Local aviation descended from the sky to the ground. Aviation local

Binders regional centers with each other, as well as with regional centers and remote villages within a radius of up to 500-1000 km. Aviation flight control on local air lines is carried out by a local control center. Local overhead lines are installed, as a rule, in the lower airspace.

From MVL airports Rzhevka, Peski, Plekhanovo, Vaskovo and others can be cited as an example.

Classification

In terms of air traffic control, local air services are divided into:

• MVL of the 1st category, intended for flights of aircraft of the 3rd class ( takeoff weight from 10 to 30 tons - An-24, An-26, An-72, An-140, Yak-40, etc.) in the altitude range of 1500-6000 m at speeds of 300-600 km / h according to the flight rules according to instruments (IFR), with radar control; MVL of the 1st category are equipped with radio beacons and connect aerodromes of the 3rd class (runway length 1200-1800 m).
• Category 2 MVL, intended for flights of class 4 aircraft (takeoff weight less than 10 tons - An-2, An-3T, An-28, An-38, L-410, M-101T, etc.) in the altitude range of 100 -1500 m at speeds of 150-300 km / h according to the rules of visual flight (VFR), without radar control; MVL of the 2nd category connect aerodromes of the 4th class (runway length 600-1200 m), and in some cases landing sites (runway length 200-500 m).

Regional (local) aircraft - a small aircraft that is designed for thirty to one hundred passengers, the routes of its flights are usually within one region or one country. This class of aircraft is most often used by regional divisions. major airlines, as well as for the transportation of military units and local transportation of goods.

Local planes: history

On early stages history of aviation, most aircraft performed short flights, which means that all passenger aircraft were local (regional). With the advent of seaplanes and the increase in flight range, the situation improved somewhat. Many regional airlines were bought by major national carriers.

In order for aviation companies to operate as efficiently as possible, significant investments are needed in new aviation equipment, because for small aircraft such a situation was impossible. New aircraft were created extremely slowly, so regional airlines for many years were forced to use old equipment, which, after the commissioning of new models, was released. In post-war America, the most common local aircraft was the DC-3; De Havilland Dragon Rapide - in the UK, which remained in service for many years. This process continued later: Vickers Viscount, DC-6 and Convair 440, which were regional aircraft when the first jet airliners were created.

In the mid-1950s, there was an urgent need for more economical models of regional airliners. These were turboprop aircraft, which compared to piston aircraft had lower fuel consumption and significantly lower operating costs. Among the early models of such local aircraft, it is worth highlighting Avro 748, ley Page Dart Herald, Avro 748.

These aircraft models were so successful that for many years there was no need for new models. But be that as it may, several models were created that were designed to solve special problems. The Handley Page Jetstream, for example, was designed for higher speeds and fewer passengers, succeeding in displacing smaller aircraft like the Beechcraft Queen Air.

By the 1970s, the first generation of indigenous aircraft began to fall out of service. At the same time, work was underway to develop new models for this segment of the economy. In 1978, Beechcraft Queen Air began producing the Dash 7, but it was a short landing and take off aircraft rather than a regional aircraft. In 1984, the airline's requirements became even more stringent. The aircraft has become much faster, more economical and quieter than the representatives of the previous generation. There were so many orders for it that the capacity of the plant could not satisfy the demand.

The great success of the Dash 8 stimulated the creation of new models of local aircraft, among which were the Fokker F50, Saab 340, ATR 42. The rapid growth of their production led to the fact that before the end of the 1950s, old aircraft manufactured by Vickers, Vickers and others were taken out of service. . As a result of high competition, the production of many types simply declined. As of 2006, only two models were in production, the Dash 8 and the ATR 42/72. In the post-war period in the USSR, the main regional aircraft was the Il-14, and then the An-24, which was produced from 1962 to 1979. Their a large number of is still used today in Asia, Africa, former USSR. To replace the An-24, the An-140 and Il-114 were created, which are produced in our time, but after the collapse of the USSR, their number has significantly decreased.

The decline in the local turboprop market is largely due to the emergence of local jet aircraft. Despite the fact that most small jets originated in the 1950s and 60s, at that time they could not compete on regional lines with turboprops due to low fuel efficiency and were designed for fewer passengers than for small flights. distances. Thanks to such progress in engine building, operating costs have significantly decreased, and the predominance in cruising speed has become the reason that airlines prefer jet aircraft turboprop.

Features of local aircraft

The cabin on regional jets is cramped and narrow, so passengers tend to take minimal hand luggage with them, while in big liners it is placed above the chairs in special niches. Often, hand luggage is collected during boarding and placed in special compartment designed for hand luggage, and is issued to passengers only after landing. Since the majority of regional jets are created for medium-range routes, their use allows you to open new routes, while medium haul aircraft having a large capacity are inefficient. Moreover, heavy forms of maintenance for regional jets can only be performed at smaller airports, while big planes must be serviced exclusively at special repair bases.

Regional jets are not more fuel efficient than traditional narrow body jets. The cost of transporting 1 passenger for exactly the same distance will be higher. The main economic effect is achieved due to the fact that when buying a ticket for a flight with a transfer, passengers are forced to pay for the flight between the end points.

Over the past decade, Russian air transport has maintained high rates of growth in air traffic, which outpaced the growth in global traffic. civil aviation. In 2012, according to the international association air transport(IATA), demand for Passenger Transportation in the world grew by 5.3%, including on international air lines - by 6% and domestic air lines - by 4%. At the same time, in Russia, the volume of international passenger traffic increased by 23.1%, domestic - by 8.1%. In the first four months of 2013, passenger traffic continued to grow at an unprecedented pace: international transport increased by 25% (at the same time, the trend of growth of flights from regional airports, outlined in 2012, continued), domestic – by 9.8%.

At the same time, the number of passengers transported in 2012 (74 million people, an increase of 15.5% compared to 2011) corresponded only to the level of 1984. Therefore, the growth of quantitative indicators does not indicate a favorable situation for the industry air transportation. At the same time, the downward trend in the share of domestic flights continues: in the total passenger traffic, the share of domestic flights has already amounted to less than 50% (in economically and socially stable countries with a similar territory, the share of domestic flights is at the level of 85- 90%. It should also be noted that the main volume of domestic air transportation is carried out through mainline flights, primarily with Moscow, while local and regional air links account for less than 13% of the number of passengers carried.

The situation on domestic (regional and local) air routes is complicated by problems in the field of transportation infrastructure: the number of airfields today is 1.5 times less than it was in 2000. By the end of the last decade, at the cost of significant budget investments, the negative trend of shrinking the airport network was stopped, but The revival of the lost part of it has not happened yet. IN Lately in the issue of modernizing the airport facilities, the state focuses on the consolidation of local airfields and landing sites into federal state-owned enterprises. Their main advantage lies in artificially lowering airport taxes(thereby restraining the growth of ticket prices), as well as in the direction of financial flows to the ground infrastructure of local airlines, which makes it possible to take into account modern requirements for flight safety. But since the objects of ground air transport infrastructure in the regions currently have different forms of ownership, the pace of their consolidation is low.

Over the past 10 years, the average profitability Russian airlines on domestic airlines remained negative, since their operational activities are associated with an extremely high financial burden. In 2012 alone, the cost of transportation within the country increased by 6.4%. Expenditures on rental and leasing of aircraft grew especially rapidly (growth by 27.7%), airport services (19%), aviation fuels and lubricants (9.7%). In 2012, the loss of Russian airlines on domestic routes amounted to about 20 billion rubles. (in the market of international transportation, a profit of about 12 billion rubles was received).

Thus, among the main reasons for the negative development of the economy of regional transportation, one should name the unfavorable institutional conditions for their activities, along with the low solvent demand of the population. In addition, Russia has not developed an effective scheme of interaction between mainline (network) and regional (feeder) carriers. All this ultimately led to the decline of the regional and local aviation, consisting mainly of Soviet-built aircraft. The airlines did not have the funds to upgrade it, and there were no reliable business models that would be able to attract external funding.

In 2012 -2013 The Government of the Russian Federation has taken unprecedented measures to revive and stimulate the development regional aviation. On January 1, 2012, a program to subsidize aircraft leasing was launched. The amount of the subsidy is from 15 to 30% of the cost of the aircraft, depending on the type, year of manufacture and characteristics. About 2 billion rubles were allocated for the implementation of the program last year, 2.15 billion rubles are expected to be allocated this year, and 2.4 billion rubles in 2014. The program has already received applications for the purchase of 50 aircraft, the total amount of subsidies amounted to 1.2 billion rubles.

Recently published by the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation an updated draft of amendments to the government decree (No. 1212 of December 31, 2011) regional jets expands the range of subsidized aircraft. Now not only turboprop aircraft purchased abroad for operation on regional and local airlines, but also regional jet aircraft - An-148 and SSJ 100 (no more than 30% of the budgeted funds are allocated for these purposes), which is in the interests of domestic aviation industry. At the same time, airlines will probably not yet be able to count on subsidizing transactions for the purchase of Brazilian and Canadian analogues of Russian aircraft, since one of the conditions for granting a subsidy is the registration of aircraft in Russia, and lessors prefer to register Western aircraft in Bermuda.

On April 1, 2013, a program to subsidize regional air transportation in the Privolzhsky federal district, which will last until November 20 this year and involves subsidizing 57 routes between all major cities of the district. Within the framework of the program, for the implementation of which 600 million rubles are allocated. (in equal shares from the federal budget and the budget of the regions), the cost of the tariff is subsidized by 25% from the federal and 25% from the regional budgets.

During the first 2 months of the program, 20 new routes were opened, airlines purchased and put into operation 7 regional aircraft (foreign-made). However, the program also has bottlenecks. This is, first of all, the low demand from the population for air transportation, with which the railway and automobile transport. Secondly, most airlines (and they actually do not have a free fleet of small aircraft) cannot provide guarantees to the bank for five years due to their own unstable financial condition. In addition, additional risks arise due to the short (less than a year) duration of the program, so, according to a number of aviation market participants, it needs to be adjusted. A significant proportion of flights, for example, are scheduled between those airports that already have no problems with the number of flights operated. On the other hand, a number of promising routes were not included in the flight schedule. According to some estimates, in order to maintain the configuration of the route network, additional funding in the amount of about 260 million rubles will be required.

Another problem that currently exists in large cities of the Volga region is the problem of connecting local flights with long-haul routes. For its successful solution, it is necessary to take into account the Western experience of organizing feeder transportation, when passengers are taken from small airports to a large one, in order to then be sent to another large one along the main route.

It should be noted that in a number of countries programs to support regional and local airlines have been working successfully for a long time. In the United States, for example, subsidizing regional air transportation has been carried out since 1978 at the expense of the federal budget under the Essential Air Service program. Through the Department of Transportation, subsidies are distributed to airlines flying to small towns throughout the country. At the same time, commercially unattractive airlines are subsidized, which would not receive regular flights without government support. The specified program, within the framework of which air services are served in 153 settlements USA, operates in 32 states of the main territory of the country, as well as in Hawaii and Alaska. In fiscal year 2012, $143 million was allocated to it. (in 2011, 54 million dollars). It is assumed that funding for the program will gradually decrease - up to 93 million dollars. by 2015

For Russia, primarily for Siberia and Far East, it is also necessary to develop and systematically develop a unified route network regional and local air transportation, which could combine all Largest cities this region by regular flights. At the same time, the positive experience that will be obtained as a result of the implementation of a pilot project for the development of regional aviation in the Volga Federal District could be used.

On the way to the revival of regional aviation and local air traffic, only the first steps have been taken. However, this sector of air transport requires not only “monetary pumping”, but also an integrated approach to solving many problems, in particular, the problems of producing modern aircraft for regional and small aviation. Currently the most a difficult situation developed with turboprop aircraft. An-140s are being built so far only in the interests of the Ministry of Defense, and the transfer of production of the Il-114 aircraft from Uzbekistan to Russia has not taken place. One of the directions for the development of regional aviation, apparently, will be the screw-driven assembly of foreign turboprop aircraft, as evidenced, for example, by an agreement on the production of a family of light multi-purpose aircraft with a capacity of up to 19 passengers, signed at the Le Bourget air show by the Russian Technologies State Corporation and the Austrian company Diamond aircraft industries. The state corporation is also going to sign an agreement with the Canadian Bombardier on organizing the assembly of Q-400 aircraft in Russia as part of the MAKS-2013 air show. But along with this, it is important that work on purely Russian projects does not stop, including the modernization of the M-101T Gzhel and Rysachok light aircraft.

Alexey Zakharov,
FINAM analyst

Loud statements about the decommissioning of the Tu-134 and An-24 from regular service have left in the shadow of another aircraft, which maintains a much thinned, but still existing Russian network of local airlines (AL). We are talking about the legendary An-2.

First taking off in 1947, the An-2 turned out to be a very successful aircraft. Replicated in more than 15 thousand units, this unpretentious and versatile aircraft could be seen everywhere. He carried passengers from the villages and geologists from the very wild places, performed sanitary flights, pollinated fields, worked in the forest fire department, provided training for paratroopers ... Actually, the An-2 continues to perform all these functions to this day. It's just that the scale of its application has sharply decreased. Last but not least, this is due to a noticeable reduction in the fleet of cars.
Attempts to create a replacement for the An-2 began in Soviet times, continued in the "transitional period" and do not stop now. However, none of them were successful. A surge of interest in the An-2 topic was provoked by the recent speech of the President of Yakutia, Yegor Borisov. He said that in 2014 the mass decommissioning of the An-2 and An-24 aircraft would begin, which could lead the republic to a transport collapse.
According to Yegor Borisov, the Ministry of Transport of Russia recommended to modernize small aircraft aircraft L-410. Let's consider the advantages and disadvantages of this and other aircraft, which theoretically could become a replacement for the An-2.

L-410
Advantages.
The manufacturer is controlled by Russian business: 51% of Aircraft Industries (formerly Let Kunovice) is owned by the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company (UMMC). The machine is well developed: more than 1100 L-410 of various modifications have been produced (about 400 aircraft are in flight operation). Increased (compared to An-2) flight safety (due to two engines). There is a version with modern EFIS (Electronic Flight Instrument System) avionics. IAC airworthiness certificate, as well as FAA and EASA.
The aircraft is known in Russia, there are specialists who own the technology of its maintenance. Deliveries to our country continue (albeit 2-4 units per year), and the manufacturer is quite active here. In September last year, a new service center for L-410 aircraft was opened in Yekaterinburg (airport Uktus). It is planned to create a network of similar centers throughout the country.
The management of UMMC intends to invest in this project. It is planned to modernize both the aircraft itself and the production equipment.
Flaws.
Small serial production (2009 - 7 units, 2010 - 6 units, for this year- 4 units). This leads to the relative high cost of the aircraft (estimated at $3-4 million). Increased (due to two engines) fuel consumption. Outdated design (produced since 1969).
Mismatch between the characteristics of the L-410 and the replaced An-2: the required runway is longer, it is impossible to operate on skis and floats, the requirements for pilot training are higher. On a number of routes, the large capacity of the L-410 (19 and 9-12 seats, respectively) may turn out to be excessive.
The investment and business climate in the Czech Republic is not very favorable for foreigners. The country's government does not promise support in the "special favor" regime for the project.
Perspectives. The program has a chance of success if a pool of customers united by a large leasing company is created.

An-3
Advantages. Production was carried out in Russia. Fully meets or exceeds the characteristics of the An-2, and can be operated on the same sites. Positive operating experience, including in severe climatic conditions. IAC certificate (An-3T).
Flaws. It is a modification, that is, production is possible only if there are maintainable An-2s. The release is discontinued, and the probability of resuming the release of the engine is low. Uncertainty with the production of components.
The need for additional tests to obtain an addition to the IAC certificate (for the transport and passenger version).
Perspectives. close to zero.

T-101 "Rook"
Advantages. Completely Russian project. To a large extent, it corresponds to the characteristics of An-2, and can be operated at the same sites.
The presence of a technological backlog (20 sets, an aircraft factory in Lukhovitsy) and two practically finished aircraft.
Flaws. Lack of serial production of the aircraft and engine, and the likelihood of resuming engine production is low. It is not clear if the possibility of purchasing domestic components.
Lack of IAC certificate - the need for additional tests.
Perspectives. Virtually zero.

"Rysachok"
Advantages. Partly Russian project. To a certain extent, it corresponds to the characteristics of An-2 and can be operated on sites comparable in size.
Increased (compared to An-2) flight safety (due to two engines).
Flaws. It is currently being tested - the characteristics are not confirmed.
In any case, the An-2 will be inferior in terms of economic indicators, since it was designed primarily as a training and special-purpose aircraft. Engines are resized in terms of power.
Perspectives. So far unclear. The possibility of cost-effective operation on local airlines is questionable.

DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400
Advantages. Licensed production is planned in Russia (Vityaz plant, Ulyanovsk port special economic zone). In terms of its takeoff and landing characteristics, it practically corresponds to the An-2 and can be used from slightly longer runways. Installation on skis or floats is possible. Increased (compared to An-2) flight safety (due to two engines). Well mastered in production: approximately 850 units were built, of which about 600 are in operation.
Flaws. Obsolete design: produced since 1965, production was discontinued in 1988. In size (20 seats) it significantly exceeds the An-2. There is no IAC certificate - additional tests are needed. The resumption of production in the Russian Federation is just a project with unclear chances for implementation.
Perspectives. The likelihood of the project as a whole being feasible is unclear.

To the question of adequacy
Of course, this list does not include all aircraft of this class. For example, the An-28, which currently exists in the form of the Polish M28, is not mentioned. We are talking about either Russian programs or foreign cars that have a chance to enter the domestic market.
It is noteworthy that the weak point of Russian programs is power point. The refusal of piston engines is logical - aviation gasoline is becoming more expensive, in addition, in Russia it is now produced in limited quantities. However, the “neglect” for small-sized theaters, which existed back in Soviet times, did not allow organizing the serial production of new-generation MVL aircraft in the Russian Federation.
An-3 or T-101 could become a full-fledged replacement for An-2. However, this requires the purchase of foreign turboprop engines of suitable power, and the refinement of the design of Russian aircraft for them. Unfortunately, there is hardly a firm or organization that dares to do this.
Recommendations for the transfer of "local" aviation from the An-2 to the Czech L-410, at first glance, does not look quite adequate - these are too different cars. However, it is clear that there is no alternative. Aircraft that surpass the "veteran" in terms of individual indicators exist. However, the versatility and unpretentiousness of the An-2, making it close to optimal when operating in Russian regions, for "competitors" are unattainable.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the need to create a regional aircraft in Russia that would become competitive in foreign markets. According to him, the need for the production of such vehicle with a capacity of 50-60 people and the ability to take off and land on unpaved runways is long overdue.
"360" made the top 5 most famous regional aircraft in the world, each of which played an important role in the development of civil aviation.

Bombardier CRJ100/200

The CRJ100 and CRJ200 were developed by the Canadian company Bombardier Regional Aircraft on the basis of the CL-600 Challenger, which has gained immense popularity in North America. The length of the aircraft is 26.7 meters, the capacity is 50-52 passengers. The first prototypes took to the air in May 1991. Experts say that Bombardier has become the first state-of-the-art vessel among 50-seat vehicles. In terms of speed (up to 860 kilometers per hour), it can compete with larger aircraft.

Since 1992, more than a thousand cars have been produced, of which about 850 are still in operation, of which 71 are in the territory of the former USSR, including Russia, Belarus, Georgia and Kazakhstan. Passengers usually note the comfort of flying on the CRJ100/200. Shaking is practically absent, which is not always typical for aircraft of such a small size. But the chassis are produced quite loudly.

Embraer ERJ-135/140/145

The Brazilian Embraer Corporation introduced the ERJ-135, 140 and 145 models in 1995. They are produced with a capacity of 37, 44 and 50 passengers. Embraer has been developing regional jets, hoping to win market share from Bombardier with its CRJ series. Today we can state that the South American aircraft conglomerate succeeded in doing this - ERJ is one of the best modern regional aircraft.

On its basis, a business jet (Legacy 60) and even a military early warning aircraft (R-99) were created, which are in service with the armies of Brazil, Mexico, Belgium, Greece and India. Since 1996, 890 vehicles have been produced, of which 841 remain in operation and are used, including in Russia and Ukraine. In 2011, the aircraft attracted media attention in connection with an incident at Sheremetyevo Airport. The ERJ belonging to Dniproavia skidded off the runway and lost its landing gear. Nobody, however, was hurt.

Developed in the USSR in the 1960s of the twentieth century, the liner was produced by the Saratov Aviation Plant until 1981. For the creation of the aircraft, the Yakovlev Design Bureau received the Lenin Prize. Which is not surprising: the Yak-40 became the first jet aircraft in world history for local airlines. The first cars had only 24 seats, but later, 32-seat modifications appeared. It is curious that the Yak-40 does not have a luggage compartment: passengers' bags are folded in the aisle.

For 15 years, 1011 Yak-40s were produced, including various modifications of the liner for scientific research. Despite the age and extremely high fuel consumption by today's standards, about 100 Yak-40s are still in operation in the world, mainly in the Russian Federation, Africa and Asia. In Zambia, they are part of the presidential squadron. By the way, the Yak-40 is depicted on the coat of arms of the Bykovo village of the Ramensky district of the Moscow region.

Fokker 50/70/100

Narrow-body passenger liners were developed by the Dutch company Fokker in 1986. Their capacity is 58-119 people. Rolls-Royce engines are installed in modifications 70 and 100, the Pratt & Whitney power plant is installed in the 50th model. In the late 1980s of the last century, before the advent of the Bombardier CRJ200 and Embraer ERJ 145, liners were considered one of the most popular in their class, which was achieved due to efficiency and low operating costs.

In total, more than 500 cars have been produced since 1988. About four hundred of them remain in operation, including in many European countries. The Fokker 70/100 is still regarded as a reliable and stable aircraft. Interestingly, despite the success of the aircraft, in 1996 the Fokker Corporation went bankrupt. Since then, the production of liners has ceased.

Dornier Do 328

The passenger short-haul Dornier 328 was originally, as its name implies, produced by the German company Dornier Luftfahrt GmbH, which was taken over by Fairchild Aircraft in 1996. Various modifications of the Dornier 328 can accommodate from 30 to 33 passengers. It has been mass-produced since 1992, since then about 100 cars have been assembled and sold. It is distinguished by rather low operating costs, as well as excellent take-off and cruising characteristics. The speed of the aircraft is up to 620 kilometers per hour.

Various modifications of the Dornier Do 328 are capable of operating in the most extreme conditions, including heat and humidity. Therefore, the German development is now used by rescue services in many countries. In particular, they are used by the Australian Coast Guard as search and rescue aircraft, as well as by the US Air Force Special Operations Forces.

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