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In the wake of aeroplane trails

Aeroplane trails are very common in our skies. They are areas of condensation generated by the vortices at the wings and engines of aeroplanes which precipitate a current of ice crystals in the form of a flow. These trails, which do not cause pollution, are known as contrails. They are also called “condensation” or “vapour trails” and are caused when there is very low pressure at high altitude and certain humidity conditions.

Spotlight

Western Aircraft

Located in Boise, Idaho, Western Aircraft, a Greenwich AeroGroup Company, is a full-service FBO, FAA-certified aircraft repair station, and a factory authorized maintenance/modification facility for Cessna Aircraft, Dassault Falcon, Beechcraft, Honeywell, Rockwell Collins, Universal Avionics, Pilatus and many other major suppliers to the Business and General Aviation industry.

OTHER ARTICLES
Business Aviation

New Podcast Explores GE Aviation Technologies for a Decarbonized Future of Flight

Article | January 28, 2022

This week, the GE Gas Power team launched season five of Cutting Carbon, their award-winning podcast that focuses on climate change, the basics of what decarbonization is and the technologies behind it. In season five, the team is focused on decarbonization closer to home and invited Arjan Hegeman, GE Aviation’s general manger for advanced technologies, to talk about the future of flight. Learn more about the role of GE Aviation’s technologies available today and in development for tomorrow to make aircraft engines more fuel efficient and reduce carbon emissions. Open fan, hybrid electric and hydrogen combustion are all discussed by Hegeman and the hosts. Over two episodes, Hegeman also explains the importance of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), along with the new engine technologies, to help the aviation industry reach its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Future of Flight is a two-part episode, and can be found as Episode 27 and Episode 28 under Cutting Carbon. You can listen to the podcast here or on your favorite streaming platform! The aviation industry is at an inflection point for new technology introduction and acceleration of technology development, Hegeman says. GE Aviation is currently developing its next-generation suite of engine technologies, including open fan engine architecture, hybrid-electric propulsion, and advanced thermal management concepts. GE Aviation is also supporting industry initiatives to approve and adopt 100% SAF and is partnering on a new flight demonstration program to test zero-carbon hydrogen fuel combustion. GE’s ambition is to be a net zero company by 2050, including the Scope 3 emissions from the use of sold products. GE is also committed to being carbon neutral by 2030 in its own facilities and operations, including Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.

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Air Transport

How AI can save airline customer service teams in times of crisis

Article | July 15, 2022

The coronavirus outbreak has put airline customer care teams on the front lines. Airlines that have adopted artificial intelligence are alleviating some of the stress that their customer care teams are under.

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Business Aviation

On-Time Performance in 2021: A Sneak Peek at the Most Punctual Airlines

Article | January 7, 2022

Every month OAG updates its year-to-date Punctuality League table to provide an ongoing ranking of the world’s largest airlines and airports alongside its Monthly on-time performance (OTP) data. The list is based on the twenty largest airlines (by number of flights operated) known as Mega Airlines, and we provide a Top 10 ranking. With November Monthly OTPs now in, we have 11 months of data to take an early look at how these Mega Airlines have performed to date. And whilst we have another month of data go, it is great to share some early insights before we release final numbers early next year.All the Top 10 airlines in our sneak preview currently come in with an OTP of over 85%. When compared to 2019, the last year of ‘normal’ flying, the Top 10 Mega airlines achieved OTP of between 75% and 86%, so this is a clear indication of just how much punctuality has improved over the past year.

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Air Transport

A Carbon-Neutral Fuel for the Aviation Industry?

Article | July 26, 2022

A New System That Aims to Create Carbon-Neutral Aviation Scientists have achieved an amazing breakthrough in the development of carbon-neutral fuel for the aviation industry. An aviation fuel production system that uses water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide has been put into action. Its design was published on July 20th, 2022, in the journal Joule. The dream of achieving carbon-free aviation could become a reality with this development. “We are the first to demonstrate the entire thermochemical process chain from water and CO2 to kerosene in a fully-integrated solar tower system.” - Aldo Steinfeld, Professor, Study Corresponding Author, ETH Zurich The aviation industry accounts for approximately 5% of the global anthropogenic emissions that contribute to global climate change. The industry heavily relies on kerosene, commonly known as jet fuel, a liquid hydrocarbon fuel derived from crude oil. There are no clean options to power commercial flights on a global scale at the moment. Production of Synthetic Kerosene This breakthrough, with the help of solar energy, makes it possible to produce synthetic kerosene from water and carbon dioxide instead of crude oil. The amount of CO2 emitted during kerosene combustion in a jet engine equals what is consumed during its production in the solar plant. It is what makes the fuel carbon neutral, especially if the CO2 in the air is captured and directly used as an ingredient, which could be possible in the near future. As part of the European Union's SUN-to-LIQUID project, Steinfeld and his colleagues put forward a system that uses solar power to generate drop-in fuels—synthetic alternatives to fossil-derived fuels like kerosene and diesel. Solar-produced kerosene is consistent with the current aviation infrastructure for allocation, fuel storage, and use in jet engines. It can also combine with fossil-derived kerosene, according to Steinfeld. High Hopes for the Future Steinfeld and his team began scaling the construction of a solar fuel manufacturing plant at the IMDEA Energy Institute in Spain half a decade ago. The plant has 169 sun-tracking reflective panels that redirect and concentrate solar radiation into a tower-mounted solar reactor. This concentrated solar energy then powers redox reaction cycles in the reactor’s porous ceria structure, which is not absorbed but can be reused. It transforms the water and carbon dioxide into syngas, a customized mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. This syngas is then injected into a gas-to-liquid converter and is finally converted into liquid hydrocarbon fuels such as kerosene and diesel. Steinfeld and his team are working on amping up the reactor’s efficiency from the current 4% to more than 15%.

Read More
Business Aviation

Travel Testing May Be Ending, But Airline Health Safety Measures Are Here To Stay

Article | January 28, 2022

This week, the GE Gas Power team launched season five of Cutting Carbon, their award-winning podcast that focuses on climate change, the basics of what decarbonization is and the technologies behind it. In season five, the team is focused on decarbonization closer to home and invited Arjan Hegeman, GE Aviation’s general manger for advanced technologies, to talk about the future of flight. Learn more about the role of GE Aviation’s technologies available today and in development for tomorrow to make aircraft engines more fuel efficient and reduce carbon emissions. Open fan, hybrid electric and hydrogen combustion are all discussed by Hegeman and the hosts. Over two episodes, Hegeman also explains the importance of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), along with the new engine technologies, to help the aviation industry reach its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Future of Flight is a two-part episode, and can be found as Episode 27 and Episode 28 under Cutting Carbon. You can listen to the podcast here or on your favorite streaming platform! The aviation industry is at an inflection point for new technology introduction and acceleration of technology development, Hegeman says. GE Aviation is currently developing its next-generation suite of engine technologies, including open fan engine architecture, hybrid-electric propulsion, and advanced thermal management concepts. GE Aviation is also supporting industry initiatives to approve and adopt 100% SAF and is partnering on a new flight demonstration program to test zero-carbon hydrogen fuel combustion. GE’s ambition is to be a net zero company by 2050, including the Scope 3 emissions from the use of sold products. GE is also committed to being carbon neutral by 2030 in its own facilities and operations, including Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.

Read More
Air Transport

Inside NASA’s New Sustainable Flight Demonstrator Program

Article | July 15, 2022

The coronavirus outbreak has put airline customer care teams on the front lines. Airlines that have adopted artificial intelligence are alleviating some of the stress that their customer care teams are under.

Read More
Business Aviation

4 Major Ways Aviation Can Transit Towards A Low Carbon Path

Article | January 7, 2022

Every month OAG updates its year-to-date Punctuality League table to provide an ongoing ranking of the world’s largest airlines and airports alongside its Monthly on-time performance (OTP) data. The list is based on the twenty largest airlines (by number of flights operated) known as Mega Airlines, and we provide a Top 10 ranking. With November Monthly OTPs now in, we have 11 months of data to take an early look at how these Mega Airlines have performed to date. And whilst we have another month of data go, it is great to share some early insights before we release final numbers early next year.All the Top 10 airlines in our sneak preview currently come in with an OTP of over 85%. When compared to 2019, the last year of ‘normal’ flying, the Top 10 Mega airlines achieved OTP of between 75% and 86%, so this is a clear indication of just how much punctuality has improved over the past year.

Read More
Air Transport

A Carbon-Neutral Fuel for the Aviation Industry?

Article | July 26, 2022

A New System That Aims to Create Carbon-Neutral Aviation Scientists have achieved an amazing breakthrough in the development of carbon-neutral fuel for the aviation industry. An aviation fuel production system that uses water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide has been put into action. Its design was published on July 20th, 2022, in the journal Joule. The dream of achieving carbon-free aviation could become a reality with this development. “We are the first to demonstrate the entire thermochemical process chain from water and CO2 to kerosene in a fully-integrated solar tower system.” - Aldo Steinfeld, Professor, Study Corresponding Author, ETH Zurich The aviation industry accounts for approximately 5% of the global anthropogenic emissions that contribute to global climate change. The industry heavily relies on kerosene, commonly known as jet fuel, a liquid hydrocarbon fuel derived from crude oil. There are no clean options to power commercial flights on a global scale at the moment. Production of Synthetic Kerosene This breakthrough, with the help of solar energy, makes it possible to produce synthetic kerosene from water and carbon dioxide instead of crude oil. The amount of CO2 emitted during kerosene combustion in a jet engine equals what is consumed during its production in the solar plant. It is what makes the fuel carbon neutral, especially if the CO2 in the air is captured and directly used as an ingredient, which could be possible in the near future. As part of the European Union's SUN-to-LIQUID project, Steinfeld and his colleagues put forward a system that uses solar power to generate drop-in fuels—synthetic alternatives to fossil-derived fuels like kerosene and diesel. Solar-produced kerosene is consistent with the current aviation infrastructure for allocation, fuel storage, and use in jet engines. It can also combine with fossil-derived kerosene, according to Steinfeld. High Hopes for the Future Steinfeld and his team began scaling the construction of a solar fuel manufacturing plant at the IMDEA Energy Institute in Spain half a decade ago. The plant has 169 sun-tracking reflective panels that redirect and concentrate solar radiation into a tower-mounted solar reactor. This concentrated solar energy then powers redox reaction cycles in the reactor’s porous ceria structure, which is not absorbed but can be reused. It transforms the water and carbon dioxide into syngas, a customized mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. This syngas is then injected into a gas-to-liquid converter and is finally converted into liquid hydrocarbon fuels such as kerosene and diesel. Steinfeld and his team are working on amping up the reactor’s efficiency from the current 4% to more than 15%.

Read More
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Spotlight

Western Aircraft

Located in Boise, Idaho, Western Aircraft, a Greenwich AeroGroup Company, is a full-service FBO, FAA-certified aircraft repair station, and a factory authorized maintenance/modification facility for Cessna Aircraft, Dassault Falcon, Beechcraft, Honeywell, Rockwell Collins, Universal Avionics, Pilatus and many other major suppliers to the Business and General Aviation industry.

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A EUROPEAN CORPORATE OPERATOR TAKES DELIVERY OF A NEW DAHER TBM 930 AS ITS FOURTH TBM FAMILY AIRCRAFT

  | June 27, 2016

Daher has delivered a TBM 930 to the corporate flight department of an Italian-based industrial group this month, the fourth TBM family aircraft this customer has acquired. The operator’s first purchase of a TBM family aircraft was a TBM 700A 17 years ago, followed by a TBM 700B variant in 2003 and a TBM 850 in 2006, leading up to the all-new TBM 930 version.

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OPINION: Can Airbus bear weight of A400M Atlas?

flight global | June 23, 2016

Given its promised capabilities and the absence of any direct competitor – it slots neatly between the out-of-production Boeing C-17 and Lockheed Martin ­C-130J – the Atlas stood a very real chance of becoming Europe’s Hercules, if you pardon the mixed mythology.In fact, there have even been suggestions that the tactical transport could be sold to the USA – a ­holy grail for any European programme.

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FARNBOROUGH: Show set to be a vintage one for new aircraft

flight global | June 27, 2016

Although not everyone has revealed their cards yet, with two weeks or so to go, this year’s Farnborough air show looks like being one of the most exciting in years for significant aircraft appearances. Both re-engined single-aisle contenders – the Airbus A320neo and the Boeing 737 Max – could be eyeing each other up on the static, along with at least one of the two Bombardier CSeries variants and the Embraer E190-E2, the first a family of three re-powered regional jets from the Brazilian airframer.

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A EUROPEAN CORPORATE OPERATOR TAKES DELIVERY OF A NEW DAHER TBM 930 AS ITS FOURTH TBM FAMILY AIRCRAFT

  | June 27, 2016

Daher has delivered a TBM 930 to the corporate flight department of an Italian-based industrial group this month, the fourth TBM family aircraft this customer has acquired. The operator’s first purchase of a TBM family aircraft was a TBM 700A 17 years ago, followed by a TBM 700B variant in 2003 and a TBM 850 in 2006, leading up to the all-new TBM 930 version.

Read More

OPINION: Can Airbus bear weight of A400M Atlas?

flight global | June 23, 2016

Given its promised capabilities and the absence of any direct competitor – it slots neatly between the out-of-production Boeing C-17 and Lockheed Martin ­C-130J – the Atlas stood a very real chance of becoming Europe’s Hercules, if you pardon the mixed mythology.In fact, there have even been suggestions that the tactical transport could be sold to the USA – a ­holy grail for any European programme.

Read More

FARNBOROUGH: Show set to be a vintage one for new aircraft

flight global | June 27, 2016

Although not everyone has revealed their cards yet, with two weeks or so to go, this year’s Farnborough air show looks like being one of the most exciting in years for significant aircraft appearances. Both re-engined single-aisle contenders – the Airbus A320neo and the Boeing 737 Max – could be eyeing each other up on the static, along with at least one of the two Bombardier CSeries variants and the Embraer E190-E2, the first a family of three re-powered regional jets from the Brazilian airframer.

Read More

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