An influential champion for aviation in challenging times

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Issue 4 July/August 2017

IN THIS ISSUEAviation news P2 Comment by Aeronautica P4 The Annual Reception P5-6 The 2017 Scholarships, Bursaries and Awards P7-8 Members news and Diary events P9

The major international trade air shows always act as a useful barometer regarding the current state of the civil aviation market. The recent Paris Air Show confirmed a slowdown trend in ordering new commercial aircraft in

most size categories, although in the battle for 150 – 240 seat single aisle aircraft, there was little let up with Boeing announcing over 360 commitments for its new 737 Max-10 while Airbus sold 100 A320neos to lease operator GECAS. The massive backlogs of undelivered orders will still keep assembly lines flowing at the highest levels of output for seven or more years, so the major aerospace manufacturers are assured of high levels of activity well into the next decade, a very comforting situation.

CIVIL MARKETS ON HOLD

While production of the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families of single-aisle jetliners have risen to an unprecedented combined total of more than 100 a month, the market’s largest offering, the Airbus A380, shows little sign of attracting new orders, with production down to just over one a month. There can be little doubt that at some time in the future, as capacity reaches saturation point on the busiest routes, a large passenger design will be needed, but can the A380 production line be sustained until that demand returns? The current problem for Airbus is that with the giant aircraft’s four engines and capacity for well over 500 passengers, it is less attractive to operators as the stretched widebody twin-engine aircraft, such as the Boeing 777 and Airbus A350. In their largest versions these offer up to 400 seats with outstanding fuel economy and route flexibility. The in-development Boeing 777-X family will introduce many new features, including a new wing and new engine and Airbus is competing with the stretched A350-1000. Both these aircraft are yet to enter service but will no doubt be even further improved over the years, whereas proposals to re-engine the A380 and incorporate other improvements are stalled awaiting sufficient new orders to justify offering such an upgrade. The world’s airlines are still totally in love with big twins for even the longest

non-stop routes, as they are so profitable, and this is seen in their replacement of so many classic four-engine Boeing 747s. In the meantime, the airline industry is witnessing interesting new attempts to create game-changing low-cost long-haul services. In the short-haul sector the Low Cost Carriers have dominated business growth and forced many long-established airlines to compete, with far from successful outcomes so far. New long-range capable versions of narrow body airliners such as the 737-Max8 and A321neo will allow operators to offer high quality transport at low Transatlantic fares. The Canadian airline WestJet, and Norwegian are investing in new route networks, and buying new fleets to generate more traffic at the expense of existing operators. Norwegian has the most ambitious plans and is building up a major hub at Gatwick for long-haul low-cost services operated by Boeing 787s. As the need for a new 200-250 seat twin jet grows, known as the Middle-of-the-Market category, Boeing is considering how best it might replace its existing 767 and 757, which have been so popular to date, but which are now ageing. Making good profits on low cost, long-haul services has long been a real commercial challenge, but the latest aircraft are opening up new possibilities that might make a big difference in the coming years.

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UK INDUSTRY NEWS

Rolls-Royce’s future technology strategy has moved forward with the approach of completion of its Advance 3 demonstrator engine. This is to be used to test a new core that will deliver maximum fuel burn efficiency and low emissions. The core and fan case have now been joined at the Rolls-Royce Bristol site and the engine is now to be taken to Derby for testing. It is a key part of the new Advance engine design that offers at least 20% better fuel burn and CO2 emissions than the first generation Trent engine, which itself was regarded as the world’s leading big-fan engine in fuel-burn and low emissions. The completed Advance demonstrator engine will involve the core attached to a Trent XWBfan system and a Trent 1000 low pressure turbine. The core technology will also form a key part of the Rolls-Royce UltraFan engine design that will offer a 25% improvement and will be available for service from 2025.

Rolls-Royce has also now despatched the Trent 7000 engines that will power the first flight of the re-engined A330neo to take place this summer. The engines left the Derby site to be integrated into the nacelles at Safran in Toulouse. The Trent 7000 is the seventh member of the Trent family and is the exclusive powerplant for the A330neo. The engine provides 68,000-72,000 lbs of thrust and represents a step change in performance and economics compared to the Trent 700, with a 10% fuel consumption improvement and twice the bypass ratio, with a significant reduction in noise. It brings together experience from the Trent 700, as fitted as a customer option on the current A330, the architecture from the Trent 1000 TEN (the latest version of the Trent 1000) and the latest technology from the Trent XWB, the world’s most efficient large civil engine in airline service.

On June 21, in the Queen’s Speech, the government confirmed that it was including a Space Industry Bill in the legislative programme for the next two years. This was described as aimed at realising the full potential of the commercial space sector to the economy and would create new powers to licence a range of new commercial spaceflight activity and the regulatory framework to manage risk, ensuring that spaceflight in the UK remains safe.

With the space sector representing the fastest growing activity in the UK aerospace sector as a whole, with highly innovative and funded work underway on new hybrid engines and longer-term associated re-usable space vehicles, the news has been welcomed by industry, where space is seen as offering great opportunities for new businesses. This new commitment paves a way forward to ensure that suitable legislation and infrastructure is in place in advance of specific new projects emerging, as well as developments of existing activities. The global space market is growing fast and is likely to become even

more competitive as new nations enter, with their own launch vehicles and ground-based launch facilities. There are also more air-launched platforms becoming available from which small satellites can be placed in Low Earth Orbit and other vehicles capable of suborbital flights. These proposals are aimed at space tourism but also have potential for other commercial and space research missions at far lower cost than when using the established space launch sites in the Americas and Russia. A UK spaceport offering satellite launch capability from UK soil will help restore a space launch capability that the country retreated from in the 1960s. Extensive rocket testing was undertaken on the Isle of Wight and in Cumbria, but live launches were then all carried out at Woomera in Australia. The new UK facility will encourage new launch possibilities to be developed by private enterprise and to attract potential overseas customers and further investment. The government had previously announced that it was to support, and select, a suitable spaceport and this new policy statement fleshes out that commitment enabling this programme to proceed.

GOVERNMENT COMMITS TO COMMERCIAL SPACE INVESTMENT

ROLLS-ROYCE PROGRAMMES ADVANCE

UK INDUSTRY NEWS cont from p2

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NEW RN CARRIER STARTS SEA TRIALS

Editor’s footnote:It is intended to operate helicopters as soon as possible off the new ship and deck and integration trials with the F-35B, involving both UK and US Marines aircraft, are due to start later next year. The vessel looks extremely impressive and has a massive flight deck that old Fleet Air Arm hands could only dream of, but it will be well into the next decade before a fully operational Tailored Air Group will be at sea in strength. The government has pledged to acquire 138 F-35s over the lifetime of the programme, but there is an urgent need to place firm orders for more now to provide sufficient aircraft to provide for both a land based and shipboard combat capability by 2023. The plan is to be able to put to sea a credible mixed complement of F-35Bs and helicopters as soon as is practicable and the initial two units to fly the combat jets in a joint force, based at RAF Marham, or on the ship, will be 809 Naval Air Squadron and No 617 Squadron RAF. A spokesman for the ship, broadcast on tv on June 26, said that she would operate up to 36 F-35Bs, plus the embarked helicopters (Merlin with Crowsnest AEW capability). We now have the world’s most modern aircraft carrier at sea, but that huge deck is going to look a bit empty until more than a token handful of jets start to arrive. But to get the massive programme to this stage despite many issues en route is a triumph and all concerned are to be congratulated on what has been achieved to date. Now let’s look forward to the overdue re-generation of naval air power projection beyond the era of virtual reality simulations!

(Pictures: Crown Copyright Royal Navy 2017)

On June 28, the first of the Royal Navy’s two new 65,000 ton aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth, embarked on her initial sea trials. HMS Sutherland and HMS Iron Duke are escorting the Royal Navy’s largest ever warship as she conducts vital system tests off the coast of Scotland. HMS Queen Elizabeth left Rosyth two days before, where she has been under construction since 2014, with 700 sailors and 200 industry contractors on board. Type 23 frigates Sutherland and Iron Duke have now joined the aircraft carrier, along with Merlin Mk2 helicopters of the Fleet Air Arm. Commander Andrew Canale RN, the Commanding Officer of HMS Sutherland, said: “It is a huge honour for us all in HMS Sutherland to be the first ship to escort HMS Queen Elizabeth on her maiden sea voyage. This is a new chapter in the history of the Royal Navy in which our aircraft carriers will have the ability to project power globally for the next 50 years.”

The sea trials under way off the coast of Scotland are designed to test the carrier’s engines and propulsion systems, plus her ability to produce fresh water, cope with sewage, feed the crew, and supply those on board with electricity. Lieutenant Dominic Rotherham RN, the flight observer of HMS Sutherland’s embarked Merlin Mk2 flight crew, said: “Today we were tasked with securing the seas around HMS Queen Elizabeth to make sure she is safe to conduct her sea trials. As an observer in the Fleet Air Arm, seeing her from the air for the first time brought home to me the scale of the future flagship and the power she will represent overseas.” The carrier’s departure from Rosyth on Monday is one highlight of a national effort which has involved more than 10,000 people across the land - not least six shipyards - clocking up 51,000,000 man hours. There were just 35cm either side of the carrier’s gigantic hull as she squeezed through the lock at Rosyth, and a mere 50cm separated the keel from the lock bottom as 11 tugs assisted Queen Elizabeth into the Forth before she began her maiden voyage.

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COMMENTARY by AeronauticaKEEPING CALM AND CARRYING ON

In recent months we have seen the UK government start the process of leaving the European Union, the USA is learning to live with the most controversial and unpredictable President in its history, the impact of global terrorism is demanding more and more public resources and an

unexpected snap General Election has increased domestic political instability, proving the validity of the unwritten Law of Unintended Consequences, and at the Glastonbury Festival the Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition is widely reported to have told the event’s organizer, a CND member, that he expects to be Prime Minister within six months and one of his priorities will be to cancel the Trident nuclear deterrent. Turbulent times indeed. Many old certainties have gone, attitudes have changed and it is difficult to see a clear path towards future prosperity and peace in an era where the British attitude of staying calm and carrying on can no longer be taken for granted. But this shift also indicates a lack of patience within communities, and certainly as represented by the national news media, an over concentration on matters of the moment. So what has this to do with aviation? During the election campaign hostility to airport expansion was present in a few local areas, but the valuable contribution that the aviation sector makes to our lives and the national economy received no recognition. Aerospace activity generates a turnover in the UK of £32 billion annually, and is one of the most important long-term sources of export revenue that exists, yet it has completely fallen off the political radar screen. Financial services, which have been encouraged by successive governments to become of prime importance as wealth and tax creators, remain vulnerable to short-term global market trends as we have seen, and face new challenges following Brexit, yet aerospace employment and the scope and scale of operations has been allowed to shrink dramatically without any national debate. Before the 1990s Peace Dividend defence cuts were implemented, there were 500,000 highly skilled workers directly employed in the combined aerospace and defence manufacturing industry, with a similar number in indirect dependent activities. Today, according to trade body ADS, there are just 120,000 directly employed. New, more automated digital manufacturing has had its effect on manufacturing numbers of course, but in a similar timeframe the airline industry has expanded massively, thanks to continuous year-on-year growth of over 5%. But investment in the UK aviation infrastructure, although increasing, has been at a painfully slow rate. As our defence manufacturing has declined, not helped with a default MOD policy of buying off-the-shelf equipment, so the UK aerospace sector faces a worrying future with few new aerospace programmes around which to develop competitive products for future export.

In retrospect, it seems incredible that the nation that once had Europe’s largest and most comprehensive aerospace industry deliberately withdrew from the design and production of complete aircraft. As the domestic military market declined, meeting the growing needs of export customers, such as in the Gulf states, was thought by decision-makers to be the way to sustain the manufacturing base, but in reality this could only last so long as there were products to sell. Because aircraft production can extend over decades this was not regarded by politicians as being an immediate problem at the time. International co-operation was seen as a way to transition to a new way of remaining in world class aerospace without having to be the sole provider of the investment in new programmes. Equipping other manufacturers’ platforms with integrated “systems of systems” was hailed as the smart way forward and making complete aeroplanes was described by key industry leaders as insufficiently profitable. This ignored the fact that many of the most successful UK products, including the Harrier, Hawk, 146 and Airbus wings, had all emerged from company initiatives. This policy, especially opting out of civil aircraft production, had a devastating impact on the UK supply chain. Coincidentally, this withdrawal from

the aircraft market saw the rise and expansion of the French industry, which invested heavily in military programmes (with a nationalistic procurement policy), missiles, electronics, helicopters and commercial aircraft including Dassault business jets, ATR regional airliners, Arianespace and leadership on Airbus. Following the UK’s unilateral withdrawal from developing new aircraft, Spain, Italy, Canada, Brazil, India and China have all taken a path in the opposite direction.

