The company on Thursday announced it intends to launch a city center-to-airport network in Los Angeles by 2026, building on its plans to fly in New York City and Chicago. The service is meant to replace one-to-two-hour drives by car with more direct aerial routes while remaining cost competitive with ground-based rideshare options such as Uber and Lyft.

Archer in July also struck a deal with Southwest Airlines to connect Southwest terminals across California, where it is in the process of building a network of hubs linking South San Francisco, Napa, San Jose, Oakland, and Livermore.

The manufacturer’s flagship Midnight air taxi is designed for a pilot to fly as many as four passengers on back-to-back, 20-to-50 sm, 10-to-20-minute trips, with only a few minutes of charge time in between. The company hopes to obtain type certification from the FAA in time for a 2025 commercial rollout in New York and Chicago.

After that, it will set its sights on Los Angeles, where it intends to connect key locations such as Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX), Orange County, Santa Monica, Hollywood Burbank, Long Beach, Van Nuys, and the University of Southern California with vertiports. These takeoff and landing hubs are akin to heliports but will include electric aircraft chargers for Midnight and other electric aircraft to juice up.

Archer also has a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with FBO network Signature Aviation to install electric chargers at more than 200 Signature terminals nationwide, adding to the number of potential takeoff and landing sites for Midnight.

Archer competitor Joby Aviation is also looking to fly in the Los Angeles area in partnership with Delta Air Lines and earlier this year began the process of installing eVTOL infrastructure in California. Boeing air taxi subsidiary Wisk Aero, eVTOL jet manufacturer Lilium, and eVTOL developer Overair are among firms with similar ambitions.

The companies hope to showcase their aircraft on the world stage when the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles arrive— an ambitious target but one that is in line with the FAA’s own expectations for the industry. The city will also host men’s soccer games during the 2026 World Cup, which is being jointly held in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

“Establishing our LA network ahead of the global events that are coming to the region over the next three years is a milestone that will put Midnight on display for the whole world to see,” said Adam Goldstein, CEO of Archer. “LA is known for its horrendous traffic—our goal is to offer a safer, faster, and more sustainable alternative travel option.”

A handful of eVTOL manufacturers, including Germany’s Volocopter and China’s AutoFlight, are supposed to demonstrate their air taxis at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, but those flights have yet to take place and may not happen at all.

Aiding Archer, however, is a tight relationship with the FAA and the backing of California state officials such as Governor Gavin Newsom.

“Homegrown companies like Archer Aviation are pioneering the next generation of zero-emission transportation that will help California cut pollution, clean our air, and reduce traffic,” said Newsom.

Like this story? We think you’ll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.

The post Archer Bringing Electric Air Taxis to Los Angeles by 2026 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

On Friday, Southwest and Archer Aviation, manufacturer of the Midnight electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop a network of routes connecting Southwest terminals at California airports.

The airline is the state’s largest air carrier and owns key hubs in Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, and the San Francisco Bay Area, where Archer recently announced plans to construct eVOL infrastructure, such as takeoff and landing vertiports, at five airports.

Archer’s flagship aircraft, which takes off and lands like a helicopter but flies on fixed wings like an airplane, is designed for a pilot to fly as many as four passengers on 20 to 50 sm (17 to 43 nm) air taxi routes, cruising at up to 150 mph (130 knots).

As soon as next year, it will begin ferrying customers to and from airports at a price the manufacturer claims will be cost-competitive with ground-based rideshare services such as Uber or Lyft.

“Integrating Archer’s electric aircraft into the travel journey potentially gives us an innovative opportunity to enhance the experience of flying Southwest,” said Paul Cullen, vice president of real estate for the airline.

Cullen also left the door open for an expansion of Southwest’s air taxi service to locations in other states.

Added Dee Dee Meyers, senior adviser to California Governor Gavin Newson and director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development: “This initiative is designed to help revolutionize clean transportation with zero-direct emission and affordable options, enhancing the passenger experience, and supporting California’s climate action goals.”

The agreement with Southwest builds on Archer’s existing relationship with United Airlines, which in 2021 agreed to purchase 100 Midnight air taxis for an estimated $1 billion. Under that agreement, Archer will develop a software platform, mobile booking platform, and vertiport integration technology for a commercial service operated by United.

