15 NOV 2007 _______________________________________ *FAA Investigates Jet Management Company Over Outsourcing *Eclipse To Double Number Of Hires At Albany Facility *GAO: Bomb Parts Snuck Past Airport Checks *Supersonic business jet gets its first order *Cockpit device narrowly averts near collision *Indon airlines sign air safety agreement *National flag carrier receives IOSA certification from IATA *Embraer May Deliver as Many as 350 Aircraft in 2009 *************************************** FAA Investigates Jet Management Company Over Outsourcing Handles Google Founders' B767 A company that manages aircraft for two major-league sports teams, and the founders of internet search company Google Inc., is under investigation by the FAA over some functions that were outsourced to other vendors. The Wall Street Journal reports Elan Express Inc. is reportedly under investigation for allegations it contracted work out to US affiliates of TAG Aviation Holding SA. Last week, the Swiss company paid a $10 million fine to settle allegations it secretly controlled flights as they were flown by affiliate AMI Jet Charter Inc. TAG did not admit to wrongdoing in the settlement. Federal regulations state charter operators must have direct control over matters involving the aircraft they fly, including maintenance, crew scheduling, and dispatching duties. Elan Express is also affiliated with TAG, and the settlement mentions the company's "relationship with, or alleged control over" Elan Express. The settlement "does not extend to Elan Express Inc.," however, according to the wording of the agreement. Nevertheless, sources familiar with the matter tells the WSJ the FAA has collected documents from Elan Express, and is looking into the possibility TAG's US-based unit may have provided similar services to Elan as were alleged in the earlier investigation against TAG and AMI -- which once had a minority stake in the company. Those sources also say TAG handled several duties for Elan, including dispatching duties and maintaining training records. It also allegedly provided accounting support to Elan. Elan Express also manages the Boeing 767 owned by Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, as well as a Boeing 727 used by the Chicago Bulls basketball team, and baseball's Colorado Rockies. The Rockies are "monitoring the situation," according to a team spokesman. FMI: www.tagaviation.ch/, www.faa.gov aero-news.net *************** Eclipse To Double Number Of Hires At Albany Facility Plans To Bring On 50 Workers At Maintenance Center Albuquerque, NM-based planemaker Eclipse Aviation says it will double the number of workers it originally planned to hire for a maintenance facility at Albany International Airport. According to the Albany Business Review, Eclipse will hire 50 workers for the facility, which is scheduled to open sometime in early 2008. "They've made a lot of promises to their clients," said airport Economic Development Manager Denise Zieske. As ANN reported, Eclipse announced it would locate its Northeast service center in Albany in October 2005. The company had planned to open the facility -- one of seven Factory Service Centers located throughout the US -- in late 2006, but that timeframe was delayed due to the wait to get the aircraft certified. Eclipse has hired General Manager John DiVito to run the Albany facility. The workers will be hired at an upcoming job fair, according to Eclipse spokesman Andrew Broom, though no date has been set as yet. Zieske says Eclipse should find a large number of aviation technicians eager to stay close to Albany, instead of commuting to jobs at other airports. "We think there is a labor pool here," she said. The hangar is expected to be finished next month. The airport built the facility for Eclipse, and financed it through a mix of bonds and a $1.5 million grant. FMI: www.eclipseaviation.com aero-news.net ************** GAO: Bomb Parts Snuck Past Airport Checks CBS News Exclusive: Investigators Got Through Passenger Checkpoints With IED Components Comments 134 WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2007 (CBS) CBS News correspondent Bob Orr reports terrorists could slip past Transportation Security Administration screeners and, with a few readily available components, assemble an explosive that could cause severe damage to an airplane, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. The report, obtained exclusively by CBS News, details how GAO investigators conducted covert tests at 19 airports earlier this year to test the vulnerabilities of the passenger screening process. The investigators succeeded in passing through TSA checkpoints undetected with components for making improvised explosive devices (IED) and improvised incendiary devices (IID). "Our tests clearly demonstrate that a terrorist group, using publicly available information and a few resources, could cause severe damage to an airplane and threaten the safety of passengers," the report states. Investigators identified two devices a terrorist could use to cause such "severe damage." The first was an IED made up of a "liquid explosive and a low yield detonator." The second was an IID "created by combining commonly available products (one of which is a liquid) that TSA prohibits in carry-on luggage." The bomb parts were purchased over the Internet and from a local store for approximately $150, according to the report. The investigators demonstrated how it is possible to bring parts for these devices "through TSA checkpoints and onto airline flights without being challenged by transportation security officers," according to the report. Specific details about the components and methods of concealment for these devices are classified, however the report states the components were concealed in carry-on luggage and on the bodies of investigators. The report also details some of the interactions between TSA officers and the GAO investigators. On one occasion, a TSA officer did not allow an investigator to pass through with a small, unlabeled bottle of medical shampoo - a "legitimate toiletry item," according to the report. "However, a liquid component of the IID - despite being prohibited by TSA - was allowed to pass undetected through the checkpoint." More precise technology, like so-called backscatter x-rays could eventually help screeners find hidden bomb parts, but that equipment is still being tested. For, now the Transportation Security Administration is relying on 2,500 undercover tests every day to keep screeners on their toes. "That means every checkpoint, every shift, everyday, every one of the four hundred fifty some airports that we have," says TSA Administrator Kip Hawley. Still, the failures exposed by the GAO report underscore a long-held fear that a team of terrorists working together could easily beat the system. "If you start to break up all the components over several different people, and you bring them in in different ways, on your person, in your carry-on luggage, how is a TSA screener supposed to put all those pieces together?" says CBS News security analyst Paul Kurtz. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/14/eveningnews/main3502791.shtml *************** Supersonic business jet gets its first order AERION CORP. A depiction of the supersonic business jet that Brian Barents and Robert Bass hope to develop. Aerion Corp., the Robert Bass-backed venture that aims to build and sell the world's first supersonic business jet, has its first customer even though there is no firm plan to build airplanes. Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, head of the Ajman Municipality and Planning Department in the United Arab Emirates, signed a letter of intent Wednesday at the Dubai Air Show to buy one of the $80 million jets. "Sheikh Rashid will be one of the first world leaders to routinely fly above the speed of sound," Brian Barents, vice president of Aerion and former president of Galaxy Aerospace and Learjet, said in a prepared statement. One buyer is just a start. "They need more than one before launching the program," said Richard Aboulafia, aerospace analyst with the Teal Group forecasting firm in Fairfax, Va. Fast and luxurious Launched in October 2004 with the financial backing of Bass, Aerion has been conducting research and design work on the configu- ration for a supersonic business jet, a market niche until now shunned by manufacturers for technical and cost reasons. Flying at speeds of up to 1,000 mph (Mach 1.6), the jet could cut travel time from New York to Paris from 7.5 hours to little more than four hours. Aerion officials have been looking for an aircraft manufacturer that would jointly launch a full-scale design and development effort, a task expected to take five years and cost $2 billion. Aboulafia said there is a short list companies with the financial and technical resources required to undertake such a venture, including such names as Boeing, Dassault, Gulfstream and Bombardier. A growing market Bass, in an interview with the Star-Telegram at the Paris Air Show in June, said that the market for an aircraft like the eight- to 12-passenger jet envisioned by Aerion will grow as the world economy expands. Although supersonic flight is prohibited over the con- tinental United States to prevent sonic booms, the Aerion plane could fly at the edge of the sound barrier -- roughly 660 mph at 30,000 feet. Aerion has signed a Zurich, Switzerland-based company, ExecuJet, as its international sales agent. ExecuJet is offering 40 early-delivery positions for the Aerion jet to potential customers at a launch price of $80 million in 2007 dollars. Orders will be secured by $250,000 refundable deposits. "There have been a number of people that have approached [Aerion] and want to be on the list" for planes if the program proceeds to production, said Jeff Miller, a spokesman for Aerion. Miller said Aerion continues to hold "serious discussions" with more than one aircraft manufacturer about launching a full-scale development effort. http://www.star-telegram.com/business/story/304163.html *************** Cockpit device narrowly averts near collision Controller error undone by cockpit alert over Indiana Digg Del.icio.us Facebook Fark Google Newsvine Reddit Yahoo Print Single page view Reprints Reader feedback Text size: A Chicago-bound jet came within seconds of a midair collision at 25,000 feet over Indiana, but a cockpit safety device alerted the pilots flying the other plane of the danger ahead, officials said Wednesday. The near collision Tuesday evening was attributed to an error by an air-traffic controller who directed an eastbound Midwest Airlines plane to descend into the path of a westbound United Express jet, according to a preliminary investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration. The controller, a 26-year veteran, appeared to have forgotten about the United Express plane after he mistakenly removed its electronic identification tag from his radar screen in preparation to hand off the plane to controllers in a different air sector, officials said. The incident occurred "on the tail end of a rush" amid a shift change at the Chicago Center radar facility in Aurora, said FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory. It was the latest in a series of serious errors since Oct. 1 at the FAA center, where tensions are high between the controllers union and management over adequate staffing levels. The near collision occurred near Ft. Wayne, Ind., as the two regional aircraft closed in on each other at a combined speed of more than 700 m.p.h. -- or about 12 miles every minute, officials said. The jets' speeds normally would have been even faster, but traffic in the airspace was slowed by congestion at O'Hare International Airport, where the United Express plane, carrying 28 passengers, two pilots and a flight attendant, was heading from Greensboro, N.C. Tragedy was prevented when a collision-avoidance alert sounded in the cockpit of the Midwest plane, carrying 21 passengers, two pilots and a flight attendant from Milwaukee to Dayton, Ohio. The pilots executed an emergency climb to steer clear of the other plane, officials said. "If they didn't suddenly climb, there would have been a convergence," said Midwest spokeswoman Carol Skornicka. On radio communication tapes, the pilots mentioned three times how close the planes came to one another, said Jeffrey Richards, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association at Chicago Center. "Center, you really lined us up on that last clearance," Richards quoted one of the pilots as saying. The two aircraft came as close as 1.3 miles from each other horizontally and 600 feet vertically, the FAA said. The minimum separation permitted is 5 miles horizontally and 1,000 feet vertically. "The controller at first did identify the potential conflict and took action" to stop the descent of the Midwest plane, Cory said. "However, it's still to be determined why, within less than a minute, he then dropped the data block [from his radar screen] and continued the descent." The controller error marked the third serious mistake in only six weeks by controllers at Chicago Center, which handles high-altitude traffic over portions of the Midwest. Only one error of such magnitude occurred within the previous 12 months at the radar facility, officials said. On Tuesday night, controllers on average worked close to the two-hour limit on their radar positions between rest breaks, Richards said. "These controllers are fatigued from working such long stints and very few breaks compared to just three years ago," said Richards, who contends that a wave of retirements is draining the FAA of seasoned controllers. Richards said the controller who committed the error was nearing the end of his shift and had returned from a break just several minutes earlier. "Each of his sessions were right up to the two-hour limit," Richards said. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-nearmiss_15nov15,1,3149199.story ************** Indon airlines sign air safety agreement Dozens of Indonesian airlines have signed an agreement with the government to bring aviation safety in line with international standards, ahead of a review of a European Union ban on the country's carriers. The agreement was signed by 45 commercial and charter operators and cargo companies, and will be delivered to the European Commission as part of Indonesia's case to review the ban imposed in June after a series of deadly air accidents this year. "This is a part of a serious effort by the operators and regulators to improve our aviation safety and meet international standards," Transport Minister Djusman Syafii Djamal was quoted as saying by the Jakarta-based Elshinta radio station after the signing ceremony. Djamal expressed hope that the declaration would convince the EU to lift the ban following a review scheduled for November 19. The Indonesian airlines agreed to boost supervision of security and safety standards and establish internal auditors to strengthen surveillance, while government regulators would increase their numbers and capability of personnel. During a visit to Indonesia last week, experts from the EU suggested airlines boost safety and raise the capability and quantity of managers, transport ministry officials have said. The EU ban targets 51 Indonesian airlines, including Garuda Indonesia, the country's national flag carrier. The Jakarta government, feeling slighted, initially threatened to ban European aircraft from flying to the country, but soon agreed that its aviation industry needed reforms. The ban was imposed after a Garuda jetliner crashed upon landing in the central Java city of Yogyakarta, in March, killing 21 people, including five Australians. On New Year's Day, a plane belonging to budget carrier Adam Air plunged into the sea in eastern Indonesia, killing all 102 people aboard. The US has also sanctioned Indonesian airlines for not meeting international safety standards, especially its growing number of budget carriers, and joined the EU in warning its citizens against travelling on their planes. Indonesia has since signed an agreement with the International Civil Aviation Organisation to establish an independent regulatory agency and streamline its air traffic control system. The government also began issuing safety rankings of carriers following the Garuda crash. Garuda made the top level in the latest rankings. Air travel in Indonesia has blossomed since the sector was deregulated in 1999, but the rapid growth has raised questions over whether safety has been compromised. AAP *************** National flag carrier receives IOSA certification from IATA VietNamNet Bridge - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced that it will extend the decree on the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) by two years for national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines until October 28, 2009. The extension was given after the Aviation Quality Services rechecked and reassessed IATA’s new air safety standards comprehensively. According to experts, although standards have only risen slightly in the last few years, Vietnam Airlines has timely completed the correction of its processing documenting system. In October 2006, Vietnam Airlines was officially granted an IOSA license by IATA, enabling Vietnam Airlines to become a member of IATA at the beginning of 2007. Becoming a member of IATA not only brings about commercial benefits but also plays a significant part in reinforcing the name of Vietnam Airlines. The trademark and symbol “Vietnam Airlines” will be added to the members list of IATA, which will greatly contribute to reinforcing the position of Vietnam Airlines in the international market as well as the quality of services that Vietnam Airlines is offering to its passengers. The IOSA degree is valid for 24 months however if a IATA member is not capable of keeping to IOSA standards, IATA will remove the member from the member list. Thus, the biggest challenge facing Vietnam Airlines is to retain its quality, integrity and security system under the IOSA’s newest standards. The IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) Programme is an internationally recognised and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline. IOSA uses internationally recognised quality audit principles, and is designed so that the audits are conducted in a standardised and consistent manner. http://english.vietnamnet.vn/travel/2007/11/754950/ ************** Embraer May Deliver as Many as 350 Aircraft in 2009 Nov. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica SA, the Brazilian maker of midsize jetliners for regional carriers, plans to deliver as many as 350 aircraft in 2009. The company said it would deliver as many as 215 planes in 2008, according to an e-mailed statement. Embraer, based in Sao Jose dos Campos, intends to deliver as many as 170 aircraft this year. Chief Executive Frederico Curado has expanded Embraer's portfolio of business jets to reduce dependence on commercial aircraft. The company plans to begin deliveries of six-seat Phenom 100 business planes next year. In 2009, Embraer will start deliveries of two other business jets, the Phenom 300 and the Lineage 1000. ``Embraer is reducing its business risk by diversifying its products,'' said Regis Abreu, who helps mange 2 billion reais in assets at Mercatto Gestao de Recursos in Rio de Janeiro, before the announcement. Embraer plans to deliver 10 to 15 Phenoms in 2008 and 120 to 150 Phenoms in 2009, it said in the e-mail. The Phenom 300 seats nine and the Lineage 1000 uses the same body as the company's 100-seat commercial plane. More than 80 percent of Embraer's plane sales are for commercial aircraft that seat 70 to 118 passengers. Curado has added equipment, workers and a third shift at the main plant in Sao Jose dos Campos to remedy bottlenecks. First- quarter delays threatened to derail delivery goals this year. Embraer forecasts the global aircraft industry will deliver in the next two decades 7,450 commercial planes that seat 30 to 120 passengers. That compares with a November 2006 forecast by the company for 7,500 such aircraft. The company expects the industry to deliver 13,150 business jets worth $201 billion in the next 10 years compared with a 2006 forecast for 11,115 jets worth $169 billion. Embraer is the world's fourth-largest aircraft maker. Europe's Airbus SAS is the world's largest, followed by Boeing Co. in Chicago and Canada's Bombardier Inc. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aApzrLMpt0RY&refer=latin _america ******************* Curt Lewis, PE, CSP WEB: www.fsinfo.org