April 18, 2019 - No. 031 In This Issue AAR, BASF Cooperation Aims to Improve Cabin Air Quality Aviation automation climbs new heights with ALIAS Rizse Introduces Superior Technology for Aircraft Maintenance Inspections. Industry: FAA's Proposed Mechanic Training Rules Too Rigid Bell V-280 flies with system that can see through aircraft. Lagan Aviation begins work on RAF Northolt runway upgrade. SkySkopes, Robot Aviation Team up for BVLOS Flights in Norway IATA urges Romania to focus on aviation competitiveness Texas Tech Hub Seeks to Innovate MRO SpaceX booster lost at sea. AAR, BASF Cooperation Aims to Improve Cabin Air Quality ATLANTA-With passenger demand for improved cabin experiences becoming more central to airline strategies, a new partnership between MRO provider AAR and chemical giant BASF will look to grow the presence of specialist converters aimed at improving the cabin air quality of aircraft across the global fleet. BASF, the world's largest chemical specialist, announced last week that it had selected the independent MRO provider as a distributor of its Deoxo aircraft cabin ozone and volatile organic compounds (VOC) converters, along with the Rockford, Illinois-based AAR providing repair services for the converters. The length of the contract hasn't been disclosed but has been described by both parties as a "long-term" agreement. The converters aim to combat o-zone levels which build up in the cabin when an aircraft is at high altitude, typically entering through the aircraft's air conditioning ducts. BASF says the technology improves air quality by removing o-zone levels, as well as reducing certain hydrocarbon compounds responsible for unpleasant odors such as fuel smells, which stem from factors such as lubricant leaks and on-ground maintenance activities. Teaming up with an OEM is not a new occurrence for AAR, with its aerospace manufacturing partners including the likes of GE Aviation, Eaton Aerospace and Collins Aerospace. But the partnership with BASF, which has its main headquarters in Germany, will extend the reach of the Deoxo product to aviation customers. Ying Wu, BASF general manager of clean air business, says the partnership with AAR will grow the company's presence in the aviation segment - an area of business the company isn't normally associated with, despite the fact it makes materials used in the manufacture of aircraft along with some MRO services. Overall, it has been making the converter products for more than 30 years. "BASF is very chemical and materials focused, and in this partnership, we can focus on what we do best - which is technology and product developing while our partner AAR can help leverage their global footprint with aviation customers," Wu told Aviation Week at MRO Americas in Atlanta on April 10. She says the company identified AAR as a partner due to the changing needs of customers in the aviation segment. "The overall level of customer demand is increasing and we felt we needed to understand their needs better rather than just staying in the background which we had before," she says. Wu estimates BASF holds a market share of more than 50% of o-zone converters flying around the world, but says its market share related to the MRO market isn't as high. Eric Young, AAR's SVP of OEM solutions, says the agreements covers products on "most Boeing and Airbus aircraft platforms", including regional aircraft and corporate jets. He says that typically, the converters would be retrofitted to existing aircraft fleets. In the repair cycle, it is estimated that the converters would be retested and re-certified with an estimated turnaround time of around 14 days. https://www.mro-network.com/maintenance-repair-overhaul/aar-basf-cooperation-aims-improve-cabin-air-quality Back to Top Aviation automation climbs new heights with ALIAS The Defense Department's investment in artificial intelligence and battlefield autonomy starts in the lab, but not much if it stays there. "This is all a part of operationalizing autonomy," Lt. Col. Philip Root, acting deputy director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Tactical Technology Office, told FCW. "Those words really mean something to me. " Autonomy, which Root called AI in practice, "means experimenting with [the application] until it actually becomes useful. That takes a different kind of commitment." DARPA's Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) project sets out to make autonomy the battlefield norm and is expected to complete its first fly-by-wire experiment led by Sikorsky in May or June. A demo will come later this fall. The technology aims to improve flight safety and performance and reduce the number of onboard crew members with a customizable, drop-in, removable kit that would allow advanced automation to be easily added to existing aircraft. DARPA successfully tested the effectiveness of ALIAS' sense and avoid capabilities in 2016 with a Cessna 172G aircraft approaching an unmanned aerial system from multiple angles. Fly-by-wire isn't the capability, but the mechanism needed for autonomy, Root said. Moreover, it'll be a first for Army aviation. "We need the fly-by-wire to add a computer in the middle that helps and augments a human," he said. "Once we prove that works, now we can begin adding the autonomy flight controls -- operating in the background like a lane assist [feature in cars that helps] the human operator avoid a tree." ALIAS expects to do its first zero-pilot test in early 2020 with an unmanned Black Hawk helicopter. If successful, the initiative would allow the military to make better use of pilots' time and get more use out of the aircraft. Root described the scenario: "Two human pilots go on a dangerous mission, come back, and during the day that aircraft can be doing safe logistics runs, low-risk missions while the pilots sleep." A single-pilot test was the most challenging to pull off, according to Root. There's no feedback loop for the pilot because co-pilot is a relatively invisible, silent machine. "You now have a co-pilot that's not there, and [pilots] don't know how to rely on someone who's not there," he said. "How does a machine have the same contextual understanding of when to talk, so to speak, and what information is relevant? And how does the human pilot know when to trust the autonomy?" The situation can be likened to adaptive cruise control that causes a car to automatically slow down when approaching another moving vehicle but doesn't slow down when the driver thinks it should. ALIAS is working on this issue, even though Root admitted it might not get it right. "We could absolutely do this wrong. We could have an autonomous co-pilot that's supposed to allow the human pilot to do other things, and in actuality we reduce the effectiveness because the guy or gal is so concerned that they never relinquish control." But despite humans' natural distrust for machines, ALIAS aims to bridge that gap by having pilots train with the technology, becoming familiar with it like they would with a new iPhone. "Pilots, operators, Marines trust those things that work," Root said. "Trust is two parts: You have to believe the system can actually deliver, and you have to see it deliver routinely. Those two things are separate," he said. "We can provide ability to trust a machine if we develop it from the ground up to foster that trust." Whether that trust is earned remains to be seen. "On ALIAS, the jury is still out" because there haven't been many tests, Root said. "Let's talk in a year, and I'll tell you exactly how it worked out." US Army Pilot Tests ALIAS' Autonomy Capabilities in Demonstration Flight https://fcw.com/articles/2019/04/17/darpa-alias-autonomous-aviation.aspx Back to Top Rizse Introduces Superior Technology for Aircraft Maintenance Inspections Scottsdale, Ariz.--Rizse, a U.S.-based advanced drone robotics company, introduces its new solution for aircraft inspections. Utilizing autonomous drone hardware and proprietary software, Rizse's StreamSense platform provides a way to inspect both narrow and wide body aircraft fuselages for damage such as that caused by lightning strikes, hail and bird strikes. "We are extremely proud of our StreamSense product, and proud that it is manufactured in the United States," says Rizse founder and CEO Colby Harvey. "The cost savings to companies in the aviation industry has the ability to significantly impact their bottom line." A traditional large aircraft inspection can take six to ten hours to complete. Every hour that aircraft is on the ground will cost an airline approximately $10,000 in lost revenues and machinery use. Rizse's solution takes only 45 minutes to an hour to complete, unless results indicate further testing is warranted. The StreamSense platform includes the proprietary drone and attachments, enterprise software, training and Cloud computing technology. Rizse is the brainchild of Harvey and was inspired by a class project he carried out as a student at Arizona State University. After graduating with a degree in aviation management, Harvey took a job working at Google as a development operations engineer, while continuing to work on what was then known as Maintenance Automation. In 2018, he renamed the company Rizse and was ready to launch into the aviation maintenance field full time. Harvey was joined in founding Rizse by Braedon O'Meara, who serves as the company's CTO. Together they lead a team of technology experts who are continually innovating to bring the best advances in technology to the market. "Our company is 100 percent committed to assisting our customers with their specialized needs," states Harvey. "To that end, we have partnered with the leading firms in the industry." One of those firms is Ascent Aviation Services, which provides testing resources to perfect the drones' autonomous navigation systems. "We are so pleased to be working with Rizse," states Ascent Aviation president David Querio. "They have developed a technology that will be of tremendous benefit to the aviation industry. Colby Harvey and his team are bright, young entrepreneurs who are doing things right." Rizse also partners with technology mogul Nvidia for Cloud computing resources for the training of its artificial intelligence. And Ouster, a company known for its high resolution lidar sensors, provides Rizse with systems and support for its drone vision and navigation. "One of the best parts of working at Ouster is seeing all the ambitious applications our customers use our lidar sensors for," says Angus Pacala, CEO of Ouster. "What the team at Rizse has accomplished for aircraft inspections and the aviation industry is a perfect example of what motivates us. We look forward to seeing Rizse grow and continue to push the boundaries in this huge aviation market." Rizse is a company that showcases the best of American ingenuity. Born from the university classroom where a student was challenged to create a business, it has now garnered the highest level partnerships and is ready to introduce its cost-saving, cutting edge technology to the marketplace. Rizse is a company whose future is worth watching. https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/maintenance-providers/press-release/21076806/rizse-introduces-superior-technology-for-aircraft-maintenance-inspections Back to Top Industry: FAA's Proposed Mechanic Training Rules Too Rigid WASHINGTON-FAA's proposed expansion of rules that aviation maintenance technician schools (AMTS) must follow to train mechanics will not please those in the industry who were hoping for more flexibility and less bureaucracy. FAA's supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM), set for publication Apr. 16, seeks to make Part 147, which AMT schools must follow, more modern. Approved in 1970 and modified little since, Part 147 is far behind modern aviation technology, such as composite repair. A 2015 draft rule based largely on a 2009 industry rulemaking advisory group report addressed many of the modernization concerns, such as updating core competencies that students should learn. But commenters identified two major issues: FAA's insistence on an hours-based curriculum, not a competency-based one, as well as the growing need to teach classes at remote locations, such as high schools, that were not FAA approved. The SNPRM adds both of these, but with caveats: FAA would approve competency-based curriculum on a case-by-case basis, and it also would require approval of so-called satellite locations. While encouraged by FAA's progress, the Aviation Technical Education Council (ATEC) is concerned that the expanded rule would add more red tape than benefits. "The agency's insistence that it approve a school's competency-based program is going to create nothing but bureaucratic roadblocks," ATEC Executive Director Crystal Maguire said. "The FAA oversees safety, not education. It needs to leave the education part to [the Department of Education], which these schools are already beholden to as part of being accredited educational institutions." ATEC also expressed concern about how FAA proposes handling remote instruction, such as programs that partner with local high schools to offer introductory AMTS courses. Exposing potential mechanics to the business is seen as key to ensure industry has enough technicians in the coming years-part of the reason that airlines, repair stations, and AMTSs are partnering with local schools. FAA's plan for AMTSs is to either certify so-called "satellite" locations as dependent or independent. Both would require registering with FAA, and an independent operation would have to apply for its own Part 147 certificate. "Both types of satellite training locations must use the curriculum and procedures of the parent AMTS," FAA explained in the updated draft rule's preamble. "The independent satellite training locations, however, may implement differences in the curriculum and procedures, provided those differences are documented and accepted or approved by the FAA, as applicable." ATEC suggested language that permitted remote operations so long as the AMTS "provides suitable facilities, equipment, and material" similar to what the rules require of certificated schools. "Adding [requirements] to the regulation on satellites that call for more government approval isn't the answer," Maguire said, expressing concern that existing high-school partners may pull back rather than seek FAA's blessing to keep hosting AMTS classes. The 170 active AMTSs produce about 60% of the 6,500 new aviation mechanics certified in the U.S. each year, with the rest coming from the military or other sources, such as industry-sponsored instruction. The new draft rule will be open for public comment through June 15. https://www.mro-network.com/maintenance-repair-overhaul/industry-faa-s-proposed-mechanic-training-rules-too-rigid Back to Top Bell V-280 flies with system that can see through aircraft NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Bell's experimental V-280 Valor tiltrotor, built for a U.S. Army technology demonstration, has flown for the first time with an integrated system that provides the pilots and aircrew a 360-degree view through the skin of the aircraft. At the Army Aviation Association of America's annual summit, Lockheed Martin displayed footage collected from its Pilotage Distributed Aperture System's first flight over central Texas on the V-280. PDAS "is the first fully integrated tactical distributed aperture system in the history of vertical lift," Rita Flaherty, Lockheed Martin vice president of strategy and business development within its Missiles and Fire Control business, said at the summit. The company has a long line of firsts when it comes to multifunctional sensor systems, she said, to include developing and fielding the first electro-optical targeting system for rotary-wing aircraft - which has been on the AH-64 since its inception. That system is a combination of a targeting sensor, an electro-optical day sensor and a pilotage capability, which are all fused with a fire control radar. "But in the next generation of vertical lift, we turned our attention to a multifunctional, situational-awareness pilotage threat-warning capability suite to develop and bring forward for future vertical lift," Flaherty said. Lockheed teamed up with Bell in 2013 to integrate the system into the V-280, prior to Lockheed's acquisition of Sikorsky in 2015, which is working with Boeing on a competing technology demonstrator - the SB-1 Defiant. V-280's first flight was in December 2017. The effort, so far, has been entirely funded by Lockheed. The company developed the technology, taking it from concept to development to integration to flight demonstrations in a matter of five years. The solution consists of six individual sensor systems integrated into the V-280 aircraft. Two sensors are located in the front, two in the back, one on the top and one on the bottom of the aircraft. The sensors each weigh less than 10 pounds. The sensors are stitched together through an open-architecture processor using algorithms to create "a full 360 hemispherical situational-awareness, pilotage, missile-warning capability," Flaherty said. The view of the outside of the aircraft is collected and can be processed onto a screen or display. At AAAA, Lockheed used a pair of inexpensive goggles ordered from Amazon, but anything from a helmet-mounted display to a tablet could be used to see what the sensors see. The system is designed so that a soldier in the back of the aircraft using a tablet could look in a completely different place or direction as the pilot, for instance. The system would also use imagery that is normally discarded, and rather layer that information over a database to create actionable intelligence regarding flight paths, Flaherty noted as an example. The company also views PDAS as a mission-planning tool, receiving real-time actionable intelligence. For instance, a squad in the back of a helicopter might want to know about last-minute changes or have an immediate understanding of where they are relative to the objective, or what is in the landing zone. PDAS would help them see everything in real time as they land, according to Flaherty. PDAS isn't just designed for the V-280, Flaherty noted: "We are platform agnostic, and it's also backwards compatible to the current fleet." The Army is planning to demonstrate PDAS in a UH-60 Mike-model Black Hawk helicopter for a "special customer" in the late spring/early summer time frame next year, Flaherty said. Lockheed performed previous testing of the PDAS system on a Black Hawk in the U.S. Army's night vision lab, but that effort was focused on safety of flight qualifications, according to Flaherty. Because of Lockheed's development of the capability in fixed-wing aircraft, the technology is solidly at a technology readiness level of nine and could be ready to roll into current or future capability quickly, she said. That readiness level is the highest of its kind, and serves as an official certification. More capability could easily be integrated into the system due to a powerful processor, Flaherty said, and because it is compliant with both current and future open architecture standards. Particularly, it will be able to plug into the Army's emerging Modular Open Systems Architecture capability that will serve as a backbone for missions systems to easily plug into future vertical lift aircraft. Over the coming months, the company will test additional algorithms during V-280 flight, such as a ground moving target indicator and detecting air-to-air targets that improve upon Lockheed's missile warning pedigree, Flaherty said. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/aaaa/2019/04/16/bell-v-280-flies-with-system-that-can-see-through-aircraft/ Back to Top Lagan Aviation begins work on RAF Northolt runway upgrade British Royal Air Force (RAF) Northolt runway has been closed for six months to enable Irish firm Lagan Aviation & Infrastructure to commence resurfacing works. In October 2018, the company won a £23m contract from the UK Ministry of Defence's (MoD) Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) for resurfacing work at RAF Northolt, the last remaining military airfield within the M25 area. Lagan Aviation will upgrade the existing runway, improve drainage and install arrestor beds to improve safety and extend the life of the runway by at least 15 years. Operations at RAF Northolt include transport for UK military and government leaders, medical evacuations, and support to global exercises and operations. RAF Northolt often receives aircraft from the Fleet Air Arm, Army Air Corps and Royal Air Force fleets, ranging from helicopters to the larger A400 and C17 transport aircraft. Helicopter operations will continue at the airport, while fixed-wing operations will be suspended for the resurfacing period and will operate from other airfields. The resident flying squadron, 32 (The Royal) Squadron will operate aircraft from RAF Benson in Oxfordshire. Operations and civil flights movement at the airport will resume after completion of the resurfacing works. RAF Northolt, the RAF's strategic site in London, is home to 33 other units from all three armed services and wider government, including the British Forces Post Office, two RAF bands, the MOD's Aeronautical Information Documents Unit and ceremonial unit The Queen's Colour Squadron. The outputs of these other units will not be affected by the runway resurfacing work. Lagan Aviation & Infrastructure director James Aikman said: "The Lagan Aviation & Infrastructure team have been busy mobilising on-site this past few weeks preparing for project commencement. "The project team are looking forward to commencing works on site and continuing our collaborative relationship with the DIO to ensure the project is delivered safely, on time and within budget." https://www.airforce-technology.com/news/lagan-aviation-starts-northolt-upgrade/ Back to Top SkySkopes, Robot Aviation Team up for BVLOS Flights in Norway SkySkopes, a North Dakota-based drone service provider, recently partnered with Honefoss, Norway-based Robot Aviation for drone operations beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS). The two companies, using Robot Aviation's long-endurance FX20 unmanned aircraft system (UAS), conducted the BVLOS flights in Norway. Importantly, they are looking to repeat the success in the U.S. "SkySkopes has flown BVLOS in numerous countries, including the United States. Flying BVLOS in Norway with Robot Aviation was fantastic and everything we would expect from a world-class operator," says Matt Dunlevy, president and CEO of SkySkopes. "With the FX20, our electric long-endurance aircraft, equipped with detect-and-avoid technology for quiet and safe operations, Robot Aviation supports SkySkopes with its latest technology for operations in the growing energy sector," notes Børre Larsen, CEO of Robot Aviation. "Our cooperation with SkySkopes will shortly result in activities for our small-tactical FX10 system, and we hope that the day when our 20-hour-endurance FX450 flying in North Dakota is not far away." https://unmanned-aerial.com/skyskopes-robot-aviation-team-up-for-bvlos-flights-in-norway Back to Top IATA urges Romania to focus on aviation competitiveness Air transport in Romania supports 107,000 jobs and contributes €2.3 billion to the economy. In 2017, 10 million passengers departed from Romania's airports but this could rise by 50% by 2037, supporting an additional 23,000 jobs, if Romania enhances the conditions on which its aviation sector can be competitive. IATA published a competitiveness report on Romanian aviation, which shows a gap between the nation's competitiveness level (ranked at 4.7) and the overall European average (ranked 5.9). Based on the report findings, IATA highlighted passenger facilitation, expanded terminal capacity and reduced infrastructure costs as three priority areas. In addition, airspace modernization is identified as a crucial element to support future growth and efficiency. Airspace modernization Efficient Air Traffic Management (ATM) is a bedrock of a high-performance aviation sector. To complement the long-term aim of a Single European Sky to improve the safety, capacity, efficiency, and environmental performance of European airspace, IATA is working with several air navigation service providers on a National Airspace Strategy (NAS). At the Romanian Aviation Day on April 12, the Romanian government announced that it would back the development of a NAS to support more efficient capacity in Romania and to help deliver Single European Sky objectives. Romanian Air Traffic Services Administration (ROMATSA) and IATA will strengthen their existing cooperation for this initiative, which is aimed at delivering benefits to the travelling public and the wider aviation community, while supporting the economic growth and competitiveness of the Romanian aviation sector. The main aspects of the strategy cover leadership and a collaborative stakeholder approach, airspace management, and technical modernization of the ATM system. Rafael Schvartzman, IATA's Regional Vice President for Europe, said: "Romania has a great opportunity to transform its aviation sector if the right policy levers are pulled. Our recommendations are, first, to promote innovative technology and processes to move passengers quickly. Second, to invest in more capacity at airports and in air traffic management. And third, to ensure infrastructure charges are set in transparent consultation with users. If Romania can take these steps, its economic and social development will gain significantly from enhanced air connectivity. "The commitment to develop an NAS shows that the government is already taking the necessary steps to enhance the nation's aviation competitiveness. Optimizing Romania's airspace will not only benefit Romania but the wider European network. We congratulate ROMATSA for its vision, and look forward to working with them to make airspace modernization a success." https://airlines.iata.org/news/iata-urges-romania-to-focus-on-aviation-competitiveness Back to Top Texas Tech Hub Seeks to Innovate MRO As Tech Port San Antonio plans a new innovation center, the organization is showcasing products and research housed at the site that could make waves within MRO. An aviation and tech hub in Texas is growing fast and working to develop innovations with use cases for the MRO industry. Tech Port San Antonio-or "The Port"-houses a wide variety of aerospace and advanced manufacturing leaders' facilities, such as Boeing, Chromalloy, StandardAero and the U.S. Air Force. The campus is also home to a variety of tech innovators looking to transform aircraft MRO. In advance of its plans for building a new innovation center, The Port brought a number of technology delegates to MRO Americas to showcase some of the interesting developments happening at the tech hub. Read on to find out more. Slideshow https://www.mro-network.com/emerging-technology/texas-tech-hub-seeks-innovate-mro Back to Top SpaceX booster lost at sea CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., April 17 (UPI) -- SpaceX's Falcon Heavy launch Thursday was flawless by all accounts, but its third rocket booster won't be coming back to Port Canaveral in Florida. The company reported that the booster, which landed on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean, was lost at sea in rough conditions. "As conditions worsened with eight- to 10-foot swells, the booster began to shift and ultimately was unable to remain upright. While we had hoped to bring the booster back intact, the safety of our team always takes precedence. We do not expect future missions to be impacted," the company said in its statement to The Verge. Two side booster rockets flew back and landed at Cape Canaveral, creating sonic booms. Recovered boosters will be refueled and reused. The company also recovered the rocket nose cone halves, or fairings, at sea and hopes to reuse them, Space.com reported. Recovering the boosters is the key component of SpaceX's reusable strategy, which also allows much lower costs. A launch on a Falcon Heavy carries a price tag of $90 million, compared to competitor United Launch Alliance's Delta IV Heavy, which costs more than $300 million. The Falcon Heavy rocket lifted off on schedule at 6:35 p.m. Thursday from Florida's Kennedy Space Center, the second launch for the biggest rocket in use today. It carried the ArabSat 6A communications satellite for a Saudi Arabian company, the first commercial payload for Falcon Heavy. The satellite was safely deployed in orbit just more than half-hour after launch. https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2019/04/17/SpaceX-booster-lost-at-sea/8921555509669/ Curt Lewis