Delta Air Lines, the third major U.S. carrier with plans to launch an air taxi network, is working with Archer competitor Joby Aviation.

In addition, Archer in June signed a deal with Signature Aviation that would give it access to more than 200 FBOs, including those at New York Liberty International Airport (KEWR), Chicago O’Hare International Airport (KORD), and other airports the company intends to serve. The manufacturer also has an agreement with FBO network operator Atlantic Aviation to electrify Atlantic terminals in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and San Francisco.

“With Archer’s Midnight aircraft, passengers will be able to fly above traffic to get to the airport faster,” said Nikhil Goel, chief commercial officer of Archer. “Southwest customers could someday complete door-to-door trips like Santa Monica [California] to Napa in less than three hours.”

Archer and Southwest will begin by developing a concept of operations for Midnight out of Southwest terminals, partnering with airline employees and union groups such as the Southwest Airlines Pilot Association (SWAPA).

The companies “plan to collaborate over the next few years as eVTOLs take flight,” which does not commit them to a 2025 or 2026 launch. Archer, Joby, and other eVTOL manufacturers such as Beta Technologies and Overair intend to enter commercial service during that time frame.

Adding Southwest as a partner could be key for Archer when considering the activities of its competitor overseas.

Both firms plan to fly in the United Arab Emirates, including the cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. In February, however, Joby signed what it describes as an exclusive six-year deal with Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority, giving it the sole right to operate an air taxi service in the emirate. Archer CEO Adam Goldstein has disputed the exclusivity of the agreement, saying it will have no impact on the company’s plans.

That dynamic has not yet played out in the U.S.—both companies plan to fly in New York, for example. But if Joby intends to replicate the strategy of gaining an edge over competitors with exclusive deals, partnerships such as that with Southwest become more important.

Notably, the companies have also butt heads on eVTOL infrastructure. Each is pushing for a different electric aircraft charging system to become the industry standard, similar to how Elon Musk fought for Tesla’s North American Charging Standard to supplant the widely accepted Combined Charging Standard (CCS) for electric ground vehicles (a fight Tesla ultimately would win).

Similarly, Joby wants its Global Electric Aviation Charging System (GEACS) to replace a modified version of the CSS supported by Archer, Beta, and others, which could throw a wrench into their FBO electrification plans.

Among eVTOL manufacturers, Archer and Joby are the closest to being able to fly in the U.S. Each has achieved a full transition flight using a prototype air taxi and expects to begin the critical for-credit phase of FAA certification in the coming months.

In addition, both are qualified to perform eVTOL maintenance and repairs and are in the process of training an initial group of pilots to fly their respective aircraft.

The goal is for those activities to be complete in time for a 2025 launch. Whether Southwest will be a part of that occasion remains to be seen.

Like this story? We think you’ll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.

The post Southwest Strikes Deal With Archer for Electric Air Taxi Service appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Archer’s flagship design, Midnight, is built for a pilot to fly as many as four passengers on 20 to 50 sm (17 to 43 nm) routes, cruising at 130 knots and charging for just a few minutes between trips. The manufacturer’s goal is to compete against ground-based ridehailing services such as Uber or Lyft with a comparably priced offering.

In the Bay Area, the company will work with real estate giant Kilroy Realty Corp. The partners signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to make the 50-acre Kilroy Oyster Point waterfront campus in South San Francisco the anchor of Archer’s planned network.

Archer and Kilroy will look to build a vertiport at Oyster Point, connecting it with routes to Napa, San Jose, Oakland, and Livermore.

“We’re thrilled to collaborate with Kilroy on developing infrastructure to support Archer’s air mobility service and laying the foundation for a robust network of landing sites throughout the Bay Area,” said Bryan Bernhard, chief growth and infrastructure officer for Archer.

The manufacturer says it already has relationships with infrastructure and operations providers in those cities. One of its two main FBO partners, Atlantic Aviation, has hubs in Napa and San Jose. The other, Signature Aviation—which earlier this week agreed to install Archer electric aircraft chargers at 200 of its locations—also has a site in San Jose and another in Oakland.

