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Sustainable Aviation Technology and Operations
Aerospace Series
Edited by
Roberto Sabatini
Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering
College of Engineering
Khalifa University of Science and Technology
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Alessandro Gardi
Assistant Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering
College of Engineering
Khalifa University of Science and Technology
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Contents
21 The W Life Cycle Model – San Francisco Airport Case Study 509
Anthony Zanetti, Alessandro Gardi, and Roberto Sabatini
Index 523
vii
List of Contributors
www.wiley.com/go/sustainableaviation
The aviation industry plays an important role in the global economy. Before the recent crisis
caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, air transport alone con-
tributed US$2.7 trillion to the world GDP (3.6%) and supported 65.5 million jobs globally [1].
For several decades, the sector has been on an almost uninterrupted exponential growth tra-
jectory, which demonstrated a remarkable resilience to economic and geo-political crises.
According to forecasts predating the COVID-19 pandemic, air traffic was expected to double
approximately every 25 years [2]. It was also expected that without intervention, aviation
would contribute about 6-10% of all human-induced climate change by 2050 [3], while half
of all air traffic would take off, land, or transit through the Asia-Pacific region. In the period
2019–2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a reduction in global passenger traffic in
the order of 60% (2,703 million passengers) and the airlines experienced a loss of approxi-
mately US$372 billion of gross passenger operating revenues [4, 5]. The situation gradually
improved in 2021 and 2022, with a recovery of about 11% and 31% in the number of pas-
sengers, reflected by revenue losses of about US$324 billion in 2021 and US$175 in 2022
(compared to 2019).
While sending this book to the press, COVID-19 travel restrictions have been removed
in most regions and the latest reports of the International Civil Aviation Organization
(ICAO) show that both domestic and international air travel are resuming pre-pandemic
levels [5–7]. Factors that could contribute to accelerate further the aviation market recov-
ery and growth include: (1) an increasing demand for commercial Unmanned Aircraft
Systems (UAS) and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) services; (2) technological advances in
eco-friendly design solutions (i.e., aerospace vehicles, propulsion, digital flight systems
and ground-based infrastructure); (3) uptake of sustainable aviation technologies and
associated evolutions of legal frameworks, design/certification standards and operational
procedures. In the longer term, the expansion of commercial aviation operations above
Flight Level 6-0-0 (FL 600) and the introduction of point-to-point space transport could
also contribute to a further evolution and expansion of the aviation sector [8, 9]. Factors
that could hinder the growth of the aviation sector include airlines’ bankruptcy, order
cancellations, increased cyber threats, insufficient investment in aviation infrastructure,
Sustainable Aviation Technology and Operations: Research and Innovation Perspectives, First Edition.
Edited by Roberto Sabatini and Alessandro Gardi.
© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Published 2024 by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Companion Website: www.wiley.com/go/sustainableaviation
2 1 Sustainable Aviation: An Introduction
So, according to Eq. (1.1), an increase in population would require a proportional reduc-
tion of the environmental degradation per unit of GNP in order to maintain the overall
environmental degradation at the same level. Similarly, a growth of the GNP per capita
would require a commensurate reduction of the environmental degradation per unit of
GNP. However, in practice, this equation finds a limited applicability as it does not cap-
ture the need for a balance between environmental impacts and the social benefits to be
obtained by economic development [12]. Efforts to address these limitations of early quan-
titative approaches have placed emphasis on the concept of Sustainable Development (SD).
The United Nation (UN) 1987 Bruntland Report2 [13] describes SD as: “Development that
meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs.”
The concepts of sustainability and SD have been subjects for extensive research and politi-
cal debate form many years. What is sustainable can be illustrated using the so-called Triple
Bottom Line (TBL) or the “Three Spheres of Sustainability” concept originally introduced
by [14]. A modern reinterpretation of this concept is shown in Figure 1.1.
One of the advantages of the TBL approach is that it recognises the importance of
delivering sustainable economic value to shareholders by focusing on the bottom line
profit that is generated. It also considers that if an enterprise is to be sustainable, it also
needs to evaluate its performance in terms of the corresponding environmental and social
bottom lines [15]. Several variants of the TBL model have been proposed but essentially
this remains a valid high-level reference still utilised in current research work addressing
the development of SBM in the corporate environment. The concepts of corporate social
Environment
• Natural resources use
• Pollution prevention
Socio‐Environmental Measures Enviro‐Economic Measures
• Recycling processes
• Environmental policy • Energy efficient design/operations
• Waste management
• Environmental laws/regulations • Incentives for renewable energy
• Noise reduction
• Natural resources stewardship • New professions/job creation
• Social awareness and action • R&D investment
BEARABLE VIABLE
Society
• Health
• Wellbeing SUSTAINABLE
Economy
• Security • Profit
• Safety • Savings
• Education EQUITABLE • Growth
• Community • Innovation
• Inclusion
Socio‐Economic Measures
• Business ethics and integrity
• Fair trade arrangements
• Communication/marketing strategy
• Workforce rights
2 In 1987, the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), published a report entitled
“Our common future”. The document came to be known as the “Brundtland Report” after the
Commission’s chairwoman, Gro Harlem Brundtland. It developed guiding principles for sustainable
development and it is still adopted today as a key reference in the sector.
4 1 Sustainable Aviation: An Introduction
responsibility and environmental accountability have been widely discussed in the liter-
ature [16, 17]. The main function of the TBL approach is to make corporations aware of
the environmental and social values they add or destroy in the world, in addition to the
economic value they add [18–20].
Over the years, TBL has become a dominant approach in terms of corporate reporting
[21, 22] and companies adopting TBL reporting have introduced significant changes to
the way they do, or at least think about, business [23]. The three major criticisms of the
TBL approach are in its measurement approach, its lack of integration across the three
dimensions and its main function as a compliance mechanism rather than a basis for the
development of SBM [24]. To tackle these limitations and the growing need for more spe-
cific approaches applicable to different industry sectors, researchers have proposed vari-
ous approaches to SBM (or business models for sustainability). However, early attempts
to develop and introduce SBM design methodologies where hindered by a strong focus on
compliance (with existing laws and regulations) and responsible management (i.e., achiev-
ing some kind of perceived or measurable optimal balance in the socio-economical dimen-
sion). Almost invariably these early researchers concluded that more detailed investigations
were needed to assess whether SBM could help developing integrative and competitive
solutions by reducing negative and/or creating positive external effects for the natural envi-
ronment and society [25–28].
These approaches limited the impact of this body of research and largely overlooked
the huge transformative potential of SBM that introduce new mechanisms for commercial
value creation and value capture both internally and externally to a particular enterprise.
Recent research has addressed these limitations and developed more holistic approaches
to SBM development. Geissdoerfer et al. (2016) defines a SBM as: “A simplified representa-
tion of the elements, the interrelationship between these elements, and the interactions with its
stakeholders that an organisational unit uses to create, deliver, capture, and exchange sustain-
able value.” The main idea pursued here is to radically modify the conventional approach
to business modelling by embedding sustainability into the value chains of an organisation
[29]. It is now a common view that the transition towards SBM requires the practitioners to
look beyond the specific boundaries of an organisation, and it requires innovation activities
to create sustainable values for the stakeholders [30].
Sustainable Development (SD) in aviation is typically mapped to the following funda-
mental concepts [31, 32]:
● The consumption of natural resources is managed at a rate which allows future genera-
tions to meet their needs as well as we do – i.e., usage rates of renewable (e.g., biofuels)
should not exceed the rates of their regeneration, and the usage rates of non-renewable
resources (e.g., petroleum fuel) should not exceed the development rate of their substi-
tutes (e.g., biofuels).
● The growth of aviation supports a liveable environment for future generations – i.e.,
the rates of polluting emissions should not exceed the assimilative capacity of the envi-
ronment and the aircraft noise exposure (perceived noise levels by the population and
frequency of noise disturbance or awakening events) should not lead to a degraded health
and quality of life.
As illustrated in Figure 1.2, the three fundamental components in sustainable aviation
are the aircraft, the airport and the Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems.
1.1 Sustainability Fundamentals 5
Figure 1.2 The three pillars of sustainable aviation research and innovation.
Airports also play a fundamental role in the SD of aviation. Designing/upgrading the air-
port infrastructure and operations to be more environmentally friendly, entails the adoption
of various measures, such as: digital technology and multimodal transformation; opera-
tional procedures and restrictions [34]; land planning and management; financial mea-
sures (e.g., noise and atmospheric pollution charges); measuring and collecting data (on
noise and pollutants); preventing/containing fuel and de-icing spillages; and managing the
impact on wildlife [35].
Despite the existence of multiple interrelated socio-technical factors, the air transport
literature discusses the topic of sustainability adopting a relatively narrow perspective
and heavily focussing on reducing compliance costs or better utilising the existing air-
line/airport infrastructure to increase efficiency/quality of service and revenues. Other
important sustainability factors (a tailored uptake of key aircraft/ATM technologies,
airport “greening” and multimodal transformation, proper disposal/recycling of aircraft
parts and consumables, etc.) have typically received less attention in the aviation political
debate, despite the significant body of research published in the scientific and technical
literature [12, 31, 33, 34, 36]. As a result of this, the regulatory initiatives led by ICAO
and other national/international aviation authorities have been relatively limited in these
sectors. Different models are used to describe the processes occurring in the atmosphere.
Uncertainties in predictions can be attributed to [37]:
● The processes being modelled (missing or incorrect processes). Since our understanding
of the atmospheric physics improves over time, these uncertainties can also reduce.
● Different factors influencing climate change. Uncertainties in aviation developments also
make it difficult to predict the impact of aviation on climate beyond 5 to 10 years.
Factors considered in previous research include:
● Cost of air travel (and hence number of aircraft in operations);
● Economic activity and new market opportunities;
● Air transport liberalization and subsides;
● Improvements in aircraft fuel efficiency;
● Improvements in engine efficiency.
To reduce the impact of aviation on the environment, it is clearly necessary, first and
foremost, to reduce the aircraft emissions. Newer aircraft have improved fuel efficiency,
leading to reduced emissions. However, due to the growth of air traffic volume (expected to
double every 20 years), these improvements are not sufficient to balance the environmental
impact of aviation.
ICAO has been the main regulatory driver in modernising Communication, Navigation,
Surveillance (CNS) for ATM and avionics systems but the focus, so far, has been almost
exclusively on increasing efficiency (and safety) of the air transportation system. This,
unfortunately, has not yet translated in successful worldwide cooperation efforts. Despite
the ambitions targets set by large-scale regional R&I programs such as SESAR (Single
European Sky ATM Research) and NextGen (Next Generation Air Transport Management),
it appears that the impact of these US and EU initiatives has been hindered by a number
of contributing factors and, so far, they have not delivered to their promises, [40]. The
situation is even more fragmented in the Asia-Pacific region that, before COVID-19, was
the fastest growing aviation market in the world [41].
Various potential economic instruments have been proposed over the years and many of
them have been experimented or introduced in various nations. These instruments include:
● Fuel taxes and charges to promote fuel efficiency and reduce demand;
● Emissions charges aimed at encouraging the adoption of lower emitting technology;
● Emissions trading to encourage emissions reductions through market forces;
● Levies on empty aircraft seats to promote improvement in seat load factor;
● Levies on excessive traffic per destination served or type of equipment serving a
destination;
● Levies on route length to reduce the number of flights exceeding the minimum distance;
● Subsidies or rebates to act as an incentive for polluters to change their behaviour, such as
grants, soft loans, tax allowances or differentiation, and instruments similar to effluent,
product, or administrative charges.
Other instruments identified included voluntary measures (e.g., carbon offsetting) and
multi-modal transport (e.g., encouraging rail in place of air transport).
ICAO Council
k
Procedure for Noise
Certification of Offsetting and Redu
Reduction
Aircraft Scheme for Internat
International
(CORSIA)
Aviation (CORSIA
WG2
WG1 WG3 WG4
Airports and
Noise Emissions CORSIA
Operations
aircraft noise and emissions issues linked to airports and operations. WG3 deals with
aircraft performance and emission technical matters, including the updating of Annex
16 – Volume II and the development of the new aircraft CO2 Standard, Annex 16 – Volume
III. The Modelling and Databases Group (MDG) carries out modelling efforts to support
the activities of the other CAEP groups and maintains various databases such as the
movements, fleet and population databases. The Forecasting and Economic Analysis
Support Group (FESG) has the important role of developing and maintaining the models
and databases necessary to perform economic analysis and forecasting fleet growth. It
provides support to the other working groups within CAEP and works with them on data
issues that concern more than one working group.
The Aviation Carbon Calculator Support Group (ACCS) has the task of developing and
updating an impartial, transparent methodology for computing the CO2 emissions from
passenger air travel. The Impacts and Science Group (ISG) is composed of academics,
scientists and engineers responsible for informing the CAEP Secretariat on scientific
findings (atmospheric pollution and noise) and the measures that the aviation industry
should implement to limit the increase in global average temperature to less than 2∘ C
above pre-industrial levels. The Global Market Based Measure Technical Task Force
(GMTF) has a mandate to develop recommendations for the Monitoring, Reporting and
Verification (MRV) system of international aviation emissions and for the quality of offset
remits for use in a global market-based measure for international aviation. The Alternative
Fuels Task Force (AFTF) assesses the potential emission reductions attainable from the
use of alternative fuels in aviation.
Towards the end of the 1990’s, the US and EU started addressing aviation SD as an
integral part of their policy agendas and initiated large-scale R&I initiatives. The EU
Advisory Council for Aviation R&I in Europe (ACARE) initially developed Vision 2020
and, successively FlightPath 2050, setting unprecedented emission reduction targets (both
for gaseous pollutants and noise). In parallel, the Clean Sky (EU Framework 7) and Clean
Sky 2 (Horizon 2020) programs were launched to address aircraft technology evolutions,
while the ATM quota was assigned to SESAR. In the US, the NASA Environmentally
Responsible Aviation (ERA) program addressed objectives similar to Clean Sky/Clean Sly
2 but with a much smaller budget and without progressing to the high Technical Readiness
Level (TRL) required in the EU industry-driven programs. The ERA program completed
its mandate in 2016 and was followed by the Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP), which
is still ongoing and pursues similar objectives to EU FlightPath 2050 (Figure 1.4).
Some of the open questions that the global aviation community is facing are:
● Large uncertainties over future trends in traffic, technology, and therefore emissions,
depending on the scenarios/assumptions selected for the projections. Key contributing
factors include uncertainties about the pace of introduction of game-changing technolo-
gies and the impacts of the current infrastructure constraints (“bottlenecks”) in limiting
growth both in airport/airspace capacity and demand.
