Flight Safety Information March 16, 2010 No.055 In This Issue Fourth 787 Joins Boeing Flight-Test Fleet American Says No Pilot Furloughs In April Supersonic business jet developer taps SHS Pilots Who Overshot Airport Could Regain Licenses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fourth 787 Joins Boeing Flight-Test Fleet Tue, 16 Mar '10 Only Test Aircraft To Include Some Elements Of Passenger Interior Boeing has added the fourth 787 Dreamliner to its flight-test fleet with the completion of the first flight of ZA003. The airplane departed Paine Field (KPAE) in Everett, WA, at 1055 PDT Sunday, and landed at 1401 at Boeing Field (KBFI) in Seattle. Captains Ray Craig and Mike Bryan piloted the airplane on its three-hour-and-six-minute flight. ZA003 is the final 787 with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines to enter the flight-test program. "We've done a significant amount of ground testing on the new systems on ZA003 in preparation for first flight. Engineering, manufacturing and flight operations have really pulled together as a team to enable first flight," said Craig. "It has been very rewarding to watch the Boeing team pull together in support of this milestone." ZA003 is the only 787 in the flight test fleet that will include elements of the passenger interior features including cabin and crew support systems. The 787 is introducing new passenger amenities and provisions for a more comfortable flying experience. Among the new features are improved lighting, bigger stowage bins, larger windows with electrochromatic shades and redesigned lavatories with easier access. In addition to demonstrating that the interior meets certification requirements, ZA003 will be used to conduct tests on systems, noise performance, flight-deck operations, avionics, electromagnetic effects, high-intensity radio frequency response and extended operations (ETOPS). "The Boeing team is doing great work. We've established a good pace of accomplishment on the program," said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The priorities are clear and the entire team is focused." FMI: www.boeing.com [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103195137070&s=6053&e=0011wD4GlucTHVOZHP2fkYlt0o3uiw1-vrw1pr_-SRyiFJS05X0at_8RUG2W3rObNMjp-ghZud_-ZIkY8Dsp1i4VYWl-xo4_B8-ZlXjF_6qjjA=] Aero-news.net *************** Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ American Says No Pilot Furloughs In April Tue, 16 Mar '10 Airline Has Re-evaluated The Number Of Pilots It Will Need American Airlines told its pilots on Friday that it would not need to impose mandatory furloughs in April as it had previously thought. The airline cited a higher than expected attrition rate as the reason 175 pilots would not be let go in two weeks. Multiple media sources including the Dallas Morning News report that an e-mail was sent out by American Chief Pilot Mark Hetterman Friday morning. "While those that volunteered for the Furlough Mitigation Program for April won't be needed, I want to thank each of them for their willingness to step up to the plate on behalf of their fellow pilots. It is truly a testament to the character of our pilot corp," he said in the e-mail. The Allied Pilots Association shared the news with a broader audience through its website Friday. "Management informed Negotiating Committee Chairman First Officer Neil Roghair this (Friday) morning that they have decided to cancel the furloughs that had been scheduled for April 1. First Officer Roghair reports that the reasons management gave for rethinking the April 1 furloughs are 'an uptick in interest in retirements and the level of interest in the February 28 furlough mitigation," the message said. Dallas television station WFAA reports that 78 American Airlines pilots were furloughed on February 28th. American reports its seat capacity for the first two months of this year is down 3.4 percent compared to January and February last year. FMI: www.aa.com [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103195137070&s=6053&e=0011wD4GlucTHWvlujGhWVGygSuE3wtOBCUU2T1TKsqBam5mx1qGYCTSef6s1H0XVB1qLaz9iDKfnjPa0Rh5QE2knJgAuOFP39FbQCK_ebI8uo=], www.alliedpilots.org [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103195137070&s=6053&e=0011wD4GlucTHXIovT6R8o5Cey12n2nt-k8-0_z9tUMRUlUG8hyqmFf5K-7KToRp0jl1WsSs22lu8fonTtfjenh7psdnzywHOybs9vu0bUpeT2fClh7N4Mjrw==] Aero-news.net Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Aerion Corp. [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103195137070&s=6053&e=0011wD4GlucTHUed_hHyN7iEBCuNfxHAsi4zE1lyO8gfW3ANTD3iSCMRleshOSDOQCin_UJgFtVLYdAMcDeEN0zS-4cTjy8B_RgvjkaJKQSzola1ZOXg2fbsQ==] Supersonic business jet developer taps SHS BY JERRY SIEBENMARK The Wichita Eagle Advertising agency Sullivan, Higdon & Sink said today it has been named marketing communications agency of record for a Nevada-based aeronautical engineering firm. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. SHS said its work for Reno-based Aerion Corp. will include branding and media relations efforts of Aerion's plans to manufacture, sell and support a supersonic business jet that is currently in development. SHS said the account largely will be handled by its Wichita office. Read more: http://www.kansas.com [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103195137070&s=6053&e=0011wD4GlucTHXIIx4mAH6NkSpc9aeN0_6_GwqUytbd2l4MdyI7UWIr6m9rSTTwN-J3liv1K8dU1kX5qorhgTnDB5YNd4KgIz5oFbjej5epfZMFjfexhGQzTvpZ3PluMYLCqpCS27ZRGGWvufkpvIjeAsR6wGdCpxhPNeuyPY4ifqH7o0JOAvsSVG9XvCFViO0GOTT-nmeivTZQtfPeIFUPiGZhtXN8dV4y] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pilots Who Overshot Airport Could Regain Licenses By ANDY PASZTOR A pair of Northwest Airlines pilots who had their licenses revoked after losing contact with air-traffic controllers for more than an hour and flying roughly 100 miles past their destination airport last fall could return to the cockpit in a matter of months, under the terms of a settlement with federal regulators. But the ultimate fate of the two veteran aviators hinges on whether airline officials conclude that maintaining peace with pilot union leaders--by reinstating the pilots--outweighs potential negative publicity from giving them back their jobs, according to people familiar with the matter. The behavior of captain Timothy Cheney and first officer Richard Cole sparked a media and congressional furor last October, when they said they got distracted looking at personal laptops while their Airbus jetliner cruised at 37,000 feet over several states in radio silence and air-traffic controllers futilely scrambled to regain contact. The plane overshot Minneapolis and the pilots didn't realize their mistake until a flight attendant alerted them on the plane's intercom. The Federal Aviation Administration quickly revoked both of their pilot licenses for, among other things, operating the plane in an "extremely reckless" fashion that amounted to a "total dereliction and disregard" of their duties. The incident sparked a public outcry over pilot distraction and the use of personal electronic devices in cockpits. Leaders of the the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents the pilots, complained that FAA officials acted hastily and bowed to public pressure in summarily yanking the licenses. Delta Air Lines Inc., which now owns Northwest, immediately suspended both men. And the legal skirmishing was expected to culminate in a hearing before an administrative law judge later this year. But the controversy took an unexpected twist Monday, with the release of a settlement agreement between the pilots and the FAA that at least opens the door to their possible reinstatement. Under the terms of the settlement, the pilots dropped their appeal without admitting any wrongdoing or acknowledging personal responsibility for the FAA's allegations. The agreement says the pilots settled "in the interest of avoiding further publicity." The FAA, for its part, said in the document that it opted to settle to avoid litigation risks. A Delta spokesman said the airline's internal investigation of precisely what happened that evening in the cockpit -- and whether it warrants termination of the pilots -- is independent of federal actions and there isn't a firm deadline for a decision. But since the issue has potentially important labor-management ramifications and both pilots remain suspended with pay, people familiar with the details expect a decision within weeks. The FAA's emergency revocation riled many fellow aviators because the agency investigators concluded that the pilots of Northwest Flight 188 "were on a frolic," violated a number of regulations en route to the main Minneapolis-St. Paul airport from San Diego and failed to heed repeated cockpit messages from their own dispatchers. The weather was good and the crew didn't report any mechanical or other system problems. A spokeswoman for the Air Line Pilots Association declined to comment Monday. The two pilots can't reapply for any licenses until at least the end of August, more than 10 months after the incident. And they will be required to retrace all the steps of regaining an initial private pilot license; qualifying for a more-advanced license required to pilot larger aircraft and operate them under instrument flight conditions; and finally, receiving a full-fledged commercial pilot's certificate. But in laying out a timetable for regaining their licenses, the settlement agreement appears to include some provisions designed to streamline and remove potential hurdles from the process. The Northwest pilots, for example, will be permitted to immediately begin building up necessary flight time to qualify for such licenses. The agreement also says the series of flight tests "may be combined" to the maximum extent permitted under FAA regulations. As soon as the initial licenses have been granted, the pilots can start simulator training required to resume flying specific commercial jetliner models. The incident has become embroiled in internal union politics, further complicating efforts to resolve it quickly, Ever since the flight, pilot union officials have said they expected the Northwest crew to eventually return to duty. In filings drafted by the union challenging the FAA's actions, both pilots asserted they "did not intentionally or wilfully violate any federal aviation regulations." Some previous legal cases indicate that pilots who made more serious flying errors -- even some resulting in fatal accidents -- eventually resumed flying. http://online.wsj.com [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103195137070&s=6053&e=0011wD4GlucTHUDG_cnLFXXu1aa3ASjG4GHIxgY254QbdLhOyDyzeHRGxqj5-zQ_K3QUc1xrUbWi7-TyOxeqrAb0iXN4jP7z7jcT5DU8948LHNspk12bevjO1qh9uBuoD_c4bZySqw8PmgTDbKMBmYhex9z-_QGYGs8y-6DXFpf4STgDXnoZJSmI_dLZzojMq-ySFe9X8UL6wsyCOYydvkUOOyVmEaZSP4re8eSrTZHGJM=] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC