Market Intelligence: -Training Aircraft Developments

University Shares Analysis on Circuit Training in Electric Training Aircraft

Canada based University of Waterloo and Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre (WWFC) instructors and Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA) researchers shared the following findings around pilot training with electric training aircraft;

  • The Pipistrel Velis Electro, the world’s first certified electric plane, was tested for takeoff, circuit, and landing phases at the Waterloo International Airport.
  • A team of instructors and researchers recorded and analyzed data from the Velis Electro’s onboard data logger during 11 flights totaling 10 hours.
  • Pilots completed 65 circuits, with an average flight time of 54 minutes and an average air time of 40 minutes.
  • The battery’s state of charge (SOC)
    • Dropped only 2% during 14 minutes of checks and taxiing due to the electric motor being off when not in motion.
    • Dropped by 9-11% during the takeoff and climb stage of each circuit, taking 6-7 minutes, and extended circuits used up to 21% SOC.
  • Power settings varied during different stages of the circuit, with maximum power of 64 kW used for takeoff, altitude is maintained with a power setting of 18 to 28 kW and almost no power is used during the descent.
  • After landing, the plane underwent a ‘touch-and-go’ maneuver, allowing multiple takeoffs and landings without stopping, enabling pilots to familiarize themselves with each stage of the circuit.
  • Charging the battery took approximately 60 minutes to reach 99% SOC, allowing for an average of six circuits and 54 minutes of flight time after an hour of charging.
  • The study will continue to explore the impact of temperature on battery performance during fall and winter operations.

Source: University of Waterloo
Photo Credit: Pipistrel

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US Flight School Paragon Flight Training Completes 2023 Training Aircraft Acquisition

Florida, United States based Paragon Flight Training is pleased to announce it has completed its 2023 goal of purchasing 10 new Piper aircraft, taking possession of the final two aircraft in September, 2023. The announcement was made by Paragon Flight President Christopher Schoensee and comes following the company’s purchase of 10 Pipers in 2022 and in alignment with the company’s aggressive plan of expanding its fleet to 50 new aircraft by the end of 2026.

“Working in such a high growth industry as aviation training, we need to remain laser focused on our strategic plan – and that’s what we’ve done. We know that having a modern fleet is not only a competitive advantage but provides optimal training for our students,” Schoensee said.

Paragon Flight continues to experience record enrollment trends, fueled not only by national interest in careers in commercial aviation but also as a result of the two additional locations it opened this year. In July, Paragon Flight opened its first Georgia location at LaGrange-Callaway Airport following its new partnership with LaGrange College. The partnership gives students the opportunity to pursue a minor in aviation using Paragon Flight’s Professional Pilot Program curriculum, Paragon Flight aircraft at nearby LaGrange-Callaway and a Paragon Flight-owned flight simulator housed on the LaGrange College campus.  In March 2023, the company opened a fully operational Paragon Flight Training facility at the Punta Gorda Airport in Punta Gorda, Florida.

The company also recently received its Frasca twin-engine flight training device, housed at Paragon Flight’s headquarters location in Fort Myers, to serve as a button for button complement to the Piper Seminole, an aircraft model essential for commercial pilot training that Paragon Flight purchased in 2022.

“With a growth-focused strategic plan, the best training equipment in private aviation, and a pilot training curriculum that puts a premium not only on skill development but character and leadership, Paragon Flight is extremely excited about the future and the contributions our students will make as pilots and aviation professionals,” Schoensee said.

About Paragon Flight Training

Paragon Flight is an award-winning flight academy headquartered at Page Field in Fort Myers, Florida, with additional locations in Punta Gorda, Florida and LaGrange, Georgia. With FAA and SEVIS accreditations, a fleet of 30 aircraft and advanced simulator technology onsite, the company trains commercial, professional, and recreational pilots as well as offering military pilot training for domestic and foreign governments.

Source: Paragon Flight Training
Photo Credit: Piper Aircraft (shown as meta image)

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European Training Aircraft Manufacturer Elixir Aircraft Joins the 2023 UAA Collegiate Aviation Education Conference

Elixir Aircraft, a company based in La Rochelle, France recently participated in the 2023 UAA Collegiate Aviation Education Conference held on September 27-29, 2023 in the Hilton St.Petersburg Bayfront, Florida. This 3-day event offers innovation workshops, thought-provoking education sessions, and opportunities for attendees to hear from leaders across the industry. During the meeting, committees meet to discuss targeted issues and policy positions that affect core groups within the membership.

The annual collegiate aviation conference is the premier gathering place for college and university educators focusing on the collegiate aviation industry. It includes presentations from government agencies, university professionals, research-based programs, safety professionals, and those committed to best practices in aviation education in the college and university environment.

Source: Elixir Aircraft
Photo Credit: Elixir Aircraft (shown as meta image)

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European Flight School’s Multi-Engine Diamond Aircraft Flies with Sustainable Aviation Fuel for the First Time

On September 25, 2023, following extensive tests and preparations, training aircraft from the European Flight Academy, a brand of Lufthansa Aviation Training GmbH (LAT), made a few circuits of the aerodrome at Bremen Airport for the first time. The DA42-VI from the Austrian aircraft manufacturer Diamond Aircraft was fully fueled with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). This flight was the result of intensive preparation between LAT, Diamond Aircraft, and the engine manufacturer Austro Engine. Bremen Airport was deliberately chosen for this flight, as it counts among the first airports in Germany to stock and refuel with SAF provided by World Fuel Services. This SAF is obtained from oil waste, aquatic plants and soil plants in Ghent, Belgium. In a first step, the oils and fats are hydrogenated and then refined in a similar way to fossil fuels. And as a result, SAF produces up to 80 percent fewer CO2 emissions during its life cycle.

The joint event with representatives of Lufthansa Aviation Training GmbH, Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH (Diamond Aircraft Austria), Austro Engine GmbH, World Fuel Services Europe Ltd., and Bremen Airport was the kickoff for extensive tests with blended SAF. Unblended neat SAF has been proven to generate up to 80 percent less CO2 emissions than conventional kerosene. It is the goal of all involved parties to make the training of future Lufthansa Group pilots more sustainable and environmentally friendly, as well. The results of this test series will reveal whether SAF can be used as the sole fuel for the European Flight Academy fleet in the future.

Eco-consciousness and responsible use of resources has always been at the core of Diamond Aircraft. The history started with efficient and lead-free jet-fuel engines and is going forward with electrification as well as alternative fuels and propulsion systems. Diamond Aircraft and Austro Engine anticipate increasing availability of ASTM D7566 SAF blends as a “drop-in” fuel for General Aviation in the coming years and plans to release the entire fleet for this fuel mix by the end of 2025. Significant market penetration of SAFs is expected by 2030 and availability of 100% pure SAFs without blending for 2050.

Birgit Bubelach, Head of Training Services at Lufthansa Aviation Training, commented on this at the event: “I am very pleased that we are all standing here together today and are able to witness this test flight of one of our European Flight Academy training aircraft, fueled for the first time with SAF. This has been made possible by our long-standing good partnership with the airport operator as well as the fuel supplier here at Bremen Airport, who, at our request and without hesitation, were available to our training aircraft manufacturer Diamond and its engine manufacturer Austro Engine for the testing of SAF for their engines.”

Mathias Offen, Head of Training Services adds: “Today’s test flight with SAF in one of our training aircraft is an essential building block on the way to sustainable pilot training at our flight schools, which we as the European Flight Academy are embarking on together with our training aircraft manufacturer Diamond.”

Robert Kremnitzer, Head of Design Organization at Diamond Aircraft Austria: “SAF is the most immediately available key to reducing CO2 emissions in aviation. The majority of the Diamond fleet can benefit directly from using kerosene piston engines. We are very pleased to be able to demonstrate this as a model example through the cooperation with our partner LAT and Bremen Airport, and we are convinced that we will jointly pave the way here.”

“Despite the system-related advantage of a kerosene piston engine in terms of CO2 emissions, any further development towards overall CO2 reduction is of great importance to us. SAFs represent a welcome opportunity to immediately optimize existing fleets with respect to decarbonization. These fuels have by now been sufficiently tested for use in turbines and their increased use saves tons of CO2. Kerosene-fueled piston engines play only a minor role in aviation due to their low volumes globally and their low emissions in general. As a result, it was very difficult for us to procure these “new” fuels for analysis and testing, let alone to participate in their certification in order to address the specific requirements of a compression-ignition piston engine,” says Felix Zahradnik, Chief Technology Officer at Austro Engine. “However, by cooperating with LAT, one of our main customers, and with the great support of Bremen Airport as well as WFS, we were able to procure enough fuel for extensive investigations on engine test benches and test flights in preparation for the certification of SAFs. We look forward to working with our customers to shape the future of aviation.”

Commenting on the decision to provision Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), Bremen Airport’s Managing Director as well as its COO & project manager stated the following:

Dr. Marc Cezanne, Managing Director Bremen Airport: “As part of our climate protection strategy, we decided in 2018 to provide Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at Bremen Airport. As a result, a tank farm for SAF as well as a reliable supply chain for the procurement of the more environmentally friendly kerosene were established. Since mid-2022, we have been offering ‘green kerosene’ to all airlines at our Airport. We are very pleased that Lufthansa Aviation Training (LAT) is now flying from Bremen with significantly reduced emissions.”

Christian Knuschke, Chief Operating Officer & project manager, Bremen Airport: “The planning and implementation of the SAF project was ambitious, but successful. We are currently able to store around 50 cubic meters of SAF at Bremen Airport, but in the long run we aim at further developing our capacity in line with the market. Already at this point, this makes Bremen Airport a pioneer on the road to green aviation.”

Matt Whitton, Vice President, World Fuel Services: “Collaboration is key in accelerating SAF adoption, and we commend the dedication of all involved parties in making this project a success. The group’s pioneering effort in SAF use aligns with our mission to expand SAF access and broaden the understanding that this is a drop-in fuel ready for use in any aviation application. World Fuel Services continues to work daily with producers and end users to advance SAF accessibility and promote its versatility for a greener aviation industry.”

About Lufthansa Aviation Training

Lufthansa Aviation Training GmbH (LAT) is one of the leading companies in the field of flight training with its competence in the training and further education of cockpit and cabin personnel at ten training locations. The company employs around 1,000 people at different training locations. The registered office is at Munich Airport. The customer portfolio includes over 250 nationally and internationally renowned airlines, including the Lufthansa Group airlines. Lufthansa Aviation Training has almost 200 training devices within its training fleet, including aircraft for pilot training, flight simulators of all common aircrafttypes for pilot training and emergency and service mock-ups for the training of flight attendants.

Under the European Flight Academy (EFA) brand, Lufthansa Aviation Training bundles all Lufthansa Group flight schools.

About Diamond Aircraft

Diamond Aircraft, headquartered in Austria with facilities in Canada and China, is amongst the leading aircraft manufacturer in General Aviation. Founded in 1981, Diamond has pioneered many aviation firsts and achieved numerous milestones and industry expert accolades.

About World Fuel Services

Headquartered in Miami, Florida, World Fuel Services is a division of World Kinect Corporation, a global Fortune 100 fueland energy management company involved in providing supply fulfillment, sustainability, and transaction and payment management solutions to customers worldwide. World Fuel Services sells and delivers liquid fuels, natural gas, electricity, renewable energy, and other sustainability solutions to its clients at more than 8,000 locations in more than 200 countries and territories through its Marine, Aviation, and Government divisions.

Source: Lufthansa Aviation Training and Diamond Aircraft
Photo Credit: Lufthansa Aviation Training and Diamond Aircraft

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