CAT 1/2023

SIMULATION

FSTDs

Smarter

EMERGING

HUMAN

Mental

Dear Esteemed Attendees,

I am delighted to extend a warm and heartfelt welcome to each and every one of you to the 2023 European Airline Training Symposium, hosted in the picturesque coastal town of Cascais, Portugal. It is with immense pleasure and excitement that we will gather here to explore the latest trends, share valuable insights, and forge meaningful connections within the aviation training industry.

Cascais, with its rich history, breathtaking landscapes, and vibrant culture, serves as the perfect backdrop for this event. As you take in the stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean and the charm of this coastal gem, I hope you find inspiration to embark on this exciting journey of knowledge exchange and collaboration.

The conference has been carefully curated to provide you with a comprehensive platform to engage with industry experts, learn from leading innovators, and gain fresh perspectives on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in aviation training. From cutting-edge technology showcases to interactive workshops and thought-provoking keynote speeches, we have designed a program that promises to be both informative and engaging.

This conference is not only an opportunity to enhance your professional expertise but also a chance to network with fellow enthusiasts and decision-makers from around the world. You will have the chance to build connections that can shape the future of aviation training and propel our industry to new heights.

In addition to the enriching conference sessions, we encourage you to explore the beauty and culture of Cascais during your stay. Whether it's strolling along the cobbled streets of the historic town center, enjoying delectable Portuguese cuisine, or simply taking in the ocean breeze, Cascais offers a delightful experience for all.

Please don't hesitate to reach out to our dedicated team for any assistance or information you may require during your stay. We are here to ensure that your time in Cascais is as productive and enjoyable as possible.

Once again, I extend my warmest welcome to all attendees, and I look forward to meeting each of you in person. Together, we can shape the future of aviation training and propel our industry to new heights.

Safe travels, and I'll see you in Cascais!

Sincerely

Carlos Carreiras Mayor, Cascais

ChatGPT is My Co-Pilot?

When the hype about AI-generated text began to amp up recently, I was naturally curious. After all, predictions are that AI is going to replace humans in numerous jobs, including journalists.

I had to experiment to find out for myself. So I asked ChatGPT, the most-hyped platform, some questions related to flight training and virtual reality. The response was okay, if you’re looking for a high-level generic essay that reads like it was composed by a middle school student plagiarising Wikipedia. Where the chatbot completely failed was in identifying the first regulatory-approved VR-based simulator, a story I broke about two years ago (Born in Switzerland: RegulatorQualified VR Flight Training – www.halldale.com)

A colleague had a similar experience, comparing ChatGPT’s response with what we had written about the recent FAA Aviation Safety Summit, which was both widely reported on by aviation writers and posted on YouTube. My colleague received an ‘apology’ from the chatbot, saying it couldn’t comment on ‘future events.’

Apparently, the content on which ChatGPT is ‘trained’ was limited to pre-September 2021... more than 25 months ago. The Summit wasn’t on its radar, but the approval of VRM Switzerland’s (now Loft Dynamics) should have been.

But outdated data is not the most serious flaw in AIgenerated text.

While we’re at it, let’s dispense with the term ‘artificial intelligence.’ It’s technically LLM – Large Language Modelling – essentially mathematical algorithms trained on huge amounts of data to recognise word patterns and then choose the ‘most likely’ words to fill in the blanks. One commenter snarked that it is “autocorrect on steroids.”

Benj Edwards, a machine learning reporter for Ars Technica and other publications, warns that AI chatbots “can present convincing false information easily, making them unreliable sources of factual information.”

Rick Adams Editor

Academics like to refer to AI mistakes as “hallucinations” – as in blame the machine, not the programmer, as if the bot was anthropomorphically tripping on psychedelic drugs.

Edwards notes that AI bots have “invented books and studies that don’t exist, publications that professors didn’t write, fake academic papers, false legal citations, non-existent Linux system features… and technical details that don’t make sense.”

When researchers use the ‘high creativity’ setting, Edwards notes, “the model will guess wildly.”

After the launch of ChatGPT, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had tweeted, “ChatGPT is incredibly limited, but good enough at some things to create a misleading impression of greatness. It’s a mistake to be relying on it for anything

important right now (emphasis added).” Later he wrote, “The danger is that it is confident and wrong a significant fraction of the time.”

“Numerous credible scientific studies have shown that recent LLMs cannot complete language and commonsense thinking tests, even when presented with comparatively easy ones,” writes MarketTechPost blogger Dhanshree Shripad Shenwai.

She warns about “AI models producing wholly false facts… which can jeopardise the applications’ accuracy, dependability, and trustworthiness” – for example, autonomous car programmes such as Ford’s BlueCruise and Tesla’s Autopilot. “Self-driving automobiles, where hallucinations may result in fatalities... is a calamity just waiting to happen.”

Or, in the aviation world, autonomous aircraft such as eVTOLs.

I am reminded of an interview several years ago with an aviation software engineer who described aircraft software as ‘spaghetti,’ in that bugs were fixed with patches, and when a new variant of the aircraft was developed they simply layered on additional software, more bugs, new patches. A clean sheet would apparently be too expensive.

Is so-called AI software like that? Instead of getting ‘smarter,’ does it compound its mistakes through misinformation and WAGs?

A thousand engineers and some business celebrities have issued a call to ‘pause’ development of ChatGPT for six months, warning of “risks to society and humanity.” (Some suspect they want the stall to help their companies to catch up.)

They declared, “Decisions about AI should not be delegated to unelected tech leaders.” I’m not sure governance should be delegated to elected leaders either, given that most politicians attempt to manipulate the masses by ‘creatively’ filling in the blanks with misinformation and falsehoods.

I don’t share the apocalyptic vision that the chatbots are going to take over the world and wipe out humanity. (Humanity seems to be doing a rather good job of that itself.)

I will concede it’s early days for AI apps, and frankly I love the text-to-image programmes that enable a non-artist like me to transform the visions in my head into pseudo-art. I also appreciate the text-to-speech translators which now have much more realistic human-like professional voices. Perhaps the chatbots – with further development and an abundance of accurate information – will prove more useful in the future. Provided their output can be checked and verified.

Rick Adams, FRAeS Editor in Chief, CAT Chair, WATS

ChatGPT is My Co-Pilot?

Editorial comment with Rick Adams, FRAeS

Sunny Skies for Portugal Flight Schools. Great flying weather, relatively inexpensive flight training, Atlantic beaches and good food attract cadets. Rick Adams surveys the Portuguese landscape.

APC: Matching Quality Candidates with Quality ATOs. Airline Pilot Club has grown from 800 to 20,000 members in the past two years as they raise the training standards for pre-selection and ATO quality. Rick Adams outlines their concept.

Getting Charged Up – About Electric Propulsion for Training Aircraft. Marty Kauchak reports on developments of electric, hydrogen and hybrid aircraft.

Surging Orders for FSTDs. Group Editor Marty Kauchak reports on trends and activities as commercial aviation training continues to put the pandemic in its rear-view mirror.

Coming Soon: Smarter Motion and Eye-Tracking Systems. Motion-based training devices remain a mainstay of commercial aviation training and are being adapted for the evolving eVTOL market. Device providers are also increasingly integrating head- and eye-tracking systems. Marty Kauchak spoke with leading industry suppliers.

New ‘Code Number’ for eVTOL: 2117(b). G-35 goal is a draft pilot training standard by the end of this year, Robert W. Moorman reports.

Mental Well Being is Top of Mind. Eight years on from the Germanwings tragedy, the need for aviation mental health programs has taken on global importance. Robert W. Moorman examines the issue.

Ready for a New Acronym? IAM – Innovative Air Mobility. Mario Pierobon looks at EASA's NPA 2022-06 framework for the operation of VTOL aircraft and drones.

EASA Publishes FSTD Process for A/M/V/XR and eVTOL Special Conditions. Rick Adams highlights key elements of the process.

On the cover: Sevenair Academy in Portugal features two aerodromes, a large fleet of aircraft, and a new ANAC-approved curriculum.

Image credit: Sevenair Academy.

Editorial Editor Rick Adams, FRAeS rick.adams@halldale.com

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Sunny Skies for Portugal Flight Schools

Within no more than a couple of minutes of talking with a flight school in Portugal, you are guaranteed to hear about the great weather in the country –and therefore plenty of favourable flying. 200 days. 300 days. 95% of the year. The specifics vary but the message is clear –bad weather will not delay a student’s path to graduation and ultimately an interview with an airline.

“The weather can be up to three times better than, for example, the UK,” notes Captain Salvador Costa Pereira, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Training for the rapidly expanding Sevenair Academy. “They have 110 days of good flying conditions: we have 330. Can you have blue skies in December? In January? We have.”

Sevenair is the local ATO host and Silver Sponsor of the European Airline Training Symposium (EATS) 2023 in Cascais, Portugal.

Another strong selling point for Portuguese ATOs is cost. “We are very cheap, compared to most of Europe,”

Capt. Pereira told CAT. “Unfortunately our salaries are lower, but that makes us very competitive compared with the other big schools.” The fee for professional pilot training is about 80,000 Euros.

Sevenair bills itself as “the #1 Pilot Training Academy in Europe,” based in part on its fleet of 43 aircraft, 36 of them glass cockpit. The mix includes Cessna C150/152, Tecnam P2008 and P2006T, Piper PA-28, Diamond DA40 and DA42, as well as five simulators from Diamond and Alsim.

About a dozen of those aircraft, and three of the sims, came as part of the acquisition a year ago of L3Harris’ ab initio training assets in Portugal. But perhaps the most important asset was the 260,000 square-foot training facility and 145-room student dormitory at the Aeródromo Municipal de Ponte de Sor in central Portugal. More recently, Sevenair purchased the hangars of Global Flight School at Ponte de Sor, also inheriting 30 students.

Ponte de Sor is in the middle of the country, an agricultural area known for cork production. “There are almost no houses and no issues with noise,” said Capt Pereira. “We are the only school operating an 1800-metre runway with ILS and RNP approval, and with a control tower and 12 working areas. We fly from sunrise to 2300, including two hours of night flying.”

Of Sevenair’s 300 students (about half the school’s capacity), most are in Ponte de Sor with about 70 training in Cascais, where it is easier to live at home and take the Modular ATPL(A) ‘frozen’ course - about 10% of students with the majority taking Integrated ATPL(A). The Cascais aerodrome is also shared

Above Sevenair’s fleet ranges from analogue to G1000 glass cockpitequipped aircraft. Image credit: Sevenair Academy.

Great flying weather, relatively inexpensive flight training, Atlantic beaches and good food attract cadets. Rick Adams, FRAeS, surveys the Portuguese landscape.

Opposite Captain Salvador Pereira first developed a passion for flying at about 5 years old when his oldest brother joined the air force. Image credit: Sevenair Academy.

with scheduled carrier and business jet traffic. The school will produce about 100 graduates this year.

The school is implementing a new ANAC-approved curriculum, and is also one of the newest ATOs to partner with the Airline Pilot Club. “I see this as a boost of quality,” Capt Pereira told us. “When you are doing your thing, and you are in your comfort zone, then you have very qualified auditors come in and go through several departments. They were quite impressive. It’s very, very beneficial.”

Sevenair’s heritage traces to 1980 and AeroAvia, the first civilian flight school in Portugal. Around the time the school was rebranded as Vega, in the late 90s, Leávia was established in the Algarve region, and subsequently acquired Vega, expanding operations into the Lisbon area. And the first in Portugal to receive JAA approval.

“I strongly believe that the next, at least, ten years, the demand is so high that it’s going to be quite fast” for graduates to get hired into airlines, Capt Pereira predicts.

“I like when kids bring their parents to an open day,” he commented, “and not so much when the parents bring their kids, which means you really have to want to be a pilot and not for the money. It’s a hard life. It’s going to be difficult. Training is maximum dedication. You have roughly two years of your life that you have to give maximum effort. If you do that, then everything will run smoothly.”

Other ATOs in Portugal

Air Dream College, Evora

Launched four years ago, Air Dream College offers a Modular ATPL(A) course catering to students who want to continue their other employment or studies. They have graduated 36 students with the ATPL Frozen license, who are flying with airlines such as Portugália, TAP, Ryanair, easyJet, and bizav charter operator NetJets.

Air Dream CMO Gonçalo Anjos

told CAT they offer an ANAC-certified ‘B-learning’ system in which “most of the contents are transmitted online” and can be accessed via live streaming (daytime or evening classes), on-demand streaming, or in-person at school facilities at Lisbon airport. “This method allows students that don’t live nearby our school to overcome all limitations, including distance, schedules and costs associated with moving."

The flying portion of the 24-month program is conducted out of Évora Aerodrome, about an hour east of Lisbon, where Air Dream is the lone aviation school, meaning relatively unrestricted airspace and “short taxi / ground time and longer periods of air time,” notes Anjos.

Another interesting wrinkle: after five months of theoretical training, students start the practical phase in gliders – followed by 200 flight hours in Tecnam, Cessna 152 and 172 aircraft, a 152 Aerobat for UPRT, and 20 hours in an Airbus A320 flight simulator.

Airwin Portugal, Castelo Branco

Located about 200 km northeast of Lisbon, the Portuguese flight school is an EASA-certified operational base of Airwin Academy in Budapest, Hungary (Tököl Airport). The Budapest school is led by Robert Banki, the Castelo Branco facility by Francisco Gião.

Airwin offers both Integrated and Modular ATPL(A) – 59,000 euros in Budapest for 239 hours of flight instruction from “active airline pilots,” using the Polish Aero AT-3 Garmin 500 glass cockpit trainer – with a “guaranteed opportunity to attend airline recruitment screening.”

International Flight Academy, Cascais & Viseu

IFA is an EASA ATO with a 25-year track record of producing airline pilots and cabin crew for airlines in Europe, Africa and Asia. At both bases, Integrated ATPL(A) students start flying with conventional instruments (Cessna 152 analogue), and progressively move toward more complex avionics (Pipistrel SW121 and Cessna 172 glass cockpit).

Their new A320 FNPT II simulator

from Simnest will enhance MCC and type-rating courses. IFA also have an ALX by Alsim.

Lusofly, Bragança

Nestled in the Transmontano wine region in northern Portugal, 200 km northeast of Porto, part of Lusofly’s marketing appeal is the Michelin-rated gastronomy of the region.

The flight school is an outgrowth, in 2011, of an aeromodelling club from Tomar – Youth Club Os Aerocalminhas –which has been encouraging interest in aviation since 1987. João Roque Santos is Head of Training; Paulo Palma is the Accountable Manager.

The 18-24 month ATPL course, which

includes MCC and UPRT, is 75,500 Euros (single payment) and features Sonaca 201, Diamond 40NG and 42NG aircraft.

Nortávia, Maia

Established a quarter-century ago, Nortávia is “mostly dedicating to training professional pilots,” but they’ve also invested in aeronautics research such as GAYA, a lighter-than-air airship. They also played a key role in the construction of the Vilar de Luz aerodrome, just 20 km from Porto. Cassiano Rodrigues is the CEO, Filipé Lopes the Head of Training.

The ATPL(A) course draws on a range of aircraft, including Cessnas, Tecnam, Piper, and Beechcraft.

One interesting marketing technique is a “student for a day” experience, including a theoretical course and a flight in a Cessna 152.

Omni Aviation Training Centre, Cascais

OATC was created in 1998 as a department of Omni Group, which also offers fixed-wing and helicopter services, scheduled and non-scheduled airline operations, and maintenance and engineering. In 2007, the training operation became an independent company and obtained its own JAR-FCL certificate.

The school boasts more than 500 pilot graduates and 3000 cabin crew.

The Integrated ATPL(A) program includes 1042 hours of theoretical training, 161 hours of flight instruction – including PBN and UPRT – 40 hours in a simulator, and 15 hours of MCC in an FNPT II. cat

Top Omni Aviation Training Centre boasts more than 500 pilot graduates and 3000 cabin crew. Image credit: Omni Aviation Flight Centre.

Above

Air Dream College has a fleet of four new Tecnam P2002JF aircraft. Image credit: Air Dream College.

APC: Matching Quality Candidates with Quality ATOs

Amidst the current chaos of the global airline scene, are young people still interested in becoming airline pilots? The Airline Pilot Club has grown from 800 to 20,000 members in the past two years as they raise the training standards for pre-selection and ATO quality. Rick Adams, FRAeS, outlines their concept.

In the regulatory world, all flight schools fall into one of two categories – they are either an Approved Training Organisation (ATO) via the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), or some other aviation authority; or they are not approved. There is no distinction made, by the regulators, between the various ATOs on the authorized lists.

Frankly, many regulatory agencies are stretched thin and lack the resources and expertise to delve beyond a basic pass/fail determination.

In the real world, there is a great deal of difference between ATOs – from the very good to the marginally adequate.

In the airline world, one of the premier ways for determining the quality of a carrier’s operations is the IOSA program – the IATA Operational Safety Audit. The IOSA Registry is a global benchmark with more than 400 airlines voluntarily submitting to an evaluation system designed to assess their opera-

tional management and control systems. The all-accident rate for airlines on the Registry for the past five years (2017-2021) was nearly three times better than non-IOSA airlines. In 2021, the all-accident rate for airlines on the IOSA registry was more than six times better than the rate for non-IOSA airlines (0.45 vs. 2.86).

Now there is an IOSA-like audit process available for ATOs to help determine whether they meet a higher standard than the NAA baseline. Known as the Airline Pilot Club, led by former Ryanair Head of Training Andy O’Shea, APC calls itself “a talent and recruitment community of aspiring pilots, recently certified aviators, flight training organizations and airlines”.

APC is designed to help guide young people who aspire to become airline pilots (and their parents who fund their training) to first determine – through an aptitude assessment – whether the candidate has the proverbial right stuff to become a competent pilot, and then help direct successful assessees to a higherquality flight school to improve their chances of getting an airline job.

O’Shea, who for 18 years was on the receiving end of flight school graduates wanting Ryanair jobs, has long lamented that the pass rate is “around 60 percent”. This means that 4 of every 10 who receive a new pilot’s licence are not up to airline standards. “Not everyone has the attributes to develop airline pilot competencies”, O’Shea observes.

The APC aptitude assessment advises the candidate

Above Aero Locarno plans to expand to a second airport, which will enable them to train an additional 60 integrated ATPL students annually. Image credit: Aero Locarno.

whether he should pursue flight training or not waste his/her money.

The second major benefit of APC membership is to steer the individual aspirant toward a quality-audited flight school that will get them started building their skills and competencies toward a pilot career.

A More Thorough Audit

ATOs who want to become APC Partners undergo a documented quality assurance process of their operation: management system, instructor training and standards, and theoretical and practical training perspectives. APC uses a group of specialist subject experts, compared with NAAs who may have only one examiner for everything.

“It’s a whole group of SMEs for the greater good. It’s a really good idea,” said Lee Woodward, CEO at Skyborne Aviation Academy, which trains 120 cadets a year in Gloucestershire, UK and their new US campus in Vero Beach, Florida.

“They have experts in each area of the training organisation. They looked at everything we do,” Capt. Michele Marano told CAT. Marano is Safety and Compliance Manager for Aviomar Flight Academy in Rome, Italy. “It is more intense than what the CAAs do. APC gets into many aspects beyond mere compliance.”

The APC ATO evaluation issues a report with recommendations, which the ATO agrees to address within a certain timeframe. The evaluation is reviewed after one year and will be repeated every two years thereafter using a risk-based re-validation process, much like the recently upgraded IOSA.

“We don’t just throw the report at the ATO; we work with them,” O’Shea explained.

“It is a useful experience because of the advice,” said Petros Tsaktanis, Managing Director at Global Aviation, a flight school celebrating 26 years, located west of Athens, Greece. “There were things we didn’t know that the airlines are looking for.”

“We need to do this to step forward,” said Stefano Buratti, owner of Aero Locarno in the southern section of Switzerland.

There are currently 16 ATO Partners

which have been through the APC evaluation process:

• Aero Locarno (Locarno, Switzerland)

• Aerodynamics Academy (Málaga, Spain)

• Aeronautx (Wels, Austria - Linz)

• Ansett Aviation (Case Nuove, Italy - Milan)

• ASG (Dublin, Ireland)

• Atlantic Flight Training Academy (Cork, Ireland)

• Aviomar Flight Academy (Rome, Italy)

• Barcelona Air School (Spain)

• Bartolini Air (Lodz, Poland)

• Global Aviation (Athens, Greece)

• Global Flight Training Solutions (Immokalee, Florida, US)

• Green Flight Academy (Skellefteå, Sweden)

• Professional Aviation (Ozzano dell'Emilia, Italy - Bologna)

• Schreiner University (Kerrville, Texas USA)

• Sevenair (Cascais, Portugal)

• Skyborne Airline Academy (Gloucestershire, UK)

O’Shea told us APC can currently evaluate about 12 candidate ATOs per year.

“We’re trying to recognize ATOs that go the extra mile. They are embracing the message of quality, a higher level. They have an appetite for improvement,” he added. “They are demonstrably and repetitively very good."

APC recently announced cutting-edge software for tracking development of aspiring pilots - from initial recruitment through flight school to airline hiring and career development. “The new software ties together the end-to-end process of pilot candidates, ATO partners, and partner airlines for matching airlineready flight school graduates with the beginning of their aviation careers,” said O’Shea.

APC’s airline tracking software (ATS) is evolved from an established platform utilized across multiple industries for many years, and has been tailored to the requirements of aviation professionals. The software is underpinned by Artificial Intelligence and other industry data trends. The APC ATS platform empowers flight schools and airlines to efficiently attract, assess, and onboard capable and diverse candidates for ATOs and airlines.

Above Skyborne Airline Academy’s Lee Woodward gives APC a ‘thumbs up’ –

“It gives a would-be pilot somewhere to go for flight training organisations that are vetted”.

Image credit: Skyborne Airline Academy.

Opposite Aviomar’s Capt. Michele Marano says, “Assessments help us to know before a student starts training if he has a chance to pass the course”. Image credit: Aviomar.

Building a New Pilot Ecosystem

O’Shea worked with more than a dozen ATOs during his 18 years at Ryanair. “Not all flying schools are the same. A lot of them out there are not really making the effort."

The win-win-win-win of the APC audit is that:

1. Students and parents can have confidence in the APC Partner flying schools that the chances of beginning an airline pilot career will be on the high end, perhaps in the 90-plus percent range;

2. Partner ATOs will have a powerful marketing advantage over non-APC

schools, in effect a “Good Housekeeping” or “Underwriters Laboratory” style seal of approval;

3. Funding sources are more likely to provide favourable loan terms to students, based on the improved success rate of the Partner schools (ie, banks will be more assured of getting the loan repaid);

4. Airlines that endorse the APC evaluation process will develop a stronger relationship with the ATOs providing them with employable candidates – “prepared to fulfil their potential and be really good employees," O’Shea noted.

APC has a broad range of non-ATO

partners as well, ranging from Boeing as an investor and strategic partner; Pixid Ltd, an investor and a global recruitment SAAS specialist; global recruitment firm AMS; assessment company Symbiotics; Fantasy Wingsan aviation careers group supporting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities; financial services provider Aon; and the Royal Aeronautical Society, among others.

Last year, Boeing chose APC for its Aerospace Xelerated programme, enabling access to industry-leading strategists and technical experts to “support APC in becoming the global ‘go to’ career development, pilot training, and employee onboarding location for aspirant pilots, ATOs and airlines,” APC announced in a press release.

A lot of the early momentum for enrolling ATOs is the involvement of O’Shea, who was also the second chairman of the Airline Training Policy Group (ATPG), an independent cadre of subject experts who help to advise EASA, unofficially, on near-term issues and long-term strategies for flight training.

“We know the guy. We have absolute trust in him,” declared Global’s Tsaktanis.

“It’s excellent,” said Skyborne’s Woodward. “It’s what you would expect of Andy O’Shea. He’s a champion of really top-flight schools that go above and beyond." cat

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Getting Charged Up – About Electric Propulsion for Training Aircraft

First, a spoiler alert. The airline industry is desperately in need of decarbonization solutions. One solution set –electric propulsion – while quickly advancing, has limited use cases. While the initial tranche of electric-powered planes has limited range compared to fossil fuel-powered planes, early results are encouraging OEMs and their battery industry suppliers to move to second-generation propulsion solutions for their next aircraft models. Indeed, of importance is the increasing interest within commercial aviation training to ‘go green’ by investing in electric aircraft for training fleets. Beyond this trend are emerging major implications for training maintenance personnel who will be charged with providing air carriers with safe and ready-to-operate sustainable aircraft.

Next, an important definition or two (with the author’s promise to minimize the physics, chemistry, metallurgy and other sciences being brought to bear).

We’re increasingly hearing volumetric energy density (density) discussed in the eVTOL, eCTOL and adjacent markets – an attribute with huge implications. Density simply refers to the amount of energy that can be contained within a given volume. Increasing the volumetric energy density of batteries allows electric aircraft to travel further without increasing the size of the battery pack. Conversely, it can allow the aircraft to travel the same distance with a smaller battery pack, thus saving space, weight, and manufacturing costs, according to the US

Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The real story in the evolving batteries-foraviation propulsion sector is the arc of progress – think Moore’s Law in the adjacent microchip sector. As the DoE office reported “Li-Ion [Lithium-Ion] battery capacity increased approximately eight (8) fold from 2008 to 2020 and it would be expected these technological advances will continue.”

Two recent industry battery developments provide some context to the DoE office’s sector observations.

Cuberg, a part of Sweden-based Northvolt, reported the first round of internal testing on their first module was completed in December. “Against rigorous internal requirements, Cuberg demonstrated that its 20 Ah lithium metal cells, which have a specific energy of 405 Wh/kg, work as intended when assembled into an aviation battery module.”

Cuberg’s baseline module technology, which can be customized for each

Above Pipistrel's Velis Electro is a full-electric derivative of the company's proven Virus SW 121 aircraft.

Image credit: Pipistrel.

The race to achieve safe and economical sustainable aircraft is quickening. OEMs and their industry teams are making important progress to place electric, hydrogen and hybrid aircraft into commercial service as early as this decade. Marty Kauchak reports on developments.

customer, boasts “industry-leading” performance metrics on specific energy and energy density. Selective details of the company’s cell of the item’s footprint and other attributes:

Mass: 16.4 kg [36.2lbs]

Size: 95mm [3.7in] x 280mm [11in] x 540 mm [21in]

Rated energy: 4.6 kWh

Energy density: 320 Wh/L

Specific energy: 280 Wh/kg

The battery and system supplier noted, “Aircraft manufacturers will take note of the specific energy of the Cuberg module, which, at 280 Wh/kg, is up to 40% higher than comparable modules based on lithium-ion technology.” Cuberg is also focused on advancing one ‘sweet spot’ in commercial training: “This significant improvement in specific energy translates to increased flight range which, in turn, enables new use cases for electric and hybrid aviation. Some operators could see their practical range more than double, depending on their aircraft and powertrain design.”

One valuable end-user perspective on electric aircraft flight range was provided by Nick Wilson, PhD, Associate Professor, Aviation at the University of North Dakota. The community expert said, while he doesn’t consider himself a technical expert in battery power systems and specifically battery density, “I can provide an operational context and state that an electric aircraft which has a battery duration of 2.0 hours plus required FAA reserves would cover over 85% of our single-engine (SE) training flights without considering any modifications to curriculum.” Practically, a twohour battery duration plus reserve would cover all local flight lessons at UND.

“If battery capacity increases to 2.5 hours plus reserve, that would cover over 90% of our SE training flights, and only leave cross-country flight lessons at the tail end of that use-case. I would imagine similar metrics exist at other training providers; however, there are differences in airport design, student training volumes, curricula and other variables which could impact other flight school metrics.”

This April, the reported largest manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, China’s CATL, announced

the launch of a high-energy-density “condensed battery” technology. CATL is targeting the electric passenger aircraft market deliberately and incrementally – after mass production for the electric vehicle market starts this year, the company says.

CATL, which declined CAT’s request for additional information on this new product, noted in a press release the showcased battery has “an energy density of up to 500 Wh/kg at the cell level and a high level of safety. This compares with less than 300 Wh/ kg for current lithium-ion batteries, which use a flammable liquid electrolyte.”

One Aircraft OEM’s Insight

Pipstrel’s Velis Electro is finding increasing favor with training enterprises around the globe. Tine Tomažic, Director of Engineering and Programs at Pipistrel, told CAT the Velis Electro is used by flying schools throughout the world, with “the active fleet approaching 100 aircraft in 14 countries.”

The engineering executive pointed out the Velis Electro comes with a Pipistrel type-certified electric engine E-811268MVLC (TC No. EASA.E.234), with the 57.6kW liquid-cooled electric engine providing power to the aircraft. “The batteries are in the 400-volt class and can power the Velis Electro for up to 50 minutes of flight time, plus a VFR [visual flight rules] reserve. Each battery is approximately 12 kWh, comprised of 1,152 battery cells in an enclosure that is fault tolerant and approved to DO-311A. Battery design, including the battery management system, is Pipistrel’s in-house proprietary technology,” he added.

Tomažic pointed out the Velis Electro is the world’s “first and currently only EASA type-certified electric-powered aircraft” and is mainly intended for pilot training. He continued: “The Velis Electro is an ideal aircraft to train student pilots towards their LAPL [light aircraft pilot license] and PPL [private pilot licenses]. It is optimized for local flights around the aerodrome,

Above Dr. Nick Wilson, UND: "An electric aircraft which has a battery duration of 2.0 hours plus required FAA reserves would cover over 85% of our singleengine training flights without considering any modifications to curriculum.” Image credit: University of North Dakota.

for example for takeoff and landing sorties. The EASA exemption for pilot licensing and training allows for the Velis Electro to be utilized in flight training environments and assuring transitions of pilots to and from Velis Electro even before they have obtained a pilot license.”

Comparable to the operational advantages CAT has presented about early tranches of eVTOLs preparing to enter commercial service, Pipistrel notes the Velis Electro is a “game-changing” aircraft in terms of technological innovations and cost-efficiency. The executive explained the aircraft “is exceptionally quiet, making it possible to bring flight training much closer to urban areas without adversely affecting communities’ quality of life. With noise levels of only 60 dBa, it is considerably quieter than other airplanes and produces no combustion gases at all.” Further, savings on every flight hour “are significant so that even with the battery overhauls included the operation is not only more environmentally friendly and quieter, but also more cost effective.”

In terms of a training organization maintaining a fleet of this aircraft, and additional implications for maintenance training, Tomažic said the Velis Elector was designed “to be simple to operate and maintain.” He continued, “The Velis Electro achieves the highest levels of safety, even surpassing those required for conventionally powered aircraft. Employing Pipistrel’s type-certified electric engine, the Velis Electro delivers power instantly and without hesitation – using a simplified user interface in a cockpit that maintains the same look-and-feel of its conventionally powered siblings. The simplified user interface and handling make the aircraft more user-friendly for pilots in training.”

As noted, the battery-for-aircraft propulsion sector is in its embryonic stage. To point, Tomažic candidly offered another challenge for maintenance in this early, current generation of batteries for aircraft propulsion. When it comes to maintaining chemistry-based LithiumIon propulsion batteries, it is best to avoid leaving an aircraft with a nearly full battery in a hot climate above 45°C (113°F). “In this condition, the battery would self-discharge over time. It doesn’t

cause damage immediately, but when repeated over a longer period of time, it will cause degradation of battery life.”

Yet, in a Pipistrel plane, the information and data on the electrical system will be showcased through indications on every power-up. Each line-replaceable unit (LRU) on the aircraft has a built-in test (BIT) function. When the aircraft is engaged, it will report its function and status and will flag any issues. Tomažic added it is also possible to work through Pipistrel’s cloud interface by reviewing data logs and error messages, and connect to Pipistrel’s technicians. “Pipistrel has dedicated personnel on standby who can help test and troubleshoot the system. The maintenance of the battery system is purely on condition, linked to performance indexes that the battery system conveys to the user. No prescriptive fixed-period maintenance schedule applies.”

The Pipistrel executive left no doubt his company is on a path to migrate to larger capacity (denser) batteries for its electric aircraft. Tomažic emphasized Pipistrel is continually improving its battery system technology, both in-house, as well as through collaborative projects such as HighSpin [a project led by the Austrian Institute of Technology], Helena and Matisse – all focusing on battery performance increases. “Pipistrel is no stranger to building much higher-performance batteries than the ones used in the Velis Electro today. However, not all battery chemistries are certifiable or economically sustainable. The Velis Electro will certainly continue to receive battery system upgrades in the future, and we are excited that almost all of the current owners are already enjoying the second generation of the battery, which started shipping in 2022.”

Other OEMs, including Ampaire, are advancing hybridelectric and electric-propulsion designs for aircraft that, in some cases, may enter commercial service later this decade. cat

Above Pipistrel's Velis Electro has found favor at flying schools around the globe, with “the active fleet approaching 100 aircraft in 14 countries.” Image credit: Pipistrel.

Surging Orders for FSTDs

Flight training device OEMs are reporting attention-getting sales across the full spectrum of flight simulation training devices (FSTDs) – from full-flight simulators (FFSs) through flight training devices (FTDs) – with this increased demand projected well into early 2024. Beyond the business ledger, these equipment suppliers are introducing new devices and integrating AI, Big Data collection and processing, XR and other forward-leaning technologies into their systems. At the same time OEMs are strengthening their devices’ entire life cycle, expanding their business ecosystems and shifting their business models. Group Editor Marty Kauchak reports on these trends and activities by way of brief surveys from half a dozen FSTD providers.

The commercial aviation training enterprise continues to put the Covid pandemic in its rear-view mirror with sights set on supporting the broader commercial sector’s business uptick in business.

At L3Harris, Ben Swann, Vice President for Training Systems, Commercial Aviation Solutions, observed, “We’re seeing market activity in most regions returning to pre-Covid levels, starting with investments in the North American market, with China starting to think about it again and huge activity going on in India.” He continued, “We see a lot more investment going on. Airlines are certainly capitalizing on the freedom of movement that people have found themselves back in for holidays and business,” Indeed, L3Harris was on pace to manufacture 19 FFSs in 2023, primarily for the A320. “We have the Boeing 737 MAX and Boeing 787 in production as well. We’re very busy, as the demand for FFSs is hot at the moment.”

The company executive looked to another part of the training device market, recalling L3Harris’ Covid-era decision to increase its investment in Level 5 and comparable-rated FTDs to primarily support A320, Boeing 737NG and Boeing 787 operators.

Another concurrent training enterprise trend has airlines and training organizations moving beyond using low-cost, low-quality devices to train pilots up to compliance standards, according to Philip Adrian, MPS CEO. He explained, “What you see right now is that connection between the training organization and airline evolving – it’s not only quality training but it’s also a higher level of device to ensure that the quality of training is aligned with future work, not just regulatory compliance. You

are seeing much more vertical integration from the airlines all the way down in quality standards and in simulation.”

On cue, MPS is pivoting from a business model primarily based on providing training devices to also being a provider of consultant services and solutions on how to optimize training, safety, and operational trends. The expanded MPS business portfolio includes not only training device procurement and life cycle support, but “setting up training correctly with a blended approach with the right way to use technology. Rather than having the technology and finding a problem to solve with it, we identify to our customers’ ways to support what they see as important as well,” according to the community leader.

MPS’s customer roster continues to expand to include international airlines. Adrian emphasized that now MPS “is not doing technology for technology’s sake but is looking at customer needs and trying to figure out how we can best serve them.”

Pacing its increase in customers, the MPS ecosystem of global partners continues to expand. Most recently MPS announced its teaming agreement with

Above Alsim's Airliner represents a progression of the company's portfolio of fixedbase training devices to support ab initio and comparable training audiences. Image credit: Alsim.

RSI

Simulation

for support in the US.

Beyond the US, MPS is partnering with S&T companies in India and Asia.

Converging forces are also shaping Alsim’s business model and product portfolio. Audrey Jeffroy, Sales Director, told CAT that in one case Alsim has heard the customers’ clarion call to have their aspiring pilots “be more ready to go into the full-flight simulator for advanced training.” She added, “They need to understand leadership, teamwork and other skills and be more acute on specific systems that will be on their aircraft.” At the same time, Alsim has watched the quickening pace of aircraft training enterprises embracing competency-based training.

Enter Alsim’s latest offering, the Airliner device, which provides two interchangeable cockpit configurations, allowing the customer to adapt training to match market requirements. The Airliner permits training audiences the opportunity to learn and rehearse required skills and gain knowledge about specific aircraft systems. While the Airliner provides the platform to familiarize students with multi-crew operations, different aircraft and system operations, the device further supports higher-order training, including UPRT and preparation for more detailed aircraft assessment. The Alsim executive added that students completing instruction on the Airliner device may earn up to 40 EASA credit hours.

The Airliner represents a progression of Alsim’s deliberate business decision to develop and maintain its portfolio of fixed-base training devices to best support ab initio and comparable training audiences, and not develop devices with motion bases.

Alsim is further expanding its ecosystem, in one case, collaborating with Capt. Andy O’ Shea and the Airline Pilot Club to develop a workbook to better enable the training organization customer staff to optimize the Alsim simulator experience.

Havelsan is another OEM reporting an expanding product portfolio and its response to the entire spectrum of a pilot’s training continuum.

Emre Bilge, Director of Business Development, observed that after the Covid pandemic, larger airlines prefer to outsource type-rating training to training

centers instead of conducting the training on their own due to the lack of time slots on simulators. “Therefore, training centers have been in need of simulators that can provide ab initio training, type-rating training on flight training device and full-flight simulator levels. Havelsan-provided solutions can cover all the possible needs in the field by offering all training solutions ranging from ab initio to FFS.”

Havelsan has supplied a Boeing 737-800 NG simulator, and will deliver a mix of 11 A320 Current Engine Options and New Engine Options, Boeing 737 MAX FFS and FTD Simulators to Turkish Airlines. The Boeing 737 MAX FFS operated by Turkish Airlines achieved EASA Level D certification in April. The executive emphasized Havelsan’s ability to broaden its pilot training device and services portfolio’s attractiveness to airlines and training centers around the globe.

Iñigo Hernandez, Business Manager at Entrol, said that, regarding fixed-wing training, “we are proud our en-1000x is keeping up with the sales pace it had last year,” as flight schools find the en-1000x “a must-have simulator for their initial training.” The spokesperson, based at corporate headquarters in Madrid, also pointed out Entrol has found an increasing interest in the Air Tractor simulator these past years. “Unfortunately, wildfires worldwide are increasing, so the means to extinguish those fires are getting popular.” Regarding helicopter training devices, the H145 is Entrol’s top requested simulator. Hernandez said Entrol has sold five units in a year and a half in Mexico, New Zealand, Japan, Italy, and Brazil. “We are confident the H145 D3 will be a widely used helicopter.”

Entrol ended 2022 with record sales, having sold 9 fixedwing and 10 helicopter simulators and considerably increasing its presence in Asia and Europe. The Entrol spokesperson added, “We are launching an expansion program in the US, focused on portfolio and maintenance. Portfolio-wise, we have launched two new AATDs (advanced aviation training devices) based on the Bell 505 and Cabri G2. Our line of AATDs is called the H1000, a new product created specifically for the American market.” Entrol’s recently opened Maintenance Center in Denver, Colorado is intended to better assist the company’s customers in the

Above MPS's Adrian told CAT: “What you see right now is that connection between the training organization and airline evolving… a higher level of device to ensure that the quality of training is aligned with future work, not just regulatory compliance.”

Image credit: MPS.

Opposite Mixed reality allows training in highly immersive scenarios, performing SAR, HEMS, or fire fighting missions in rotary-wing aircraft types.

Image credit: Entrol.

American and European time zones and increase its presence throughout a product life cycle in the Americas.

FlightSafety International is broadening its footprint in the commercial aviation device market in “a big way,” according to Nathan Speiser, Executive Vice President, Global Sales and Marketing. “That means producing more ‘whitetails,’” the executive said, and for amplification noted FSI is “in process of getting five B737 MAX [FFSs] out on the lines – Airbus 220s and 320s as well. That’s not something that we previously did. We’re here and present. We know there’s demand.”

Yet, commercial airline training enterprises are telling FSI and other industry OEMs that they are seeking devices to permit their flight crews to train – with caveats.

Speiser first pointed to FTDs, which he offered are becoming more sophisticated to allow aspiring pilots to complete more procedures training at lower-level prices. “All of that leads to the ‘prepared vs. proficient’ challenge, so you can become a much more prepared pilot if you’re new to the aircraft and you spent a lot of time in the FTD on procedures training. By the time you step into the FFS you are going to be that much more prepared to perform well. That is one trend we’re seeing.”

On cue, Michael Vercio, FSI’s Executive Vice President, Simulation Systems, recalled his company’s acquisition of Frasca International in 2022. “As Nate

alluded to FTDs, that’s why we acquired Frasca – they are very proficient in that market. In terms of customers’ demands we’re seeing a bifurcation. Some use a Level 6 or 7 FTD – big machines to qualify their pilots. But we’re seeing at our learning centers and elsewhere that some customers are gravitating towards Level 4 or 5 FTDs where you don’t need to pay for the qualification of that device.”

Technology Insertions

As new, diverse devices populate training enterprises, simulation and training industry technologies are maturing at a quickening pace – offering training enablers from AI to XR to the integration of big data and beyond.

FSI’s Vercio raised the powerful notion of a pilot transcript as another technology enabler for a pilot’s continuum of learning. The transcript is simply a compilation of flying habits from Day 1 to Current State, supported by all data extracted from learning devices. Indeed, FSI’s recent partnership with GE Data was envisioned to drastically advance this OEM’s Big Data sector capabilities.

Speiser then commented on the quick pace of discussions about AI in and adjacent to the commercial aviation training market. The executive placed a marker down, noting from FSI’s perspective, AI is a “more tailored, iterative data base – machine learning, I would say, to show qualification of the pilot as they move through that life cycle, to say, the pilot is getting better over time. If there

are areas that need to be looked at, you are doing so in a localized setting. You simply can’t do that without Big Data and some type of machine learning.”

FSI’s ecosystem is also expanding in other S&T sectors. The OEM recently announced its agreement to upgrade its VITAL visual system through its partnership with Epic Games. Vercio concluded, “We’re looking to push out the VITAL for Frasca FTDs by the end of this year. That’s really aggressive but the Frasca team has done a fantastic job and will do it. You’re getting that top-notch visual in the lower-level training device. That will then be rolled out next year to all of our Level D FFSs.”

L3Harris is concurrently focused on how its customers integrate virtual reality, gaming and other emerging enablers in the commercial aviation enterprise. Swann added that, in one technology thrust, “We’re looking at what we can do with virtual flight decks to improve the pilot’s learning. Also of importance is exploiting the data off the device and determining how does it inform the customer’s decision making.”

At the high-end of the learning technology spectrum, MPS is focused on how easy it is for an organization to use the OEM’s simulators. In one instance, MPS has redesigned its instructor cabin for the better usage of the instructor and the training audience. Further down the learning continuum Big Data and AI have caught the attention of this industry executive. “If you do not have an ability to measure what is important, how can you change or even address the task? So, the data issue is much more important.”

Havelsan’s Bilge pointed out that as an extended version of ab initio training, PRIME is offered to customers. The Ankara-based executive concluded, “Training will be executed with VR without the need for a display system or projectors. This will be an even more cost-effective solution for customers who need a mobile and compact system. Since Havelsan is a military-based company, AR/VR/AI solutions are already provided, and as long as the civil aviation regulations permit, transferring these technologies to our civil solutions is aimed and planned.” cat

TECHNOLOGY

Coming Soon: Smarter Motion and Eye-Tracking Systems

Motion-based training devices remain a mainstay of the commercial aviation training enterprise and are being adapted for the evolving eVTOL market. Concurrently, device providers are increasingly integrating head- and eye-tracking systems into their training devices. Marty Kauchak spoke with leading industry suppliers.

While FTDs become increasingly capable and less expensive than full-flight simulators, don’t write off the ubiquitous FFSs – yet. Indeed, FFSs and their underpinning motion systems will have a firm place in the commercial aviation training enterprise well into the future. In one instance, training organizations and airline operators continue to offload UPRT and associated challenging training tasks from supported aircraft into motion devices. At the same time, motion base suppliers and training device OEMs are improving the life cycle of motion devices – integrating head- and eyetracking and other technology enablers to add rigor to FFS scenarios, enhancing the life-span and operating characteristics of motion bases.

Insights into trends and developments in motion and tracking systems were gained from four perspectives – at the motion supplier level from Ton Stam, E2M Technologies, the full-flight simulator OEM level from Dr. Christian Theuermann, AXIS Flight Training Systems, and Till Borngräber, F.A.S.T. Group GmbH, and head-/eye-tracking specialists Smart Eye - Soli Shahmehr and Björn Lindahl.

“Quite a Large Backlog”

Ton Stam, Sales Director at E2M Technologies, is seeing subtle changes in the motion systems segment of the commercial avia-

tion training enterprise. While Stam said training tasks continue to be off-loaded from Level D full-flight simulators into lower-level flight training devices, he noted “in the end there will always be a place for full-flight simulators – the reason being there will always be a part of the pilot training continuum in which an FFS will be required.”

Looking at the overall market forces on this industry segment, Stam first noted there is “some hesitation and uncertainty” in the airline training community about ordering new FFSs. But the corporate executive then called attention to recent booking announcements by OEMs of FFSs and industry forecasts, and said the FFS market, and by extension the demand for motion systems, “looks healthy at this time.”

