Flight Safety Information January 26, 2012 - No. 018 In This Issue NTSB Chairman to Deliver Keynote Address at HELI-EXPO Man allegedly smoked, jet diverts to San Antonio Avianca-Taca firms order for 51 A320s Neptune Aviation Accelerates Air Tanker Readiness For Predicted Early 2012 Wildland Fire Season Feline takeoff keeps plane on tarmac FBI cracks down on lasers blinding pilots in Hampton Roads PRISM Certification Consultants UAE carrier Etihad Airways operates first biofuel-powered flight Air Zimbabwe Boasts Enviable Safety Record - And Crippling Debt Textron's Bell to Build New Helicopter at Texas Plant Savannah Tech breaks ground on aviation training center Trio wins FAA contracts topping nearly $400M Norwegian carrier aims high with 222 aircraft orders NTSB Chairman to Deliver Keynote Address at HELI-EXPO Alexandria, Va. - National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman will deliver the keynote address during the HAI annual general membership meeting, Sunday, February 12, 2012, at HELI-EXPOŽ in Dallas, HAI President Matt Zuccaro has confirmed. "We're looking forward to hearing Chairman Hersman's thoughts on how we can continue to improve helicopter safety," said Zuccaro. "While we're proud of the work HAI and the industry have already done to make flying safer, there will always be more work to do until we reach zero accidents." Even though the NTSB has no regulatory authority over aviation operations, its single-minded focus on safety gives it a unique perspective that can help the helicopter industry determine where to focus its safety efforts. General aviation safety and pilot professionalism are two of the items on the NTSB's ten most wanted list. And at a two-day forum held in December 2011, the entire board made clear it considers oversight of public aircraft missions a crucial safety issue. As a result of that forum, HAI will sponsor the first meeting of an Industry Public Aircraft Working Group at HELI-EXPO. The annual general membership meeting will be held Sunday, February 12, 2012, at 8:30 a.m. Central Time in Ballroom C of the Dallas Convention Center, immediately after the annual Members' Breakfast. http://rotor.com/Publications/RotorNewssupregsup/tabid/177/newsid1237/74614/mid/1237/Default.aspx Back to Top Man allegedly smoked, jet diverts to San Antonio SAN ANTONIO (AP)-A passenger has been accused of smoking and causing a ruckus on a California- bound Continental Airlines jet, which then diverted to San Antonio. A detention hearing is scheduled Friday for Manolin Jesus Villaverde of Miami. The FBI says Villaverde has been charged with interfering with flight crew members Tuesday night. Investigators say Villaverde became unruly, on Continental Flight 1287 from Houston to Ontario, Calif., when he lit up twice and was told to put out the cigarettes. Other passengers helped a flight attendant subdue Villaverde. The pilot then landed in San Antonio and Villaverde was removed. The jet continued on to its destination, arriving about two hours late. Back to Top Avianca-Taca firms order for 51 A320s Latin American carrier Avianca-Taca has firmed up an order for 51 Airbus A320 aircraft, which includes 33 A320neos. The airline first signed a memorandum of understanding for the aircraft at the Paris air show in June 2011. "With this order Avianca-Taca and our subsidiaries will continue the modernisation process that includes fleet renewal as its primary focus," said Fabio Villegas, the airline's president. The airline will also use the aircraft to expand into new markets in Latin America. Including the 51 A320s, the carrier has firm orders for 190 Airbus aircraft. Avianca-Taca has 88 A320 family aircraft and eight A330s in service currently. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top Neptune Aviation Accelerates Air Tanker Readiness For Predicted Early 2012 Wildland Fire Season Neptune Aviation, the largest US private operator of fixed wing aerial tankers, is gearing up for the 2012 fire season through an accelerated maintenance and training program, given predictions of earlier than normal wildland fire out-breaks--particularly in portions of the US Southwest. Washington, DC (PRWEB) January 26, 2012 "The US Forest Service approached us last fall, and asked that we have our aircraft available early," said Dan Snyder, President of the Missoula-based company. "To meet our customer's requirement, we commenced our fleet maintenance about a month early in preparation for the fire season. To do that, we leased additional hangar space at Missoula International Airport, and increased our contract maintenance staff to 30--up from the 10-15 we have employed in prior years. The contract staff supplements the 70 mechanics we employ full-time." Snyder noted that in a typical year, the contract maintenance staff, which includes airframe mechanics, electricians and sheet metal technicians, is on site from November through March, with the total cadre in place by January. "But, this year, we ramped up to a full staff of 30 in October, and we expect that they will be here through April, so we're taking on more people for a longer time period," he said. The contract maintenance staff will focus exclusively on the company's nine active P2V Neptune tankers. As Snyder explained, Neptune Aviation is also deploying a single BAE 146 regional jet, modified for aerial tanker duty. The aircraft has operated since October 2011, under Interagency Airtanker Board interim approval. Given the capacity constraints generated by the accelerated preparation schedule, maintenance on the BAE 146 has being outsourced to Tronos, the company which partnered with Neptune on the tanker modification. Pilot recurrent training has also been moved up by a month, starting January 1st. Neptune currently has 25 pilots, of which five are qualified on the BAE 146. The earlier resumption of maintenance activity, and pilot training, reported Snyder, will enable Neptune Aviation to make the first aircraft mission-ready by February 26, with the last ones available no later than May 25. "In 2011, availability of the first aircraft, by contract with the Forest Service, was March 18, with the last one ready for dispatch by June 25," he pointed out, adding that the longer availability time-frame will mean more time in the field for pilots, mechanics, and support vehicle drivers. Because of this, the company plans to hire additional staff in order to assure those on the line their regular periods of time off. "Neptune Aviation was well-prepared to meet the Forest Service's request for early aircraft availability because of changes made in our operations over the past three years," Snyder said. "We were positioned to respond to our customers' requests in a timely fashion, and we are on track to do that." "The capability of Neptune Aviation to make its aircraft available earlier than in past years, without compromising safety, is another example of the kind of flexibility we have come to expect of private enterprise in the aerial firefighting sector," said Tom Eversole, AHSAFA Executive Director. "It is another illustration of the ability of the commercial operators in this business to respond quickly to changing customer requirements." Neptune Aviation is a member of the American Helicopter Services & Aerial Firefighting Association (AHSAFA), a Washington-based trade association representing commercial operators of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft engaged in aerial wildland firefighting. Back to Top Feline takeoff keeps plane on tarmac The plane was delayed by several hours to check wiring in the cockpit where the cat had hidden. Flight 603 was supposed to leave Halifax for Toronto just after 5:30 a.m. but the takeoff was delayed when a cat escaped from its carrier in the plane's cabin and fled to the cockpit. The feline bolted when the door to the carrier was inadvertently opened by a passenger who was attempting to put luggage in an overhead compartment. "It's hilarious, really. It's so random," passenger Kyle Warkentin told CBC News. Warkentin first heard about the trouble when a flight attendant announced they were looking for a cat. Ten minutes stretched into 20. More time went by with no sign of Ripples the cat. The attendants apologized for the delay. "Then the engine turned off and the whole power on the plane turned off, and they said they were doing this to calm the cat," Warkentin said. Air Canada allows small pets in the cabin, except on flights to Hawaii. The animal must fit and "stay comfortably" in its carrier, which must fit under the seat. As the crew scoured the plane, the cat's owner repeatedly called out to the pet. "We could hear, 'Come here, Ripples. Come here, Ripples,'" Warkentin said. Warkentin could see into the cockpit at one point and said it looked as if it had been taken apart. "It wasn't just a simple matter of trying to find it under someone's feet. It was actually in within the wires of the plane. So it was pretty bizarre how it got there," he said. Isabelle Arthur, a spokeswoman for Air Canada, told CBC News in an email that the cat got into the cockpit avionics. "Our flight crews were not successful in coaxing the cat out of the avionics bay so our maintenance crews had to open it from an alternative access panel, which took time to disassemble," she wrote. Wiring on plane checked for damage A baggage handler loads a pet on to the plane after the delay. (CBC)Ripples was eventually found and returned to its carrier. Warkentin said they were told the flight couldn't leave until the wiring was checked for damage. "The cat was kind of in some tricky spots so they wanted to make sure there was no wires bit through or something like that," he said. Peter Spurway, a spokesman for the Halifax Stanfield International Airport, said it came down to the safety of passengers. "We're looking at several hours of delay, which is very, very unfortunate. The primary concerns are let's retrieve the pet safely and then let's make sure that everything is proper for the plane to go," he said. "You feel badly for the poor animal, which undoubtedly was terrified. At the same time there are dozens and dozens of passengers who are now going through a several-hour delay." Flights rescheduled Warkentin, who was on his way to Saskatoon for a conference, said passengers were let off the plane and Air Canada workers helped them reschedule their connecting flights. He said the owner of the wayward cat was very upset. "She was shaking, the poor thing," he said. Warkentin commends Air Canada for the way it handled the bizarre incident. But added, "they may have to make a new amendment to their policy on animal carrying." For Spurway, the case of the escaped feline is a first. "I have not encountered the cat loose in the cockpit before. In my chat with the Air Canada folks, my impression was this was new for them as well," Spurway said. "Really, you need to keep control of [animals] - keep them in the containers or in the carry-on compartments so this type of thing doesn't happen." Ariel Detraz, another passenger, considers it a "freak accident." "I just feel really bad for the lady," Detraz said. "I think the cat has probably had enough trauma for its lifetime." The flight left Halifax at 9:45 a.m., about four hours later than scheduled. Back to Top FBI cracks down on lasers blinding pilots in Hampton Roads Laser pointers causing major distraction for pilots at NAS HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WTKR) As pilots for Naval Air Station Oceana soar over the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, they have to be laser focused as they prepare to land. But the Navy says in the last two years, they've seen an increase in the number of laser sightings. NewsChannel 3 was the first to highlight the laser pointing problem last year. The glare so distracting, they say it puts the pilot's life in jeopardy. "It's very dangerous. A lot of people out there don't understand how dangerous it really is," says Christopher Willingham who knows that laser pointing does not just jeopardize lives; it can land you in prison. During a news conference at Oceana on Wednesday, the 28-year-old admitted to pointing a laser at a Virginia Beach police helicopter while they were trying to find a suspect. "They will be convicted of a felony and serve incarceration for a period of time, so if you know anybody out there that's doing this, has done it or knows anybody with lasers, they need to be educated and it needs to stop," says Willingham. Authorities say the laser deflects through the windscreen and emits light through the cockpit, causing confusion. Captain James Webb, commander of Naval Air Station Oceana says the culprits are likely people standing on the balconies of the hotels at the oceanfront. They had thirteen incidents last year and four already this month. "This is a growing problem and because of the ability now, the ease of purchasing those laser devices, we've seen an increase in the number of incidents," says Webb. The FBI is helping to crackdown on the crime, saying laser pointing is far from a harmless prank. "They're serious, they're reckless and they endanger the lives of innocent civilians" says Dean C. Bryant. The General Assembly is considering a bill that would make laser pointing against state law, too. That would allow local authorities to prosecute them as well. http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtkr-fbi-cracks-down-on-lasers-blinding-pilots-in-hampton-roads- 20120125,0,2303613.story Back to Top Back to Top UAE carrier Etihad Airways operates first biofuel-powered flight DUBAI: UAE's national carrier Etihad Airways has operated its first biofuel-powered flight, a step towards encouraging the use of sustainable fuel in airline operations in the region. The delivery flight of the airline's newest Boeing 777-300ER, from Seattle to Abu Dhabi, that arrived on January 24 is the first in the Gulf to be operated using sustainable biofuel, the airline has announced. The 14 hour flight of the Abu Dhabi-based airline was operated using a combination of traditional and plant-based jet fuel, which is fully certified for use as commercial jet fuel. "This flight marks a significant milestone in our efforts to support and drive the commercialisation of sustainable aviation fuel in Abu Dhabi, the region, and globally", James Hogan, Etihad Airways' President and Chief Executive Officer, said. "However, the use of a presently available biofuel is just one part of a more comprehensive long-term biofuel strategy to ensure that we are able to use biofuels to decarbonise substantially an entire industry sector in the long term", he said. The fuel, supplied by an Amsterdam-based sustainable jet fuel provider SkyNRG, is based on recycled vegetable cooking oil. As a plant-based source that has been used already for cooking purposes, it qualifies as a bio-based waste stream with a high sustainability value. SkyNRG's Managing Director Dirk Kronemeijer, said: "With this flight Etihad Airways has taken a fantastic step, particularly in increasing awareness within the region. There is a lot more to come in this continent and we are determined to be there when that happens." Boeing also supported this initiative by supplying their 'fly-away' fuel, provided for every new delivery, as a biofuel blend, the statement from Etihad said. With new regulations now being imposed on aviation carbon emissions, the commercial viability of biofuel is gaining even more importance. Starting this year, the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS) will require all airlines to pay for emissions and this is likely to lead to other such schemes around the world. Biofuel is considered 'carbon neutral' as the plant biomass takes in carbon as it grows and releases it again during the combustion process, and this means that the use of biofuel as part of the EU ETS would be considered exempt. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/et-cetera/uae-carrier-etihad-airways- operates-first-biofuel-powered-flight/articleshow/11637882.cms Back to Top Air Zimbabwe Boasts Enviable Safety Record - And Crippling Debt The airline's debt has been piling up, reaching US$140 million recently as the government maintains a tight management grip on the carrier Air Zimbabwe has an enviable safety record as well as skilled pilots, engineers and support staff, but questionable management has left the state carrier deep in debt and on the verge of collapse, such that observers say that only a strategic buyout can rescue it. The carrier's debt has been accumulating over the past few years in particular, reaching US$140 million recently as government maintains its tight grip. It also owes its employees more than US$35 million in unpaid salaries and allowances dating back to 2009. Harare proposed in 2009 to partially privatize the company, but the ZANU-PF side of the government does not want to lose control of what it calls a strategic national entity. Aviation experts and economists said privatization is the only way out for Air Zimbabwe though the government is headed in the other way with its program of indigenization or nationalization in the name of black economic empowerment. VOA Studio 7 reporter Gibbs Dube reported on the crisis at Air Zimbabwe, which was placed under court management late last week. http://www.voanews.com/zimbabwe/news/Huge-Debts-Ground-Air-Zimbabwe-138068868.html Back to Top Textron's Bell to Build New Helicopter at Texas Plant (WSJ) Textron Inc. said Wednesday it plans to build a new helicopter at a plant in Texas that analysts said would likely target demand from the fast-growing offshore oil industry. The maker of Cessna business jets assembles most of its Bell helicopters in Canada, while its facility at Amarillo in Texas focuses on military products. Textron Chief Executive Scott Donnelly told analysts on a post-earnings call that the new commercial helicopter-to be unveiled at a trade show in Dallas next month-would be built in Amarillo. "We already see capacity expansion or capacity being pretty tight up in our Canadian facilities, but we know we can have some softness on the military side," he said. Textron didn't provide further details ahead of the official launch, but media reports in recent weeks said it was working on a new Magellan medium-sized helicopter, which analysts said would compete with offerings from Eurocopter, AgustaWestland and the Sikorsky unit of United Technologies Corp. The expansion of deep-water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coasts of Brazil and West Africa is driving demand for larger helicopters to move workers and supplies. Ben Jacques, an analyst at aviation consultant IBA Group, said there was room for another competitor that offered a longer useful life than the 10 years that energy operators typically keep flying helicopters in tough offshore conditions. The Bell launch comes ahead of an anticipated ramp-up in activity in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, as oil companies seek to regain the ground lost after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. Oil companies like Chevron Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell PLC are pushing to meet long-standing targets and stem production declines made more acute by the nearly yearlong pause in drilling that followed the oil spill, and ferrying offshore rig crews are a key part of that effort. Martin Craighead, the chief executive of oil-field-services provider Baker Hughes Inc., said in a conference call Tuesday that drilling in the U.S. Gulf should return to pre-Deepwater Horizon levels by the first quarter of 2013. Textron's comments came as the company, best known as the maker of Cessna business jets, provided a bullish 2012 outlook despite reporting a fourth-quarter loss after a big charge on loans on golf courses, a legacy of its shrinking finance unit. Its revenue for the period rose 4.1% from a year earlier to $3.25 billion. Textron shares were ahead 15% at $24.76 in 4 p.m. composite trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Back to Top Savannah Tech breaks ground on aviation training center Savannah Technical College broke ground Wednesday for its new Aviation Training Center, designed to develop high-level technicians for area jobs in aircraft assembly and maintenance. Technical College System of Georgia Commissioner Ron Jackson, Savannah Tech president Kathy Love and Ira Berman of Gulfstream Aerospace were among the dignitaries wielding shovels at the school's Crossroads campus to kick off construction of the new center. It's expected to be ready for students beginning with the spring semester next year. "The Technical College System of Georgia is committed to ensuring that the state's aviation industries, including corporate leaders like Gulfstream, have access to a steady pipeline of highly trained technicians with the specialized skills that are required in the fields of aircraft assembly and maintenance," Jackson said. "Savannah Tech's new Aviation Training Center is part of that commitment, and soon it will be home to state-of-the-art training that will lead students on pathways to great jobs and successful careers in this all-important industry." The 29,152-square-foot building will feature a 5,000-square-foot hangar plus labs and classrooms. The training center will meet Federal Aviation Administration requirements governing aviation mechanic schools. The building was designed by James W. Buckley and Associates, Inc. of Savannah and is being built by Pope Construction of Statesboro. "As a leader in hands-on training for Coastal Georgia, it is our responsibility to teach students specialized skills that will benefit our local employers," Love said. Savannah Tech's Aircraft Technology Department offers several study programs that prepare students for careers in aircraft structures manufacture and repair, luxury craft cabinetmaking, and aircraft electrical equipment repair and installation. Berman said the new center will offer, for the first time in the area, the FAA airframe and powerplant license needed for so many Gulfstream jobs, he said. "This new Aviation Training Center, which strengthens an already long-standing and fruitful relationship between our organizations, will further ensure that Gulfstream has a steady pool of highly qualified and motivated applicants," said Berman, the Savannah-based business jet maker's general counsel and senior vice president of administration. The Aviation Training Center will feature four training labs. * In the powerplant lab, students will learn how to tear down and rebuild reciprocating and turbine engines. * The airframe lab will include all aspects of airframe composition from landing gear to hydraulic/pneumatic systems, to fuel and electrical systems, as well as flight controls, rigging and non- destructive testing. * The aircraft structural lab will work with sheet metal and cabinet making. * The composite lab will feature an autoclave, a large oven that is used to cure composites. One of the classrooms will be used as an electronics and avionics training lab for electrical technology students. The hangar features a hoist and will have abundant natural light with windows near the ceiling. Five additional classrooms, office space and a workroom are also included in the building's design. Aircraft structural technicians build new equipment and conduct repairs. Luxury craft cabinetmakers and aircraft electrical assembly techs typically work in manufacturing plants and service centers. Cabinetmakers install and repair various types of cabinets, counter-tops and furniture in new and in- service aircraft. Aircraft electrical assembly techs install electronics equipment and wiring in new aircraft. Both sets of skills may also be applied to build or maintain luxury yachts. Government contracts currently being negotiated with aerospace suppliers and the growth of the private business jet industry could potentially increase local employment demand by several hundred to thousands of jobs in the next few years. ABOUT THE TRAINING Savannah Technical College's Aircraft Technology Department offers the following aircraft technology programs: * Aircraft Structural Technology Diploma (49 credit hours or three to four semesters) * Aircraft Assembly Technician Certificate (9 credit hours or one semester) * Luxury Craft Cabinetmaking Certificate (10 credit hours or one semester) Students may enroll now for summer semester 2012. These programs do not guarantee students a job with any aviation company. For more information, call 912-443-5833. ABOUT SAVANNAH TECH Savannah Technical College serves coastal Georgia with market-driven technical education on campuses in Savannah, Effingham and Liberty counties. Savannah Tech serves more than 4,500 credit students each semester, offering nearly 100 different instructional programs in business and technology, public service, industrial technology and health sciences, as well as adult education classes, industry-specific training and continuing education. http://savannahnow.com/exchange/2012-01-25/savannah-tech-breaks-ground-aviation-training-center Back to Top Trio wins FAA contracts topping nearly $400M Human Solutions, Inc., SRA International Inc. and TASC Inc. have won contracts from the Federal Aviation Administration to support the systems that share information between air traffic controllers while planes are in flight. The EnRoute Technical Support Services contracts have ceilings that range from $360 million to almost $400 million, according to FAA's Jan. 24 announcement. The 7-year contract contains a 3-year base period with two 2-year options. EnRoute support is managed under the FAA's new Program Management Office. Formed under the agency's new organizational structure approved by Congress in October 2011, PMO manages major acquisition programs. The awardees will now compete for task orders to support software, hardware and systems engineering, information systems security, safety management, strategic planning, program management, configuration management, and business and financial management. Human Solutions' contract has a ceiling of $360.2 million; SRA's is worth is $387.9 million and TASC's is worth $381.5 million. The winners will also provide administrative management, training assistance, testing and logistics support, performance data management and analysis and more. SRA is already is recruiting candidates for the contract through its website. Other bidders in the competition included A3 Technology, Apptis Inc., Continuun Crown Consulting, eScience & Technology Solutions, QinetiQ North America, and SAIC. http://washingtontechnology.com/articles/2012/01/24/faa-contract-sra-tasc.aspx Back to Top Norwegian carrier aims high with 222 aircraft orders Norwegian Air Shuttle plans to buy 222 new aircraft worth $21.1bn from Boeing and Airbus in a move that heralds its ambition to become one of Europe's leading low-cost airlines. Boeing secured its largest ever European deal through a firm order by the Oslo-based airline for 122 737 narrow-body aircraft, worth $11.4bn at list prices. Norwegian also departed from its previous policy of only operating Boeing aircraft by making a commitment to purchase 100 A320 narrow-body aircraft from Airbus, worth $9.7bn at list prices. Analysts said Norwegian's orders looked like a bet on the demise of SAS, the struggling Scandinavian carrier. Norwegian's shares closed up almost 13 per cent at NKr74.5. Shares in SAS dropped 1 per cent to SKr9. Bjorn Kjos, Norwegian's chief executive and one of its founders, told the Financial Times that the airline would focus its expansion on Nordic countries, although he highlighted plans to open a new operating base this March in Malaga, Spain. "If we have the newest equipment and one of the best cost bases in the world, we can more or less set up operations wherever we want," said Mr Kjos, a former fighter pilot in the Norwegian air force, who is also a lawyer and author of a spy thriller. Mr Kjos also highlighted Norwegian's plans to begin long-haul operations next year, with flights linking Scandinavia with Asia and the US. Norwegian started its low-cost carrier operations in 2002. It has operating bases in Norway, Denmark, Finland and Sweden, although Norwegian's routes reach beyond Europe into north Africa and the Middle East. Its fifth-largest shareholder is Finnair, Finland's flag carrier. Aircraft financing has become more difficult to obtain since the financial crisis, but Mr Kjos expressed confidence that Norwegian's orders with Boeing and Airbus would secure loan guarantees from European and US export credit agencies. Norwegian's orders should increase its fleet from the current 64 to between 150 and 200 by 2020, because some of the new aircraft will replace existing ones. Ryanair, Europe's leading low-cost airline by passenger number, has 277 aircraft, while EasyJet, the second largest, has 204. Andrew Lobbenberg, analyst at RBS, said Norwegian's orders looked like "a gamble on SAS failing". The deals with Boeing and Airbus underline how airlines are keen to buy fuel-efficient aircraft because of high oil prices. Norwegian is buying planned new aircraft that should burn between 10 and 15 per cent less fuel than existing ones. Airbus will start delivering its A320neo aircraft to Norwegian in 2016, and Boeing will begin supplying its 737 Max jets in 2017. Boeing on Wednesday announced strong fourth-quarter results, although it said profitability would be dented in 2012 by higher pension costs. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8da94a54-4741-11e1-b847-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1kZOFop29 Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP, FRAeS CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC