a pressure              of CNR International,          and 12kg) and be fitted         while Sikorsky-Boeing
         500th F-35 Lightning II.        test. The incident is not             EnQuest and TAQA.              with a variety of different     will compete with the
         The aircraft, a F35A was        expected to delay the                 Flights are expected to        sensors depending on the        compound helicopter
         delivered to the Vermont        Starship test programme.              begin in July.                 type of mission.                SB-1 Defiant.

                                                                                                                                                               APRIL 2020     7
A BIOSHOCK TO AVIATION - Royal Aeronautical Society
Radome
           GENERAL AVIATION                                                            SPACEFLIGHT

       Piaggio up for sale                                                        Satellite docking milestone
       Bankrupt Italian               Hammerhead, as well                                                                                                      On 3 March,
       aerospace company              as the design and                                                                                                        Northrop
       Piaggio Aerospace              manufacture of aircraft                                                                                                  Grumman’s
       is being offered for           engines. The move comes                                                                                                  subsidiary
       sale, with a deadline          after the company was put                                                                                                SpaceLogistics
       of 3 April for potential       into receivership after the                                                                                              docked its
       bidders. Currently             then owner, Abu Dhabi's                                                                                                  mission extension
       under ‘extraordinary           Mubadala, withdrew.                                                                                                      vehicle (MEV-1)

                                                                    Northrop Grumman
       administration’, Villanova     Piaggio says that it has                                                                                                 with commercial
       d'Albenga-based Piaggio        some $490m in its order                                                                                                  communications
       Aero Industries and            backlog, with an equal                                                                                                   satellite Intelsat
       Piaggio Aviation are           amount of deals pending.                                                                                                 901 (IS-901). The
       responsible for the P.180      The sale will be subject to                                                                                              manoeuvre was the
       Avanti twin-turboprop          approval from the Italian                        first time that two commercial satellites have docked in orbit. MEV-1 will remain with IS-
       business aircraft, a           Ministry of Economic                             901 for the next five years, using its thrusters and fuel to maintain the satellite’s position.
       UAV variant, the P1HH          Development.                                     A second mission extension vehicle is expected to be launched later this year.

           AEROSPACE                                                                                                    DEFENCE

           Bell EDAT breaks cover                                                                                      MBDA tests Sea Venom
                                                                                                                       missile
                                                                                                                        Missile company MBDA             a Dauphin helicopter at a
                                                                                                                        has conducted the first          shipping container stacked
                                                                                                                        qualification firing trial of    on a large vessel at sea.
                                                                                                                        its medium range Sea             Developed as part of an
                                                                                                                        Venom anti-ship missile          Anglo-French co-operation
                                                                                                                        fired from a helicopter. The     programme, the Sea
    Bell

                                                                                                                        test was carried out on          Venom is intended to be
       Bell has unveiled a secret rotorcraft demonstrator, based on its 429 helicopter that                             20 February at the French        used by the French navy’s
       has been modified with an electric multi-rotor tail fin. The Electrically Distributed Anti-                      DGA defence procurement          future Airbus Helicopters
       Torque (EDAT) prototype has conducted around 25hrs of flight testing since May 2019                              agency’s Essais de               H160M and the UK
       from Bell’s Mirabel, Canada facility. Swapping the traditional tail rotor, powered by                            missiles test site in the        Royal Navy’s Leonardo
       transmission from the engines, to four electric fixed-blade motors, reduces noise, carbon                        Bay of Biscay, in which the      Helicopters AW159
       emissions and operating costs – as well as enhancing safety, says Bell.                                          missile was launched from        Wildcat.

       NEWS IN BRIEF
                                                                                   Aircraft in Germany – the            Sunak, announced                 space-based automatic
       The 20th SpaceX                The UK MoD’s Defence                         original manufacturer and            that £800m would be              dependent surveillance-
       Dragon unmanned cargo          Equipment and Support                        design authority – to meet           used to create a new             broadcast (ADS-B) data.
       capsule docked with            (DE&S) arm has sold                          civil certification standards        research body based on           Eurocontrol said that the
       the International Space        63 decommissioned                            with the remaining aircraft          the original US DARPA            agreement will enhance
       Station on 9 March.            Vigilant T1 motor gliders                    to be engineered and                 (Defense Advanced                flow management
       The docking was the            to disabled pilot charity                    recertified by Southern              Research Projects                capabilities across its 41
       last time the capsule          Aerobility. Formerly                         Sailplanes in the UK.                Agency). Some £100m              European member states
       needed to be captured          used to train RAF Air                                                             has also been earmarked          and two comprehensive
       using the ISS Canadarm         Cadets, the gliders will                     The latest UK                        for defence R&D,                 agreement (CA) states
       robotic arm, as future         be upgraded with new                         Government budget,                   including ‘cutting-edge          to improve air traffic
       Dragon capsules will           engines, propellers and                      revealed on 11 March,                technology in aviation and       predictability, capacity and
       be designed to dock            cockpits with the first                      has outlined increased               space propulsion’.               environmental impact.
       directly. The capsule was      aircraft ready to fly in                     funding for R&D in Britain
       carrying over 4,300lb of       the summer of 2021.                          – pledging to double it              Eurocontrol has signed a         General Atomics
       food, experiments and          The first ten gliders will                   by 2024. The Chancellor              ten year agreement with          Aeronautical Systems
       spare parts.                   be refurbished by Grob                       of the Exchequer, Rishi              Aireon for the provision of      has unveiled its new

8      AEROSPACE
A BIOSHOCK TO AVIATION - Royal Aeronautical Society
DEFENCE                                                        GENERAL AVIATION

                       MoD projects £13bn                                             Fly anything using a tablet
                       black hole, says NAO                                           Skyryse has launched

                                                                                                                                                                                      Skyryse
                                                                                      a new flight automation
                       The UK National Audit          According to the NAO,           system which it claims
                       Office (NAO) has warned        the MoD’s plans to acquire      can be retrofitted onto
                       of a £13bn ‘black hole’ in     and support aircraft,           any aircraft to enable
                       the Ministry of Defence’s      ships and weapons               anyone to fly using
                       defence spending. An           will cost £183.6bn              intuitive controls. Named
                       NAO report claims that the     between 2019-29 – an            FlightOS, the automated
                       MoD risks losing day-to-       overspend of £2.9bn. The        system operates using
                       day operational capabilities   announcement comes at           simplified flight control
                       such as air surveillance       the same time that Prime        operations in which an
                       due to ‘unaffordable’          Minister Boris Johnson          aircraft can be operated with a touchscreen tablet or joystick, while on-board computers
                       equipment plans and being      has launched a spending         control all aspects of the flight envelope and use exterior radar and sensors for situational
                       ‘over-optimistic’ about its    review into UK defence          awareness. According to the company, the technology can operate in all weather and
                       ability to make savings.       and security strategy.          visibility conditions, as well as taking over control in emergency situations.'

                       AEROSPACE                                                                                       SPACEFLIGHT

                       SpaceJet M90 makes first flight                                                                OneWeb reportedly
                                                                                                                      faces bankruptcy
                                                                                                                      Mega-constellation               most recent launch taking
                                                                                                                      start-up OneWeb, which           place on 21 March using a
                                                                                                                      is aiming to develop             Russian Soyuz. However,
Mitsubishi Aerospace

                                                                                                                      a global LEO satellite           the company is now
                                                                                                                      communications network           reported to be struggling
                                                                                                                      has been considering             with higher costs and
                                                                                                                      bankruptcy options               intensified competition –
                       On 18 March, Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation successfully flew the first SpaceJet M90          as it runs out of cash,          primarily from SpaceX's
                       in its baseline production configuration from Prefectural Nagoya Airport, Japan. The           Bloomberg news reports.          Starlink network, which
                       flight lasted one hour and 45 minutes The regional airliner is an enhanced version of the      The satellite operator,          is developing a 3,500
                       original MRJ, which is now running ten years behind schedule. The aircraft will perform        founded in 2012, has             satellite megaconstellation

                                                                                                                                                                                                    BAE Systems
                       other tests in Japan, before joining the rest of the MRJ/SpaceJet test fleet in Moses          launched 74 of its 650           and which has already
                       Lake, US. The goal is certification this year.                                                 satellite fleet, with the        deployed 360 spacecraft.

                       Defender conceptual            affordable way, including
                       unmanned air vehicle           building operational            An eVTOL prototype made         ON THE MOVE
                       designed to be used as an      readiness at Spaceport          by Germany's Lilium Jet
                       air-to-air missile platform    America in New Mexico.          was damaged by a fire on
                       for protecting large and                                       27 February. The incident        Willie Walsh is to stay on
                       slow-moving aircraft. The      Russian Helicopters             took place during ground         as CEO of IAG due to the        Éric Martel is to become
                       UAV could also remain on       has delivered the first         maintenance in a hangar.         Coronavirus crisis.             the new President and
                       station longer by being        serial produced twin-                                                                            CEO of Bombardier.
                       refuelled by aerial tankers.   engine multi-purpose            Correction                       James Taiclet has been
                                                      Mi-38 helicopter to the         In the March edition of          named successor to the          Cranfield University has
                       Virgin Galactic Holdings       Gazprombank Leasing             AEROSPACE, in the                Lockheed Martin CEO,            appointed Chikage Myoshi
                       has reported a net loss of     company. Built by               article Stronger Togther,        Marillyn Hewson, effective      as Associate Professor
                                                                                      we incorrectly referred to
                       $73m for 2019. However,        Kazan Helicopters, the          the Director of Life Cycle
                                                                                                                       15 June.                        in Environment Systems
                       the company announced          aircraft will be operated       Management at the NATO                                           for Aerospace and Guy
                       that it achieved the key       by Russian Helicopter           Support Procurement Agency       Nikki Haley, former US          Gratton, as Associate
                       milestones in its mission      Systems (RHS) in a              (NSPA) as Rudolf Mauser.         Ambassador to the UN,           Professor in Aviation and
                                                                                      His correct name is Rudolf
                       to open access to space        corporate transport                                              has resigned from the           the Environment.
                                                                                      Maus. We apologise for any
                       in a safe, innovative and      configuration.                  confusion.                       board of Boeing.

                                                                                                                                                                        APRIL 2020              9
A BIOSHOCK TO AVIATION - Royal Aeronautical Society
By the Numbers
          Understanding the world of Aerospace through data

          The Effects of Covid-19 on World Aerospace

                                                               IATA
                                                               Airports Council International

  10      AEROSPACE

April By The Numbers.indd 2                                   24/03/2020 15:28
Pushing the Envelope
          Exploring advances on the leading edge of aerospace
                                                                                                                           Robert Coppinger

          Aerospace pulls 5Gs

         S
                      upersonic aircraft could be linked to a    5G report. For aviation, 5G is seen as being key
                      terrestrial 5G network over land even      to enabling cost-effective urban air mobility traffic
                      if the Mach-1 plus business jets in        control.
                      development cruise near the speed of            There are two key differences between 5G and
                      sound. The technology of 5G is expected    its predecessors. One, the wide-area network has
          to bring true broadband to passenger and crew          more small cells and masts, which use millimetre
          alike and magnify airport communications, while        wave frequencies for a shorter connection range.
          also simplifying an airport’s network and reducing     The second is that wide-area network uses multiple
          in-flight telecommunications’ need for satellites.     input, multiple output (MIMO) antennas to link
          For governments, Chinese 5G provider Huawei has        with those small cell clusters. Nokia’s air-to-ground
          courted controversy with accusations of being in       system uses MIMO antennas to communicate
          cahoots with the Beijing regime but US firms Intel     with aircraft. This all in turn connects to the core
          and Verizon and the European companies Ericsson        network which consists of telecoms exchanges
          and Nokia are also offering 5G solutions.              with distributed Internet servers to reduce response
                                                                 times, along with a voice and data management
          The speed of the sound of voice calls                  system which is fully integrated with the Internet
                                                                 and cloud-based services.
          The one-time mobile phone giant, Nokia, has a
          5G solution that it says can work with vehicles        Building air 5G
          at speeds of up to 1,200kph (745mph). Existing
          standards have only allowed speeds of up to            With 5G, passengers are expected to notice a
          300kph. Nokia has a 4G LTE, or Long-Term               difference in service levels curbside, long before
          Evolution, air-to-ground version of this and it is     they get airside. For the airport, cable-free terminals
          used by Deutsche Telekom’s European Aviation           are being touted as a benefit, along with fewer
          Network (EAN) broadband service. The EAN also          WIFI access points and radio cell masts; less to
          uses Inmarsat satellite communications and Thales      be maintained but far greater data throughput. For
          avionics and it operates within the European           this communications revolution, the 5G market in
          Union. The International Airlines Group uses EAN       aviation in 2021 will be worth $0.5bn with North
          and Nokia’s 4G LTE. Whether it is 5G or 4G LTE,        America representing the largest share and airports
          passengers would connect through an onboard            the main investment, according to Indian market
          antenna. Other companies which are offering an         research firm Markets And Markets Research.
          airborne 5G service are Ericsson, with Panasonic       The Indian firm also estimates a rapidly growing
          Avionics Corporation technology and in-flight          5G aviation market reaching a worth of $3.9bn by
          connectivity firm Gogo with network systems            2026.
          specialist Cisco.                                          In an airport, the 5G network will connect
               A 5G network is a radio system operating in the   to the existing 4G equipment and use it for the
          microwave band of the electromagnetic spectrum.        bandwidth capacity expansion and smoother service
          Microwave radiation is between 300 megahertz           passengers will experience. Airports can already
          and 300 gigahertz. Mobile phones use part of that      install 4G LTE networks to improve upon the legacy
          microwave band, from 900MHz to 1.8GHz. A 5G            3G grid performance. Alongside the passenger              NOKIA, HAS A
          network’s two main components, the radio access        services, airports are being offered private 5G staff     5G SOLUTION
          network and the core network, are also used by         networks for security and reliability. Today, many
          its telecommunications predecessors, 3G and 4G.        airports use the same WIFI network for staff and
                                                                                                                           THAT IT SAYS
          Many promises have been made for the enormous          passengers. Ultimately, air traffic control is seen as    CAN WORK WITH
          bandwidth of 5G: the consumer terrestrial service      a beneficiary of 5G with far greater communication        VEHICLES AT
          could deliver as much as 100 megabits per second,      between ATC and incoming and departing aircraft,          SPEEDS OF UP TO
          according to technology advisory firm Ovum’s 2018      enabling a far more efficient use of airspace.            1,200KPH

                                                                                                                                     APRIL 2020   11
Pulling%205G-2.indd 1                                                                                                                      24/03/2020 15:33
Transmission
     LETTERS AND ONLINE                                            @aerosociety       i   Find us on LinkedIn     f   Find us on Facebook      www.aerosociety.com

                                                  i
                                                                                                                Drones vs pilots

              f                                                                                             @maxsundance1 [On
                                                                                                            ‘Breaking through the HUD-
                                                                                                            glass ceiling’ blog – is the end
                                                                                                            of the fighter pilot here?(4)]
                                                                                                            Yes! The era of the drones is
                                                                                                            already here + AI. With all the
                                                                                                            technological advances that
                                                                                                            come up every day, I would
                                                                                                                                                 @NoliMarcelo I don’t think
                                                                                                                                                 so. It’s like when they said
                                                                                                                                                 (early Phantom jet era) that
                                                                                                                                                 aerial dogfighting with guns
                                                                                                                                                 was also obsolete.

