Flight Safety Information October 19, 2010 - No. 213 In This Issue India & USA to Enter into Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement Emergency exercise at Abu Dhabi International Airport on Wednesday NASA Selects 215 Small Business Research And Technology Projects Europe shuns Iranian planes Canada's High Court Asserts Control Of Airports Airliner, fighter jet in near miss Curt Lewis & Associates, LLC India & USA to Enter into Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement New Delhi: The Government of India and USA are in the process of entering into Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) which would eventually lead to mutual acceptance of aeronautical products/parts developed in either countries. Subsequent to completion of all preparatory works, two very important activities towards achieving BASA have been recently completed. These are (a) 'Technical Assessment' of DGCA by FAA in eleven defined areas, and (b) a shadow certification project where the DGCA carried out actual work and the FAA reviewed. In this regard, a six member team of FAA, USA visited DGCA Headquarters, New Delhi to conduct review of DGCA aircraft certification system and carry out the Technical Assessment. The FAA team observed that the DGCA has a very sound aircraft certification system in place commensurate with the rules, regulations, working procedures, etc. Subsequently, the FAA team carried out review of 'shadow certification' project (which is development of 4-seat general aviation liferaft by M/s. Goodrich at Bangalore) for two days. The FAA team was satisfied with the review conducted by them. The DGCA, after complete evaluation of all necessary documents in accordance with regulations, has already awarded Indian Technical Standard Order Authorization (ITSOA) to M/s. Goodrich. Consequent to this, FAA will send a final assessment report to DGCA and process will start on exchange of documents for signing of Executive Agreement. Source: http://nvonews.com/2010/10/18/india-usa-to-enter-into-bilateral-aviation-safety-agreement/ Back to Top Emergency exercise at Abu Dhabi International Airport on Wednesday Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) and Etihad Airways will conduct a joint full scale emergency exercise at Abu Dhabi International Airport on 20 October 2010, in accordance with Civil Aviation Regulations issued by the General Civil Aviation Authority, and in compliance with standards and recommendations as stipulated by the International Civil Aviation Organization. The exercise will measure the preparedness of all relevant emergency response agencies and evaluate the emergency response capabilities and implementation strategies of Abu Dhabi International Airport. Response teams from various units including airport operations, security, fire and rescue services, police, and medical services will test their collective and coordinated response to emergencies, ensuring that any incident at the airport is managed effectively and immediately. Built on the scenario of an aircraft incident, the exercise will encompass all aspects of emergency response, including evacuation and rescue, fire fighting, security, medical services, and internal, external and passenger communications. The exercise is expected to run for approximately two hours, between 5 and 7 P.M. During this time, airport operations will continue as normal. Source: http://www.wam.org.ae/servlet/Satellite?c=WamLocEnews&cid=1285739206117&p=1135099400124&pagename=WAM%2FWamLocEnews%2FW -T-LEN-FullNews Back to Top NASA Selects 215 Small Business Research And Technology Projects WASHINGTON -- NASA selected 215 proposals for negotiation of Phase II contract awards in the Small Business Innovation Research program, or SBIR. The selected projects have a total value of approximately $129 million. NASA will award the contracts to 162 small high technology firms in 35 states. The SBIR program works with NASA's mission directorates to competitively select ventures that address research and technology needs for agency programs and projects. "Investing in small businesses innovations designed to meet our future mission needs is paramount for NASA's continued success," said Bobby Braun, NASA chief technologist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "These awards will help small businesses across the country continue to employ and develop the high-tech workforce America needs for the future, while providing new knowledge and capabilities to NASA." Innovative research areas among the selected proposals include: -- A sensor system for the detection and monitoring of clear air turbulence to help increase aviation safety -- A process technology for converting carbon dioxide and methane for power co-generation and oxygen production -- Large-format focal plane detectors capable of detecting ultraviolet to infrared radiation for use in future telescopes and NASA space missions -- A software defined radio which supports reconfiguration, flexibility and increased performance and bandwidth that could be used for communications on the surface of Mars or the moon. The SBIR program is designed to address specific technology gaps in NASA missions while complementing other agency research investments. Program results have benefited numerous NASA efforts, including modern air traffic control systems, Earth observing spacecraft, the space shuttle and International Space Station, and the Mars rovers. The highly competitive SBIR program is a three-phase award system. It provides qualified small businesses with opportunities to propose unique ideas that meet specific research and development needs of the federal government. Phase I is a feasibility study to evaluate the scientific and technical merit of an idea. Awards are for as long as six months, in amounts up to $100,000. Phase II expands on the results of the developments in Phase I, providing awards for as long as two years in amounts up to $600,000. Phase III is for the commercialization of the results of Phase II and requires the use of private sector or non-SBIR federal funding. Participants submitted 340 Phase II proposals. The criteria used to select the winning proposals included technical merit and innovation, Phase 1 results, value to NASA, commercial potential and company capabilities. NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif., manages the SBIR program for the agency's Office of the Chief Technologist. NASA collaborates with U.S. industry to develop pioneering technologies, infuse them into agency missions and transition them into commercially available products and services. NASA's 10 field centers manage individual projects. Source: http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=31874 Back to Top Europe shuns Iranian planes Four major oil companies in Europe agreed to put end to business ties with Iran WASHINGTON - Iranian airplanes are no longer allowed to refuel in the majority of European airports and those still open to them are due to close their gates to Iran next month. An agreement signed between the US and Europe's four largest oil companies increases Iran's aviation isolation significantly, the Washington Post reported Monday. The four companies, the Dutch and British Shell, French Total, Italian ENI and Norwegian Statoil all agreed to stop investing in Iran and to avoid any new involvement with Tehran. The annulment of contracts with Iran forces Iranian aircraft to refuel only on German and Austrian soil, where Total and the Austrian company OMV will provide fuel until the end of their contract next month. Iranian planes have been blacklisted by the European Union back in July. Then it was said that the reason for the decisive move was safety issues with Iranian airplanes. The EU has stated that two-thirds of planes belonging to IranAir, the national airline of the Islamic Republic of Iran, will not be allowed to enter Europe. The plane models that will not be allowed in are: Boeing-727, Boeing-747 and the Airbus-320. Similar restrictions have been imposed on Mahan Air airlines. US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, who heads the American delegation for strategic dialogue, has stated that the objective is to get companies to stop doing business with Iran. The delegation is meeting in Washington Monday with the Israeli delegation, headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon. Ayalon arrived in Washington after visiting Beijing, where he met with his Chinese counterpart and requested that China boost its sanctions and join the 32 countries, including South Korea and Japan, that have imposed sanctions on Iran. Source: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3971304,00.html Back to Top Canada's High Court Asserts Control Of Airports In two decisions handed down last week, Canada's Supreme Court confirmed that airports fall under federal jurisdiction exclusively, a decision heralded by aviation supporters. "This is a great day for Canadian aviation," said Kevin Psutka, president of the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association. "This issue has been debated for decades." The two court decisions cited attempts by municipal and provincial governments to restrict aviation activities. Such conflicts have become "unrelenting" in recent years, Psutka said. In one case, Quebec land owners were operating a landing strip and hangar on protected agricultural land, and provincial authorities told them to remove the hangar and the runway. The other case involved a seaplane operation based at a floating dock, which municipal authorities said conflicted with regulations protecting the lake. In its decision the Court said that Canada's Federal Aeronautics Act and the Canadian Air Regulations are permissive and allow Canadians to construct private aerodromes without applying for prior permission. The Court said there is no essential difference between smaller aerodromes and larger national or international airports. The Court then concluded: "This view reflects the reality that Canada's airports and aerodromes constitute a network of landing places that together facilitate air transportation and ensure safety." Source: http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/CanadasHighCourtAssertsControlOfAirports_203466-1.html Back to Top Airliner, fighter jet in near miss JERUSALEM - A BRITISH passenger jet nearly collided with an Israeli air force plane which was on manoeuvres in southern Israel, a statement from the military said on Tuesday. The incident occurred late last month when the British plane, which was en route from the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to Europe, accidentally strayed into Israeli airspace, it said. 'On September 25, a British passenger jet came dangerously close to an air force fighter plane as it was carrying out operational activity in southern Israel,' the military said. An air force investigation found that the plane was under the authority of Egyptian air traffic controllers at the time of the incident. 'The passenger plane strayed north into Israeli airspace from its approved flight path without coordination or approval,' the statement said. The military said it took such security lapses 'very seriously' and that a complaint had been lodged with the Egyptian civil aviation authority. -- AFP Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_592701.html Back to Top Curt Lewis & Associates, LLC