Flight Safety Information April 11, 2011 - No. 073 In This Issue Business jet belly flops at S. Florida airport Jet returns to California airport after striking bird Fake pilot scam: Flying on a wing and a prayer Marine Corps makes aviation history with intercontinental Osprey flight Laser pointed at airplane...SYDNEY 'Magic skin' could make aircraft lightning-proof Southwest Airlines sees narrow concern over 737 jet New Assignments in GCAA of Air Navigation Services and Aviation Accident Investigation (UAE) US blocks 350 suspected terrorists DIA flight to Casper late as passenger forced off plane NAS Air selects Egyptair for A320 heavy checks Eurocontrol to stage practice run for next ash cloud event Business jet belly flops at S. Florida airport FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.(AP) -- A business jet was forced to belly flop at a South Florida executive airport. Fort Lauderdale city spokeswoman Chaz Adams tells the Sun Sentinel that the twin-engine Sabreliner's pilot reported trouble with his landing gear Saturday afternoon. The plane still managed to land at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. No injuries were reported. The plane had to be towed off the runway. Airport operations were not affected. Back to Top Jet returns to California airport after striking bird LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A passenger jet sucked a bird into one of its engines shortly after taking off from Sacramento on Saturday, but the engine kept running and the plane returned to land safely, the airline said. Alaska Airlines flight 869 had just taken off from Sacramento International Airport in California when the bird struck, said Paul McElroy, a spokesman for the airline. The pilot flew the plane back to the airport, he said. "This was textbook. These bird strikes do happen occasionally, and the proper thing to do is just get back to the airport and land," he said. There were 163 people on board the Boeing 737-800, including six crew members, he said. An airline's crew examined the aircraft, but it was too early to tell if there was any damage. The jet was on its way to Maui, Hawaii. Alaska Airlines arranged to put the passengers on another plane to Maui. There have been other bird strikes on flights from Sacramento's airport, which is in northern California, said Karen Doron, a spokeswoman for the airport. Back to Top Fake pilot scam: Flying on a wing and a prayer A fake pilot is being caught almost every day. How many are there? How safe are passengers? NEW DELHI: Ritu Singh, an airhostess with a private domestic airline, had barely finished giving the mandatory pre-takeoff safety instructions on a Delhi- Bangalore flight last week when a young passenger asked: "What do we do if the pilot is a fake?" Neither her airline nor her trainers had prepared Ritu (name changed on request) to answer this question. Singh did not know what to say except mumble useless nothings about the airline's screening procedure for hiring pilots to comfort the passenger. An unprecedented trust deficit and fear looms large in Indian skies with the sudden spate of fake pilots, both commanders and co-pilots, being detected. Hardly a day passes when a pilot with fake degrees and certificates or an official complicit in this fraud is not being caught. It`s said less than one-thirds of the pilots have been screened so far and nine commanders and three co-pilots have been found to be fakes and caught by the police, while some more have so far evaded arrest. Three officials of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the government body that vets an aspiring pilot`s documents and clears them, along with some touts and flying school representatives have also been put behind bars. What does this tell you? There`s a good chance that you`ve flown in a plane piloted by someone who is not qualified for the job. In other words, you are literally 30,000 feet up in the air on a wing and a prayer. The young passenger`s nervousness, then, is quite understandable. All pilots have not yet been screened. So, god knows, how many more fakes are piloting planes. It also tells you that the civil aviation safety norms suck. Officials of DGCA have been found to be a part of the conspiracy to clear unqualified pilots. This is obviously creating a huge safety hazard in the air, but no one gave a toss until a young lady pilot landed her aircraft on its nose to trigger an alarm about incompetent and untrained pilots. Sources in the CBI and police of various states who are on the trail of more suspected fake pilots say there may be hundreds of such pilots, some of whom have been flying commercial planes for two decades. A few hundreds out of 4,500 pilots in all in India tells you a story of systemic rot and humungous scandal. The police claim the recent arrest of two DGCA staffers showed as many as 60 people were issued licences on fake mark sheets. The names that come up during investigation are being checked on a priority basis. Similarly, a Kingfisher pilot who allegedly got fake Class 12 mark sheets prepared to show he is from the science stream in school (humanities and commerce students are automatically disqualified for flying) could also have his licence revoked. This pilot resigned from the airline when asked to submit his original mark sheets. DGCA officials admit