Virgin Atlantic: Emissions from Steel Mills Could Fuel Airplanes

After five years of research and development, Virgin Atlantic and one of its clean-technology partners, Illinois-based LanzaTech, developed a source of jet fuel made of waste gases from steel mills. According to the companies, this new source of jet fuel passed extensive tests that both delivered on performance and promise to result in carbon emissions savings of 65 percent compared to conventional jet fuel.

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Ace Precision Machining Corp.

Ace Precision is an internationally recognized supplier to the Aerospace, Power Generation and Defense industries. Laser cutting, GTAW and resistance welding, sheet metal forming, thermal barrier coating, heat-treating, and CNC milling and turning operations are among the many services we provide our customers.

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Business Aviation

Will Flights Like Project Sunrise Be The Future Of Air Travel?

Article | January 28, 2022

With rescue flights crisscrossing the globe and passengers keen to get where they are going as soon as possible, will we see the end of hub to hub travel? Has this current aviation crisis signaled the decline of the current model of aviation we know today? One reporter at Simple Flying gives his opinion.

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Aviation Technology

Inside NASA’s New Sustainable Flight Demonstrator Program

Article | June 2, 2022

NASA is known for developing and launching spacecraft that have a significant environmental impact. However, the space agency is fully on board with the net-zero movement. NASA supports the White House's Aviation Climate Action Plan. It is helping fund several aviation projects that aim to reduce the aviation industry’s damage to the environment. NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator Program NASA focuses on technologies for single-aisle aircraft, which are the powerhouses of many airline fleets and account for nearly half of global aviation emissions. NASA's Sustainable Flight Demonstrator (SFD) project aims to reduce carbon emissions and keep the US competitive in the design of single-aisle commercial airliners, which are in high demand. "Since its creation, NASA has worked with industry to develop and implement innovative aeronautics technology and has shared it with the world," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "Now, with this ambitious new project, we're again joining with US industry to usher in a new era of cutting-edge improvements that will make the global aviation industry cleaner, quieter, and more sustainable." NASA Wants to Reduce the Environmental Impact of Commercial Aircraft The program’s goal is to build, test, and fly a large-scale demonstrator. NASA hopes to find a business partner for a Funded Space Act Agreement with its Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, by the beginning of 2023. The agreement would draw on private-industry knowledge and experience, with an awardee developing a suggested technical plan and committing considerable cash to the project. Under this agreement, NASA would not purchase an aircraft or any other hardware for its missions. The mission of NASA is to develop new and innovative technologies and capabilities. NASA will collect data on the ground and in the air. Agency and industry teams can use it to test the airframe configuration and related technologies. Moving Away From Space NASA's technologies are typically cutting-edge. However, as with many high-end items, the benefits and applications frequently filter down to the masses. NASA's specialized technology and research frequently has civil aviation applications. It's interesting to see how NASA seems to be moving away from space and going after planes that fly closer to Earth.

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Business Aviation

The Outlook of Aviation Industry’s Next Vision Beyond 2021

Article | January 7, 2022

The pandemic has caused a deeper level of disruption, which brought the aviation industry to a standstill for months. After facing long months of hardship, what vision and steps will be for airline recovery? This is a significant concern. This would now require complete planning over some crucial areas that form the pillars of the aviation industry. It is especially airline businesses that require a novel set of advancements to build operational confidence. As the industry is rebooting, technology is benefiting. Be it robotics, IoT, biometrics, seamless integration, automation, and more will aid businesses and their processes. Therefore, the industry’s next vision is being set according to the evolving changes in the airline industry due to covid-19. It will establish resilience and flexibility for businesses to adapt to changing conditions while improving efficiency. Here are the key considerations that will be seen as airline recovery curbing airline challenges to plan new avenues beyond 2021. Collaboration Collaboration in the aviation business landscape has been the most important consideration after the pandemic affected the industry. Keeping the vision of collaborating with stakeholders and the commercial airline industry to focus on business and customer confidence will restart operations safely. Collaboration in the future will have a better grasp and be more efficient because of better coordination of data sources being introduced currently. Collaboration becomes even more crucial in the coming years, where you will need updated and accurate information about your business operations. This vision will enhance chances of the following aspects as well: Customized Experience Leading to the modifications happening in the industry, you will be able to offer customized services to customers. Advanced integration functionalities will allow forming a contactless and personalized experience to curb the challenges prevailing. Providing transparent and reliable information to customers is one of the critical aspects of airline recovery and rebooting happening now. This is why a customized experience will aid airline businesses more safely in the coming years. Personalization Today, airlines, governments, and stakeholders are developing best practices for the immediate future of business with a greater focus on personalization throughout the service journey. It will help attract potential customers and end the general approach, which the industry was practicing before the pandemic. Monitoring To design a post-pandemic business model, you can look at the types of technological solutions and processes that have already been started and would emerge beyond 2021. It has been envisioned that airline industry analysis, coupled with monitoring, would allow businesses to manage resources more efficiently. In this way, deployment of the technology stack will be more accessible according to the need. This will strive to reduce crowds at airports and, therefore, effective management with the help of predicted monitoring will be in action. Digital Solutions The new normal in the aviation industry, using technology, would continue to ensure physical contact is diminished or might be eliminated in the future. Mandatory digital checks, implementation of digital platforms, contactless services, and information collected through mobile devices are some elements of the new business models. The industry's vision in the coming years is to demonstrate how it can use digital technology for transformation at scale. Advanced Processing System The next, the aviation industry foresees, is utilizing technology for automation, security, identity management, and robotics. Using these, you can develop attractive yet safe experiences for staff as well as customers. The advancing data processing system and management offer a seamless module for companies to handle risks, controls, handling, and tracking. The inclusion of the advanced system at the airport, airline companies will make the process function efficiently. And because of optimized coordination through automated touchpoints, chances of an increase in revenue will be higher and faster than before. Remote Processing The continuous advancement of airline activities will significantly support capacity limitations in the coming years. Because of this, you will have safer processing of data and information without any threats or breaches. The pandemic has put greater focus on the need for such a flexible approach with resilience. Also, it brings urgency to the availability of technology to use while going remote so that you can provide flexibility to your employees to work frictionless. The industry's vision in its plan is to unlock the full benefits of technology to access and initiate global coordination remotely. A Changed Way to do Business Today—Sustainability Companies operating in the airline business are still understanding to survive in the times of COVID-19. Being fast and evolving is the only way they realized to fight against the current situation. The new normal is bringing changes in the airline industry post covid. This will help the industry to get back its wings to forecast and set up its next vision in the future. Therefore, industry stakeholders need to quickly put immediate business restart efforts to focus on sustainable implementations. This will make the future actions of the aviation industry monitor and evaluate effectively well in response to the ongoing pandemic. Also, it would help them be ready to face even harsh circumstances if anytime it approaches. Frequently Asked Questions What are the risks to the aviation industry during COVID-19? The level of risk is on the rise in the COVID-19 situation at present in the aviation industry. It may affect the operation, new business models, management, monitoring, and evaluation more as remote work culture is hyped. What are the main sectors of the airline industry that need improvement? There are limited sectors in aviation. However, the main ones that need improvement are commercial aviation and business aviation. What are the crucial areas of operation in the aviation industry? Flight operations are crucial, including operation control, connectivity, network, data handling, integration, maintenance planning, and software. { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [{ "@type": "Question", "name": "What are the risks to the aviation industry during COVID-19?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The level of risk is on the rise in the COVID-19 situation at present in the aviation industry. It may affect the operation, new business models, management, monitoring, and evaluation more as remote work culture is hyped." } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "What are the main sectors of the airline industry that need improvement?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "There are limited sectors in aviation. However, the main ones that need improvement are commercial aviation and business aviation." } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "What are the crucial areas of operation in the aviation industry?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Flight operations are crucial, including operation control, connectivity, network, data handling, integration, maintenance planning, and software." } }] }

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Commercial Aviation

Have we entered the era of smaller airplanes for good?

Article | April 13, 2021

There’s been a lot of talk lately about airlines around the world beginning to favor smaller aircraft. Not just amid the pandemic but for the foreseeable future as well. The debate was given fuel when Lufthansa’s CEO made comments about potential down-gauging of its fleet ahead. But have we really entered the era of smaller airplanes for good? Many have argued that even when demand for air travel does return there will be less of it overall because of a precipitous and permanent drop in business travel. And beyond that, even where demand does exist, it will be for convenient, point-to-point service, not on A380s via big hubs – as smaller planes emerge that are capable of flying farther and people shy away from big, crowded airports and the hassle of connecting. All of which calls for smaller planes. I’ve argued recently that this seems a little hasty. Nevertheless, the jury is out, and as they say – only time will tell. Have smaller planes taken over flying? One thing we can look at is whether the notion that smaller planes rule the day holds true at major airlines right now. And pulling some Flightradar24 data we can see that this has been happening – mostly. The headline takeaway seems to be that bigger planes do still have their place, but for obvious reasons smaller wide-bodies have proven more desirable on many global routes during the past year. Lufthansa dropped its Very Large Aircraft quickly If we look at Lufthansa’s data, the trend is very clear right from the beginning of the pandemic. The A380 and the 747s (both -400 and -8I) took a definitive hit beginning in March 2020. That was it for the A380 and the 747-400 for good, it seems. The small rebound in A380 flights recorded in recent months were storage-related. And since the pandemic started, it’s clear that the smaller A330 has been clearly favored, taking up nearly double the percentage of flying it had at Lufthansa pre-pandemic. What’s most interesting here is that the 747-8I did come back, in some weeks to pre-pandemic levels. That’s quite a big plane. It is probably hard to fill these days. But it is Lufthansa’s flagship now – it has a First Class cabin and it can carry quite a bit of cargo. As a result it kept flying for a while on the bigger US routes like LAX. However recent dips in demand, and the winter season, saw the smaller and more fuel-efficient A350 come in to replace it on many routes. As I write this the Lufthansa 747-8I is in flight on just two routes – Mexico City (MEX) and Buenos Aires (EZE) to Frankfurt (FRA). If I were to take a guess, I’d say we continue to see the 747-8I for some time on these bigger routes and in busier seasons. It may turn out to be one of the last options for passengers to fly a 747 a few years from now. Eventually, though, the more efficient 777X will replace it. Though Lufthansa has said it’s looking to shift to smaller airplanes overall, the 777X seems a natural fit for its big hub to hub routes. I don’t think we’ll see a day when the A350 is the largest plane in Lufthansa’s fleet – at least as long as Germany remains Europe’s largest economy. Delta favors smaller, but only by a little bit If we look at Delta, which also has a wide range of wide-bodies in its fleet, the picture is a little more complicated. In part that’s because initially its 777s and A350s (both of which fit about 300 seats) took over quite a lot of flying while its smaller 767s (200 to 240 seats or so) were more or less parked. Since then, however, the 777 fleet has been retired and the 767s (both -300 and -400 series) have been doing nearly 60% of Delta’s wide-body flying. And its smallest Airbus wide-body, the A330-200, has flown much less throughout the pandemic. The A330-300, A330-900neo and A350-900 have filled in the rest of the flying, but while they were doing a majority of the wide-body flying in the first months, they’re not back to flying roughly the same percentage of Delta’s wide-body flights as before the pandemic. It’s interesting to note that a number of 767s have been retired during this time, and A330-300s have been used to fill the gaps where necessary despite having a higher seat count. If no 767s had been retired it’s likely the total percentage of flights run with the 767 would be even higher. What’s the bottom line? It seems that airlines have tended to park their biggest planes, but perhaps not as drastically as some might have expected. That may have had a lot to do with cargo capacity. But cargo capacity will continue to be a consideration post-pandemic as well, so it’s not as if these planes will prove useless once things get back to normal. And if we see the boom in travel demand that some are predicting is on the way, many of these larger aircraft may see they get plenty of use yet. Will there be less very large aircraft in airline fleets overall? Yes, probably. The A380 is all but done for except at a handful of airlines. And will smaller, long-range planes like the 787 prove popular in the years ahead? No doubt. But the bigger, fuel efficient planes like the 777X and A350-1000 will almost certainly still have their place in the sky too.

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Spotlight

Ace Precision Machining Corp.

Ace Precision is an internationally recognized supplier to the Aerospace, Power Generation and Defense industries. Laser cutting, GTAW and resistance welding, sheet metal forming, thermal barrier coating, heat-treating, and CNC milling and turning operations are among the many services we provide our customers.

Related News

Army Uses Mad Scientist Gathering to Explore Emerging Technologies

Nationaldefense | May 31, 2019

Austin, texas to better understand new technologies and scientific efforts that could aid warfighters, the army is connecting with industry and academia through its “mad scientist” initiative. the service is asking itself where the military challenges and opportunities are moving forward, lee grubbs, mad scientist director, said in an interview with national defense on the sidelines of the program’s annual conference. we translate that into real-person speak civilian speak. we look at where analogies of that exist in the commercial world.as the service has shifted focus from counterinsurgency to large-scale operations, the army decided the time was right to bring back the mad scientist program a few years ago, grubbs said. the 2018 national defense strategy puts a renewed focus on countering great power adversaries such as russia and china.

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Lunar Module How do you land on the Moon?

Astronomy | May 31, 2019

North American's Moon lander was ugly and "buglike," but Neil Armstrong and five additional missions used it to safely touch down on the surface. When NASA began working out the details of how to land on the Moon, the mission involved one spacecraft, not two. But when the agency changed its approach in July 1962, committing instead to Lunar Orbit Rendezvous, a new plan emerged. Now, one astronaut would stay aboard the heavy mothership in lunar orbit, while his two crewmates would descend to the surface. What they would descend in was unclear. No one knew how to land on another world, much less how to build something that could land on the Moon, so NASA asked interested contractors to submit bids to build the Lunar Excursion Module.

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Sebring cancels us sport aviation expo

Aopa | May 31, 2019

The annual U.S. Sport Aviation Expo hosted at Florida’s Sebring Regional Airport since 2003 has been canceled effective immediately, the airport authority announced May 30. A farewell message posted on the official website thanked attendees for “15 incredible years” after the January 2020 even was scrubbed. The U.S. Sport Expo has done a good job with its original mission,” said U.S. Sport Aviation Expo Program Manager Janice Rearick, who explained that the airport would instead focus on youth and growing the future of aviation. “It became very clear that after 15 years the light sport platform had its own legs,” while at the same time, the drone industry gained momentum.

Read More

Army Uses Mad Scientist Gathering to Explore Emerging Technologies

Nationaldefense | May 31, 2019

Austin, texas to better understand new technologies and scientific efforts that could aid warfighters, the army is connecting with industry and academia through its “mad scientist” initiative. the service is asking itself where the military challenges and opportunities are moving forward, lee grubbs, mad scientist director, said in an interview with national defense on the sidelines of the program’s annual conference. we translate that into real-person speak civilian speak. we look at where analogies of that exist in the commercial world.as the service has shifted focus from counterinsurgency to large-scale operations, the army decided the time was right to bring back the mad scientist program a few years ago, grubbs said. the 2018 national defense strategy puts a renewed focus on countering great power adversaries such as russia and china.

Read More

Lunar Module How do you land on the Moon?

Astronomy | May 31, 2019

North American's Moon lander was ugly and "buglike," but Neil Armstrong and five additional missions used it to safely touch down on the surface. When NASA began working out the details of how to land on the Moon, the mission involved one spacecraft, not two. But when the agency changed its approach in July 1962, committing instead to Lunar Orbit Rendezvous, a new plan emerged. Now, one astronaut would stay aboard the heavy mothership in lunar orbit, while his two crewmates would descend to the surface. What they would descend in was unclear. No one knew how to land on another world, much less how to build something that could land on the Moon, so NASA asked interested contractors to submit bids to build the Lunar Excursion Module.

Read More

Sebring cancels us sport aviation expo

Aopa | May 31, 2019

The annual U.S. Sport Aviation Expo hosted at Florida’s Sebring Regional Airport since 2003 has been canceled effective immediately, the airport authority announced May 30. A farewell message posted on the official website thanked attendees for “15 incredible years” after the January 2020 even was scrubbed. The U.S. Sport Expo has done a good job with its original mission,” said U.S. Sport Aviation Expo Program Manager Janice Rearick, who explained that the airport would instead focus on youth and growing the future of aviation. “It became very clear that after 15 years the light sport platform had its own legs,” while at the same time, the drone industry gained momentum.

Read More

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