Partnerships and training are key strategies the industry is deploying to tackle shared challenges.
There has been a lot on collaboration this week at Paris Air Show, and in the latest move, the chief technology officers from leading companies have agreed to work together to develop solutions for sustainability.
Daher, Airbus and Safran also announced a collaborative partnership to design and develop ECO PULSE a wing-mounted hybrid propulsion demonstrator for the TBM platform.
Taking off
Boeing’s technology development unit, NeXt, is showcasing its prototype two-passenger electrical vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft at the show. The aircraft, developed in conjunction with Aurora Flight Sciences, made its first flight earlier this year.
Former Airbus CTO, Jean Botti, founded VoltAero which brought its hybrid-electric Cassio aircraft and it should fly later this year. It should achieve 200kts and features both push and pull propellers. It will come in four-, six- or nine-seat configurations.
People
Of course, the big worry is just who will be flying these aircraft. Accenture’s latest industry report highlighted the issues.
The analysis finds that generational issues are one of the big challenges, with more baby boomers working in the sector than any other industry and an impending ‘retirement cliff’, as a result. There is also significant competition with other industries to fill these jobs, including the tech sector in Silicon Valley.
But the industry is responding. CAE’s group president for civil aviation training, Nick Leontidis, says that initiatives like CAE’s scholarships to attract would-be female pilots is one good example.
Old faces, new approaches
It was great to see a big name in aviation return to Le Bourget with De Havilland back thanks to Longview Aviation Capital, manager of a portfolio of long-term investments in the Canadian aerospace industry, bringing the trade name for the subsidiary company that will operate the worldwide Dash 8 aircraft business.
Longview also owns Viking Aircraft which now offers a new variant of the Twin Otter with a very flexible alternative to the challenge of medevac, maritime patrol, surveillance, and search and rescue – the Guardian 400.
Working in partnership with Airbourne Technologies, the Guardian features pods fitted with Leonardo’s Osprey radar system for multi-mission capability. The starboard wing has a Sentinent Vidar camera, a wide area optical search system for maritime search and rescue.
We bid au revoir to Paris after a very successful show but we will be presenting our highlights with a special overview tomorrow.
There will also be lots of films featuring the great stories and innovations that we have enjoyed at the show coming soon on FINN.
