Flight Safety Information March 14, 2012 - No. 052 In This Issue AViCON 2012: Aviation Disaster Conference (25APR - NYC) Pilot error in AI aircraft tail scraping runway F-22 Crash Widow Sues Lockheed Martin for Wrongful Death Airbus Concerned With State of India's Airlines Sanford, Fla. airport wants to opt out of TSA Airbus A-320...Runway Excursion (Indonesia) ARGUS PROS Global Auditing Southwest Airlines Announces Executive Changes Cash-strapped Indian carrier Kingfisher Airline to return leased aircraft to cut costs 'Boeing to pay $500m to Air India for Dreamliner delay' United Airlines Bans Dog Breeds World's heaviest airplane lands in Calgary IFPA Certification Conference AViCON 2012: Aviation Disaster Conference Held At The Intrepid Air, Sea & Space Museum Wednesday, April 25, 2012 The Intrepid Air, Sea & Space Museum Pier 86, W 46th St and 12th Ave New York, NY 10036-4103 AViCON 2012 Trailer by RTI Forensics AViCON 2012 Trailer Aviation Disaster Conference Investigating the Causes, Resolving the Claims Venue: The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum New York, NY April 25, 2012 CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION ACCREDITATIONS ARE BEING SOUGHT FROM 22 STATES, PUERTO RICO, AND CANADA The following distinguished faculty members are scheduled to instruct at the event: Frederick (Rick) Alimonti Alimonti Law Offices, P.C. Professor Graham Braithwaite Head, Department of Air Transport, Cranfield University Christa M. Hinckley Partner, Husch Blackwell LLP Nick Hughes Partner, Holman Fenwick Willan LLP David T. Hunter Orion ADR Jason Kelly President, Crisis Advisors Curt Lewis, PE, CSP Curt Lewis & Associates LLC Ricardo M. Martinez-Cid Partner, Podhurst Orseck Rocie Park Director Aviation Claims, Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty Tim Scorer Consultant, Ince & Co LLP Kathryn Ward Partner, DLA Piper UK LLP Diane Westwood Wilson Partner, Clyde & Co US Fitzpatrick Grand Central Official Hotel for AViCON 2012 Gather with our distinguished faculty and your fellow delegates before and after the conference. A limited number of rooms have been reserved for April 24th and 25th at the special rate of $209 per night plus tax for attendees of the AViCON 2012 conference. After you register to attend AViCON 2012 you will receive a confirmation email which contains the promotion code for the hotel. Reserve your room at the Fitzpatrick Grand Central by calling 212-351-6800 or at fitzpatrickhotels.com using the code. We look forward to seeing you there. The highly successful AViCONŽ 2010 held in London is set to return to New York. This Aviation Insurance Claim Conference, with its unique format, is gathering reputation and recognition on both sides of the Atlantic since first presented to the London market in 1998. Following are some of the testimonials received from attendees of AViCON 2010: "Excellent having so many professionals together defending their position sitting in the same room and explaining to the audience the consequences of their actions." "I completely enjoyed the whole presentation and found it very educational." "Brilliant!!!" "Very impressive in terms of content and organization." "A very interesting and informative day." This conference will be of interest to anyone involved in Aviation Insurance - underwriters, claims managers, lawyers, risk managers, insurance brokers, airline flight safety directors, airline board members with flight safety responsibility, claims investigators, and aircraft product manufacturers. Previous AViCON events have attracted well respected speakers and delegates from the legal profession and insurance market. Speakers have included aviation professionals, law partners, and associates from: Alimonti Law Offices, Barlow Lyde & Gilbert, Blank Rome, Bryan Cave, Clyde & Co., Condon Forsyth, Cozen O'Connor, Cranfield University, Curt Lewis & Associates, Inc., DLA Piper, Ince & Co, Kenyon International Emergency Services, Podhurst Orseck, and Xchanging. AViCON 2012 will follow the same configuration whereby the speakers and delegates move along the timeline of an accident investigation to legal discovery, multi-party litigation, and resolution. Previous AViCON events have worked around the scenario of a new entrant airline buying a new technology airframe that suffers a survivable failure to an engine. This failure subsequently results in multiple fatalities due to a range of issues that include: * Organizational Failures * Crew Competence * Possible Bogus Parts * Defective Warning Systems All are et within an environment that includes many possible choices of forum and law. The 2012 accident scenario will be presented with state-of-the-art animation prepared by RTI's Magic Motion Studios and will highlight a fresh set of complex issues of current concern and debate within the aviation market. This event presents a unique opportunity, in a concise and effective format, for all those concerned with safety in aviation to gain a fuller understanding of the entire range of complexities involved in the resolution of multi-party claims that arise from a fictitious aviation accident. Taking just one day, the 2012 conference is based on a reconstruction of a very conceivable and carefully scripted air disaster that occurs when an airline transport aircraft crashes off the runway in bad weather. Causation is far from clear, and a number of parties may have contributed