                                                                                                                                                 @HenryCobb The next
     Aviation and Covid-19              AeroChallenge                    Women in Aviation                  not underestimate the AI of          generation fighter pilot shall
     Charlie Jeffs Aviation was                                                                             being more accurate than             be a forward mentor for our
                                        George F. Very happy with
     doomed the moment we                                                                                   humans in any dog fighter.           remotely mentored aircraft.
                                        the result, thank you for
     decided to leave the EU.                                                                               And why are we still fighting
                                        organising a great event!
     Covid-19 has just accelerated                                                                          with each other?
     it, don’t blame the virus, blame                                                                                                            @timdavies_uk Don’t worry,
                                        Talitha-Kay Greatorex So
     the public brain sickness,                                                                                                                  the end of the fighter pilot is
                                        proud of you all! Well done!
     failing to think first.                                                                                @Elchrich_Elch I heard this          nigh but their egos will last a
                                                                                                            already in the ‘50s. Drones          millennium.
                                        Alex Middleton A great
                                                                                                            are still more vulnerable to
     Flybe bankruptcy                   Young Persons’ event! Very
                                                                        Thanks to the engagement of         cyberwarfare than a F-4.
                                        happy with the result and to
     Eur Ing Bishnujee Singh            meet so many like-minded        our speakers at the first-ever
     They just need to move on          people.                         Women in Aviation Forum
     with another opportunity.                                          held by @AeroSociety
     Life never ends, airlines          Penny Broadway Well done        @RAeSParis on 10
     across the continent are in        Team Leeds!                     March, we learned of their
     the same boat due to flight                                        motivation, the challenges
     cancellations.                     New Members spotlight           they faced, their professional
                                                                        achievements and the
      AeroChallenge                     Fadl I [On New members          messages to young women
                                        Spotlight Shumit Das(1)]        keen on entering the domain.
                                        Congratulations on the
                                        Fellowship Shumit Das!
                                                                         Aviation and Covid-19
                                        Jamie Jungmi Seebaluck          @AlexLuck9 [On ‘A                       @RAeSCareers [Cool Aeronatics Super Thursday]
                                        Well done Shumit. Keep          Bioshock to aviation – what             #ThrowbackThursday to last week when we brought you
                                        making us proud!!               next’ blog(2)] Excellent and            #superthursday with three #coolaeronautics across the UK &
     An annual event for teams                                          very thorough write-up on               Ireland! With support from @RAFHalton, @RollsRoyce and
                                        Zuhair Mir Hey Shumi
     of young people organised                                          where it’s at for the aviation          @irishskys we #inspired over 200 children with #aerospace
                                        congrats mate what an
     by the RAeS Young Persons’                                         industry – Brace brace brace!           and #STEM activities.
                                        achievement.
     Committee, AeroChallenge
     2020 was held at No. 4             Chris Fonseka All good
                                                                                                                End of an era for A380                                             Allen Coughlan
     Hamilton Place on 4 March.                                         @Brannonski Uncharted
                                        wishes Shumit.                  territory in all areas! In fact
                                                                        ,the uncomfortable truth is
     Congratulations to Team            Nuno Helder Shumit Das,         that air transport is what has
     AvSoc UoL from the                 look at you! New member?        actually got to this uncharted
     University of Leeds for            Weren’t you and Olivia          territory! Interesting times
     winning #Aerochallenge2020         Stodieck representing it at     ahead for one such as myself
     – students have finally taken      Airbus Bristol?                 that own an ATO... I was
     the crown from the grads!                                          worried about coming out of
     Thank you to all the teams for     Shumit Das Heya Nuno!           EASA! Bigger issues now!
     taking part. And thank you to      New Member because new
     the Leonardo Company for           Fellow. Actually Olivia and
                                        I were representing the          Redirect space funds
     supporting this event once
     again. #aerochallenge              Materials Society #SAMPE        @aerodynmagic [On
                                        UK & Ireland when we were       Spaceflight in 2020 – a look
                                        at Aerospace Bristol last       ahead(3)] Would be better               In February the last A380 wing produced at Airbus Broughton
     Magdalene Elyetu                   week!                           to donate every penny of                in Wales was shipped by barge to Mostyn to be transported to
     Unfortunately all men –                                            space tourism money to virus            Toulouse. The starboard wing is pictured here proceeding down
     where are the women?                                               research.                               the River Dee at Queensferry near Chester.

12   AEROSPACE
Aerospace ventilators           Future of Red Arrows                From the RAeS photo archives
   @ProfAtkin [On Aerospace           @yasserthoughts [On

                                                                                                                                                                      RAeS/NAL
   consortium races to produce        Could RAF Red Arrows
   ventilator] Some action            evolve into a joint display/
   already, efforts probably more     aggressor sqn after the
   widespread too.                    Hawk T1A retires?] The
                                      PAF Sherdils can act
                                      as a model here. Pilots
   @MichaelJPryce Getting             taken from PAF academy
   qualified machinists etc from      staff, K-8a borrowed from
   aerospace firms into the           academy fleet. Obviously
   factories of existing ventilator   not 100% ideal but very
   manufacturers could also           cost efficient. They could be
   be valuable. Rapid ramp up         better but the pilots are full
   to 24/7 shifts and cross-          time instructors so need to
   learning on processes to feed      balance that off. A part time
   back to new producers.             team is better than no team
                                      at all. It would be tragic if
                                      The Reds were axed.
       Al Worden RIP

   @steveaprocter [On Apollo
   15, Col Al Worden passes           @daylyt100 Absolutely
   away aged 88] Very sad             agree. I was instructor and
   news. A lovely man who loved       part time team member for a
   being over here in the UK          season and was exhausted.
   when he could.                     I just can’t see national
                                      aerobatic team free-lancing
                                                                          Unloading bullion to the approximate value of $48,000,000 which was transported from
                                      part time as ‘aggressors’
                                                                          Germany to Croydon by a Junkers G24, as payment from Germany to Britain under the
   @Rob_Coppinger I enjoyed           other than as a ‘war role’. I
                                                                          Dawes Plan, July 1925.
   interviewing him many years        don’t think, for many UK.co
   ago and talking to him about       reasons, it will come to that.
   his deep space EVA, the very
   first.
                                                                         UK to leave EASA                 Airline pilot jobs under threat
                                                                         @PhillipCovell [On UK            @rys_parker What most           @vcs22 Yes it’s not
                                                                         to leave EASA] Seems             people fail to realise, is      uncommon, however, the
   FAST Black Arrow                                                      an unusually long and            there’s virtually no sideways   airlines have gone through
                                                                         bureaucratic timeline to me!     movement in this business.      a decade of massive profits,
                                                                                                          It’s all seniority based.       which have never been seen.
FAST

                                                                         Surely you start by adopting
                                                                         everything as it is, then        Whether you have 200hrs or      All this should give them
                                                                         progressively changing that      10,000hrs, you start a new      sufficient financial heft to
                                                                         which you want to change,        company at the bottom of the    treat their employees well in
                                                                         so the emphasis goes on          ladder. No negotiating your     trying times.
                                                                         recruitment and training         ‘package’ – it’s pay point 1
                                                                         where required.
                                                                                                                                          @krisvancleave They
                                                                                                                                          aren’t making anyone take
                                                                                                          @matthewsydney In               unpaid leave at this point.
                                                                         @@AltaMentoring                  normal times, is there ever     An unpaid leave where
                                                                                                          pressure within the pilot       the employee keeps their
                                                                         @SouthernFairy16 Just            community in airlines to        benefits and travel privileges
                                                                         had my first request on          reform that system, and         is not uncommon in the airline
                                                                         @AltaMentoring to be a           might this precipitate that?    world. But this is not likely to
   #BlackArrow rocket 1st stage joins two other historic British         mentor for a lady looking to     Would imagine strong vested     be a single quarter. Airlines
   aircraft on display at @FASTmuseum – Cody’s British Army              get into the aerospace sector.   interests in favour and         are bracing for possibly years
   Aeroplane No 1A and the Zephyr record-breaking HAPS UAV               Exciting! @RAeSCareers           against...                      of recovery.
   #avgeek #spaceflight

        1. https://aerosociety.com/news/new-member-spotlight-shumit-das/
        2. https://aerosociety.com/news/a-bioshock-to-aviation-what-next/
        3. https://aerosociety.com/news/spaceflight-in-2020-a-look-ahead/
        4. https://aerosociety.com/news/breaking-through-the-hud-glass-ceiling/

          @aerosociety   i   linkedin.com/raes   f   facebook.com/raes        www.aerosociety.com                                                            APRIL 2020          13
AEROSPACE
                Coronavirus

          A Bioshock to aviation –
          what next?
          As the air transport system reels under the unprecedented pressure from a global
          pandemic, TIM ROBINSON looks at the impact on the world’s airlines and the global
          aerospace system.

                              O
                                             nly six months ago, the world’s         to be the size of that of Portugal. Whole countries
                                             airlines were in rude health. After     are now in lockdown. Aircraft fleets are grounded
                                             another straight year of profits,       and the global air transport system, that critical
                                             the biggest crisis facing some          oil that lubricates the world economy, is in danger
                                             was that manufacturers were not         of seizing up completely. The global pandemic
                              getting aircraft fast enough to cope with insatiable   is not just affecting airlines but is now rippling
                              demand. Climate change was the biggest cloud           through supply chains, tourism, industry events
                              on the horizon but airlines and OEMs were safe in      and even spaceflight, as entire countries have
                              the apparent law of nature that, despite blips, air    gone into lockdown, with borders closing and
                              travel doubles every 15 years.                         ‘social distancing’ rules coming in. With sports,
                                                                                     entertainment, restaurants, social and face-to-face
                              Then the Coronavirus struck.                           activity curtailed, the entire world economy may
                                                                                     be on the brink of recession. The deadly virus,
                              The Chinese aviation market, predicted to be the       spreading out from its origin in Wuhan, China,
                              biggest in the world by 2022, rapidly contracted       has now entered Europe and the US, home to the

  14      AEROSPACE

Coronavirua.indd 2                                                                                                                   24/03/2020 13:45
most mature and busiest airline markets. These          70-90% and all AF A380s and KLM 747s being
          factors, and the uncertainty of when restrictions       parked up. Finnair, meanwhile, is to reduce its
          might ease, make it clear that this is an existential   capacity by 90%.
          crisis that dwarfs even 9/11 – where fears of                In the UK, British Airways CEO Alex Cruz told
          terrorism temporarily suppressed demand for air         staff on 13 March that the flag carrier faces “a
          travel.                                                 crisis of global proportions like no other we have
               Traffic has dropped completely – and as a          known” with the airline expecting to ground 50%
          scale of measurement while the 9/11 attacks             of its aircraft. Only a few days later, its owner,
          caused a 18.9% fall in US capacity and the 2008         IAG which also comprises Aer Lingus and Iberia,
          financial crash caused a 10% drop, predictions          said it will reduce capacity by 75%. EasyJet
          now are around the 50% mark just for US airlines.       meanwhile, has already cancelled 40% of its
          Some other analysts suggest that a staggering           flights in March and is expecting to ground the
          80% of the global fleet could be grounded –             majority of its fleet. Virgin Atlantic is to ground
          an unprecedented number. The CAPA Centre                75% of its fleet and is asking staff to take eight
          for Aviation, for example, has an apocalyptic           weeks unpaid leave.
          prediction that, by the end of May, most airlines            Outside Europe, Korean Air has grounded
          will be bankrupt without some form of                                 100 of its aircraft or some 80% of
          state support. Such is the speed of                                    its capacity while Emirates has
                                                                            Bonnielou2013
          this crisis, that a prediction from IATA                               cancelled flights to 30 international
          that in a worst case scenario, the                                     destinations and pilots have being
          world’s airlines will need $113bn to                                   asked to take unpaid leave. Cathay
          survive, was quickly surpassed. IATA                                   Pacific has cut its flights by 90%
          now estimates that carriers will need                                  while Sri Lankan has suspended
          $200bn in bailouts.                                                    operations. In Australia, Qantas is to
               There is also no immediate                                        halt international flights and lay off
          answer to when the situation                                           20,000 of its staff.
          might recover or even ease. With                                            In the US, the situation is not
          groundings and flight cancellations                                    much better. While the US has, so
          running through April into May – the                                   far, resisted a flight ban on domestic
          disruption may last longer. While                                      air travel, airlines were caught off
          President Trump has said that the                                      guard by the announcement by
          worst may be over by August, the UK                                    President Donald Trump of a ban on
          Government is planning on the basis                                    transatlantic travel for continental
          that it could be a long campaign and it                              European nations on 12 March –
          may not be until April 2021 until things return to      adding to existing bans on travel from China and
          normal. In the meantime, the economic damage            Iran. This directive (which did not include cargo or
          to the world’s air transport sector – which carries     US citizens, as well as the US and Ireland) added
          4.4bn passengers every year and is worth $2.7tn         to confusion. The UK and Ireland were added to
          – is unprecedented.                                     the ban on 16 March while travel between the US
                                                                  and Canada curtailed to ‘non-essential travel’.
          The skies shutdown                                           These restrictions to transatlantic services on
                                                                  the world’s most lucrative and busiest long-haul        THE CAPA
          The magnitude of the crisis has accelerated             route have caused US airlines to face capacity          CENTRE FOR
          rapidly, catching airlines off guard with capacity      cuts. American Airlines, for example, cancelled
          reductions now expanded to full blown                   75% of its international services while United          AVIATION,
          groundings as nations lock down their borders.          has announced that it is looking at 60% cuts            FOR EXAMPLE,
          Ryanair, for example, Europe’s largest budget           and warning things could get worse. Delta Air           HAS AN
          airline with over 450 aircraft, is to ground almost     Lines meanwhile, cancelled all flights to mainland
                                                                                                                          APOCALYPTIC
          all its entire fleet from 24 March, except for          Europe and, in the space of a few days, has
          essential UK-Ireland services. This follows in          doubled the number of aircraft it will park up from     PREDICTION
          the footsteps of airlines such as Poland’s LOT,         300 to 600. For its part, JetBlue is to slash its       THAT, BY
          SAS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Air       flights by 40% in April and May.                        THE END OF
          Baltic – as well as a French all-business carrier,           One bright spot is that airlines in mainland
          La Compagnie. Meanwhile, other airlines are             China, where carriers cancelled an average of
                                                                                                                          MAY, MOST
          scrambling to reduce capacity, with Lufthansa           10-22% flights in January and February – some           AIRLINES WILL
          Group parking up 95% of its fleet, Norwegian            are looking to reinstate services as the outbreak       BE BANKRUPT
          Air cutting 85% of its flights and laying off 90%       seems to be slowing due to draconian measures.          WITHOUT SOME
          of its workforce. The crisis is accelerating the             These above are obviously just a snapshot of
          retirement of larger aircraft – with Air France-        the cuts and cancellations across the entire globe      FORM OF STATE
          KLM announcing that flights will be reduced by          and the situation is extremely fluid.                   SUPPORT.

                                                                                                                                 APRIL 2020   15
Coronavirua.indd 3                                                                                                                      24/03/2020 13:45
AEROSPACE
               Coronavirus

                                                  The entire aerospace industry reels                        system to successfully restart production on the other

                             Ministerio Defensa
                                                                                                             side of the crisis.
                                                  It is also not just airlines that are suffering but also        With mass gatherings now cancelled across the
                                                  other sectors of aerospace and aviation. Military          globe and governments warning against assembling
                                                  exercises have either been curtailed (NATO Cold            more than ten people together, the aerospace sectors
                                                  Response) or cancelled (Frisian Flag) while the            conference, exhibition and air show schedules has
                                                  Pentagon has cancelled all non-essential domestic          been thrown into limbo. Business aviation show
                                                  travel until 11 May. The virus has also spread to affect   EBACE (26 May), Germany’s ILA Berlin (13-17 May)
                                                  the aerospace supply chain, destroying demand for          and Hamburg Aircraft Interiors (30 March-2 April)
                                                  new aircraft and threatening existing production lines.    have all been cancelled or postponed – with other
                                                  On 17 March, Airbus announced that it would close          smaller air shows and industry events being cancelled
                                                  assembly lines in France and Spain to implement            or postponed. Going forward it is uncertain what that
                                                  stringent health and hygiene measures. In the              means for the busy summer airshow season – as we
                                                  US, Boeing already in crisis with the 737MAX still         go to press, both RIAT and the Farnborough Air Show
                                                  grounded, faces demand for new aircraft falling off a      in the UK, are now cancelled.
                                                  cliff edge, just when it was expecting the narrowbody
                                                  to return to flight. Meanwhile, with its base in the       What can be done?
                                                  epicentre of the European outbreak, Italy’s Leonardo
                                                  group has suspended deliveries of helicopters.             This unprecedented crisis for airlines and the
                                                        Even in spaceflight, the Coronavirus is now          aviation industry has meant there have been calls for
                                                  affecting everyday operations. ESA has suspended           extensive government assistance and support to help
                                                  all launches from its spaceport in French Guiana in        help survive. Loosening of slot restrictions on airports
                                                  South America. NASA has yet to cancel launches             was one of the first measures to be announced,
                                                  but has instituted remote working plans for its            hoping to end ‘ghost flights’ where airlines flew
                                                  employees.                                                 almost empty aircraft to retain landing rights at key
                                                        The effects are also likely to ripple down the       airports under the ‘use it or lose it rule’.
                                                  global aerospace supply chain. While OEMs and Tier              Airlines are now pressing for direct bailouts and
                                                  1 suppliers should have enough resilience, SMEs            state support. In the UK, the Airlines UK industry
                                                  that supply components or sub-components (already          group has called for an immediate £7.5bn emergency
                                                  under pressure from above to cut costs) will be at         stimulus from the government to assist beleaguered
                                                  greater risk of going bankrupt while production lines      airlines. In Italy, the Government has already indicated
                                                  are at a standstill. Loss of these small companies,        it will re-nationalise flag carrier Alitalia in a €600m
                                                  that produce parts to feed into the giant aerospace        bailout – the latest twist in the fortunes of the ailing
                                                  supply chain, could hamper the capability of the           national airline. Over in India, the latest news is the

                                                                                                                                                                        Boeing

  16      AEROSPACE

Coronavirua.indd 4                                                                                                                                               24/03/2020 13:45
Chad Davies/Flickr
          Government is planning a $1.8bn rescue bailout for       airlines, as well as those with de-facto state
          its stricken airlines. In Norway, the Government has     ownership will emerge from the other side.
          promised $533m to its airlines, including Norwegian           What also is unclear is what will happen to airline
          Air, Wideroe and SAS.                                    staff and pilots furloughed in this period. In previous
               Meanwhile in the US, the Airlines 4 America         crises, the mobility and skills of airline pilots allowed
          trade body is pressing for a $50bn emergency             them to move to where the highest demand was.
          stimulus to assist the country’s airlines, including     Now, with a global pandemic and recession, the
          direct grants, loans and tax relief – with a warning     option to move to sunnier climes may simply not be
          that airlines are burning through $10bn a month to       available. Recurrent checks, type ratings and the
          stay afloat. The US is also considering assistance for   need to maintain currency thus mean that if the
          the aerospace sector – primarily its strategic asset     shutdown is prolonged, the more difficult it will be for
          and leading exporter, Boeing, with a                                    airlines to ramp up when passengers
                                                                              GotoVan

          requested $60bn bailout. Ironically, this                               return.
          plea for state assistance from Boeing
          came only 24 hours after Washington                                           What can aviation do to
          raised import tariffs on Airbus products                                      help?
          from 10% to 15% for European
          subsidies.                                                              However terrible this pandemic is,
               However, money for corporate                                       aviation is also on the front line in
          bailouts has not been welcome by                                        saving lives, delivering much needed
          everyone. In the US, fingers have been                                  medical equipment and aid to the
          pointed at airlines that have invested                                  worst hit areas, as well as repatriating
          96% of their free cashflow into ‘share                                  passengers to their own countries as
          buyback schemes’ instead of future                                      the world goes into lockdown. Cargo-
          resilience. Boeing too was already                                      only flights using passenger aircraft
          under criticism for its focus on share                                  are already taking place, as well as
          dividends, even before the virus outbreak. There are     humanitarian flights delivering essential testing
          thus calls that any state rescue cash infusions come     equipment and medical supplies. In France, the
          with conditions that protect jobs and services first     Armee d’Air has been using its Airbus A330MRTTs
          and foremost.                                            configured as medical transports to shift infected
               Some airlines, therefore, could be looking at       patients from cities in France with overwhelmed
          nationalisation or consolidation. These may be the       hospitals to those with more space capacity. In the
          lucky ones, with travel restrictions and economic        US, the USAF has swung into action to transport
          carnage causing others to go under. It is thus likely    500,000 Coronavirus sampling kits aboard a C-17
          then, that only the biggest and most well-financed       from Italy to the US.

                                                                                                                                                    APRIL 2020   17
Coronavirua.indd 5                                                                                                                                        24/03/2020 13:45
AEROSPACE
                Coronavirus

                                   As well as these relief and cargo flights,         How long will this last?
                              there have also been calls to utilise the now-idle
                              resources of the world’s airlines in what amounts       All indications are that this will not be over
                              to wartime conditions. Could airline food caterers      quickly and it will take time either for populations
                              be mobilised to deliver essential meals to the          to acquire ‘herd immunity’ or a vaccine to be
          AN INDUSTRY         elderly and those in quarantine? Airport cleaners       developed and distributed. While there is enough
          THAT HAS            to help disinfect hospitals? Another suggestion         evidence to suggest that pent-up demand for
          BROUGHT             has been to ask flight attendants, who                               foreign travel and holidays will return,
          THE WORLD           already have medical and emergency                                    there may well be restrictions on

                                                                                                Bonnielou2013
                              training, to be deployed to assist                                    travel and tourism – from countries
          TOGETHER...         frontline health workers – thus                                       that have conquered the outbreak
          NOW FINDS           keeping them employed and paid,                                       to those still suffering from it. One
          THAT, TO HALT       as well as reducing the burden on                                     positive aspect is that in China, the
          THE TIDAL           medical staff. The air transport sector                               worst seems to be over and life is
                              thus, deprived of its passengers, is                                  now returning to normal admittedly
          WAVE OF             potentially a valuable resource of                                    after an extreme lockdown. Some
          DEATHS, IT          individuals with skills in organisation,                              experts warn, however that a second
          MUST STOP           logistics and who are already laser                                   wave could easily spring up once
                              focused on safety.                                                    restrictions are relaxed.
          CONNECTING               Meanwhile, the manufacturing                                         There is also an unknown factor in
          PEOPLE              sector is also quickly shifting to assist.                            how the necessity of remote working
                              Investments by aerospace in 3D                                        and video conferences will change
                              printing and rapid prototyping is now                                 demand, at least for business travel.
                              being redirected towards the manufacturing of           Much as how the corporate travel departments
                              ventilators needed by those Coronavirus patients        ‘discovered’ non-frills carriers in the wake of
                              in the most serious condition. In the UK, Meggitt,      the 2008 financial crash, will investment in
                              Airbus, Thales, GKN and Renishaw are now part           high-speed broadband for HD video mean that
                              of industrial consortia racing to develop life-saving   passenger demand has permanently shifted? Will
                              oxygen ventilators, in parallel with automotive         working from home destroy the case for eVTOLs
                              companies.                                              to escape traffic in crowded cities?
                                   The worldwide talent, experience and                    There have been calls for ‘social distancing
                              technology of aerospace is thus being focused on        rules’ to be applied to airlines – spreading out
                              the biggest challenge that humanity has faced since     passengers and blocking the booking of middle
                              WW2.                                                    seats. While the circulation of airflow is highly