that the list of those involved in this thriving racket of fake pilots is being prepared but are are unwilling to put a number to it just yet. Of the 4,500 pilots working in India, DGCA has completed screening of 1,500 commanders and now is scanning papers of the over 2,500-odd co-pilots and flying schools. From the evidence available so far, three main villains have been identified in this scam: flying schools, DGCA`s central examination office (CEO) and its licensing branch. Here`s how so many several people wrongly managed to become pilots and endanger safety. Flying schools: Identified as the biggest culprit so far, many of them sell flying hours to wannabe pilots. While one needs to fly 200 hours to become eligible for a commercial pilot licence (CPL), some schools make them fly for barely 50 hours and give the logbook entry for the required number. This discovery was made when investigators in Rajasthan found a state-run school in Jaipur selling flying hours to students last year. The chief flight instructors at these schools are learnt to be the main culprits. They often lure students by offering to give them some fee money (without their parents' knowledge) paid to the school. The so-called saving by not flying is shared between students and instructors, with the latter keeping the lion`s share. "A majority of flying schools in India are backed by big politicians. There has generally been a fear of acting against them till the fake pilot racket became public. We are trying to devise some method of keeping a watch on how many hours their planes fly by either checking fuel bills or getting air traffic control to verify flight movements at schools run from active airports," said an official. DGCA chief Bharat Bhushan said all the 40 flying schools in India would be checked thoroughly in a time-bound manner. Also, Indians who got CPLs from countries with dubious flying schools are being checked. Some CPL holders who did training in the Philippines had their licences cancelled after a complaint from the country`s aviation regulator. A DGCA team went to the Philippines a few months ago to discover that some schools don`t even have the plane in their fleet which their students are certified to have flown. DGCA's exam and licensing branches: Both wannabe co-pilots and commanders need to clear exams and interviews conducted by the regulator. The tests are conducted and results despatched from the central examination office (CEO) at south Delhi's R K Puram. The examination system per se is computerised where students are given multiple choice question papers that are checked by machine readers. Those who get less than 70% answers correct are failed. Beyond this human interface -- and hence corruption -- begins. Recent arrests showed that those who actually failed the exam managed to get fake mark sheets prepared. "These fake papers were submitted at the DGCA HQ opposite Safdarjung Airport (around 5 kms from the CEO). Shockingly no cross-checking was done to see if the mark sheet were genuine," said a top official. Touts outside DGCA headquarter and officials of flying schools with links in the regulatory agency offer package deals: pay up to Rs 15 lakh to get fake pass mark sheets prepared and then get the CPL or airline transport pilot licence (ATPL is needed to become a commander). Unscrupulous people working in exam and licensing branch are believed to be deep in this scam. The rot has now been exposed to be so deep that the government has been goaded to act. Aviation minister Vayalar Ravi has directed aviation secretary Nasim Zaidi and DGCA chief Bharat Bhushan to root out the racket. Let`s see how well the job is done. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ Back to Top Marine Corps makes aviation history with intercontinental Osprey flight A pair of Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 top off the engine oil on an MV-22B Osprey after it touches down at U.S. Naval Support Authority in Souda Bay, Greece, April 3. The mission was conducted to return VMM-266 Marines, cargo and aircraft to the USS Kearsarge and the 26th MEU, which had been tasked to the Mediterranean region in support of operations in Libya. CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan - The Marine Corps completed an aviation first, April 8, by flying MV-22B Ospreys on the aircraft's longest movement to date. Six Ospreys with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 returned to the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit after a trek from Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, to Souda Bay, Greece, with the assistance of a pair of KC-130J Hercules from 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) who provided transport and aerial refueling support. "As far as aerial refueling missions are concerned, this was a Marine Corps and Naval aviation first," said Capt. Ben Grant, the executive officer for the Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252 detachment currently deployed in support of operations in Afghanistan. "Never before has an MV-22 movement been conducted this far or on this scale. On this mission, the MV-22s travelled in excess of over 2,800 miles from Camp Bastion to Souda Bay, using aerial refueling provided by KC-130Js. We transited three continents over land and water, three combatant commands' areas of responsibility, and did it with no major issues." The mission was conducted to return VMM-266 Marines, cargo and aircraft to the USS Kearsarge and the 26th MEU, which had been tasked to the Mediterranean region in support of operations in Libya. "This mission validated a capability that should ultimately be seen as routine," said Grant. "We affirmed the ability of the MV-22 to be long-range deployed with KC-130J support." Grant said the mission was conducted over two separate movements consisting of two Hercules and three Ospreys. During both movements, the KC-130Js not only refueled the MV-22Bs, but also transported more than 50,000 pounds of VMM-266's essential cargo, maintenance and support equipment. Nearly 100 Marines also made the journey, so they could join the rest of the 26th MEU and prepare for their return to the U.S. "Our weather radar, familiarity with international flying, cargo capacity, communications and navigational abilities, and ability to aerial refuel the MV-22 makes us a combat multiplier for them, ensuring their success," Grant said of the KC-130J's abilities. Grant said the mission went well, a result of not only planning, but the Marines' ability to adapt to the situation. "Though we had prepared for a myriad of contingencies, none arose that required us to alter our timelines or routing," said Grant. "While each movement encountered expected and unexpected friction that had to be immediately addressed, each was handled superbly by the KC-130J and MV-22 Marines. Everyone involved worked as a team of professionals." Grant said while the mission was the first of its type at this scale, he believes more missions of this nature will occur in the future. He said he sees movement like this becoming as routine for the Osprey as they are for other Marine Corps aircraft including F/A-18 Hornets, AV-8B Harriers and CH-53E Super Stallions. "It was not without many learning points for both the MV-22 and KC-130J crews," said Grant. "We are still developing and refining these procedures as the MV-22 continues to mature. Great credit goes to the MV-22 pilots and crews for their 'can-do' attitude and planning of these two movements." Since responding to a request to support Regional Command Southwest's area of operations, the "Fighting Griffins" of VMM-266, based out of Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., have provided aviation and assault support for 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment and other coalition ground forces in Afghanistan, explained Lt. Col. Romin Dasmalchi, the VMM-266 commanding officer. Simultaneously, other elements of VMM-266, including reinforcements from an AV-8B Harrier detachment, participated in other activities, notably recent operations in Libya. "It's been a challenging deployment for the Marines here," Dasmalchi said. "They've been split up into two theaters and have found motivation in the fact that the squadron was still able to operate with great success." Before VMM-266 departed Afghanistan, the squadron and VMM-264, another New River, N.C.-based MV-22B squadron, conducted an aircraft exchange allowing four of VMM-264's Ospreys to return back to the U.S. for maintenance. In return VMM-264 inherited four newer Ospreys from VMM-266 to continue to conduct operations in Afghanistan, said Dasmalchi. "Our Marines had their work cut out for them once we accepted these older aircraft," said Dasmalchi. "The aircraft had to be operationally sound before we embarked on the long-range flight to Souda Bay. The Marines did an incredible job, logging thousands of maintenance hours, all while supporting Regional Command Southwest simultaneously." Grant credited the mission's success to KC-130J and MV-22 maintenance and support Marines, cooperation from the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force, which aided with ramp space and air traffic control and support from other Marine units, like meteorological service. He also said many Marines throughout the region, other military services, and U.S. government agencies worked behind the scenes to ensure smooth coordination. "As Marines, we are not just warriors from the sea. We are warriors, from anywhere to anywhere on the globe," said Grant who also serves as a KC-130J weapons and tactics instructor. "This mission got the MV-22s on their way home. The next mission may be to get them to the fight, or from one fight to another." http://www.dvidshub.net/news/68564/marine-corps-makes-aviation-history-with-intercontinental-osprey-flight Back to Top Laser pointed at airplane SYDNEY, April 9 (UPI) -- New South Wales police said they were trying to determine who pointed a laser at a passenger plane as it was landing at Sydney Airport Saturday. Police said a green-colored laser was pointed at the aircraft from the Sydney suburb of Canterbury at 7:15 p.m. Police in patrol cars searched the area but were unable to track it down. Pointing lasers at an aircraft is illegal and dangerous, Detective Inspector Michael O'Rourke of the Ashfield Local Area Command told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2011/04/09/Laser-pointed-at-airplane/UPI-26451302400190/#ixzz1JDohGvs9 Back to Top 'Magic skin' could make aircraft lightning-proof Cessna says new layers of materials also might improve fuel efficiency Aircraft maker Cessna is developing a "magic" skin for airplanes that will serve as a kind of high-tech film capable of encasing an entire plane and protecting it against lightning and other weather conditions. The development is part of a larger project funded by NASA to build a futuristic airplane that is quieter, more fuel-efficient and impervious to extreme weather. The plane that Cessna is designing won't be made of aluminum, like most planes, but composite material that is lighter weight to improve fuel efficiency. The downside of using these materials is that the plane will need an outer layer to protect it from the elements. "What we're doing is trying to come up with a set of layers or skins that would provide the ability to absorb impacts, would smooth the outer surface so that you could get low drag, and would conduct electricity so that you could meet the lightning-strike requirements," said lead Cessna engineer for the NASA contract Vicki Johnson. "Right now, we're at the point of trying to define what are the requirements and what are the potential materials that we might combine in various manners to come up with skins that would meet our requirements," Johnson told TechNewsDaily. The high-tech skin that Cessna wants will serve multiple functions and thus likely be made of several layers. For example, a foam layer might be used to protect the plane from bumps and bruises, and a reflective material could help to keep the composite cool. Another integral part of this magic skin: sensors. "The idea is that there will be a little bit of space available (in the core material), whether it's a honeycomb core or a foam core, to run wires and to put sensors," Johnson said. "Those sensors could be there for a lot of different functions." For example, sensors in the skin could help monitor the plane's structure and indicate, for example, whether an object in the air or on the ground has struck the plane. Such sensors are particularly important for composite planes because a composite could be internally damaged with no visible signs on the outside of the material, Johnson explained. "Another alternative would be to design the very outer layer so that if there was an impact it would change colors, kind of like a bruise and you would see, uh- oh, something happened here," he added. Cessna plans to start testing some of these magic skins this summer and have something ready for NASA in the next two years. In addition to Cessna, MIT, Boeing and Northrop also split the $16.5 million in additional funding from NASA to continue their individual research into aircraft technologies that are three generations more advanced than what we have today. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42500339/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/ Back to Top Southwest Airlines sees narrow concern over 737 jet DALLAS (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) is willing to expand inspections for its older Boeing 737 aircraft but sees no reason for concern a week after one of its jets made an emergency landing with a hole in its fuselage, the discount carrier's chief executive officer said on Friday. An older-model Southwest Airlines 737-300 was forced to make an emergency landing in Arizona on April 1 when a 5-foot (1.52 meters) tear opened up in its fuselage 20 minutes after takeoff. The incident prompted Southwest, the largest domestic airline by passengers flown, to ground planes and cancel hundreds of flights over the weekend so it could inspect more than 70 of its older model 737-300s. "If there is some finding that suggests that there is merit to expanding inspections beyond what we've done, well of course we're going to do that," said Gary Kelly, chief executive officer of the discount carrier, speaking to a conference of business journalists. However, Kelly warned against an over-burdensome inspection regime. "At some point if you are going to fly on an airplane, you've got to take off," he said. The Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board and Boeing are all investigating the cause of the April 1 incident, which has raised concerns about wear and tear on older models of Boeing's (BA.N) 737. Boeing responded quickly to the Southwest incident, and the airline has no plans to seek links with other aircraft makers, Kelly said. "Boeing has been there for Southwest Airlines," he said. The 737-300 represents roughly 20 percent of Southwest's all-737 fleet, the most popular commercial aircraft ever and a workhorse globally. As a result of the inspections, Southwest found "very small cracks" in five of its aircraft -- and four of those five aircraft will be back in service by late on Friday, Kelly said. Southwest's operations are largely back to normal, Kelly said. Kelly declined to say how much the inspections cost Southwest in lost revenues, but said "it is not multimillions of dollars." So far, the problem has been limited to Southwest, which paid a $7.5 million Federal Aviation Administration FAA.L fine for operating 737s without required fuselage structural inspections in 2006/07. Back to Top New Assignments in GCAA of Air Navigation Services and Aviation Accident Investigation (UAE) WAM Dubai, April 11th, 2011 (WAM) -- In an endeavor to keep abreast with the latest trends in the global aviation industry, UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has