Near disaster landing in Hamburg
A few weeks ago, a near disaster landing took place in Hamburg airport. An inbound Lufthansa Airlines A320 had been cleared to land and was intending to do so while flying through 75 per hour winds. After conducting a crosswind approach, it struck the runway with it’s left wing and then took off again to finally land safely in another runway. All of this was recorded by a person who happened to be videotaping the landing. He uploaded the video to the Internet and it’s now one of Youtube´s top hits.
During the approach, the wind struck the airplane and made the landing extremely bumpy and turbulent. According to the passengers, the oxygen masks came down and there was luggage flying all around the cabin. No doubt it must’ve been pretty scary. The pilot, known as Oliver A. and 30 years old, was initially criticized first of all for choosing the worst runway possible (Flight Control assigns inbound flights to certain runways, but the pilot has always the last word), and second for having cancelled the landing and taken off after the A320´s left wing had struck the ground. Apparently, the structural damage to the wing might have been enormous, in which case conducting another take off would be the last thing you would want to do.
The funny thing is that, according to a source coming from the German Federal Office of Accidents Investigation (BFU in German), it was not Oliver A. who was landing the airplane; it was his copilot, a 24-year-old woman known as Maxi J. The fact that Maxi was a novice pilot made critics built even more upon the pilot Oliver A. How was it possible that he had allowed a novice pilot to land a passenger loaded airplane in the worst weather possible?
However, and partly thanks to how popular the video has become, not everybody criticizes the pilots. In fact, the German public opinion regards Maxi J. as a hero after saving the passengers from a sure disaster. She did prevent the airplane from crashing after all. On the other hand, the German Association of Airline Pilots also supports the pilots, and says: ‘No one can blame the pilots, the flight security administration nor the airport for this traumatic landing’.
Anyhow, by the time the A320 had struck the runway with it’s left wing and taken off again, Oliver A., the pilot, had taken over the controls and he was the one to safely land the airplane on another runway.
The 75mph winds that the airplane encountered were the remains of cyclone ‘Emma’, which struck all of Europe during the end of February and killed 15 peolple. German authorities had warned all airports of the extreme conditions all inbound flights would encounter. If so, why did Hamburg airport Flight Control allow Lufthansa’s A320 to land in such terrible conditions? A very polemic decision indeed. We’ll have to see what happens.
For those of you who haven’t found the video yet, don’t panic, here’s the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCMTVPjKBXI
The USAF chooses the KC-30 to update it´s tanker fleet
The Unites States Air Force (USAF) has decided to go for the KC-30 to update it’s fleet of tanker aircraft. The KC-30 is a variation of EADS´s A330 MRTT, and will be manufactured by Northrop-Grumman on behalf of an agreement signed with EADS / Airbus. It will be equipped with the new ‘boom’ in-flight refueling system, designed by EADS. The A330 MRTT is it self an air tanker developed from the A330-200 airliner. The USAF´s decision to go for the KC-30 has indeed upset those at Boeing. The Seattle based company has been equipping the US Air Force air tanker fleet for the past decades.
Up until now, the KC-135 (a model based on Boeing’s 707 airliner) was the airplane of choice for the USAF´s tanker fleet. It has been in service for a long time now, and it’s probably by time it was retired. At first, the Air Force had actually thought of an American aircraft to replace the KC-135. The chosen airplane was the KC-767. Most of you will have probably guessed that this tanker was developed from the B767. If that’s the case, you’re right, and to be more precise I shall say that it was developed from the B767-200. What happened is that in December 2003 the agreement signed between Boeing and the USAF was cancelled due to a corruption scandal. It was then when the Air Force decided to give Northrop-Grumman’s KC-30 a try, and they liked it.
On February 28th 2008, the USAF announced that it had chosen the KC-30 to replace it’s KC-135 fleet, and officially renamed the KC-30 as the KC-45. The US Air Force ordered 179 aircraft, with an estimated cost of 35 thousand million $. Carlos Suárez, top chief of EADS Military Transport Aircraft Division, seemed very pleased with this purchase: ‘We have succeeded in the world’s most important military market, in the American market, and we’ve done it with a first class contract.’-said Suárez. He also seemed very confident: ‘The fact that the world’s biggest and strongest air force has chosen our product is a confirmation that this product is the best, and also that we have the most advanced systems`
The A330 MRTT, now KC-45 for the US Air Force, is widely used by some of the world’s biggest air forces, including the following: the Royal Air Force (RAF), the Royal Australian Air Force, the Saudi Arabian Air Force and the United Arab Emirate’s Air Force.
Boeing didn’t take it too well
The American aircraft manufacturer seems to be pretty uncomfortable with the fact that the USAF has chosen a European airplane for it’s tanker fleet. Jim Condelles, Boeing’s spokesman, said that the Air Force’s decision was ‘a heavy blow for the American aeronautic industry, for the American workers and also for the American military’. Loosing 35 thousand million dollars is not easy. On the other hand, Carlos Suárez said the following: ‘EADS began this enterprise along with Northrop-Grumman, America’s third biggest company in the military sector. We at EADS took for granted that the race to provide the USAF with a new air tanker was going to be clean and transparent’
The USAF seems to be very pleased with the new KC-45, so long for Boeing. It´s a very stable platform, ideal for in-flight refueling procedures, and is capable of traveling very long distances. One of it’s most amazing assets is in fact it’s in-flight refueling system, called the ‘boom’ system.
The boom refueling system
It’s time to get into some technical stuff now. Developed by CASA, a Spanish partner of EADS, the ‘boom’ refueling system is probably one of the most advanced that there is around. It must be said that the USAF not only chose the KC-30 (don’t forget it’s now called KC-45 in the US), it chose the ‘boom’ equipped KC-30. Other air forces have also decided to go for the ‘boom’ equipped A330 MRTT, including the Royal Australian Air Force, the Saudi Arabian Air Force and the United Arab Emirate’s Air Force.
The ‘boom’ system was developed following three independent phases. The first one consisted of undergoing in-flight contacts with no refueling. The second phase, on the other hand, emphasized on in-flight refueling procedures on ground. The third and last phase was the real one: in-flight contacts with real refueling procedures. During this third phase, an A310 tanker aircraft equipped with the new ‘boom’ system successfully refueled a Portuguese Air Force F-16 Falcon at 27.000 feet. By this point, the ‘boom’ system had sustained 73 flight tests and over 200 hours of flight time.
Advanced Characteristics
Built upon a very complex inner structure, the ‘boom’ system operates by using ‘fly-by-wire’ controls, which are used on almost every Airbus aircraft. The ‘fly-by-wire’ system allows the pilot to control the airplane’s surfaces through a computer, making it very safe and precise to maneuver an airplane. By applying this concept to an in-flight refueling system we are creating a very precise device, capable of refueling the smallest fighter during the biggest, fiercest storm, even at night, since the ‘boom’ system has been conceived to operate both by day and by night.
When it´s in use, the ‘boom’ system is capable of transferring over 2.200 liters per minute. This enables very fast in-flight refueling procedures, all the better, the less time it takes to refuel a heavily armed jet fighter at 30.000 thousand feet the better. If anything should occur during this procedure, ‘boom’ would automatically interrupt it and retract the refueling ‘hose’ by it’s own.
The potential of this new system is enormous, and the Air Force knows it. Anyways, EADS / Airbus has surely scored a point by selling the A330- MRTT and the ‘boom’ system to the USAF. Boeing will have to wait for the next one. It’s obvious that the big rivalry between these two companies regards not only civil aviation, but military as well.
Project Aurora: the way to achieve fuel efficient landings
Environment friendly flights are becoming more and more usual. Airlines are making a big effort to ensure that their flights are cleaner and quieter, or as they like to call them, ‘greener’.
One of the last big efforts to farther contribute to these so-called environment friendly flights is project Aurora. Led by Airbus, SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) and the Swedish CAA, Aurora has developed a new landing procedure that will allow airlines to cut down the fuel consumption rate, hence cutting back polluting emissions as well. This new procedure is referred to as aurora approach or green approach.
The first green approach took place in December 2007. The flight was part of a program in which all of SAS´s A330´s inbound to Arlanda airport between December 1st 2007 and January 6th 2008 were supposed to conduct aurora arrivals. The aircraft took off from New York’s Newark Liberty International airport and landed in Arlanda as intended, this is, performing a green approach, an aurora approach.
What are these aurora approaches anyways? Well, the truth is that they’re actually quite simple procedures, and they ensure airlines to save up a lot of fuel.
While performing an aurora approach, an aircraft performs a continuous and uninterrupted descent at idle power from cruising altitude to the runway. This explains why these descents are also called continuous descent approaches (CDA´s).
During the duration of a CDA, an aircraft is supposed to fly on it’s autopilot practically until it touches down. Once it does, the airplane taxies to it’s final position using one single engine. In fact, the airplane also taxies on one engine from the boarding gate to the runway when it’s going to take off.
Not only does this procedure allow airlines to save up fuel, it also helps to reduce noise and save up time. However, SAS knows that it will still take a little while to perform CDA´s on a large scale. Air traffic remains a problem, and since Arlanda´s ground flight management system is only now beginning to test this procedure, CDA´s must be limited to days with little air traffic. If SAS decides to conduct aurora approaches on a large scale, Arlanda´s air traffic management system will have to be updated.
Another European project, this one called SESAR, which stands for Single European Sky Initiative, is closely looking at Aurora’s green approaches to improve not only Arlanda´s, but also Europe’s air traffic management system
Project Aurora and the USA
After it’s successful trial period in Arlanda Airport, project Aurora will probably be put into good use in the US under a program called AIRE, a joint program between the US Federal Aviation Administration and the European Commission. AIRE plans to expand the already established network of American airports that will be receiving aircraft conducting CDA´s. It looks like the next two airports to be included in this list will be Miami International and Atlanta International. If one keeps in mind the huge air traffic flow generated by these two airports, it will become pretty obvious that the US Federal Aviation Administration is taking project Aurora very seriously.
Forecast winds, nowcast winds and observed winds.
Another asset being tested by project Aurora is a ‘tool’ capable of giving very precise wind forecasts. This ‘tool’ (when use this word I do it in a metaphoric way), takes into consideration three different kinds of wind related information.
While in flight, an aircraft is continuously being fed with information regarding to the winds ahead of it. This information either comes from the nearest meteorological center or airport, or even from an airplane following the same flight route. This is what we call forecast winds. As for the nowcast winds and observed winds, they give live information regarding to the winds a given aircraft is actually flying through.
By taking in consideration these three kinds of wind forecasts, people at project Aurora are trying to develop a much more efficient and accurate way of knowing the winds an aircraft will run into whilst in flight. By doing so, the pilot and copilot will be able to set the most ideal cruising altitude so as to get the biggest amount of tail wind as possible, cutting down both the fuel consumption rate and the flight time.
To take advantage of this new ‘tool’ an aircraft would have to update it’s flight management system. Once it did, the airplane would be able to plot an extremely accurate and precise arrival routing, allowing the destination airport to know the exact landing time.
Several airlines (both European and American) have already taken into serious consideration conducting CDA´s on a regular basis. SAS has estimated that after more than 1300 green approaches it has saved up to 186 kg of fuel per flight, with a 315 kg reduction of CO2 emissions. Over in the USA, UPS has estimated that it would save up to almost 4 million litters of fuel in one year if it’s entire fleet conducted CDA´s. On the other hand, Delta Airlines has said that aurora approaches would allow her to save up to 500kg of fuel per landing. The benefits of this procedure are not only obvious, they’re also amazing, it wouldn’t surprise me if in a few years all airlines were conducting aurora approaches.
AWIATOR, a research program with amazing results.
Our friends at Airbus have been undergoing some testing during the past few months that may end up with the application of some pretty neat devices on future commercial aircraft.
