Airplanes Are Getting Lighter Thanks to 3-D-Printed Parts
Metal 3-D printing, which has been around for nearly two decades, is finally coming into its own as a genuine mass manufacturing technology: sales of machines that print metal objects have risen rapidly as manufacturers, especially in the aerospace industry, gear up for commercial production of additively made parts they’ve been developing for years (see “10 Breakthrough Technologies 2013: Additive Manufacturing”).
That’s according to Terry Wohlers, an industry analyst and consultant who publishes an annual volume regarded by many as the most authoritative source of analysis for the additive-manufacturing industry. Last year, companies purchased 808 machines capable of building metal parts layer by layer, up from 550 in 2014 and 353 in 2013, according to Wohlers. Annual sales growth in the hundreds of units may seem small, but these machines cost hundreds of thousands to a million dollars each.
Full Story via MIT Technology Review
BCAC Annual Airports Conference & AGM
This highly regarded airport conference is an exceptional opportunity to see industry leaders share their innovations, knowledge and insight through a comprehensive and diverse range of presentations and panel discussions. It is a premier networking and professional development event for senior airport management teams from across BC.
Attracting 100+ senior airport, airline, aviation authority, government and related business executives.
THE HOT TOPICS FOR THIS YEAR’S CONFERENCE INCLUDE:
- Wrestling with Funding and Maximizing Revenues Across the Airport
- Solving the Increased Demand of Security and Training
- Planning and Compliance Unfiltered
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION:
INCLUDES COMPLIMENTARY GOLF, 1.5 DAY CONFERENCE, AND ALL ACTIVITIES
BCAC Members $250.00
Non-Members $300.00
Drones club
Better technology and tougher enforcement of the rules is needed for the safe operation of drones
THE airspace over London is among the most crowded in the world. The soaring popularity of small unmanned drones has added to the congestion. After several close encounters, drone and plane now appear to have collided. Police are investigating a report that on April 17th a British Airways flight from Geneva was hit on its nose cone by a drone as it approached Heathrow airport. Thankfully there was negligible damage. But stricter enforcement of regulations and better technology are required to prevent more serious accidents.
The scale of the problem is unclear. Sales of drones in Britain and many countries are not counted. The vast majority of them are small. Those the size of a large insect are not much to worry about. But drones of up to 25kg are a graver threat. And the sales trend is upward. America’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reckons consumer sales could grow from 1.9m in 2016 to as many as 4.3m by 2020.
Close encounters are also on the ascent. Recently the pilot of a Lufthansa aircraft flying at 1,500 metres reported that a drone passed within 60 metres of his plane as it approached Los Angeles International airport. Britain’s Airprox Board, which collects reports of incidents, found 23 near-misses between drones and aircraft between April and October last year. Of the 582 sightings reported between August 2015 and January 2016, the FAA said that over a third were potentially hazardous.
No one is sure how much damage a drone could do to a jet airliner. Steve Landells of the British Airline Pilots Association says that tests are needed to find out. Passenger jets are designed to survive a bird strike but if several are sucked into the engines the consequences can be serious. Drones may be more dangerous. They have metal components, including lithium-ion batteries, which can explode if damaged. Light aircraft and helicopters might be more vulnerable.
Full Story via The Economist
Kelowna airport hopes to develop farmland
Vacant farmland would be opened up for airport development if Kelowna airport managers succeed in getting four properties out of B.C.’s Agricultural Land Reserve.
A public meeting on the exclusion application will be held Thursday inside the terminal from 4 to 7 p.m.
“We thought we’d have the meeting here rather than at city hall because the people who are most likely to take an interest in this either live near the airport or own property here,” Shayne Dyrdal, airport finance manager, said Monday. “So the meeting will be close and local for them to attend,” Dyrdal said.
Collectively, the four properties encompass 21 hectares. They were purchased by the airport several years ago to accommodate YLW’s future needs.
Full Story via The Daily Courier
‘Mayday’: Father, son rescued after plane crash-lands in remote B.C. bay
It’s a harrowing aviation tale that could’ve ended much worse.
A Qualicum Beach man and his son had to be rescued from a remote beach after their ultralight plane crashed off B.C.’s central coast.
Gunter Schlichting and his pilot son, Frank, were flying from Port Hardy to Bella Bella Monday afternoon when bad weather forced them to circle back.
“Frank said we have enough fuel to get back to Port Hardy no problem, but then when we went towards Port Hardy, he found out there was a very heavy headwind,” Gunter recalled of the ill-fated flight. “We had the clouds below us, and finally he said ‘Well, we can’t make it to Port Hardy,’ so he called in ‘Mayday.’ That’s when I knew things were serious.”
Even worse, the aircraft started to run low on fuel.
Full Story via CTV News Vancouver Island
Scholarship and Industry Awards
BCAC Industry Awards
Nominations for BCAC Industry Awards can be submitted year round but must be in to our office no later than May 31 each year in order to be considered for the current year. Awards will be presented at the annual Silver Wings Awards event. In 2016, scheduled for October 26th at the Vancouver Convention Centre West.
Fill out the nomination form and recognize BC aviation talent. We live in the best province and have some exceptional aviators so please nominate them for recognition by their peers.
BCAC Scholarships
Deadline for all other Award and Scholarship Nominations – May 31, 2016
BC Aviation Council members recognize the financial pressures faces by students pursuing studies in aviation and aerospace, and the BCAC provides scholarships and awards for students on an annual basis.
Students actively pursuing studies in the following fields can apply for cash awards ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.
- Commercial Pilot
- Aviation Maintenance
- Airport Operations
- Private Pilot