E2M is a familiar brand in the commercial aviation training market, with more than 150 motion systems fielded around the globe – primarily to training

Above Ton Stam, E2M: Customers expecting 'install and forget' nextgen Level D motion system. Image credit: E2M Technologies.

organizations. Further, Stam reported E2M “has quite a large backlog,” but called attention to another force at play – the challenges to get motion system parts. Noting the availability of system components changes almost weekly, he said that in one case, power cables which connect system actuators have extended lead times. While E2M adroitly seeks alternate and long-term suppliers, the global availability of cables remains uncertain, as electric vehicle makers and other industries compete for these and other motion system materiel. In another effort to improve product life-cycle performance, E2M is expanding teaming agreements with in-country partners to establish part depots, and deliver repair resources and other support in Asia and elsewhere on “very short notice.”

On the motion system community’s near-term horizon, Stam is expecting a new generation of Level D motion systems for the commercial aviation sector. “Our customers are driving this and it’s a total cost, life-cycle issue. They are looking for an ‘install and forget’ system.” Such a system would be expected to have lower energy consumption, be more “user friendly,” have decreased maintenance requirements and like attributes. The executive concluded, “E2M is on track with these new requirements.”

OEMs Weigh In

One OEM, AXIS, thinks the demand for FFSs will increase during the next years, as customers want to improve the training of their pilots. Dr. Christian Theuermann, COO/CFO at the company, pointed out core training events are only possible on an FFS, like UPRT, engine failures, hard landings, turbulence, realistic takeoff / landing training, etc. Of significance, “More than 95% of our customer requests are for a motion-based simulator.”

The corporate executive then focused on specific, emerging requirements helping to generate this demand for FFSs. Windshear was at the top of his list. Theuermann initially noted AXIS windshear training is based on FAApublished models and provides different intensities for different student levels (light, moderate, severe). “Significant motion cues are part of the wind shear

simulation as well as a high-fidelity rendering of the aerodynamic model are essential to provide realistic training; these items are crucial to be trained on an FFS.”

The executive also emphasized the AXIS FFS provides an integrated training solution for all required UPRT tasks. “The system incorporates a wake vortex simulation to provide realistic pilot-inthe loop scenarios in different intensities,” he said, and continued, “The number of scenarios is more or less unlimited. The training providers can add as many scenarios in different settings as they need to fulfill the training tasks. Also, pilot out-of-the-loop maneuvers are part of the integrated solution and are tailored to the training needs.”

AXIS works with multiple core motion-system suppliers, including Bosch/VHT, E2M and Moog. The executive noted, “Our modern and flexible software solution interface is able to integrate different motion systems in a very efficient way.”

Theuermann then delved into other technology enablers that are helping AXIS FFSs stay ahead of customer requirements. Of importance, the AXIS Evidence-Based Training is based on an AI backend. The executive then noted eye tracking is already possible by com-

bining specialized hardware, software and neuroscientific algorithms, to understand how people cope with increasing mental load, internal and external stressors and sudden changes in their environment. “As ‘visible parts of the brain,’ biologically, eyes are ideal for cognitive monitoring. Through eye tracking it is possible to analyze psycho-physiological biofeedback to track changes in attention and perception and even more detailed psychometrics as cognitive load, fatigue measurement and prediction.”

Theuermann added this technology enables customers a better selection of staff and improvement of safety by assessing human factors data and the possibility of evidence-based training by integration of mental load data and insights into the individual processing architecture of pilots. AXIS sees applicability of eye tracking in its training devices through the continuum of pilot training, from cadet pilots up through experienced crews, as well as instructors and target groups outside aviation.

Based on the demand for new pilots around the globe and the aviation market’s return to pre-Covid operational levels, AXIS believes “the commercial aviation FFS market will grow during the next years.”

Getting a ‘Feel’ for eVTOLs

Till Borngräberm, Member of the Executive Board, F.A.S.T. Group GmbH, provided a third perspective on the motion sector – addressing it from meeting the needs of the emerging eVTOL market.

First, the basics include F.A.S.T.’s flagship MR Series X Flight Simulator, “for which we use an electrically actuated 6 DoF motion base, supplied by VRX Sim. It offers our customers a small form factor, reliable operations and low latencies.

The industry executive also emphasized as part of his team’s Mixed Reality Concept, “eye tracking will be a crucial component of our simulators and provide instructors with a new way of interacting with their students. Additionally, we are working on software to further expand on the benefits of eye tracking and use the data in a new and unique way.”

Borngräberm explained motion changes the way pilots interact with

Above Dr. Christian Theuermann, AXIS: Crucial to train windshear, UPRT on an FFS. Image credit: AXIS Simulation.

their aircraft, especially in VMC [visual meteorological conditions] and close to the ground, both conditions encountered in an eVTOL. “But crucially, eVTOLs are a new generation of aircraft with unique flight dynamics and a new flight feel. Safety should always be at the forefront of eVTOL pilot training, and teaching pilots on how eVTOLs ‘feel’ is just as important as teaching them how to operate the systems. This is why we believe pilot training should always be taught on motion devices. Because of the unique flight characteristics, we are currently developing a new kind of motion device. It will accurately model certain flight dynamics unique to eVTOLs.”

A partial list of F.A.S.T.’s industry/ academic partners include: Elite Simulation Solutions; Technische Universität München; Rotor Consult; FTD Consulting and MOC Simulation Services.

The corporate executive’s roadmap for the next 12 months has many waypoints. A brief summary of activities include: eye-tracking improvements; developing a new type of motion system; improved modularity: and further work with its partner OEMs in regards to flight and system modeling, interchangeability of components, and core training goals.

Tracking in Demand

AXIS and F.A.S.T.’s inclusion of headand eye-tracking systems in their FFSs are the tip of the growing demand for this enabling technology across the commercial aviation market.

Smart Eye’s 3D Head and Eye Tracking products are available for integration into training devices to enable students and their instructors opportunities to better analyze trainee performance during scenarios. Soli Shahmehr, Vice President and Head of Research Instruments at the company, offered the use case of a landing scenario during a simulator session. During the task, Smart Eye enables the instructor to see in real time where the student is scanning – with head movement and eye gaze measured and tracked in 3D (X, Y and Z axes) – while they performed the task. The executive added the major goal “is to help the students optimize their performance during a specific task.”

Smart Eye’s entry into the com-

mercial aviation sector provides another instance of “crossfertilization” in safety-critical training enterprises, where in this instance, the Swedish-based company is bringing to bear competencies developed in the automotive, aviation and other industries. Shahmehr pointed out, “Smart Eye has more than 20 years of experience in the automotive industry. Today there about 2 million cars on the road equipped with our software. We have more than 200 car models that will come into the market in the near future.”

In the commercial aviation industry, Björn Lindahl, Vice President of Product and Innovation at Smart Eye, called attention to their products having been used in research and development activities, with pilot training being a new business pursuit. “We’re educating the market and, at the same time, we’re learning from the market – especially what it means to work in this part of the aviation industry.” One valuable lesson learned from its emerging work with training enterprises has been the value of its tools during the student’s post-simulator review session. The executive noted Smart Eye is in discussion with a number of airlines and training organizations about its products, even beyond training. Lindahl noted interest by airlines and aircraft OEMs to use Smart Eye solutions on the flight deck during operations.

In terms of other product hardware/software underpinnings, Smart Eye offers a scalable solution, where 1-8 cameras can support wide-ranging horizontal and vertical fields-of-view, up to a maximum of 360 degrees (horizontal).

Smart Eye is strengthening its product line through the integration of AI into its tracking algorithms and through the 2021 acquisition of emotion-detection software startup Affectiva. Lindahl noted the ability to track a student pilot’s emotion is completed by monitoring facial expressions, most significantly when the trainee is “startled or surprised.” Smart Eye develops AI product enablers with its in-house staff. cat

Above Till Borngräberm, F.A.S.T. - eVTOL 'feel' as important as systems operation. Image credit: F.A.S.T. Group GmbH

ter. The recommendation is that they be certificated under 2117(b), the special category. Because these aircraft don’t fit the airplane or helicopter, the FAA noted that it needed too many special conditions and deviations for certification. And that didn’t fit. So they went to 2117(b). (As a former FAA official, it would be inappropriate to offer an opinion.)

New ‘Code Number’ for eVTOL: 2117(b)

The ‘G-35’ – SAE International’s standards committee for Modeling, Simulation and Training (MST) for New Emerging Technologies and Concepts – was launched in September 2021 to develop consensus-based standards for implementing advance technologies such as eVTOL while maintaining and enhancing safety.

CAT: How far along are you on setting standards for eVTOL/eCTOL aircraft?

Pearson: Our goal is to have a draft standard for aircraft certification, FSTD qualification, and pilot training and licensing by the end of 2023.

CAT: Do you recommend these standards be uniform universally? Same for US as Europe and elsewhere?

Pearson: Yes. We have ICAO and five other CAAs participating. The purpose is to ensure that these recommendations can be neutral, not specific to one regulatory agency or another.

CAT: Explain, please, on standards versus regulations. Do regulators take your recommendations and weave them into the regulations? Or do these recommendations remain recommendations?

