The Russian Knights landed just now at Yelahanka, Bangalore!
Russian Knights finally arrive!
08 Friday Feb 2013
Posted in Aero India 2013, Airshow, General Aviation Interest
Category Archives: Airshow
Knowing Radka Máchová
27 Sunday Jan 2013
Posted in Aero India 2013, Airshow, General Aviation Interest
September 2012 was when Radka told me of her wish to return to India for another performance. January 2013, The Indian Government suddenly invited the Flying Bulls to take part in Aero India 2013 at Yelahanka Air Force Base, Bangalore. A swift response followed, with the Flying Bulls aerobatic team disassembling their aircraft and shipping them to India. Radka, the formation lead of the Flying Bulls, in the meanwhile, talks more about herself, and her flying.
Click Here to Discover more about Radka and her flying in this exclusive interview, which will also be published in the Air Show’s special issue of SP’s Airbuz.
In Photos: The 787: “Lining” the Dream, from back to front: India Aviation 2012
16 Friday Mar 2012
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I thought I’d be this cool dude by writing an extensive article on the 787 right away. Its too big, and too grand for that. In the time I will take to write up on the Dream, enjoy the photos from The Flying Engineer, who got one of the most detailed tours of the new bird from Boeing. And I adopted a reverse airflow direction over 238 economy seats and 18 business to cover this bird. Paid off!
The 787's aft Galley. In this airplane, the feeling of space is overwhelming!
A very kind Boeing employee showing me how much the seat can recline in the economy class. Notice that the bottom cushion for the thigh support slides forward as the seat reclines backward.
Another great feature on board this Boeing is the foot rest. Small additions like these make a long 8000NM flight more comfortable.
The Economy entertainment system. Providers of IFE are Panasonic and Thales. The nice handy remote can allow you to not only play your personal collection of movies through the provided USB socket, but can swipe your card for payments as well!
Another small yet useful feature: the 115V AC sockets for your appliances: available for every passenger under his/her seat!
Cabin clean shot: the economy 9 abreast seating (3-3-3) with a 32" seat pitch. Notice the feeling of space, the elevated ceiling, and the very curved overhead bins. It fools you into believing that there isn't sufficient overhead space. See the next photo to know more!
Mr. good guy from Boeing poses with a huge trolly bag and a charming smile, just to show what can fit in the overhead and how! See the next picture.
A comparison of the overhead bin, when opened, and retracted (closed). notice the space. And notice the illusion of a poor capacity when retracted. Its unbelievable.
All due to the overhead bin innovative design, you no longer have to crouch to reach your window seat. You can stand closer, and longer, for seats close to the window. There is comfort, there is space, and there is well-thought-of engineering.
Business Class: Notice the seats that allow you to lie flat and get a good flight's sleep!
Mr. goodguy from Boeing poses again just to show you how much space there is everywhere. A wide cabin, a tall ceiling, curved and non-intrusive overhead bins: all make for a very good feeling of space.
Another take of the Business class seats! They're wide, and they have a 78" seat pitch. The IFE seems good, but the comfort is unparalleled.
Photo comparison of the most talked about thing in the cabin: the polarised windows. There are no shades. Instead, electrically controlled windows (through polarisation) cut the amount of light that passes through. The left photo and the right are taken with the same camera settings of exposure & ISO. Yet, note that despite it being broad daylight, on selecting a complete cut, its pretty dark inside (look close at the left photo and you will see a faint blue image)
The small round control below each window is responsible for the dimming.
Wilson Chow, who is about 2 meters in height, trying to show me that there is no way you can ever feel claustrophobic on board this beauty!
- As soon as you enter the aircraft from the front-left passenger door, you see this. The stairway to heaven: the overhead crew rest area!
A view from the crew rest area, looking down at the cockpit entrance.
Cozy enough, comfortable. Enough for the crew? See the next photo to find out!
Boeing's 787 Captain Pat Bearce, a 6ft 3" tall ex-marines pilot, showing me that he too is comfortable in the crew rest!
The holy deck. The most sought after tourist destination on board the airplane. the Head up Displays, the avionics, and the simple feeling of luxurious space is very luring.
Another view of the deck, from the Captain's seat. The Honeywell FMS running on a Smith's (now GE) Hardware.
