Airbus Luxe ACH160 now has an autopilot system that will take over in case of rapid descent

Airbus

Losing lift and stalling is the last thing anyone would want to encounter when flying. Although helicopters don't necessarily stall the way airplanes do, when they do, it can be hard to recover from.

You really wouldn't have to worry if you're flying in an Airbus ACH160 though. The innovative model ACH160 is a  part of the H series, which has an autopilot system that would take over in rapid descent.

Apparently, the autopilot is designed to kick-off while in recovery mode, which would arrest the rapid plummet, thus bringing the chopper back to stable flight.

This is the latest of a new generation designed from the passenger’s point of viewsays test pilot, Olivier Gensse, who has been with the H160, the standard version of the ACH160 since the program’s inception.

How and when is the autopilot activated?

A vortex ring state free fall is a condition where the rate of descent of the copter increases rapidly. Gensse simulated a similar condition and demonstrated how pushing a button on the control stick activated the auto-pilot, kicking the system into recovery mode.

He further simulated an out-of-control flight in brownout conditions, resembling limited pilot visibility.

Tech and specifications

The chopper comes with enhanced safety features and sets a new standard for passenger comfort.With as many as 68 different patents for a customer step change, the copter also features the Airbus-developed Helionix avionics suite for reduced pilot workload, the canted Fenestron® for greater useful load and a flat attitude in flight, and sound-reducing Blue Edge™ rotor blades for quieter operations.

H160 Interiors | Airbus

Helicopter accidents often involve human error, especially if avionics are complicated. We designed the Helionix 3 system to be intuitive and simple, displaying critical information as needed. It’s about reducing the workload for the pilot without a hundred buttons on the displayGensse says

Further enhancing the safety is the integration of the first-ever computerised rotorcraft flight manual (C-RFM), providing the crew with essential information about the aircraft’s performance by the conditions of the day, the optional equipment, and the desired flight profile.

The ACH160 also has automated takeoff and a collision-avoidance system, both of which signify “a lot of new technology” incorporated into the design.according to Frédéric Lemos, chief executive of ACH.

Additionally, they also come equipped with the world’s first-ever ground helipad assisted take-off procedure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzV6WZZeg0U

Ground Helipad Assisted Take-Off | Airbus | Youtube

The H160 also includes a tail fin camera, Sea State 6 emergency floatation system and windows that exceed EASA Type IV emergency egress size requirements.

COVER : Adrien Daste | Airbus

The government is making all efforts to complete the disinvestment process of national carrier Air India by the end of December, according to a senior official.

Tata group firm Talace Pvt Ltd has emerged as the winning bidder for loss-making Air India.

On October 25, the government signed the share purchase agreement with Tata Sons for the sale of the airline for INR 18,000 crore. The amount includes payment of INR 2,700 crore in cash and takes over INR 15,300 crore of the carrier's debt.

On Wednesday, November 24, Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Bansal said all efforts are being made to complete the disinvestment process of Air India by the end of December. Bansal is also the Chairman and Managing Director of the national carrier.

Along with Air India, Tatas will acquire low-cost carrier Air India Express and Air India's 50% stake in equal joint venture AISATS.

Air India has been incurring a monthly loss of more than INR 600 crore, he noted.

The airline has 43 wide-body planes, including 27 Boeing 787s.

On October 20, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the decision on Air India will give new energy to the country's aviation sector.

As of August 31, Air India had a total debt of INR 61,562 crore. Of the total amount, Talace will take over INR 15,300 crore, and the remaining INR 46,262 crore will be transferred to AIAHL.

Despite its precarious finances, Air India controls more than 4,400 domestic and 1,800 international landing and parking slots at domestic airports, and 900 slots overseas.

Currently, Air India has a fleet of 117 wide-body and narrow-body aircraft and Air India Express Ltd. has 24 narrow-body aircraft.

Besides, non-core assets of Air India, including land and building, valued at INR 14,718 crore, are also being transferred to AIAHL. Further, liabilities of INR 15,834 crore towards dues to operational creditors, like those for fuel purchases, as of August 31 would be transferred to AIAHL.

In 2019, the government set up a special purpose vehicle -- Air India Assets Holding Ltd (AIAHL) -- for holding debt and non-core assets of the Air India group.

International passenger flight services are expected to be normalised "very soon" and possibly by the end of this year, Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Bansal said on Wednesday, November 24.

Scheduled international passenger flights to and from India remain suspended since March 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The suspension has been extended till November 30. The normalisation of international flights is expected "very soon" and by the end of this year, Bansal said.

(Image Courtesy - ANI - Twitter)

Bansal's statement comes around a month after domestic flight operators in the country were allowed to operate at their pre-pandemic capacities.

Currently, India has air bubble arrangements with more than 25 countries for operating international flights. Under an air bubble arrangement between two countries, international passenger flights can be operated by their respective carriers into each other's territories subject to certain conditions.

Last week, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the government was evaluating the process for normalising international operations and asserted that it wants to return to normalcy while keeping in mind the coronavirus pandemic situation in certain parts of the world.

(Image Courtesy - Business Traveller)

"I am all for regaining our space in the civil aviation arena in the world and making a hub in India and for more wide-body aircraft. We will get there but bear with me and trust me, I am on your side. We will work together but in a safe environment," he had said.

Airlines were initially allowed to operate a maximum of 33% of all pre-Covid routes. That cap was gradually increased to 80% by December last year. Occupancy rates were reduced to 50% in June this year after the country was hit by a second wave of infections and deaths.

“We are evaluating the process. We are coming back to normalcy. First, we allowed 100% passenger capacity in our domestic flights and now we allowed in-flight meals in those flights. the authorities must vary of the pandemic. We want to resume international operations but in a safe environment. Despite vaccinations, countries like Russia and parts of Europe are fighting the fourth wave of the pandemic. Hence, we cannot let our guard down. Let’s not erase our memories so soon, getting infected with the covid-19 virus is the worst thing possible."Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister for Civil Aviation

As prep for re-opening international passenger air travel, the government last month also said it would resume granting tourist visas; this was restarted on November 15.

Grant of tourist visas had also been suspended in the wake of the pandemic.

Singapore Airlines and its subsidiary Scoot will gradually operate flights from Singapore to 10 Indian cities from November 29 onwards, a statement said on Tuesday, November 23.

Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) had on Sunday, November 21 announced that Singapore and India have reached an agreement to resume commercial passenger flights between the two countries from November 29.

Air travel to Singapore is currently happening on the vaccinated travel lane (VTL) and a non-vaccinated travel lane.

https://twitter.com/SingaporeAir/status/1463136458089254919

VTL allows quarantine free travel to Singapore for fully vaccinated travellers.

Singapore Airlines in its statement said on Tuesday that it will launch daily direct VTL services from Chennai, Delhi, and Mumbai on November 29, subject to regulatory approvals.

In addition, Singapore Airlines said it will operate non-VTL direct flights connecting Singapore with Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Kochi from November 30.

The full-service carrier will also start non-VTL direct flights on the Singapore-Hyderabad route from December 1 onward.

"Singapore Airlines may operate both VTL flights and non-VTL flights on the same routes, so it is important for customers to select their flights carefully," it stated.

Singapore Airlines' low-cost subsidiary Scoot will start non-VTL services on the Singapore-Hyderabad route and Singapore-Tiruchirapalli route from November 30 and December 2, respectively.

Scoot will also operate non-VTL direct flights on the Singapore-Amritsar route by its Boeing 787 Dreamliners from January 31 next year, it said.

Travellers on a VTL flight entering Singapore will be required two COVID-19 tests -- one within two days of flight departure and one on-arrival test at the Singapore airport.

(Image Courtesy - Zee Business)

Pre-COVID, Scoot operated six-passenger services to India – Amritsar, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Tiruchirappalli, Trivandrum, and Visakhapatnam. Scoot is committed to resuming its other routes between Singapore and India soon, to support the safe and gradual resumption of international air travel, to reunite loved ones across borders and better support pent-up demand for both leisure and business travels.

The VTL passengers would not undergo any quarantine.

Singapore started the VTL mechanism on September 8 with two countries – Brunei and Germany. It now has VTL arrangements with 13 countries, including Australia, the UK and the US. VTLs for India, Finland, Indonesia, Malaysia and Sweden will become operational from November 29, and similar arrangements for Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will begin from December 6.

Scoot Tigerair Pte. Ltd., trading as Scoot, is a low-cost long-haul subsidiary airline of Singapore Airlines (SIA), via Tiger Airways Holding. Established by Singapore Airlines in 2011, Scoot commenced operations in June 2012 to Sydney and Gold Coast.

SIA utilised Scoot to leverage the rising challenge from LCCs in key markets. Scoot initially launched operations with four Boeing 777-200s in a two-class configuration and later switched its fleet to over 15 787-8/9 aircraft, all sourced through parent SIA. 

Tiger Airways Holdings became a subsidiary of the Singapore Airlines Group in Dec-2014 after the airline group increased its stake in the company from 40% to 56%. Singapore Airlines acquired the remaining shares in Tiger Airways Holdings in March 2016 and established a new holding group for its LCC subsidiaries (Scoot and Tigerair) called Budget Aviation Holdings, with plans of merging Scoot into Tiger Airways Holdings.

Scoot and Tigerair completed the integration on 25-Jul-2017. The combined airline operates A320 and Boeing 787 aircraft under a common AOC, using the Scoot brand and TR flight code. 

The Delhi airport will become a net-zero carbon emission facility by 2030, said its operator DIAL on Tuesday, November 23.

Achieving "carbon neutral" or "net-zero carbon emission" status refers to a policy of not increasing carbon emissions and of achieving carbon reduction through offsets, it stated in a release.

(Image Courtesy - The Guardian)

The announcement about the 2030 target was made by Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, CEO, of Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), through a video message on November 10 at the COP26 event in Glasgow.

"At Delhi Airport, we are on a strong environment progress journey and we are confident to becoming 'net zero carbon emission' airport by 2030, following the Airport Carbon Accreditation guidelines. Towards this direction, we have initiated various environmentally sustainable programmes, such as the introduction of TaxiBot and adoption of electric vehicles.While the airport is already utilising renewable energy programmes such as solar rooftop panels, it has also developed green infrastructure and multiple passenger connectivity networks. The airport also has a water and waste treatment plant, along with energy efficient lighting systems."Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, CEO, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL)

To add to these measures, the airport operator recently adopted electric vehicles and a TaxiBot, which is a semi-automatic robot that helps in taxiing an aircraft, without the aircraft having to be turned on, thereby reducing carbon emissions. TaxiBot was introduced in 2019, making Delhi airport the first one in the country to do so.

The airport said TaxiBot has resulted in a significant reduction in turbine fuel consumption for ground movement.

He added that the airport achieved a level 4+ accreditation last year after getting a “carbon neutral” status in 2016.

(Image Courtesy - Delhi Airport - Twitter)

Commercial aviation is responsible for about two to three per cent of the global carbon emissions. Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has given up flying to reduce her carbon footprint, boosting the "flight shame" movement in Europe and other parts of the world.

India is currently the world’s third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, after the United States and China. Speaking at the COP26 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that the country would make a one billion-tonne reduction in projected emissions from now until 2030. Modi also said India’s emissions intensity, or emissions per unit GDP, will be reduced by at least 45% by 2030 from the 2005 levels.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia flew on SpiceJet's special flight between Delhi and Gwalior using Boeing's 737 Max plane on November 23 that has been allowed to return to service after two-and-a-half years.

All Boeing 737 Max planes were grounded in India by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on March 13, 2019, three days after the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max plane near Addis Ababa, which had left 157 people, including four Indians, dead.

(Image Courtesy - ANI - Twitter)

Along with Jyotiraditya Scindia, SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh and Boeing India President Salil Gupte were also present on the special flight today.

The flight SG9945 took off at 2:50 PM from Delhi and landed at approximately 3:50 PM at the Gwalior airport.

SpiceJet, the only operator of Boeing 737 Max planes in the country, had signed a USD 22 billion deal with Boeing for up to 205 Max aircraft in 2017 and has 13 of these planes in its fleet at present.

After Boeing made necessary software rectifications in the last two-and-a-half years, the DGCA on August 26 this year lifted the ban on 737 Max planes' commercial flight operations.

SpiceJet CMD Ajay Singh with Boeing India President Salil Gupte (Image Courtesy - Saurabh Sinha - Twitter)

At a press conference before the flight, Mr Singh said, "We are going to provide broadband Internet on board on Max planes and it will be free initially. However, voice calling will be disabled as it would disturb other passengers."

Boeing 737 Max planes will have five rows of premium economy seating on this plane, he added.

The fact that the aircraft burns 20% less fuel than its contemporaries helps at a time when oil prices are high, he said.

This aircraft could fly longer distances to places such as Moscow and Turkey where the older plane, 737-800, could not go, Mr Singh noted.

Ajay Singh, CMD, SpiceJet speaking at the press conference. (Image Courtesy - SpiceJet - Twitter)

The aircraft is flying in most countries around the world and 33 airlines are flying this plane globally, he mentioned.

He said Boeing 737 Max planes were going to be the backbone of SpiceJet's fleet.

Mr Singh said the airline will shortly be flying 737 Max aircraft using Boeing's sustainable aviation fuel.

SpiceJet had on November 17 said it has agreed with the US-based aerospace company Boeing to settle outstanding claims related to the grounding of 737 Max aircraft and its service return.

Boeing in a statement said that it continued to remain focused on supporting SpiceJet in their operations to safely return the 737 MAX to service in India as outlined by the DGCA.

"Today, more than 175 out of 195 global regulators have opened their airspace to the 737 MAX. Over 30 airlines have returned their fleets to service and those airlines have safely flown over 235,000 commercial flights, totalling more than 575,000 flight hours. The fleet has a schedule reliability rate of more than 99 per cent," the aerospace company said.