to the accident. The conference will show how such a disaster may be investigated and managed. It then goes on to illustrate the complex legal issues involved and the strategies that may be employed in settling the claims. After viewing the animation, experts in disaster management and accident investigation will lead the audience through the technical aspects of crisis management and the process and protocols of a formal investigation. The circumstances shown in the video and the results of the investigation lead to potential liability for a number of parties including: the airline, the aircraft manufacturer, and the airport authority. A group of leading lawyers and insurance executives will debate the issues that arise including: forum selection, punitive damages, fee considerations, evaluating claims, discovery, spoliation, mediation and dispute resolution, quantum of damages, and relationship with insurers. Register for AViCONŽ 2012 Go to: WWW.RTIAViCON.COM and select the 'Registration' link to view the Registration Application Form. Regular fee $795.00 * February 1, 2012 to April 25, 2012 Student $395.00 * Prior to April 25, 2012 * Must present law school, college, or university student identification at the door Government / Military $650.00 * Prior to April 25, 2012 * Must present government employee or active military identification at the door Pilot error in AI aircraft tail scraping runway The incident of an Air India flight scraping the runway at touchdown on Monday is likely to be the result of pilot error, according to a preliminary probe by the aviation safety regulator. The assessment stems from two major observations recorded by a team of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) officials that began the probe on Monday. Officials said the Airbus A319 aircraft that is used to operate the flight carrying 121 passengers from Ahmedabad to Mumbai has the least chance of a tail-hit because it is one of the smallest planes in the Airbus family. "As the possibility of the tail touching the runway is minimal, the manufacturer does not provide protective gear "tailskid" on these planes," said a senior DGCA official requesting anonymity. He said other Airbus aircraft such as A321 are fitted with a gear to protect the tail. Secondly, officials noted that the aircraft landed on the main runway, which rarely has a tailwind problem. As tailwinds push a landing flight from behind, it makes touchdown difficult. "In Mumbai, flights usually landing on the secondary runway have to fight tailwinds because the airstrip witnesses winds at 15 to 20 knots. But this particular flight landed on the main runway," said an air traffic control (ATC) official requesting anonymity. DGCA officials said they would scrutinise the pilots' training records during the course of investigation. Both pilots were suspended pending an inquiry soon after the incident. http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Mumbai/Pilot-error-in-AI-aircraft-tail-scraping-runway/Article1- 825064.aspx ******** Date: 12-MAR-2012 Time: 08:30 Type: Airbus A319-112 Operator: Air India Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 121 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: Mumbai-Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM/VABB) - India Phase: Landing Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Ahmedabad Airport (AMD/VAAH) Destination airport: Mumbai-Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM/VABB) Narrative: Air India Flight AI614, an Airbus A319, suffered a tail strike upon landing at Mumbai (BOM), India. No injuries were reported. The pilot was executing a go-around upon landing when she suspected the airplane had struck a bird. Anonymous sources quoted by the Indian Express newspaper indicate: "While she was trying to take off again, she pulled the flaps up, but the aircraft had no power to take off, and as a result she skidded on the runway." The plane will be out of service for at least two months. www.aviation-safety.com Back to Top F-22 Crash Widow Sues Lockheed Martin for Wrongful Death The widow of the F-22 Raptor pilot who died after a malfunction in his jet cut off his oxygen system during a training mission in Alaska is suing the F-22 manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, and other major defense contracting companies for wrongful death, negligence and fraud. Anna Haney, wife of the late Capt. Jeff Haney, filed a complaint in an Illinois court Monday alleging Lockheed knowingly sold the U.S. Air Force "dangerous and defective" planes that did not provide life support systems "that would allow our pilots to survive even routine training missions, such as the one that killed" Haney, according to a report by the Courthouse News Service. In addition to Lockheed Martin, the suit names other major defense contractors such as Boeing, Honeywell International and Pratt and Whitney -- all involved in various aspects of the F-22's systems -- as defendants. The complaint also alleges that the U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin millions of dollars on a new contract to investigate and solve ongoing problems with the planes' life support systems. The planes, which cost the government a total of $77.4 billion for over 180 planes, have yet to be used in combat from Iraq and Afghanistan to Libya even though they were declared combat ready in late 2005. Though the Air Force has said