                                                                                                                                              Dipartimento Protezione Civile

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Coronavirua.indd 6                                                                                                                      24/03/2020 13:46
Ministerio Defensa
                              effective in scrubbing germs for the air onboard         Only a decade ago, international point-to-point
                              aircraft – fewer seats would lower yields –              connections to secondary cities like Wuhan in
          aviation has been   pushing ticket prices up and reversing the trend         China would have been few and far between
                              towards air travel for the masses that came in half      and would have slowed the initial spread. A side
          on the front line   a century ago with the 747.                              effect of globalisation and the travel of people
          delivering much          In the future, a temperature scanner and            and goods is the ease in which other actors,
          needed medical      potentially health screening at airports is likely       such as terrorism and disease, can also quickly
          equipment as well   to become as indispensable as passport and               spread.
                              security screening. There may also need to be                 Make no mistake – aviation as we know it
          as repatriating     thinking about redesign of airport, cabin and            is in a fight for its survival in the worst crisis
          passengers          travel infrastructure to allow for ‘social distancing’   of its 100+ year history. An industry that has
          to their own        in transit and to avoid the situation where an           brought the world together and facilitated
          countries           epidemic flare-up in one country jumps across            affordable and swift face-to-face contact
                              borders to become a global pandemic.                     between people from other sides of the globe,
                                   Airlines, tourism, sport and events industries      now finds that, to halt the tidal wave of deaths,
                              are likely to be on life support for a while. And        it must stop connecting people. As United CEO,
                              while industry bailouts will be compelling, the bulk     Oscar Munoz notes: “When medical experts say
                              of any government’s resources will be going now          that our health and safety depends on people
                              to heath services and emergency critical care.           staying home and practising social distancing,
                              What is true is that the world will never be the         it’s nearly impossible to run a business whose
                              same again.                                              shared purpose is ‘Connecting people. Uniting
                                                                                       the world.’”
                              Summary                                                       Aviation may have had a hand in spreading
                                                                                       the virus but it will also play a role in fighting
                              It is also true that the global air transport system     it too. As the essential lubricant of the world’s
                              has helped the rapid spread of this disease – as         economy, it is vital that air transport is there
                              well as the slow response by some governments            to keep the motor running – lest it seize up
                              to realise the scale of the crisis they are facing.      completely.

                                                                                                                              APRIL 2020                 19
Coronavirua.indd 7                                                                                                                   24/03/2020 13:46
DEFENCE
                      Pilots and higher command
        BAE Systems

                  Breaking through the
                  HUD-glass ceiling
                 Does the Chief of an Air Force necessarily need to be a pilot? Increasingly,
                 the world’s oldest independent air arm, the Royal Air Force, thinks not.
                 TIM ROBINSON reports.

                P
                              ilots and aircrew, for very good historical   Personnel and Air Secretary, Air Vice Marshal Maria
                              reasons, dominate the higher command          Byford, began her career in the RAF as a dentist.
                              echelons of air forces. However why is        Meanwhile, a comms engineer, Group Captain Emily
                              this? And does it matter? One of the          Flynn is set to be the next CO of RAF Brize Norton.
                              biggest differences to other services,            Indeed, the RAF’s Assistant Chief of the Air
                  it could be argued, is that in air forces it is the       Staff, Air Vice Marshal Ian Gale, says it is not just
                  officers (or aircrew) that go out to do the actual        the case of that a future CAS ‘could’ be non-aircrew
                  fighting while the NCOs and enlisted personnel            but that they ‘should’ be. This buy-in from current
                  stay back at base – rather than in the army (where        senior officers (part of the RAF’s ASTRA initiative
                  the officers traditionally sent the men into battle       to empower and harness its personnel at all levels)
                  or the navy (where officers and sailors fought and        thus suggests that the service is already making the
                  died together). This is obviously somewhat of a           cognitive shift in this regard in opening up the top
                  simplification (NCO aircrew provided the bulk of          job to a wider set of potential applicants.
                  Battle of Britain fighter pilots and casualty rates in        The ASTRA initiative itself is set to be one of
                  junior infantry officers are over and above enlisted      the headline topics at this year’s RAF Chief of the
                  soldiers) – yet the concept of it being the officers      Air Staff Air and Space Conference (ASPC), held
                  who fight in air arms has persisted.                      on 15-16 July in London. This annual gathering,
                       Interestingly, the RAF is already moving in this     which attracts over 40 air force chiefs and 500
                  direction in promoting non-aircrew to ever more           high-ranking delegates from military, industry
                  senior leadership positions. The Chief of Staff           and academia, is a key barometer and thought-

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BreakingHUD20celing B A.indd 2                                                                                                      24/03/2020 14:13
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