Support the Arctic Sea Ice Forum and Blog

Author Topic: Aviation  (Read 123788 times)

bluesky

  • Frazil ice
  • Posts: 231
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 70
  • Likes Given: 27
Re: Aviation
« Reply #250 on: August 15, 2019, 11:55:20 PM »
'Flying-V' plane named after a GUITAR burns 20 per cent less fuel than conventional aircraft and can carry more than 300 passengers

Dutch airline KLM are funding a pioneering aeronautical project which could see the shape and layout of commercial aeroplanes changed forever. 

The stunning 'Flying-V' design, financially backed by KLM, has the same wingspan as existing planes and is able to carry up to 314 passengers.

It is named after the iconic Gibson Flying-V electric guitar

....

Its designers say this unique configuration uses 20 per cent less fuel. The wings would host the passenger space, cargo hold, fuel tanks and all other infrastructure, it is believed.

...

Its size makes it a comparable rival to the traditional Airbus A350 and the Boeing 787 and it would be able to use existing gates, hangars and runways


for details and a video see:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7098415/Flying-V-plane-unveiled-named-GUITAR.html

The consequence of designing planes consuming less and carrying more passengers is counterintuitive. This is resulting in cheaper tickets due to lower cost and air travel competition. The resulting increase in number of planes outpace the energy consumption reduction. A real reduction in air travel greenhouse gas emissions can only be implemented through quota of planes by airlines, and limiting the number of planes flying on a worldwide basis. A company who would like to expand would have to buy existing quota/rights from another competitor

vox_mundi

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 10165
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 3510
  • Likes Given: 745
Re: Aviation
« Reply #251 on: August 16, 2019, 12:58:35 AM »
Battery-Powered Plane Crashes in Norway as Country Tries to Ditch Fossil Fuels
https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/15/20806776/norway-electric-plane-battery-crash-fjord-jet-fuel-avinor

An all-electric battery-powered plane has crashed into a lake in Norway, in what is a setback for the country’s attempt to move away from fossil fuel-powered flight. Reuters reports that the Alpha Electro G2 plane is owned and operated by Avinor, Norway’s state-run airport operator, and was being flown by its chief executive, Dag Falk-Petersen, when it crashed. On the day of the incident, the CEO was in the process of giving flights to members of the Norwegian government, and junior government minister Aase Marthe Horrigmo was on board at the time. Both escaped from the crash unharmed.

... it’s currently unclear exactly what caused the crash. Forbes reports that the pilot said he lost all power from the engines as he was approaching the airport to land. He estimated that the plate was travelling at around 43mph when it hit the water.

The plane was an Alpha Electro G2 manufactured by Pipstrel, and it’s the first electric two-seater aircraft to have been approved for commercial production, according to Forbes. It has a range of around 81 miles, and a maximum flight time of an hour. Reuters reported that Norway first started testing the plane last year. ...

« Last Edit: August 16, 2019, 03:49:19 AM by vox_mundi »
“There are three classes of people: those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see.” ― anonymous

Insensible before the wave so soon released by callous fate. Affected most, they understand the least, and understanding, when it comes, invariably arrives too late

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25763
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: Aviation
« Reply #252 on: August 16, 2019, 01:41:52 PM »
Intact airplane — hardly a ‘crash.’  More like an ‘off-airport forced landing mishap.’  ;)
It happens.
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25763
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: Aviation
« Reply #253 on: August 23, 2019, 08:28:30 PM »
‘Flight shaming’ apparently sways Prince William and Kate
Quote
Prince William and Kate opt for budget flight after Harry and Meghan slammed over private jet. Prince William, his wife Catherine and their three children took a budget airline to travel on holiday to Scotland Thursday — just days after his brother Prince Harry and wife Meghan, vocal advocates for efforts to fight the effects of climate change, faced some wrath for their use of private jets. ...
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/flight-shaming-apparently-sways-prince-william-and-kate-and-bernies-electric-school-buses-2019-08-23
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

TerryM

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6002
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 893
  • Likes Given: 5
Re: Aviation
« Reply #254 on: August 24, 2019, 12:00:01 AM »
‘Flight shaming’ apparently sways Prince William and Kate
Quote
Prince William and Kate opt for budget flight after Harry and Meghan slammed over private jet. Prince William, his wife Catherine and their three children took a budget airline to travel on holiday to Scotland Thursday — just days after his brother Prince Harry and wife Meghan, vocal advocates for efforts to fight the effects of climate change, faced some wrath for their use of private jets. ...
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/flight-shaming-apparently-sways-prince-william-and-kate-and-bernies-electric-school-buses-2019-08-23
Ah, what a shame that the captains of Green Transportation can't be shamed into doing likewise.
Terry

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25763
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: Aviation
« Reply #255 on: August 26, 2019, 01:34:56 PM »
Quote
We For News (@WeForNews) 8/26/19, 7:05 AM
#BREAKING G7 to finance fire-fighting aircraft for Amazon: French presidency-AFP

Dave Toussaint (@engineco16) 8/26/19, 7:12 AM
Interesting statement. So where do we find all of these planes?
https://twitter.com/wefornews/status/1165943327037878273

There is a shortage everywhere already.
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

TerryM

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6002
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 893
  • Likes Given: 5
Re: Aviation
« Reply #256 on: August 26, 2019, 01:43:20 PM »
Quote
We For News (@WeForNews) 8/26/19, 7:05 AM
#BREAKING G7 to finance fire-fighting aircraft for Amazon: French presidency-AFP

Dave Toussaint (@engineco16) 8/26/19, 7:12 AM
Interesting statement. So where do we find all of these planes?
https://twitter.com/wefornews/status/1165943327037878273

There is a shortage everywhere already.
Perhaps a few Boing products that may never be certified for carrying passengers?
Terry

kassy

  • Moderator
  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 8235
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 2042
  • Likes Given: 1986
Re: Aviation
« Reply #257 on: August 26, 2019, 09:48:45 PM »
Passengers could soon be flying on planes fuelled by waste gases from steelworks.

The plan involves using the gases from Tata's Port Talbot plant, which developers believe could be used for thousands of flights a year.

Tata, along with Neath Port Talbot council and American bioengineering firm LanzaTech are working on the plan.

Virgin Atlantic worked with LanzaTech last year to fly from Orlando to London powered by recycled carbon jet fuel.

Waste gases are an unavoidable part of the industrial production of steel and it is thought it could generate 30 million gallons of biofuel for the aviation industry every year.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-49449566

Looks like a good idea.
Þetta minnismerki er til vitnis um að við vitum hvað er að gerast og hvað þarf að gera. Aðeins þú veist hvort við gerðum eitthvað.

rboyd

  • Nilas ice
  • Posts: 1334
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 226
  • Likes Given: 52
Re: Aviation
« Reply #258 on: August 27, 2019, 01:13:57 AM »
Quote
We For News (@WeForNews) 8/26/19, 7:05 AM
#BREAKING G7 to finance fire-fighting aircraft for Amazon: French presidency-AFP

Dave Toussaint (@engineco16) 8/26/19, 7:12 AM
Interesting statement. So where do we find all of these planes?
https://twitter.com/wefornews/status/1165943327037878273

There is a shortage everywhere already.
Perhaps a few Boing products that may never be certified for carrying passengers?
Terry

Could be a smashing success!

TerryM

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6002
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 893
  • Likes Given: 5
Re: Aviation
« Reply #259 on: August 27, 2019, 01:20:08 AM »
The wife wondered why I suddenly burst out laughing. :)


Thanks
Terry

Tom_Mazanec

  • Guest
Re: Aviation
« Reply #260 on: September 04, 2019, 07:03:57 PM »
A Future Without Long-Haul Vacations
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/09/travel-writer-envisions-future-without-vacations/597016/
Quote
Every time I settle down to write a travel article lately, I feel like a canary in a coal mine, whistling denial. Perhaps, if my work achieves any kind of posterity, it will be in a museum of defunct pastimes from the Extinction Age. Amid the exhibits of hamburgers and combustion engines will be a gallery of press cuttings from the era of mass tourism, fossils for future, static generations to gawp at, wondering at the excess of their deluded forebears, who continued jetting around the planet even as that planet withered and burned before their eyes.

Using Drones To Fight Climate Change
https://www.kunr.org/post/using-drones-fight-climate-change#stream/0
Quote
From more intense wildfires to prolonged droughts, climate change is impacting the ecology of the American West. That’s got researchers in our region looking at a new way to fight some of these impacts: drones.
« Last Edit: September 04, 2019, 07:27:13 PM by Tom_Mazanec »

Tom_Mazanec

  • Guest
Re: Aviation
« Reply #261 on: September 09, 2019, 06:13:12 PM »
Prince Harry wants to make tourism more sustainable — is he a hypocrite?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/royal-fascinator-prince-harry-air-travel-prince-andrew-jeffrey-epstein-1.5272019
Quote
Goodman said focusing on individual actions is just the place to start in efforts to develop fundamental structural changes that lead to carbon-neutral economies, and suggested that people like Harry should take a close look at their own actions, too.

"Rich countries and celebrity individuals need to get their own houses in order, namely because they owe a much greater debt, based on their historical carbon emissions and extravagant lifestyles, compared to others across the globe."

Whatever Harry does, it seems unlikely his private jet travel to the south of France and Ibiza this summer will quickly be forgotten. Author and biographer Penny Junor said it will come back to haunt him.

"However many commercial flights he takes now, there will always be that little paragraph saying that he was heavily criticized for taking four jets in 11 days."

Tom_Mazanec

  • Guest
Re: Aviation
« Reply #262 on: September 11, 2019, 09:48:03 PM »
Heathrow Airport warns climate activists against flying drones
https://www.dw.com/en/heathrow-airport-warns-climate-activists-against-flying-drones/a-50370788
Quote
London's Heathrow Airport on Tuesday said it is working with law enforcement to ensure drones are not deployed by climate protesters to disrupt air traffic.

"We have in place the dynamic risks assessment programs which are carried out by airfield and security experts and at no time will safety be compromised," according to a statement issued by airport authorities. "Alongside drone detection capabilities, we will mitigate the impact of this illegal action and operate in a way that is safe at all times."

Protesters plan to fly toy drones near the airport in a bid to halt flights and pressure the government to do more on fighting emissions from the aviation industry.

Tom_Mazanec

  • Guest
Re: Aviation
« Reply #263 on: September 13, 2019, 10:45:08 PM »
Aviation’s black box: Non-disclosure agreements, closed doors and rising CO2
https://www.climatechangenews.com/2019/09/12/non-disclosure-agreements-closed-doors-rising-co2-uns-aviation-body/
Quote
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (Icao), headquartered in downtown Montreal, has been charged with reducing the rising carbon emissions from international flight – an enormous commercial, technical and public relations challenge for the industry.

Between 2013 and 2018, aviation sector emissions grew from 710 to 905 million tonnes of CO2, according to the latest estimates by the International Air Transport Association (Iata). Flying now generates just under 3% of global emissions, roughly the same as Germany. Icao’s own forecast anticipates emissions to increase by up to 300% by 2050 under business as usual.

Climate advocates say oversight is critical in a matter of such high public interest. But through interviews with delegates and observers, Climate Home News has found scrutiny is restricted and key information protected by non-disclosure agreements.

bluesky

  • Frazil ice
  • Posts: 231
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 70
  • Likes Given: 27
Re: Aviation
« Reply #264 on: September 13, 2019, 11:29:56 PM »
Is the EU about  to tax the aviation and the ferries? I am a bit sceptical that a meaningful tax is to be implemented any time  soon

https://www.euronews.com/2019/09/13/drastic-steps-needed-to-stop-climate-change-germanys-scholz-says

Tom_Mazanec

  • Guest
Re: Aviation
« Reply #265 on: September 18, 2019, 07:12:02 PM »
Climate change: Germany's conservatives mull doubling air travel tax
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49719276?intlink_from_url=&link_location=live-reporting-story
Quote
Germany's ruling conservatives have proposed doubling taxes on domestic flights, as part of a wider package to cut CO2 emissions.

The decision was taken by the leadership of the Christian Democrats (CDU), who form a coalition with the Christian Social Union (CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD).

Tax of €7.38 (£6.5; $8.1) per ticket is currently levied on domestic flights.

Connecting flights that are part of long-haul journey will be exempt.

Tom_Mazanec

  • Guest
Re: Aviation
« Reply #266 on: September 21, 2019, 12:43:54 AM »
OPINION: INSTEAD OF FLIGHT SHAMING, LET’S BE THOUGHTFUL AND SELECTIVE ABOUT ALL TRAVEL
https://ensia.com/voices/flight-shaming-flying-travel-carbon-co2-emissions-flyless-aviation-cars-trains/
Quote
In early June 2019, the three of us were having a conversation at the University of British Columbia when Lior expressed some dissatisfaction about an activity at his kids’ school that suggested airplane travel is bad for the climate. In fact, he said, per passenger mile, air travel carbon emissions are of the same order of magnitude as other modes of transportation, so it doesn’t matter covering climate nowmuch whether you drive or fly. However, he further explained, since larger planes are more carbon-efficient and since takeoff and landing are particularly costly, the carbon efficiency of air travel significantly depends on distance. In other words, short-haul flights tend to be inefficient relative to driving, while transcontinental flights are very efficient.

The other two of us looked at each other, bewildered. We had both calculated our carbon budgets and seen that a single transatlantic flight would blow our annual carbon budget. Many prominent climate scientists were touting #flyingless. But was Lior right? Had we been drinking flight-shaming Kool-Aid?

That evening, we looked up the numbers on Wikipedia and found, to our surprise, that Lior seemed right! At least to some extent. We tweeted about it to let the experts weigh in.


RichardStamper

  • New ice
  • Posts: 19
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 12
  • Likes Given: 5
Re: Aviation
« Reply #267 on: September 21, 2019, 11:03:51 AM »
The key point about air travel is just how easy it makes emitting lots of CO2.  How many people are going to hop in a car and drive from Vancouver to Toronto for a conference or holiday?  Google Maps puts that at 40 hours of driving, then another 40 hours to get back home again.  The per capita per km emissions flying and driving may be similar but that's beside the point when almost no one is going to consider driving a journey that is easy in a plane.

zufall

  • Frazil ice
  • Posts: 195
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 50
  • Likes Given: 58
Re: Aviation
« Reply #268 on: September 21, 2019, 11:36:29 AM »
And of course CO2 is not the only factor to be taken into account when comparing the climate effect of different modes of transportation:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_aviation#Total_climate_effects

TerryM

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6002
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 893
  • Likes Given: 5
Re: Aviation
« Reply #269 on: September 23, 2019, 11:53:12 AM »
The venerable travel agency Thomas Cooks Tours went under this morning leaving ~300K tourists stranded around the world.


https://www.cbsnews.com/news/thomas-cook-airlines-british-tour-operator-stops-trading-cancels-bookings-no-funding-2019-09-22/


British tourists are covered by an insurance plan assuring that they will be returned to their homes, but these are only about 1/2 of the total number.


Brexit uncertainty is being blamed, heat waves that have kept tourists home have been blamed, no one has mentioned Piss Poor Management yet.
Terry

etienne

  • Nilas ice
  • Posts: 2045
    • View Profile
    • About energy
  • Liked: 309
  • Likes Given: 23
Re: Aviation
« Reply #270 on: September 23, 2019, 09:25:47 PM »
The venerable travel agency Thomas Cooks Tours went under this morning leaving ~300K tourists stranded around the world.


https://www.cbsnews.com/news/thomas-cook-airlines-british-tour-operator-stops-trading-cancels-bookings-no-funding-2019-09-22/


British tourists are covered by an insurance plan assuring that they will be returned to their homes, but these are only about 1/2 of the total number.


Brexit uncertainty is being blamed, heat waves that have kept tourists home have been blamed, no one has mentioned Piss Poor Management yet.
Terry
Well, these days you also have many airplane companies going bankrupt. I guess it's only the beginning. 2 in France, maybe one in Germany...

TerryM

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6002
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 893
  • Likes Given: 5
Re: Aviation
« Reply #271 on: September 23, 2019, 09:48:04 PM »
It's a good thing that Boeing has all of those juicy MIC contracts to keep them afloat. 8)
Terry

Tom_Mazanec

  • Guest
Re: Aviation
« Reply #272 on: September 24, 2019, 09:42:16 PM »
Europe’s Airports Step Up To Climate Change Challenge
https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisagarcia/2019/09/23/europes-airports-step-up-to-climate-change-challenge/#42ba82317d52
Quote
This past June, ACI EUROPE announced a resolution for its 500 members to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, for the carbon emissions under their control. That commitment has been undersigned by 203 airports to date run by more than 47 airport operators across 42 European countries, representing 64.3% of European air passenger traffic. Nine airports have signed the commitment over the past 3 months: Aberdeen, Glasgow, Liege, Luxembourg, Malta, Salzburg, Southampton, Turin and Toulouse-Blagnac. More are expected to join the pledge in the coming months.

There are already three net zero airports in Europe: Luleå, Ronneby and Visby - operated by the Swedish airport operator, Swedavia. Swedavia aims to achieve zero emissions for all its airports by 2020, including the hub at Stockholm-Arlanda.

nanning

  • Nilas ice
  • Posts: 2487
  • 0Kg CO₂, 37 KWh/wk,125L H₂O/wk, No offspring
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 273
  • Likes Given: 23170
Re: Aviation
« Reply #273 on: September 25, 2019, 06:29:50 PM »
  1% of English residents take one-fifth of overseas flights, survey shows

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/25/1-of-english-residents-take-one-fifth-of-overseas-flights-survey-shows

 Quotes:
The figures, published in a Department for Transport survey, also reveal that the 10% most frequent flyers in England took more than half of all international flights in 2018. However, 48% of the population did not take a single flight abroad in the last year.

Environmental activists said the new figures showed the UK could cut air traffic and emissions without affecting ordinary holidaymakers.

Leo Murray, director of innovation at 10:10 Climate Action
What we need to do is target a minority of problem flyers and stop them from taking so many flights,” he added.

The findings are based on responses from more than 15,000 English residents who participated in the 2018 National Transport Survey and were revealed to the Guardian following a Freedom of Information request.

There is currently no country in which travellers pay an escalating levy on each flight they take in a year.

Chris Stark, the CCC’s chief executive
He argued that the UK should take a leading role in cutting emissions from the sector, rather than wait for more comprehensive international agreements to be struck.

(sorry if this is the wrong thread)
"It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly" - Bertrand Russell
"It is preoccupation with what other people from your groups think of you, that prevents you from living freely and nobly" - Nanning
Why do you keep accumulating stuff?

Tor Bejnar

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 4606
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 879
  • Likes Given: 826
Re: Aviation
« Reply #274 on: September 25, 2019, 07:55:49 PM »
Quote
… However, 48% of the population did not take a single flight abroad in the last year.
This suggests 52% of the residents of England did fly abroad during a 12-month period.  Frankly, I don't believe it; most people don't hardly every fly.  Maybe 52% of those who flew even once during the year traveled abroad.  The end of my speculations.

From the internet:
Quote
“An estimated 70 per cent of all flights in 2013 were taken by just 15 per cent of the [English] population, with 57 per cent of the [English] population taking no flights abroad”

In March 2014 the survey asked a random selection of 1,000 adults in Great Britain how many trips by plane they’d taken in the last 12 months. 52% hadn’t flown at all.

We asked the Department for Transport, which designed the survey, about this claim. It said a more precise estimate is that the 15% of adults in Great Britain who made 3 or more flights (our frequent fliers) made 71% of flights from March 2013 to March 2014.

The same survey asked about what types of flights people had taken. 7% had flown domestically, …
Now, with some more data: boy, more people fly then I expected.  (I all but stopped 30 years ago - about 6 within-the-US flights [all but one round-trips] since then, none in 5 years.  I guess I presumed others stopped too.  :'()  And, most English flyers leave England.  (Duh, I think: England is, after all, the size of Mississippi.)
Arctic ice is healthy for children and other living things because "we cannot negotiate with the melting point of ice"

nanning

  • Nilas ice
  • Posts: 2487
  • 0Kg CO₂, 37 KWh/wk,125L H₂O/wk, No offspring
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 273
  • Likes Given: 23170
Re: Aviation
« Reply #275 on: September 25, 2019, 08:07:43 PM »
Quote
boy, more people fly then I expected.

That seems to be the case. Do you have things like Easyjet or RyanAir in the U.S.? (you expect us to know your culture ;))

The Guardian article was about the U.K. population I think.
English <> U.K.
U.K. = also Scotland and Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands etc.


Searching for a scientific link I found this:

  CO2 emissions from commercial aviation, 2018
Authors: Brandon Graver, Ph.D., Kevin Zhang, Dan Rutherford, Ph.D.
September 2019. Keywords: aviation; aircraft; fuel efficiency; carbon dioxide


https://theicct.org/sites/default/files/publications/ICCT_CO2-commercl-aviation-2018_20190918.pdf
"It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly" - Bertrand Russell
"It is preoccupation with what other people from your groups think of you, that prevents you from living freely and nobly" - Nanning
Why do you keep accumulating stuff?

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25763
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: Aviation
« Reply #276 on: October 15, 2019, 06:15:24 PM »
Ban air miles to combat climate crisis, recommends UK research
Quote
Air miles programs should be banned and a levy on frequent flyers implemented in order to reduce carbon emissions from aviation, according to new research.
...
"Flying is a uniquely high-impact activity and is the quickest and cheapest way for a consumer to increase their carbon footprint," the report says.

Air miles programs encourage people to take extra flights to keep up their "privileged traveler status" and should be banned, according to the report.

So-called "mileage runs" are a common way for travelers to top up their points in order to maintain access to perks such as priority boarding.
An air miles levy would be based on the number of miles flown by each passenger, penalizing those who fly the most while leaving the majority of people unaffected.

Research shows that 15% of the UK population take 70% of flights, and these travelers -- who tend to be wealthier and less price-sensitive -- would shoulder most of the burden. By way of comparison, 50% of Britons don't fly at all in any one year.
https://www.cnn.com/travel/amp/air-miles-ban-report-scli-intl/index.html
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25763
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: Aviation
« Reply #277 on: October 30, 2019, 08:03:42 PM »
I posted about a new development in light aircraft automation over in the “Robots and AI” thread:

https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,1392.msg234899.html#msg234899
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25763
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: Aviation
« Reply #278 on: October 31, 2019, 01:52:17 PM »
I posted about a new development in light aircraft automation over in the “Robots and AI” thread:

https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,1392.msg234899.html#msg234899

Landing (and emergency diversions) are the most difficult parts of a flight regime.  Automating these tasks, and introducing the technology as a rarely-used safety enhancement, makes it a desirable feature that is likely to be more widely adopted in small aircraft.

Garmin mentions their Autoland software can enter a holding pattern, if needed to reduce speed.  Add takeoff and flight commands — and the ability for Air Traffic Control to interact with the plane — and fully autonomous flights are a given.  ATC today assigns flight routes and altitudes for aircraft on instrument flight plans, and establishes published airport approach and departure patterns.  Now envision a computer-controlled ATC system, which is certainly in our future....
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25763
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: Aviation
« Reply #279 on: November 20, 2019, 04:04:05 AM »
At a minimum, one hopes it inspires/shames other airlines into doing the same.

EasyJet 1st Airline In World To Go Carbon Neutral — Starting Today
November 19th, 2019
Quote
In a corporate press release, EasyJet today announced that as of today all of its flights will be carbon neutral. EasyJet has a total of 331 airplanes and will become the first major airline in the world to operate a fleet that is fully net-zero carbon. What this means a little more specifically is that EasyJet will have balanced all of its carbon emissions via carbon removal efforts.

Furthermore, this is an “interim measure,” as EasyJet plans to go beyond this in the future. “We will continue the push to reinvent aviation for the long-term, including the development of sustainable fuel and electric flying,” EasyJet writes.

The airline expects to spend £25 million ($32.4 million) over the next year compensating for every tonne of CO2 emitted from fuel used for EasyJet flights. The goal is to make sure there is one tonne less in the atmosphere to counter the added tonne. EasyJet will either reduce CO2 by physically removing it from the air (planting more trees) or by avoiding the release of more CO2 (for example, by installing wind or solar power plants). ...
https://cleantechnica.com/2019/11/19/easyjet-1st-airline-in-world-to-go-carbon-neutral-starting-today/
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

nanning

  • Nilas ice
  • Posts: 2487
  • 0Kg CO₂, 37 KWh/wk,125L H₂O/wk, No offspring
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 273
  • Likes Given: 23170
Re: Aviation
« Reply #280 on: November 20, 2019, 07:41:36 AM »
^^
That "carbon neutral" is just another marketing ploy.
For every plane and every flight Easyjet is pumping tons of extra CO2 (and other shit) into our atmosphere. So consumerists can have a weekend in Paris.
Now Easyjet wants them to not feel bad about it. This "carbon neutral" lie will be eagerly swallowed.

Carbon offsetting is not carbon neutral. It is 'kicking the can down the road' so our consumerist systems don't have to change.

Where are the airballoon and zeppelin tickets? They have a huge area to put flexible solar panels on.
"It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly" - Bertrand Russell
"It is preoccupation with what other people from your groups think of you, that prevents you from living freely and nobly" - Nanning
Why do you keep accumulating stuff?

Yamatin

  • New ice
  • Posts: 6
    • View Profile
    • Decoding Sustainability
  • Liked: 4
  • Likes Given: 12
Re: Aviation
« Reply #281 on: November 20, 2019, 10:23:05 AM »
While it is a good sign that leadership at Easyjet is acknowledging the issue of climate change, their method of addressing the situation is already dated.

There is best practice corporate guidance currently in development that will exclude the use of carbon offsets as a means to claim 'carbon neutrality' or 'net-zero' emissions. The working group is currently getting feedback (although they've indicated the question of carbon offsets counting isn't on the table) and is planning on having the document finalized for use by corporations by COP25.

I believe many within and outside the industry will be thankful that someone is making this clear as carbon offsets have always been messy with studies indicated that their impact is often not what they are certified to in the long-term. Offsets for those not fully familiar consider what is the reduction impact of this activity from the baseline, where the baseline is usually the legal minimum. Even then, the long-term impacts of the superior activity can be short-term in nature (i.e. read about the issues around cook-stoves in developing countries or REDD forest protection projects in Brazil and elsewhere)

What will be allowed under this new schema is activities that directly remove GHG (mostly carbon) from the atmosphere including direct air carbon capture and to be determined forms of reforestation and soil sequestration (i.e. regenerative agriculture). In these cases, there will be a 1 for 1 balance of carbon emitted and pulled from the atmosphere. Whether companies can buy these 'credits' from others or have to do it within their value chain is up for debate.

Easyjet and many other companies (see Microsoft, Google, etc) will all have to walk back their carbon neutral claims starting in 2020 or be deemed greenwashing. Carbon Neutral / Net-Zero under this definition will likely be near impossible for some industries - but I think this is the reality we expected - carbon neutral and net-zero aren't easy - they take fundamental restructuring of how the economy works. You can't simply buy your way out of this one.

Easyjet's advisors on this really should have known better. They've put the company in a tough spot PR-wise and financially with a big capital outlay that would have had more impact going to R&D into bio-fuels and electrification.

(I advise a company that is now having to develop a strategy about how to best walk back their long-term carbon neutral commitment if you are wondering the source of this information).

TerryM

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6002
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 893
  • Likes Given: 5
Re: Aviation
« Reply #282 on: November 20, 2019, 11:32:04 AM »
^^
Could you expand a little re. the company you're advising? I'm curious as to what they produce, the offsets they're considering, and the approximate size of the concern.
Forcing corporations to eschew their greenwashing claims has to be a positive, even if it does kill off a few marginally effective projects.
Terry

Yamatin

  • New ice
  • Posts: 6
    • View Profile
    • Decoding Sustainability
  • Liked: 4
  • Likes Given: 12
Re: Aviation
« Reply #283 on: November 21, 2019, 02:16:57 PM »
The offsets they considered were limited to those with only the most robust calculated impact - in this case landfill gas to energy projects that were not otherwise mandated by regulations (we had concerns with leakage for other project types). The total impact of their direct operations is relatively small when compared to others at less than 100,000 MTCO2e.

I would be a bad consultant if I named my client on a forum, so you'll have to respect my passing on that question :)

TerryM

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6002
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 893
  • Likes Given: 5
Re: Aviation
« Reply #284 on: November 22, 2019, 09:46:17 AM »
The offsets they considered were limited to those with only the most robust calculated impact - in this case landfill gas to energy projects that were not otherwise mandated by regulations (we had concerns with leakage for other project types). The total impact of their direct operations is relatively small when compared to others at less than 100,000 MTCO2e.

I would be a bad consultant if I named my client on a forum, so you'll have to respect my passing on that question :)
Sorry - I never intended that you dox yourself or your client. My interest was in your method and the relative size of your project.
Thanks
Terry

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25763
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: Aviation
« Reply #285 on: November 25, 2019, 06:54:29 PM »
Flight shame: People are quitting flying because of climate change | CNN Travel
Quote
...
The campaign sparked a wave of social media posts showing people traveling by train, accompanied by the hashtags #flygskam and #tågskryt, which mean "flight shame" and "train brag" in Swedish.

According to a survey released in May 2019 by Swedish Railways (SJ), 37% of respondents chose to travel by train instead of plane where possible, compared to 20% at the start of 2018. An SJ spokesperson said: "Rail travel is soaring thanks to climate fears."

Domestic passenger numbers in July fell by 12% compared to the previous year, according to Swedavia, a company which operates Sweden's 10 busiest airports. ...
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/train-travel-flying-climate-scn-intl-c2e/index.html
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25763
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: Aviation
« Reply #286 on: December 11, 2019, 09:47:56 PM »
Harbour Air in Vancouver, BC completes the first test flight of its electric converted passenger/cargo airplane.
Quote
Harbour currently has 14 six-passenger DHC-2 Beaver aircraft, many of which are equipped with Pratt & Whitney PT-6A turbine engines that burn about $300 worth of jet A fuel per hour. By contrast, the eBeaver packs enough battery life to fly about 100 miles at a cost of around $10 to $20 worth of electricity.

E-planes have a very limited range compared to ICE-powered models because lithium-ion batteries have less than 5 percent the energy density of gasoline or jet fuel. However, 100 miles is enough for many of the short seaplane hops around Vancouver's lower mainland. The distance between Vancouver and British Columbia capital Victoria (downtown to downtown) is 58 miles and takes about 30 minutes by plane, while the same trip on a ferry can run over four hours including driving time and waiting. (Also, as your author can attest from brutal experience, the flight is a lot less boring.)

Despite the range challenges, electric planes have big advantages over ICE-powered models. That includes lower maintenance and operating costs, no need for fueling infrastructure (other than chargers) and easier boarding on local routes. "We are proving that low-cost, environmentally friendly, commercial electric air travel can be a reality in the very near future," said Ganzarski.
https://www.engadget.com/2019/12/11/commercial-electric-airplane-test-flight-harbour-air/
« Last Edit: December 11, 2019, 09:53:33 PM by Sigmetnow »
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25763
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: Aviation
« Reply #287 on: January 22, 2020, 04:49:30 PM »
At least they are trying....

Sustainable aviation fuel for planes to and from Davos… finally
Quote
The Business Aviation Coalition for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF Coalition), the World Economic Forum (WEF), and Zurich Airport have announced initiatives to reduce aviation emissions.

First, the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will lower emissions for flights to and from Davos this year, and secondly, it will help support the aviation industry’s effort to expand the use of SAF.

Jet Aviation and World Fuel Services is making SAF available for aircraft leaving Switzerland as delegates depart Davos, Switzerland.

Further, as the SAF Coalition explains:

Under a payment-transfer initiative known as ‘book-and-claim,’ operators for the first time will be able to purchase SAF even at airports where it’s not available. Under the program, for each gallon of conventional fuel purchased at Teterboro Airport outside New York City, Hanscom Field in the Boston area and Dulles International Airport, Washington, D.C.’s main international terminal, an equivalent amount of conventional fuel will be replaced with SAF on flights departing from Van Nuys airport in the Los Angeles area.

Sustainable aviation fuels are carbon-cutting turbine fuels, made from bio-based or other sources, which can reduce a flight’s emissions by as much as 80%. It’s currently available in limited quantities but is produced from renewable sources. It works exactly the same as conventional fuel. ...
https://electrek.co/2020/01/22/sustainable-aviation-fuel-saf-davos-planes/
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25763
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: Aviation
« Reply #288 on: January 22, 2020, 05:45:03 PM »
Nothing like a nasty communicable disease scare to reduce air travel!

Coronavirus outbreak could shave $3 from oil prices, Goldman warns
Wed, Jan 22 2020
Quote
The coronavirus outbreak in China could shave $3 from oil prices thanks to a slowdown in air travel, Goldman Sachs warned in a note to clients.

Using the 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS as a reference case, the firm said coronavirus could cause jet fuel demand to drop by 170,000 barrels per day, with overall demand declining by 260,000 barrels per day.

This is roughly 1.6 times larger than the slowdown caused by SARS due to the rapid growth in Asian air travel since the early 2000s. ...
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/22/coronavirus-could-shave-3-from-oil-prices-goldman-warns.html
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sciguy

  • Nilas ice
  • Posts: 1969
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 237
  • Likes Given: 188
Re: Aviation
« Reply #289 on: February 07, 2020, 10:42:41 PM »
Rolls Royce is rolling out a small electric plane and working on batteries for larger ones.

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-Secret-Behind-Rolls-Royces-E-Plane.html

Quote
The Secret Behind Rolls Royce’s E-Plane
By Irina Slav - Jan 30, 2020

When Rolls Royce in December unveiled its new electric plane, it said it would be the fastest electric aircraft, capable of achieving a top speed of 300 mph. It also said the plane will be able to fly from London to Paris on a single charge.

Quote
The ACCEL aircraft has three battery packs that power its three electric motors. Each pack weighs 450 kg and has a capacity of 72 kWh. To compare, the battery pack of a Tesla Model X has a capacity of 75 kWh and weighs over 500 kg. Smaller EVs do have much lighter battery packs, but they do have much lower range. The challenge with the ACCEL seems to be striking a rather fine balance between weight and capacity.

Quote
So, can the Rolls Royce racing plane take on a commercial jet? Not yet. The specific energy of the ACCEL aircraft batteries is just 165 Wh/kg, a standard measure used for the energy density of batteries, and it needs to rise to 500 Wh/kg for the plane to compete with jet propulsion-powered aircraft. But it is certainly an important step in the electrification of planes even if for the time being only small planes can be electrified.

rboyd

  • Nilas ice
  • Posts: 1334
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 226
  • Likes Given: 52
Re: Aviation
« Reply #290 on: February 08, 2020, 12:01:22 AM »
So now the rich b**tards will be flying above me in an annoying propeller driven plane rather than experiencing the traffic jam next to me. I can see a big jump in the usage of small private airfields, and even less investment in public transport.

Next up traffic jams in the sky?

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25763
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: Aviation
« Reply #291 on: February 08, 2020, 04:58:12 PM »
So now the rich b**tards will be flying above me in an annoying propeller driven plane rather than experiencing the traffic jam next to me. I can see a big jump in the usage of small private airfields, and even less investment in public transport.

Next up traffic jams in the sky?

The customers for these planes will be of the kind who currently make use of Rolls Royce engines in their private aircraft, not their cars.
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sciguy

  • Nilas ice
  • Posts: 1969
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 237
  • Likes Given: 188
Re: Aviation
« Reply #292 on: February 10, 2020, 09:10:27 PM »
I should've pointed out that Rolls Royce has been a manufacturer of aircraft engines for decades.  They made engines for some of the most famous WWII aircraft including the Hurricane, Spitfire and Mustang.  They're currently the second largest aircraft engine producer (behind GE) and the 16th largest defense contractor in the world according to wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_Holdings

I think it's a positive sign that they're embracing the electric future instead of digging in like the coal, oil and gas companies.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25763
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: Aviation
« Reply #293 on: February 29, 2020, 03:23:15 PM »
U.S.
New FAA drone rule is a giant middle finger to aviation hobbyists
Public comments are open until 11:59pm on Monday.
2/29/2020
Quote
More than 34,000 people have deluged the Federal Aviation Administration with comments over a proposed regulation that would require almost every drone in the sky to broadcast its location over the Internet at all times. The comments are overwhelmingly negative, with thousands of hobbyists warning that the rules would impose huge new costs on those who simply wanted to continue flying model airplanes, home-built drones, or other personally owned devices.

"These regulations could kill a hobby I love," wrote Virginian Irby Allen Jr. in a comment last week. "RC aviation has brought my family together and if these regulations are enacted we will no longer be able to fly nor be able to afford the hobby."

The new regulations probably wouldn't kill the hobby of flying radio-controlled airplanes outright, but it could do a lot of damage. Owners of existing drones and model airplanes would face new restrictions on when and where they could be used. The regulations could effectively destroy the market for kit aircraft and custom-designed drones by shifting large financial and paperwork burdens on the shoulders of consumers.
...
An Internet connection for every aircraft
The new rules are largely designed to address safety and security concerns raised by law enforcement agencies. They worry that drones flying too close to an airport could disrupt operations or even cause a crash. They also worry about terrorists using drones to deliver payloads to heavily populated areas.

To address these concerns, the new FAA rule would require all new drones weighing more than 0.55 pounds to connect over the Internet to one of several location-tracking databases (still to be developed by private vendors) and provide real-time updates on their location. That would enable the FAA or law enforcement agencies to see, at a glance, which registered drones are in any particular area.

But critics say the rules impose massive costs on thousands of law-abiding Americans who have been quietly flying model airplanes, quad-copters, and other small unmanned aircraft for years—and in many cases decades. ...
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/02/new-faa-drone-rule-is-a-giant-middle-finger-to-aviation-hobbyists/
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

josh-j

  • New ice
  • Posts: 92
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 34
  • Likes Given: 102
Re: Aviation
« Reply #294 on: March 01, 2020, 09:03:14 PM »
Heathrow third runway ruled illegal over climate change

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/27/heathrow-third-runway-ruled-illegal-over-climate-change

Quote
Plans for a third runway at Heathrow airport have been ruled illegal by the court of appeal because ministers did not adequately take into account the government’s commitments to tackle the climate crisis.

The ruling is a major blow to the project at a time when public concern about the climate emergency is rising fast and the government has set a target in law of net zero emissions by 2050. The prime minister, Boris Johnson, could use the ruling to abandon the project, or the government could draw up a new policy document to approve the runway.

...

The court’s ruling is the first major ruling in the world to be based on the Paris climate agreement and may have an impact both in the UK and around the globe by inspiring challenges against other high-carbon projects.

Lord Justice Lindblom said: “The Paris agreement ought to have been taken into account by the secretary of state. The national planning statement was not produced as the law requires.”

It’s now clear that our governments can’t keep claiming commitment to the Paris agreement, while simultaneously taking actions that blatantly contradict it” said Tim Crosland, at legal charity Plan B, which brought the challenge. “The bell is tolling on the carbon economy loud and clear.”

Worth noting that Boris Johnson already might've wanted to find a way out of expanding Heathrow (in typical fashion he claimed a number of years ago to be ready to lie in front of the bulldozers should construction begin) - but this still feels like a significant ruling in a country where government support for business-as-usual polluting industries has been pretty unwavering and it feels like markets reign supreme. The tenacious campaigners will be very proud. Special mention to the brilliant people who, some 10 years ago, set up an improvised camp in one of the villages due to be demolished - Grow Heathrow at Sipson - and have been there ever since!

That in itself gives you some idea of how long this expansion has been looming over communities and campaigners.

It is no longer a case of the aviation industry needing to find a way to grow sustainably; it needs to stop growing, and then it needs to shrink.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25763
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: Aviation
« Reply #295 on: March 03, 2020, 08:59:27 PM »
”The year over year decline comes as airlines cancel flights and reduce service frequencies in response to the spread of the novel coronavirus.”
Quote
Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) 3/3/20, 12:30 PM
The number of commercial passenger and cargo flights tracked by Flightradar24 decreased by 4.3% in February 2020 compared to February 2019.

https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/commercial-air-traffic-down-4-3-in-february-2020/
https://twitter.com/flightradar24/status/1234894036638539777
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25763
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: Aviation
« Reply #296 on: March 05, 2020, 08:39:23 PM »
United Airlines slashes flights, freezes hiring amid coronavirus outbreak
Quote
United will cut its international flights scheduled for next month by 20% and those in the U.S. and Canada by 10%. Some wide-body planes will be parked, the company said Wednesday.

The changes are likely to be followed by similar moves at other airlines, which are facing the biggest demand shock since the financial crisis, as the coronavirus sickens more than 90,000 people.

Airlines around the world have cut back on capacity as COVID-19 saps travel demand. The coronavirus outbreak, which originated in China, has spread to dozens of countries, prompting large companies to scale back on business travel.

Companies such as Target and Google have turned to webcasts instead of in-person gatherings, and several high-profile conferences have been canceled. Companies including automakers Ford and Fiat Chrysler have banned nonessential travel. ...
https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2020/03/04/united-cutting-flights-in-april-amid-coronavirus-outbreak.html
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

NeilT

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6275
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 386
  • Likes Given: 22
Re: Aviation
« Reply #297 on: March 06, 2020, 12:54:58 PM »
Flybe in the UK has gone under.  It has been hanging by a thread for years, but covis-19 is like a great big set of shears.  It will be interesting to see how many orhers are snipped in the fallout.
Being right too soon is socially unacceptable.

Robert A. Heinlein

bluice

  • Guest
Re: Aviation
« Reply #298 on: March 08, 2020, 05:30:07 PM »
Norwegian will have tough time. Stock went down like a rock last week

sesyf

  • New ice
  • Posts: 61
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 8
  • Likes Given: 85
Re: Aviation
« Reply #299 on: March 09, 2020, 08:49:07 PM »
Airlines are flying nearly empty planes to keep their allocated slots... if I got it right, thye need to fly 80% of their usual amount.