made two new appointments for Air Navigation Services and Air Accident Investigation sectors. According to the new organization structure, Ahmad Ibrahim Al Jallaf is appointed as Acting Executive Director of Air Navigation Services Department which includes Air Traffic Management (ATM), Communication Navigation '&' Surveillance (CNS), Aeronautical Information Services (AIS), Training (TRN), and Support Coordination. He will be in charge of Air space planning, air traffic management, and to participate to national and international forums and panels on behalf of the UAE government. Al Jallaf is one of the first UAE air-traffic controllers at the GCAA. Eng. Ismael Mohammad Ahmad Abdul Wahed is appointed as an executive director for the Air Accident Investigation Department. He will be responsible for managing the air accident investigation, preparing, maintaining and issuing air accident investigation regulations and policies, conducting investigations and analyzing accidents and incidents data and reports. Abdul Wahed started his professional career in August 1988 as an aircraft maintenance engineer, then a chief transition supervisor in the Gulf Aircraft Maintenance Company (Gamco) until February 2002, before joining the GCAA as an inspector in the department of airworthiness, then as a head of Investigation and Aviation Regulation Department in 2009. http://www.wam.ae/servlet/Satellite?c=WamLocEnews&cid=1289993043767&pagename=WAM%2FWAM_E_Layout&parent=Query&parentid=1135099399852 Back to Top US blocks 350 suspected terrorists WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. government has prevented more than 350 people suspected of ties to al-Qaida and other terrorist groups from boarding U.S.- bound commercial flights since the end of 2009, The Associated Press has learned. The tighter security rules - imposed after the attempted bombing of an airliner on Christmas 2009 - reveal a security threat that persisted for more than seven years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Until then, even as commercial passengers were forced to remove their shoes, limit the amount of shampoo in their carry-on luggage and endure pat downs, hundreds of foreigners with known or suspected ties to terrorism passed through security and successfully flew to the United States each year, U.S. officials told the AP. The government said these foreigners typically told Customs officers they were flying to the U.S. for legitimate reasons such as vacations or business. Security practices changed after an admitted al-Qaida operative from Nigeria was accused of trying to blow himself up on a flight to Detroit on Christmas 2009. Until then, airlines only kept passengers off U.S.-bound planes if they were on the no-fly list, a list of people considered a threat to aviation. Now before an international flight leaves for the U.S., the government checks passengers against a larger watch list that includes al-Qaida financiers and people who attended training camps but aren't considered threats to planes. The government was checking this list before, but only after the flight was en route. If someone on the flight was on the watch list, the person would be questioned and likely refused to enter the country after the plane landed. "As terrorists keep adapting and changing their approach, so must we," Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., told the AP. During a Senate hearing shortly after the attempted Christmas attack, Rockefeller raised concerns about divisions among the different watch lists. Hundreds of people linked to al-Qaida, Hamas, Lashkar-e-Taiba and other terror groups have been kept off airplanes under the new rules. They include what U.S. officials described as a member of a terrorist organization who received weapons training, recruited others, fought against American troops and had a ticket to fly to the U.S. Another traveler prevented from boarding a U.S.-bound flight was a member of a terrorist organization whom intelligence officials believe had purchased equipment for terrorism. A third case, in January, involved a Jordanian man booked from Amman, Jordan, to Chicago, who was considered a threat to national security, according to a law enforcement official. The State Department had already revoked his visa. He was on the terrorist watch list but not the no-fly list. He was not considered a threat to aviation. After U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers performed the now-routine check, the man was kept off the flight. Before the change, he would have arrived in Chicago, where he would have likely been stopped at customs, questioned and sent home. The law enforcement official and other U.S. officials insisted on anonymity to discuss sensitive security issues. They would not provide the names of the people suspected of terror ties or some key details about the cases for security reasons. "We've gotten better with our techniques and applying them predeparture, ensuring we're looking at as broad a section of potential risk as possible," said Kevin McAleenan, deputy assistant commissioner of field operations at Customs and Border Protection. CBP said the gap in U.S. security practices wasn't obvious until after the attempted Christmas attack. Officials were prepared to question the accused bomber when he landed in Detroit - but that