● The monetary impact of aviation emissions on the environment and the monetary
benefits of mitigating those impacts. As already mentioned, different models and
different scenarios/assumptions produce different results and there is no consensus on
the appropriate level at which any environmental levy should be set.
● As the environmental benefits (reduction of gaseous and noise emissions) achievable
with conventional aircraft/power plants configurations have reached a plateau, it is
1.3 Sustainability Agenda 11
ACARE – SRA and SRIA (vs. 2000) NASA – ERA (vs. 1998) and SIP (vs. 2005)
Subsonic A/C Vision FlightPath ERA ERA ERA SIP SIP SIP
Emissions 2020 2050 2015 2025 2035 2015–25 2025–35 >2035
Fuel/CO2 50% (38% 2015) 75% 50% 50% 60% 40–50% 50–60% 60–80%
70–75% LTO*
NOX 80% (‐‐‐‐‐ 2015) 90% 75% 75% 80% 80% >80%
60–70% CRZ
Noise 50% (37% 2015) 65% 32dB 42dB 71dB 2–232dB** 32–42dB 42–52dB
ACARE ‐ Advisory Council for Aviation R&I in Europe, SRA ‐ Strategic Research Agenda, SRIA ‐ Strategic Research and
Innovation Agenda, ERA ‐ Environmentally Responsible Aviation, SIP ‐ Strategic Implementation Plan
A/C ‐ Aircraft, LTO ‐ Landing and Take/Off, CRZ ‐ Cruise, *Below CAEP6, **Below Chapter 4. All % reductions are in
Passenger‐km
and biofuels
cap net emissions from
neutral
2020 through carbon growth
neutral growth
(Schematic, indicative diagram only) 2005 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
Additionally, there is limited practical experience with emission taxes and trading
schemes at a global level and there are uncertainties regarding the applicability of many
economic and technical measures to countries not included in the UNFCCC.
Current strategies for ensuring aviation sustainability include regulating aircraft
design/operations with environmentally-friendly policies (carbon tax/offsetting schemes,
noise emission charges, replacing or ruling-out old fleet, etc.). However, in the long term,
digital transformation initiatives are essential and will radically transform product and
service lifecycle management processes both in the aerospace and aviation industries.
Such initiatives will include:
● Adopting Multidisciplinary Design Optimisation and Multi-Objective Mission Optimi-
sation (MDO/MOMO) tools to develop new CNS/ATM and Avionics (CNS+A) systems
for eco-friendly flight operations (i.e., management of airspace, trajectory and mission)
[33, 39, 43].
● Adopting MDO and other digital tools (e.g., artificial intelligence, robotic process
automation and digital twins) for Design, Development, Test and Evaluation (DDT&E)
and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) of more energy efficient and “cleaner”
(i.e., less polluting) propulsive systems [39].
● Adopting MDO and other digital tools for DDT&E/MRO of lighter and more aerodynam-
ically efficient manned/unmanned aircraft [39].
● Enabling the cost-effective introduction of alternative aviation fuels, especially third gen-
eration biofuels, by deploying the required CPS architectures (e.g., distributed sensor
networks and AI-based health/quality monitoring) to improve crop quality, maximise
fuel yield and minimise land take [44].
● Developing Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) for multimodal airport transformation.
These will include advanced digital solutions (e.g., sensor networks, user-apps, cen-
tralise/distributed traffic management, connected autonomous vehicle technologies)
which aim to provide innovative services relating to various interconnected modes of
transport and enable users to be better informed and make safer, more coordinated and
“smarter” use of the transport network [12, 45].
However, there is a need to assess the impacts of various possible measures for encour-
aging the adoption of digital/sustainable aviation technologies, including the applicability
to aviation of mature solutions and/or promising operational concepts developed in other
sectors.
Under an Emission Trading (ET) system, the quantity of emissions is fixed (often called a
"cap") and the right to emit becomes a tradable commodity. The cap (say 10,000 tons of car-
bon) is divided into transferable units (10,000 permits of 1 ton of carbon each). Permits are
often referred to as "GHG units," "quotas" or "allowances." For compliance, actors participat-
ing in the system must hold a number of permits greater or equal to their actual emissions
level. Once permits are allocated (by auction, sale or free allocation) to the actors participat-
ing in the system, they are then tradable. This enables emissions reductions to take place
where least costly. Some key characteristics of ET schemes include:
● The emission levels are specified upfront, allowing more predictable estimates of emis-
sions. This also allows for countries to agree upon specific emissions reduction levels,
making international environmental agreements more negotiable.
● Emissions trading is more appealing to private industry, as firms can profit by selling their
excess greenhouse gas allowances. Creating such a market for pollution could potentially
drive emissions reductions below targets.
● Emissions trading is better equipped than taxes to deal with all six GHGs included in the
Kyoto Protocol and sinks (e.g. trees which absorb and store carbon) in one comprehensive
strategy. Each gas has a "greenhouse gas potential" (GWP, based on carbon dioxide). Thus,
firms emitting more than one GHG have more flexibility in making reductions.
● Permits adjust automatically for inflation and external price shocks, while taxes do not.
For example, the US has already experienced an extended period of stable greenhouse
gas emissions levels from 1972 to 1985 because of high oil prices. Taxes would need to be
designed to adjust for such external shocks.
Compared to ET, CT offer a broader scope for emissions reductions, extending to all
carbon-based fuel consumption, including gasoline, home heating oil and aviation fuels.
● Compared to emissions trading, which involves significant transaction costs, taxes
involve little transaction cost, over all stages of their lifetime.
● Taxes are not susceptible to speculative or hoarding behaviour by firms or non-
governmental organizations which may harm the market forces.
● Compared to emissions trading, which rely on the supply and demand of emission
permits to control emissions, carbon taxes provide a permanent incentive to reduce
emissions. Improvements in technology and operations might lead to reductions in the
permit price, lowering the incentive to reduce emissions.
● Emissions trading proposals are highly complicated and technical, unlike taxes which are
familiar instruments to policymakers. Ongoing costs are also low for tax systems because
of the lack of monitoring and enforcement requirements.
● Emissions trading may prevent meaningful domestic reductions from taking place, as
some countries might choose to buy emission permits. This rises significant equity issues
among developed, developing and transitional economies.
● Carbon taxes earn revenue, which can be "recycled" back into the economy by reducing
taxes on income, labour and/or capital investment. Permit systems have the potential to
earn revenue, but only if permits are auctioned.
Carbon offsetting allows individuals and companies to reduce their carbon footprint by
investing in environmental projects elsewhere. Credits are usually purchased and used by
14 1 Sustainable Aviation: An Introduction
individuals or companies to cancel out or “offset” the emissions they generate during their
day-to-day life or normal course of business (e.g., using air transport). Carbon offsets can be
used to offset emissions voluntarily or to meet regulatory requirements. Carbon offsetting
projects may include:
● Reducing the cost differential of renewable energy such as wind, solar, hydroelectric
power or biofuel, thereby increasing its commercial viability;
● Combustion or containment of methane generated by landfills, industrial waste or farm
animals – converting methane to CO2 ;
● Increasing the energy efficiency of buildings, vehicles or power plants;
● Reforestation initiatives.
In 2009, the Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe) introduced a carbon
management initiative for airports, called the Airport Carbon Accreditation program, which
allows airports to be recognised (through accreditation) for their efforts in managing and
reducing their carbon emissions. Airports can be accredited to one of four levels in the
program [46]:
The accreditation requires airports to verify their activities (e.g., carbon monitoring and
management processes) by a group of independent verifiers. The carbon footprint of an
airport is verified in accordance with the ISO 14064 standard (Greenhouse Gas Accounting),
which requires specific supporting evidence.
