First AERO Asia show stuns with latest aviation technologies

The first AERO Asia show kicked off in Zhuhai City, south China's Guangdong Province on Thursday, stunning spectators with the latest technological products and achievements in general aviation.

General aviation refers to civil aviation operations other than scheduled air services and non-scheduled air transport operations, including operational flights in industry, agriculture, medical and health care, rescue and disaster relief.

The European Flyby Knights, China's Sunward Flight Demonstration Team and other teams performed stunts, displaying a variety of aerobatic maneuvers during the event.

The four-day airshow has also set up a static exhibition with over 250 companies from Australia, Germany, France, the United States, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and other countries and regions participating to display over 90 aircraft, including business jets, helicopters and drones.

Among the aircraft displayed, the Cirrus Vision SF50 jet has caught the eye of many with its emergency mode that allows it to return and land at a simple touch of a button.

Another crowd-pleaser at the event was an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL). Designed for urban transportation, the aircraft can travel 100 kilometers per hour with a maximum take-off weight of 360 kilograms.

A batch of Chinese-made aeroengines was also unveiled, marking breakthroughs in China's general aviation technology.

The AES100, a turboshaft engine for three-tonne single-engine and five-to-six-tonne twin-engine helicopters, has undergone tests to obtain its airworthiness certificate. It consumes 7 to 10 percent less fuel than comparable engines in service, according to Wang Qiang, an employee at a research institute affiliated with Aero Engine Corporation of China.

The aircraft exhibition, which will be held every odd year from 2023, is co-organized by Zhuhai Airshow Co., Ltd., the organizer of the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, and its German counterpart, AERO Friedrichshafen.