In fact, these tests were the last ones to be done in order to complete a research program called AWIATOR, which stands for Advanced Wing with Advanced Technology Operation. Led by Airbus, this program began in 2002 with an 80 million euro budget, and was completed in July 2007. Several countries took part in it: Germany, France, United Kingdom, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Israel, Portugal and Greece.
As said by the people in AWIATOR, this research program was aiming to reduce the impact of aviation on the environment and to increase the security on flights as well as passenger comfort. For such purposes, several new wing technologies were tested between 2002 and 2007.
These tests took place in two different phases. The first one ran up until the end of 2003 and saw the testing of these new technologies on ground. The second phase saw the most promising technologies being installed onto an aircraft and tested in flight.
The airplane chosen for such purpose was an Airbus A340-300. Fitted with a wide range of new devices, including a considerable arrange of sensors and cameras, the aircraft took off and tested these new technologies for over 3 years.
Enlarged winglets
If one takes a look at the wing of an A340 or an A330 (there are plenty of videos in Youtube if you can´t make it to the airport), he or she will be able to clearly see that this wing has a winglet fixed to it’s end. Winglets are beginning to be a common element among modern airliners. The latest versions of Boeing’s 747, 757 and 737 came with winglets, and as for Airbus, most of it’s designs have been conceived with winglets. Even smaller aircraft like those from Bombardier come with them.
There is an obvious reason for the wide acceptance of these devices; they help reduce the drag produced by an aircraft, hence making the fuel consumption rate better.
Getting back to AWIATOR (I tend to overwrite sometimes, sorry for that), winglets were one of the devices being tested. New, enlarged winglets, with a height of 3.73 meters were mounted onto the A340-300. The winglets were tested to find out more about their behavior, their structural and aerodynamic characteristics and their ability to reduce drag farther more than the original winglets, again cutting down the fuel consumption rate.
Inner spoilers and landing flaps
Spoilers were another of the elements to be tested by the AWIATOR program. Spoilers are flap-looking elements situated on the upper side of the wing. When an aircraft touches down, the spoilers are raised, thus stopping the normal flow of air around the wing (which produces lift), and makes the airplane ‘stick’ to the ground. Spoilers are also used as airbrakes while the aircraft is in the air.
By making some openings on the bottom of the spoiler, AWIATOR was trying to optimize the performance of these devices. These openings redirect the air towards the wing, keeping it away form the plane’s tail, making the aircraft easer to fly. It must be said that these changes were made on new, inner spoilers, the idea being that this would increase the aircraft’s drag, allowing a faster, steeper descent.
The Airbus led research program also tested some new devices attached to the A340´s landing flaps. These new devices were new, smaller flaps attached to leading edge of the original ones. They proved to be very successful in increasing the wing’s performance while in flight and during the landing procedure. Noise reduction was also achieved through these small leading edge flaps, properly called Mini-
Trailing Edge Devices, reducing the environmental impact of an aircraft fitted with them. We must not forget that one of AWIATOR’s main objectives was to reduce the impact of commercial aviation on the environment.
More testing was done on the airplane’s flaps. Small metal strips known as Sub-Boundary Layer Vortex Generators were added to them. This was done to improve the flow of air over the landing flap when it’s lowered and the airplane’s air speed has drastically dropped. At such speeds, keeping the air flowing correctly over and below the wings and flaps is crucial, and the Sub-Boundary Layer Vortex Generators proved themselves to be very effective in doing so.
The LIDAR turbulence sensor
Last but no least, and in fact I’m leaving this to the end on purpose, the AWIATOR program did some serious research in order to develop a device that would be able to detect clear-air turbulences before an aircraft actually had to fly through them.
Modern airliners are designed to sustain very heavy turbulences, so these pose no serious threat to an aircraft. However, they can be very uncomfortable, and if they’re very intense, they can make the wings sustain very heavy structural loads. A device that detects such turbulences will most surely be of good help to any airline, since it will prevent any further repairs.
The LIDAR turbulence sensor is a laser based ‘radar’ which operates at ultra violate wave lengths. It detects any variations in the air that may end up in any kind of turbulence. By using the backscatter produced by air molecules, the LIDAR turbulence sensor is capable of ‘seeing’ turbulences ahead of the aircraft. Modern airliners cruise at extremely high altitudes, almost 40.000 feet. At such a height, it is very hard to find any kind of particles rather than thin air ones. It is hard not be astonished at the precision of this device.
The turbulence sensor converts the readings it does into images in a screen, which is located in the cockpit. This allows the pilot and copilot to evaluate the magnitude and intenseness of the air gusts ahead of them, and then deciding either to fly around them or through them. If they choose to go right through the turbulent air, the LIDAR turbulence sensor will independently operate any necessary aircraft surface to make the flight as smooth as possible.
Amazing.
The AWIATOR program has proven to be a great success, achieving environmental friendly, smoother and safer flights. Even though it might take a few more years to fully develop these new devices, they’re ready for use. Will Airbus wait for the airlines to request their installation or will it go ahead alone? Now that’s a good question, I’ll get back to it in the future.
American Airlines, First US Airline To Offer Internet Connection On flights
American Airlines will be the first US carrier to provide an Internet connection to it’s passengers. This service will be provided through Aircell, an airborne communications company that holds over 30 patents of the kind. It will allow a broadband connection to the Internet wile in the air.
American will begin testing this new technology on all of it’s 15 Boding 767-200´s (mainly used on the airline’s transcontinental routes) shortly. In fact, American Airlines completed the first Aircell Internet connection installation on one of it’s Boeing 767´s on January 22nd, 2008. The US carrier is planning to update the rest of it’s Boeing 767 fleet with this new technology throughout 2008.
This new system will greatly improve the comfort level for travelers who choose to fly with American Airlines. This is no wonder; it includes a wide range of possibilities. It’s main feature will be a broadband connection to the Internet with similar speeds to those obtained in a conventional wireless or broadband connection on the ground. Passengers will be allowed to access American Airlines VPN (Virtual Private Network). Those who carry with themselves a laptop computer, a Blackberry or a portable game system with a wireless connection will be able to check their e-mail.
The US carrier needs to get over with the testing and certification phase before this service is ready, but once it is, the airline will also offer it’s passengers in-flight information regarding to boarding gates (just in case your flight was delayed and you have to make a quick connection), flight schedule’s and prices. Access to a short version of The Wall Street Journal will be available for all passengers.
There is no doubt whatsoever that being able to check your e-mail while in flight is a great improvement, thus making American Airlines a reliable option whilst thinking on which airline to fly with. However, it is true that this is not the first time this service has been used, nor is American the only airline which is planning to include it in it’s flights.
Boeing already gave it a try.
A few years ago, Boeing had already offered an Internet connection on it’s airplanes for those airlines which requested it. Several of them actually did, including Lufthansa, Japan Airlines and Singapore Airlines. Funny enough, not one single American airline seemed to be fond of this service back then. Boeing finally opted not to include it on it’s aircraft after spending well over 1000$ on this system and not having been able to persuade the big airlines to go for it.
Those days are over now, and quite a few American carriers are giving in-flight Internet access a serious thought. Jet Blue has already started to test a new system that will provide Internet access to some of it’s passengers. Such testing is taking place on one of Jet Blue’s Airbus A320´s. However, it must be said that this connection will be limited to checking e-mails and the use of Yahoo’s instant messenger service. Travelers who carry a Blackberry with them will be permitted to use it to check their e-mail as well.
Alaskan Airlines is another American carrier which is undergoing some testing to provide an access to the Web for it’s transatlantic flights, only this time the system will be based on a GPS Internet connection, this is, being able to access the Net through a satellite connection. Virgin Atlantic is another of the big ones that is giving in-flight Internet connection a try. Virgin, just as American Airlines, it will be using Aircell´s technology to access the Web.
Both American and Alaskan Airlines have already announced that they will not allow the use of cellular telephones in their aircraft during the duration of the flight. Virgin, however, hasn’t said so. Who knows, perhaps we will be able to check our e-mail and speak over our phone at 37.000 feet in a few years.
Spain’s Air Europa to go for Boeing’s Dreamliner
It has finally been confirmed that Spain´s Air Europa has ordered 8 new Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The aircraft are scheduled to be handed over to the Spanish airline in 2010 / 2012. By ordering Boeing’s last and most modern aircraft, Air Europa will be one of the first European airlines operating the airplane.
This purchase was confirmed a couple of weeks ago, on January 22nd 2008, by both Boeing and Air Europa. But things didn’t look the same two years ago. In fact, Airbus confirmed in 2006 that the Spanish airline had ordered 10 new A350-800´s, Airbus’s newest airplane (yes, newer than the A380) and counter part of Boeing’s Dreamliner. This same purchase was confirmed two years earlier, in 2004, by ‘El Mundo’, one of Spain’s leading news papers. It surely looked like Air Europa was keen on buying 10 A350´s.
What was it then that made the airline change its mind? Why did Air Europa decided that it was better to purchase 8 Boeing 787´s instead of 10 A350-800´s? That’s what we’re trying to deal with here. Both aircraft are very similar. They both belong to a new generation of environment friendly airplanes based on a more efficient fuel consumption rate and new composite materials. They’re both long range, mid sized airplanes with a wide body designed for long haul flights.
Excellent performance
María José Hidalgo, managing director of Air Europa, recently explained why the Spanish carrier had decided to buy the American planes. Keeping in mind that Air Europa is trying to compete directly with Iberia (Spain’s biggest air line) on it’s transatlantic routes to South America, Hidalgo explained that the Dreamliner was the best option the carrier had. It offered an excellent performance with a great fuel efficiency rate, an outstanding environmental performance and it offered an unprecedented comfort to the passengers.
Whereas the A350 is also an extremely modern aircraft designed to operate under new aeronautic concepts, it belongs to a different family of airplanes, it belongs to the Airbus family. Air Europa´s fleet is made up of different kinds of aircraft, but most of them are Boeing aircraft. The Spanish carrier’s fleet, as of January 2008, includes 33 Boeing 737-800´s, 4 767-300´s and 3 A330´s. Boeing is surely in good business with Air Europa, and this might be a good reason to explain why the order of 10 A350´s was finally cancelled.
Boeing vs. Airbus
With the 787 Dreamliner project, Boeing is probably trying to obtain a higher level of sales. Airbus’s twin engine A330 has proven itself to be a serious competitor to Boeing’s 767 and 777. It outsold the 767 by 24 to 9 in 2004. But once the Dreamliner project was in the air, a lot of airlines pushed Airbus to provide a competitor, since Boeing was claiming that it’s new airplane would be 20% more fuel-efficient. Although the European aircraft manufacturer initially claimed that Boeing’s Dreamliner didn’t pose a threat at all, it soon became clear that the A350 was it’s answer to the 787.
The truth is that Airbus has abandoned the A350 project due to severe critics that, funny enough, came from airlines which mainly operate Airbus aircraft. What they were saying was that the A350 was in fact an answer to Boeing’s 787. Such airlines were discouraged by the fact that Airbus’s design was way too similar to Boeing’s one. As a reaction to these claims, the European aircraft manufacturer cancelled it’s design and started working on the A350 XWB, which stands for ‘Extra Wide Body’, an airplane capable of fitting 9 passengers in a row in economy class.
All of this didn’t do any good to Airbus, and it might be another reason to explain why Air Europa finally ordered the Dreamliners.
Airbus-Boeing, Boeing-Airbus, the all-present dilemma among airplane lovers. Air Europa´s fleet will be greatly updated with the new 787´s, but it would’ve also been updated with the A350. Which one is better? I’ll leave that up to the readers.
Jaime Hoyos
Hello! My name is Jaime Hoyos. I was born in Madrid, Spain, 25 years ago and have been involved with aviation since I was a little kid. My grandfather was a pilot during the Spanish Civil War.
I graduated in Madrid and obtained a journalism degree. I worked in several radio stations and newspapers until I landed in the States. I currently freelance for several magazines, but what I enjoy the most is writing for The Airplane Blog! I am planning to make a living on aviation.