The Head Up Display. Notice how the display doesn't need constant refocusing of the eye. Infact, the lady captain said she who needed glasses to see instruments up close now no longer needs any spectacles while flying. HUD's allow you to have lower approach minima in poor weather.
I regret not having caught her name (Edit: Capt. Ross). There she is showing me the 787's "soft" FMS, which is NOT a touch screen, as one would be fooled into believing. A mouse-like cursor is navigated to the desired software buttons and clicked. pretty much like a laptop touch pad.
Up close and even closer. The Capt's hand on the Cursor Control unit., and shes navigating her way through the FMS. Hard to use the cursor and the keypad left of the screen, both of which demand constant shifting of the hand? Not really, says her. Its faster than on the 777's hard-FMS, is what the lady cpatin tells me!
The only touch screens in the cockpit are the Electronic Flight Bags, or the EFB. Comfort. Ease. Style. Technology.
So similair to the 777's cockpit is the 787 that FAA allows crews to undergo only 5 days of transistion training. It hasbn't worked this way across the world, with complaints from ANA, but from a higher level: the controls, the layout, the functions are all very similar to the 777. Says Capt's Pat, "To me, I just forget what a 777 and a 787 are when flying. they're transparent to each other. Almost"
Fixed Wing Aircraft at India Aviation 2012
15 Thursday Mar 2012
Tags
2012, Airbus, Airshow, beechcraft, Boeing, Bombardeir, Embraer, Gulfstream, Hawker, Hyderabad, India Aviation 2012, March, Piaggio, Sukhoi
Making your presence felt goes a long way in winning customer confidence in the product. They can see it, feel it, and fly it, and decide on the spot. The pampering really can make a huge difference.
Here is the listing of 18 fixed wing aircraft on static/flying demo at India Aviation 2012, arranged by the manufacturer, in alphabetical order:
Airbus
Airbus ACJ (Regn: A6-AJC)
Boeing
Boeing 787-8 (Regn: N1015B)
Bombardier
Challenger 300 (Regn: N305CL)
Global 5000 (Regn: A7-CEE)
Learjet 60XR (Regn: N383LJ)
Q400 (Regn: VT-SUG) Note: On display for 2 hours only
Dassault
Falcon 7X (Regn: VT-RGX)
Falcon 2000LX (F-HBIP)
Embraer
Legacy 650 (Regn: PT-TIE)
Phenom 100 (Regn; VT-AJI)
Phenom 300 (Regn: PT-TRT)
Gulfstream
Gulfstream G150 (Regn: N150GV)
Gulfstream G450 (Regn: N450GD)
Hawker-Beechcraft
Beechcraft King Air C90GTX (Regn: N8020J)
Hawker 900XP (Regn: N964XP)
Hawker 4000 (Regn: N860AP)
Piaggio Aero
P-180 AVANTI II (Regn: VT-RNB)
Sukhoi
Sukhoi Superjet 100 (Regn: RA97005)
The Phenomenon: Phenom 100: India Aviation 2012
15 Thursday Mar 2012
There was a hurry, but then, there was room to fit in more. The Phenom 100 from Embraer is small to look at from the outside, and is a pain to get inside, but once seated, you’re in a nice, cozy business et of your own.
Interiors
I still have more technical details of the aircraft to bring out, but the Phenom 100 is pure bliss, and an aircraft perfect for anyone getting introduced to aviation by way of a private jet. The “Jet” is a phenomenon, and boosts your image in the eyes of an onlooker, simply because having an airplane with propellers outside (read: turboprop) is simply “too old and not good enough“.
SO go in for a jet! With the ability to seat 4 passengers very comfortably in the cabin, and take two extra persons by exercising a very innovative use of space, the Embraer Phenom 100 does an elegant job of accomodaing 8 souls on board, including 2 flight crew.
The 8th seat: the seat is the loo!
The figures are not firm, but to give you an idea: 500kgs of fuel burn in the first 1 hour of the flight, ~350kgs/h fuel burn in cruise, and a range of about 1200NM (NBAA Assumptions): Very neat for anyone wanting to travel medium sectors, like the Phenomm100 operator: Joyalukkas (a renowned jeweller), whose aircraft (VT-AJI) is on display at India Aviation 2012.
The flight deck is very nice, deviating from Embraer’s control column, but retaining the signature “motobike” yoke. The cockpit is very simple, and designed for single pilot operation, making every panel easily accessible. The ergonomics is extremely appealing. (scroll down to read more)
The Garmin Prodigy 100 Flightdeck.
Funny how the seats still have a control column cutout, despite there being no column!
The flightdeck employs the Prodigy Flight Deck 100, which is Garmin tailor made solution for the Embraer 100. The screens are bigger than the G1000, pack moe information without cluttering, and present information that is more on the lines of Embraer’s “format”. The enhanced situation awareness impacts flight safety. Positively, that is.
With a 30kg cargo hold in the nose, and a 160kg hold in the rear, the Phenom 100 is a perfect machine even for the heavy traveller. Its small, its economical, and more importantly, it’s a PHEMONenon to reckon with.
The 787: Experimenting with Air India: India Aviation 2012
15 Thursday Mar 2012
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N1015B
Have you seen the Boeing 787 at India Aviation 2012? Two things will stand out:
1. The registration is N1015B
2. The Aircraft is “Experimental”
"EXPERIMENTAL"
Sukhoi Superjet: India Aviation 2012
15 Thursday Mar 2012
What do you do if you want your aircraft to gain Western Acceptance?
Use their systems. (SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE TEXT)
The symbology is 100% Airbus, thanks to Thales!
The inside of the EASA approved Sukhoi Superjet 100 confuses you at first. It has the size of the A320 cockpit, but the display aspect ratio of the Airbus A380′s. The navigation display eerily has the same symbology as the Airbus aircraft, has the side sticks, the same flap lever, similar cockpit layout, and yet something feels different. The Russian engineer seated beside me.
The all-Thales supplied cockpit of the SSJ100 is simply brilliant, in the least to say, especially considering that the airplane is Russian. There is no cockpit clutter, there are no analog instruments, there is no poorly finished panel: there are simply 2 things: a brilliant airplane, and a Russian Engineer who can’t speak English. Had it not been for him, you would have thought it to be an A360, if there was something like that.
I managed to speak to Panyukov Pavel, who was a very friendly gentleman on board the aircraft. He believes that the SSJ100 makes a difference right from the start, and is all about savings: Acquisition to Maintenance. The figures never came though.
That is probably why the Russian airplanes don’t sell well: the sellers aren’t aggressive enough. No figures, and then when asked for a comparison with the competition, pat comes the reply, “We don’t compare. we have to evaluate on an airline route basis”. Noone was inside the SSJ100, except for me, Pavel, and the Russian engineer.
5 Abreast Seating
The seating on the airplane is old compact school: 5 abreast, with 3 on the right and 2 on the left. Seats were very comfortable. And the feats performed by their stellar air force pilots were equally good. Question is: what does all this mean for an airline, a customer?
Firstly, there exists a market gap today, between the 70 seat ATR72/Q400 aircraft and the 180seat A320. The gap is very huge, a gap that isn’t closed much even by the 156 seat A319. The SSJ100 will do a good job of plugging that gap, in part, but the sales aggressiveness that others show simply lacks in the Sukhoi team. Their attitude is more on the lines of “the aircraft sells for itself”. Not quite; it doesn’t speak well.
An Airbus pilot will be at home with similar colour cockpit, similar sidesticks, similar tiller, similar thrust levers, similar everything. How much the exclusively made SaM146 engines and aerodynamic combination contribute in its fuel burn is for them to reveal tomorrow. Till then, enjoy the pics of the marvellous airliner.
Flying the Dassault Falcon 7X: India Aviation 2012
14 Wednesday Mar 2012
Capt. Rahul and F/O Karan are an excellent crew to fly with. Enjoyed my jump seat experience, all thanks to the jolly good Rahul!
Balancing aesthetics and performance is an art; an art that very few can master. When it comes to airplanes, whom better to turn to, than the only manufacturer of business and fighter jets?
Dassault’s latest offering, the fly-by-wire Falcon 7X trijet, couldn’t have performed any better. The cabin is plush, but the flight deck is a lot more attractive. With the EASy flightdeck, the all-Honeywell cockpit is reduced to four large LCD screens, which integrates many functions, just two of which eliminate the need for a paper checklist and paper charts. The cursor control unit allows for navigation between screens, and extensive drop down menus and check boxes make life simpler: provided you master the use of a cursor in the cockpit, which hardly takes any time.
We were pushed back and allowed to start engines only at taxiway “A”. Engine start is unnoticeable: no callouts, no checks: the FADEC does it all in a seamless manner. The engines cannot even be heard: the cabin and the engines are that quiet, and the flight deck too far in front to be heard. Advancing power for taxi gave the first taste of the airplane’s power: the bump ahead was noticeable. We back-tracked runway 09, lined up runway 09, and that was when the story really began.
My friend Harsha, taxiing his Falcon 2000 (VT-VKR) out!
The light aircraft was heavily accelerated by three Pratt & Whitney PW307A turbofans, each capable of producing 2,846kgs of thrust. We were below the maximum landing weight of 28304kg, and by the 2000ft marker, we had reached V1. Seconds later, Capt. Rahul Singh Rawal rotated VT-RGX smoothly into the air, and the homesick angel came to life.
Check our climb rate!!
With a crazy climb rate that touched 5000 feet per minute, FL250 came all too early. We were above the clouds, and headed to waypoint HITAS, which was around 140 nautical miles away. We broke the cloud layer on our flight down south-east, and pure bliss ensued. The evening sun, ready to go down, and the game of shadows played by the clouds, and more: all enjoyed in a noiseless cabin that was comfortably pressurized at around 1400ft: Absolute comfort.
I had never flown so fast in my life: Mach 0.88 if I recollect correctly. The increase in the noise of the wind hitting the windshield at this incredible speed, was very noticeable, and yet so soft.
The very experience of the Dassault 7X’s flight performance is indescribable. Adding to that is a brilliant golden orange sun setting at FL250; the combination rendering you absolutely speechless.
Our lateral path, planned till MMV!
At waypoint HITAS, we turned back to Hyderabad-Shamshabad, and gracefully accepted vectors for the VOR approach for runway 09. On approach, Capt. Rahul who knew me very well, made it very clear that he’ll have 4 red on the PAPI as he was targeting the runway numbers to stop by taxiway Alpha (A). His touchdown was firm and nice, and the deceleration very powerful. The bird exited onto “A”, where our engines were shutdown, and we were towed into our parking slot.
My editor was impressed; the publisher awestruck, and I: on cloud 9.
Our 7X, post landing.
Live from the Q400!
14 Wednesday Mar 2012
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Live from the Q! (More text below)
VT-SUG is on display at India Aviation 2012! This is the very first public display of the Q400 in India, and the aircraft is all prim and proper. It smells good, it feels good, and the flight deck: as good as it ever will be. Very ergonomic, and not too crammed except for the act of making your way to the flying seat. (more text below)
Good overhead cabin bin space!
The Cabin!
ANVS control panel
Capt Surinder Singh (Chief Pilot) and my friend Deepankar Singh
With 78 seats, and loads of interest from curious onlookers, the jet engine core- driver turboprop aircraft is making heads turn. The cabin overhead is spacious, the lavatory is more accessible, but just the seats make you uncomfortable.
Says Eric Sharma of Bombardier, “There are a line of seats available that can be chosen by the operator. This is typically the low recline one for high density seating”.
Enjoy the photos of this prim and proper bird! (And oh, don’t miss the ANVS control panel!)
Boeing 787 at India Aviation 2012
14 Wednesday Mar 2012
Posted in Airshow, Exhibitors, General Aviation Interest, India Aviation 2012
Air India 787 at Hyderabad for the airshow!!!
Behind the fence, I understand, but i am 30 minutes too early! No crowd, and the energy is upbeat here! For your eyes, probably the first image of the Boeing 787 airliner for you all to enjoy!!! Here I go! Wish me luck, guys! 787!
Indi Aviation 2012: Exhibitor List
12 Monday Mar 2012
Posted in Airshow, Exhibitors, India Aviation 2012
Always having been slightly disappointed by the lack of planning and exhibitor info available during the airshow, making me go searching for companies, I made this list of serious civil aviation players who can potentially make a difference. After making this list for 24+ hours, I realised to my horror that the organisers are still updating the list! But this one is good wnough to start of with: Just refer, identify companies by their logo, and you’ll know if they’re there; if yes: where. Have a good time at India Aviation 2012, and see you there!
List: http://theflyingengineer.com/india-aviation-2012/exhibitors/