So, we are where we are, and must now focus on advanced technologies to develop and keep alive some of the skills and innovation that other nations are so desperate to have for themselves. Having withdrawn from a stake in Airbus ownership we still have a huge investment in wing production and must try to ensure through continuing excellence in innovative progress that this is not transferred elsewhere. The space sector is one in particular that will need continuing government support if the potential benefits are to be realized and mention of this in the Queen’s Speech is to be welcomed. But despite the funding issues facing future procurement plans, we can’t expect to see defence spending coming back to where it clearly needs to be. That’s another subject nobody wanted to mention in the election.

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2017 Air League Annual Reception Celebrates Aviation Excellence

On Tuesday 30th May, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, patron of The Air League, hosted the League’s Annual Reception in the splendid setting of St James’s Palace. The Air League’s Annual Reception is a key event in the national aviation calendar and once again it proved

to be an excellent opportunity for both sponsors and recipients of the scholarships and bursaries to meet one another. The weather was lovely and the Palace apartments provided a memorable backdrop as awards were made to those who had completed 111 awards in 2016 comprising 30 flying scholarships. These included The Prince Phillip Flying Scholarship, 1 Phoenix Helicopter Scholarship and 1 Bristol Ground School ATPL (A), 19 flying bursaries, 10 gliding scholarships, 5 engineering scholarships and 9 CTC/BGA/Air League gliding scholarships. In addition, the Trust provided one ballooning scholarships for disabled veterans, 4 flying scholarships for disabled veterans/serving personnel, 8 gliding scholarships for disabled veterans/serving personnel, together with 13 gliding-to-solo scholarships for city schools around the country.

The Chairman, Chief Executive and the Patron with Air Cadets on arrival at St James’s Palace

The President with award winners, their guests and sponsors in the Picture GalleryThe President with award winners, their guests and sponsors in the Picture Gallery

The evening also recognised a number of personalities who had made outstanding contributions to aviation beginning with Lauren Richardson for her involvement in STEM and the Amy Johnson Project, and Mark Swan of the CAA for the

huge amount of work he has undertaken on behalf of national and international aviation and aerospace regulation. To recognise their considerable contributions to the Air League, inaugural Presidential Framed Meritorious Award

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2017 Annual Reception cont from p5

Certificates were presented to Dr Francesca de Florio and Senior First Officer Andrew Perkins.

The Billy Deacon Search and Rescue Memorial Trophy, commemorating Billy Deacon who was posthumously awarded the George Medal in November 1997, was awarded to winchman Gary Robertson, winchman on board the Coastguard helicopter ‘Rescue 118’, who rescued a fisherman from a capsized vessel near Arranmore Island, 60 miles North West of Sligo, on 9 April 2016.

The Evelyn Saunders Trophy was awarded to

Clair Stoll. The Marshall of Cambridge Medal was awarded to Matthew Wong for his enthusiastic and unstinting work in support of The Air League. The Scott-Farnie Medal, for meritorious work in the field of Air Education, was awarded to The British Gliding Association. The Jeffrey Quill Medal, for meritorious work in the field of air mindedness, went to The SkyDemon team. Finally, the Air League Founders Medal was awarded to Boeing UK. It was presented to David Pitchforth, President BDS Global Operations and Managing Director Boeing Defence UK Limited.

David Pitchforth receiving the Founders Medal awarded to Boeing UK.Mark Swan receiving his framed address

Paul Spanner receiving his Boeing Disabled Veteran flying scholarship certificate

Jennifer Tye receiving the framed address on behalf of Lauren RichardsonGary Robertson receiving the Billy Deacon Memorial Trophy

Charlotte Baird receiving her BA gliding scholarship certificate from the President

Anam Rauf receiving her gliding scholarship certificate

The Prince Philip Flying Scholarship being awarded to Rasheed Graham

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2017 FLYING SCHOLARSHIPSSponsor RecipientThe Prince Philip NPPL Flying Scholarship Mr R Graham from Brondesbury, MiddlesexBAE SYSYTEMS (John Cunningham) Mr C Teixeira from Lytham, LancashireCaptain Colin Barnes Mr L Sealy-Knight from Charlton, LondonThe Coachmakers Livery (Capt Eric “Winkle” Brown) Mr T Winterton from Marazion, Cornwall617 Sqn Association - Guy Gibson VC Miss A Cleve from Grimsby, LincolnshireHQ Air Cadets (The Air Cadets Scarman) Mr A Armstrong from Ipswich, SuffolkHQ Air Cadets (The Air Cadets Scarman) Mr H Butler from Ascot, BerkshireHQ Air Cadets (The Air Cadets Scarman) Mr W Lupton from Tonbridge, KentHQ Air Cadets (The Air Cadets Scarman) Mr C Morrison from Leeds, West YorkshireHQ Air Cadets (The Air Cadets Scarman) Miss A Roach from Dalry, AyrshireHQ Air Cadets (The Air Cadets Scarman) Mr W Waters from Manchester, CheshireHugh Pope Mr H Matthewson from Basingstoke, HampshireLady Humphrey (Andrew Humphrey) Miss G Brinkley from Thetford, NorfolkRobert Kronfeld Mr B Heenan from Guildford, SurreySir Arthur Marshall Mr B Ellis from Cambridge, CambridgeshireD G Marshall Mr L Allison from Co Antrim, Northern IrelandSir James Martin (Martin- Baker) Mr Z Cornish-Moore from Stanton St John, OxfordshireRhodes-Moorhouse VC Mr D Weston from Frome, SomersetRoyal Aeronautical Society Miss T Maruta from Hillingdon, MiddlesexSwire Charitable Trust Mr J Austwick from Preston, LancashireSwire Charitable Trust Miss C Baker-Williams from Isleworth, MiddlesexSwire Charitable Trust Mr J Campbell from Ilford, EssexSwire Charitable Trust Mr A Docherty from Oldham, LancashireSwire Charitable Trust Mr D McDermott from Filton, South GloucestershireSwire Charitable Trust Mr U Khan from LondonSwire Charitable Trust Miss A Reid from Halstead, EssexSwire Charitable Trust Mr N Schleider from Tunbridge Wells, KentSwire Charitable Trust Mr A Taylor from Harrogate, North YorkshireSwire Charitable Trust Mr D Trew from Grangemouth, East Lothian

2017 WINNERS

Continues on page 8

2017 GLIDING SCHOLARSHIPSSponsor/Gliding Scholarship RecipientAir League Trust Mr J Ali from Bellingham, LondonAir League Trust Mr D Edwards from Frimley, SurreyAir League Trust Mr S J Franklin from Ilchester, SomersetAir League Trust Mr H Geeson from BristolAir League Trust Mr T Willson from West Wittering, ChichesterRobert Kronfeld Mr l Bennett from Greenford, MiddlesexJohn Marriott Mr A Cunningham from Stonehaven, AberdeenshireJohn Marriott Mr L Macharla from Aberdeen, AberdeenshireJohn Marriott Mr F Turner from Chipping Norton, OxfordshireDarren McQuoid Mr D Callan-Mcgill from Hook, HampshireDarren McQuoid Miss L Wootton from Warwick, WarwickshireW B Rhodes-Moorhouse VC CT Mr D Weston from Frome, Somerset

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2017 Winners cont from p7

RAF Air Cadet ConventionOn 10 May 2017, two members of the Air League Leading Edge Panel; Bridget Donaldson and Sean Link and Air League Trustees; Joseph Audcent, attended the annual RAF Air Cadet Convention at the Ramada Hotel, Grantham. The convention takes places in order to allow Wing, Region and HQ Staff within the Air Cadets, to come together and discuss ideas and projects for the year ahead.

This year the Air League had the privilege of sponsoring the event and took the opportunity to present on the work of the organisation and how this can benefit cadets in terms of scholarship opportunities, networking events and experience visits. Commandant Air Cadets, Air Commodore Dawn McCafferty gave the Air League members a fabulous introduction and emphasised how beneficial some of the opportunities we offer are to young Air Cadets aspiring to a career in the aviation sector. Amongst the guests at the convention were the CEO of the Aviation Skills Partnership, Mr Simon Witts, former Red Arrow and current F-35 project officer, Sqn Ldr Stew Campbell, and AOC 22 Group, AVM Andrew Turner.

The RAFAC carry out some incredible work in offering so many exceptional opportunities and enabling so many young people to achieve their full potential in the field of aviation and beyond. With the aviation sector being one of the largest sectors in the UK it’s so important that the Air League takes the opportunity to engage with these young people to enable Britain maintaining its position at the forefront of the aviation world. In the after dinner speech by AVM Turner, he made a point that to achieve this stance we must work to inspire the next generation. Imagination and innovation are the key to our future successes as a nation.

2017 ENGINEERING SCHOLARSHIPSPlacement company RecipientAirbus Helicopters Mr D Bodrell from Aberdeen, AberdeenshireBoeing Boscombe Down Mr M Atkinson from Moor Row, CumbriaBooker Aviation Mr J East from Leamington Spa, WarwickshireHeli Air Mr M Merritt from Reading, BerkshireLeonardo Helicopters Miss A Roach from Dalry, AyrshireMarshall ADG Mr K Gakuo from Ealing, Greater LondonMarshall ADG Mr D White from Basingstoke, Hampshire

FLYING BURSARYSponsor/Flying Bursary RecipientAir League Trust Mr A Garman from Newenden, KentAir League Trust Mr A Mackenzie from Gorbals, GlasgowAir League Trust Mr A Stiff from Blewbury, OxfordshireBuckland Memorial Mr C Stewart-Toner from Hopeman, MoraySir Michael Cobham Mr L Anderson from North AyrshireSir Michael Cobham Mr S Berry from Cambridge, CambridgeshireSir Michael Cobham Mr S Bissell from Leeds, West YorkshireSir Michael Cobham Miss C Charters from Gillingham, KentSir Michael Cobham Mr S Cheung from LondonSir Michael Cobham Mr M Childs from Witham, EssexSir Michael Cobham Miss E Cottrill from Colwyn Bay, ConwySir Michael Cobham Mr A Dickson from JedburghSir Michael Cobham Mr A Durrell from Staines Upon Thames, SurreySir Michael Cobham Mr T Gamage from Hanworth, MiddlesexMark Philp Jones Memorial Mr G Mortimer from Liff, DundeeKeith Mans Mr J Ziolo from Newquay, CornwallCharles Newton Trust Miss L Wootton from Warwick, WarwickshireThe Red Arrows Mr D Voller from Southbourne, West Sussex

UK SPACE CONFERENCE

MEMBERS’ NEWS

Attended by over 1,200 delegates, the Conference proved to be an unmissable forum for the UK and international space community, bringing together government, industry, academia, customers, suppliers, education providers, researchers and the financial community.

Attended by Air League Trustee Kerry Sanz, the UK Space Conference 2017 aimed to be inclusive and forward looking with the following objectives:• To bring together people and groups from within and outside the space community. • To exchange visions and ideas for using space, its technology and satellite enabled-services to shape our future.• To discuss how new knowledge and space-based capabilities can drive social and economic pro-gress into the 2030s and beyond.

The Air League future focus is very much on space.

The 2017 UK Space Conference was held in Manchester over 31 May -1 June. 2017.

NEW MEMBERSIndividual Members: Gemma Jefferies, Kyra Michael

Diary Reminders14-16 July Royal International Air Tattoo, RAF Fairford17-23 July Annual Aviation Paintings of the Year Exhibition, Mall Galleries, LondonNovember 16 Sir Andrew Humphrey Memorial LectureNovember 29 Youth in Aviation, House of Lords

For up-to-date information on all our activities please visit our website at www.airleague.co.uk where you can register for changes to be sent to you by email as they are announced.

Editor: Richard Gardner

Material for consideration for inclusioncan be sent via The Air League’s office

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The Air League Broadway House, Tothill Street, London SW1H 9NSTel: 020 7222 8463 Fax: 020 7222 8462 E-mail: exec@airleague.co.uk