they were simply not an operational necessity, since at least 2008 the planes have also suffered from a mysterious, recurring problem apparently stemming from the oxygen system in which several pilots have reported experiencing "hypoxia-like symptoms" in mid-air. A Lockheed Martin spokesperson told ABC News they "do not agree" with the allegations in the suit. "The loss of the pilot and aircraft in November 2010 was a tragic event and we sympathize with the family for their loss. We are aware that a complaint that makes a variety of claims associated with the accident has been filed... We do not agree with those allegations and we will respond to them through the appropriate legal process," the spokesperson said. F-22 Raptor Cuts Off Pilot's Oxygen Before Crash Capt. Jeff Haney was killed in November 2010 when, after completing a training mission over the Alaskan wilderness, a malfunction in his $143 million plane caused his oxygen system to shut off completely, causing him to experience "a sense similar to suffocation," according to the Air Force's investigative report into the incident. Haney's plane entered a sharp dive and, seconds later, crashed, spreading debris more than a quarter mile. After more than a year-long investigation into the crash, the Air Force concluded that he was at fault for crashing the plane. "The [investigation] board president found, by clear and convincing evidence, the cause of the mishap was the [pilot's] failure to recognize and initiate a timely dive recovery due to channelized attention, breakdown of visual scan, and unrecognized spatial disorientation," the December 2011 report said, essentially saying Haney was too distracted by the lack of oxygen to fly the plane properly. The report also noted other contributing factors in the crash but said it was still a mystery as to what caused the original malfunction. When testifying before Congress last week, however, Air Force chief of staff Gen. Norton Schwartz denied the Air Force had blamed Haney. "We did not assign blame to the pilot," Schwartz said. "... This was a complex contingency that he did his best to manage and, in the end, we lost aircraft control." In addition to Haney's crash, the Air Force has also been investigating the source of a mysterious, recurring problem in which pilots in the F-22 cockpit have reported experiencing "hypoxia-like symptoms" in mid-air. Last year the full fleet of the planes were grounded for five months while the Air Force tried to find out what was wrong, but they were unable to identify any single problem and have allowed the planes back in the air. Still, the problem persists. In the six months since the planes have returned to the sky, there have been at least nine more instances of pilots reporting the hypoxia-like symptoms, according to the Air Force. Hypoxia occurs when the brain is deprived of oxygen and can cause dizziness, confusion and lack of judgment. An Air Force spokesperson told ABC News the service was aware of the suit but declined to comment at this time. http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/22-crash-widow-sues-lockheed-wrongful-death/story?id=15909809&page=2 Back to Top Airbus Concerned With State of India's Airlines HYDERABAD, India -- European plane maker Airbus is concerned about the troubles facing India's airlines, but remains hopeful that long-term demand for aircraft in the world's second-fastest growing major economy will stay strong, a senior executive said. The tailfin of a Kingfisher Airlines aircraft (R) is pictured next to the tailfins of Go Air (C) and Jet Airways aircraft as it waits at a gate before departure from Mumbai's domestic airport February 21, 2012. . "When we look at India today, we are concerned with the overall market," Airbus Executive Vice President for Global Sales and Marketing Kiran Rao said late Tuesday. "We think the airline industry in India has to suffer with high fuel prices and high taxes... Revenue doesn't cover cost and we find the airlines are in trouble." India's aviation industry has been hit hard by high jet-fuel prices, interest costs, cut-throat competition as well as ill-timed expansion plans, mergers and acquisitions. Kingfisher Airlines Ltd., one of Airbus's key Indian customers, is the worst hit, owing millions of dollars to aircraft-leasing companies, suppliers, lenders, airline partners and employees, as well as the government in taxes. The cash-strapped airline has announced cancellations and postponements of several orders to Airbus, including for the A380, the biggest commercial aircraft in the world. It has pushed the delivery of A380s beyond 2016. Mr. Rao, who was in the southern city of Hyderabad for an air show, however, said Airbus expects India to generate demand for a total of 1,000 commercial airplanes in the next two decades. The Asia-Pacific region, led by China and India, is likely to account for 34% of the plane maker's global volumes in the next 20 years, up from 28% at present, he added. He said the company expects to deliver 25 planes to various Indian airlines this year. It will deliver A320 planes to unlisted low-fare carrier IndiGo and A330 planes to Jet Airways (India) Ltd. Apart from being a market for selling planes, Rao said India is also increasing in importance as a source for spares and technology. He said from India Airbus annually sources aircraft parts worth more than $100 million, which may increase in the next few years. Mr. Rao said Airbus's technical center in the southern Indian city of Bangalore would likely employ 500-600 engineers in the next two-three years from 200 at present. The center is contributing technology to two of the company's key products, the A350XWB and the A320Neo planes, Mr. Rao said. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304692804577280790914568270.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Back to Top Sanford, Fla. airport wants to opt out of TSA SANFORD, Fla.(AP) -- The Orlando Sanford International Airport is going to try to opt out of only using TSA agents for security screening. The president of the airport said Tuesday that he would apply again to use private operators to screen passengers, using federal standards and oversight. U.S. Rep. John Mica included a provision in federal aviation legislation that strengthens the ability of airports to use private screeners instead of only using agents with the Transportation Security Administration. Currently, only 16 of the nation's airports have opted out using only TSA agents. Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/14/2692799/sanford-fla-airport-wants-to- opt.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top Airbus A-320 Runway Excursion (Indonesia) Date: 12-MAR-2012 Time: 11:31 LT Type: Airbus A320-231 Operator: Batavia Air Registration: PK-YVE C/n / msn: 441 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 177 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: None Location: Balikpapan-Sepingan Airport - BPN/WALL - Indonesia Phase: Landing Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: DPS/WADD Destination airport: BPN/WALL Narrative: An Airbus A320-231 of Batavia Air, performing flight Y6-883 from Ngurah Rai Bali International Airport - DPS/WADD, overran runway 07 at to Balikpapan-Sepingan Airport - BPN/WALL and came to a rest on the paved surface of the runway end safety area. All occupants escaped unhurt. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Back to Top Southwest Airlines Announces Executive Changes DALLAS, March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Southwest Airlines /quotes/zigman/241463/quotes/nls/luv LUV +1.07% today announced several executive changes at the Company. Matt Hafner, Southwest's current Vice President of Integrated Operations, has been named Vice President of the Operations Coordination Center. In this role, Hafner will oversee Southwest's 3,200 daily flights and AirTran's more than 600 flights, ensuring that Customers receive a safe and efficient flight experience. Hafner will lead areas including Dispatch, Meteorology, Operations Coordination Center Automation and Support, Air Traffic, Customer Service Coordinators, Flight Following, and the coordination efforts with Maintenance Control. Hafner started his Southwest career in June 1988 as a Dallas Ramp Agent, and later served in numerous positions within the Ground Operations Department. More recently, Hafner held positions including Senior Director Ground Operations and Vice President Ground Operations. Jack Smith, AirTran Airways' current Senior Vice President of Customer Service, is joining Southwest Airlines as Vice President of Ground Operations/AirTran. In his new role, Smith will oversee all Ground Operations for AirTran Airways. Smith will play a key role in the integration of Southwest and AirTran Ground Operations functions, while maintaining operational excellence and outstanding Customer Service. An industry veteran for more than 30 years, Smith joined AirTran in April 2002. Smith has been responsible for Ground Operations, Inflight, Cargo, Reservations, and Customer Relations during his career. Prior to joining AirTran, Smith held various Leadership positions for both Northwest Airlines and Midway Airlines. Nan Barry, Southwest's current Senior Director to the Chief Executive Officer, has been promoted to Managing Director of the Executive Office. In her new role, Barry will serve as Chief of Staff to Gary Kelly, Southwest's Chairman of the Board, President, and Chief Executive Officer. She also will oversee the administration of Southwest's Board of Directors and the Executive Office as well as management of the Company's Executive Committees. Barry also leads the Internal Customer Care Team and serves on the Board of the Southwest Airlines Catastrophic Assistance Charity. Barry joined Southwest Airlines in 1988, and served in a variety of leadership positions within the Finance Department, including Senior Director of Treasury and Tax. Prior to Southwest, Barry worked in public accounting for Arthur Young & Co. She is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Texas. Jim Sturgis has been named Southwest's Managing Director of Quality, Programs, and Maintenance Safety. In this new role, which reports within the Technical Operations Department, Sturgis will provide Leadership for the Quality Assurance, Aircraft Programs, and Maintenance Safety Teams and will be the liaison and point of contact with the FAA concerning all regulatory affairs relative to Southwest Maintenance. Sturgis joins Southwest from CAVOK, a global aviation regulatory consulting firm, where he served as President. Sturgis has a long history of successfully guiding airlines through the complexities of regulatory issues and has been a key advisor to Southwest during its integration with AirTran. As a founder of CAVOK, Sturgis has assisted air carriers; Maintenance, Repair, and Overhauls (MROs); and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) with inducting new fleets into their operations, implementing new processes, and designing and implementing Safety Management Systems. He also has led numerous merger/acquisition activities from a regulatory perspective, including the three largest in U.S. aviation history. Sturgis has held senior leadership positions in technical services, maintenance training, technical publications, flight operations, and flight crew training at various commercial airlines. Sturgis will join Southwest Airlines on April 2, 2012. All other changes are effective immediately. About Southwest AirlinesIn its 40th year of service, Southwest Airlines continues to differentiate itself from other low-fare carriers--offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service. Southwest Airlines is the nation's largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded and has recently acquired AirTran Airways, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Southwest Airlines Co. Southwest serves 73 cities in 38 states and is one of the most honored airlines in the world known for its commitment to the triple bottom line of Performance, People, and Planet. To read more about how Southwest is doing its part to be a good citizen, visit southwest.com/cares to read the Southwest Airlines One Report(TM). Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,200 flights a day and has more than 35,000 Employees systemwide. SOURCE Southwest Airlines Back to Top Cash-strapped Indian carrier Kingfisher Airline to return leased aircraft to cut costs NEW DELHI (AP) - India's cash-strapped Kingfisher Airlines said Wednesday it will cut overseas flights and return leased aircraft as part of a strategy to reduce costs. With scores of flights canceled this week, the beleaguered airline has already returned one Airbus 330-200 to its lessor in the U.K. in an attempt to prune its loss-making overseas operations. "Positive and immediate action is being taken on all fronts to cut costs," the airline said in a statement. "We are curtailing our wide-body overseas operations that are bleeding heavily." Kingfisher has been struggling with a debt of $1.3 billion. It posted a loss of $90 million in the quarter ended December. India's aviation industry has been hit by losses due to high fuel costs and fiercely competitive low fares. Five out of six Indian carriers have been making losses, which the airlines argue can only be mitigated through infusions of foreign investment. The government has been under pressure from the airlines to allow foreign carriers to buy stakes in India's cash-strapped airlines. In the past few months Kingfisher has grounded planes, failed to pay staff and canceled flights. It has been in the red since beginning operations in 2005. The airline canceled scores of flights this week after pilots refused to work to protest unpaid salaries. Kingfisher chairman Vijay Mallya is scheduled to meet with the pilots on Thursday to discuss the financial crisis gripping the airline. The airline's woes have multiplied after the company's bank accounts were frozen by tax authorities. This has held up the payment of salaries to its staff and clearing of dues to aviation bodies. The frozen bank accounts led to Kingfisher's suspension from the International Air Transport Association's payment clearinghouse last week on account of unpaid bills. The IATA system allows airlines to divide the money from codeshare flights or multileg journeys involving several carriers. The airline said it was working with tax authorities to resolve the "serious handicap" that confronts it. Kingfisher apologized to passengers whose flights were canceled and said they would be accommodated on other airlines or offered a full refund. Back to Top 'Boeing to pay $500m to Air India for Dreamliner delay' ISTHYDERABAD: Aircraft maker Boeing has agreed to pay USD 500 million as compensation to Air India for delaying the delivery of Dreamliner aircraft, according to a senior Civil Aviation ministry official. "The compensation demand from Air India is one billion dollars. However, Boeing has agreed to pay USD 500 million as compensation for the delay," Prashant Shukul, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation told reporters on the sidelines of India Aviation 2012 here today. The government is trying to push Boeing to pay more, he added. State-run Air India has sought a compensation package from the US aircraft maker for delay in the delivery of Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The package would be a mix of both discount in services and cash, a senior official had said earlier. Air India had placed orders for 111 aircraft at an investment of over USD 13 billion with Airbus and Boeing in 2006 to replace its ageing fleet and leased planes. Air India had ordered 27 Dreamliners and Boeing failed to stick to the delivery schedule. As per the original delivery schedule, Boeing was to start delivery from September 2008. However, it failed to meet the timeline due to issues with its vendors and industrial dispute with workers. The company has now rescheduled the delivery to second quarter of 2011. Dinesh A Keskar, senior vice president, sales Asia Pacific and India, Boeing India, refused to comment on the development. "The issue is between the company and Air India. It will not be discussed outside," Keskar said in press conference today. Keskar said the delivery of Dreamliners to Air India will start in the next quarter and the pilots are being trained. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Boeing-to-pay0in-to-Air-India-for-Dreamliner- delay/articleshow/12263402.cms Back to Top United Airlines Bans Dog Breeds American Staffordshire Terrier United Airlines announced that nine different dog breeds will no longer be permitted to fly on their aircrafts. When Jessie Huart recently attempted to book a flight on United Airlines in order to travel with Slaw, her ten year-old Pit Bull, she was told that because Slaw was a Pit Bull, he would not be permitted on the flight. If you have a Pit Bull terrier, an American Staffordshire terrier, or any other canine deemed to be a "dangerous" breed, the "friendly" skies of United Airlines is no longer living up to it's famous motto. Following its merger with Continental Airlines last week, United Airlines adopted Continental's discriminatory pet policies and announced that nine different dog breeds will no longer be permitted to fly on their aircrafts: *Pit Bull Terriers *American Staffordshire Terriers *Presa Canario *Perro de Presa Canario *Dogo Argentino *Cane Corso *Fila Brasileiro *Tosa (or Tosa Ken) *Ca de Bou The carrier is the only United States airline that prohibits certain breeds based simply on their reputation for being "dangerous." United Airline's PetSafe program enforces a Dangerous Dog Breed Restriction based only on the appearance and the breed, but not the behavior of these dogs. While the National Animal Control Association, the Humane Society of the United States and The American Veterinary Medical Association maintain that a dog's physical appearance is not a good predictor of aggressive behavior, and these kinds of restrictive and discriminatory policies are opposed by every major dog-related organization, the United Airlines ban remains in force. Not only do policies like this one prevent responsible owners of these breeds from flying with their dogs, it serves to promulgate the popular myths and misunderstandings about these canines. These misconceptions have lead to the needless death of thousands of dogs which fall into the "dangerous" category. This writer feels that this arbitrary policy concerning specific breeds is both prejudicial and unfair profiling. Are all Pit Bulls vicious? Are all Akitas dangerous? Most dog lovers will agree that without good training any breed can fall into the "dangerous" category. Since all pets, when frightened, can react aggressively, will the next "logical" step be to ban all dogs from flying with their owners? Isn't it more appropriate to judge a dog as an individual based on its personality and temperament? But since United Airlines is listening closely to customer feedback during its adjustment to their recent merger, if you disagree with the present canine policy you can help. You can join thousands of folks who have signed Huart's change.org petition requesting United Airlines to drop their breed-discriminatory policy and restore their dog- friendly skies. http://www.petside.com/article/united-airlines-bans-dog-breeds Back to Top World's heaviest airplane lands in Calgary The world's heaviest airplane landed in Calgary on Tuesday to the delight of plane enthusiasts. The Russian-built Antonov 225 touched down at the Calgary International Airport just before 9 a.m. The one-of-a-kind plane is in Calgary to pick up natural gas equipment and transport it to Nigeria. At 285,000 kilograms it is the world's heaviest aircraft. It's also of the biggest, able to carry up to 50 automobiles. "We just got to see the world's largest aircraft and that's amazing," said plane spotter Sebastian Mikolajczyk, who watched the landing. "Beautiful, that's all I can say." The Antonov made its first voyage in 1988. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2012/03/13/calgary-giant-plane-antonov.html Back to Top With two recent aircraft run-offs here within the United States, airports must take preventive measures to reduce such risks while providing accurate and reliable runway condition reports to pilots. * Certify runway safety inspectors; * Use calibrated equipment; and * Report runway conditions for all contaminates. Register now for the Runway Certification Workshop and learn best practices for keeping your runways safe. The IFPA Runway Certification program recognizes individual members who have met professional standards to become certified and maintain their certification. Read More Join IFPA and network with a group of esteemed professionals from across the globe. About IFPA IFPA is a not-for-profit association formed in 2006 to provide both technical and industry expertise on issues related to pavement friction safety of international airfield and runway surfaces. IFPA's mission is to gather pavement consultants, engineers, institutions, universities and airport operations staff to collaborate on improving research in the science of pavement friction testing for the betterment of transportation safety. International Friction Pavement Association (IFPA), 16110 Flight Path Drive, Brooksville, FL 34604 USA Tel : (813) 471-7026 Fax : (727) 538-8765 Send us an email. Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP, FRAeS, FISASI CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC