Flight Safety Information November 28, 2012 - No. 238 In This Issue U.S. to Press for Air-Cargo Safety Transport Canada admits to shortage in civil aviation inspectors JetBlue flight returns to Fla. after bird strike Childress County helicopter crash kills 1, injures 1 (Texas) Indonesia approves Sukhoi jets despite crash Accident investigation bureau takes safety awareness to trade fairs (Nigeria) Witnesses say plane broke up before Oregon crash PROS IOSA Audit Experts Bombardier wins business-jet order worth as much as $7.8 billion Jetstream without pilot to take off from Warton Aerodrome New aviation scholarship honors late FedEx pilot, wife Obama Gives Shield To Airlines...(from EU Carbon Emissions) First Flight For Legacy 500 Space industry gears up crew training U.S. to Press for Air-Cargo Safety By ANDY PASZTOR (WSJ) - Federal air-crash investigators as early as Wednesday are expected to ratchet up their campaign to get fire-suppression systems installed in the bellies of all U.S. cargo jets, according to people familiar with the details, including retrofits of short-haul aircraft opposed by large segments of the industry. The National Transportation Safety Board's latest recommendations, these people said, are likely to track and even reiterate some of the changes the agency unsuccessfully sought six years ago, after an onboard fire destroyed a United Parcel Service Inc. UPS - DC-8 cargo jet upon landing in Philadelphia. Federal regulators failed to mandate the most controversial of those earlier recommendations, partly due to industry complaints about projected costs. Some fire-suppression systems can cost $2 million or more to retrofit in older planes. This time, the board's anticipated action is prompted partly by a more recent UPS accident: the fiery 2010 crash of one of the company's Boeing Co. BA 747 jumbo freighters in Dubai, which killed both pilots and heightened international attention about the dangers of fast-spreading onboard cargo fires. The move also coincides with UPS's disclosure on Tuesday that it has voluntarily developed and is testing several cutting-edge technologies-including a new class of fire- retardant containers to hold packages-that promise to keep fires from raging inside cargo jets. UPS spokesman Mike Mangeot said tests have shown that such containers-made out of an aluminum frame covered with a hardened, fiber-reinforced material similar to those used in bulletproof vests-managed to contain a 1,200-degree Fahrenheit fire for as long as four hours. An aerosol suppressant even managed to protect nearly all of the contents-including dozens of laptops, cellphones and a bulk shipment of lithium-ion batteries-from being damaged, according to information released by the company. Various types of rechargeable lithium batteries, from one or two cells to much larger versions that power electric vehicles, are considered highly flammable. Once they start burning, experts say such fires are difficult to extinguish. For years, U.S. and international safety experts have considered ways to enhance the safety of cargo planes carrying such cargo, but the effort has been slow and marked by opposition from certain battery makers, airlines and other business groups. Spokeswomen for the safety board and the Federal Aviation Administration didn't have any immediate comment. Back to Top Transport Canada admits to shortage in civil aviation inspectors OTTAWA-Transport Canada admitted Tuesday it is short of nearly 100 inspectors whose job is to check for safety problems at air carriers. Senior officials acknowledged the department is having a hard time filling all 880 positions, with vacancies currently standing at about 100 inspectors. Meanwhile, Auditor General Michael Ferguson, also testifying before the House of Commons public accounts committee about oversight of Canada's civil aviation system, complained Transport Canada's own national human resources plan does not specify the number of inspectors and engineers that are needed. Ferguson noted the department agreed to provide these figures in response to his office's 2008 audit, but Transport Canada has still not done so. Associate Deputy Minister Anita Biguzs tried to downplay this, saying the department regularly updates its staffing plans. "We feel like with the numbers that we have, that is sufficient to meet requirements of the program," Biguzs said of the 880 inspection positions. Opposition parties weren't satisfied. "Clearly, that puts the safety of Canadians in danger. We're about 100 short and the response was unsatisfactory," NDP MP Mathieu Ravignat. "First off, they are short on the 880 and we don't know what 880 is based on," added Liberal MP Gerry Byrne. When pressed by opposition parties on this question, Gerard McDonald, Transport Canada's assistant deputy minister of safety and security, said the department will table by next year an analysis of staffing needs for civil aviation as part of its national human resources plan. He also defended Transport Canada's recruitment efforts in the civil aviation branch. "We have the same amount of positions, but in an organization this large, there's a regular turnover of people, so the total number of positions are not always filled," said McDonald, who appeared alongside Biguzs to respond to Ferguson's latest audit on Transport Canada's oversight of civil aviation, released earlier this year. The latest audit notes that Canada compares favourably with many other countries in its aviation safety record. For example, last year, Canada saw the total number of accidents decline to the lowest recorded figure in modern aviation history, despite increases in air traffic; the accident rate in 2011 - fewer than six accidents per 100,000 hours flown - represented a 25 per cent improvement from a decade earlier. Still, Ferguson's 2012 audit found that the regulator failed to conduct planned inspections of hundreds of aviation companies designated as "higher risk" operations. The audit found that only 67 per cent of air carriers, maintenance companies and large airports were inspected, as they should have been, under annual surveillance plans in 2010-11. This represents about 500 companies. Under Transport Canada's surveillance plan, aviation companies designated as "high risk" must be inspected at least once a year. "That is significant considering that only the companies and the operational areas of higher risk are to be selected for inspection in any given year," Ferguson testified Tuesday. Following this testimony, Byrne asked McDonald and Biguzs how many civil aviation companies are currently designated as "high risk." On both occasions, the officials declined to answer. After the meeting, Byrne called the non-response "contemptible." He added: "It's an actual categorization that puts them in a slot - they must be inspected on an annual basis. That's a pretty straightforward and simple answer to provide a Parliamentary committee. They refused to provide it." http://www.canada.com/ Back to Top JetBlue flight returns to Fla. after bird strike . FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Maintenance crews are inspecting a JetBlue flight that was forced to return to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport shortly after takeoff because of a bird strike. Flight 1751 was bound for San Juan, Puerto Rico, when a bird struck one of the engines Monday morning. An airline statement says the plane landed safely. Crews are looking for damage. Five crew members and 142 passengers were on board. On Saturday, a US Airways flight from Key West, Fla., to Charlotte, N.C., was diverted to Fort Myers after a bird strike. No injuries were reported. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501363_162-57555335/jetblue-flight-returns-to-fla- after-bird-strike/ Back to Top Childress County helicopter crash kills 1, injures 1 (Texas) A McLean man was killed and another man was hospitalized Tuesday after a helicopter crash in Childress County, the Texas Department of Public Safety said. About 4:05 p.m., Childress County sheriff's deputies received a helicopter accident call 2½ miles northeast of Childress, authorities said. A Brim Aviation helicopter piloted by Keith Hard, 42, of Butte County, Calif., was hovering about 150 feet above the ground with Jonathan David Suhr, 23, of McLean sitting on a seat suspended 50 feet below the helicopter hanging a roller on a power line, authorities said. The helicopter lost power and fell, dropping Suhr with it, authorities said. Suhr died at Childress Regional Medical Center as a result of the accident, DPS said. Hard was taken to Childress Regional Medical Center for back injuries, the DPS said. Attempts to reach Brim Aviation representatives were unsuccessful Tuesday. Federal Aviation Administration records show the helicopter was a Hughes 369D rotorcraft registered to Brim Equipment Leasing Inc. out of Ashland, Ore. The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA will be at the accident site as soon as possible to investigate the crash, FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford said. "The National Transportation Safety Board will actually take the lead," Lunsford said. "They are in charge of investigating all fatal aircraft accidents." Lunsford said the FAA will aid NTSB in its investigation. Attempts to reach NTSB were unsuccessful Tuesday night. http://amarillo.com/news/local-news/2012-11-27/dps-1-dead-after-childress-county- helicopter-crash Back to Top Indonesia approves Sukhoi jets despite crash JAKARTA - Indonesia has certified Russian-made Sukhoi civilian jets as airworthy, allowing the export of the planes to the booming aviation market despite a pending probe into a crash that killed all 45 onboard. A Sukhoi Superjet 100 slammed into the 7,200-foot (2,200-metre) Mount Salak volcano in western Java on May 9 during an exhibition flight to showcase the jet in Indonesia, where the aviation industry is rapidly expanding. "We gave Sukhoi certification on Tuesday that validates the aircraft as airworthy," transport ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan told AFP on Wednesday. "We looked at the aircraft's build, design and engine and found it met both international and Indonesian standards." The approval allows the sale of the jet in Indonesia, Ervan said, where local carriers Kartika Airlines and Sky Aviation have orders for 30 and 12 aircraft respectively, with each jet priced at around US$30 million(S$36.80 million). Sky Aviation will receive its first aircraft in December and the remaining by 2015, marketing manager Sutito Zainudin said. "The certification is welcome news, and we have always been confident in the Sukhoi Superjet's airworthiness," Zainudin said. The National Transport Safety Committee conducting the investigation into the crash said it had come up with preliminary results in a draft that would be finalised by December. "We cannot give any information about the investigation, but the crash and the certification are two different things. They have nothing to do with each other," committee chairman Tatang Kurniadi said. Questions have swirled about why the plane descended to a dangerously low altitude in mountainous terrain before crashing with an experienced pilot at the helm. The Superjet accident was a heavy blow to the Russian aviation industry, which was hoping the new plane, the first new civilian aircraft built in post-Soviet Russia, would improve its image. The twin-engine plane made its first commercial flight last year and has already been certified as airworthy in Europe. The Superjet project is a joint venture between Sukhoi and Italy's Alenia Aeronautica. http://www.asiaone.com/ Back to Top Accident investigation bureau takes safety awareness to trade fairs (Nigeria) To create awareness about air safety, incidents and response to accidents, the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has taken the awareness to various trade fair centres in Nigeria. The agency, which has the mandate to investigate civil aircraft accidents and serious incidents that occur within the country, has been participating in international trade fairs held across the country. AIB maintained conspicuous stands at the just concluded Lagos and Abuja international trade fairs. It had also participated at Kaduna and Enugu international trade fairs. According to Tunji Oketunbi, the agency's spokesman and Head of Public Affairs, "We promote air safety. Trade fairs offer us the unique opportunity to connect with the public whose goodwill and support we need to carry out our statutory functions. Being a young organisation and that with very limited resources for publicity and awareness, we can meet a large number of people with different backgrounds here. It is important that people know who we are, what we do and how relevant we are to their lives. It is then they can extend their goodwill and support to us. "Feedback has shown us that many people have not yet known us and yet we need their cooperation and understanding during critical periods. We need to connect with them. During serious accidents, lack of understanding on the part of the public has cost us a lot in our investigations. "Accident scenes have been looted and the sites contaminated thereby robbing us of vital sources of information. Authentic eye-witness accounts are also very important to us in our job. On these and other issues we need to reach out to the public and educate them." According to Oketunbi, the Agency officials spoke to school children, traders, civil servants and businessmen, even foreigners. "Many of them confessed that they had never seen the black box before, which actually is orange in colour and were excited to see it, carry it and know how it works. They were taken through the process of accident investigation and our team of experts on hand fielded questions from the curious visitors. This connection, to us, is very important and fulfilling," Oketunbi said. Besides, the AIB team at the fairs also seized the opportunity to solicit the support of the public to refrain from tampering with items at the site of aircraft accident including aircraft parts and passengers' belongings. They urged the public to report any untoward occurrence involving any aircraft to the nearest police station or call AIB on its 24-hour hotlines 08077090908-09. http://www.businessdayonline.com Back to Top Witnesses say plane broke up before Oregon crash Officials investigate a piece of a plane on the side of Highway 226 east of Crabtree, Ore., on Monday, Nov. 26, 2012. Linn County sheriff's deputies are investigating a small plane crash east of Albany, Ore., that scattered enough debris to temporarily close a nearby state highway. There was no immediate word on the status of those aboard the plane. ALBANY, Ore. (AP) - A small airplane that crashed in the Willamette Valley appeared to have broken up in flight, witnesses said. The two-seater crashed Monday afternoon near Albany, killing the two people aboard. Investigators believe the 16-year-old silver aircraft departed the Lebanon Municipal Airport shortly before 3:30 p.m. on a pleasure flight. Witnesses reported seeing the plane turn left over state Highway 226 when part of a wing separated and fell on the highway, Linn County Undersheriff Bruce Riley said. Jenissa Currey, 17, was driving home from Scio High School when she noticed something falling from the sky. "It took me a few seconds to realize what it was," she told the Albany Democrat-Herald (http://bit.ly/TrjfR3). "It had only one wing on the plane, and it wasn't fully put together." The plane fell into a cow pasture about 400 yards from the road. Tom Bishop of Lacomb, who on his way to work in Albany, arrived at the scene minutes after the crash. There were no wings on what was left of the plane, he said. "It was just a big ball," he said. "All you could see was the tail fin on it, to basically tell you it was a plane." Killed in the crash were 45-year-old Jeff Earl "Tebo" Kropf of Halsey and 46-year-old Timothy Dean Carter of Portland, the pilot. The plane was described as an RV-6. Gus Funnell, a technical support employee at Van's Aircraft of Aurora, which uses the RV label on its kit planes, said the company was searching its records Tuesday. It appeared the plane was built from plans rather than a kit, and its serial number wasn't in the company records, he said. The RV-6 model hasn't been sold for 11 years, although builders are still working on some of them, Funnell said. Such planes are labeled experimental because the Federal Aviation Administration classifies them that way, he said. Flight instructor Jerry Wilken of Albany told the paper he flies an RV-6 and describes them as strong and good at handling both fast and slow speeds, making them a popular small aircraft design "I don't know what could have happened," Wilken said. "Wings shouldn't fall off of them. They're built just amazingly strong. ... The way it's put together, it's hard for me to believe a wing would just fall off." http://www.timesunion.com/ Back to Top Back to Top Bombardier wins business-jet order worth as much as $7.8 billion Under the deal, potentially the biggest in Bombardier history, luxury air-charter company VistaJet Holding will buy 56 aircraft with options for 86 more. Bombardier Inc. won a business-jet deal with luxury air-charter company VistaJet Holding that could be the biggest in its history, exceeding a transaction five months ago with Warren Buffett's plane-leasing unit. VistaJet ordered 56 Global-series aircraft and took options for 86 more as it taps Asian demand. The deal has a value of $3.1 billion, which would rise to $7.8 billion should all the planes be taken, Bombardier said in a statement. The business-jet agreement marks a second significant win for the Montreal aircraft maker, which in June reached a $7.3-billion agreement for as many as 275 of its Challenger aircraft with a unit of Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Purchases of private aircraft had languished amid a recession and the global financial crisis that intensified in late 2008. "These orders reinforce the outlook for solid growth in production rates in the large-cabin business-aircraft segment over the next several years," said Fadi Chamoun, a BMO Capital Markets analyst in Toronto, who rates Bombardier shares "outperform." The sizable cabins on Global-series planes make them well-suited to demand in China, where the emphasis is on high-status models, as well as promising markets such as Indonesia, said Paul Sheridan, head of Asian consulting at aviation advisory firm Ascend Worldwide Ltd. VistaJet placed firm orders for 25 Global 5000 planes, which can seat 20 people and connect San Francisco with Seoul; 25 Global 6000s seating eight and able to fly from London to Tokyo; and six Global 8000s that can also carry eight and travel from New York to Hong Kong. The options are for 40 each of the 5000 and 6000 models, plus six 8000s. Deliveries will begin in January 2014 and occur at a rate of one a month for 10 years. Bombardier sees demand for 24,000 business jets during the next two decades, with 45% of sales falling into the Global family segment, Steve Ridolfi, president of the company's business-aircraft unit, said at a news briefing in London. The Global 5000 carries a catalog price of $48.6 million, while the 6000 is listed at $58.5 million and the 8000 at $66.3 million, Bombardier said. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-bombardier-jet-deal-20121128,0,7292953.story Back to Top Jetstream without pilot to take off from Warton Aerodrome Auto pilot: a Jetstream plane, similar to this one, will be used to test whether flights can be operated safely without pilots this week. WOULD you get in a plane that didn't have a pilot? That is the future of air travel. In the next few weeks a twin-engine Jetstream will take off from Warton Aerodrome in Lancashire, England and head north towards Scotland. The pilot of the plane will not be on board. They will be in a control room with their feet firmly on the ground in Warton. The Jetstream flight is designed to test technologies and procedures that will allow commercial aircraft to operate safely and routinely without pilots. The future of pilotless planes is real. America's aviation regulators have been asked by Congress to integrate unmanned aircraft into the skies by 2015. It would start with small jobs like border patrols, traffic monitoring, surf patrols and police surveillance. Then it would move to larger aircraft. Modern planes are capable of automatically taking off, flying to a destination and landing. The tests being carried out in England will determine whether all those things can be done without a pilot actually on board the plane. The $100m programme is backed by the British government and involves seven European aerospace companies: AOS, BAE Systems, Cassidian, Cobham, QinetiQ, Rolls- Royce and Thales. So, would you feel safe flying in a pilotless plane? If not, you had better get used to the idea. http://www.news.com.au/news/jetstream-without-pilot-to-take-off-from-warton- aerodrome/story-fnehlez2-1226525681766#ixzz2DUGGgY5D Back to Top New aviation scholarship honors late FedEx pilot, wife A new aviation scholarship program, honoring one of the first FedEx pilots and his spouse, launched Tuesday with an initial endowment of $500,000. More than 80 FedEx Express retired pilots, executives and other guests gathered Tuesday at the company's hub in Memphis for an event announcing the new Paul B. and Frances M. Crow Aviation Scholarship Foundation. Paul B. Crow was one of the original pilots when FedEx was founded in 1972. A World War II veteran and Navy aviator, he retired from FedEx in 1995 and died in 2003. His wife, Frances M. Crow, died in 2009. Their daughter, Pat, created the foundation to honor them. "I couldn't bear the thought of my parents' memory being lost to the ages," Pat Crow told those attending the announcement event. "I wondered what would be their legacy and the idea of a scholarship foundation seemed like the right thing to do." A former 20-year FedEx Express employee, Pat Crow said she discussed the foundation with her financial planner Terry Morris, of Raymond James, and through other contacts with retired FedEx pilots the scholarship concept evolved. Crow said FedEx stock investments she made through her two decades with the company represent the initial funding. The Foundation, expected to be finalized in several months following approval by the IRS as a nonprofit, will provide financial assistance to students wishing to pursue a professional career as a commercial pilot. Scholarship guidelines and eligibility requirements will be completed at that time. "We are eternally grateful for this special gift from Pat Crow, in memory of her parents," said David J. Bronczek, FedEx Express president and CEO. "This is a generous contribution from and in honor of people who were part of the FedEx family; that makes it very special." The scholarship comes at a time when the aviation industry is bracing for an expected pilot shortage. http://www.commercialappeal.com/ Back to Top Obama Gives Shield To Airlines (from EU Carbon Emissions) WASHINGTON (WSJ)-President Barack Obama signed a law Tuesday that shields U.S. airlines from having to comply with a greenhouse-gas standard adopted by the European Union, ratcheting up a conflict that reflects U.S. concerns about European environmental measures. The bill recently passed both the House and the Senate, with both Republican and Democratic lawmakers saying the EU lacked the power to create standards for U.S. operators. The EU's program requires airlines using European airports to obtain allowances for carbon dioxide emitted during the full length of their flights. Airlines that exceed designated limits will be allowed to buy additional allowances on the open market. Earlier this month, the EU said it would postpone the greenhouse-gas program for a year. The EU said it was encouraged by progress being made in a United Nations agency that develops global aviation policy and is working on similar standards for use around the world. Despite the EU delay, U.S. lawmakers said the law signed by Mr. Obama was needed in case the U.N. effort stalled and the EU went ahead with enforcing its program in 2013. "American sovereignty will no longer be threatened by the EU's illegitimate and disingenuous 'environmental' tax on our country," said Sen. John Thune (R., S.D.), the primary author of the bill, on Tuesday. U.S. airlines said the greenhouse-gas requirement would have cost them $3 billion between now and 2020. Some airlines already started to charge fees on trans-Atlantic flights to cover future costs. The law doesn't immediately forbid U.S. airlines from taking part in the EU program but empowers the administration to exempt U.S. airlines at a future date. "We regret the...decision to adopt the so-called Thune bill," a spokeswoman for the EU said. "We encourage all countries, including the U.S., to focus their efforts on injecting positive ideas and forward-looking solutions into that UN-led process." "The Obama administration is firmly committed to reducing harmful carbon pollution from civil aviation," a White House spokesman said. "But, as we have said on many occasions, the application of the EU [standard] to non-EU air carriers is the wrong way to achieve that objective." Environmental groups said Mr. Obama's handling of the EU airline bill marked his first test on climate change following re-election. In previous weeks, environmental groups criticized the president for failing to talk about climate change during campaign debates. World Wildlife Fund, one of the environmental groups supporting the EU, said Tuesday it was "disappointed" the measure was signed into law. The group said it was pleased, however, that the U.S. was willing to adopt a global standard under the umbrella of the U.N.'s International Civil Aviation Organization. Depending on what the EU decides to do a year from now, the new U.S. law could escalate tensions over the greenhouse-gas standard. China, Russia and other nations have said they also oppose the EU's program. Back to Top First Flight For Legacy 500 Embraer flew its all-new midsize Legacy 500 jet for the first time on Tuesday, for an hour and 45 minutes. It's the first jet in its class to use a fly-by-wire control system, according to Embraer. It also features a large cabin for up to 12 passengers with six feet of headroom. Two Honeywell HTF 7500E engines drive the jet at up to Mach .82 for 3,000 miles. The flight was "flawless," the company said. First deliveries are expected in 2014. The cockpit also features sidestick controllers and Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics with synthetic vision. The jet is aimed to fill the gap between the light Phenom models and the big-cabin 600 and 650. The company has two other prototypes in the works for the flight-test program. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/FirstFlightForLegacy500_207759-1.html Back to Top Space industry gears up crew training XCOR Aerospace is building the two-seat Lynx for suborbital spaceflight. A crowded field of contenders is vying to produce commercial spacecraft in the next few years, and those spacecraft will need pilots. Training has already begun. The National AeroSpace Training and Research (NASTAR) Center, a subsidiary of Environmental Tectonics Corporation, has added spaceflight training to its aviation programs for both government and commercial operators. The company announced in October that FAA safety approval has been granted for its altitude chamber, able to subject participants to pressure altitudes up to 100,000 feet. The FAA previously approved the spaceflight simulator used in the NASTAR Center's astronaut training programs, and the company has already trained 250 "spaceflight participants" to date, including 115 future Virgin Galactic flight crew members (astronauts). "This has become quite an emerging industry," said Brienna Henwood, director of space training and research for the NASTAR Center, created by ETC, a global manufacturer of simulators based in Southampton, Pa. With commercial space companies planning to begin flight testing in 2013 and 2014, "we're already having a lot of people knock on our door." The NASTAR Center was the first to win FAA approval for a spaceflight simulator. Photo courtesy NASTAR. Among those knocking are companies like XCOR Aerospace, currently working to build a two-seat Lynx suborbital vehicle that the company hopes to launch in 2013. NASTAR Center is also working with Armadillo Aerospace, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic to train crews and passengers, or "spaceflight participants," and researchers seeking to experiment in microgravity. In addition to these suborbital efforts, Boeing, SpaceX, and Sierra Nevada Corp. each landed a share of a $1.1 billion NASA grant announced in August to develop orbital craft capable of carrying humans to the International Space Station, with flights expected in 2017. Training for those missions will, for the first time, create spaceflight opportunities for private passengers and crews selected by corporations instead of government space agencies. For crews, the path to space may in coming years no longer require extensive military or test flight experience. "It was a high criteria to be a NASA astronaut," Henwood said. "Now, I think all of that's going to be accessible to all of us." At the direction of Congress, the FAA has left the requirements for commercial space crews deliberately vague: a pilot certificate, instrument rating, and Class II medical are specifically required under 14 CFR Part 460, but many of the training requirements are more broadly defined, allowing operators some flexibility. Simulation of normal flight and emergency conditions is among the requirements, and NASTAR Center is the first provider to offer a space-qualified simulator. (ETC also designed the Disney attraction Mission: Space at Epcot Center.) NASTAR Center training starts with a half-day entry-level course ($500), and a two-day course for "spaceflight participants" that costs $3,000. Prospective flight crew members would then go on to more advanced training, the cost and specifics tailored to a particular mission. NASTAR Center is also working with its simulators and centrifuge to develop data on how spaceflight will affect the rest of us, those not trained for military combat or Space Shuttle missions. Henwood said there will also be opportunities even for those who are not suited for, or interested in, a high-speed, high-G environment. The National AeroSpace Training and Research Center, a private company in Southampton, Pa., offers centrifuge training to simulate launch and reentry forces as part of its spaceflight crew training program. "I will need pilots as instructors," Henwood said, noting that physicians, curriculum developers, and other specialists will be in increasing demand in the coming few years as programs-and training-ramp up. "Keep following the direction of the industry, because there will be a lot of jobs coming." The FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation has also approved zero-G training conducted by Zero Gravity Corporation, billed as the only option available for the general public to experience weightlessness short of space travel. In addition to the aforementioned firms, which are well on the way to suborbital flight, there are other players. A Florida company, Rocket Crafters, is working on several fronts, designing spacecraft for both commercial transportation and training. Ronald D. Jones, Rocket Crafters president and chief technology officer, said those two-seat trainers-which Rocket Crafters hopes to bring to flight schools and collegiate aviation programs starting in 2015-are being developed in conjunction with a comprehensive spaceflight academy, in partnership with an existing aeronautical program he declined to identify, yet (an announcement may be forthcoming soon). "Our goal, actually, is for the space flight academy to be the first institution to offer full certification programs in this field," Jones said. While much of the private investment in suborbital flight to date has focused on the tourism model, where participants will experience a few minutes of weightlessness before returning to the original launch location, Jones said Rocket Crafters is designing transport vehicles able to carry a relatively small number of passengers across oceans at Mach 6. Think New York to London in two hours or less, depending on routing requirements and any ATC holds. "That is the goal of most of the providers, but that's a long, long way off," Henwood said of supersonic-or hypersonic-space travel. http://www.aopa.org/training/articles/2012/121127space-industry-gears-up-crew- training.html Curt Lewis