Interestingly, Livermore Municipal Airport (KLVK), that city’s sole airfield, has no scheduled airline service and is designated as a regional reliever airport. Five Rivers Aviation, which operates a full-service FBO at the airport, appears to be Archer’s partner there.

San Francisco International Airport (KSFO), meanwhile, is a hub for Archer partner and investor United Airlines. The companies plan to launch routes in Chicago and New York City, also hub airports, by 2025.

In addition to constructing a vertiport at Oyster Point, Archer and Kilroy intend to create what Archer dubs “Sea Portal”—a renewable energy-powered development that offers both eVTOL and electric ferry services for all companies at the waterfront hub. According to the manufacturer, the facility could come online by the end of next year. Looking ahead, the partners will explore expansions to other Kilroy sites.

“We believe that this innovative and sustainable service has the potential to provide exceptional convenience and optionality to current and future tenants at the project, further differentiating Kilroy Oyster Point within the South San Francisco market,” said Angela Aman, CEO of Kilroy.

Archer began building the first Midnight production prototypes, which it will use to complete type certification evaluations with the FAA, in February. The aircraft received its final airworthiness criteria from the FAA in May and completed its first transition from hover to forward flight the following month during a remotely piloted test.

In June, Archer became one of just two eVTOL manufacturers to earn FAA Part 135 air carrier permissions, the other being competitor Joby Aviation.

It expects to install electric charging stations at Atlantic FBO locations in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami by next year, followed by similar infrastructure at as many as 200 Signature FBOs. Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR) in New Jersey, Chicago O’Hare (KORD) International Airport, and KSFO—the bases of operations for Archer’s New York, Chicago, and Bay Area services—are all part of Signature’s network.

The company also intends to add electric chargers to planned air taxi hubs in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, which is shaping up to be its initial overseas launch market.

Like this story? We think you’ll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.

The post Archer, Kilroy Building Electric Air Taxi Network in Bay Area appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Archer on Wednesday announced its subsidiary, Archer Air, received an FAA Part 135 air carrier and operator certificate, authorizing it to operate as a commercial airline as Midnight advances toward type certification. The manufacturer anticipates it will achieve that milestone next year. In the meantime, it plans on using its Part 135 approval to fly conventional aircraft “to refine its systems and procedures in advance of launching Midnight into service for airlines like United Airlines,” which in 2021 agreed to purchase $1 billion worth of Archer aircraft.

“Over my career, I’ve helped lead the buildout of JetBlue and Breeze Airways, and now that Archer has its Part 135 and 145 certificates from the FAA, I’m thrilled for our incredible team to commence operations on this innovative new air taxi service soon,” said Tom Anderson, chief operating officer of Archer Air.

The Part 135 certification process comprised five stages, Archer said. The manufacturer was required to submit operational manuals and procedures to the FAA, and company pilots demonstrated compliance with those materials under agency observation.

“This milestone reflects our team’s unwavering dedication to safety and operational excellence as we stand up one of the world’s first electric air taxi services for communities across the U.S. with a safe, sustainable and low noise transportation solution,” said Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer.

Archer’s flagship Midnight is a zero-emission model designed for a pilot to fly as many as four passengers on 20 to 50 sm (17 to 43 nm) air taxi routes, cruising at up to 150 mph (130 knots). The air taxi is intended to be cost competitive with ground-based rideshare services such as Uber or Lyft, replacing lengthy commutes with 10-to-20-minute flights, while producing significantly less noise than a helicopter.

Archer is one of just two eVTOL air taxi manufacturers to receive Part 135 permissions from the FAA, the other being competitor Joby Aviation. Joby, which unlike Archer intends to operate its own aircraft in the U.S., obtained its authorization in 2022.

Archer will have a hand to play in United’s operation of Midnight, though.

The company is developing a proprietary operations software platform, mobile booking platform, and technology that will integrate with vertiports, all of which will be essential to a commercial service. Now, it can begin to refine those platforms using conventional aircraft.

With Wednesday’s announcement, Archer now holds Part 135 and Part 145 certification, the latter of which authorizes it to perform select maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services. But Midnight won’t be able to fly commercially until it achieves type certification, which would validate the aircraft’s design, and production certification, which will allow Archer to begin producing the type-certified model.

The manufacturer has already begun building three type-conforming Midnight air taxis to be used in crewed flight testing later this year. For-credit evaluations with the FAA will follow and represent one of the most critical steps in the type certification process.

The agency in May awarded Archer final airworthiness criteria for Midnight, which laid out the standards it will use to gauge the aircraft’s ability to integrate safely into the national airspace. Competitor Joby is the only other eVTOL manufacturer to reach that step with the regulator, obtaining its own criteria one month prior.

Like this story? We think you’ll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.

The post Archer Obtains FAA Part 135 Air Carrier Certification appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Oscar, well-known for his affinity for trash, has been dubbed United’s chief trash officer and is helping the airline educate the public about sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). 

SAF is made primarily of waste products, such as used cooking oil and agricultural waste feedstocks. According to United, it can be used in combination with conventional fuel in aircraft in accordance with current blending requirements, resulting in lower carbon dioxide emissions.

• READ MORE: Biden Administration Defines ‘Climate-Smart’ SAF Subsidy Program

“SAF is one of the ways we’re planning to reduce our carbon footprint across United’s fleet,” the company said. “Investing in and using more SAF across the entire airline industry will help fly us all toward a lower carbon future.”

Since SAF is basically created from garbage, it made sense to have a trash expert like Oscar to be the company spokesperson for the effort.

• READ MORE: Boeing Ready to Buy 7.5 Million Gallons of SAF

The Muppets are an ensemble cast of puppet characters created in the 1960s by Jim Henson and Jon Stone. Oscar is a fluffy green creature with bushy dark eyebrows that gave him a permanent scowl. He spends most of his time seated in a garbage can and extolling the virtues of trash.

• READ MORE: Signature Aviation Pumping Blended SAF at LAX Terminal

United has several short videos starring Oscar the Grouch, beginning with one that shows how he saw a newspaper advertisement for a chief trash officer. With his 30-plus years of experience, how could he miss?

In other videos he plays opposite actual United employees who are excited about the use of SAF at the airline. He interacts with flight crews, sends junk mail to everyone in the world to let them know about United’s plans to power its airplanes on fuel made from waste materials. In another, he has a Zoom meeting with a Generation Z coworker with a sunny and upbeat disposition who wants to know how to spread the word that United is committed to lowering its carbon emissions by using SAF.

The campaign marks the latest SAF initiative for the airline. In February, Embraer announced it would join United Airlines Ventures’ Sustainable Flight Fund, an investment program aimed at increasing the supply of SAF through investment in related startup companies. The airline and its 22 corporate partners have committed more than $200 million to invest in companies working to decarbonize air travel. 

The post United Turns to Oscar the Grouch to Spread SAF Awareness appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The German manufacturer of the world’s first electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) jet on Monday announced a firm order for 20 aircraft from UrbanLink, a U.S. eVTOL operator formed in March by aviation entrepreneur Ed Wegel, the founder and CEO of charter airline GlobalX.

Notably, the agreement—which includes another 20 purchase options—sets scheduled predelivery payments between the partners. UrbanLink intends to operate the manufacturer’s flagship Lilium Jet out of planned vertiports in South Florida, with the goal of forming a regional air taxi network by 2026.

The initial network will span Miami, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, and Marco Island, Lilium says.

The collaboration represents a major boost to Lilium’s efforts to serve the Florida market, which has long been in its crosshairs. UrbanLink claims to be the first airline in the U.S. fully committed to integrating eVTOL aircraft into its fleet, giving the manufacturer a crucial operational partner it previously lacked.

“While many airlines have discussed the potential of operating eVTOL aircraft, none have made a definitive commitment,” said Wegel. “UrbanLink will be the first airline in the U.S. to integrate eVTOL aircraft into its fleet…After thorough evaluation of various manufacturers, we found the Lilium Jet to be the optimal choice for our needs, thanks to its superior cabin design, range, capacity, and cost-effectiveness.”

Fellow eVTOL air taxi manufacturer Archer Aviation has a similar relationship with United Airlines, which in 2022 paid $10 million out of its $1 billion deal for the purchase of up to 100 aircraft. Joby Aviation, which intends to operate its eVTOL itself, received a $60 million equity investment from partner Delta Air Lines, also in 2022.

“This is a huge milestone, not only for Lilium, but for the commercialization of eVTOLs in the U.S.,” said Sebastien Borel, chief commercial officer of Lilium. “We believe that this purchase of eVTOL aircraft is the first by a commercial operator that isn’t invested in the manufacturer that it is purchasing from. This is a sign that the market for eVTOL aircraft has matured, and there is growing demand for aircraft that can provide connections between, rather than just within, cities.”

Wegel—who led FAA certification for two U.S. Part 135 airlines and several U.S. Part 121 carriers, including Eastern Air Lines’ fleet of Boeing 737-800s in just eight months—founded UrbanLink as a standalone venture in March.

The industry veteran envisions Miami, Los Angeles, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, as the company’s early markets. It will then expand internationally beginning with the United Arab Emirates, which is rapidly becoming an eVTOL hot spot.

UrbanLink will provide the aircraft, pilots, and other systems needed to run the airline.

The firm picked the Lilium Jet for its fleet due in part to its quiet operation. The aircraft employs a unique fan-in-wing configuration, with 36 electric ducted fans embedded in its fixed wings. Compared to other eVTOL concepts, the design sacrifices efficiency in hover for a significant reduction in noise and improvement in cruise efficiency, where it will spend up to 95 percent of its time.

Since 2020, Lilium has worked with the city of Orlando and other stakeholders to build a regional air mobility (RAM) ecosystem for its eVTOL jet in Florida. Unlike Archer and Joby, which are focused on shorter urban air mobility (UAM) routes, Lilium expects its aircraft to fly between cities, cruising at 162 knots on trips spanning 25 to 125 sm (22 to 109 nm). That range is another factor that garnered UrbanLink’s interest.

Fractional aircraft ownership company NetJets in 2022 became a Lilium partner, signing a memorandum of understanding to purchase 150 aircraft which it will operate within the Florida network. Vertiports, under development at locations such as Orlando International Airport (KMCO), will function as hubs for the service.

Vertical flight services provider Bristow Group will provide maintenance services across the network, while FlightSafety International has agreed to train an initial group of Florida eVTOL pilots.

However, adding an airline partner makes the company’s plans seem much more feasible.

In addition, the German manufacturer has a partnership with Atlantic Aviation to electrify more than 100 FBO terminals nationwide. The sites—30 of which are within Lilium target markets such as Florida, Texas, and Southern California—will be transformed to accommodate its seven-seat eVTOL jet.

Lilium expects the first piloted Lilium Jet flight test to occur in late 2024, with European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) type certification in 2025. FAA certification, via the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the two regulators, would follow shortly after. Lilium remains the only eVTOL manufacturer with certification bases on both sides of the Atlantic.

UrbanLink expects to begin the FAA certification process in late 2025, with commercial service launching by summer 2026.

Like this story? We think you’ll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.

The post Lilium Receives Order for 20 eVTOL Jets, Forms Operational Partnership in U.S. appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Other incidents included a United aircraft engine fire, one leaving a trail of hydraulic fluid and an aircraft sliding off a runway, CNN reported.

While none of the events put lives at risk, the FAA said it is increasing its oversight of the air carrier “to ensure that it is complying with safety regulations; identifying hazards and mitigating risk; and effectively managing safety.”

• READ MORE: FAA Probe Underway After Boeing 777 Drops Wheel Following Takeoff

In a statement to FLYING, the agency noted that “certification activities in process may be allowed to continue, but future projects may be delayed based on findings from oversight. The FAA will also initiate an evaluation of United Airlines under the provisions of the Certificate Holder Evaluation Process.”

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby addressed the issue with an open letter to customers, stating that “our team is reviewing the details of each case to understand what happened and using those insights to inform our safety training and procedures across all employee groups.”

Kirby said these changes come in addition to processes already planned, such as an extra day of in-person training for all pilots, beginning in May and a centralized training curriculum for new-hire maintenance technicians.

• READ MORE: NTSB Investigates Boeing Rudder Malfunction Incident in Newark

“We’re also dedicating more resources to supplier network management,” said Kirby.

Sasha Johnson, United Airlines vice president of corporate safety, addressed airline employees, letting them know that the FAA would be on-site for the next several weeks.

“[They will be on hand] to review some of our work processes, manuals, and facilities,” Johnson said. “We welcome their engagement and are very open to hear from them about what they find and their perspective on things we may need to change to make us even safer…We have a strong safety culture at United. Still, the number of safety-related events in recent weeks have rightfully caused us to pause and evaluate whether there is anything we can and should do differently.” 

The post FAA Ramps Up Scrutiny of United Airlines appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The Boeing 777-200 has six tires on each of its two main landing gear struts. The design allows the aircraft to land safely with missing or damaged tires.

• READ MORE: NASA, Boeing Reveal New Image of Experimental X-66

United Flight 35 was destined for Osaka, Japan, but was forced to divert to Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX). When the aircraft landed, a team was waiting on the ground to meet it, and a tug was used to move it to parking.

On board the aircraft were 235 passengers, four pilots, and 10 flight attendants. No one aboard was injured, according to a United spokesperson.

“Our team quickly arranged for a new aircraft to take customers to Osaka later that evening,” United told FLYING. “We’re grateful to our pilots and flight attendants for their professionalism in managing this situation.”

• READ MORE: NTSB Investigates Boeing Rudder Malfunction Incident in Newark

The incident occurred around 11:35 a.m. PST as the aircraft departed, CNN reported. KSFO airport spokesperson Doug Yakel told the network that the jet “lost a portion of a landing gear tire during takeoff.”

A ground-level video captured the wheel falling from the jet before it landed in an employee parking lot, damaging several cars. Photographs posted by local media show a silver car with the back end crushed and the windows shattered. The car was empty at the time of the event, and there were no injuries reported.

“We will work with customers as well as with the owners of the damaged vehicles in [KSFO] to ensure their needs are addressed,” United said.

The FAA said it is investigating the cause of the incident.

The post FAA Probe Underway After Boeing 777 Drops Wheel Following Takeoff appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

As the rudders are a flight control system, federal regulations require the NTSB be notified in the event of a malfunction. According to the report, the servo that activates the rudders may have been adversely impacted by the cold.

What Happened

According to the report, the jet operated as United Airlines Flight 1539 had flown from Lynden Pindling International Airport (MYNN) in Nassau, Bahamas, to KEWR in New Jersey. Shortly after touchdown the captain who was pilot flying noted the rudder pedals “did not move in response to the ‘normal’ application of foot pressure while attempting to maintain the runway centerline. The pedals remained ‘stuck’ in their neutral position.” 

• READ MORE: NTSB Releases Preliminary Report on Florida Jet Accident

The captain used the nosewheel steering tiller to keep the aircraft near the centerline during the rollout as the aircraft slowed. The steering tiller is controlled by hand and used in the relatively tight quarters of the ramp.

Per the NTSB, the captain asked the first officer to check the function of his rudder pedals. The first officer reported his pedals were not responding, however, the captain then noted that shortly thereafter the rudder pedals began to operate normally.

The issue was reported to airline maintenance, and the aircraft removed for service.

The flight data recorder, which records aircraft performance data, corroborated the pilot’s statements regarding the malfunction of the rudder system. The data showed that during the landing and subsequent rollout the rudder surface position remained near its neutral position even though the force applied to the rudder pedals was increasing. 

• READ MORE: NTSB Chief Testifies That Boeing Is Stonewalling on 737 Door Plug Blowout 

The NTSB noted that “about 30 seconds after touchdown, a significant pedal force input was observed along with corresponding rudder surface movement. Afterward, the rudder pedals and rudder surface began moving as commanded and continued to function normally for the remainder of the taxi.”

The investigation involved the FAA, United Airlines (UAL), Boeing, and Collins Aerospace. It was noted in the report that the post-incident troubleshooting and inspection of the rudder control system found no obvious malfunctions with it or any of its components whose failure would have resulted in the restricted movement observed during Flight 1539 and the subsequent test flight that followed the event.

“As a precaution, the aft rudder input torque tube and associated upper and lower bearings and the rudder rollout guidance servo were removed for further examination by the NTSB systems group,” the report said.

Following the removal of the rudder system components, UAL conducted a second test flight on the airplane and found the rudder control system operated normally.

Component Details

According to the information gathered by the NTSB, “pilot control of the 737-8 rudder is transmitted in a closed-loop system from the pilots’ rudder pedals in the cockpit through a single cable system, aft rudder quadrant, pedal force transducer to the aft rudder input torque tube in the vertical fin. Rotation of the torque tube provides the command inputs to the two main and standby rudder power control units (PCUs) to move the rudder surface.”

The incident airplane was delivered to the airline in February 2023. The aircraft was configured with “a rudder SVO-730 rollout guidance servo that was disabled per UAL’s delivery requirements to reconfigure the autoflight system from CAT IIIB to CAT IIIA capability.”

Investigators stated that although the servo was disabled, it remained mechanically connected to the upper portion of the aft rudder input torque tube by the servo’s output crank arm and pushrod. The rollout guidance servo was removed from the incident airplane and subjected to cold soaking to determine if the cold had adversely affected the torque required to move the servo’s output crank arm.

Per the report, at room temperature it was found that the torque to rotate the servo’s output crank arm was within design specifications.

After the unit was then “cold soaked” for one hour and the test was repeated, it was found that the torque to move the servo’s output crank arm was significantly beyond the specified design limits.

“Because the servo output crank arm is mechanically connected to the rudder input torque tube, the restricted movement of the servo’s output crank arm would prevent the rudder pedals from moving as observed during Flight 1539 and the test flight,” the report said.

• READ MORE: Boeing Subcontractor Scrutinized Over Door Plug Failure

The reported rudder malfunction happened approximately a month after an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 Max lost a door plug during climbout from Portland International Airport (KPDX) in Oregon. No one was injured, however, the incident led to the grounding of the aircraft. Boeing has been under intense scrutiny from the FAA and NTSB since the event, with both agencies focusing on the manufacturer’s safety culture.

“We appreciate the NTSB’s work on this preliminary report and will continue to fully support their investigation,” a Boeing spokesperson told FLYING. “We worked closely with United Airlines to diagnose the rudder response issue observed during two 737-8 flights in early February. With coordination with United, the issue was successfully resolved with the replacement of three parts, and the airplane returned to service last month.”

The NTSB noted the report is still preliminary, and the information may change as the investigation continues.

The post NTSB Investigates Boeing Rudder Malfunction Incident in Newark appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

To achieve this, the carrier announced a significant expansion to the already large Flight Training Center in Denver. The expansion is a part of the carrier’s United Next Plan to incorporate an additional building to the training complex and create room for 12 additional flight simulators. 

World’s Largest Flight Training Center

The Chicago-based carrier currently has the largest Flight Training Center in the world in Denver, holding all training events for the over 16,000 pilots flying for the global airline. With the addition of the new building, the complex spans 700,000 square feet of training space in eight buildings, housing 46 full-motion flight simulators. These high-tech simulators provide an environment for the carrier to train pilots on specific aircraft who have been hired and to keep current pilots current and proficient. 

While the new building has six simulators installed currently, the carrier has the ability to install an additional six, bringing the future total to 52 full-motion flight sims. The facility trains pilots 24 hours a day, 362 days a year. The carrier conducts over 32,000 training events each year and can now train 860 pilots a day. 

The new $145 million facility is the latest part in strengthening United’s foundation in Denver, having invested $370 million in the Flight Training Center since 2016. The carrier is a significant part of the local economy in the Colorado capital, spending over $44 million last year on hotel rooms alone for the pilot group and is currently estimating a bill in excess of $64 million this year. 

• READ MORE: United Airlines Will Spend $100 million to Expand Pilot Training Center Amid Pilot Shortage

Into the Future

Two months into the new year, the major carrier has already hired 300 pilots after hiring 2,300 last year. This complements the airline’s plans to add 800 new narrowbody and widebody aircraft over the next decade, requiring a significant demand for qualified, professional pilots. 

While the new facility will increase training capacity for the carrier, United does not believe it will be enough for the thousands of pilots the airline plans to hire and keep proficient. The major airline bought 2 parcels of land near Denver International Airport last year, intending to build a second training center, since the current facility has run out of room to expand. The second site is slated to begin training crews in 2028.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

The post United Announces Expansion to Flight Training Center appeared first on FLYING Magazine.