United invested in a revolutionary new aircraft design with one giant wing and an extra-wide cabin. It could replace some of its older Boeing jets.
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Bombardier’s CSeries Aircraft Wing Manufacturing Facility Under Way in Belfast
Bombardier Aerospace today celebrated another major milestone in the CSeries aircraft programme as construction got under way on its new state-of-the-art aircraft wing manufacturing and assembly facility in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
“This is another significant milestone in the ongoing development of the CSeries aircraft programme. In August, the test fuselage barrel arrived ahead of schedule at our St-Laurent, Québec site, from China, and in September we celebrated the groundbreaking of our first CSeries aircraft manufacturing building in Mirabel, Québec. The CSeries aircraft programme is progressing well and to schedule, and we look forward to receiving the first test wing from Belfast in 2011,” said Guy Hachey, President and Chief Operating Officer, Bombardier Aerospace.The new 600,000 sq ft (55,742 m2) factory is being built in two phases and will incorporate an existing production building. The facility’s design and layout are being optimised both for the production process and to minimise environmental impact. The structure will ensure maximum energy efficiency, and will incorporate low energy solutions into its mechanical and electrical infrastructure. Waste management was also a key consideration in the design, with a particular focus being given to waste segregation and recycling.
Joining Michael Ryan, Vice President and General Manager, Bombardier Aerospace, Belfast to lay a special corner stone to mark the construction was Northern Ireland Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster, along with guests including contractors.“We are delighted to mark this major investment in a new facility for the production of advanced composite aircraft wings. The CSeries aircraft programme will help to build on our track record of almost 40 years experience in composites technology. We are currently testing and proving out the design, manufacturing and assembly processes for the CSeries aircraft wing. We are making excellent progress and are very pleased with the results so far,” said Michael Ryan.
“Just over a year ago, the CSeries aircraft project was announced. Today we have laid the corner stone for a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. This is a 20-year programme which will generate around 800 high quality jobs at Bombardier Belfast in addition to the many employment opportunities during the build phase for the local construction sector during the current downturn,” declared Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster.
“Locating the CSeries aircraft wing project in Northern Ireland is a clear endorsement of the expertise and skill which exists in our aerospace sector and highlights our international reputation for excellence. As this project develops, I hope that there will be further opportunities for Bombardier and Invest Northern Ireland to strengthen the Northern Ireland aerospace industry,” she added.
Bombardier Belfast has successfully assembled a pre-production demonstrator wing using its innovative Resin Transfer Infusion advanced composites process, and is on track to begin testing this in early 2010. Testing will be undertaken in a specialised test rig where hydraulic jacks will be used to induce bending and twisting into the wing structure, replicating every possible combination of severe loading that the wing may experience in service.
Almost 400 engineering and support staff in Belfast are currently engaged in the research and development of the wings. Some 800 jobs will be generated during full production, as well as many more in the wider supply chain. In addition, around 450 construction personnel are involved in this first phase of the building project.
“We are delighted that Bombardier Belfast’s capabilities and skills, as well as the wider economy, will benefit strongly from the CSeries aircraft programme,” Mr Ryan added.
Since launching the CSeries family of aircraft at the Farnborough Air Show in July 2008, Bombardier has recorded firm orders for 50 CS100 and CS300 aircraft from Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Lease Corporation International Group. The CSeries aircraft, which are optimized for the longer range, single-aisle 100- to 145-seat market, will deliver the lowest operating costs in their class, exceptional operational flexibility, wide body comfort and an unmatched environmental scorecard.
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21st Century Air Traffic Control: GAATS+ Technology
New technologies in aviation come about to solve problems and make air travel safer. From this new technology, controllers will have increased situational awareness.
Air traffic control relies on positive and procedural navigation: positive uses radar; procedural uses the radio-procedure of pilots reporting their position every few minutes.
Gander Automated Air Traffic System Plus (GAATS+) is Canada’s new trans-oceanic flight control system developed especially to help deal with sixty percent (the percentage of jets equipped with GPS position-reporting and text-based communications avionics) of the thousand jets crossing the North Atlantic daily (just as Air France 447 did.) It reduces radio procedure by extending positive control via north coast radar feeds.
The new technology is an advance in integration which automates ATC processes (taking advantage of the newest GPS technology, ADS-B and ADS-C) and is expected to save client airlines a million in fuel yearly. It is said that GAATS+ “provides significant enhancements to the original GAATS system, including electronic flight strips and increased automation of data exchange with other ATC facilities. GAATS+ also integrates automated flight plan processing, track generation, advanced conflict prediction and data-link communication for position reports.”
Of course I can not help but have opinions on operational technology, even without a single tangible thing that qualifies me to have an opinion.
The phrase that caught my eye is the statement that “GAATS allows reduced separation by lessening reliance solely on procedural control.”
I am not now nor will I ever be working in a control room. I will have to take the word of Air Traffic Controllers on how this system will work at making flying safer.
My opinion is only based on a layman’s experience and too much attention paid to aviation detail. I only see a few sticking points and they are broad ones:
- The technology conundrum: Technology is good because it brings greater efficiency; but sometimes I wonder if a reliance on technology will allow skills to atrophy. Will a system like this ultimately result in less able controllers, the same way cockpit technology has resulted in less able pilots?
- Separation conundrumI hear the phrase greater separation, and I think, “okay, these planes won’t impact each other; they’re safe from direct contact and wake turbulence.” So when I just see the GAATS literature talking about enabling “reduced separation,” what perceive a greater possibility for direct contact and/or wake turbulence. I know the idea of a 5 minute longitudinal separation as opposed to ten is intended to mean greater capacity for traffic. But increased technological accuracy and precision in tracking jets is a good thing only as long as we don’t use the precision in a way that is ultimately chancy.
- New software conundrum Anyone who has ever had a system knows that the bugs in the system don’t show up right away. They are discovered at various points whenever parameters are stretched or unexpected /unanticipated/ extraordinary events occur. Even when software is not beta any longer, ( las GAATS+ is the latest incarnation of existing GAATS), it is still a developing work in progress, as new problems are revealed and are bridged. So we can only hope that any bugs that exist will not be fatal ones.
- FAA | News | press release
FAA Finalizes Recurrent Aircraft Registration Rule
For Immediate Release
July 19, 2010WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an effort to create a more accurate aircraft registration database, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is requiring re-registration of all civil aircraft over the next three years and renewal every three years after that.
The rule establishes specific expiration dates over a three-year period for all aircraft registered before Oct. 1, 2010, and requires re-registration of those aircraft according to a specific schedule. All aircraft registration certificates issued on or after Oct. 1, 2010 will be good for three years with the expiration date clearly shown.
“These improvements will give us more up-to-date registration data and better information about the state of the aviation industry,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt.
Current regulations require owners to report the sale of an aircraft, the scrapping or destruction of an aircraft, or a change in mailing address, but many owners have not complied with those requirements.
Re-registration of all U.S. civil aircraft by Dec. 31, 2013 will enhance the database with current data derived from recent contact with aircraft owners. The new regulations also will ensure that aircraft owners give the FAA fresh information at least once every three years when they renew their registration. The FAA will cancel the N-numbers of aircraft that are not re-registered or renewed.
Re-registration and registration expiration Certificate issued (Any year) Certificate expires Re-registration required March March 31, 2011 Nov. 1, 2010–Jan. 31, 2011 April June 30, 2011 Feb. 1–April 30, 2011 May Sept. 30, 2011 May 1– July 31, 2011 June Dec. 31, 2011 Aug. 1– Oct. 31, 2011 July March 31, 2012 Nov. 1, 2011–Jan. 31, 2012 August June 30, 2012 Feb. 1– April 30, 2012 September Sept. 30, 2012 May 1– July 31, 2012 October Dec. 31, 2012 Aug. 1– Oct. 31, 2012 November March 31, 2013 Nov. 1, 2012–Jan. 31, 2013 December June 30, 2013 Feb. 1– April 30, 2013 January Sept. 30, 2013 May 1– July 31, 2013 February Dec. 31, 2013 Aug. 1– Oct. 31, 2013