Number 30 – 18 April 2024

“Freedom can exist only in the society of knowledge. Without learning, men are incapable of knowing their rights.” Dr Benjamin Rush

Caproni Campini N.1

(Information from Wikipedia)

The Caproni Campini N.1, also known as the C.C.2, is an experimental jet aircraft built in the 1930s by Italian aircraft manufacturer Caproni. The N.1 first flew in 1940 and was briefly regarded as the first successful jet-powered aircraft in history, before news emerged of the German Heinkel, He 178’s first flight a year earlier.

During 1931, Italian aeronautics engineer Secondo Campini submitted his studies on jet propulsion, including a proposal for a so-called thermo-jet to power an aircraft. Following a high-profile demonstration of a jet-powered boat in Venice, Campini was rewarded with an initial contract issued by the Italian government to develop and manufacture his proposed engine. During 1934, the Regia Aeronautica (the Italian Air Force) granted its approval to proceed with the production of a pair of jet-powered prototype aircraft. To produce this aircraft, which was officially designated as the N.1, Campini formed an arrangement with the larger Caproni aviation manufacturer.

The N.1 is powered by a motor jet, a type of jet engine in which the compressor is driven by a conventional reciprocating engine. On 27 August 1940, the first flight of the N.1 took place at the Caproni facility in Taliedo, outside of Milan, flown by Mario de Bernardi. On 30 November 1941 the second prototype was flown by De Bernardi and engineer Giovanni Pedace from Milan’s Linate Airport to Rome’s Guidonia Airport, in a highly publicised event that included a fly-past over Rome and a reception with Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini. Testing of the N.1 continued into 1943, when work on the project was disrupted by the Allied invasion of Italy.

The N.1 achieved mixed results; while it was perceived and commended as a crucial milestone in aviation (until the revelation of the He 178’s earlier flight), the performance of the aircraft was unimpressive. Specifically, it was slower than many existing conventional aircraft of the era, while the motor jet engine was incapable of producing sufficient thrust to deliver adequate performance for a fighter aircraft. Campini embarked on further projects, such as the Reggiane Re.2007, but these involved the indigenously developed motor jet being replaced with a German-provided turbojet. As such, the N.1 programme never led to any operational combat aircraft and the motor jet design was soon superseded by more powerful turbojets. Only one of the two examples of the N.1 to have been constructed has survived to the present day.

The Caproni Campini N.1 is an experimental aircraft, designed to demonstrate the practicality of jet propulsion and its viability as an engine for aircraft. It was a monoplane built entirely out of duralumin, with an elliptical wing. The initial aircraft lacked elements such as a pressurised cabin. However, these improvements were featured on the second prototype. However, flight testing quickly revealed that, due to the excessive heat output of the propulsion system, the canopy had to be left permanently open as a mitigating measure.

The engine of the N.1 differs substantially from the later-produced turbojet and turbofan engines. One crucial difference in Campini’s design is that the compressor, a three-stage, variable-incidence one, located forward of the cockpit was driven by a conventional piston engine, this being a 900 hp (670 kW), liquid-cooled Isotta Fraschini unit. The airflow provided by the compressor was used to cool the engine before being mixed with the engine’s exhaust gases, thus recovering most of the heat energy that in traditional piston-propeller designs would be wasted. A ring-shaped burner then injected fuel into the gas flow and ignited it, immediately before the exhaust nozzle, to further increase thrust. In practice the engine provided enough thrust for flight without activating the rear burner, making the design somewhat similar to a ducted fan coupled to an afterburner. Campini referred to this configuration as being a thermojet, although it has since become commonly known as motor jet. However, despite the elaborate design, the relatively small size of the duct limited the mass flow and thus the propulsive efficiency of the engine. In modern designs this is offset through high overall pressure ratios, which could not be achieved on the N.1, therefore resulting in relatively low thrust and poor fuel efficiency.  Ground tests performed with the static testbed produced a thrust of around 700 kgf (1,500 lbf).

The N.1s first flight was on 27 August 1940 by test pilot Mario De Bernardi at Caproni’s facility in Taliedo, outside Milan. He would conduct the majority of the N.1’s test flights. The first flight lasted ten minutes, during which de Bernardi kept the speed below 225 mph (362 km/h), less than half throttle.

Although the first flight of the jet-powered Heinkel He 178 had been made a year before to the day, it had not been made public, so the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale recorded the N.1 as the first successful flight by a jet aircraft.

Flight tests with the first prototype revealed several issues with the engine. It did not produce sufficient thrust to achieve the anticipated performance if it was matched to a strengthened airframe to withstand the high loading pressures. The engine generated considerable heat, which forced the pilot to fly with the canopy open throughout the flight, which although effectively venting the heat, increased drag. According to aviation author Sterling Michael Pavelec the N.1 was ‘heavy and underpowered’ and the conventionally powered Caproni Vizzola F.4 was faster which he attributed to limited national resources which left development programmes underfunded.

On 30 November 1941 the second prototype was flown by de Bernardi, with Giovanni Pedace as a passenger, from Milan’s Linate Airport to Rome’s Guidonia Airport, in a highly publicised event which included a fly-past over Rome and a reception hosted by Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini. It was the first cross-country jet flight. The flight included a stopover at Pisa, possibly to refuel and was made without using the rear burner.

Testing of the two N.1 prototypes continued into 1943. However one of the N.1s was partially destroyed when the Caproni factory was bombed and the collapse of the Fascist government following the Allied invasion of Italy hindered the programme. After the defeat of Italy, the damaged prototype was transported to the United Kingdom for study at the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) in Farnborough. The aircraft was later scrapped at RAF Newton in 1949.

The surviving example is now on display at the Italian Air Force Museum at Vigna di Valle, near Rome, while the ground testbed, consisting of only the fuselage, is on display at the National Museum of Science and Technology in Milan.

Those persons who correctly identified this week’s mystery aircraft:

Christiaan Haak, Andrew Peace, Wouter van der Waal, Steve Dewsbery, Ari Levien, Willie Oosthuizen, Righardt du Plessis, Rennie van Zyl, P Rossouw, Jan Sime, Pierre Brittz, Andre Visser, Stuart Lane, Charlie Hugo, Colin Austen, Hilton Carroll, Michael Schoeman, Piet Steyn, Ahmed Bassa, Greg Pullin, Danie Viljoen, Jeremy Rorich, Selwyn Kimber, Kevin Farr, Sergio Antao, Clint Futter, Bruce Margolius, Rex Tweedie, John Moen, Alex Wagner, Aiden O’Mahony, Johan Venter, Brian Ross, Dave Lloyd, Erwin Stam, Nick Meikle, Barry Eatwell, (37). Very good for a rather obscure mystery aircraft type.

‘SAA must delete data from Airlink’: Court orders airline to stop using information

(Report from The Citizen)

On Tuesday 16 April the High Court in Johannesburg ordered South African Airways (SAA) to stop using and to destroy, information that belongs to competitor Airlink. Airlink, which claimed the data contained sensitive commercial information sought urgent relief from the court after an investigation by The Citizen revealed that the flag carrier’s head of sales and marketing, Carla da Silva, allegedly copied and distributed the information to subordinates during October, while still on Airlink’s payroll, before joining SAA in November 2023.

Airlink filed for an urgent interdict in late March to halt Da Silva and SAA from using its information and, while the interdict was not granted, justice David Unterhalter still ruled on the destruction of the data. Data publicly available and dismissed Airlink’s claims

In SAA’s lengthy responding affidavit, Da Silva said she considered the data as publicly available and dismissed Airlink’s claims outright. In addition, she also suggested that The Citizen or Airlink could have tampered with the data in-between the journalist becoming in possession of the information and validating it with Airlink as its information.

Editor’s response: Unfortunately this court order is rather ‘like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted’. As I said in one of my recent editorials this Carla da Sliva person has committed a crime and I understand that this matter is not over yet as Airlink will pursue justice in the courts and the saga will continue. The shocking behaviour of South African Airways (SAA) management who are ultimately responsible for ‘poaching’ da Silva together with five other key personnel from Airlink and allowing this woman to use the confidential information of a competitor just shows how badly managed SAA has become. This is a continuing story and once the full judgement has been made, African Pilot will bring you the news.

Congratulations to our April C208 crew on obtaining this rating, may you enjoy it thoroughly to fly this aircraft.

17 to 20 April
AERO Friedrichshafen 30^th anniversary
Contact E-mail: info@fairnamic.com Website: www.fairnamic.com

18 April
Air Accident SA – the safety goal at 43 Air School
Speaker Wouter Botes

18 & 19 April
SACAA National Aviation Conference Venue TBA
Contact Nomhle Mabunda E-mail: MabundaN@caa.co.za

20 April
SACAA airshow at Wonderboom National Airport

20 April
EAA Chapter 322 fly-in breakfast to Airspan airfield
Contact Neil Bowden E-mail: airadventuresa@gmail.com

UK officials considering using UK carrier AirTanker for deportation flights

The UK Government is reported to be close to finalising an agreement with British charter airline AirTanker to operate its proposed and hugely controversial deportation flights from the UK to Kigali in Rwanda should its plans be given the green light in the coming days. Any agreement would come as the last part of a diplomatic jigsaw over the highly contentious policy that has been kicked around the oak-clad chambers of the UK’s Houses of Parliament since April 2022 when it was first proposed by the then-Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. 

The scheme, which has met with fierce criticism from various stakeholders since it was unveiled, would see anyone arriving in the UK illegally being deported to a purposely built detention in Rwanda, some 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometres) away to await the processing of their asylum applications outside of the UK. The policy, which has been redrafted several times to appease various political and other opponents to the Bill, is expected to pass the last set of legal hurdles still in its way and be passed into UK law by the end of April 2024. However, despite the facilities in Rwanda having been ready to accept detainees for many months, the UK Government has been struggling to source an airline willing to operate the controversial deportation flights.

In the past, UK carriers such as Channel Express and Titan Airways, as well as Spanish carrier Privilege Style have all been retained for other similar flights. However, none of these carriers are now willing to be involved in such a contentious contract (Channel Express rebranded as Jet2 in 2002). Now, UK charter carrier AirTanker is said to be being lined up to take up the mission. AirTanker is no stranger to the UK Government, as it has run flights for the Royal Air Force and the Ministry of Defence under contract since 2008. Indeed, out of its current fleet of four Airbus A330-200s, three are operated for the Royal Air Force Air Command Division in a 320-seat passenger configuration and are predominately used for British troop-carrying sorties throughout the world. 

While AirTanker is a commercial entity entirely separate from the RAF, it happens to share an operating base with the RAF’s Air Command Division at RAF Brize Norton airbase in Oxfordshire, England. Two of the three aircraft also feature a hybrid RAF external colour scheme while the other remains all white.

Although the UK Government has so far not officially disclosed the identity of the airline to perform the deportation flights should they get the go-ahead, sources within Rishi Sunak’s government have told several UK media outlets that AirTanker remains the preferred partner, given its previous experience of RAF operations and its special clearance to fly out of Brize Norton, a high-security military airfield protected by both civil and military police forces.

Sources have said that detailed talks were held in early 2024 between the UK Government and AirTanker. It is understood to be one of several airlines that have held talks with the UK government in the last twelve months. Thousands of people e-mailed AirTanker earlier in April 2024 after a high-profile anti-deportation campaign group, ‘Freedom from Torture’, sought to persuade the company to rule itself out of the Rwanda scheme. However, AirTanker has so far not made any public comment on the speculation that it will be involved in their flights.

In the meantime, Rwanda’s state-owned airline, RwandAir, allegedly turned down a UK Government-backed request to use its aircraft for deportations. Sources close to that round of negotiations confirmed that RwandAir was approached sometime in 2023 via talks held with the Rwanda Government but declined the offer. It will be interesting to see whether this part of the operation is affected in any way should AirTanker become the UK Government’s supplier of aircraft for any potential deportation flights, an operation that has historically been at the center of controversy and a focal point for protestors and disruptors for as long as they have operated.

Pilot departs his aircraft and damages the tail in fatal crash

A pilot who may have been trying to do an in-flight visual inspection of his Bearhawk Patrol’s control surfaces was killed in the process and also doomed the safety pilot he had with him. The NTSB’s final report into the crash of the homebuilt on 29 October 2022 in Hanover Township, Pennsylvania attributes the accident to ‘the pilot’s decision to unlatch his seatbelt during flight, which allowed him to exit the airplane and impact the tail, resulting in a loss of control and impact with terrain.’ The report says when the pilot hit the tail, the aircraft became uncontrollable and the pilot-rated passenger did not have a chance.

The pilot was seen securing his seatbelt before the flight and he had told a friend that he thought he had a rigging issue that caused the plane to yaw during turns. The NTSB said it is possible the pilot was ‘attempting to observe the problem with the tail’ and either fell out of the plane or bumped the controls, causing the plane to abruptly pitch up and eject him from the plane. ‘Although the reason for the pilot’s exit from the airplane during flight could not be determined, his impact with the tail section of the airplane during flight resulted in substantial damage to the tail section and a subsequent loss of control during flight from which the pilot-rated passenger would not have been able to recover.’

Caution advised as Middle East airspace reopens

European authorities are continuing to urge caution for flights in the Middle East region as a series of Saturday-published Notams closing airspace in Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Iran expired yesterday. Following Iran’s attacks against Israel on Saturday, the European Commission and EASA are continuing to closely monitor the situation to assess safety risks and have remained in close contact with all relevant civil aviation authorities, in particular with the Israeli agency. “Currently, there are a number of risk-mitigation instruments in place for the airspaces concerned, including publicly available Conflict Zone Information Bulletins (CZIBs) and Information Notes that have been distributed to relevant parties on a need-to-know basis,” EASA said.

Caution is recommended for flights in Israel and neighbouring airspace extending out 100 nm. EASA advised operators to follow all available aeronautical publications in place, including updates from the European Information Sharing and Cooperation Platform. In addition, Iran is similarly recommending caution and to follow all available aeronautical publications, including on the European Information Sharing and Cooperation Platform. EASA noted that Iran has warned that ‘there continues to be an increased potential for miscalculation and/or misidentification at present over FIR Tehran.’ Meanwhile

Iraq is advising against flights below FL320 within FIR Baghdad and Syria is advising against overflights at all altitudes of FIR Damascus. Security officials also advise that incidents of GNSS spoofing are continuing throughout the region.

Israeli F-35s were targeted in Iranian barrage but survived unscathed

Israeli officials said Iran may have specifically targeted an Israeli airbase housing F-35 fighter jets during its unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel over the weekend, but few of the munitions made it to the target and none appear to have done significant damage. On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mossein Amirabdollhian said Tehran took aim at only military targets in its ‘limited’ strike, including an Israeli facility that housed F-35 fighters, apparently in retaliation for the F-35s’ purported role in the Damascus strike on 1 April that killed several senior Iranian military and intelligence officials. A senior Iranian military official, Armed Forces Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, specifically said Israel’s Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel was targeted, according to local media.

But today Israeli Defence Forces said that though Nevatim was indeed targeted, Iran failed to cause any major damage there on Saturday night. Emphasising the point, the IDF released footage of an F-35 landing at Nevatim just hours after the attack and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Haveli chose to make a speech there with a pristine F-35 looming in the background today. “Iran wanted to harm the strategic capabilities of the state of Israel, this is something that did not happen in the past,” Haveli said, speaking to members of the IDF’s 140th Squadron, which flies the fifth-generation fighter. But, he said, Iran had run up against Israel’s ‘air superiority.’

Still, at least a few munitions got through. An image from the base showed an impact crater in an open area, and footage the IDF released showed a crew repairing an area that was apparently impacted by a missile. Additional IDF footage released on April 15 showed limited ‘damage from an Iranian missile to construction infrastructure at the Nevatim Airbase.’

ABC News reported that a senior US official said that Nevatim was hit by five ballistic missiles, damaging a C-130 transport aircraft, an unused runway and empty storage facilities. IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said today that only four missiles hit the base area. On 14 April, the IDF said “out of hundreds of launches, only a few missiles crossed into the territory of the State of Israel causing only minor damage to infrastructure at the Nevatim Airbase near the runway and to a road in the Hermon area. The functionality of the Nevatim Airbase was not affected, aircraft continued to take-off and fulfill their defence and offense missions, even during the night and throughout the day.”

In all, Iran lobbed approximately 350 threats towards Israel, about half of them drones and the other half missiles, but beyond grave injuries to a child, no major casualties have been reported. US officials said that an estimated 99 percent of the munitions were intercepted before they reached their targets.

Israel dubbed its defensive mission ‘Iron Shield’ and many of the interceptions were credited to its famed air defence system, led by the Arrow system. US, British and Jordanian forces played roles in intercepting incoming drones and missiles as well, officials said. For instance, US naval ships downed several ballistic missiles and US Central Command said it downed 80 drones.

The IDF also said that it had deployed dozens of aircraft to intercept the incoming threats. Israel operates F-15s and F-16s, which can be armed with Python 5 air-to-air missiles which can be used to down drones. In addition, Israel has 39 F-35I Adir warplanes, out of 75 it as on order. Several F-35 squadrons operate at Nevatim, including the 140 ‘Golden Eagle’ Squadron, the 117th training squadron, which was reopened in 2021 and the 116th ‘Lions of the South’ Squadron, which opened in 2020 as the second F-35 squadron.

The large base also includes a plethora of other aircraft. It is home to Israel’s C-130 Super Hercules ‘Elephants’ squadron, as well as a squadron that operates the older C-130s. (It is unclear which of those was reportedly struck.) It is also home to the Israel’s Eitam and Oron special mission aircraft, as well as the new Wing of Zion Israeli government transport aircraft.

Report: Norway to transfer 22 F-16 fighters to Ukraine

The United States has granted Norway permission to transfer 22 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. The transfer includes not only the aircraft, but also engines, support materials, simulators, spare parts and other relevant equipment. The information was first reported by the Argentinian website Zona Militar and later confirmed by Norwegian online newspaper Nettavisen. While Norway has 22 F-16 Block 10/15 airframes ready for transfer to Ukraine, not all of them are believed to be in fully operational condition, with some likely to be cannibalised to provide spare parts. 

In December 2020, the Texas-based private military contractor Draken announced that it had acquired 12 of the former RNoAF F-16s to help provide training to the company’s customers. However, the deal seemingly fell through. Therefore, Nettavisen is speculating that at least 12 F-16 fighters transferred to Ukraine are combat-capable. 

In August 2023, Denmark and the Netherlands announced the delivery of their respective F-16 fleets to Ukraine. Zona Militar reported that the two countries would provide 19 and 24 fighters respectively. A few days later, it was revealed that Norway would follow suit. In late 2023, it transferred two F-16 trainers to Denmark from where Ukrainian pilots are to practice combat missions.

Norway’s transition to the F-35 Lightning II as the mainstay of its fighter fleet is well underway. With 24 F-35s already delivered and 10 in use for pilot training in the United States, the F-35s are poised to replace the F-16s entirely.

Lycoming says aromatics in fuel, leaning techniques may have caused valve problems

Lycoming says it does not think its engines are to blame for the valve seat recession problems experienced by the University of North Dakota flight training department last year after it switched to Swift Fuels’ UL94 fuel. Rather, it says in a news release its analysis suggests that ‘under certain conditions, use of UL94 may impact valve seat recession.’

Lycoming says the analysis indicates that aromatic chemical concentrations in UL94 may cause the erosion of the valve seats under some flight conditions. Aromatics like benzene, toluene and xylene are used to boost octane in fuel and in ‘elevated’ concentrations may result in ‘particulate abrasiveness to valve seats that may contribute to valve seat recession.’ Lycoming says it is working with the FAA to further study the effects of aromatics on engines and notes that aromatics concentrations are not specified by the ASTM D7547 that applies to aviation gasoline. If aromatics turn out to be a problem for engines, Lycoming says it will work with the fuel industry to address aromatics in the standard and give guidance to operators on appropriate leaning techniques to prevent the engine damage. We have asked for comment from Swift and from General Aviation Modifications Inc. and will update this story as those responses are analysed.

CFM International, LEAB-1A engine

CFM International has dispatched the inaugural production LEAP-1A engines equipped with its new reverse bleed system (RBS) to Airbus, anticipating entry into commercial service by mid-year. This new production configuration hardware will also undergo installation in the existing fleet by airlines and overhaul shops. In addition, CFM plans to introduce the RBS on the LEAP-1B engine.

Certified by the FAA and EASA in 2023, the LEAP-1A engine with the new RBS addresses carbon build-up on fuel nozzles. Consequently, the need for on-wing fuel nozzle replacement and associated maintenance burdens will be significantly reduced. Upon full deployment throughout the fleet, CFM anticipates that fuel nozzle replacement will typically occur during performance restoration shop visits. The hardware, installable on wing in as little as ten hours, is expected to be available in the second quarter of this year. The CFM LEAP engine family offers 15 to 20 percent lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, alongside significant noise reduction compared to previous-generation engines. Since its service debut in 2016, the LEAP engine has facilitated CFM customers in reducing CO2 emissions by over 32 million tonnes.

“CFM has always prioritised product enhancements to meet customer expectations for our engines. The reverse bleed system exemplifies that commitment,” said Gaël Méheust, President and CEO of CFM International. “It stands as a testament to the ingenuity of our technical and customer teams, who have devised a solution seamlessly integrating with existing aircraft systems. This RBS forms part of a broader initiative to enhance engine durability, with additional upgrades slated for introduction throughout the year.”

Textron Aviation to offer CJ2 Garmin avionics upgrade

Owners of the more than 200 Cessna Citation CJ2s built through 2006 will be able to have their jets’ avionics upgraded with a Garmin suite at Textron Aviation service centres once Garmin receives the FAA supplemental type certificate by July. The upgrade features two G600 TXi touchscreen displays with features specific to the CJ2, including stabilised approach monitoring and aural V-speed alerting during take-off, as well as Garmin’s engine indication system. Two GTN Xi navigators enable vertical navigation (VNAV) using the GFC 600 autopilot, including coupled VNAV descents and coupled go-arounds. Available options include Garmin’s GWX 8000 StormOptix weather radar. The optional PlaneSync GDL 60 connected aircraft management system uses 4G LTE cellular or Wi-Fi for remote automatic avionics database updates and aircraft information sharing.

The first customer for the upgrade will be CJ2 owner Rod McDermott. “One of the things I appreciate is how excited Textron Aviation is to offer this upgrade and breathe new life into an amazing aircraft platform that could be flying for another 20 to 30 years,” he said. “By working with Garmin, they are giving the CJ2 a whole new utility level for single-pilot operation. The fact that Textron Aviation is supportive of upgrades for aircraft no longer in production, makes me really excited about working with this company.

easyJet uses hydrogen to power baggage tractors in ground-breaking airport trial

As part of a ground-breaking trial the low-cost carrier easyJet has used hydrogen at Bristol Airport (BRS) to refuel and power ground support equipment (GSE), specifically baggage tractors. Dubbed ‘Project Acorn’ it was the first airside hydrogen refuelling trial ever to take place at a major UK airport and was led by easyJet and supported by several cross-industry partners. The hydrogen powered baggage tractors successfully carried out daily operations while demonstrating that the gas can be safely and reliably used to refuel ground equipment in the busy, live airport environment. The trial was in development for over a year with organizations such as Cranfield Aerospace Solutions, Cranfield University, Connected Places Catapult (CPC), DHL Supply Chain, Fuel Cell Systems, the IAAPS research institute, Jacobs, Mulag and TCR all involved.

The group intends to use the outputs of the trial to help develop industry best practice standards, provide guidance to airports, airlines, local authorities and regulators on required infrastructure changes and support the development of a regulatory framework for hydrogen’s use on an airfield, standards which, due to hydrogen’s nascency in aviation, do not currently exist. The data and insights gathered will also feed into research conducted by groups like Hydrogen in Aviation (HIA), which is an organization that includes easyJet, Rolls-Royce, Airbus, Ørsted, GKN Aerospace and BRS and advocates for the UK to keep pace with the technological developments in carbon-emission free flying.

“While the technology is advancing at an exciting pace, as hydrogen is not used in commercial aviation today, there is currently no regulatory guidance in place on how it can and should be used and so trials like this are very important in building the safety case and providing critical data and insight to inform the development of the industry’s first regulatory framework,” David Morgan, Chief Operating Officer at easyJet, said.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) also played an active role in the trial as an independent reviewer of the safety case. “Projects such as this are cornerstones of our commitment to support innovation and decarbonisation in the industry. This trial will serve as the basis of a White Paper which we will also be contributing to, as well as allow for the creation of further safety guidance and regulatory standards for the use of hydrogen in aviation,” Tim Johnson, Director for Strategy, Policy and Communications at the UKCAA, said.

Pilot sues over Dominican drug ordeal

A pilot snared in an apparent drug smuggling scheme is suing the Canadian government and his former airline for $16 million. Rob Di Venanzo alleges government officials and police suspected their flight was being used to fly $25 million worth of cocaine to Canada from the Dominican Republic but failed to intervene. Di Venanzo, along with four other crew, were arrested and held for seven months by Dominican authorities in April of 2022 when members of the flight crew discovered bags containing almost 500 pounds of cocaine stuffed in the avionics bay of their Bombardier regional jet.

Di Venanzo claims the Canadian government and Royal Canadian Mounted Police had been investigating the smuggling operation for two months before he and his crew were dispatched to fly the jet back to Toronto. He said the government and police ‘knew or should have known’ the crew was flying into a trap but failed to do anything about it. He also claims his former employer, Toronto-based Pivot, did not vet the people who chartered the plane.

“I am never going to be the same,” Di Venanzo told CTV News. In the suit he said he has suffered ‘significant’ physical, emotional and psychological harm in the ordeal. The plane was already in the Dominican Republic when Di Venanzo and the others were flown there to fly it back. Security video showed an airport vehicle pulling up to the plane in the early morning and men pushing bags into the avionics bay. When Di Venanzo was preparing for the flight, a warning light for the avionics bay door prompted an inspection.

Shortly after the crew reported the drugs to local authorities and the RCMP, they were arrested and put in a cell with more than 20 hardened criminals. They stayed in jail for nine days, enduring physical and verbal abuse from inmates trying to extort money from them. When they were released, the local government refused to return their passports and they spent the next seven months in a series of safe houses awaiting trial. When a CTV news crew showed up and began asking questions, their passports were returned and they returned to Canada.  

Electric air taxis reach mass production phase in China

Chinese electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer EHang says it has obtained the world’s first production certification for a pilotless eVTOL design, allowing it to begin mass manufacturing. The approval was granted by the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC), representatives of which met with EHang founder, chairman and CEO Huazhi Hu at a ceremony in Guangzhou’s Huangpu District on Sunday. EHang has now obtained production, type and standard airworthiness certification for its flagship EH216-S: a self-flying, two-passenger design with a range of about 19 nm and cruise speed around 70 knots. The company said the latest approval gives the company ‘all requisite regulatory certifications’ needed to lay the groundwork for commercial operations in China.

Autonomous eVTOL aircraft like EHang’s EH216-S are intended to form what Chinese officials have termed the ‘low-altitude economy.’ Similar to the advanced air mobility (AAM) industry being developed in places such as the US and European Union, the low-altitude economy is expected to encompass aerial tourism and sightseeing, emergency medical services, passenger air taxi flights and other eVTOL-related activities.

In December EHang gave citizens a glimpse of the promised services with commercial demonstration flights in the cities of Guangzhou and Hefei. According to the company, these represented the first passenger-carrying flights by an eVTOL. However, customers flew for free and the service is not yet routine. With production certification now joining EHang’s prior approvals, the company is in position to scale up those operations.

“The issuing of the production certification is pivotal for the EH216-S, as it opens the door to mass production and a crucial step for our advancement towards commercial operations,” said Hu. “With the PC as the starting point, we are poised to gradually expand production and delivery to meet escalating market demands. Our vision is to introduce safe and reliable pilotless eVTOL aircraft to the global market.” The production certificate is validation from the CAAC that EHang’s mass production quality management system meets the regulator’s airworthiness requirements, authorising it for mass manufacturing.

The quality management system covers EH216-S’s raw materials, supplier management, production organisation and quality control, pre-delivery testing and post-sale repair and maintenance. The system also enables traceability and safety control to ensure the aircraft rolling off the production line adhere to EHang’s type design requirements, the company says. CAAC assessed 19 elements of the system and the company’s production capabilities, concluding it has the ability to produce aircraft that will fly safely in Chinese airspace.

EHang says the company is now preparing for commercial operations in China, such as by training personnel and developing EH216-S operational systems. According to the manufacturer, about 20 Chinese provinces are prioritising the development of the low-altitude economy in 2024, including by enacting favourable policies and regulations, allocating funding and subsidies and identifying suitable eVTOL take-off and landing sites.

Recently released CAAC guidance positions the Nansha District in Guangzhou, one of the two cities in which EHang flew in December as the focal point for the industry. The Guangzhou municipal government has announced several policy initiatives intended to back EHang, while Hefei has committed to invest as much as $100 million.

EHang’s China market entry is also being heavily supported by the central government, which last week released plans for the low-altitude economy through 2030. Beijing’s upcoming initiatives include the construction of take-off and landing infrastructure, streamlining of airworthiness certification and improvement of the country’s air traffic management system. The government also called to establish a network of eVTOL demonstration sites, with a particular focus on urban use cases.

EHang, working with CAAC, said it will help establish the world’s first regulatory system and standards for commercial eVTOL operations in the second quarter of this year. Several regulators, including the FAA and more recently the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (UKCAA), have proposed guidelines for such services, but few, if any have finalised them.

Throughout 2024, EHang says it will coordinate with multiple governments to build eVTOL vertiports and shape the ‘benchmark’ cities it views as ideal candidates for the low-altitude economy. It intends to launch commercial operation ceremonies for use cases such as aerial tourism and urban air taxis, using its demonstration sites in Guangzhou and Hefei in addition to its urban air mobility (UAM) operation center at OH Bay in Shenzhen.

HyLight raise 3.7m€: greener inspections for a sustainable world

HyLight precisely inspects pipelines on a large scale to find potential leaks, helping gas companies keep their infrastructure safe and efficient. HyLight inspects power lines to identify potential problems like failing components or overgrown vegetation. This helps power companies maintain a safe and reliable grid. The data HyLight collects is securely stored onboard and can be transferred live during flights. However, it is usually downloaded securely through the cloud after the flight is complete.

Even in an emergency, HyLight’s descent rate is incredibly slow (tested at 4 km/h) thanks to its lighter-than-air design. HyLight’s large size makes it easy to see and avoid (visible from over two kilometres away). In case of a landing, HyLight’s envelope acts like a giant airbag, minimising any impact.

About African Pilot and Future Flight:

After 24 years of continuous publishing there is no doubt that African Pilot provides the finest overall aviation media reach on the African continent and now throughout the world. All African Pilot’s and Future Flight’s monthly editions are easily read on any digital device including smart phones

Our team is positioned to provide professional video and stills photography, website development, social media platforms, company newsletters as well as several other important media services to customers.

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This twice weekly APAnews service has been part of African Pilot’s line-up since the inception of the magazine 24 years ago.

African Pilot is the third best English language aviation magazine in the top ten magazines in the world: https://blog.feedspot.com/aviation_magazines/

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