February 5, 2018 - No. 010 In This Issue Innova Aerospace Quietly Shuts Its Doors Bombardier's Singapore Service Centre Celebrates Four Years of Outstanding Customer Support Promoting Safety in Unmanned Aircraft Systems: The Aviators Code Initiative and University Aviation Seletar's Newest FBO Ready for First Singapore Airshow Atlantic Aviation to train 2000 aircraft engineers Wright-Patt Experiment Narrows Aircraft in Future Test Flights Honeywell Asia-Pac Business Grows with Herc Satcoms Tetra Tech acquires aviation software maker Bridgenet Joby Aviation wins a $100M investment boost to get its flying cars off the ground Beyond the Hype: Blockchain and Its Applications in Business Aviation SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch: What happens if it fails? Innova Aerospace Quietly Shuts Its Doors Innova Aerospace, which created a multi-faceted group of aviation businesses over the past four years through the acquisitions of companies such as Sabreliner Aviation and Sierra Industries, quietly shut its doors late last year, apparently halting all work except for government and military contracts, several industry sources have confirmed. Multiple calls to Innova at its San Antonio, Texas headquarters were not returned, with a voicemail referring callers to a Skyway Aviation Group. But an employee reached at Sabreliner said the military and government work is ongoing. The privately held firm has not yet filed for bankruptcy. Competing maintenance, repair, and overhaul shops, however, have been hiring affected Innova maintenance technicians and craftsmen, and have even taken on stalled aircraft projects removed from the company's properties, industry sources told AIN. Those sources also noted the company has left numerous vendors unpaid, as it has begun auctioning off its assets. Innova's operations had spanned from MRO, upgrade, engineering, and a range of other aircraft support and manufacturing services. The group began to assemble with the acquisition of Sabreliner in January 2014 by Innovative Capital Holdings of Naples, Florida. Sabreliner, which provided support and airframe life-extension programs for aging Sabreliner business jets along with a range of other civil and military fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, had a long history of financial troubles. The year before its acquisition, the Ste. Genevieve, Missouri firm had defaulted on loans. In 2015, Innova added Uvalde, Texas-based Sierra Industries, which has worked on a number of aircraft upgrade programs and was involved in test-flying Safran's new Silvercrest engine. Also joining the growing group that year were Skyway Aviation Group and Composite Helicopters, rounding out a range of aviation services. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aerospace/2018-02-02/innova-aerospace-quietly-shuts- its-doors Back to Top Bombardier's Singapore Service Centre Celebrates Four Years of Outstanding Customer Support SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE--(Marketwired - Feb. 4, 2018) - Bombardier Business Aircraft's Singapore service centre continues its impressive capability and capacity growth. Since its opening in February 2014, the Singapore service centre has provided high-quality OEM expertise during more than 2,200 Bombardier Business Aircraft maintenance support visits, including visits for the largest and most complex events of the aircraft lifecycle. "The Singapore service centre continues to demonstrate an outstanding commitment to customer satisfaction throughout its operations and has boasted exceptional growth since its launch just a few short years ago," said Jean-Christophe Gallagher, Vice President and General Manager, Customer Experience, Bombardier Business Aircraft. "The facility provides best-in-class support to Bombardier's operators in the broader Asia region, including for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and full interior refurbishment, all with access to our industry-leading global customer support network." In addition to handling impressive volume, the Singapore service centre has successfully completed heavy maintenance inspections including 96- and 192-month inspections on Challenger aircraft, as well as 120- and first-ever 240-month inspections on Global aircraft. The facility also performed the first-ever installation of Ka-band, the fastest worldwide* high-speed in-flight internet connectivity, on a Global business jet, returning the aircraft into service in a timely, value-added fashion for the customer. To accommodate increasing demand for its industry-leading services, the Bombardier service centre in Singapore has more than quadrupled its engineer and technician workforce since opening. The facility has received 22 certifications from international authorities, 10 authorizations from engine and avionics OEMs, and inaugurated its state-of-the-art interior shop. In November 2016, the Singapore service centre was recognized by the Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA) with the prestigious Icons of Aviation, as Best Maintenance Repair Organization in Asia. The Singapore service centre is equipped to perform scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, including interior refurbishment and modifications, avionics installations, and aircraft on ground (AOG) support for Bombardier Learjet, Challenger and Global aircraft. The facility's interior shop, a fully integrated, heavy/base capability with state-of-the-art facilities, is equipped to support all Bombardier Business Aircraft customers across the region for all of their warranty, repair, line service and full refurbishment needs. Located at Seletar Airport, Singapore is one of nine service centres, including recently inaugurated facilities in Tianjin, China and London Biggin Hill, six line maintenance stations, and a total of 23 Mobile Response Team vehicles that comprise Bombardier's worldwide maintenance network. At the Singapore Airshow February 6-9, Bombardier Business Aircraft will further spotlight its industry leadership and commitment to its customers in the Asia Pacific region. Bombardier's Challenger 650 business jet and Global 6000 aircraft featuring the spectacular Premier cabin will be on display, both of which lead in performance, comfort, reliability, and technology, all while offering an exceptionally smooth ride. About Bombardier Bombardier is the world's leading manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere. Our vehicles, services and, most of all, our employees are what make us a global leader in transportation. Bombardier is headquartered in Montréal, Canada and our shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, we posted revenues of $16.3 billion. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier. http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/bombardiers-singapore-service-centre-celebrates-four- years-outstanding-customer-support-2245414.htm Back to Top Promoting Safety in Unmanned Aircraft Systems: The Aviators Code Initiative and University Aviation Association In an effort to address safety concerns arising from the widespread use of small unmanned aircraft, the Aviators Code Initiative (formerly the Aviators Model Code of Conduct Initiative) and the University Aviation Association released guidance aimed at advancing safety, airmanship, and professionalism among UAS pilots and operators. The Unmanned Aircraft Systems Pilots Code (UASPC) is the product of extensive research and peer review within the manned and unmanned aviation communities. The UASPC provides a set of principles and practices to help a pilot interpret and apply standards and regulations, and confront real-world challenges and avoid mishaps. The UASPC is designed to help UAS pilots develop and implement standard operating procedures, effective risk management, and safety management systems. It encourages UAS pilots to consider themselves aviators and participants in the broader aviation community. The growth of unmanned aircraft operations has been so rapid that safety technologies and regulations are not yet fully developed. Nevertheless, UAS pilots bear the same obligation to operate safely as do manned pilots for whom training and safety programs are well defined and rigorously implemented. The UASPC provides a set of recommended best practices that both new and experienced UAS pilots can integrate into their operations. The guidance is organized in seven sections: * General Responsibilities of UAS Pilots * Manned Aircraft and People on the Surface * Training and Proficiency * Security and Privacy * Environmental Issues * Use of Technology * Advancement of UAS Aviation The UASPC is available in three versions: the annotated version (with endnotes and supporting materials), the condensed version (for pilot implementation), and the abbreviated version (for an introduction to and promotion of the UASPC). The UASPC is a living document and will be updated periodically to reflect changes in standards and practice. The UAS-related materials are available free of charge at www.secureav.com/UAS. "The UAS Pilots Code is a comprehensive guide to assist both experienced and new remote pilots in the responsible use of unmanned aircraft. With lots of uncertainty as to when, where and how one can and should operate unmanned aircraft, the UASPC is an invaluable resource to consult before any operation." Frank Mathus, Dir. Strategy and Business Development, Thales. "The UAS Pilots Code is a handbook the bridges the gap between manned aviation and aspiring drone pilots. It is a must-read for drone pilots seeking to learn and operate safely in the national airspace." Brandon Montellato, University Relations Manager, DJI. The UASPC builds upon the Aviators Code Initiative's 16-year foundation of creating a family of aviators' codes of conduct for general aviation pilots, flight instructors, aviation maintenance technicians, glider pilots, helicopter pilots, light sport pilots, seaplane pilots, and student pilots, as well as guidance for manned aircraft pilots operating near drones. Developed through a volunteer effort, each is available as a free public service along with supporting materials at www.secureav.com. For more information about the UASPC, contact PEB@secureav.com. https://www.suasnews.com/2018/02/promoting-safety-unmanned-aircraft-systems-aviators-code- initiative-university-aviation-association/ Back to Top Seletar's Newest FBO Ready for First Singapore Airshow While the overall focus of the Singapore Airshow is commercial aviation and defense, the private aviation sector is represented as well, and in that arena, Seletar Airport-based FBO Wings Over Asia (WOA), is making its debut at the airshow this year, having opened its new facility in June 2016. The company was founded in 2009 by a Singapore pilot who believed that general aviation operators in the region could use help with ground handling, flight planning and permitting. Based on the experience gained, that ground handling business evolved into the new FBO, one of three at Seletar, which was built as a British Air Force base before World War II and is now used solely for general aviation. "We are slowly expanding, and our strength currently is the region; Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia," stated David Lim, the company's sales and customer experience executive. "We started from small propeller planes to small jets, and now we are experiencing Falcon 7X, Gulfstreams and have even handled the Airbus A320, which is the largest plane that can land in Seletar." The purpose-built, four-story FBO cost 30 million Singapore dollars (US$22.5 million), and in addition to 2,787 sq meters (30,000 sq ft) of hangar space, which can accommodate aircraft up to a G650, it has a 3,252-sq-m (35,000-sq-ft) terminal, including a rooftop garden. Among its amenities are a VIP aircraft owner/passenger lounge and bar serving snacks, coffee and tea in addition to alcoholic beverages; a pilots lounge; snooze room; shower facilities; pool tables; karaoke; a pair of A/V-equipped conference rooms that can seat up to 20 people; a 93-sq-m (1,000-sq-ft) training room; and as a crowning jewel, a 557-sq-m (6,000-sq-ft) ballroom, which has been used to host industry events and dinners. Lim noted that his own wedding, with 300 seated guests, was recently held there. Newly added in time for the air show is a café in the FBO, which Lim believes crew and passengers will use during technical stops that might last only a few hours. "Instead of going to the hotel, they can go to our lounge and our restaurant to have their meals," he said. Another recent improvement is a retractable shelter over the rooftop garden (also used occasionally for barbecues), which makes it accessible even during inclement weather. WOA offers luxury surface transport on the airport, using BMWs and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans. The company is dedicated to assisting its patrons through the entire spectrum of general aviation, from helping people obtain their pilots licenses though purchasing their aircraft and then supporting them. It offers a "Club WOA" membership plan with a variety of benefits, including scheduled trips and events, access to a clubhouse with flight simulator, flight concierge, aircraft sharing and pilot proficiency programs. WOA is an official dealer for Piper, Daher, Diamond, Cirrus, and Quest, and a partner to Textron Aviation with its Cessna and Bell Helicopter divisions. Its hangars are home to a variety of aircraft, including a Challenger 605, Challenger 350, Eclipse, Mitsubishi MU-2 and Cessna Caravan as well as smaller piston-powered airplanes. Registered as Stage I under the International Business Aviation Council's (IBAC) International Standard for Business Aviation Handling (IS-BAH), the facility is currently working toward Stage II compliance. The company provides maintenance capability for its smaller based aircraft, and it expects to receive an FAA Part 145 certificate later this year, after which it plans to add more technicians and increase its maintenance services to include small to midsize jets, a move it believes could help attract more clients. Currently WOA claims approximately 15 percent of the traffic at Seletar. "We have to earn our clients through word of mouth and trust," said Lim. "It's more like a vine kind of growth spread by people recommending Wings Over Asia." As the only locally owned FBO on the field, Lim believes that sets it apart from other providers. "Our team is 100 percent Singaporean-based, so that is what we are known for, this very personalized service. Asian hospitality I assume you would call it, value for money and its definitely worthwhile to visit us." Aircraft arriving at Seletar must first clear customs and immigration at the general aviation terminal, which is currently housed in a pre-WWII building. A new customs facility is under construction 200 meters (656 feet) from the WOA FBO and is expected to replace the RAF-era structure by the end of the year. During the show, the FBO will host a private aviation showcase and open house at from February 6- 10. Among the aircraft slated for exhibit in the static display are the Cessna Citation Latitude and Citation X+, Piper M600, and the Daher TBM 930. At 11 a.m. on Saturday February 10, WOA will present an aircraft ownership seminar, which is open to the public. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2018-02-04/seletars-newest-fbo- ready-first-singapore-airshow Back to Top Atlantic Aviation to train 2000 aircraft engineers The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has granted approval to the Atlantic Aviation Institute, an EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) approved subsidiary of Atlantic Aviation Group, to deliver EASA Part 66 Cat A1 training. The programme is a two-year traineeship comprising 9 months theory in the classroom, 3 months' workshop followed by approximately 12 months practical training and experience. Originally founded in 1962, Atlantic Aviation Group (AAG) Group is one of Europe's leading independent Aviation service providers. The company employs 250 staff at its two Shannon facilities. In addition to providing comprehensive Training and Aircraft Maintenance (MRO) services, Atlantic Aviation Group supports its customers with a wide range of engineering and technical services. Formerly Transaero Engineering Ireland, the company was acquired in April 2015 by Mayo man Patrick Jordan who has overseen significant change and growth over the past three years. Atlantic Aviation Institute Director Caoimhe O'Donnell said: "We are delighted that this approval will allow us to push ahead with our ambitious plans to train the next generation of Aircraft Maintenance Engineers Technicians. We will be partnering with aircraft maintenance companies at home and abroad to provide placements and job opportunities to students during a time when the aviation industry is forecasting a global shortage of over 600,000 maintenance engineers over the next 10 years." The company has a long and distinguished history of training world class Aircraft Maintenance Engineers with the 2013 and 2015 WorldSkills champions in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering having served their training with the company. Atlantic Aviation Group CEO Shane O'Neill said: "Obtaining this approval is an important part of our growth strategy, not only for the Institute but for the overall Group. The calibre and quality of our trainees has been consistently recognised by the WorldSkills competitions and our customers over the years. We are excited about the prospect of providing world class training to our students in such a fast growing and exciting industry." Enrolment for the EASA Part 66 Cat A1 traineeship for national and international students will take place over the coming weeks and months. http://clareherald.com/2018/02/atlantic-aviation-to-train-2000-aircraft-engineers-18020/ Back to Top Wright-Patt Experiment Narrows Aircraft in Future Test Flights Feb. 04--WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE -- An Air Force experiment that pitted four light attack planes against one another over the skies of New Mexico has narrowed to two, the service branch said. The Textron AT-6 Wolverine and the Sierra Nevada Corp. and Embraer Defense & Security's A-29 Super Tuscano, both propeller-driven aircraft, will fly at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., between May and July this year. The Air Force Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation Office at Wright-Patterson is overseeing the $6 million experiment. Textron AirLand's Scorpion jet and L3's and Air Tractor's AT-802L Longsword also had been evaluated last summer at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., but will not be part of the next stage of the evaluation, the Air Force said. Plans to test the planes in combat during the experiment were dropped. "At this time, we believe we have the right information to move forward with light attack, without conducting a combat demonstration," Capt. Emily Grabowski, an Air Force spokeswoman, said in an email to this news outlet. The experiments were meant to determine the cost to buy, operate and maintain the plane, if it can be mass produced quickly, and exported to other countries. "Will the U.S.A.F. get any?" asked Richard Aboulafia, an aviation analyst with Virginia-based Teal Group. "It would make the U.S. unique, as a wealthy country operating a plane commonly found in countries where the threats are as low as the budgets. You can't rule that out. On the other hand, not including a combat testing phase seems to indicate a relatively low priority for this." The Air Force has searched for a low cost alternative to flying expensive fighter and attack aircraft in lower threat environments for a potential buy in the future. "If all we're doing is making circles in the air and waiting for a call to drop weapons, you won't have to do it at tens of thousands of dollars per hour operating costs," Ravi Penmetsa, a Wright- Patterson-based project official, said in an interview last year. In the next step of the experiment, the Air Force will evaluate maintenance and logistics demands, weapons and sensors, training scenarios, and ability to operate jointly with other countries, among a list of test goals. http://www.aviationpros.com/news/12395431/wright-patt-experiment-narrows-planes-in-future- test-flights Back to Top Honeywell Asia-Pac Business Grows with Herc Satcoms The trend for defense forces to buy commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment can only benefit a company like Honeywell Aerospace, according to Tim Van Luven, vice president for defense aftermarket sales in the Asia-Pacific region. Although defense is only a small portion of the company's turnover, Honeywell's status as a leading provider to the commercial aviation world positions it well within a region where defense spending is growing fast. In the communications field, Van Luven is pushing