Flight Safety Information August 18, 2011 - No. 170 In This Issue FAA Works 'Aggressively' on Rest Rule After Missed Deadline BA recruitment drive aims to attract less well-off pilots Chairman of Caribbean Airlines resigns Venezuelan military helicopter carrying 10 soldiers crashes into sea Boeing completes flight tests for 787 Gulfstream G650 edges closer to certification Charter, cargo airlines target pilot safety rule Boeing, Airbus Can't Replace the 757 Air France 447 Latest Report: Mandating Safety, or Cost? Officials: Europeans must stop pointing powerful lasers at pilots 64th Annual International Air Safety Seminar 2011 Graduate Research Survey FAA Works 'Aggressively' on Rest Rule After Missed Deadline (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said it's "working aggressively" to complete a pilot fatigue rule after missing an Aug. 1 deadline amid opposition from cargo carriers and charter-flight operators. The FAA didn't specify a reason for the delay in an e- mailed statement today. After decades of inaction on rest rules, the FAA two years ago brought together fatigue experts, pilot unions and airlines to craft new fatigue restrictions. It proposed rules last year that would give pilots longer rest periods between shifts and reduce the maximum hours they can fly under conditions deemed fatiguing. Cargo airlines including United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp., and charter operators, both types of carriers that often fly overnight flights, opposed the FAA proposal. While pilot fatigue has been increasingly cited as the cause of accidents during the past decade and the National Transportation Safety Board has made the issue one of its "Most Wanted" safety improvements, attempts dating back to the 1990s to revamp pilot work rules have stalled. The Air Line Pilots Association, the nation's largest pilot union, said in a statement earlier this month that the rule is being held up at the White House Office of Management and Budget, which reviews proposed federal regulations. 'Unacceptable' Pressure "This is a safety regulation, and it is unacceptable that the OMB appears to have been pressured by a few companies whose goal is advancing their own competitive interests rather than ensuring the safety of the U.S. air transportation system," ALPA President Lee Moak said in the statement. The National Air Carrier Association, a group representing small carriers that operate flights for the military and businesses, accused ALPA of using "scare tactics" to pressure the White House on the issue in an Aug. 3 letter to the FAA. The group says the FAA should develop different standards for its members. NTSB Chairman Debbie Hersman said the agency had been pleased with how quickly the FAA had issued the rule. "Now it's caught up in politics," Hersman said in a telephone interview. "It's frustrating. It's being opposed by special interests who are putting profits ahead of safety." Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi- bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/08/17/bloomberg1376-LQ3EAQ1A74E901- 3VMUR9M28P216BAIMHKPQ77V0E.DTL#ixzz1VNDmWX00 Back to Top BA recruitment drive aims to attract less well-off pilots British Airways aims to broaden the pool of potential pilot recruits with its new Future Pilot Programme (FPP), which it claims will put an end to the situation in which only the rich can raise the finance to complete pilot training to airline level. Unlike its former ab-initio programmes of more than 10 years ago, BA admits it will put no money directly into student pilot training. However, Robin Glover, BA's head of pilot recruitment, said the airline will take "a small risk" by guaranteeing the finance to pay to train carefully selected students, enabling those without assets, savings or wealthy parents to raise the £100,000 ($165,000) or so needed to cover the cost of training from selection to line-flying. Glover said the cost of type rating on the aircraft the pilot will fly for BA "is part of the training package", with the cost recovered by the airline on a non-profit basis. Base training after that, however, will be free. A pilot's BA salary will begin from the moment type rating is successfully completed, as will the pay-back to the finance company. Glover said, however, that the pilots will not be bonded to the airline for a specific period. If they were to receive a more lucrative offer from another carrier they would be free to go after their normal notice period. "We are keen to use this programme to get the very best," Glover said, claiming that removing the finance barrier enabled the carrier to fish in a bigger pool. All successful trainees will be based at London Heathrow or Gatwick but applications are welcome from anyone who has the right to work in the UK. Ab-initio pilots will train to the traditional "frozen" air transport pilot licence, but Glover said BA is watching the development of training to the multi-crew pilot licence to see if it fits BA's way of doing things. If it does, he said, some could transfer from the ATPL route to the MPL, or BA might adopt it in future. Testing and selection of candidates will be carried out at the three chosen flying training organisations involved in the BA FPP - CTC, Flight Training Europe and Oxford Aviation Academy. They will recommend a shortlist to the airline for approval. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top Chairman of Caribbean Airlines resigns The Minister of Transport for Trinidad and Tobago Devant Maharaj has officially stated the Chairman of Caribbean Airlines George Nicholas has declared his intent to resign. His impending resignation follows a 30 July accident at Cheddi Jagan International airport in Guyana involving a Caribbean Boeing 737-800 overrunning the runway and breaking in two. As the investigation got underway, a senior official involved in the investigation said indications showed the aircraft landed long. Maharaj has met with other members of the carrier's board to "get a clarification and better understanding of the current issues" said the transport ministry in a statement. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top Venezuelan military helicopter carrying 10 soldiers crashes into sea (CNN) -- A search is under way after a military helicopter carrying 10 soldiers crashed into the sea off Venezuela's Caribbean coast, state media reported. Search crews rescued a soldier and found the body of a pilot, the minister of communication told state-run AVN news agency. The helicopter crashed Wednesday evening in the municipality of Penalver in Anzoategui state, according to Andres Izarra, the minister. Various crews, including firefighters and divers from the navy, are participating in the search, state media said. The helicopter was traveling from Carupano to Maiquetia. It is not immediately clear what caused the crash. State Gov. Tarek William Saab sent his "deepest condolences" to relatives of the pilot killed. Back to Top Boeing completes flight tests for 787 ATLANTA (Reuters) - Boeing Co (BA.N) said it has completed flight tests required of the carbon-composite 787-8 Dreamliner equipped with Rolls-Royce (RR.L) engines, a key step in moving toward first delivery. With flight tests completed, certification by the Federal Aviation Administration is now needed before first delivery to All Nippon Airways (9202.T). The final test flight occurred August 13 on the ninth 787 to be built, Boeing said in a statement on Wednesday. Boeing is about three years behind schedule in delivering the first 787, largely because of snags in the complex global supply chain. The Dreamliner is a lightweight airplane that promises 20 percent greater fuel efficiency than similarly sized jets. A good bit of the primary structure will be made of composite materials. Boeing, the world's second-biggest plane maker after EADS (EAD.PA) unit Airbus, has taken more than 800 orders for the Dreamliner, whose list prices start at $185.2 million each. The company said flight testing continues for 787s with General Electric Co (GE.N) engines. Back to Top Gulfstream G650 edges closer to certification Gulfstream's G650, which saw its flight test programme disrupted by the 2 April fatal accident involving aircraft 6002, has completed a number of flight-test milestones on its way to anticipated US Federal Aviation Administration and European Aviation Safety Agency type certification later this year, and service entry in 2012. The Savannah, Georgia-based airframer said that as of 16 July the four Rolls-Royce BR725-powered aircraft in the test programme had accumulated more than 1,760h over more than 535 flights. "We're on track and moving steadily toward certification later this year," said Pres Henne, senior vice-president, programs, engineering and test, Gulfstream. Aircraft 6004 - the first Gulfstream test aircraft to have a fully outfitted interior, finished certification testing of the aircraft's water and waste systems, its traffic collision avoidance system and its enhanced ground proximity warning system. Aircraft number 6003 has completed certification dry-air testing for the wing and cowl ice protection systems. The aircraft have also completed several rounds of company testing ahead of FAA evaluations. Following the April crash, the ultra-large cabin jet was grounded by Gulfstream, and only resumed flight testing on 28 May. Meanwhile, the first production Gulfstream G280, manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries in Tel Aviv, recently arrived at the company's completions centre in Dallas, ahead of planned delivery later this year. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/08/17/360872/gulfstream-g650-edges- closer-to-certification.html Back to Top Charter, cargo airlines target pilot safety rule WASHINGTON (AP) - Amid fierce opposition from charter and cargo airlines, as well as alarms raised by Pentagon officials, the Obama administration has delayed new safety rules aimed at preventing airline pilots from becoming so exhausted that they make dangerous mistakes. The Federal Aviation Administration was supposed to have final rules in place by Aug. 1 under a law passed by Congress last year in response to a 2009 regional airline crash in western New York that killed 50 people. The FAA proposed new rules last year designed to address long-standing concerns that pilot fatigue contributes to errors that cause accidents. They would reshape decades- old regulations governing how many hours a pilot can be on duty or at the controls of a plane, to take into account the latest scientific understanding of how fatigue slows human reflexes and erodes judgment. Administration officials declined to comment on the reasons for the delay. A new schedule for issuing final rules indicates the target date - which has been repeatedly pushed back - is now in late November. Charter airlines are demanding to be exempted from the new rules. Charter, also called nonscheduled, airlines not only fly tourists and sports teams, they provide the planes and pilots for thousands of military flights every year. Civilian airlines transport more than 90 percent of U.S. troops and 40 percent of military cargo around the globe under contracts with the Pentagon. The trips are frequently long, usually at night and often to danger spots like Afghanistan. The nation's top aviation accident investigator blamed the delay in issuing final rules on the influence of airlines that put profit ahead of safety. "There are special interests who are holding this rule up because it's not in their financial self-interest," National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah Hersman told The Associated Press this week. "The American people expect safety to trump special interests, not the other way around." The proposed rules would allow some pilots to fly more hours - 10 instead of the current maximum of eight - if they begin their day in the morning so that most of their flying takes place during the daytime. But pilots who fly overnight - the busiest time of day for cargo carriers and military charters - would be allowed fewer than eight hours because people naturally crave sleep during those hours. The rule could force airlines to add one or two relief pilots to the normal two-pilot flight crew on long, overseas flights and to provide onboard rest facilities and sleeping accommodations at destinations more frequently. And it sets standards for suitable resting places for a pilot during a flight while another pilot flies the plane. Airlines that provide a bunk for the pilot to lie flat for a nap would be allowed to fly longer without changing crews. Many airlines already provide bunks for flights longer than eight hours, but not all. On United Parcel Service's Boeing 767s, pilot Lauri Esposito says the only place to rest is on a row of three small jump seats in the back of the cockpit. A captain or first officer trying to get some rest will often lie across all three seats, positioning tray tables on top to keep from sliding through the gaps, she said. If they're tall, their feet are in the bathroom. "We're not asking for rest in heavenly beds, we just want some fatigue mitigation," said Esposito, fatigue committee chairman for the Independent Pilots Association, the union representing UPS pilots. "I don't know how these 6-foot-4 men do it. Some of them just resort to sleeping on the floor." Airlines would also have to give pilots a minimum of nine hours off between work shifts, one hour more than currently required. They would also have to put in place "risk management" programs designed to spot work schedules likely to prevent pilots from getting adequate rest and correct them. Airline industry officials are nearly unanimous in their opposition. The Air Transport Association, which represents large carriers, estimates the proposal will cost airlines nearly $20 billion over 10 years. The FAA pegs the cost far lower: $1.2 billion. And the agency said that would be partially offset by an estimated $660 million in benefits over the same period. Opposition is greatest among cargo and charter carriers. UPS, the world's 9th largest airline with more than 200 planes and over 2,600 pilots, estimates its compliance costs at as much as $1.8 billion over the next decade. "The proposal effectively rewrites UPS' collective bargaining agreement with its pilots' union while hobbling the company's finely honed domestic and overseas logistics network," the carrier said in comments to the FAA. Air Force Gen. Duncan McNabb, commander of the U.S. Transport Command, said the current work rules for charter carriers should stay in place. Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., tried to attach a provision to a long-term FAA funding bill that would have exempted charter carriers from the proposed rule, but dropped the matter for lack of support. He and Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., also wrote Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood asking for an exception for charter airlines. They said FAA hadn't sufficiently considered the estimated $3.7 billion over 10 years in cost to charter carriers. Omni Air Inc., based in Tulsa, Okla., is one of the most active charter airlines involved in military transport. It made a profit of $69 million last year on revenues of $530 million, according to the Transportation Department. An Air Force study provided to The AP suggests that the new rules would have caused the number of flights requiring extra pilots to drop from 2,775 to 1,583 over five months last year. But flights that don't comply with FAA regulations would have increased from 786 to 1,734 during the same period. As an example, the study said flights from Leipzig, Germany, to Fort Campbell in Kentucky will no longer be able to proceed on to Fort Hood in Texas without first changing crews in Kentucky. The rule allows airlines to exceed pilot work limits when operating in "unsafe areas," but isn't clear on what constitutes an unsafe area, the National Air Carrier Association, which represents charter airlines, wrote the FAA. FAA rules apply to civilian pilots working overseas. The rule "would have severe implications on the non-scheduled carriers' ability to serve U.S. military and humanitarian efforts worldwide and would ultimately weaken those efforts," the association said. For example, under the proposed rules the carrier that currently flies from an Air Force base in Ramstein, Germany, to Al Udeid, Qatar - a flight that requires pilots to be on duty more than 17 hours - would have to increase its flight crew to four pilots and use a plane with a bunk for pilot rest, which it doesn't currently have, the association said. Concerns that charter airlines might not be able to complete military missions aren't credible, Hersman said. "They can still do the missions, they just need to make sure they are properly crewing and complying with the rest requirements," she said. Back to Top Boeing, Airbus Can't Replace the 757 CHARLOTTE, N.C. (TheStreet) -- When Boeing(BA_) halted production of the 757 seven years ago, it left a gap that US Airways(LCC_) CFO Derek Kerr says needs to be filled. "The dilemma we have now is that the 757 is a great airplane that is not made anymore," Kerr said, in an interview. "That leaves a hole in the industry, and we need to figure out what to do to replace it." The US Airways fleet currently includes 24 Boeing 757-200s. The 757 seats 176 to 193 passengers and is capable of flying about 3,900 miles, a long range for a narrow-body aircraft -- that's what makes the 757 so desirable. The 757 can fly routes like Charlotte to Dublin, which is 3,226 nautical miles, and Philadelphia to Lisbon, 3,453 miles. Also, its engines are powerful enough to fly from Phoenix to Honolulu in the summer, when high temperatures require extra lift before taking off on the 2,527-mile-route. This week, Kerr plans to talk with Airbus executives in an effort to determine whether the Airbus A321neo might be configured to offer range and power similar to the 757. "That's what we're trying to get them to do, to give it some more legs," he said. The carrier has asked Airbus to offer extended operations capabilities for the aircraft so that it can operate on the longer, over-water flights. The Airbus A321neo is expected to enter service in 2016, will seat about 185 passengers and to have a range of about 3,680 nautical miles. That's nearly what the 757 can fly, said aviation consultant Scott Hamilton, who follows Airbus and Boeing as managing director of Leeham Co. "There is not a true 757 replacement, but there is a close replacement," Hamilton said. Airbus spokesman Clay McConnell said the A321neo can fly "well over 90% of the missions that the 757 flies, [but] on the fringes, the 757 is a niche airplane, where there's not a plug-in replacement." Regarding Charlotte-Dublin, Philadelphia-Lisbon and Phoenix-Honolulu, McConnell acknowledged that "we have not run those specific city pairs." Just because a route falls within an airplane's general range, that does not make the route flyable, McConnell said. "It's not as simple as just looking at the [range] chart," he said. "You have to adjust for winds, routing, configuration and other factors. Planes rarely fly a direct route." Potential 757 Replacements Besides the A321neo, the largest narrow-body aircraft currently in production is the 737-900, which seats 180 passengers in two classes