Pearson: Great question. These organizations - SAE, ASTM, RTCA - all write standards and can write guidance documents. A standard that is written by one of these organizations is intend-

ed for regulators to use in developing regulations. Most times, regulators participate as liaisons and advisors to these groups. They're pretty comfortable with the standard as written. The regulators could integrate these recommendations into their policy documents and codified eventually. The recommendations could be a means of compliance. In this case, we’re hoping these recommendations can inform regulations.

CAT: Most of us remember when the FAA changed its certification standards for eVTOL aircraft in mid-May 2022. Which now states that these eVTOL aircraft [must or can] be certified in the “powered-lift” category rather than Part 23. This was a 180-degree change from what we heard from the FAA early on. As a veteran of the agency, I would like to get your opinion on the change. [Pearson retired from the FAA in December 2020.] Pearson: That’s incorrect. It isn’t a must. The OEMs can opt for certifying under Part 23 as an airplane or helicop-

I can only guess from what I’ve heard from FAA sources that under 2117(b), you can take the appropriate components of each. You aren’t limited. The purpose of the shift was so these aircraft could be certified without a burden to the applicant. Most applicants are going 2117(b), I’ve heard. The confusion came because several [eVTOL, eCTOL] OEMs were in the process of certification. And now they had to change course. FAA said you don’t have to change course. We’re just moving your applications to 2117(b).

CAT: With few exceptions, the eVTOL and eCTOL OEMs are not developing training curricula for pilots and AMTs simultaneously. They remain fixated with the aircraft development process. CAE seems to be filling that gap, leading the way, along with FlightSafety and L3Harris. Don’t the OEMs need to pick up the pace as relates to training of pilots and aircraft mechanics?

Pearson: In advance of certifying these aircraft, you’re going to need to think about training. Do you have appropriate training devices for pilots, aircraft mechanics? That is how I came up with the idea for G-35. Everyone was focused on aircraft certification and no one said anything about pilots. I have always seen pilots in this area [training] as being an afterthought. The last thing you need is for an aircraft to go through type certification and turn around and say, ‘who should we hire?”

CAT: [Pearson is a certified pilot with 50 years flying experience.] cat

Left

eVTOL aircraft are rapidly transitioning from concept to certification to operation, possibly as soon as next year. Image credit: Rick Adams/Midjourney AI.

CAT’s Robert W. Moorman touched base with Marilyn Pearson, Co-Chair of the G-35, and Global Regulatory Affairs Specialist, Advanced Air Mobility and eVTOL at CAE, on the group’s progress.

Mental Well Being is Top of Mind

The subject of mental health among aviation employees may have finally taken center stage. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has formed a Mental Health Working Group to set standards and practices for employee mental health programs at airlines worldwide.

“Our ultimate goal is to standardize mental health practices in aviation across ICAO member states,” said Dr. Johanna Jordaan, Chief of Aviation Medicine, ICAO. “It’s really a combination of who plays what role. We try to communicate that the mental health issue is not different from any other disease."

The group finalized the aviation mental health terminology and is reviewing the guidance material on mental health in the Manual of Civil Aviation Medicine, as well as the use of substances in the workplace. The group also completed a circular of peer support.

Meetings for the group, said Jordaan, have been accelerated with subject matter experts, including psychiatrists and psychologists.

The group intends to publish best practices in mental health so member states and stakeholders can learn from each other.

The Tragedy at Prads-Haute-Bléone

The mental health issue was thrust into the limelight following the 24 March 2015 tragedy of Germanwings Flight 9525. Following the crash, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) mandated that two authorized personnel be in the cockpit at all times.

In addition, the Pilot Fitness Aviation Rulemaking Committee, a joint industry and regulatory group, was tasked by the US FAA to assess methods for evaluating and monitoring pilot mental health and possible barriers to reporting concerns.

ICAO is not just considering mental health programs for pilots and flight attendants. Care programs for aircraft mechanics, air traffic controllers, engineers, managers and other air transport personnel are being considered.

Previously, ICAO, in collaboration with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA), published Fitness to Fly, which included material on mental health.

Need for a Global Standard?

One challenge to creating a global standard for mental health programs for various air transport sectors is cultural, according to several experts. Some countries don’t recognize the need for these programs. Pilots and flight attendants, and other airline

Above The stigma attached to mental health issues, while fading, is still present. Image credit: Gerd Altmann/ Pixabay.

Eight years on from the Germanwings tragedy, the need for aviation mental health programs has taken on global importance.

Robert W. Moorman examines the issue.

employees, also fear losing their jobs. Pilots also have the added worry of losing their medical certificate, which authorizes them to fly. Then, there is the stigma attached to mental health which, while fading, is still present.

According to some reports, younger pilots are more willing to admit they need help, but that contention has been challenged. Nevertheless, attitudes toward mental health counseling are changing.

“From a global perspective, there is considerable drum-beating to finally deal with this issue,” said Heather Healy, Director of Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Association of Flight Attendants (AFA). Healy, who has been involved in the EAP field since 1984, also serves as Program Manager for the Flight Attendant Drug and Alcohol Program (FADAP).

Also noteworthy: ”There is specific regulatory language directing European airlines to get a handle on this issue,” said Healy.

AFA, which represents 50,000 flight attendants at 19 airlines, offers one of the larger peer programs in the aviation industry, with 66 locations and numerous trained peers around the system.

AFA’s constitution and bylaws state that the union must offer support services for the mental health and well being of its members through its EAP program. Flight attendants in distress undergo an initial evaluation by a peer, who conducts the assessment. Nothing is off the table. Everything from financial and relationship problems to cocaine and alcohol addiction could be discussed. From the initial evaluation, an action plan is developed to address the issue.

Most times, the stressor is the working environment. Said Healy: “For a program to be effective, we believe that it should be thorough, well rounded and multi-layered. We require every flight attendant who receives substance abuse counseling to also be evaluated for mental health disorders. We cannot get access to treatment without getting the full complement of treatment they need for all presenting issues.”

As for instruction, AFA provides comprehensive, multi-stage training for peers, from basic to advanced in-person training. Continuing education is both inperson and virtual.

Training topics include:

• the value of peer support,

• best peer practices,

• stages of the peer help process,

• assessing and responding to threats of harm/suicide,

• understanding substance use and mental health disorders,

• conflict resolution interventions,

• case management requirements,

• responding to an aircraft incident/accident,

• and other subjects.

Airline Support Programs

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents 66,000 pilots at 40 US and Canadian airlines, has mental health-related programs worth noting. The association is long known for its structured HIMS (Human Intervention Motivation Study) program, which addresses alcohol and substance abuse in a frank and fair manner.

In the 1970s, pilots diagnosed with alcohol dependence were often fired. But, thanks to the work of Dr. Richard L. Masters, an Aeromedical Advisor to ALPA’s governing bodies, and ALPA pilot volunteers, pilots got help and most returned to the cockpit.

By 1984, HIMS programs had been established at most US airlines. Since then, ALPA expanded its mental health-related efforts. The association developed several programs, including the Critical Incident Response Program (CIRP), Canadian Pilot Assistance, and the Pilot Peer Support Program (PPS). All are designed to help pilots in crisis.

ALPA’s PPS group and international groups help pilots in crisis. PPS provides a network of pilot volunteers, who are available to listen and advise a pilot in crisis. PPS is part of ALPA’s Air Safety Organization Pilot Assistance Group.

“Removing barriers that could prevent or discourage airline pilots from seeking help when they need it is an essential step

Above Pilot Peer Support (PPS) is a network of pilot volunteers who help fellow ALPA members deal with stress from any source—financial problems, family or relationship problems, or any other work or personal issues Image credit: Air Line Pilots Association.

in making in making Pilot Peer Support work,” said First Officer Travis Ludwig, ALPA Pilot Assistance Vice-Chair.

All ALPA peer support volunteers go through extensive initial training and recurrent training, said Ludwig. ALPA instructors, who have been certified by the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF), teach the Critical Incident Response Program (CIRP). ALPA’s PPS program was developed in-house and certified by mental health experts and a former federal air surgeon.

The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA), which represents nearly 10,000 pilots, has an extensive pilot support program. Capt Chess Fulton is Chairman of the peer-run Project LIFT and Pilot Services. Project LIFT is separate, yet co-funded by Southwest and SWAPA.

SWAPA has a hotline by which a pilot can have a confidential conversation about a problem. The conversation and follow-up care ranges from depression, anxiety, substance abuse, relationship and financial issues. The team member is taught how to pick up on cues about a pilot’s current problem and stress levels. All Project LIFT team members are trained and hold a certificate on initially dealing with a pilot in distress. Recurrent training is encouraged.

“We are not counselors or therapists, but have extensive training on mental health issues and FAA procedures regarding them,” said Fulton. “We can make referrals to mental health professionals that are pilot savvy.”

The flight operations department makes the final determination on whether the pilot is a threat to themselves and/or the flying public, said Fulton.

One major hurdle to these programs is for the pilot/aviation professional to admit that they need help. “I wouldn’t say it is a must, but you’re on the right track,” said Fulton. “You have to have a desire to get better.”

One outside expert is Denver-based LiftAffect, which provides mental health services for professional pilots. Training solutions provider CAE selected LiftAffect to provide mental health services for its pilots at CAE Phoenix Flight Academy as part of a pilot project.

LiftAffect “fully understands the

importance of treating mental health while also navigating the FAA reporting requirements,” said Richard Morris, Director of Global Safety, Quality Assurance and Compliance. CAE’s goal is to “provide its pilots with the tools to manage stress and anxiety and improve their overall performance to minimize the risk of more severe mental health issues and reduce the overall levels of risk to our organization and the flying public.”

More Than a Training Issue

United Airlines Flight Training Center in Denver, Colorado provides guidance and help for pilots in crisis that will not be fixed by additional training. “We have the ability to refer pilots initially through ALPA’s Soar program,” said Rob Strickland, Senior Manager of Human Factors and Pilot Development. The center also has access to various mental health specialists and doctors. “We can refer pilots to our corporate medical department, which has a variety of in-house and external resources available to pilots. Pilots can be referred to the EAP while in training or be referred by the Chief Pilot’s office,” said Strickland.

The center’s resilience training program focuses primarily on the pilot’s ability to perform under pressure. It also allows the trainer to identify that the pilot has challenges unrelated to his/her piloting skills.

Pilots might become more vulnerable during this phase of pilot training.

“The resilience training allows the pilot’s

guard to drop a bit and could reveal that the pilot needs deeper support,” said Strickland. “This is no longer a training issue. It could be related to depression or a cognitive issue. And that is not our area of expertise.”

If counseling or other help is deemed necessary, mental health experts handle pilots’ exit training temporarily and the issue. “We wait for the medical professionals to say that the pilot is ready to resume training,” added Strickland.

Will ICAO’s involvement demonstrate the importance of mental health programs globally?

Said AFA’s Healy: “ICAO’s involvement will help to ensure that the design of mental health services considers the industrial and also the cultural context in which services are delivered.”

Concluded ICAO’s Jordaan: “The current global environment adds to mental stress at various levels of life, which means all of us need to do our share in trying to understand the underlying mechanisms and providing the necessary support to maintain aviation safety.”

Cohesive Coalition

The International Pilot Peer Assist Coalition (IPPAC) is comprised of representatives from various pilot support groups. The goal is to promote and facilitate psychological wellbeing throughout the US and international aviation sectors.

The IPPAC is comprised of representatives from:

• Project Lift – Southwest Airlines and Southwest Airlines Pilot Association (SWAPA)

• SOAR PSP – United Airlines and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA)

• Project Wingman – American Airlines and the Allied Pilots Association (APA)

• Pilot Assistance Network - British Airways and the British Air Line Pilots Association (BALPA)

• New Zealand Airlines and the New Zealand Air Line Pilots Association (NZALPA)

• Center for Aviation Mental Health (C4AMH)

• Japan Airlines and the Air Line Pilots Association of Japan (ALPA-Japan)

• Odilia Clark-Impairment Risk Management

• Center for Aviation Psychology (CAP) cat

Image credit: Air Line Pilots Association.

Ready for a New Acronym? IAM – Innovative Air Mobility

Volocopter is targeting commercial launch for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Image credit: Volocopter.

matically fall under one of the known categories of aeroplanes or helicopters, but which have the capability to vertically takeoff and land, have specific (distributed) propulsion features, may be operated in unmanned configuration, etc,” reads the NPA.

“That concept has been reflected in the new Annex IX (Part-IAM) to Commission Regulation (EU) No 965/2012, and will gradually address two major aspects of VTOL-capable aircraft operations:

• Manned configuration (with the present NPA), and

• Unmanned configuration (with a subsequent, future NPA under RMT.0230)”.

“…the whole legal framework on single skies and segregated airspaces for drones should be at full speed” soon, stated Eleonora Bassi and Ugo Pagallo of the Polytechnic University of Turin, in ‘A Guide to EU Drones Law, and its Work in Progress’.

EASA expects to release their Opinion and detailed comment response document (CRD) in the coming months. The public comment period closed 30 September.

The NPA puts forward the establishment of a comprehensive regulatory framework to address the new operational and mobility concepts that foster and promote their acceptance and adoption by European citizens.

IAM, UAM, VCA

NPA 2022-06 introduces some novel terminology to the market, such as Innovative Air Mobility (IAM), which EASA defines as “the safe, secure, and sustainable air mobility of passengers and cargo enabled by new-generation technologies integrated into a multimodal transportation system”.

A traditional (if a few years usage can be considered traditional) phrase – Urban Air Mobility (UAM) – is “a subset of IAM

operations conducted in to, within or out of urban environments”.

VTOL-capable aircraft (VCA) – without the ‘e’ for electric – are a “powerdriven, heavier-than-air aircraft, other than aeroplane or rotorcraft, capable of performing vertical takeoff and landing by means of lift or thrust units used to provide lift during take-off and landing”.

“This NPA is a significant one addressing… Manned EVTOL operations, also known as Urban and Regional mobility and covering passengers and cargo operations… Flight Crew Licensing… and SERA (Standardized European Rules of the Air)”, noted Yves Morier, retired EASA Principal Advisor for New Technologies.

For the future integration of VTOLcapable aircraft into the transportation systems of EU Member States, EASA found it appropriate to employ the regulatory infrastructure available today for aeroplanes and helicopters with the necessary amendments considering novel aircraft designs, types of propulsion, and concepts of operation.

“The concept of innovative air mobility (IAM) accommodates commercial and non-commercial operations with novel aircraft designs that do not auto-

Annex IX (Part-IAM) consists of four subparts:

• General (GEN),

• Operating Procedures (OP),

• Aircraft Performance and Operating Limitations (POL), and

• Instruments, Data and Equipment (IDE)

“Each subpart is structured in two modules: operations in congested (urban) areas (Module-UAM) and operations in non-congested areas (Module-NAM)”.

“The transportation of persons and/ or cargo by VTOL-capable aircraft in congested (urban) or outside congested areas requires a level of safety that is at least as high as that applicable to operations with conventional aeroplanes or helicopters. In some respects, the precautionary principle should be exercised until more data on operations with innovative aircraft is gathered”, the NPA says.

The main purpose of the SERA (Standardised European Rules for the Air) provisions, Morier said, “is to provide for a safe, orderly and efficient air traffic management and help avoid mid-air collisions. One of the underlying SERA principles is ‘see and avoid’, which shall be used by the pilot-in-command as last line of defence to avoid mid-air collision in all airspace classes.” cat

Mario Pierobon looks at EASA's NPA 2022-06 framework for the operation of VTOL aircraft and drones.

EASA Publishes FSTD Process for A/M/V/XR and eVTOL Special Conditions

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has published its process for “special conditions” for flight simulation training devices using new technologies such as virtual reality or new aircraft types such as electric vertical takeoff and landing ‘air taxis’. Rick Adams, FRAeS, highlights key elements.

For application of new technologies such as A/M/V/XR, EASA has determined “only the motion, visual, sound system, the representation of the cockpit itself and the interaction/synchronisation of the different systems could be subject to SCs” (special conditions).

“The training device should be assessed by conducting a ‘training evaluation’, EASA states. “The purpose of this evaluation is to investigate the abilities and limitations of using such novel technology to deliver flight training according to the intended training and if the device would meet the requirements for the desired qualification level. This should be done within a test campaign (fly-outs) performed on the FSTD by nominated pilots and instructor pilots from industry and the competent authority”.

In one example, EASA, notes: “If the type of FSTD is an FTD using Virtual Reality (VR) and being equipped with a motion system, the SCs should address the areas:

• Cockpit Replica – alignment tests (cockpit alignment, motion compensation for head mounted display (HMD)), HMD

tracking delay, colour representation

• Visual System – display system tests (continuous cross-cockpit visual field of view for HMD display systems, system geometry, vernier resolution, frame rate, colour degradation, black level, chromatic aberration, IPD setting and 3D projection, grating resolution)

• Motion System for VR FSTD – motion envelope (vertical, lateral, longitudinal)

• FSTD Systems – transport delay (visual-/ motion-/cockpit instrument responses)

EASA cautioned, “When Special Conditions have been prescribed for a certain FSTD configuration proposed by a certain TDM (training device manufacturer), it cannot be assumed that the same conditions apply to the same new features implemented by other TDMs within another FSTD configuration.”

For “novel types of aircraft”, such as eVTOLs, special conditions “will not be related to FSTD components but will address aircraft performance and handling qualities”.

The agency advises, “The conditions for those tests should be discussed with EASA as soon as the need for those tests is identified.”

Above Loft Dynamics (formerly VRM Switzerland) was the first to receive EASA approval for a flight training device using virtual reality. Image credit: Loft Dynamics.

“Close coordination and agreement should take place between a designated FSTD expert of the competent authority and the applicant before the issuance of a SC”. Whereas for A/M/V/XR technologies, either EASA or a national aviation authority will become the ‘competent authority’, “EASA is the competent authority in case of novel types of aircraft”.

There could as well be a combination of both new FSTD technologies and FSTD for novel types of aircraft (such as VR used in a training device representing eVTOL aircraft).

The EASA process document can be found at www.easa.europa.eu – FSTD Special Conditions development and assessment process published by EASA

For queries, contact either jens. krueger@easa.europa.eu (Senior Expert - Flight Crew Training FSTD) or the functional mailbox FSTD.qualification@easa. europa.eu. cat

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