– Steve Hitchen
Air bp this week made some salient points about sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). Firstly they pointed out that SAFs are a blend of sustainable kerosine (SK) and old-fashioned, but reliable, crude-based aviation fuel. Secondly, they have highlighted the challenges in finding reliable feedstock to make the SK portion. Securing commercial volumes of SAF has long been an issue for an industry keen to get going with a good turbine fuel replacement, and it appears that so far the science of SAF has streaked ahead of production capability. Aviation uses fuel in a volume that the average person in the street would just be unable to comprehend without plunging into bewilderment, and those volumes present a serious challenge to the SAF industry. Material has to be grown, and that takes time; manufacturers don't have the luxury of drawing on a bulk supply of raw material that has been accumulating over millions of years like the petro-chemical industry does. What we are learning is that ambition and capability often have a large gulf between them, and that fuel companies and their R&D departments can bridge the gap only when they find the right material to work with. The good news is that they are on the case.
CASA's Stakeholder Satisfaction Survey is well underway, and regardless of the results, is bound to produce more controversy. The surveys are sent to select people (point of controversy #1) and the statistics mashed through a methodology to produce a picture of what the industry thinks of CASA. The problem is that no matter what the result, many in the GA community will cry "rigged" if the outcome is anything but a serious slap for the regulator (point of controversy #2). The whole idea is often lost on some advocates. Alone, the results of the survey aren't really worth a lot no matter how many people are allowed to participate. It's only when the results are compared to previous surveys that a picture of progess starts to appear. For that to have any integrity, the same number and type of respondent needs to remain a constant. Without a constant, you can't measure anything. So far, the results of the satisfaction survey reflect the reality of the experience in dealing with CASA: there is improvement, but it's not enough and progress is too slow. The results of the 2020 survey (delayed after AOPA released the link to all and sundry – point of controversy #3) showed that 54% of respondents were satisfied with CASA to some degree: about half. For a regulator, that's not good enough. CASA will be hoping for a leap in that measure this year, and they might get it depending on two things: how the performance of DAS Pip Spence is gauged, and the impacts of the GA Workplan. Either way, when the results are made known later this year, get ready for more controversy.
Flight Design's C4 four-seat project was one of the most exciting announcements of 2011, but it has gone virtually nowhere for the last dozen years. First, it was delayed due to a re-write of FAR23, then Flight Design went into and out of administration. Now, it's finally back on track, re-badged as the F4. And it's still exciting! A four-seater that will squirt along at 145 KTAS, but won't cost the earth to buy, the F4 will step into the market behind a Rotax 916 engine. The original C4 prototype flew with a Continental IO-360, but the choice of the new Rotax is a logical one that may just be a winning point of difference in the eyes of buyers. The composite airframe and avionics are all state-of-the-art technology, so its only logical that the engine should be also. I agree, the 916 has yet to prove itself in practice, but then neither has the GE Catalyst engine and Textron has backed that for the Denali SETP. I have expressed my doubts about the performance of the 916 over the 915 engine, but am keen to see what Flight Design can make it do when the prototype F4 flies later this year. Then we'll know a lot more about both the airframe and the engine.
Australian Flying's latest issue, May-June 2023, is now on the newsagent shelves and is one of the most diverse aviation publications you'll find. It contains an M350 flight test, SBAS technology, maintenance, aero clubs and a bit of history. It is also the debut issue for Jim Davis' new column Right Seat Rules, which concentrates on the skill and science of being a good flying instructor, and also what students have the right to expect. If you haven't got your copy yet, place it at the top of your to-do list right now.
May your gauges always be in the green,
Hitch