Professional Documents
Culture Documents
INTERNATIONAL
air sickness
why we should
worry about
cockpit fumes
report p38
airport delays
Berlin injects new funds
to end Brandenburg wait,
while developer blamed
for dithering at Doha 12
support act
P&W faces up to USAF
decision to end its
stranglehold on C-17
engine sustainment 16
aero preview
learning
to fly again
What can save Europes general aviation?
fightglobal.com
I S S N 0 0 1 5 - 3 7 1 0
9 7 7 0 0 1 5 3 7 1 2 5 9
1 7
3.30
23-29 April 2013
FIN_230413_301 1 18/4/13 09:32:54
Y O U R F L I G H T I S O U R MI S S I O N
Aerospace
Multifunction titanium chronograph
Exclusive SuperQuartz
TM
movement
Ofcially chronometer-certied
Water-resistant to 100 m / 330 ft
CA104330_Aerospace_197x267_FlightInter.indd 1 29.08.12 13:55
FIN_230413_302 302 18/4/13 08:49:24
23-29 April 2013
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Flight International
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3 fightglobal.com
FLIGHT
INTERNATIONAL
23-29 April 2013 volume 183 number 5387
u
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ir
b
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US Air Force to run down Boeing C-17 engines pact with
Pratt & Whitney p16. EASA details wing-rib fx timelines
for A380 feet p7
news
this week
6 eurocopter waits on eASA approval
7 Daimler bids eADS auf Wiedersehen
8 rising tensions spur Apache order.
revised forecast casts gloom on
business jet sector
news FOCUs
9 boeing for business in brazil
Air trAnspOrt
10 Indonesia in dock again over safety
11 False data caused Titan Airways 737
to strike tail
12 extra funding fuels sprint to fnish
delayed berlin airport.
Steep approach led to Dash 8s heavy
landing
13 P&W mulls simpler A320neo engine.
Soaring fuel bill prompts Taroms
effciency drive
DeFenCe
14 AW169 emerges for army AAS battle.
boeing agrees to cut price for Chinook
contract
15 F-22 helmet sight plan is shot down.
Warsaw to rejoin nATO surveillance
programme
16 eurofghter tries out Harpoon missiles
for size
BUsiness AviAtiOn
17 Cessna hails upgrades for frst production
Citation X.
Phenom 100s brake unit faces uS safety
probe
ABACe shOw repOrt
18 Talks stall over assembly of Sovereign,
Latitude in China
20 Harbin gets to work on frst Legacy 650 for
Q4 delivery
spACeFlight
21 nASA defes critics with latest budget
request
BUsiness
22 Playing at home again
regUlArs
5 Comment
41 Straight & level
42 letters
45 Classifed
47 Jobs
51 Working Week
48 Job of the Week Global Supply Systems,
chief training captain, Stansted Airport
COver stOry
25 GeNerAl AviAtioN SpeCiAl report
28 the drive for diesel Heavy fuel motor
engines market remains uncertain
30 lagging behind uSA europes light
sport aircraft rules infexible
33 rearguard action Is there an upside for
europes general aviation community?
35 Aero keeps flying high Friedrichshafen
show preview
FeAtUres
38 pilot heAlth Clearing the air engine
oil fumes pose risk to crew
FLIGHT
INTERNATIONAL
airsickness
whywe should
worryabout
cockpit fumes
report p38
airport delays
Berlin injects new funds
to end Brandenburg wait,
while developer blamed
for dithering at Doha 12
support act
P&Wfaces up to USAF
decision to end its
stranglehold on C-17
engine sustainment 16
aeropreview
learning
to fly again
What can save Europes general aviation?
fightglobal.com
I S S N 0 0 1 5 - 3 7 1 0
1 7
3.30
23-29 April 2013
piC of the Week
your photoGrAph here
Banking around for another landing in the
dustbowl is how AirSpace regular Lloyd H
describes this shot of a UK Royal Air Force
Boeing Chinook over the cross-country
driving area at Salisbury Plain. Open a
gallery in fightglobal.coms AirSpace
community for a chance to feature here
L
lo
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y
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f
ig
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fightglobal.com/imageoftheday
C
e
s
s
n
a
Cover imAGe
This picture of the Corvalis
TTx was sourced from
airframer Cessna.
Launched in 2011, the TTx
is the fastest commercial
certifcated piston-driven
aircraft in production.
See general aviation
industry report p25
Next Week Aero report
Kate Sarsfeld reports from the Aero
general aviation show in Friedrichshafen,
Germany (above), and we have a country
special on Turkeys aerospace industry
A
e
r
o
F
r
ie
d
r
ic
h
s
h
a
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Download The Engine Directory.
fightglobal.com/ComEngDirectory
Flight_CFM_25x180.indd 1 19/07/2012 17:51
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fightglobal.com
contents
behind the
headlines
the week on the web
fightglobal.com
Vote at fightglobal.com/poll
Find all these items at fightglobal.com/wotw
Question of the week
Total votes: 1,255
This week, we ask: Whats the biggest reason so few youngsters
take up fying? Too expensive No nearby airfelds Too
much red-tape No careers at end
For a full list of reader services, editorial
and advertising contacts see P44
Editorial
+44 20 8652 3842
fight.international@fightglobal.com
display advErtising
+44 20 8652 3315
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ClassifiEd advErtising
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webmaster@fightglobal.com
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fightdailynews@fightglobal.com
high fliers
The top fve stories for the week just gone:
1 Picture: First British Airways 787 breaks cover
2 Lion Air 737-800 crashes into sea while landing at Bali
3 American splits Airbus order equally between A319 and A321
4 FAA reviewing 787 ETOPS certifcation separately from battery decision
5 Boeing unveils updated F/A-XX sixth-gen fghter concept
Flightglobal reaches up to 1.3 million visitors from 220
countries viewing 7.1 million pages each month
If you think British Airways new Airbus A380 looks resplend-
ent in this picture, you might have Lady Thatcher to thank,
writes david Kaminski-morrow on the Airline Business
blog. The late iron lady
famously draped her
handkerchief over a model of
a British Airways Boeing
747-400 bearing the carriers
controversial new ethnic tail
fns at a Conservative Party
conference in 1997.
Absolutely terrible, she declared in front of the TV
cameras. The former prime ministers opinion was thought
to be crucial in bas decision to abandon the assorted
multi-coloured designs and revert to a version of the
Union fag it still uses today. On his eponymous blog, david
learmount recalls fying with a sidestick for the frst time,
25 years ago, on an Airbus A300, confgured as a testbed
for the then-new fy-by-wire system on the A320.
Chinas new political leadership
may preach austerity but some
of the high-net-worth visitors at-
tending abaCE 2013 (P18) in
Shanghai, attended by Asia man-
aging editor siva govindasamy,
did not appear to get the memo.
Long queues of people who
made prior appointments were
waiting to board aircraft, whose
salesmen pointed out a newly-
minted millionaire here and
billionaire there keen to know
more about private jets. This is
the future of business avia-
tion, says Govindasamy.
in this issue
Companies listed
AAR .............................................................22
AgustaWestland ...........................................14
AIM Aviation .................................................23
Airbus ................................................7, 11, 13
Air Charter ...................................................23
Arianespace ................................................23
Austro Engines ............................................... 6
AVIC .......................................................18, 30
BAE Systems ...............................................16
Beechcraft ...................................................17
Bell Helicopter ............................................... 8
Boeing ...............6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 21
Bombardier .....................................12, 13, 17
British Airways ..............................................22
CAIGA ..........................................................18
Centurion Aircraft Engines ............................28
Cessna ..............................................8, 17, 18
CHC Scotia .................................................... 6
CIT ................................................................. 6
Commercial Jet ............................................22
CTS Engines .................................................23
Cubcrafters ..................................................32
Dassault ......................................................17
DeltaHawk ...................................................29
Diamond Aircraft ............................................ 6
EADS ............................................................. 7
Embraer .......................................9, 13, 17, 20
Emirates Airlines ..........................................11
Engineered Propulsion Systems ...................30
Estonian Air ................................................... 6
Eurocopter .........................................6, 15, 17
Eurofghter ...................................................16
ExecuJet Europe ...........................................17
First Emirates Aviation Group .......................23
Garmin ........................................................17
General Electric ...........................................13
Gogo............................................................23
Hangar 8 .....................................................17
Hindustan Aeronautics .................................23
Honeywell ..............................................17, 23
ICBC Leasing ...............................................20
Korea Aerospace Industries ............................ 8
Lion Air ........................................................10
Lockheed Martin ................................8, 15, 16
Lufthansa Technik ........................................20
Lycoming .....................................................30
Merpati Nusantara .......................................10
Metrojet ......................................................... 6
Mistral Engines ............................................29
Nakanihon Air Service ..................................17
Nextant Aerospace .......................................20
NH Industries ...............................................15
Northrop Grumman ......................................15
Pipistrel .......................................................32
PPG Aerospace ............................................23
Pratt & Whitney ......................................13, 16
Priester Aviation ...........................................17
PZL Swidnik .................................................15
Qatar Airways ...............................................12
Qinetiq.........................................................23
Raytheon ....................................................... 8
Rockwell Collins ...........................................20
Rolls-Royce ..................................................17
Sierra Nevada ..............................................21
Sikorsky ......................................................... 6
SMA ............................................................29
SpaceX ........................................................21
Steyr Motors ................................................28
Sukhoi .........................................................10
Tarom ..........................................................13
Textron .........................................................23
Titan Airways ................................................11
Turkish Aerospace Industries .......................... 8
Williams International ..................................20
Zhuhai Hanxing General Aviation .................... 6
24
%
20
%
Just not enough of a
market for programme
to survive
Not signifcant order
CSeries needs
Breakthrough
deal
Last week, we asked for your thoughts on the Porter CSeries
order. You said:
56
%
4
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Flight International
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23-29 April 2013
High-fdelity helicopter simulators and training systems.
Download the Military Simulator
Census online now.
www.fightglobal.com/milisim
Flightglobal_Media_Banner_Nov2012_AM193.indd 2 12-11-02 1:40 PM
FIN_230413_003-004 4 18/4/13 18:57:15
comment
23-29 April 2013
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Flight International
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5 fightglobal.com
Operations and safety editor
David Learmount reviews the
safety record of Lion Air and
other Indonesian carriers at
fightglobal.com/lionair See Feature P38
Still in denial
T
hings have moved on in some ways since we last
looked at the subject of contaminated cockpit and
cabin air, and in other ways they have not.
More pilots are reporting more in-fight events in
which engine oil fumes pollute cabin air, making crews
sick and, in some cases, almost incapacitating them.
Increasingly, accident investigators are confrming that
following these incidents neurotoxins from engine oil
have been found in pilots blood.
In Germany, the transport minister has recognised
the problem exists and called for united action, via the
European Commission and EASA. In that sense, things
have moved on, driven by increasing awareness among
crews about the issue and associated risks. But as for
government or industry action, there is increasing con-
fusion, embarrassment and dissembling.
Government transport departments accept oil fume
events happen and that they contain neurotoxins, but
they insist the levels of contamination are acceptable.
At the same time they admit they dont know what the
levels are and refuse to take measurements to deter-
mine them. They also refuse to require installation of
fume detection and warning systems.
This state of denial is enabled by the fact the burden
of legal proof is on the victims. It is only a matter of
time before biochemical proof is available, and the in-
dustry had better know how it will react when it is.
Drastic action is needed following Indonesias latest crash to ensure the countrys abysmal
safety record is improved including, if necessary, suspending the right of airlines to operate
P
A
P
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o
t
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Broken dreams
See Air Transport P10
Sleeping Lion
I
ndonesias Lion Air would have hoped 2013 would
be remembered for its order for 234 Airbus A320s in
March, and its plans to start two new subsidiaries on
the way towards becoming a major pan-Asian airline.
Instead, the lasting image from this year is likely to be
that of a Lion Air Boeing 737-800 foating in the sea off
Balis airport last week with a broken fuselage. Impor-
tant questions are rightly being asked once more about
Lions and Indonesias air safety standards.
Flightglobals Ascend database shows that during
the past 10 years, there have been at least 30 hull losses
and 23 other major incidents in Indonesia. This
chronic problem led to Jakarta enlisting IATA and
ICAO to help improve standards, but more can be done.
The transport ministry must restructure its Directorate
General of Civil Aviation, force it to confront its prob-
lems, and get outside experts in. It can enlist countries
such as Taiwan and South Korea, which once had simi-
larly dismal safety records. Changes require a major
shift in mindsets and nothing will happen overnight,
but that just makes them even more urgent.
The Indonesian airlines began improving after the
EUs 2007 ban and fag carrier Garuda Indonesia was
taken off the list as it was progressively lifted from
2009. But Lion, which only began operations in 2000,
remains banned for good reason. Including the latest,
there have been seven major incidents involving its air-
craft. One was fatal and six were hull losses. This is the
Nothing will happen overnight
but that just makes the change
in mindset even more urgent
worst record of any major Indonesian airline. The focus
has shifted to the weather in Bali during the latest crash
and Lions offcials will point out that their last major
incident before this was in November 2010. These,
however, should not matter in the bigger picture.
Indonesian airlines will operate a record number of
aircraft during the next few years, and the onus is on
Jakarta to impose even stricter safety standards across
the board. Regulators must review ground and in-fight
training standards and check if Indonesias airlines
have enough qualifed pilots, engineers and other es-
sential personnel to meet their growing feet numbers.
Indonesia should also apply the EUs safety standards,
and impose stricter sanctions on its airlines. If one of
them does not meet the standards within six months, it
should be banned from adding new aircraft to its feet.
If it fails after a year, its AOC should be suspended. Yes,
these are drastic measures but it is about time Indone-
sia swallows a bitter pill. Any airline that compromises
safety for expansion does not deserve to fy.
FIN_230413_005 5 18/4/13 17:09:03
This week
fightglobal.com 6
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Flight International
|
23-29 April 2013
For a round-up of our latest online news,
feature and multimedia content visit
fightglobal.com/wotw
E
urocopter believes it has
come up with an interim so-
lution to the problem afficting its
troubled EC225 that could see the
type return to unrestricted fight
by the third quarter at the latest.
The EC225 has effectively been
grounded in the North Sea region
since the October 2012 ditching
of a CHC Scotia-operated Super
Puma. This was the second inci-
dent last year involving the large
medium twin in which the heli-
copters bevel gear vertical shaft
catastrophically failed.
Lutz Bertling, who stands down
as chief executive on 1 May, says
Eurocopter is close to fully resolv-
ing the issue: It is more about
working with the regulators, the
operators, the oil companies and
passengers to restart fying.
Bertling, addressing reporters
at an event in Marignane, ex-
pressed his disappointment that
the issue with the EC225 will not
be fxed prior to his departure.
Nonetheless, he is happy with the
progress so far. It is different if
you leave when there is a crisis
that has not been fully under-
stood, but we have a clear under-
standing of the root cause and the
solutions, he says.
The airframer is awaiting exter-
nal validation of its fndings into
the issue, which it believes were
caused by a combination of corro-
rotorcraft domInIc pErry mArignAne
Eurocopter waits
on EaSa approval
grounded eC225 feet could return to fight by third quarter
as airframer pitches interim fx for faulty gearbox component
e
u
r
o
c
o
p
t
e
r
oil and gas operators have been hit hard by flight restrictions
DrEamlinEr facES SEparatE EtopS rEviEw
HEaring US Federal Aviation Administration chief michael Huerta
has confrmed the Boeing 787s extended operations (eTOPS) certif-
cate is being reviewed separately from the battery redesign investi-
gation. Addressing a Senate Commerce committee panel on the
three-month anniversary of the Boeing grounding on 16 April,
Huertas remarks clarifed for the frst time that Boeing has been
answering the FAAs questions on two key fronts. Boeing not only has
to prove to the FAA that the 787 battery redesign and new contain-
ment system is safe enough. The company also has to satisfy the
agency that the 787 is reliable enough to fy routes which take the
twinjet up to 180min away from an eligible runway.
kuwait EYES SEconD gloBEmaStEr
acquiSition Kuwait could acquire a second Boeing C-17 strategic
transport, associated equipment and support services under a deal
worth a potential $371 million, the US Defense Security Cooperation
Agency says. in September 2010, the gulf nation requested a one-
aircraft C-17 purchase valued at up to $693 million.
mEtrojEt makES movE into cHinESE mainlanD
pact Hong Kong-based business aviation company metrojet is mak-
ing a move into the Chinese market via a joint venture with the main-
lands Zhuhai Hanxing general Aviation. The new company, metrojet
Hanxing, will offer services to business aviation clients out of the
Chinese companys base in Zhuhai, a city in the province of
guangdong. The facility, at Zhuhai airport, also includes 15,000ft
(1,400m) of hangar space, workshops and storage facilities. China
ranks as one of the worlds fastest-growing markets in business avia-
tion, says Bjrn nf, chief executive of metrojet, after formally sign-
ing the joint venture agreement at the ABACe trade show.
Show report p18
Bogata BooStS Black Hawk BuY
orDEr Colombias army is to expand its recently-introduced feet of
Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk utility helicopters, with a further two to be
delivered by October 2013. A frst batch of fve Polish-built aircraft
arrived at the services Tolemaida air base on 30 January.
aDDitional ScrutinY for EStonian air loanS
airlinES Scrutiny of estonias fag carrier by the european
Commission has intensifed after a loan from the national govern-
ment was increased. in February, the Commission opened an in-
vestigation to examine whether state aid rules had been breached
by support supplied to estonian Air including a rescue loan. Later
that month, says the Commission, the loan was increased by
28.7 million ($37.5 million), of which 16.6 million has been paid
to the airline.
rEtirEmEntS of YoungEr aircraft accElEratE
maintEnancE The retirement of younger aircraft and the parting
out of their components is a trend likely to continue in the mrO sec-
tor. This trend is particularly strong in the narrowbody market, said
nicholas Pastushan, chief investment offcer of lessor CiT, at the
mrO Americas conference in Atlanta on 16 April. Pointing to 2012s
aircraft retirement data, Pastushan noted there were substantial
numbers of 10-15-year-old aircraft in the mix. He expects this trend
to accelerate as operators seek younger spare parts in the future.
A report from mro Americas will appear in our 30 April issue
briefing
sion, residual stress from the man-
ufacturing process and fatigue.
Its interim fx, described by
Bertling as the introduction of
additional safety barriers, is
thought to refer to a modifcation
of the types vibration monitoring
system and the installation of
warning lights in the cockpit to
indicate the propagation of a
crack in the vertical shaft.
EASA will have to certifcate
the companys proposed changes
before any agreement is reached
with the Norwegian or UK civil
aviation regulators to rescind op-
erating restrictions on the EC225.
We are currently talking about
this with the regulator, Bertling
says. Assuming good progress, it
will return to fight not later than
the third quarter.
In the longer term, Eurocopter
will redesign the faulty compo-
nent, although Bertling says it will
not be a signifcant change.
He adds that the problem has
been the most challenging issue
he has faced during his tenure at
Eurocopter. In the history of the
company, we have never had a
technical issue that was impact-
ing our customers and their cus-
tomers and passengers like the
EC225 problem, he says.
Keep up to date with aviation
safety at our dedicated channel:
fightglobal.com/safety
FIN_230413_006-007 6 18/4/13 18:45:29
This week
23-29 April 2013
|
Flight International
|
7 fightglobal.com
Revised forecast
casts gloom on
business jet sector
THIS WEEK P8
restructuring DAN THISDELL LONDON
Daimler bids eADs auf Wiedersehen
Thirteen years after helping to father European aerospace giant, German car maker nets 2.2b from sale of its stake
E
uropes safety authority has
formally issued initial pro-
posals detailing modifcation
work required on Airbus A380
wing-rib feet, intended to resolve
a cracking issue.
Operators had previously been
ordered to conduct repetitive in-
spections of the wing structures
and, if necessary, put corrective
measures in place.
Airbus has since been develop-
ing a permanent fx for the prob-
lem, which involves introducing
horizontal stiffeners in the vicin-
ity of certain ribs.
It also requires modifying rib-
feet booms with resized versions
manufactured from a different,
more robust, grade of aluminium,
and replacing two metallic ribs
numbers 48 and 49.
In its proposed directive to op-
erators, the European Aviation
Safety Agency refers to 14 sepa-
rate service bulletins some is-
sued in mid-December, others yet
to be issued detailing the work
to be carried out.
The document focuses on
modifcation of hybrid rib booms
to maintain the structural integ-
rity of the types wings.
EASA is proposing that some of
the work be carried out as early as
700 cycles. Further work must be
accomplished before the aircraft
logs 17,300h or 25,900h depend-
ing on whether certain modifca-
tions have already been made dur-
ing production and the remainder
within six years of the aircraft re-
ceiving its certifcate of airworthi-
ness. EASA has yet to fnalise the
directive and is seeking comments
on the proposal until 13 May.
A
ir
b
u
s
BAs A380s will be modified by Airbus prior to entering service
EASA details wing-rib fx timelines for A380 feet
sAFetY DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON
A
utomotive giant Daimler has
ended an era with the sale of
its last interest in Airbus parent
EADS. The 37/share ($48/share)
disposal of 61.1 million shares, or
7.5% of the company, to institu-
tional investors and EADS itself as
part of a share buyback scheme,
grossed 2.2 billion for Daimler
and left it with no residual hold-
ing in a company formed a decade
ago from national aerospace cham-
pions of France and Germany in-
cluding Daimlers former aero-
space division, DASA.
The sale, made possible by a
revolutionary new shareholding
deal that shrinks French and Ger-
man state ownership and ends
government control over manage-
ment decision-making, also ends
an era of proxy holding of nation-
al stakes in EADS.
Daimler, for years after the cre-
ation of EADS, held the entirety
of the 22.45% German stake an
amount exactly matched by
France, where the state shared
that holding with the media
group Lagardre, which sold its
own 61 million share, 7.5% stake
a week ago.
Daimler has, however, main-
tained a so-called upside posi-
tion in EADS shares, through a
hedging deal with brokers Gold-
man Sachs and Morgan Stanley
that runs through the end of 2013
and could see the car maker ben-
eft fnancially from an EADS
share price rise.
EADS welcomed that aspect of
the Daimler exit, calling it a state-
ment of confdence in the con-
tinuing positive momentum of
the company.
Socit Gnrale equities ana-
lyst Zafar Khan believes Daimler
is on to a winner; since it sold a
frst tranche of shares in Decem-
ber, when the governance deal
was hammered out, EADS shares
began a climb from the mid-20s
to 42, at about the time share-
holders formally adopted the
plan in late March.
Since then, he says, prices start-
ed to retreat on fears of too much
stock coming into the market and
not being fully absorbed [but] the
recent placings of the stock have
shown a huge appetite for the
shares and most commentators, in-
cluding ourselves, think we should
see a good run from here.
R
e
x
F
e
a
t
u
r
e
s
Driving away from its progeny
1933-45: Daimler-Benz be-
gins production of DB600
and DB601 aircraft engines
1945-49: Post-war recon-
struction sees a focus on
road vehicle production
1949-60: Vehicle business-
es flourish
1984-95: Oil crises, environ-
mental concerns and Asian
competitors spark diversifica-
tion into industries such as
electronics and aerospace
1985: Acquires Dornier and
outstanding 50% stake in
engine manufacturer MTU
1989: Forms DASA to control
sector interests, acquires
Messerschmitt-Blkow-Blohm
1999: Merger of DASA,
Spains CASA and
Lagardres Arospatiale-
Matra creates company later
known as EADS
1999-2012: Daimler holds
22.45% of EADS on behalf of
German state. Begins stake
sale in December 2012
2013: Exits EADS holding
HistorY
FIN_230413_006-007 7 18/4/13 18:45:34
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fightglobal.com 8
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For a round-up of our latest online news,
feature and multimedia content visit
fightglobal.com/wotw
C
essna has released a new out-
look that predicts a worse
year for business jet deliveries in
2013, dashing hopes across the
industry that the market for light
jets would at least stabilise after a
four-year recession.
The gloomy forecast means the
Textron subsidiary believes de-
mand has weakened for light jets,
only three months after Cessna
predicted that deliveries would
remain even this year and begin
growing again in 2014.
Cessnas new outlook has
raised fresh doubts about the light
jet markets viability.
Indeed, on 17 April Textron
chief executive Scott Donnelly
was asked on a conference call
with analysts what the company
would do if light jet demand
never recovered.
We are now in the ffth year of
no growth in the business jet
business, Donnelly says.
Its a place that at some point
needs to get back to growth. We
thought surely that would hap-
pen in 2013.
Cessna changed its outlook for
the year after negotiations with
several customers fzzled out
over pricing in the frst quarter.
Such negotiations are critical as
Cessnas backlog for light jets is
exhausted and deliveries are
based solely on new orders as
they come in. But Cessnas po-
tential buyers are refusing to
commit at a price that Textron is
willing to sanction.
Revised forecast casts gloom on business jet sector
OUTLOOK Stephen trImble WAshington DC
b
oeing has won a contest to
supply South Korea with 36
attack helicopters, with its AH-
64E Apache having defeated the
Bell AH-1Z and Turkish Aero-
space Industries T129B in meet-
ing Seouls AHX requirements.
Boeing is pleased with the an-
nouncement that the Republic of
Korea has selected the AH-64E
Apache as its new heavy-attack
helicopter, the US airframer says.
We look forward to working with
the US Army and the Republic of
Korea Army as they fnalise the
Foreign Military Sales contract.
According to US Defense Secu-
rity Cooperation Agency notifca-
tions made in September 2012,
the Apache deal could be worth
up to $3.6 billion; considerably
higher than a proposed AH-1Z
sale valued at $2.6 billion.
Industry sources close to the
CONTEST GreG Waldron singApoRe
Rising tensions spur Apache order
seoul commits to deal for 36 Boeing Ah-64e attack helicopters as it looks to counter threats from northern neighbour
competition had expected a deci-
sion to be made in late 2012, but
this was delayed by South Koreas
presidential election in December.
Confrming the selection, an
offcial from Seouls Defense Ac-
quisition Program Administra-
tion says: The heavily-armed at-
tack helicopters will replace
ageing helicopters deployed by
the army to counter threats by the
North Korean militarys armoured
units and deter provocations.
The Apache announcement
came less than one week after
South Korea had also selected the
Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar
as part of an upgrade to 134 of its
Lockheed Martin F-16C/D fghters.
With industry sources noting
that heightened tensions with
North Korea this year have
prompted Seoul to push forward
key defence purchases, South
Korea is also expected to reach a
decision during June on its F-X III
fghter competition. The Boeing
F-15SE Silent Eagle, Eurofghter
Typhoon and Lockheed Martin
F-35A Joint Strike Fighter are
contesting the 60-aircraft deal,
which will replace Republic of
Korea Air Force McDonnell
Douglas F-4E Phantoms.
ROTORCRAFT
KAI to expand Surion range with navalised variant
Korea Aerospace industries (KAi) is
to develop a new variant of the
surion utility helicopter for use by
the south Korean marines.
seouls Defense Acquisition
program Administration has se-
lected KAi as a primary negotiator
for the development of the amphibi-
ous task helicopter system, the
company says, with the marines like-
ly to obtain about 40 examples.
KAi says the development pro-
gramme is worth W800 billion
($713 million) and will enhance the
marines ability to transport troops
and equipment in the littoral environ-
ment. Work is expected to start in
July and be complete by the end of
2015, when production of the new
model will commence.
Key modifcations to the existing
surion airframe will include the addi-
tion of an integrated fotation system,
auxiliary fuel tank and specialised
radio equipment, says KAi.
the amphibious assault aircraft are
likely to be operated from the south
Korean navys Dokdo-class assault
ships, which can each carry up to 15
helicopters. the service has received
two of a planned four vessels. the
marines currently use sikorsky Uh-60p
helicopters in the assault role.
modifications will include an integrated flotation system
Cessna has no backlog for light jets such as the Citation CJ2+
K
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FIN_230413_008-009 8 18/4/13 18:53:18
23-29 April 2013
|
Flight International
|
9 fightglobal.com
Indonesia in dock
again over safety
AIR TRANSPORT P10
NEWS FOCUS
Boeing for business in Brazil
STRATEGY STEPHEN TRIMBLE RIO DE JANEIRO
Growth of economic powerhouse means US frm is keen to establish long-term commercial links with the country
J
udging the depth of Boeings
developing interest in Brazil
has been diffcult. There has been
much talk by top executives at the
the company, yet few actions so
far that seem strong enough to sur-
vive, for example, an unfavourable
decision for the F/A-18E/F Super
Hornet in Brazils ever-ongoing
F-X2 fghter competition.
But Boeings message for the
Brazilian market is as consistent as
it is clear: the company is in Brazil
for the long term, even if the Super
Hornet loses the F-X2 contest. No-
where was that message reinforced
more than at the Latin American
Aerospace and Defense (LAAD)
exhibition in early April.
Weve gotten that question
since the 15 months that Ive been
here: Isnt this really about
F-X?, says Donna Hrinak, presi-
dent of Boeing Brazil. We tried
to send the message [during a 9
April press conference] that were
here for the long haul.
Indeed, Boeing announced at
the press conference that Brazil
will host the companys sixth for-
eign research and technology
centre, following similar facilities
opened in Australia, China, Eu-
rope, India and Russia.
Such a facility has many pur-
poses, ranging from developing
new intellectual property that can
be licensed or sold elsewhere, to
supporting a new wave of Brazil-
ian suppliers with keys to Boeings
unique manufacturing methods.
But it is still a small commit-
ment by Boeings standards. The
centre in So Jos dos Campos
will open by 2014 with a group of
10 to 12 researchers, adding to the
seven Boeing workers already
based in Brazil. In the press con-
ference, Boeing offcials said
more researchers could be added
later if the centre is wildly suc-
cessful, but other Boeing off-
cials were more optimistic.
Whos to say that in 10 years
we dont have [500, 600 or] 700
engineers here? says Jeff Kohler,
a Boeing vice-president of inter-
national business development.
Kohler describes Brazils appeal
to Boeing as far beyond the poten-
tial contract to supply at least 36
fghters to the air force. It is instead
rooted in the nations status as one
of the BRIC countries, and one of
only two including India
where Boeing is allowed by the
US government to sell both mili-
tary and commercial products on
a relatively unrestricted basis.
GETTinG in EARlY
Brazil is a political leader, an eco-
nomic leader, whether its research
and development... this seems like
the right place to be for the com-
pany, Kohler says. I think if you
take that 15- to 20-year look, get-
ting on the ground early which
sometimes the Boeing company
doesnt do I think this time we
made the decision to get in there
and lets do it right this time. Lets
become a long-term partner.
Boeings ambition in Brazil
has been embraced by Embraer,
Brazils largest and most signif-
cant aerospace company by a
large margin. Hrinak, a former
US ambassador in Brasilia, re-
members setting up a meeting at
the US embassy in 2003 between
Embraer and a Boeing team
working on a management
benchmarking study.
This has been a relationship
a long time in the making,
Hrinak says.
The close ties extend to the very
highest levels of both companies,
including regular meetings be-
tween Boeing chief executive Jim
McNerney and Embraer chief
executive Frederico Curado.
With Embraer offcially neutral
in the F-X2 competition, the rela-
tionship has been slow to develop
profts for either company.
In the commercial sphere Boe-
ing and Embraer have signed
agreements to jointly study biofu-
els and runway safety improve-
ments, and on the defence side the
Brazilian frm recently selected
Boeing to integrate weapons on the
A-29 Super Tucano if the US Air
Force Light Air Support contract
survives a protest by Beechcraft.
lEAdinG on loGiSTicS
But more tangible results of the
partnership are still likely to come
to fruition. Boeing is fnishing a
marketing study on the KC-390,
but has set its sights on taking the
lead for the airlifters global logis-
tics system. Embraer has not yet
revealed its plans for how it will
sustain a potentially global feet.
A still unclear aspect of the re-
lationship is possible co-opera-
tion in the commercial aircraft
market. Thus far, Embraer has
avoided encroaching on Boeings
narrowbody market segments.
Youll see more updates down
the road, Kohler says.
For comment on US defence
news, visit The DEW Line blog
fightglobal.com/dewline
Boeings relative freedom to sell both military and commercial products in Brazil increases its allure
A
ir
T
e
a
m
I
m
a
g
e
s
Brazil is a political
leader, an economic
leader this seems
like the right place to
be for the company
JEff KohlER
VP, international business
development, Boeing
FIN_230413_008-009 9 18/4/13 18:53:21
AIR TRANSPORT
fightglobal.com 10
|
Flight International
|
23-29 April 2013
Check out our collection of online dynamic
aircraft profles for the latest news, images
and information on civil and military
programmes at fightglobal.com/profles
T
he Lion Air Boeing 737-800
crash on 13 April is the third
major aviation incident in Indo-
nesia within the space of a year.
The two-month-old narrow-
body (PK-LKS) was on a sched-
uled service from Bandung to
Bali when it crashed into the sea,
about 50m (164ft) ahead of run-
way 09 at Ngurah Rai Internation-
al airport. The impact resulted in
the aircrafts fuselage breaking in
two, between the wings and the
tail. All 101 passengers and seven
crew survived.
With the fight data recorders
recovered investigations have
commenced, but the incident
again puts the spotlight on the
issue of air safety in Indonesia in
general and on Lion Air in partic-
ular (see table).
The countrys last high-profle
incident occurred in May 2012,
when a Sukhoi Superjet 100, pilot-
ed by a Russian crew on a demon-
stration fight, crashed into Mount
Salak, killing all 45 on board. Al-
though not operated by a local air-
line or crew, the accident highlight-
ed a number of factors typical of
the region, notably the challenges
of fying in mountainous terrain
and poor ATC co-ordination.
A year earlier, a Xian MA60
operated by Merpati Nusantara
was attempting to land at Kaima-
na when it crashed, killing all 19
passengers and six crew.
BLACKLIST
While regulations require a visibil-
ity of 5km (2.7nm) for a visual ap-
proach to Kaimana, the crew ig-
nored this, and attempted to land
with a visibility of only 2km.
Indonesias safety record is un-
deniably poor. Research by
Flightglobals Ascend consultan-
cy records a total of 62 incidents
involving Indonesian airlines
during the 10 years to 13 April
2013. And statistics published by
the countrys National Transpor-
tation Safety Committee record
140 aviation accidents includ-
ing non-airline and rotary-wing
operations from 2007 to 2012.
Meanwhile, all but a handful
of Indonesian carriers notably
Garuda and Mandala remain on
the European Unions blacklist of
banned airlines, where they have
languished since the country
failed an ICAO audit in 2007.
The same year, the US Federal
Aviation Administration down-
graded Indonesia to a category 2
safety rating, placing it in the
same league as some of Africas
poorest nations.
However, technical director at
the Association of Asia Pacifc Air-
lines Martin Eran-Tasker believes
Indonesia is on track to get its rat-
ing upgraded by the FAA this year.
This is on the back of work the
country has carried out to over-
haul its regulatory authority and
strengthen its oversight of air-
lines, he says.
Lion Air, which has mostly
been in the headlines for massive
orders of aircraft, has a chequered
safety record. In its 13-year histo-
ry, Ascend data reveals the carrier
has suffered one fatal accident,
fve hull losses, and at least seven
further classifable accidents. It
also remains on the EU blacklist.
For any carrier that is expand-
ing quickly, it will need to make
sure it has the right people with
the right level of experience and
training, says Tasker.
Indonesias elected representa-
tives are also aware of the need
for change. Politician Marwan
Jafar, speaking after the latest
Lion Air crash, said the countrys
record of aviation safety points to
a fundamental problem that
needs to be addressed. Were
sad, concerned and devastated by
this [accident]. We feel ashamed
as a nation, he says.
Additional reporting by Dominic
Perry and David Learmount
in London
AnALySIS MAVIS TOH SINGAPORE
Indonesia in dock again over safety
Latest accident involving one of the nations blacklisted carriers highlights ongoing operational problems in country
See David Learmounts latest
take on safety at Lion Air
fightglobal.com/lionair
P
A
The Bali crash of a 737-800 was the latest in a series of incidents Lion Air has experienced in its 13-year history
LIon AIr ACCIdenTS In pAST 10 yeArS
date Aircraft type Location Crew/pax
13 April 2013 Boeing 737-800 Bali International airport 7/101
The aircraft was on fnal approach to runway 09 and came down in the sea
about 300m short of the runway threshold. The hull was breached aft of the
wings. All passengers and crew were evacuated without serious injury
2 November 2010 Boeing 737-400 Pontianak-Supadio airport 6/169
The aircraft overran the runway by about 80m, causing serious damage to its
engines and landing gear. Passengers and crew were evacuated. No casualties
9 March 2009 Boeing MD-90 Jakarta International airport 6/169
The aircraft came to a halt just off the right-hand side of runway 25. There was
damage to the gear, landing lights and wing. No casualties
24 December 2006 Boeing 737-400 Ujung Pandang airport 7/157
The aircraft bounced twice on landing and came to rest with one main gear leg
detached and the other protruding through the wing upper skin. No casualties
4 March 2006 Boeing MD-82 Surabaya-Juanda airport 6/138
The aircraft slewed right off the runway, causing serious damage to the landing
gear and the forward underside of the aircraft. There were no casualties
30 November 2004 Boeing MD-82 Solo City airport 7/156
Two of the crew and 23 of the passengers were killed when the aircraft
overran runway 26 in a rainstorm
SOURCE: Ascend
FIN_230413_010-011 10 18/4/13 18:50:19
AIR TRANSPORT
23-29 April 2013
|
Flight International
|
11 fightglobal.com
Shareholders in
sprint to open
Berlin airport
AIR TRANSPORT P12
U
K investigators are advising
tighter operational control of
electronic fightbags after a Titan
Airways Boeing 737-300 suffered
a tailstrike in France as a result of
incorrect take-off calculations.
The aircraft, with 136 occu-
pants, had been operating from
Chamberys runway 36 which is
only 6,620ft (2,020m) long.
Because of the relatively short
runway, the captain opted to use a
hand-held fightbag computer to
calculate take-off performance
data. This hand-held computer
had been used to calculate similar
data for the inbound fight, but had
subsequently been left in stand-by
mode. As a result it had retained,
unknown to the crew, the previous
take-off weight of only 46.3t a
light fgure because the inbound
fight had been a positioning
SAFETY
Incident stresses need for long-sought technical answer
Unintentional re-use of weight data
from a previous fight led to the loss of
a Boeing 747-200 freighter on depar-
ture from Halifax in 2004, and investi-
gators studying the Titan incident are
reiterating the need for a technical
answer to data mismatching.
Use of computers in the calcula-
tion of performance requirements
has brought about improvements in
the accuracy and ease with which
they can be made, says the UK Air
Accidents Investigation Branch.
There remains, however, a contin-
ued vulnerability to the use of incor-
rect data in making these
calculations, a solution to which re-
mains outstanding.
Several incidents such as the
overrun and tailstrike by an Emirates
Airbus A340-500 in Melbourne,
Australia in 2009 have drawn atten-
tion to the problem. While the AAIB
underlines the necessity of strict ad-
herence to reliable and robust proce-
dures, it says the Titan event
emphasises the need for technical
solutions for take-off performance
monitoring to defend against instan-
ces in which other safeguards fail.
INVESTIGATION DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON
False data caused 737 to strike tail
Inquiry advises tighter electronic fightbag rules after hand-held computers sleep mode led to take-off calculation blunder
Keep up to date with aviation
safety at our dedicated channel:
fightglobal.com/safety
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Titans aircraft was wrongly listed as being 6.6t lighter
service with no passengers.
In an analysis of the incident,
the UK Air Accidents Investigation
Branch says the captain omitted
to enter the 737s revised take-off
weight from Chambery, which was
6.6t higher at 52.9t. Both pilots
stated that they would normally
cross-check the performance fg-
ures once they had been calculated
on the [fightbag], it adds. How-
ever, on this occasion, and for rea-
sons the pilots could not recall, this
was not done.
Figures from the hand-held
fightbag were entered into the
fight-management computer.
The calculated speeds were lower
than required, and the fgures al-
lowed for a reduced-thrust take-
off. But the inquiry says the cal-
culations did not seem unusual
to the captain, partly because
they were based on a fap setting
he did not normally use. During
the take-off roll the 737 rotated at
126kt (233km/h), about 13kt
slower than necessary, and failed
to lift off immediately. It contin-
ued to pitch up, passing the 10.8
threshold for a tailstrike, scraping
the underside of its rear fuselage.
Although the carriers operations
manual stated that shutting down
the fightbag would wipe previ-
ously-calculated data adding
that this was for safety reasons it
did not specifcally instruct crews
to do so.
Pilots routinely left the [fight-
bag] in stand-by mode with the
[calculation] program still ac-
tive, says the inquiry into the 14
April 2012 incident.
UK regulators should update cri-
teria for operational approval of
fightbags, it says, to ensure carriers
have appropriate procedures to
handle stand-by modes and pre-
vent inadvertent use of outdated
data. However, it also recommends
that the European Aviation Safety
Agency establishes specifc, de-
tailed guidelines for fightbag eval-
uation and approval.
PilotView