Honeywell's JetWave broadband satcom system because, as he says, militaries now need ever-increasing bandwidth to relay data in a connected world. Honeywell recently fitted the system to the C-130J Hercules fleet of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and although most defense customers certify their new equipment buys under military regulation, the fact that Honeywell has gained civil Supplementary Type Certifications (STCs) for such add-on is a plus-point. ASPIRE SATCOM STC Meanwhile, the company's Aspire 200 satcom system for helicopters is gaining traction. Combined with a High Data-Rate (HDR) software package, it reduces the impact of rotating rotor blades on satellite signals and brings reliable broadband communications to the rotary-wing environment. Honeywell recently gained an STC for Aspire on the Sikorsky UH-60 series, adding to previous certifications on Bell 429, AW 139 and AS350 airframes. In the navigation field, Honeywell (Chalet CS32) has recently gained new business in Korea for its Embedded GPS/INS (EGI). Korea Aircraft Industries (KAI) has chosen the lightweight system for the indigenous KF-X stealth fighter, and for the Light Armed Helicopter (LAH) that it is co- developing with Airbus. Honeywell's EGI is already fitted on KAI's T-50 jet trainers, such as the ones flying here in the Black Eagles team. Van Luven revealed that Honeywell has gained a significant place on another indigenous Asian military aircraft development-Taiwan's XT-5 Advanced Jet Trainer. The company will supply the APU, ECS (environmental control system), EGI and air starter. Honeywell's F124/F125 jet engine family also has a significant Taiwanese connection, having been originally developed to power the Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF). The F124 will also power the XT-5, the design of which is derived from the IDF. But the most significant application of this engine is probably the Leonardo M346 trainer, with its many developments and sales prospects. Van Luven sees good upgrade prospects for other engines made by Honeywell, including the LTS101 and T55 turboshafts that power many military helicopters. As for avionics, Honeywell is the prime contractor for a cockpit upgrade to the Royal New Zealand Air Force's C-130H Hercules fleet. Many other companies are chasing such upgrades, and Honeywell will often supply individual back boxes to potential competing primes. As Van Luven notes, "we have long-standing relationships with many OEMs in the region. Sometimes they are partners, and sometimes they are competitors. Aerospace is an incestuous business!" https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2018-02-04/honeywell-asia-pac-business- grows-herc-satcoms Back to Top Tetra Tech acquires aviation software maker Bridgenet Tetra Tech has acquired aviation technology product and service provider Bridgenet International in a push to further add new software offerings for federal and commercial customers. Terms of the transaction were undisclosed. Newport Beach, California-based Bridgenet makes a web-based three-dimensional application called Volans to create, evaluate and display flight operations, Tetra Tech said Jan. 25. Volans works to help engineers and aviation officials simulate and display possible acoustic and environmental impacts around airports in an effort to further enable performance-based navigation for airplanes in flight. The software also shows runway and airfield configurations. Airports in the U.S., Canada, Australia, France and the U.K. all use the software. https://washingtontechnology.com/articles/2018/02/02/tetra-tech-bridgenet-acquisition.aspx Back to Top Joby Aviation wins a $100M investment boost to get its flying cars off the ground California-based Joby Aviation says it has secured $100 million in Series B financing to take its all- electric passenger aircraft into pre-production and regulatory certification. Intel Capital led the investment round, which also includes Singapore-based EDBI, JetBlue Technology Ventures, Toyota AI Ventures, Allen & Company AME Cloud Ventures, Ron Conway, Capricorn Investment Group, 8VC, Sky Dayton and Paul Sciarra. Joby also revealed a previously unsecured Series A round, led by Capricorn in 2016, which brings total funding to $130 million. Founded by inventor JoeBen Bevirt, Joby is working to build a five-seat air taxi that will be 100 times quieter than conventional aircraft during takeoff and landing, and fly 150 miles on a charge. Bloomberg BusinessWeek reports that a prototype for the vehicle, nicknamed "Rachel," is undergoing flight testing at Bevirt's private airfield in Northern California. Joby is one of a growing number of ventures that aim to produce fleets of air taxis for Uber-like rideshare services that get around traffic tie-ups on the ground. Like Rachel, most of the proposed vehicles - popularly known as flying cars - would be electric vertical-take-off-and-landing craft, or eVTOLs. "People waste billions of hours sitting on roads worldwide each year. We envision a future where commuting by eVTOL is a safer, faster, and cost-competitive alternative to ground transportation," Bevirt said in today's news release. "We have spent the last 10 years developing the technologies that have made our full-scale technical demonstrator possible and are now ready to build a commercial version of the aircraft. We're excited to have attracted the backing of leaders in auto manufacturing, data intelligence, and transportation sectors." Other air-taxi ventures include Airbus' Vahana, Uber and its aviation partners, Terrafugia, VerdeGo Aero, Kitty Hawk, China's EHang, Switzerland's Passenger Drone, Germany's Volocopter and Lilium, Slovakia's AeroMobil and Japan's Cartivator Project. In the United States, the timetable for deploying such vehicles depends largely on the Federal Aviation Administration, which recently overhauled its certification process for small aircraft. Some players in the aviation industry have made multiple plays in the air-taxi market. For example, JetBlue Technology is an investor in Joby as well as in a Kirkland, Wash.-based electric-aviation venture called Zunum Aero. Boeing also has invested in Zunum Aero, and last year it acquired Aurora Flight Sciences, one of Uber's air-taxi partners. http://en.brinkwire.com/122851/joby-aviation-wins-a-100m-investment-boost-to-get-its-flying- cars-off-the-ground/ Back to Top Beyond the Hype: Blockchain and Its Applications in Business Aviation On January 3, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Poalim Bank announced a strategic collaboration on the use of blockchain for securing information within the business aviation lifecycle. With this announcement, IAI joins Air France KLM, Boeing, and many other aviation corporations looking to blockchain to solve aviation problems. Often confused with bitcoin, blockchain is the technology upon which bitcoin rests. It is essentially a widely accessible database. Participants within a blockchain can submit information. In the case of bitcoin, users submit financial transactions to the blockchain. With aviation, users could submit flight hours, traveler information, safety records, and much more. This information is then confirmed via a mechanism established by the community using that blockchain. Once an action or submission to a blockchain is confirmed, it is added to a "block." Each block can contain thousands to millions of distinct points of data. These blocks are then sealed upon completion. Once in the chain of blocks, information cannot be changed. Each piece of information and each block is confirmed using cryptography. This allows each blockchain user to confirm that the information remains unchanged. A key component of a blockchain is that it is decentralized. Therefore, because no one entity owns the blockchain, all stakeholders within business aviation can use it to share records. Similarly, because every entity can access the information within the blockchain, there is no need for multiple record-keeping systems. The cryptography used in the blockchain offers improved security over traditional web-based and internal record-keeping systems. Additionally, cryptographic timestamps on each point of data reduce the opportunities for fraud. Finally, data within the blockchain is more transparent and accessible than that maintained in current record-keeping systems due to the "ledger" system. Blockchain data is recorded in ledgers that are on the servers of each participating organization. These ledgers are updated simultaneously with each new addition of a block. This means every participating organization has full access to the data without relying on someone else's server. COMMERICAL APPLICATIONS Air France KLM began researching realistic aviation blockchain use cases in its MRO Lab in mid- 2017. In an October 2017 webinar with Microsoft and Ramco Aviation, James Kornberg, Air France KLM's director of innovation, identified four features of blockchain: "resilience, traceability, integrity, and disintermediation" and characterized them as "well suited to the aviation supply chain." Most proposed aviation blockchain applications currently seek to resolve problems in operations, as well as maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO). In November 2017, General Electric (GE) filed a series of five patents with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. These five patents create a theoretical system for tracking aircraft maintenance records, parts acquisition, flight records, and any additional information pertaining to the life of an aircraft. Boeing is examining both the use of blockchain for securing the supply chain process and resolving current aviation cybersecurity concerns. A December 2017 Boeing patent application reveals the company's intention to use blockchain to prevent GPS spoofing events. Accenture Consulting, a major technology consulting company, proposes the blockchain for e- ticketing and airline loyalty programs. Meanwhile, IATA is evaluatingusing blockchain for a payment system. It hopes to create a payment network for aviation that will return an estimated $7.7 billion to airlines. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2018-02-04/beyond-hype-blockchain- and-its-applications-business-aviation Back to Top SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch: What happens if it fails? On Tuesday, SpaceX will attempt to send its highly anticipated new rocket into orbit. There's a "good chance" it won't make it. At least, that's how Elon Musk -- the founder and CEO of the space start up -- put it when asked about the rocket, called Falcon Heavy, at a conference last year. "Real good chance that vehicle does not make it to orbit," was his uncharacteristically pessimistic response. Some industry experts agree. Paulo Lozano, a professor of astronautics at MIT, told CNNMoney that the Falcon Heavy -- which is poised to become the most powerful rocket in operation -- presents big challenges because of its design. "Every time you fire a rocket engine, there is a probability that something might go wrong," he said. The Falcon Heavy has a stunning 27 engines. "It will only take one of them to blow up and produce a bad outcome," Lozano said. He added that rockets like this are incredibly difficult to test on the ground, so a (potentially explosive) test flight is the only way forward. Note: No humans or expensive satellites are at risk here. Since it's the Falcon Heavy's inaugural flight, there will be a dummy payload on board -- a Tesla (TSLA) roadster from Musk's personal collection. So exactly what is at stake? Launch pad and Crew Dragon If the Falcon Heavy explodes too close to the launch pad, the pad will be decimated. "I hope it makes it far enough away from the [launch] pad so that it does not cause pad damage," Musk said last year. "I would consider even that a win to be honest." And there's a big reason why SpaceX would want to protect this particular launch pad, known as Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Because of a special walkway that has been constructed for it, Pad 39A is the only site that canhost flights of SpaceX's new spacecraft, Crew Dragon. That's the spacecraft the company is developing to help NASA ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station. Crew Dragon has already faced delays. And destroying the launch pad could mean pushing deadlines back even further, according to U.S. Government Accountability Office Director Cristina Chaplain. And NASA surely wouldn't be happy about that. The U.S. hasn't had a crew-worthy spacecraft since the Space Shuttle program retired in 2011, so the government has been relying on Russian spacecraft for space station travel. But that arrangement is only guaranteed into 2019. SpaceX competitor Boeing (BA) is also working on a human-certified spacecraft. But, according to the GAO, both companies are already too far behind schedule for comfort. NASA says SpaceX is on track to launch its very first crewed mission this December -- but that may not happen if Pad 39A is badly damaged in the Falcon Heavy launch. An explosion of SpaceX's less-powerful Falcon 9 rocket destroyed a launch pad, and it took more than a year and about $50 million to rebuild. Launch pads include expensive structures that help fuel and monitor the rocket -- and are capable of withstanding the a rocket's blaze. According to the GAO, SpaceX does have the option to retrofit a different launch site for Crew Dragon, but it's unclear how much time and money that would take. SpaceX's reputation If the Falcon Heavy does explode, it won't be a total loss. SpaceX will still gather valuable data that it can use to build a better Falcon Heavy. The company won't even use the word "failure" -- because this is just a test. An explosion will, however, give SpaceX's critics something to talk about. "It's not always technical issues at play here. It's also politics," said Lozano, the MIT professor. Though SpaceX is a private company, its partnerships with NASA and launch contracts with the military are a significant part of its business. And there are some on Capitol Hill who are quick to question SpaceX's reliability, thanks in part to some previousmishaps by the company. SpaceX is also competing with United Launch Alliance, the legacy aerospace firm that was the military's rocket builder of choice for more than a decade. The company boasts a practically flawless launch record. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket -- which completed 18 pristine missions last year -- broke United Launch Alliance's monopoly on military launches when it was awarded a contract in 2016. But now, as United Launch Alliance and SpaceX continue to compete for those contracts, headlines about a fiery rocket eruption aren't exactly what SpaceX needs. "There would definitely be some political fallout from a launch failure," said Bill Ostrove, space analyst with Forecast International, a Connecticut-based research firm. "There are some SpaceX skeptics that have sort of grabbed on to some of their failures, whether or not it affected their operations." Then again, Lozano said, SpaceX could be helped by some well-steered PR. "Elon has the right idea, keeping expectations low" for Falcon Heavy, he said. An industry source told CNNMoney that a Falcon Heavy explosion shouldn't delay any of SpaceX's planned Falcon 9 launches -- unless the root of the problem involves something besides the rocket, such as the fueling process or SpaceX's ground system. SpaceX has two other launch sites where Falcon 9s can take flight -- one at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida and another at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/04/technology/future/spacex-falcon-heavy-failure/ Curt Lewis