News from China

[bexrbetter]

In what might be one of the biggest decisions yet on China's road to opening up aviation to the general public, it was announced today that airspace under 1000 meters will be free from Military authority.

 

China is to open up its low altitude airspace from 2015 to enable a growing number of planes for general aviation, including the purchase and use of private jets, the country's top civil aviation regulator said yesterday.

 

A trial operation in the southern Guangdong and central Hubei provinces will be expanded to northeast and south-central China this year and cover the whole country in 2015, Li Jiaxiang, director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, said on the sidelines of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing.

 

China's low-altitude airspace, normally below 1,000 meters, is controlled by the air force and the regulator. Every private flight needs approval to use the airspace.

 

China is also to build 72 new airports, for regional aircraft and private jets, mainly in the country's west, by 2015, Li said.

 

Shanghai is not on the list of trial areas, but the East China Bureau of the CAAC has said its airspace management plan will be formulated within five years.

 

Local aviation experts agree that the city should begin airspace management reform in view of the potential demand for helicopters and light planes.

 

Wei Jian, an aviation professor with Shanghai University of Engineering Science, said the move will be a further source of economic growth for the city.

 

Wei said the strict control of low-altitude airspace had long been regarded as a bottleneck in aviation development.

 

There are no figures for the number of private aircraft in China but earlier research suggests that there are 300,000 potential buyers.

 

A State Council document in 2010 said the country's low-altitude airspace will be divided into three sections - controlled areas, monitored areas, and areas where aircraft can fly freely after reporting flight plans in advance.

 

China has 9.98 million square kilometers of usable airspace, including 32 percent for civil aviation and about 24 percent for military use, according to the China National Airspace Technology Laboratory.

 

Zhang Wu'an, a spokesman for Shanghai Spring Airlines, said domestic airlines would welcome measures to open up more airspace to help reduce delays.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Its happening, finally!

 

 

[AVOCET]

300000 potential pilots , private jets ,

 

And i guess light aircraft .

 

All under 1000 mt 3000 ft ish. ????

 

Guess thats a start ,

 

Better than 300 ft

 

 

[bexrbetter]

All under 1000 mt 3000 ft ish. ????

I'm not sure your engine will fit under that ceiling Mike

 

 

[AVOCET]

I'm not sure your engine will fit under that ceiling Mike

Technically speaking cruising at 1000mt on radar woud put the turret in the sights of a Mig !

 

 

[jetjr]

This is ONLY going to suit light pistons isnt it?

 

Jets etc going to need more than that

 

72 new airfields just for ultralights YAY,

 

 

[eightyknots]

In what might be one of the biggest decisions yet on China's road to opening up aviation to the general public, it was announced today that airspace under 1000 meters will be free from Military authority.China is to open up its low altitude airspace from 2015 to enable a growing number of planes for general aviation, including the purchase and use of private jets, the country's top civil aviation regulator said yesterday.

 

A trial operation in the southern Guangdong and central Hubei provinces will be expanded to northeast and south-central China this year and cover the whole country in 2015, Li Jiaxiang, director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, said on the sidelines of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing.

 

China's low-altitude airspace, normally below 1,000 meters, is controlled by the air force and the regulator. Every private flight needs approval to use the airspace.

 

China is also to build 72 new airports, for regional aircraft and private jets, mainly in the country's west, by 2015, Li said.

 

Shanghai is not on the list of trial areas, but the East China Bureau of the CAAC has said its airspace management plan will be formulated within five years.

 

Local aviation experts agree that the city should begin airspace management reform in view of the potential demand for helicopters and light planes.

 

Wei Jian, an aviation professor with Shanghai University of Engineering Science, said the move will be a further source of economic growth for the city.

 

Wei said the strict control of low-altitude airspace had long been regarded as a bottleneck in aviation development.

 

There are no figures for the number of private aircraft in China but earlier research suggests that there are 300,000 potential buyers.

 

A State Council document in 2010 said the country's low-altitude airspace will be divided into three sections - controlled areas, monitored areas, and areas where aircraft can fly freely after reporting flight plans in advance.

 

China has 9.98 million square kilometers of usable airspace, including 32 percent for civil aviation and about 24 percent for military use, according to the China National Airspace Technology Laboratory.

 

Zhang Wu'an, a spokesman for Shanghai Spring Airlines, said domestic airlines would welcome measures to open up more airspace to help reduce delays.

 

72 new airfields just for ultralights YAY,

That's good news for the most populous country on earth!

 

 

[poteroo]

A State Council document in 2010 said the country's low-altitude airspace will be divided into three sections - controlled areas, monitored areas, and areas where aircraft can fly freely after reporting flight plans in advance

The catch seems to be in the mandated flight planning for flights in 'free' airspace. And 1000m altitudes will need to be above ground level - there are some very, very high mountains in China. It's a beginning though, and perhaps begins to shed light on why Aussie manufacturers are doing deals with Chinese companies. happy days,

 

 

[bexrbetter]

It's a beginning though, and perhaps begins to shed light on why Aussie manufacturers are doing deals with Chinese companies. happy days,

They call them "sky roads" literally here, you want to go somewhere you basically will have to follow that road without deviation. There's a few 5000 meter high mountains not far from me, but they are the Himalayan foothills after all.

The 3000 meter Ermei (err-may) mountain is a 2 hour drive from me .... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Emei

 

and perhaps begins to shed light on why Aussie manufacturers are doing deals with Chinese companies. happy days,

Happy days now, but there's going to be some tears shed down the road.

 

 

[poteroo]

China has 9.98 million square kilometers of usable airspace, including 32 percent for civil aviation and about 24 percent for military use, according to the China National Airspace Technology Laboratory.

What happens in the other 44% of their airspace?

 

 

[bexrbetter]

What happens in the other 44% of their airspace?

They keep some as backup for really heavy pollution days and the rest is sold through the 'Free Trade Market' to America, although there has been some recent "dumping" allegations raised. This has hurt WA Freemantle's "The Doctor" bottled air sales as well.

 

Dunno Mate.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Be careful, an Australian ag instructor had his Airtruck filled with cannon fire when he strayed out of the area he was supposed to be operating in.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

Be careful, an Australian ag instructor had his Airtruck filled with cannon fire when he strayed out of the area he was supposed to be operating in.

I think a bit more detail would be needed before coming to a conclusion.

 

Chinese, even the Military, are a bit more on the side of grabbing someone so they can fine them and get some of that into their own pockets. Dead men aren't worth anything to them.

 

This quite famous incident (in China), earned the company a 500,000 RMB fine ..

 

http://www.gochengdoo.com/en/blog/item/3081/foreigner_lands_plane_on_public_road_in_sichuan

 

This is a company who bought 50 Zenith kits and are assembling them here in Mian Yang, 30 minutes away from me.

 

 

[poteroo]

Happy days now, but there's going to be some tears shed down the road

Interesting comment. Care to enlighten us because you obviously are in a position to comment?

 

 

[flyvulcan]

This quite famous incident (in China), earned the company a 500,000 RMB fine ..

http://www.gochengdoo.com/en/blog/item/3081/foreigner_lands_plane_on_public_road_in_sichuan

 

This is a company who bought 50 Zenith kits and are assembling them here in Mian Yang, 30 minutes away from me.

That's a nice photo of you Bex, or should I say Andy

 

 

[bexrbetter]

Interesting comment. Care to enlighten us because you obviously are in a position to comment?

I won't go into detail but it ain't rocket science either.

 

It goes something like this; Chinese Government is happy to assist with some seriously major grants in high technology arenas to promote the growth of China and aviation is one of those arenas.

 

China businessman introduces a Foreign company, gets his hands on those grants in various forms, some of them very lucrative, he conveniently forgets to mention them to the Foreigners and doesn't give a toss about the actual business that was just the vehicle he needed to get the grants. In many cases he actually wants the business side of it to fail, a headache he doesn't need now that he has his hands on the cream, leaving the Foreigners dead in the water. And even though you would think smaller businessmen/companies would be the dangerous ones to look out for, it's actually the bigger the company, especially State companies, the bigger the risk.

 

I have lived here 10 years, Chinese business culture interests me and I study it, I live with a very successful Lawyer who does these cases year in year out that we discuss the details of daily, yet I would consider that I barely scratch the surface of what they get up to. They are the most wonderful, kindest, social people you could ever hope to know in your life, but in business, by Western standards anyway, they are the lowest form of cheating, deceitful, lying, thieving arrsholes you could ever hope to not come across.

 

 

[old man emu]

China businessman introduces a Foreign company, gets his hands on those grants in various forms, some of them very lucrative, he conveniently forgets to mention them to the Foreigners and doesn't give a toss about the actual business that was just the vehicle he needed to get the grants. In many cases he actually wants the business side of it to fail, a headache he doesn't need now that he has his hands on the cream, leaving the Foreigners dead in the water.

I hope Brumby Aircraft aren't victims of this scam.

 

OME

 

 

[eightyknots]

This is ONLY going to suit light pistons isnt it?Jets etc going to need more than that

72 new airfields just for ultralights YAY,

I hope Brumby Aircraft aren't victims of this scam.OME

Nor Zenith aircraft. They are really planning to increase their exposure in China.

 

 

[poteroo]

I hope Brumby Aircraft aren't victims of this scam.OME

You'd assume they've done their 'homework' and have an exit strategy in the event? Frankly, I like the way VANS Aircraft are running their offshore kit construction - it's in the Phillipines - a much more 'westernised' Asian country. The quality of the QB kits is excellent. Just a pity that the kits go back to the US before shipping to customers, but that would allow for QC to be applied honestly. Without strict QC on the Chinese output, it would always be in the back of ones' mind that airframe integrity might not be as advertised.

 

happy days,

 

 

[bexrbetter]

The quality of the QB kits is excellent.

There has been complaints.

 

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=56026

 

[

 

 

[rgmwa]

China businessman introduces a Foreign company, gets his hands on those grants in various forms, some of them very lucrative, he conveniently forgets to mention them to the Foreigners and doesn't give a toss about the actual business that was just the vehicle he needed to get the grants. In many cases he actually wants the business side of it to fail, a headache he doesn't need now that he has his hands on the cream, leaving the Foreigners dead in the water.

Doesn't the Chinese goverment take an interest in where their grant money is going and what value they're getting in return for their generosity?

 

rgmwa

 

 

[bexrbetter]

Doesn't the Chinese Goverment take an interest in where their grant money is going and what value they're getting in return for their generosity?

You guys are smart, well some of you anyway, ok, ok, one or two of you, sometimes, oh never mind - when you request say a half million grant from an Official who's making $800 per month who has the sole right with a stroke of a pen to sign off on it ....... you can finish that thought train.

 

BTW, the new Chinese Prez, Xi Jin Ping, is chasing all this down, doing a good job of it too.

 

 

[poteroo]

There has been complaints.http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=56026

 

[

1st one I've read about. I'm sure that VANS do warranty them, but because the average builder takes twice as long as planned - they often run out of time. And, as noted in that thread - it was onsold, which probably negates any warranty. In the case of my RV6, it took 5 years to build from pre-drilled basics, and by then many of the avionics were becoming outdated. Common experience with many builders in this area. Never buy this stuff until you're ready to go.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

1st one I've read about. .

Well there's more than one in that thread alone and I have seen other issues.

 

BTW, I think Vans are one of the finest kits in the World but no one is perfect.