Business Seating Configuration

[photoSteveZ]

Diamond has released Supplement O015 Business Seating Configuration Passenger Seat Row, AFMS-O015, Doc No.: 9.01.01.O015. This document describes a two-seats-with-a-center-console configuration for the second seating row. It's not entirely clear, but it seems that they did not include a seat recline feature, which IMHO would be a big miss: my DA62 passengers tend to complain that the rake of the current bench seatback is too upright for comfort.

There will soon be, presumably, a similar offering for the DA62.

http://support.diamond-air.at/fileadmin ... sue001.pdf

[Boatguy]

The DA50 type certificate is held in Austria. The DA62 type certificate is held in Canada. Diamond has been able to make progress through EASA, but it has not figured out how to work with Transport Canada. Thus I would not expect to see this option on a DA62 very soon.

I made a suggestion a couple of years ago, but it fell on deaf ears. Diamond has two problems in Canada: 1) inability to staff the factory, 2) inability to get anything certified by Transport Canada. A new DA62 delivered next month in Canada will have the exact same avionics as a DA40NG delivered over four years ago. Zero progress while all other manufacturers have continued to evolve their aircraft. So what to do?

Recently Diamond announced that they would ship "kits" to Brazil for assembly. Solution: Move the DA40/62 type certificates to the U.S. (aka FAA) and ship kits to Wichita, KS for assembly. Not too different than what Boeing does with 787 components manufactured all over the world and assembled in SC.

- Experienced aviation labor pool from which to recruit.
- Canada and Austria continue to do 90% of the construction, negligible loss of jobs, but most likely just higher throughput.
- No more Transport Canada. The FAA can certify for Diamond the same avionics they have already certified for Textron (Wichita), and Cirrus (MN), from Garmin (KS).
- Diamond can deliver planes to customers in the relatively milder climate of KS, rather than London, ON, centrally located in the U.S., the largest market for Diamond Canada.
- Good for customers, good for Diamond.

Just because Mr. Dries moved to Canada, doesn't mean you have to continue in a paradigm which clearly is not working. Type certificates in Canada are holding you back. Give it some thought Diamond.

[Rainair]

Russ you totally nailed it.

[Soareyes]

Brilliant.

[ememic99]

Recently Diamond announced that they would ship "kits" to Brazil for assembly. Solution: Move the DA40/62 type certificates to the U.S. (aka FAA) and ship kits to Wichita, KS for assembly. Not too different than what Boeing does with 787 components manufactured all over the world and assembled in SC.

- Experienced aviation labor pool from which to recruit.
- Canada and Austria continue to do 90% of the construction, negligible loss of jobs, but most likely just higher throughput.
- No more Transport Canada. The FAA can certify for Diamond the same avionics they have already certified for Textron (Wichita), and Cirrus (MN), from Garmin (KS).
- Diamond can deliver planes to customers in the relatively milder climate of KS, rather than London, ON, centrally located in the U.S., the largest market for Diamond Canada.
- Good for customers, good for Diamond.

Just because Mr. Dries moved to Canada, doesn't mean you have to continue in a paradigm which clearly is not working. Type certificates in Canada are holding you back. Give it some thought Diamond.

I hope you'll repeat this once more soon.

[MackAttack]

Even the non-reclinable seat would be an improvement. Agree that no recline is a miss … and that might cause me not to spend the $$.

But Diamond isn’t the only one having issues with Transport Canada. Was at Piper the last couple days in Vero Beach; Transport Canada hasn’t yet certified auto-throttle or autoland for the M600 (not sure about the Vision Jet or TBM versions) because they apparently want the airport selection logic in the auto land sequence to be changed so that big airports like Pearson in Toronto are only selected as last resorts. Apparently Transport Canada would rather lose 6 people in a GA crash than cause a delay to some flights in Toronto or Montreal … what a mess up there.

[Colin]

Russ is correct. What an odd thing to know that the right thing is to move the assembly into the United States. I guess with it being a highly regulated industry, you are best off having it closer to the regulators that move the fastest.

[Rainair]

But DAI must have had an evaluation of both (US & Canada) and maybe there is a reason that we don't consider. Who knows

[mfdutra]

they apparently want the airport selection logic in the auto land sequence to be changed so that big airports like Pearson in Toronto are only selected as last resorts.

I think I've read somewhere that the software already does that for all class B airports in the US as well.

[greg]

But DAI must have had an evaluation of both (US & Canada) and maybe there is a reason that we don't consider. Who knows

In my experience, it usually comes down to which country/state offers you the best tax breaks to locate there. Solution: send a letter to the Prime Minister saying “Transport Canada is hampering our business, and we’re thinking of relocating all the jobs to the US. Can you fix TC instead?” It would depend on whether there are enough jobs at stake for him to care. (Though the regulators usually have a trump card: if we relax the standards, planes will fall out of the sky. It takes a brave politician to counter that.)