2014 has been a very eventful year for The Flying Engineer. The year has witnessed The Flying Engineer going beyond the technical – into airline performance, strategy, and people. The belief is that a strong technical background and understanding provide the ideal platform to analyse how an asset is used, in an airline. In short, there has been a growth into the airline segment as well – operational analysis, and the people who run it.
In calendar year 2014, The Flying Engineer was fortunate to make inroads into the Indian airline industry, at levels and scales that were unimagined. Owing to its content, The Flying Engineer has been contacted by airline C-level officers, from both established and start-up airlines in India, overseas leasing company C-level officers, domestic airline investors, airline IT solutions providers, training institutes, aerospace companies and the national media – to throw light into the world of Indian aviation. Consultancy has been a new-found, although fledgling activity.
Numerous exercises in this field, involving the processing of publicly available data, with inputs from numerous seasoned, established professionals in the field, have sparked interest in a field that seems like the perfect blend of a technical understanding and analysis – The Flying Engineer’s forte – Corporate Planning and Strategy.
In short, The Flying Engineer is no longer only about airliners, systems, training, and safety. The Flying Engineer is also about airlines, network, strategy, service, analysis, and people at the helm of affairs.
2014 also witnessed The Flying Engineer contributing to ‘Cruising Heights’ – a magazine The Flying Engineer believes in, for many reasons. The Flying Engineer is pleased to have contributed to SP’s Airbuz from 2009 up till the first quarter of CY2014.
2014 also witnessed The Flying Engineer being quoted in certain leading national publications.
Qualification, Experience and Achievements:
Consulted for airlines, investors, and airframers. Designed, built and commissioned the world’s largest academic flight simulator solution for an engineering college. Renovated a DGCA approved flight simulator. Supplied generic flight simulators to Honeywell. Formerly with Honeywell, hold two US patents. Worked on simulators and aircraft exterior lighting. As a personal engagement – Built LED anti-collision lights for an aircraft flown by the former director of NAL. Also freelance for the only active microlight manufacturer in India. Graduate engineer.
Performance Statistics
2014 gathered 370,961 views, which is 53% of the total views since 2011 : 694,591, as on 31st-December-2014. In 2014, the site had an average of 1000 views per day.
Most of the views were from India (25%) and the United States of America (18%), followed closely by the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and the UAE. We have however had visitors from every country in the world.
The Flying Engineer however does not focus on views. It’s who visits the site that is more important than how many view the site.
Cruising Heights:
2014
June: AirAsia India (Cover Story)
July: Air Costa & AirAsia India Update.
August: A330NEO and its regional relevance. AirAsia India update.
September: Scope of turboprops in India (Cover Story), AirAsia India update.
October: SpiceJet (Cover Story, including Sanjiv’s interview), airline update.
November: Air Pegasus (part of Cover Story), airline update.
December: Split Scimitar Winglets, airline update.
SP’s Airbuz
2014:
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April-May: GAGAN: India’s first step to a Future Air Navigation System.
February – March: Bombardier C-Series – A class apart, The Year Gone By (2013 review), Battle between speed and economy: Regional Jets v/s Turboprops.
2013:
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December-January: Revolutionizing Taxiing (Honeywell-Safran EGTS & WheelTug).
April-May: Interview with Filliop Bagnato, CEO, ATR.
February-March: Easy to Fly: ATR 72-600 flightdeck.
2012:
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October-November: Volatile Glamour (On CPL prospects in India)
April-May: National Flying Training Institute (NFTI)
February-March: Sharklets, Learning from Crisis (Iran Air 743 incident w/ the PIC interview)
2011:
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October-November: Flying a Turboprop (I started this site after this piece, when the publishing house decided to not publish (there was resistance from a turboprop manufacturer, which influenced the publishing house) the second half of the now infamous proud to Fly a Turboprop: Q400 v/s ATR piece)
2010:
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Issue 6: Interview with Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) CEO Marcel Hungerbuehler.
Issue 4: Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Academy (IGRUA) cover.
June-July: Simulator Training – Key to proficiency (FFS session with Kingfisher airlines)
April-May: VOR article.
2009:
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October-November: ‘A320 Unravelled’ : A 320 jumpseat experience, detailed.
Issue 3: Plane on on the beach
Issue 2: Flying Blind (Instrument Landing System ILS)
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The Flying Engineer 
Assumption that the PW1000 gear reduction system has a fixed ring gear in article is incorrect, as is the resulting gear reduction ratio. Referring to an actual cross sectional diagram of the engine. http://www.sae.org/aeromag/techinnovations/images/1298t10d.gif It shows the ring gear is bolted to the hub and 2 sliding seals to allow it to turn. The planet pinion has a fixed oil pressure line to its shaft bearing that goes through a seal diaphragm to connect to the nacelle support vane. Furthermore, the P&W video in the article shows that the fan hub turns in the opposite of the sun gear shaft (LP compressor/turbine shaft) which is only possible if the planet carrier is fixed, not the ring gear. This contradicts the gearbox description in article.
I would be more concerned about the extreme dependence in the GE engine on new cooling and coating technologies that must work perfectly at much higher operating temperatures than the P&W engine. It will be more expensive to inspect and restore worn coatings as a maintenance process on so many more compressor and turbine blades than P&W engine has. An SAE article supports this view.
My concern about the P&W engine would be that over 6000HP is being carried by each of 5 pinion gears, which also has reversing tooth bending loads. This also requires a “perfect” technology to be practical and not a maintenance nightmare. P&W states none of the gearbox parts are time limited. An amazing claim, but they have had many years to bench test it. At thes very high fan power levels, a gear failure would be catastrophic.
a job very well done sir.
Technology Submission – Novel Rotary-Turbo-InFlow Tech – Featured Development
GEARTURBINE PROJECT
Atypical InFlow Thermodynamic
Technology Proposal Submission
Novel Fueled Motor Engine Atypical Type
*State of the art Innovative concept Top system Higher efficient percent.
Have similar system of the Aeolipile Heron Steam device from Alexandria 10-70 AD. -New Form-Function Motor-Engine Device. Next Step, Epic Design Change, Broken-Seal Revelation. -Desirable Power-Plant Innovation.
YouTube; * Atypical New • GEARTURBINE / Retrodynamic = DextroRPM VS LevoInFlow + Ying Yang Thrust Way Type – Non Waste Looses
-This innovative concept consists of hull and core where are held all 8 bteps of the work-flow which make the concept functional. The core has several gears and turbines which are responsible for these 8 steps (5 of them are dedicated to the turbo stages). The first step is fuel compression, followed by 2 cold turbo levels. The fourth step is where the fuel starts burning – combustion stage, which creates thrust for the next, 5th step – thrust step, which provides power to the planetary gears and turbines and moves the system. This step is followed by two hot turbo steps and the circle is enclosed by the final 8th step – bigger turbine. All this motion in a retrodynamic circumstance effect, wich is plus higher RPM speed by self motion. The Reaction at front of the action.
*8-X/Y Thermodynamic CYCLE – Way Steps:
1)1-Compression / bigger
2)2-Turbo 1 cold
3)2-Turbo 2 cold
4)2-Combustion – circular motion flames / opposites
5)2-Thrust – single turbo & planetary gears / ying yang
6)2-Turbo 2 hot
7)2-Turbo 1 hot
8)1-Turbine / bigger
-With Retrodynamic Dextrogiro vs Levogiro Phenomenon Effect. / Rotor-RPM VS InFlow / front to front; “Collision-Interaction Type” – inflow vs blades-gear-move. Technical unique dynamic innovative motion mode. [Retrodynamic Reaction = When the inflow have more velocity the rotor have more RPM Acceleration, with high (XY Position) Momentum] Which the internal flow (and rotor) duplicate its speed, when activated being in a rotor (and inflow) with [inverse] opposite Turns. The Reaction at front of the action. A very strong Novel torque power concept.
-Non waste parasitic looses for; friction, cooling, lubrication & combustion.
-Shape-Mass + Rotary-Motion = Inertia-Dynamic / Form-Function Wide [Flat] Cylindrical shape + positive dynamic rotary mass = continue Inertia positive tendency motion. Kinetic Rotating Mass.
-Combustion 2Two continue circular [Rockets] flames. [ying yang] opposite one to the other. – With 2TWO very long distance INFLOW [inside propulsion] CONDUITS. -4 TURBOS Rotary Total Thrust-Power Regeneration Power System. -Mechanical direct 2two [Small] Planetary Gears at polar position. -Like the Ying Yang Symbol/Concept. -Wide out the Rotor circumference were have much more lever [HIGH Torque] POWER THRUST. -No blade erosion by sand & very low heat target signature profile. -3 points of power thrust; 1-flow way, 2-gear, 3-turbine. *Patent; Dic. 1991 IMPI Mexico #197187 All Rights Reserved. Carlos Barrera.
Saw this site quite by accident. Simply amazing the amount of info and news that available. Tried to read some of the other articles mentioned but could not access. May be because I have not signed up. I have done so now and hope to read TFE regularly.
Hi TFE
Terrific site.
Some random questions which will help me settle an argument –
How much does it cost to fly an A 320 for 30 minutes – no pax, no cargo ?
How much does it cost to park an aircraft at a major international airport for 1 hour?
How much does each additional 60kg person add to the cost of flying? Is there a particular weight below which and a weight above which the fuel economy doesn’t change?
Thanks,
Adil