Aero Friedrichshafen Draws Record Number of Exhibitors

The 27th Aero Friedrichshafen is opening today with a record 757 exhibitors from nearly 40 countries that will highlight a full spectrum of aircraft from ultralights to business jets. That is the largest tally for the show, besting the then record-setting 707 exhibitors in 2017. The April 10-13 show next to Friedrichshafen Airport in Germany will also focus on emerging technologies, including drones, electric aircraft, and eVTOL air taxis.

The show, which began more than 40 years with glider manufacturers, will stay true to those roots with single and double-seaters on display, from training gliders to the Super Orchidee. Ultralights, in general, will range up to aircraft in the 600-kilogram (1,323-pound) class as Europe has moved to increase the mtow for three-axle ultralights. On the other end of the spectrum, Aero Friedrichshafen also is placing an increased focus on business aviation with a special conference tomorrow. 

Launched 10 years ago, Aero Friedrichshafen’s e-flight expo is continuing to expand with new aircraft types and propulsion systems. A Flight Zone for Unmanned Aerial Systems will be staged and for the first time at the show, along with a UAS trade event for police departments.

Aero Friedrichshafen is also turning its attention to pilot recruitment with the continuation of its Be a Pilot program. More than 200 lectures, conferences, and workshops are being held during the show.

AutoFlightX Takes Wraps off All-electric Demonstrator

German startup AutoFlightX today unveiled an all-electric technical demonstrator, the V600, that will pave the way for a future certified eVTOL used in air-taxi and cargo operations. The two-place vehicle on display this week at Aero Friedrichshafen 2019 is driven by six electric motors attached to propellers for vertical lift capability and a seventh push-propeller for forward flight.

The demonstrator rolled out a few weeks ago and plans call for it to fly in the upcoming weeks, said AutoFlightX control systems modeling and simulation specialist Michael Krenmayr. It will be tested for conventional flight before moving into vertical lift and hover testing.

This testing will enable the company to prove the concept and safety of systems—many of which are commercial of the shelf components—before moving forward with a final configuration. That final vehicle—not yet publically revealed—will carry three to five passengers and incorporate changes, such as the position of propellers, to meet EASA certification requirements.

Long term, AutoFlightX is generally targeting having its eVTOL ready for cargo flight in roughly 2023 with passenger air-taxi configuration following a few years later. For regulatory reasons, AutoFlight envisions its initial air taxis will be manned aircraft, Krenmayr added.

Updated TBM App Adds Flight Analysis, Aircraft Status

Daher released the latest version of its Me & My TBM app, which adds new system parameters and flight analysis feedback features, today at Aero Friedrichshafen 2019. Noting that this is the third iteration of the company’s app for TBM pilots and owners since launching it a year ago, Daher airplane business unit senior v-p Nicolas Chabbert quipped, “So I guess this makes us a software company now.”

Enhancements include aircraft status (fuel, oil, and battery voltage), flight reporting with an enhanced logbook that provides a detailed flight analysis from engine start to shutdown, and the ability to share flight data on social media. It also now provides an analysis of landing approaches, complete with a profile graph. In addition, users can earn trophies in the app by attending airshows.

Another new feature is a banner for CAMP computerized maintenance tracking on the app’s home page, highlighting the remaining days or flight hours before the next scheduled maintenance operation/inspection. Version 3 also includes a direct link to Daher’s TBM Care support resource.

“By evolving the app, we’re enhancing the TBM flying experience and motivating pilots in the TBM community to further develop their piloting skills,” said Chabbert.

Groups Reopen Survey To Get Picture of GA in Europe

The international general aviation community is reopening a survey to operators to gather more complete data on general aviation aircraft and operations in Europe. Releasing the initial survey results today during the opening day of Aero Friedrichshafen, Kyle Martin, director of European regulatory affairs at the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), and Michael Erb, senior v-p of the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (IAOPA) Europe, stressed the importance of gathering data to establish a baseline for safety regulation. “We don’t know how many aircraft are airworthy and flying in Europe,” Martin said, noting that EASA comprises 32 countries and data from many of those is hard to obtain.

Conducted in five languages, the survey was launched late last year and ran into the first few weeks of this year. GAMA and IAOPA worked with the European Business Aviation Association on the survey.

The survey drew 2,650 responses from operators of 5,853 aircraft, with the primary respondents involving single-engine piston operators (3,902 aircraft). The initial survey results revealed that 10 percent of aircraft are registered outside the respondent’s nations and commercial flight schools made up the largest number of flying hours, followed by flying clubs. Cost of operation varied from less than €100 per hour to more than €260, but averaged about €170 per hour.

Piper 100 Models Drawing Strong Response

Piper Aircraft is revisiting plans for opening the order book this summer and providing “limited quantities” of its newly introduced Piper Pilot 100 and 100i basic trainers after receiving a strong response from the training community, Piper president and CEO Simon Caldecott said today at Aero Friedrichshafen 2019. Piper unveiled the models last Tuesday at Sun ’n‘ Fun, detailing plans to bring to market VFR and IFR derivatives of the PA-28 with a Continental Prime IO-370-D3A engine and Garmin G3X Touch Certified avionics. 

The response was much greater than anticipated, and at least four major flight schools have asked to become launch customers, Caldecott said. Piper initially had planned to open the order book during EAA AirVenture in July, but now might open it sooner. Also, production of the models could ramp up sooner than expected, he added.

Piper also is seeing increasing movement on its M-Class airplanes in Europe, Caldecott said. The company recently added a new dealer in France, Flying Smart, which will represent Piper in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and Monaco. Flying Smart will take delivery of its first M500 later this month. Meanwhile, Piper has just obtained EASA validation of the G1000NXi flight deck aboard the M500. Available for both forward-fit and retrofit, the avionics features enhanced situational awareness, visual approaches, and map overlay on the horizontal situation indicator.