04-17-2025, 09:15 PM
The Last Minute Hitch: 16 April 2025
16 April 2025
– Steve Hitchen
Technology is exciting, or rather, what technology enables is exciting. Technology, whether it be materials, avionics, manufacturing processes, software or a hundred other things that make-up aviation, brings new capability to our industry and community. This is transformational, as anyone who flew in the days before GNSS can attest to. That transformation was on display at AERO Friedrichshafen last week. From new power options and workload-reducing software, to innovative designs and materials – helicopters, fixed-wing, recreational, drones; AERO had it all. When you look at such a healthy turn-out from both exhibitors and attendees, it's hard to reconcile that general aviation is still considered to be in a depressed and precarious state. GA aircraft deliveries are still battling their way back to pre-GFC levels 17 years later, impacted also by the rise of the light sport category (LSA), which is often not considered GA. One look around AERO might cause some rethinking; LSAs and recreational aircraft are now one of the most advanced sectors of GA and, with MOSAIC due this year, may even become the dominant sector. I might get rocks thrown at me for suggesting the LSA sector is now crucial to the future of GA, but if that is the case, bring on the rocks. Manufacturers are using the non-certified environment to test and develop new technology away from the costly certified regime, so when it comes time for certification, all the bugs are already ironed out. What that means is that in many cases LSAs get the best stuff first, which was evident in the expo halls of AERO 2025.
"..When conventional solutions fail, radical solutions are needed.."
Fifty million dollars per year. That's the price the Australian Airports Association (AAA) has put on maintaining and developing Australia's airports. For context, the current government spend on regional and remote airports is $90 million over three years. But the AAA figure sounds about right; even though it may be a flight of fantasy, it's something you would expect the AAA to demand. It's their job. This call once again reignites the debate of responsibility for our network of airports. Very short-sighted governments either privatised airports or off-loaded them under ALOP so they wouldn't have to spend money on upkeep. Did they not envisage that the municipal councils didn't want to spend money on airports either? All around the country, despite the Regional Airports Program (RAP) and the Remote Airstrips Upgrade Program (RAUP), local councils seem determined to handball their airports to anyone else to avoid ongoing costs that neither RAP nor RAUP cover. Important aviation infrastructure is, in many locales, unloved and under-resourced. When conventional solutions fail, radical solutions are needed; however, it seems that none are forthcoming. The Federal Government's current board of advisors, the General Aviation Advisory Network (GAAN), labeled the divestment of regional airports "a mistake", so its not like Canberra is oblivious to the situation. More likely, politicians of all colours don't want to take responsibility for a solution, especially the ALP, which is loathe to splash cash on any aviation project without a nexus to sustainability. But what value a net-zero flight that has nowhere to land? It's well time this issue got sorted, even if it means spending $50 million per year.
Obviously Kawasaki believes in the future of GA, or they wouldn't be wading into the aero engine market, which is currently dominated by three manufacturers: Continental, Lycoming and Rotax. Although Rotax is still very much seen as a recreational engine, recent developments in displacement, turbo-charging and fuel injection is making them a viable option for higher-MTOW GA aeroplanes. So Kawasaki–whose modern bona fides come from motorcycles–will have to do some work to wedge themselves into the market. Part of that will be overcoming rigid brand loyalty, and the industry's strong embrace of the flat-four engine configuration (with a side nod to the Mercedes-derived Austro inline four diesel). The inline configuration won't easily adapt to current airframes, which means the company could be looking to the new designs expected to be unleashed when MOSAIC takes the shackles off designers. The other thing to note is that the Kawasaki engines will drink mogas from the outset, a very attractive thing to have when avgas supplies are becoming shaky. Watch this with interest, there's probably more to the story.
Whilst we would like to apologise for upsetting your week by delivering the Australian Flying eNews on a Wednesday instead of Good Friday or Get-out-of-Town-Early Thursday, we're going to repeat the disruption again next week. This time, LMH and the eNews won't be coming out until Monday 28 April. That's all about ANZAC Day and my own travel plans, which will see me file my work from Alice Springs next week. After that, we'll be back to our usual Fridays once again.
May your gauges always be in the green,
Hitch
16 April 2025
– Steve Hitchen
Technology is exciting, or rather, what technology enables is exciting. Technology, whether it be materials, avionics, manufacturing processes, software or a hundred other things that make-up aviation, brings new capability to our industry and community. This is transformational, as anyone who flew in the days before GNSS can attest to. That transformation was on display at AERO Friedrichshafen last week. From new power options and workload-reducing software, to innovative designs and materials – helicopters, fixed-wing, recreational, drones; AERO had it all. When you look at such a healthy turn-out from both exhibitors and attendees, it's hard to reconcile that general aviation is still considered to be in a depressed and precarious state. GA aircraft deliveries are still battling their way back to pre-GFC levels 17 years later, impacted also by the rise of the light sport category (LSA), which is often not considered GA. One look around AERO might cause some rethinking; LSAs and recreational aircraft are now one of the most advanced sectors of GA and, with MOSAIC due this year, may even become the dominant sector. I might get rocks thrown at me for suggesting the LSA sector is now crucial to the future of GA, but if that is the case, bring on the rocks. Manufacturers are using the non-certified environment to test and develop new technology away from the costly certified regime, so when it comes time for certification, all the bugs are already ironed out. What that means is that in many cases LSAs get the best stuff first, which was evident in the expo halls of AERO 2025.
"..When conventional solutions fail, radical solutions are needed.."
Fifty million dollars per year. That's the price the Australian Airports Association (AAA) has put on maintaining and developing Australia's airports. For context, the current government spend on regional and remote airports is $90 million over three years. But the AAA figure sounds about right; even though it may be a flight of fantasy, it's something you would expect the AAA to demand. It's their job. This call once again reignites the debate of responsibility for our network of airports. Very short-sighted governments either privatised airports or off-loaded them under ALOP so they wouldn't have to spend money on upkeep. Did they not envisage that the municipal councils didn't want to spend money on airports either? All around the country, despite the Regional Airports Program (RAP) and the Remote Airstrips Upgrade Program (RAUP), local councils seem determined to handball their airports to anyone else to avoid ongoing costs that neither RAP nor RAUP cover. Important aviation infrastructure is, in many locales, unloved and under-resourced. When conventional solutions fail, radical solutions are needed; however, it seems that none are forthcoming. The Federal Government's current board of advisors, the General Aviation Advisory Network (GAAN), labeled the divestment of regional airports "a mistake", so its not like Canberra is oblivious to the situation. More likely, politicians of all colours don't want to take responsibility for a solution, especially the ALP, which is loathe to splash cash on any aviation project without a nexus to sustainability. But what value a net-zero flight that has nowhere to land? It's well time this issue got sorted, even if it means spending $50 million per year.
Obviously Kawasaki believes in the future of GA, or they wouldn't be wading into the aero engine market, which is currently dominated by three manufacturers: Continental, Lycoming and Rotax. Although Rotax is still very much seen as a recreational engine, recent developments in displacement, turbo-charging and fuel injection is making them a viable option for higher-MTOW GA aeroplanes. So Kawasaki–whose modern bona fides come from motorcycles–will have to do some work to wedge themselves into the market. Part of that will be overcoming rigid brand loyalty, and the industry's strong embrace of the flat-four engine configuration (with a side nod to the Mercedes-derived Austro inline four diesel). The inline configuration won't easily adapt to current airframes, which means the company could be looking to the new designs expected to be unleashed when MOSAIC takes the shackles off designers. The other thing to note is that the Kawasaki engines will drink mogas from the outset, a very attractive thing to have when avgas supplies are becoming shaky. Watch this with interest, there's probably more to the story.
Whilst we would like to apologise for upsetting your week by delivering the Australian Flying eNews on a Wednesday instead of Good Friday or Get-out-of-Town-Early Thursday, we're going to repeat the disruption again next week. This time, LMH and the eNews won't be coming out until Monday 28 April. That's all about ANZAC Day and my own travel plans, which will see me file my work from Alice Springs next week. After that, we'll be back to our usual Fridays once again.
May your gauges always be in the green,
Hitch