In the last two decades, a number of major ATM modernisation initiatives such as the
Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) and the Next Generation Air Transportation
System (NextGen), were launched around the globe to cope with the rapid growth of
air traffic and mitigate the growing congestion and inefficiency issues. These initiatives
support an evolution of the ATM system into a highly integrated network where civil,
military, and remotely piloted aircraft will continuously and dynamically share the
common airspace in a highly automated and collaborative decision-making environment.
To meet the goals of enhanced flight safety, environmental performance, and efficiency
while simultaneously accommodating the predicted traffic growth, several key policy
directions have been identified by various governments internationally [47]: robust and
integrated planning, adoption of advanced technology, international harmonisation of
ATM systems, enhanced regional aviation safety, and environmental impact mitigation.
In this context one key strategic priority for countries is to plan, develop, and implement
1.5 ATM and Avionics Systems 15
a new ATM platform that meets the future needs of both civil and military aviation while
enhancing ATM business competitiveness by addressing service capability, continuity,
and environmental sustainability [48]. With air traffic expected to grow more substan-
tially within the lifespan of the new transport aircraft, along with the introduction of new
concepts to improve airspace organisation and airport operations, these major aviation ren-
ovation programmes around the world will play a critical role in the successful transition
to new technologies and operational standards. Research is therefore needed to develop
a new ATM regulatory framework and new systems for dynamic airspace management
(DAM), free-flight and intent-based operations. This also encompasses the development
of innovative methods and algorithms for the dynamic allocation of civil/military airspace
resources and of CNS+A technologies enabling the unrestricted access of remotely piloted
aerial systems (RPASs) to all classes of airspace.
Ground-based automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) currently provides
wide area surveillance coverage, including those vast regions of the planet that are not
under primary or secondary surveillance radar (SSR) coverage. A receiver autonomous
integrity monitoring (RAIM) system enables controllers to anticipate and plan for a rever-
sion to procedural separation if a GPS outage is predicted. For areas that are under radar
surveillance (major air corridors and terminal manoeuvring areas) sensor-fused radar
and ADS-B data have proved to be superior to radar data alone, particularly for tracking
manoeuvring aircraft. Space-based ADS-B promises to expand the benefits of ADS-B to
oceanic airspace and addresses the low reporting rate of automatic dependent surveillance
contract (ADS-C). Optimised ATM procedures such as tailored arrivals [49] and the
Green RNP project [50] have been trialled or already implemented. A growing number of
airport/airline slot management and Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) centres around
the world have contributed to optimises the allocation of airport and air traffic control
(ATC) slots, while traffic management initiatives, such as ground delays programmes,
tackle critical congestion situations, thereby simultaneously reducing fuel consumption,
noise and gaseous emissions. Collaborative decision making (CDM) procedures improve
common situational awareness and permit pre-tactical slot swapping. Current initiatives
include user preferred routes (UPRs) and the extension of national CDM and ATFM
operations to support long-range ATFM strategies for entire world regions. Conducting
ATFM across national borders will improve its effectiveness, particularly for commercial
airline companies. For example, delay can be absorbed en-route or allocated as ground
delay if congestion is anticipated at the destination airport several FIRs away. Achieving
this in the Asia-Pacific region without a single regulatory authority, like Eurocontrol or
the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), is one of the issues to be addressed but the
benefits are evident. Early regional CDM trials between Bangkok and Singapore have
proved promising [51], and it is clear that interoperability and harmonisation of standards
will be key factors in moving forward.
In line with the ICAO’s ASBU implementation timelines, new high-integrity and
safety-critical CNS+A systems will be developed and deployed for strategic, tactical, and
emergency ATM operations, and in particular:
ATM technologies for strategic and tactical ATFM, DAM and real-time four-dimensional
trajectory (4DT) operability.
● CNS+A technologies for RPAS, reliably meeting the required communication, navi-
gation, and surveillance performance (RCP, RNP, and RSP) standards for unrestricted
access of RPAS to airspace (non-segregated operations). In this perspective, essential
steps are the adoption of fused cooperative/non-cooperative surveillance systems,
beyond line-of-sight (BLOS) communication systems, high-integrity navigation systems
and integrated avionics architectures.
● Satellite-based CNS systems, such as multi-constellation global navigation satellite sys-
tems (GNSS) and space-based datalink and ADS-B, for improved coverage of remote and
oceanic airspace, precision approach, and auto-land.
● Airport ATM systems, mainly consisting of safety nets for ground and air traffic oper-
ations, remote tower systems (RTSs) and new standardised air traffic control operator
(ATCO) work positions. In particular, the advanced surface movement guidance and con-
trol system (A-SMGCS) will also provide runway incursion and excursion detection and
alerting similar to the airport movement area safety system (AMASS) and runway aware-
ness and advisory system (RAAS) developed in Europe and the US.
Performance-Based Operations
● Time-based operations, for which ATM strategic and tactical actions (including ATFM)
are aimed at optimal traffic synchronisation.
● Trajectory-Based Operations (TBO), focussing on a further-evolved predictability, flexi-
bility, and environment sustainability of air traffic, unleashing additional capacity.
● Performance-based operations, for which all the available CNS performance is exploited
to establish a high-performance, network-centric, collaborative, integrated, and seamless
ATM system, supporting high-density operations.
TBO are based on the adoption of 4DT defining the aircraft’s flight path in three
spatial dimensions (i.e. latitude, longitude, and altitude), and in time from origin to
destination [52] and of the associated precise estimation and correction of current and
predicted traffic positions. Each aircraft follows a 4DT, which is determined via a CDM
process involving novel systems, such as the next generation flight management system
(NG-FMS), and evolving tactically from the original reference business trajectory. Increased
efficiency and higher throughput are obtained in a CNS+A context by actively managing
4DT. In the PBO context, the next generation air traffic management (NG-ATM) services
will be matched to the performance capability of aircraft. Airlines deploying PBO-capable
equipment will benefit from higher scheduling priority and easier access to congested
areas. These regulations will impose requirements in terms of system performance rather
than in terms of specific technology or equipment.
The continuous push to reduce weight and enhance mechanical properties of aerostruc-
tures has led to significant advances in aircraft design and lifecycle management processes,
as demonstrated by contemporary airliners such as the Boeing 787 “Dreamliner” and the
Airbus A350 Extra Wide-Body (XWB) aircraft. These aircraft deliver substantial improve-
ments when compared to previous generation airliners, largely through the selective use
of new advanced materials in various parts of the airframe and propulsive components
[53, 54]. In particular, the adoption of carbon fibre composites and other hybrid materi-
als has facilitated the implementation of much lighter aircraft designs while improving the
overall mechanical properties of aerostructures [55].
Lighter aircraft translates into reduced thrust and fuel consumption, with associated
enhancements in payload capacity, range and endurance. Additionally, the lower thrust
requirements allow for the integration of smaller, lighter and quieter engines, thereby
leading to noise reduction and further fuel savings. Open research challenges and oppor-
tunities include methods for fatigue life assessment, maintenance and testing of composite
structures (e.g., new composite repair technologies using hybrid material systems and
18 1 Sustainable Aviation: An Introduction
In terms of design, aircraft have now for quite a long time been following a conventional
configuration which includes a central fuselage and a main wing, plus horizontal and
vertical tailplanes. This configuration presents a few practical advantages but is rather
far from the theoretical efficiency limits, as it relies on the functional separation between
payload-carrying and lift-producing elements. Key limitations of this approach include:
● the fuselage producing substantial drag but insignificant lift, which weighs heavily
against aerodynamic efficiency (i.e., the ratio between lift and drag of the entire aircraft
in representative operational conditions);
● the concentration of very significant shear stresses and bending moments in small
sections of the wing root, which then have to be reinforced adequately, adding
substantial structural weight;
● natural tendency to develop large tip vortexes, which result in an energy-dissipating and
operationally hazardous turbulent wake.
Advanced aircraft configurations attempt to enhance the aerodynamic efficiency of the
aircraft in representative operational flight conditions, compared to conventional designs.
Various solutions have been proposed throughout the years, including hybrid wing-bodies
(e.g., blended wing-body, flying wing), box-wing aircraft and advanced morphing aircraft
technologies. Some of the key gains in such technologies include respectively a 30% increase
in aerodynamic efficiency or a 40% reduction in induced drag. Despite the relatively high
confidence in these theoretical efficiency gains and some successful operational experience
in the defence sector, the actual adoption of these advanced concepts in the civil transport
domain has been encumbered by the limited maturity of certain technologies and a luke-
warm attitude by major aircraft manufacturers, which adopted a more risk-averse approach
financially, resulting in further evolutions of the conventional configuration. More recently,
the diminishing returns associated with further investments in conventional aerodynamic
technologies is eliciting a more courageous attitude in embracing the new configurations.
1.9 Alternative Aviation Fuels 19
For instance, Airbus has unveiled that the most advanced hydrogen aircraft concept being
investigated for marketization in just a couple of decades is a blended wing-body. The gen-
eral and business aviation sectors also appear more interested in experimenting with some
more advanced configurations and it is expected that this will also contribute to the large
transport aircraft sector’s willingness to develop and marketize the new concepts.
sources and harvesting methods are identified. The methods for feedstock collection at
selected hubs, storage, and pre-processing are also determined. The processing and refin-
ing of feedstock to produce certification-compliant SAF, blending of SAF with Jet A1 and its
commercial distribution via a fully integrated and secure supply chain is one of the major
challenges in implementing this green initiative. Economic viability analysis for identify-
ing environmental auditing methods and overall cost-risk analysis will be performed. This
initiative additionally seeks to address the certification, government excise rebates, and
regulatory legislation issues. Eventually, end-user operational monitoring will be imple-
mented, including actual greenhouse emissions.
For the long term, a radical shift away from the petroleum-derived fuels in aviation will
be essential for attaining carbon-neutrality in the fuel lifecycle, and will be highly desirable
due to the predicted price trends and strategic reliance on imports. To allow this radical
change, an evolution of specifications and logistics is required. The future alternative global
fuel supply chain strategies (especially within the Asia-Pacific region) as well as the feasi-
bility of manageable aircraft systems and airport infrastructure changes in both the civil
and military aviation sectors will be a major factor in the long-term and enduring success
of SAF [60].
As mentioned above, the extensive adoption of composites and lightweight hybrid mate-
rials on the latest generation of airliners (e.g. Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus 350 XWB
utilise substantially advanced fibre-reinforced composites) and military aircraft also poses
new challenges in terms of logistics supportability. Thus, systems engineering research is
addressing the cost-effective management of safety standards, including non-destructive
inspection and testing of composite components for continuing airworthiness, economic
composite repair processes, and training/skilling-up of the aircraft maintenance workforce.
To reflect these changes, current initiatives for green aviation are investigating the adoption
of advanced techniques and models for aircraft through-life support. The development of
rapid non-destructive inspection and testing techniques that enables the fast characteri-
sation of structural damages and their impact on structural integrity is the major factor
driving new aircraft design and development through-life support. Additionally, training
requirements and associated standards for the next generation of aerospace/aviation pro-
fessionals are constantly evolving to reflect the adoption of new cost-effective manufactur-
ing and repair/maintenance processes for composites aircraft, modular architectures, and
civil/military aircraft data networks. Additionally, new Integrated Vehicle Health Manage-
ment (IVHM) solutions are being investigated to improve logistic supportability and COTS
components repair/replacement strategies. Aircraft mid-life update, reliable COTS compo-
nents insertion, and the evolution of current structural and system integrity monitoring,
diagnosis and prognosis approaches are identified as the potential solutions for extending
both new and ageing aircraft service life.
100
80
Million passengers
60
40
Figure 1.7 Passenger traffic in the world’s busiest airports. Source: various, collected on Wikipedia
“List of Busiest Airports by Passenger Traffic”.
redevelopment initiatives, which involve aprons, fuelling systems, taxiways, holding areas,
de-icing bays, runways, etc. Novel airport systems and procedures are being introduced
to reduce noise and gaseous emissions, such as minimised auxiliary power unit (APU)
usage, engine test, noise barriers, etc. Landside development and redevelopment initiatives
are addressing renewable energy supply and security upgrades for the terminal building,
greener vehicular ground transportation systems, improved airport ground access systems,
and the transformation of large airports into multimodal transport nodes.
Advances in airport operations, including the efficient management of conges-
tion and queues, implementation of airport collaborative decision making (A-CDM),
Re-categorisation (RECAT) of wake turbulence and prediction initiatives, and traffic
demand peak prediction and analysis methods are all being promoted. The coordination
between airline operations centres (AOCs) and ATM systems, integrated departure and
arrival management (DMAN/AMAN), and pre-departure sequencing and clearance
are several key initiatives undertaken for the management of congestion in airports.
Additionally, as part of improved airport operations, airline/operator business models and
tools, including alternate slot trading mechanisms, are being identified.
times and have led to significant evolutions in airport security [61]. To account for the tech-
nological advances and process enhancements being introduced across all entities (airlines,
airports, aircraft and ATM), an evolution of the cyber and physical security infrastructure
in the aviation sector is required. The planned evolution of policies, objectives and plan-
ning is the baseline upon which a cyber-physical Security Management System (SEMS)
will have to be developed. Safety assurance procedures, safety training and promotion,
as well as risk management strategies are other key factors affecting the development of
a SEMS. To further enhance security, additional airworthiness provisions and safety tar-
gets for both manned and unmanned aircraft are being investigated. Enhanced airport and
ATM cyber and physical infrastructure will also provide substantial improvements to the
overall air transportation system [62]. In particular, within the scope of terminal security,
enhancements are being studied for security checkpoints/gates and passenger screening,
waiting and transit areas, and security systems for baggage screening and reconciliation.
Enhanced security measures will be developed for airside operations as well, including
aircraft monitoring, aircrew/apron personnel movements, passenger boarding and detec-
tion of security threats. Important technology advancements are expected to address the
security aspects of ATM facilities. In fact, the progressive adoption of greater automation,
networking and data-links in ATM exposes the entire air transport system to new threats
associated with unlawful interference as well as criminal and terrorist acts. The necessary
technology-driven and process-driven regulatory framework evolutions for cyber-physical
security (vehicles and infrastructure) are currently being explored [63].
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Another random document with
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Ebenezer Dorset’s boy having been lost or stolen. That was
all I wanted to know. I bought some smoking tobacco, referred
casually to the price of black-eyed peas, posted my letter
surreptitiously and came away. The postmaster said the mail-
carrier would come by in an hour to take the mail on to
Summit.
65. When I got back to the cave Bill and the boy were not to
be found. I explored the vicinity of the cave, and risked a
yodel or two, but there was no response.
66. So I lighted my pipe and sat down on a mossy bank to
await developments.
67. In about half an hour I heard the bushes rustle, and Bill
wabbled out into the little glade in front of the cave. Behind
him was the kid, stepping softly like a scout, with a broad grin
on his face. Bill stopped, took off his hat and wiped his face
with a red handkerchief. The kid stopped about eight feet
behind him.
68. “Sam,” says Bill, “I suppose you’ll think Typical O. Henry
I’m a renegade, but I couldn’t help it. I’m a speech in this
grown person with masculine proclivities paragraph.
and habits of self-defence, but there is a
time when all systems of egotism and predominance fail. The
boy is gone. I have sent him home. All is off. There was
martyrs in old times,” goes on Bill, “that suffered death rather
than give up the particular graft they enjoyed. None of ’em
ever was subjugated to such supernatural tortures as I have
been. I tried to be faithful to our articles of depredation; but
there came a limit.”
69. “What’s the trouble, Bill?” I asks him.
70. “I was rode,” says Bill, “the ninety miles to the stockade,
not barring an inch. Then, when the settlers was rescued, I
was given oats. Sand ain’t a palatable substitute. And then,
for an hour I had to try to explain to him why there was nothin’
in holes, how a road can run both ways and what makes the
grass green. I tell you, Sam, a human can only stand so
much. I takes him by the neck of his clothes and drags him
down the mountain. On the way he kicks my legs black-and-
blue from the knees down; and I’ve got to have two or three
bites on my thumb and hand cauterized.
71. “But he’s gone”—continues Bill—“gone Note the stage trick
home. I showed him the road to Summit and of a character in
kicked him about eight feet nearer there at ignorance while the
audience enjoys his
one kick. I’m sorry we lose the ransom; but it delusion. The
was either that or Bill Driscoll to the surprise is his, not
madhouse.” ours.
FOR ANALYSIS
For two years it had been notorious in the square that Sam’l
Dickie was thinking of courting T’Nowhead’s Bell, and that if
little Sanders Elshioner (which is the Thrums pronunciation of
Alexander Alexander) went in for her he might prove a
formidable rival. Sam’l was a weaver in the Tenements, and
Sanders a coal-carter whose trade-mark was a bell on his
horse’s neck that told when coals were coming. Being
something of a public man, Sanders had not so high a social
position as Sam’l, but he had succeeded his father on the
coal-cart, while the weaver had already tried several trades. It
had always been against Sam’l, too, that once when the kirk
was vacant he had advised the selection of the third minister
who preached for it on the ground that it came expensive to
pay a large number of candidates. The scandal of the thing
was hushed up, out of respect for his father, who was a God-
fearing man, but Sam’l was known by it in Lang Tammas’
circle. The coal-carter was called Little Sanders to distinguish
him from his father, who was not much more than half his
size. He had grown up with the name, and its inapplicability
now came home to nobody. Sam’l’s mother had been more
far-seeing than Sanders’. Her man had been called Sammy
all his life because it was the name he got as a boy, so when
their eldest son was born she spoke of him as Sam’l while still
in his cradle. The neighbours imitated her, and thus the young
man had a better start in life than had been granted to
Sammy, his father.
2. It was Saturday evening—the night in the week when Auld
Licht young men fell in love. Sam’l Dickie, wearing a blue
glengarry bonnet with a red ball on the top, came to the door
of a one-story house in the Tenements and stood there
wriggling, for he was in a suit of tweeds for the first time that
week, and did not feel at one in them. When his feeling of
being a stranger to himself wore off, he looked up and down
the road, which straggles between houses and gardens, and
then, picking his way over the puddles, crossed to his father’s
henhouse and sat down on it. He was now on his way to the
square.
3. Eppie Fargus was sitting on an adjoining dike knitting
stockings, and Sam’l looked at her for a time.
4. “Is’t yersel, Eppie?” he said at last.
5. “It’s a’ that,” said Eppie.
6. “Hoo’s a’ wi’ ye?” asked Sam’l.
7. “We’re juist aff an’ on,” replied Eppie cautiously.
8. There was not much more to say, but as Sam’l sidled off
the henhouse he murmured politely, “Ay, ay.” In another
minute he would have been fairly started, but Eppie resumed
the conversation.
9. “Sam’l,” she said, with a twinkle in her eye, “ye can tell
Lisbeth Fargus I’ll likely be drappin’ in on her aboot Munday
or Teisday.”
10. Lisbeth was sister to Eppie, and wife of Tammas
McQuhatty, better known as T’Nowhead, which was the name
of his farm. She was thus Bell’s mistress.
11. Sam’l leaned against the henhouse as if all his desire to
depart had gone.
12. “Hoo d’ye kin I’ll be at the T’Nowhead the nicht?” he
asked, grinning in anticipation.
13. “Ou, I’se warrant ye’ll be after Bell,” said Eppie.
14. “Am no sure o’ that,” said Sam’l, trying to leer. He was
enjoying himself now.
15. “Am no sure o’ that,” he repeated, for Eppie seemed lost
in stitches.
16. “Sam’l—”
17. “Ay.”
18. “Ye’ll be spierin’ her sune noo, I dinna Asking her.
doot?”
19. This took Sam’l, who had only been courting Bell for a
year or two, a little aback.
20. “Hoo d’ye mean, Eppie?” he asked.
21. “Maybe ye’ll do’t the nicht.”
22. “Na, there’s nae hurry,” said Sam’l.
23. “Weel, we’re a’ coontin’ on’t, Sam’l.”
24. “Gae wa wi’ ye.”
25. “What for no?”
26. “Gae wa wi’ ye,” said Sam’l again.
27. “Bell’s gie an’ fond o’ ye, Sam’l.”
28. “Ay,” said Sam’l.
29. “But am dootin’ ye’re a fell billy wi’ the lasses.”
30. “Ay, oh, I d’na kin, moderate, moderate,” said Sam’l, in
high delight.
31. “I saw ye,” said Eppie, speaking with a wire in her mouth,
“gaein’ on terr’ble wi’ Mysy Haggart at the pump last
Saturday.”
32. “We was juist amoosin’ oorsels,” said Sam’l.
33. “It’ll be nae amoosement to Mysy,” said Eppie, “gin ye
brak her heart.”
34. “Losh, Eppie,” said Sam’l, “I didna think o’ that.”
35. “Ye maun kin weel, Sam’l, 'at there’s mony a lass wid
jump at ye.”
36. “Ou, weel,” said Sam’l, implying that a man must take
these things as they come.
37. “For ye’re a dainty chield to look at, Sam’l.”
38. “Do ye think so, Eppie? Ay, ay; oh, I d’na kin am onything
by the ordinar.”
39. “Ye mayna be,” said Eppie, “but lasses doesna do to be
ower partikler.”
40. Sam’l resented this, and prepared to depart again.
41. “Ye’ll no tell Bell that?” he asked anxiously.
42. “Tell her what?”
43. “Aboot me an’ Mysy.”
44. “We’ll see hoo ye behave yersel, Sam’l.”
45. “No 'at I care, Eppie; ye can tell her gin ye like. I widna
think twice o’ tellin’ her mysel.”
46. “The Lord forgie ye for leein’, Sam’l,” said Eppie, as he
disappeared down Tammy Tosh’s close. Alley, or court.
Here he came upon Henders Webster.
47. “Ye’re late, Sam’l,” said Henders.
48. “What for?”
49. “Ou, I was thinkin’ ye wid be gaen the length o’
T’Nowhead the nicht, an’ I saw Sanders Elshioner makkin’s
wy there an oor syne.”
50. “Did ye?” cried Sam’l, adding craftily, “but it’s naething to
me.”
51. “Tod, lad,” said Henders, “gin ye dinna buckle to,
Sanders’ll be carryin’ her off.”
52. Sam’l flung back his head and passed on.
53. “Sam’l!” cried Henders after him.
54. “Ay,” said Sam’l, wheeling round.
55. “Gie Bell a kiss frae me.”
56. The full force of this joke struck neither all at once. Sam’l
began to smile at it as he turned down the school-wynd, and it
came upon Henders while he was in his garden feeding his
ferret. Then he slapped his legs gleefully, and explained the
conceit to Will’um Byars, who went into the house and
thought it over.
57. There were twelve or twenty little groups of men in the
square, which was lit by a flare of oil suspended over a
cadger’s cart. Now and again a staid young woman passed
through the square with a basket on her arm, and if she had
lingered long enough to give them time, some of the idlers
would have addressed her. As it was, they gazed after her,
and then grinned to each other.
58. “Ay, Sam’l,” said two or three young men as Sam’l joined
them beneath the town clock.
59. “Ay, Davit,” replied Sam’l.
60. This group was composed of some of the sharpest wits in
Thrums, and it was not to be expected that they would let this
opportunity pass. Perhaps when Sam’l joined them he knew
what was in store for him.
61. “Was ye lookin’ for T’Nowhead’s Bell, Sam’l?” asked one.
62. “Or mebbe ye was wantin’ the minister?” suggested
another, the same who had walked out twice with Christy Duff
and not married her after all.
63. Sam’l could not think of a good reply at the moment, so he
laughed good-naturedly.
64. “Ondoobtedly she’s a snod bit crittur,” said Davit archly.
65. “An’ michty clever wi’ her fingers,” added Jamie Deuchars.
66. “Man, I’ve thocht o’ makkin’ up to Bell mysel,” said Peter
Ogle. “Wid there be ony chance, think ye, Sam’l?”
67. “I’m thinkin’ she widna hae ye for her first, Pete,” replied
Sam’l, in one of those happy flashes that come to some men,
“but there’s nae sayin’ but what she micht tak ye to finish up
wi’.”
68. The unexpectedness of this sally startled everyone.
Though Sam’l did not set up for a wit, however, like Davit, it
was notorious that he could say a cutting thing once in a way.
69. “Did ye ever see Bell reddin’ up?” asked Pete, recovering
from his overthrow. He was a man who bore no malice.
70. “It’s a sicht,” said Sam’l solemnly.
71. “Hoo will that be?” asked Jamie Deuchars.
72. “It’s well worth yer while,” said Pete, “to ging atower to the
T’Nowhead an’ see. Ye’ll mind the closed-in beds i’ the
kitchen? Ay, well, they’re a fell spoilt crew, T’Nowhead’s litlins,
an’ no that aisy to manage. Th’ither lasses Little ones.
Lisbeth’s hae’n had a michty trouble wi’
them. When they war i’ the middle o’ their reddin’ up the
bairns wid come tumlin’ about the floor, but, sal, I assure ye,
Bell didna fash lang wi’ them. Did she, Sam’l?”
73. “She did not,” said Sam’l, dropping into a fine mode of
speech to add emphasis to his remark.
74. “I’ll tell ye what she did,” said Pete to the others. “She juist
lifted up the litlins, twa at a time, an’ flung them into the coffin-
beds. Syne she snibbit the doors on them, an’ keepit them
there till the floor was dry.”
75. “Ay, man, did she so?” said Davit admiringly.
76. “I’ve seen her do’t mysel,” said Sam’l.
77. “There’s no a lassie makes better bannocks this side o’
Fetter Lums,” continued Pete.
78. “Her mither tocht her that,” said Sam’l; “she was a gran’
han’ at the bakin’, Kitty Ogilvy.”
79. “I’ve heard say,” remarked Jamie, putting it this way, so as
not to tie himself down to anything, “'at Bell’s scones is equal
to Mag Lunan’s.”
80. “So they are,” said Sam’l, almost fiercely.
81. “I kin she’s a neat han’ at singein’ a hen,” said Pete.
82. “An’ wi’t a’,” said Davit, “she’s a snod, canty bit stocky in
her Sabbath claes.”
83. “If onything, thick in the waist,” suggested Jamie.
84. “I dinna see that,” said Sam’l.
85. “I d’na care for her hair either,” continued Jamie, who was
very nice in his tastes; “something mair yallowchy wid be an
improvement.”
86. “A’body kins,” growled Sam’l, “'at black hair’s the
bonniest.”
87. The others chuckled.
88. “Puir Sam’l!” Pete said.
89. Sam’l not being certain whether this should be received
with a smile or a frown, opened his mouth wide as a kind of
compromise. This was position one with him for thinking
things over.
90. Few Auld Lichts, as I have said, went the length of
choosing a helpmate for themselves. One day a young man’s
friends would see him mending the washing-tub of a maiden’s
mother. They kept the joke until Saturday night, and then he
learned from them what he had been after. It dazed him for a
time, but in a year or so he grew accustomed to the idea, and
they were then married. With a little help he fell in love just
like other people.
91. Sam’l was going the way of the others, but he found it
difficult to come to the point. He only went courting once a
week, and he could never take up the running at the place
where he left off the Saturday before. Thus he had not, so far,
made great headway. His method of making up to Bell had
been to drop in at T’Nowhead on Saturday nights and talk
with the farmer about the rinderpest.
92. The farm kitchen was Bell’s testimonial. Its chairs, tables,
and stools were scoured by her to the whiteness of Rob
Angus’s sawmill boards, and the muslin blind on the window
was starched like a child’s pinafore. Bell was brave, too, as
well as energetic. Once Thrums had been overrun with
thieves. It is now thought that there may have been only one,
but he had the wicked cleverness of a gang. Such was his
repute that there were weavers who spoke of locking their
doors when they went from home. He was not very skilful,
however, being generally caught, and when they said they
knew he was a robber he gave them their things back and
went away. If they had given him time there is no doubt that
he would have gone off with his plunder. One night he went to
T’Nowhead, and Bell, who slept in the kitchen, was wakened
by the noise. She knew who it would be, so she rose and
dressed herself and went to look for him with a candle. The
thief had not known what to do when he got in, and as it was
very lonely he was glad to see Bell. She told him he ought to
be ashamed of himself, and would not let him out by the door
until he had taken off his boots so as not to soil the carpet.
93. On this Saturday evening Sam’l stood his ground in the
square, until by and by he found himself alone. There were
other groups there still, but his circle had melted away. They
went separately, and no one said good-night. Each took
himself off slowly, backing out of the group until he was fairly
started.
94. Sam’l looked about him, and then, seeing that the others
had gone, walked round the townhouse into the darkness of
the brae that leads down and then up to the farm of
T’Nowhead.
95. To get into the good graces of Lisbeth Fargus you had to
know her ways and humour them. Sam’l, who was a student
of women, knew this, and so, instead of pushing the door
open and walking in, he went through the rather ridiculous
ceremony of knocking. Sanders Elshioner was also aware of
this weakness of Lisbeth’s, but, though he often made up his
mind to knock, the absurdity of the thing prevented his doing
so when he reached the door. T’Nowhead himself had never
got used to his wife’s refined notions, and when any one
knocked he always started to his feet, thinking there must be
something wrong.
96. Lisbeth came to the door, her expansive figure blocking
the way in.
97. “Sam’l,” she said.
98. “Lisbeth,” said Sam’l.
99. He shook hands with the farmer’s wife, knowing that she
liked it, but only said, “Ay, Bell,” to his sweetheart, “Ay,
T’Nowhead,” to McQuhatty, and “It’s yersel, Sanders,” to his
rival.
100. They were sitting round the fire, T’Nowhead, with his feet
on the ribs, wondering why he felt so warm, and Bell darned a
stocking, while Lisbeth kept an eye on a goblet full of
potatoes.
101. “Sit into the fire, Sam’l,” said the farmer, not, however,
making way for him.
102. “Na, na,” said Sam’l, “I’m to bide nae time.” Then he sat
into the fire. His face was turned away from Bell, and when
she spoke he answered her without looking round. Sam’l felt
a little anxious. Sanders Elshioner, who had one leg shorter
than the other, but looked well when sitting, seemed
suspiciously at home. He asked Bell questions out of his own
head, which was beyond Sam’l, and once he said something
to her in such a low voice that the others could not catch it.
T’Nowhead asked curiously what it was, and Sanders
explained that he had only said, “Ay, Bell, the morn’s the
Sabbath.” There was nothing startling in this, but Sam’l did
not like it. He began to wonder if he was too late, and had he
seen his opportunity would have told Bell of a nasty rumour
that Sanders intended to go over to the Free Church if they
would make him kirk-officer.
103. Sam’l had the good-will of T’Nowhead’s wife, who liked a
polite man. Sanders did his best, but from want of practice he
constantly made mistakes. To-night, for instance, he wore his
hat in the house because he did not like to put up his hand
and take it off. T’Nowhead had not taken his off either but that
was because he meant to go out by and by and lock the byre
door. It was impossible to say which of her lovers Bell
preferred. The proper course with an Auld Licht lassie was to
prefer the man who proposed to her.
104. “Ye’ll bide a wee, an’ hae something to eat?” Lisbeth
asked Sam’l, with her eyes on the goblet.
105. “No, I thank ye,” said Sam’l, with true gentility.
106. “Ye’ll better?”
107. “I dinna think it.”
108. “Hoots aye; what’s to hender ye?”
109. “Weel, since ye’re sae pressin’, I’ll bide.”
110. No one asked Sanders to stay. Bell could not, for she
was but the servant, and T’Nowhead knew that the kick his
wife had given him meant that he was not to do so either.
Sanders whistled to show that he was not uncomfortable.
111. “Ay then, I’ll be stappin’ ower the brae,” he said at last.
112. He did not go, however. There was sufficient pride in him
to get him off his chair, but only slowly, for he had to get
accustomed to the notion of going. At intervals of two or three
minutes he remarked that he must now be going. In the same
circumstances Sam’l would have acted similarly. For a
Thrums man it is one of the hardest things in life to get away
from anywhere.
113. At last Lisbeth saw that something must be done. The
potatoes were burning, and T’Nowhead had an invitation on
his tongue.
114. “Yes, I’ll hae to be movin’,” said Sanders, hopelessly, for
the fifth time.
115. “Guid nicht to ye, then, Sanders,” said Lisbeth. “Gie the
door a fling-to, ahent ye.”
116. Sanders, with a mighty effort, pulled himself together. He
looked boldly at Bell, and then took off his hat carefully. Sam’l
saw with misgivings that there was something in it which was
not a handkerchief. It was a paper bag glittering with gold
braid, and contained such an assortment of sweets as lads
bought for their lasses on the Muckle Friday.
117. “Hae, Bell,” said Sanders, handing the bag to Bell in an
off-hand way as if it were but a trifle. Nevertheless he was a
little excited, for he went off without saying good-night.
118. No one spoke. Bell’s face was crimson. T’Nowhead
fidgeted on his chair, and Lisbeth looked at Sam’l. The
weaver was strangely calm and collected, though he would
have liked to know whether this was a proposal.
119. “Sit in by to the table, Sam’l,” said Lisbeth, trying to look
as if things were as they had been before.
120. She put a saucerful of butter, salt, and pepper near the
fire to melt, for melted butter is the shoeing-horn that helps
over a meal of potatoes. Sam’l, however, saw what the hour
required, and jumping up, he seized his bonnet.
121. “Hing the tatties higher up the joist, Lisbeth,” he said with
dignity; “I’se be back in ten meenits.”
122. He hurried out of the house, leaving the others looking at
each other.
123. “What do ye think?” asked Lisbeth.
124. “I d’na kin,” faltered Bell.
125. “Thae tatties is lang o’ comin’ to the boil,” said
T’Nowhead.
126. In some circles a lover who behaved like Sam’l would
have been suspected of intent upon his rival’s life, but neither
Bell nor Lisbeth did the weaver that injustice. In a case of this
kind it does not much matter what T’Nowhead thought.
127. The ten minutes had barely passed when Sam’l was
back in the farm kitchen. He was too flurried to knock this
time, and, indeed, Lisbeth did not expect it of him.
128. “Bell, hae!” he cried, handing his sweetheart a tinsel bag
twice the size of Sander’s gift.
129. “Losh preserve’s!” exclaimed Lisbeth; “I’se warrant
there’s a shillin’s worth.”
130. “There’s a’ that, Lisbeth—an’ mair,” said Sam’l, firmly.
131. “I thank ye, Sam’l,” said Bell, feeling an unwonted elation
as she gazed at the two paper bags in her lap.
132. “Ye’re ower extravegint, Sam’l,” Lisbeth said.
133. “Not at all,” said Sam’l; “not at all. But I widna advise ye
to eat thae ither anes, Bell—they’re second quality.”
134. Bell drew back a step from Sam’l.
135. “How do ye kin?” asked the farmer shortly, for he liked
Sanders.
136. “I spiered i’ the shop,” said Sam’l.
137. The goblet was placed on a broken plate on the table
with the saucer beside it, and Sam’l, like the others, helped
himself. What he did was to take potatoes from the pot with
his fingers, peel off their coats, and then dip them into the
butter. Lisbeth would have liked to provide knives and forks,
but she knew that beyond a certain point T’Nowhead was
master in his own house. As for Sam’l, he felt victory in his
hands, and began to think that he had gone too far.
138. In the meantime Sanders, little witting that Sam’l had
trumped his trick, was sauntering along the kirk-wynd with his
hat on the side of his head. Fortunately he did not meet the
minister.
139. The courting of T’Nowhead’s Bell reached its crisis one
Sabbath about a month after the events above recorded. The
minister was in great force that day, but it is no part of mine to
tell how he bore himself. I was there, and am not likely to
forget the scene. It was a fateful Sabbath for T’Nowhead’s
Bell and her swains, and destined to be remembered for the
painful scandal which they perpetrated in their passion.
140. Bell was not in the kirk. There being an infant of six
months in the house it was a question of either Lisbeth or the
lassie’s staying at home with him, and though Lisbeth was
unselfish in a general way, she could not resist the delight of
going to church. She had nine children besides the baby, and
being but a woman, it was the pride of her life to march them
into the T’Nowhead pew, so well watched that they dared not
misbehave, and so tightly packed that they could not fall. The
congregation looked at that pew, the mothers enviously, when
they sang the lines—