Increasingly, aircraft manufacturers have to factor in environmental features while making a sales pitch for their aircraft as the aviation community is becoming demanding with regard to fuel burn, emissions, noise, etc. Gulfstream, a major business jet manufacturer, has been a good steward of the environment and it has committed itself to carbon neutral growth by 2020. Jason Akovenko, Regional Vice President, Asia-Pacific, Gulfstream, spoke to SP’s Aviation about what the company has outlined with regard to environment and its business in India.

SP’s Aviation (SP’s): Do Indian operators ask for aircraft which is environmental-friendly—less noise, less burn of fuel, etc, or are they just looking at the price factor?

Jason Akovenko: With each new aircraft Gulfstream provides, it works to improve fuel efficiency, decrease noise and lower emissions. Operators do not have to choose between an environmentally friendly aircraft and a cost-effective one. In fact, those two factors go hand in hand.

SP’s: Unlike Europe or the developed parts of the world, India is less conscious of the environmental impacts of business aviation. Do you have operator manuals to improve efficiency, reduce environmental impact? Do you have to educate the Indian buyer more than anywhere else?

Akovenko: In the early 1980s, Gulfstream developed a unique quiet flying procedure for its customers and promoted that procedure until it became a standard practice for most pilots. Another document called “The Noise Information Manual” provides specific noise-abatement procedures for a select group of noise-sensitive airports. This document has recently been revised and continues to be a good source of information for our customers. In 2008, Gulfstream promoted environmentally conscious flying through a type of best practice guide called “Performance Procedures for Fuel and CO₂ Conservation”. This document provides practical steps for the pilot to use in order to reduce fuel burn and hence CO₂. It covers all aspects of flight (taxi, climb, cruise, descent and landing). It also provides tips for planning a flight that would reduce fuel burn, such as fuel loading as well as simple ways to reduce unnecessary payload. This information can also be found on Waypoints, Gulfstream’s flight operations website.

We work with all of our operators, regardless of their location, to ensure they can operate their aircraft efficiently, which not only helps the environment but saves them money as well.

SP’s: What are the developments at Gulfstream with regard to environment, noise abatement, etc?

Akovenko: Gulfstream has a long history of being a good steward of the environment.

Aero/Propulsion/Systems: Gulfstream takes an integrated design approach to optimise airplane performance and efficiency. Gulfstream continues to explore the use of lighter weight materials, including composite materials in future products and is utilising high-powered computing to optimise the aerodynamic shape by evaluating literally thousands of designs against performance and efficiency criteria. We also continue to work closely with propulsion system suppliers to achieve step improvements in fuel efficiency, noise and emissions that are expected in the next generation engines. Our systems’ integration and simulation capability allows us to right-size the airplane systems to reduce weight and minimise power extraction requirements from the engines.

Gulfstream also leverages the capability inherent in a flyby-wire (FBW) control system by reconfiguring the airplane to a low-drag configuration based on flight condition, and to reduce critical design loads, thereby reducing structural weight.

Avionic Systems: Gulfstream has invested significantly in the development of new avionics and functionality to improve safety and operational capability while also providing improved efficiency. Gulfstream’s Enhanced Flight Vision System is an example. This revolutionary product utilises infrared technologies to allow pilots see through fog and at night. When used during approach and landing, it reduces the probability of go-arounds or diversions to other airports thus saving fuel.

Gulfstream has also recently received FAA approval for required navigation performance special aircraft and aircrew authorisation required (RNP SAAAR). This feature allows precision vertical and lateral navigation guidance to within 0.1 nautical miles and allows improved use of preferred airspace routes which results in lowered fuel usage.

Gulfstream’s PlaneView Flight Deck is capable of sending and receiving real-time data, including weather, such as winds aloft and thunderstorm data. Using a sophisticated onboard flight management system (FMS), the flight crew can make strategic decisions to fly at altitudes that optimise fuel burn for the planned route. Planeview also utilises four large liquid crystal displays laid out in landscape format. They are capable of displaying multiple formats including navigation maps overlaid with weather radar data. Gulfstream recently certified its synthetic vision system, synthetic vision-primary flight display, which uses an on-board terrain database to display 3-D image of the surrounding terrain. This improves safety by increasing the pilot’s situational awareness relative to surrounding terrain, significant obstacles and runway location. The safety benefits of Gulfstream’s SV-PFD were recognised by industry when it was awarded the Honeywell-Bendix Trophy for Aviation Safety in 2008.

For the future, Gulfstream is actively involved in industry developments and plans to develop new systems in line with FAA’s NextGen, Europe’s SESAR, India’s GAGAN, etc. As an example, continuous descent trajectory is the ability to begin the descent to an airport hundreds of miles away at idle power without the standard level-offs of today. Using advanced on-board navigation systems and displays, the aircraft can reach the airport with significantly less fuel burned.

Airframe Noise Research: Gulfstream in cooperation with NASA has taken the lead in researching the main contributors of airframe noise. Over the past three years, significant investment and progress were made with applications for future development programmes. The momentum of this initiative has grown into the development of a research consortium that includes government, industry and academic agencies. At this point, Gulfstream is recognised as an industry leader in airframe noise research with benchmark problems, computational aeroacoustics and noise prediction software development. Gulfstream also supports IBAC’s Business Aviation Statement on Climate Change:

• Carbon neutral growth by 2020
• An improvement in fuel efficiency averaging 2 per cent per year from today until 2020
• A reduction in total CO₂ emissions of 50 per cent by 2050 relative to 2005

SP’s: There is so much talk about alternative fuels in aviation. Will it become a reality in the next five years?

Akovenko: Gulfstream is evaluating alternative fuels. If our researchers conclude that they’re safe and effective, we may incorporate them into our operating manual.

SP’s: Gulfstream has had long association with India and India’s business aviation sector is opening up fast. What are the drivers in India for business aviation?

Akovenko: When we look at the market in India, we see considerable upward potential. The country has been enjoying robust economic growth, which has contributed to wealth creation. This has spurred strong demand for private jets. Additionally, a number of trends support the growth of private aviation in India, including:

• A dynamic business culture
• Increasing global business linkages, including Indian acquisitions abroad
• Recognition in government and industry that aviation helps foster economic growth

SP’s: How many Gulfstream aircraft are there in India at present and what is the target, considering reports that by 2015, India will require 1400 private aircraft? Do you have any plans to develop the market? How do you position Gulfstream in this competitive market?

Akovenko: Today, India has a private jet fleet of nearly 130 aircraft, versus 11,000 in the United States. That provides considerable room for growth. There are 17 Gulfstream aircraft in the Indian fleet, all of them in the mid- to largecabin segments, making them among the most capable private aircraft in India. Companies and individuals will need to fly farther as business expands among continents, providing an incentive to trade up to larger Gulfstream models or acquire Gulfstream aircraft for the first time.

Over a quarter century, Gulfstream has earned a reputation as the preferred provider of private jets to many of the country’s business leaders. The Indian aviation industry is strong and vibrant and we are excited about the future. Gulfstream continues to expand its commitment in the country by significantly increasing marketing and product support activities to serve our customers.