turned out to be too late. "We had the skill set, the systems and the techniques, and we needed to move backwards in time," McAleenan said. Since the Sept. 11 attacks, the terror watch list and its derivative, the no-fly list, became some of the government's best-known counterterrorism tools. They also became some of the most criticized, as innocent travelers were inconvenienced when they were mistaken for terrorism suspects. Outrage forced the government to pare the lists, which airlines checked before allowing people to fly. After the attempted Christmas attack, the intelligence community took a closer look at the names on the terror watch list and set new standards for adding names. The watch list and no-fly list are constantly reviewed, and names are added and removed each day. There are about 30,000 people on the no-fly list and a companion list for people who must receive extra screening at airports, a counterterrorism official told the AP. The more expansive terror watch list includes about 450,000 names of people the U.S. intelligence community believes are, or could be, a threat to national security because of terrorist ties. Some of the people on the watch list are still being investigated, and there is not enough information for the government to arrest them. The new policy has not turned the 450,000-person terror watch list into the no-fly list. Simply being on the terror watch list does not mean a person won't be allowed to enter the U.S., McAleenan said. When CBP reviews passenger lists and matches someone on the terror watch list, CBP will review information available on the person before it recommends to the airline whether the person can board the plane, McAleenan said. In most cases, if CBP recommends against allowing the passenger to board, it's because the person would be turned away upon arrival inside the United States due to security concerns. Most people on the watch list are foreigners. About 6,000 are U.S. citizens. American citizens who are not considered threats to aviation but are on the terror watch list cannot automatically be prevented from flying to the U.S. Customs officers will likely question a U.S. citizen who is on the terror watch list when he or she comes into the country. But without grounds for arrest, the officers must let them arrive. This also applies to a U.S. citizen who is on the no-fly list but who walks or drives back into the U.S. through land-border crossings. Back to Top DIA flight to Casper late as passenger forced off plane Police say a passenger refused to follow a flight crew's instructions as a plane was preparing to depart Denver International Airport on Friday. The captain determined that the man, Thaddeus Rule, 31, was a safety risk and returned the plane to the gate, police said. When the man refused to get off, police were called to the gate. Rule then attempted to fight off officers, pushing one of them down the stairs at the top of the plane, police said. He also allegedly threw punches at another officer. The suspect was taken to a hospital with unspecified injuries. The police officers involved also were taken to the hospital, but there was no information on the extent of their injuries. The SkyWest plane, headed to Casper, was delayed for two hours. Airline officials said Rule refused to accept the exit-row responsibilities and refused to get off his cellphone. www.denverpost.com/news/ci_17816312#ixzz1JDu4G6b0 Back to Top NAS Air selects Egyptair for A320 heavy checks Saudi Arabia's NAS Air has contracted Egyptair Maintenance & Engineering to provide heavy checks for five Airbus A320s. The Riyadh-based budget carrier operates eight A320s and one A319, according to Flightglobal's ACAS database. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top Eurocontrol to stage practice run for next ash cloud event Eurocontrol, together with Europe's national aviation authorities and air navigation service providers, will mark the aniversary of the disruption caused by last year's volcanic ash cloud with a two-day exercise simulating a repeat of the problem. The exercise, on 13-14 April, will simulate an eruption of the Grimsvötn volcano in Iceland which results in a volcanic ash cloud that spreads south across the North Atlantic and European airspace, says Eurocontrol. "On the first day, states will ask Eurocontrol to open, close or restrict their airspace to aircraft on the basis of their currently applicable national procedures," explains the agency. "On the second day of the exercise, a new harmonised European approach will be tested. This approach is in line with draft guidance material from ICAO's 'Management of Flight Operations with Known or Forecast Volcanic Cloud Contamination', which has been developed since April 2010. "It allows airlines to decide if they will fly in areas contaminated by ash, on the basis of a safety risk assessment accepted by the relevant national supervisory authority." The exercise will be followed in early June by a Europe-wide assessment session to debrief and to agree follow-up actions. Eurocontrol says participants will include over 70 airlines, 14 air navigation service providers, 10 NAAs, the London Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC), the European Commission and the European Aviation Safety Agency. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC