Can you tell us about the events that led to the creation of Marinvent in 1983, and how the company’s role in the aviation industry has evolved since its inception?
Marinvent started when my brother - who was in Russia just after the fall of the Berlin wall - asked if we could help some almost destitute, yet highly qualified scientists. In the early nineties, I identified a need to transition to a paperless cockpit and to stop producing millions of paper aeronautical charts every year. We hired a talented Russian team and invented a format similar to PDF for aerospace applications. This resulting TCL format is now the global industry standard, yielding chart integrity identical to the aircraft’s primary navigation systems while significantly reducing paper usage. This success led me to retire from the Canadian Air Force after 12 years and focus on Marinvent full-time.
Marinvent has now expanded to incorporate four companies, including Certification Centrer Canada (3C), which handles flight testing and certification. We also have an American offshoot for NASA work (AdvAero) but primarily Marinvent deals with intellectual property, holds dozens of patents and has made significant contributions to the industry, including reducing paper usage and advancing flight test technology.
In light of recent high-profile scandals alongside rising demand, safety has become an increasing concern for travellers in 2024. To what extent is this a perception problem versus a tangible concern that needs to be urgently addressed?
When something high-profile goes wrong, there tends to be a sense of hysteria and heightened scrutiny, but it doesn’t mean that the thing that started it wasn’t real. Aerospace is not amenable to cost-cutting and there has been a trend for accountants to overrule technical specialists. The consequences don’t necessarily manifest right away, but they will catch up with you in the end. Many failures that appear to be technical in nature or the result of pilot error have as their root causes managerial and process issues. This is why we need a strong emphasis on ethics. As a certification test pilot, one is essentially being paid to tell someone that their baby is ugly; that it may cost billions of dollars to fix; and that the product will probably be delivered late, which of course upsets the company and its customers.
Accidents will always happen because aviation is extremely complex. But unlike driving cars, we take extensive precautions to achieve the current safety standards: pilots and air traffic controllers have regular medical checks; we have air traffic control; we are constantly checking the weather. Even the airlines with the worst safety records are still safer than riding a motorcycle on the street.
Ensuring safety is about a cultural commitment to doing the right thing by resisting commercial pressures and understanding all the contributing factors that could lead to a failure event. Within the Marinvent group of companies, we emphasize ethical practices and technical competence in our training and testing in real-world scenarios, considering factors like aircrew fatigue and stress.
From your observations over the decades, how significant is the recent shift to sustainability within the aviation industry?
The shift from paper to digital in aviation is a significant change driven by the need for sustainability and efficiency. More recently the Greta Thunberg effect has given a strong impetus for manufacturers to ‘go green’ to achieve public acceptance. It's technically very difficult to change a fossil fuel-driven industry, but there's now a huge awareness, and a genuine desire to address the issue.
In 2024, modern jet contrails are composed almost entirely of ice crystals, and these aircraft are far cleaner and more aerodynamically efficient than their predecessors. The industry is also exploring optimizing flight paths which could not just save millions of tons of fuel annually, but result in significant environmental benefits. Jet engines can burn various alternative fuels, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and the industry is moving towards electrification and urban air mobility, with NASA being a significant player.
Given the barriers to adopting electric aviation technologies, what role do Marinvent companies play in pushing these projects forward?
Electric motors are efficient and light, but the main barrier is the weight of batteries, which affects power density. Unlike cars, airplanes must lift every kilo, requiring bigger engines and more fuel. This leads to diminishing returns with electric planes. For example, the Dash 8 with a ton of batteries powers one electric motor, but a ton of fuel would take it much further. Additionally, there's the challenge of integrating electric engines safely, such as ensuring mechanics can handle high voltages.
Pratt & Whitney's Hybrid Electric Propulsion (HEP) program exemplifies an OEM being very proactive in tackling these challenges; they're investing heavily in a technology demonstrator to evolve and debug the technology, addressing issues like charging infrastructure and safety. We own the HEP testbed and are the flight test leads for the program. CAE's Piper Archer electric trainer project focuses on practical application, rather than technology demonstration, and plans to replace part of their flight training fleet with electric aircraft. As the chief test pilot for the CAE and HEP programs, I lead the crew and oversee flight safety and approval. 3C involvement includes providing flight analysts, test pilots and human factors expertise to develop and enforce rigorous testing and safety protocols.
Why are larger companies becoming more open to collaboration with smaller companies like Marinvent and 3C?
There's been a significant change in attitudes among big companies, particularly since the onset of COVID. Previously, large companies often viewed themselves as self-sufficient and resistant to external input. However, they now are more open and recognize the value of contributions from smaller, more agile companies. Small companies will play an increasingly crucial role in the ecosystem, providing specialized knowledge and innovation that complement the capabilities of larger firms. Pratt & Whitney, CAE, and NASA, among others, have embraced this collaborative approach, and we are very appreciative of this new approach.