and has a range of 3,265 nautical miles. A July 2011 report, titled "Comparing 757 Replacements" and issued by Air Insight (a joint venture by three firms including Leeham), concluded that the A321neo "can operate many trans-Atlantic routes, while the 737-900ER and A321 (current version) cannot (do so) year round." The report said both newer planes have a lower operating cost than the 757, excluding the cost of acquisition. At the time that Boeing ceased production of the 757 in 2004, Hamilton said the 737 production line in Renton, Wash., was "far more automated and efficient than the 757 line" and Boeing had started to produce the 737-900. "The 757 was really kind of hand-produced, as opposed to lean production, and the cost to produce it was far greater than the cost to produce the 737," he said. Also, air travel had been curtailed following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and winglets were not yet being added to 757s to reduce drag and increase range. 757 Love The addition of winglets made the 757 a desirable airplane for trans-Atlantic operations, and it became a mainstay on the routes, particularly from Continental's Newark hub. Today, the three largest U.S. carriers all have significant 757 fleets. American(AMR_) operates 124 Boeing 757s. They fly a wide variety of routes, including domestic flights to high altitude ski markets, where powerful engines enable lift, and international routes to Europe and Latin America. Looking ahead, airplanes from American's recent 460-aircraft order will provide replacements, but spokesman Tim Smith said "the question of which aircraft ultimately replace some of those 757s is not at all decided." United(UAL_) and Continental operate 158 Boeing 757s. Some are dedicated to transcontinental service between New York's Kennedy and California, configured as international aircraft with first, business and economy plus service. Meanwhile, Delta(DAL_) operates 183 Boeing 757s on a variety of routes. Currently the largest Airbus operator in the world, US Airways will replace 57 older Boeing 737-300s and 400s with new Airbus narrow-bodies by 2015. Then it will replace its twelve 767s, either with Airbus A330s or Airbus A350s. Subsequently, it will replace the 757s. Andrew Nocella, senior vice president for marketing and planning, said he believes the A321neo will be able to fly the majority of 757 flights, including Phoenix to Hawaii, but he is unsure about the trans-Atlantic capabilities on niche routes. For that, he said, the carrier may be "looking at many years of life left in our 757s." http://www.thestreet.com/story/11222384/1/boeing-airbus-cant-replace-the-757.html Back to Top Air France 447 Latest Report: Mandating Safety, or Cost? As expected, the BEA has called for mandatory black box data streaming technology aboard airliners. Great idea, or a waste of money? By Stephen Pope You might have missed it, but the French accident investigation branch, the Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses, has formally recommended that mandatory "triggered data streaming technology" be installed aboard airliners. The recommendation is contained in the latest BEA accident report investigating the loss of the Air France Flight 447, a document that outlines 10 new safety recommendations, including improved pilot stall- awareness training, the inclusion of cockpit cameras, and adding angle-of-attack readouts in the cockpit. But it's the inclusion of a call for mandatory data streaming technology that is sure to raise the biggest objections with airlines, who will have to pay for it. Specifically the BEA recommends: "...that EASA and ICAO make mandatory as quickly as possible, for airplanes making public transport flights with passengers over maritime or remote areas, triggering of data transmission to facilitate localization as soon as an emergency situation is detected on board." That the BAE's report includes a recommendation for the International Civil Aviation Organization and the European Aviation Safety Agency to require triggered transmission of black box data from aircraft isn't surprising. Now that the BAE has formally proposed the idea, it will be up to ICAO and EASA to decide whether and how to implement to mandate. It won't be easy. There are some obvious and fairly complex technological questions that must be addressed - but still, equipment makers and the companies that control satellite transmission of data are enthusiastic supporters of the concept. Again, that's not surprising, since they'll reap the financial rewards of any such a mandate. But let's focus for a moment on the technological side of the argument. During the two-year investigation of the Air France tragedy, AeroMechanical Services, a Calgary, Alberta, maker of automatic flight information reporting system equipment, participated in the BEA's data recovery and triggered data transmission working groups. The company has demonstrated an "on-demand triggered data streaming technology" called FLYHTStream that can automatically transmit the exact position of an aircraft and key black box data in real time, with a minimum of fuss. AeroMechanical Services has been testing FLYHTStream aboard a Hawker 750 for several months with promising results as data was broadcast over the Iridium satellite network to ground networks. The company's so-called AFIRS 228 standard will soon become "a fully certified avionics platform capable of meeting all air navigation requirements for CPDLC in Europe and Future Air Navigation System in the United States, providing all input and outputs necessary to continue to enhance the value of real-time data in flight." The cost of equipping airliners with such a technology, of course, will be steep. But if such capabilities are built in to CPDLC an FANS equipment that airliners will soon need anyway, the cost impact would be somewhat mitigated. At least that's the theory. So apparently the technological hurdles of beaming black box data from airplanes by satellite aren't as great as was first supposed, even though the cost implications remain. Nevermind that intsances where an airliner crashes and the black boxes are never recovered is exceedingly rare (it's happened only once). The big question, of course, is just because we can send real-time flight data from commercial aircraft, should we force airlines to do so? http://www.flyingmag.com/blogs/fly-wire/air-france-447-latest-report-mandating- safety-or-cost Back to Top Officials: Europeans must stop pointing powerful lasers at pilots VIENNA (AP) - Officials say there has been a sharp increase in Europe in the use of powerful lasers that are pointed at aircraft and risk temporarily blinding pilots. The lasers are marketed as tools to point out stars at night, but some people misuse them, even though they can force a pilot to relinquish control of an airplane or helicopter to a co-pilot because of vision loss. Officials say there were 1,494 reported cases in Britain last year, compared to three in 2004 and 29 in 2007. Germany saw an eight-fold increase last year compared to 2009. Peter Swoboda, director of the International Federation of Airline Pilots' Associations, said Wednesday that some effected pilots have to abort landings, and EU parliamentarian Joerg Leichtfried said EU-wide penalties are needed for such actions. Back to Top 64th Annual International Air Safety Seminar 2011 - Early Bird Registration Ends September 2 Presented by Flight Safety Foundation Hosted by Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore November 1-3, 2011 Mandarin Orchard Singapore The world comes to IASS. Aviation safety information and ideas go from IASS to the world. Network and exchange knowledge with industry leaders from airlines, corporate flight departments, manufacturers, civil aviation authorities, educational institutions and others. Last year more than 300 decision makers from 59 countries attended IASS. If you were there, you know the seminar's importance. If not, find out this year. Sessions, each with several speakers and panel discussions, will be devoted to a global aviation safety update; stall recovery; pilot training; fatigue risk management; runway excursions; and functional check flights. Aviation safety takes off from IASS. You're cleared to register. View Preliminary Agenda Additional Information Online Registration Form Online Hotel Reservations Form (Corporate/Promotion Code FSFIASS. Group rate available until October 14, 2011. Subject to Availability.) Contacts: For Sponsorship Opportunities: Kelcey Mitchell,mitchell@flightsafety.org, +1 703.739.6700, ext. 105 For Exhibitor Opportunities: Namratha Apparao,apparao@flightsafety.org, +1 703.739.6700, ext. 101. For Registration Information: Namratha Apparao,apparao@flightsafety.org, +1 703.739.6700, ext. 101. For Hotel Information: Kelcey Mitchell,mitchell@flightsafety.org, +1 703.739.6700, ext. 105 For Flight Safety Foundation Membership Information: Susan Lausch, lausch@flightsafety.org, +1 703.739.6700, ext. 112 Graduate Research Survey My name is Anthony L. Hardrick and I'm pursuing my Master's Degree through Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Part of the degree requirement involves data gathering and analysis. My data will come from a survey asking for air traveler opinions concerning ticket purchase over the internet. If you have flown in the past 10 years you are eligible to take the survey, and your opinion is valuable. Your inputs are anonymous. The results will be used for academic purposes. Please take a few minutes to complete the short survey located at the attached link. Thank you http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7ZSVTV7 Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC