Flight Safety Information November 29, 2012 - No. 239 In This Issue NTSB ISSUES RECOMMENDATIONS TO BETTER DETECT AND SUPPRESS AIR CARGO FIRES Kazakhstan emergency officials say 8 killed in helicopter crash near Chinese border Avantair Names Industry Veteran to Top Safety, Compliance Post United Continental Holdings sues complaint website, Untied.com GE Aviation Gets A Tailwind On Strong Global Airplane Demand Small aircraft, smart safety US aircraft carrier tests new drone...Under wraps Ruling in Concorde crash appeal expected Thursday PROS IOSA Audit Experts Bombardier to showcase 3 jets at Dubai event China's new fighter jet has 3,000 km range Pentagon Hires Outside Help to Train bin Laden Raid Pilots Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association to Host February 2013 Conference in Orlando Saudi postpones awarding new aviation licenses PIA to buy eight aircraft next year NTSB ISSUES RECOMMENDATIONS TO BETTER DETECT AND SUPPRESS AIR CARGO FIRES WASHINGTON - The National Transportation Safety Board today issued three recommendations to reduce the impact of in-flight fires aboard cargo airplanes, saying current fire protection regulations are inadequate. The recommendations urge the Federal Aviation Administration to require active fire suppression systems in all cargo containers or compartments of cargo aircraft. They also recommend improving early detection of fires within cargo containers and pallets and urge that cargo containers provide better fire resistance. The NTSB has led or participated in the investigation of three fire-related accidents involving cargo aircraft in the past six years. One involved a UPS aircraft in Philadelphia that was substantially damaged in 2006; another was a UPS flight that crashed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2010; and the third was an Asiana Cargo flight that crashed into the East China Sea off the coast of South Korea in 2011. The Dubai and South Korea investigations are ongoing under the direction of the General Civil Aviation Authority of the United Arab Emirates and the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board of Korea respectively. "These fires quickly grew out of control, leaving the crew with little time to get the aircraft on the ground," said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman. "Detection, suppression and containment systems can give crews more time and more options. The current approach is not safe enough." NTSB investigators found that the early stages of a fire burning inside a cargo container are concealed from detection. In later stages, when the fire grows and does become detectable, it rapidly intensifies and burns through the container to become a substantial threat to the aircraft and crew. In the UAE crash, the crew had just 2 ½ minutes between the fire detection and the onset of aircraft system failures. "I also want to commend the air cargo industry for actively researching and implementing new fire prevention and suppression technologies," said Hersman, who was briefed this week by UPS on its efforts. FedEx is in the process of installing a fire- suppression system on its long-haul fleet. A link to the full text of the safety recommendations can be found here: http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/recletters/2012/A-12-068-070.pdf Contact Information Office of Public Affairs 490 L'Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC 20594 Eric M. Weiss (202) 314-6100 eric.weiss@ntsb.gov Back to Top Kazakhstan emergency officials say 8 killed in helicopter crash near Chinese border ALMATY, Kazakhstan (AP) - Emergency service officials in Kazakhstan say they have found the wreckage of a helicopter that went missing earlier this week with eight people onboard. The Emergency Services Ministry said Thursday that it believes all eight occupants were killed, but that only six bodies have so far been located. It says only the tail of the helicopter remained intact. Dozens of search workers using helicopters, vehicles and boats had been scouring valleys and a lake near the Central Asian nation's border with China since the helicopter disappeared Saturday. Operations have been complicated by poor weather in the area. The Russian-made Mi-8 helicopter was being leased to a Kazakh-Chinese oil pipeline construction company. www.theprovince.com/news/ ************ Date: 24-NOV-2012 Time: Type: Mil Mi-8 Operator: Euro-Asia Air Registration: UP-MI823 C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: / Occupants: 8 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: mis Location: Almaty Province - Kazakhstan Phase: En route Nature: Passenger Departure airport: Take-off platform near the Kazakhstan village of the Alakol area of Al Destination airport: Narrative: Disappeared en route. The helicopter belongs to the Zhezkazgan branch of JSC EuroAsiaAir and was rented by Kazakhstan-Chinese Pipeline LLP for a flight of the Atasu-Alashankou oil pipeline. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Avantair Names Industry Veteran to Top Safety, Compliance Post CLEARWATER, Fla. - Avantair, Inc. (OTCBB: AAIR) announced it has named one of the most respected safety and compliance executives in commercial aviation to oversee its maintenance and compliance operations. David E. Cann is Avantair's new Senior Vice President of Safety, Quality and Compliance. His appointment is effective immediately. Mr. Cann brings decades of experience at the highest level of aviation safety and maintenance operations. After serving in Vietnam, working in ground operations, and working as a flight engineer in both military and commercial aviation, Mr. Cann spent 22 years at the Federal Aviation Administration. At the FAA, Mr. Cann was responsible for drafting FAA maintenance program regulations as well as guidance and policy utilized by the major commercial airlines today. For his final seven years with the FAA, through 2008, he was the top FAA executive overseeing maintenance operations. "David's qualifications and reputation are unsurpassed in the industry," said Steven Santo, Chief Executive Officer of Avantair. "Adding him to our executive team will help ensure Avantair runs an unrivaled maintenance and safety operation." As previously announced, Avantair also has retained the services of Nick Sabatini, previously the top career official at the FAA, to lead an internal review of Avantair's aircraft and maintenance operations. "The hiring of these highly respected and talented experts reflects our unwavering commitment to safety," Mr. Santo said. "This commitment is unrivaled in our industry." About Avantair Avantair,® the sole North American provider of fractional shares, aircraft leasing and time card programs for the Piaggio Avanti aircraft, and the only publicly traded stand- alone private aircraft operator, is headquartered in Clearwater, FL, with more than 500 employees. The company offers private travel solutions for individuals and businesses traveling within its service area, which includes the continental United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico. The company currently manages a fleet of 57 aircraft. For more information about Avantair, please visit: www.avantair.com. http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/11/28/4446436/avantair-names-industry- veteran.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top United Continental Holdings sues complaint website, Untied.com Canadian professor says airline is trying to intimidate him, shut site; United says it's protecting intellectual property, trying to avoid customer confusion United Continental sued the man behind Untied.com, which airs grievances from disgruntled customers. United Continental Holdings has sued a Canadian professor who maintains Untied.com, a 15-year-old website airing complaints from disgruntled United Airlines passengers and employees. Two suits filed in Canadian courts allege the site violates the airline's copyright and trademarks because it looks like the United.com website. The airline also alleges the complaint site violates the privacy of senior airline employees by posting contact information for those workers. However, the site's operator says the airline is trying to bully and intimidate him because his website is critical of United. In the lawsuits, United said it is not trying to prevent Jeremy Cooperstock from operating a website where people can express their views about United, but is instead trying to protect its intellectual property, such as its logo, and trying to alleviate confusion by United customers who might think they are filing a complaint with the airline on Untied.com "We are not requesting the website be shut down," said Megan McCarthy, United spokeswoman. It was only after an April redesign of Cooperstock's site, which made it look more like the new United.com, that the airline asked him to modify his site so customers would not be confused, McCarthy said, adding that the airline tried to resolve the matter directly with Cooperstock before opting to sue. Cooperstock, 45, an engineering professor at McGill University in Montreal, vowed to fight the lawsuits, which he calls SLAPP suits, standing for strategic lawsuit against public participation. Such meritless suits are filed to put a strain on the defendants' time and money so they cease the criticism. Cooperstock claims the effectiveness of his site is the reason for the lawsuits. "They are trying to shut down my site instead of dealing with their problems," he said. "If they had put as much effort into improving their service as into these SLAPP suits, there'd be no reason for the website." The site claims to have "collected more than 25,000 passenger complaints against United, along with hundreds of postings from mistreated employees." Indeed, United has had more than its share of customer service problems in 2012. Especially during the summer, United had rampant delays and cancellations following a switchover to a new passenger reservation system. The problems were so bad they hurt the airline's third-quarter profits as many customers fled to competitors, United officials told Wall Street analysts. Companies or organizations suing a critic is not new, especially since the rise of the Internet gave individuals a larger platform to voice their displeasure, which can inflict more harm on a company, said Jeff Hermes, director of the Digital Media Law Project at Harvard University. In the U.S., whether a suit is a SLAPP often depends on state law, and not all states have anti-SLAPP legislation, which generally helps a defendant get a meritless case dismissed early in the process, Hermes said. Some states, for example, focus on an individual's right to participate freely in government and not specifically on criticizing companies. SLAPP suits more often involve claims of defamation than violation of copyright or trademarks, the issues in the United case, he said. In the United Airlines lawsuits, United said Cooperstock redesigned his website in April to look much like United.com. The color scheme, font, layout, logo and globe design are "confusingly similar" to United's and difficult to distinguish from the airline site, United alleges. Cooperstock said his site looks similar because it is a parody and that nobody would think it's the real United Airlines site - especially after he recently included a pop-up window that asks visitors to acknowledge that they understand it's not the airline site. United also wants Cooperstock to remove workplace contact information for United employees, who are not customer service employees but have been harassed at work by angry customers. Cooperstock said the same contact information is readily available via Internet search engines or in public documents. The lawsuits, filed by United and Continental airlines, were filed Nov. 19, in the Federal Court of Canada and Superior Court of Quebec. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-1129-united-website- 20121129,0,3069873.story Back to Top GE Aviation Gets A Tailwind On Strong Global Airplane Demand United Technologies And GE Fight For The Top Spot In The Aircraft Engine Market The global commercial airplane industry is poised for growth over the coming years driven by replacement demand for aging airplane fleets in North America and Europe and increasing fleet sizes in emerging economies. The market for commercial airplanes is projected to grow to $4.5 trillion over the next 20 years, according to Boeing ( BA ). This large, growing global airline market will drive growth for aircraft engine manufacturers and service providers. GE ( GE ) is one of the largest players in this space through GE Aviation and will continue to target this growing market. Revenues for GE Aviation increased 7% y-o-y and profits increased 6% y-o-y in 2011. Over the past two decades, GE also benefited from the increasing share of engine manufacturers in global maintenance, repair and overhaul ( MRO ) services market for aircraft engines. However, the relatively higher proportion of research and development expenses at GE Aviation in comparison to the other company segments will continue to impact the segment's bottom-line. GE Aviation is one of the largest aircraft engine manufacturers and MRO service providers GE Aviation designs, manufactures and sells aircraft engines for commercial as well as military aircraft. It is one of the largest players in this space alongside United Technologies' (NYSE:UTC) Pratt & Whitney and Rolls Royce. The GEnx engines power the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Boeing 747-8, which is the largest commercial aircraft built in the U.S. In addition, GE's commercial engines are used in all aircraft categories: short/medium, intermediate and long range as well as executive and regional aircraft. GE also has strategic joint ventures with Safran of France named CFM International and with Pratt & Whitney named Engine Alliance. All in all, GE Aviation is well-positioned to take a large share of growth anticipated in the global commercial airplane industry. GE Aviation also provides MRO services to airlines usually under long-term contracts. Additionally, over the past few decades, as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like Boeing and Airbus increased their focus on their core competencies, the share of specialized MRO service providers increased in the global aircraft MRO service market. This further aided growth at GE Aviation. GE Aviation to add significant growth to GE's top-line over the coming years Growth in military aircraft engine market is dependent on government spending. In the U.S. this is likely to come under pressure due to defense spending cuts, but growth in military spending in emerging economies is expected to continue to rise. And growth in the commercial aircraft engine market is closely linked with global economic growth. Despite the near-term concerns arising from the European sovereign debt crisis and slowing growth in emerging economies, the long-term growth prospects remain strong. Recently, Turkish Airlines ordered 15 Boeing 777 and 15 Airbus A330 powered by GE engines. The airline also signed a corresponding long-term maintenance agreement with GE. The combined value of engine and maintenance agreements was over $2.4 billion. By our estimates, GE Aviation constitutes nearly 19% of GE's total value. However, high R&D expenses in aviation will impact the segment's bottom-line Competition in the aircraft engine and MRO market is intense, and so product quality and efficiency are critical for success. As such R&D expenditures are high. Aviation accounts for the largest share of R&D expenses at GE even though the company's energy business is larger than its aviation business. Thus, the higher proportion of R&D will continue to impact GE Aviation's bottom-line. All in all, growth in the commercial airline industry will drive GE's aviation business, which in turn will drive GE's top-line growth over the coming years. Read more: http://community.nasdaq.com/News/2012-11/ge-aviation-gets-a-tailwind- on-strong-global-airplane-demand.aspx?storyid=192933#ixzz2DcTxEKcp Back to Top Small aircraft, smart safety Welcome onboard an aircraft unlike any other. It's been designed to increase safety on small planes and the stakes are high. At one incident every 10,000 flight hours in Europe, small aircraft have a much worse safety record than big airliners. So to improve that record, European researchers have taken a challenging flight. Above the Austrian Alps flies what seems to be an ordinary small aircraft. But it holds a secret. The flight controls on board are not manual. Instead, electronic signals and computers determine the flight pattern. The pilot basically flies the aircraft via a computer. This is what is universally known as a digital "fly-by-wire" flight system. The system has greatly contributed to flight safety and has been in use for decades in big airliners and business jets. But until now it has been seen as too heavy, too large and too expensive to be installed in small aircraft. But then scientists in a European Union research project decided to provide a helping hand to the less experienced pilots onboard these tiny planes. And to achieve that, scientists did some sophisticated research. At an aerospace laboratory in Germany, scientists worked to develop hardware and software able to guarantee a safe, automated and autonomous way of flying. To do it they had to create electronic systems which could autonomously overcome any failures in the aircraft's functions - without the pilot even noticing that a critical failure had ocurred. The next step was to embed this complex software into a reduced, light hardware adapted to the limited load capacity of small aircraft. But before installing the digital equipment in a real aircraft, a complex simulation had to be done in a unique aeronautical flight facility. Meanwhile in the Netherlands, researchers tested the digital flight control system in a simulator. It was indeed able to ensure the safety of virtual flights in simulated difficult flying conditions -without the test pilots actively intervening. The system, researchers say, even automatically keeps the aircraft away from dangerous flight patterns. Back in Austria, the first test flights of the final prototype were considered a success by the scientists, who are now looking ahead. Manufacturers of small aircraft see this reinforced safety as an ideal marketing tool to seduce potential new customers. Researchers are now considering how to use the same digital flight control not only for cruising but for a bigger challenge: take off and landing. For more information see http://www.fp7-safar.de/ Back to Top US aircraft carrier tests new drone Under wraps ... the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System demonstrator is hoisted onto the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. The US Navy's new bat-winged experimental drone has been delivered to an aircraft carrier to undergo handling tests aboard the ship. The Navy said that sailors aboard the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman took delivery of the drone on Monday from Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, where it had been undergoing tests. Truman is the first aircraft carrier to conduct test operations for an unmanned aircraft. The drone, named the X-47B, is designed to perform one of aviation's most difficult maneuvers: landing on the deck of an aircraft carrier. What's even more remarkable is that it will do that not only without a pilot in the cockpit, but without a pilot at all. With the drone's ability to be flown autonomously by an on-board computer, the X-47B marks a paradigm shift in warfare. Currently, combat drones are controlled remotely by a human pilot. The X-47B could carry out a combat mission controlled entirely by a computer. A human pilot designs a flight path and sends it on its way, and a computer program guides it from a ship to target and back. The X-47B is designed to fly further and stay in the air longer than existing aircraft because it does not depend on a human pilot's endurance. Navy fighter pilots may fly missions as long as 10 hours. Current drones can fly three times as long. Two X-47Bs were built under a $US635.8 million contract awarded by the Navy in 2007. They were constructed behind a barbed-wire fences and double security doors at Northrop Grumman's expansive facility in Palmdale, California. The X-47B is an experimental jet - that's what the X stands for - and is designed to demonstrate new technology, such as automated takeoffs, landings and refueling. The drone also has a fully capable weapons bay with a payload capacity of 2040 kilograms, but the Navy said it has no plans to arm it. In February 2010, the first X-47B had its maiden flight from Edwards Air Force Base, where it continued testing until last December, when it was shipped from the Mojave Desert to the air station in southern Maryland. The drone, strapped to the back of a big rig, caused a stir on its cross-country trip when people mistook the sleek robotic jet for a UFO. The Navy has said it expects the X-47B to first land on a carrier by 2013, relying on pinpoint GPS coordinates and advanced avionics. The carrier's computers digitally transmit the carrier's speed, cross-winds and other data to the drone as it approaches from kilometres away. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/technology/sci-tech/us-aircraft-carrier-tests-new- drone-20121129-2aik0.html#ixzz2DcOlFQTq Back to Top Ruling in Concorde crash appeal expected Thursday VERSAILLES, France (AP) - A French appeals court is set to decide Thursday whether to uphold a manslaughter conviction against Continental Airlines for the July 2000 crash of an Air France Concorde that killed 113 people. The crash led to the Concorde program, a synonym for luxury but a commercial failure despite its high speed and advanced technology, to be taken out of service in 2003. Air France and British Airways had jointly operated the program. In the 2000 accident, the jet slammed into a hotel near Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport soon after taking off, killing all 109 people aboard and four others on the ground. Most of the victims were Germans heading to a cruise in the Caribbean. A French court initially convicted Continental Airlines Inc. and one of its mechanics in 2010 for the crash of the Air France Concorde, and imposed about €2 million ($2.7 million) in damages and fines on the carrier. The lower court ruled that the mechanic fitted a faulty metal strip on a Continental DC- 10 that fell onto the runway, puncturing the Concorde's tire, sending bits of rubber into the fuel tanks and starting the fire that brought down the plane. Continental merged with United in 2010 and the new company is called United Continental Holdings Corp. Back to Top Back to Top Bombardier to showcase 3 jets at Dubai event Dubai - Canada-based Bombardier Aerospace, a manufacturer of both planes and trains, will showcase three of its class-defining business jets at an upcoming business aviation show in Dubai. The fifth edition of Middle East Business Aviation (MEBA) is set to be held at Dubai's Al Maktoum airport from December 11 to 13. Bombardier will display the Challenger 605, Challenger 850 and Global 5000 jets. The Bombardier Vision Flight Deck will be adding another show to its world tour since it entered service in March. Aboard the Global 6000 demonstrator it has accumulated over 550 flight hours, completed more than 235 legs and flown over 600 passengers a total distance in excess of 400,000 km (248,548 miles). "The Middle East remains a solid market for business aviation, and this year's show will see us highlight our entire family of jets," said Khader Mattar, regional vice president, Middle East, Africa and India. "We know our Global 5000 jet will be a particular highlight as it offers the region great range, a superior cabin and generous baggage space." Bombardier has also expanded its support in the region as it continues to invest in its facilities and offerings. In the past year, Bombardier named Qatar Airways' Corporate Jet Division, Qatar Executive, a Line Maintenance Facility (LMF) for Challenger 300, Challenger 604, Challenger 605 and Global business jets. The Doha-based LMF complements Bombardier's parts depot and full-scale business aircraft Regional Support Office (RSO) in Dubai, staffed by a customer liaison pilot, customer support account manager, two field service representatives and the RSO manager. Challenger 605 aircraft: The revered Challenger 605 jet builds upon the legacy of productivity, quality and reliability of its predecessor, the peerless Challenger 604 jet, leading its market share segment throughout the world. Featuring one of the widest stand-up cabins of any large category business jet available today, it can soar six passengers 4,000 nm (7,408 km) from Dubai to Hong Kong. Challenger 850 aircraft: The Challenger 850 jet embodies comfort for its passengers by offering the largest cabin in its segment with proven reliability, making it the choice of many for flights up to 2,811 nm (5,206 km). It will fly eight passengers from Dubai to Moscow non-stop. Global 5000 aircraft: The Global 5000 jet combines superior transcontinental speed with the largest cabin in its class. It offers ultimate comfort to those on board and with the Bombardier Vision Flight Deck it combines design and technology from nose to tail. On board, passengers have high-speed Internet and unmatched entertainment and productivity options. This jet will fly 5,200 nm (9,630 km) and connect Dubai with Cape Town. - TradeArabia News Service http://www.tradearabia.com/news/TTN_226442.html Back to Top China's new fighter jet has 3,000 km range Beijing: Chinese fighter jet J-15, which successfully landed on the country's first aircraft carrier, has a range of about 3,000 km without refuelling and strong sea-air combat capability, said an official. Zhang Junshe, deputy director of the country's Naval Military Studies Research Institute, told the People's Daily that the successful takeoff and landing of the J-15 is a clear sign of an increase in the fighting capacity of the aircraft carrier. Carrier-based aircraft is an important symbol of the fighting capacity of an aircraft carrier, he said. Zhang said the J-15 is China's first generation of independently developed carrier-based aircraft. It is a third-generation fighter with strong sea-air combat capability and supersonic speeds. It can carry multiple types of long-range anti-ship and air-to-air missiles. The J-15 has a range of about 3,000 km without refueling, and thus has strong long- range combat capability, said the media report. After the successful takeoff and landing of the carrier-based aircraft, the navy will now test other components of the carrier battle group. http://twocircles.net/2012nov29/chinas_new_fighter_jet_has_3000_km_range.html Back to Top Pentagon Hires Outside Help to Train bin Laden Raid Pilots The 160th's Night Stalkers fly modified versions of MH-60 Black Hawks, like these at Bagram air base in Afghanistan. The Army's storied and super-secret Night Stalkers - the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) - is tops when it comes to flying. Especially in the dark. While heavily-armed. "Although they're not in the audience, I want to acknowledge the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment - the Night Stalkers - for their extraordinary service," President Obama told the troops at Fort Campbell, Ky., last year. He visited the post to thank the Navy SEALs for killing Osama bin Laden - and the 160th for getting the SEALs to and from bin Laden's Pakistani hideout, more or less safely - four days earlier. So it came as a bit of a surprise Wednesday to see that the U.S. Special Operations Command plans to spend up to $250 million over the coming decade to hire outside help to train the best helo pilots in the world. The solicitation explains: The Contractor shall provide....aviation and combat skills training; program integration, and flight support to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Training Battalion (SOATB), the Technology Applications Program Office (TAPO), and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) (160th SOAR (A)). The 160th SOAR (A) supports worldwide contingency operations using a fleet of highly modified aircraft...The scope of effort can support newly deployed systems, for example Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) or new Mission Design Series Aircraft. The anticipated task orders include, but are not limited to, the following areas: a) Combat Skills Instruction and other...Unique Labor Categories (e.g. Ammo, Armor, Medic, etc.) b) Flight and Simulator Training c) Air Movement Specialists (formerly Loadmasters) d) Training Development Support e) Developmental Test Pilot, Maintenance Test Pilot, and non-Rated Crewmember support of aircraft modernization and/or developmental efforts f) Development of Program of Instruction (POI) and follow on Instruction for SOA Unique requirements of Unmanned Aerial Systems. The contractor will be working with MH-60, MH-47 and A/M-6 choppers, the backbone of the 160th's fleet (the 160th flew a pair of MH-60s and MH-47s on the bin Laden raid). The military doesn't want any of these contractors mistaken for the real thing. "Flight clothing shall be standardized for all contractor employees supporting this task order, and from a distance up to 30 feet away, easily identify the individual as a contractor," it says. "Contractor employees supporting this task order shall not wear any combination of the current Army uniform." The winner of the contract is a company with the lusciously vague name of International Development & Resources, Inc. IDR is in an office condo park in Centreville, Va. - squeezed in-between Lee's Piano and Dino and Deanie's Therapeutic Massage, according to Google Maps, several miles south of Dulles airport. "Small Disadvantaged - Woman- Owned Business," its website says, run by a woman named May Hay. She also serves, the company says, as president of the Asian American Business Roundtable (whose website doesn't tell us much) and chairman of the United States Small Business Alliance (which apparently doesn't have a website). Often such companies are small outfits that go on to hire, on a temporary basis, the personnel needed to fulfill the contract. "Pilots shall be graduate(s) of the DoD course for instructor pilots or maintenance test pilots," the solicitation says, suggesting that the training will be largely, if not entirely, done by former U.S. military personnel. U.S. Special Operations Command says contractors have been used in the past to screen aviators - through initial "Green Platoon" training - who want to join the elite 160th. "In order not to have to pull aviators out of line units to conduct Green Platoon training, the regiment uses contractors," a spokesman adds. "The contractors are former unit members." A phone call to the company was answered by a man for whom English was not his first language. When we said we wanted to speak to someone about this contract, he put us on hold. A pleasant piano solo played through the phone while Battleland waited. After a couple of minutes, he came back to the phone to say there was no one there to answer questions, but that someone might call back eventually. http://nation.time.com/2012/11/29/hiring-outside-help-to-train-the-160th-soar-night- stalkers/#ixzz2DcM4t4D9 Back to Top Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association to Host February 2013 Conference in Orlando The Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association will host its Winter 2013 conference from February 20- 24, 2013, at Orlando's gorgeous Villas of Grand Cypress resort, located right outside the entrance to Disney World and convenient to all of the many other Orlando area attractions. LPBA's biannual meetings are a key LPBA feature, different from any other bar association meeting or continuing legal education (CLE) program. Besides the opportunity to network with peers and participate in educational and entertaining morning-only CLE sessions, LPBA members will enjoy lunch and a spot landing demonstration at the nearby Fantasy of Flight attraction (www.fantasyofflight.com) on Friday, February 22, and other planned activities for members and for their spouses and families throughout the conference. The Winter 2013 meeting will also feature a fun and beneficial silent auction, which has previously included aircraft refinishing, discounts on avionics upgrades, aviation artifacts, artwork, and unique vacation opportunities. The Conference is open to both LPBA members and non-members, and LPBA membership is open to both lawyers and non-lawyers, as well as pilots and non-pilots. Conference registration information is currently available at www.lpba.org. Discounted Grand Cypress room reservations may be made right now by calling 800-835-7377. The LPBA room rate is reduced to just $225.00/night and all rooms are Club Suites, which will have been freshly renovated this fall. Ranger Jet Center (www.rangerjetcenter.com) at Kissimmee Gateway Airport will be serving as the host FBO for attendees flying to the conference. Ranger will be providing fuel, ramp and hangar discounts for conference attendees and can arrange ground transportation. LPBA is a unique international, non-profit association with members in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia which fills a special niche in the multitude of bar associations and affiliation groups of lawyers, pilots and aviation aficionados. The LPBA has been in existence since 1959, and facilitates its members' involvement in many aviation and legally-related activities. Membership benefits include a superb website and Facebook page describing LPBA and its meetings; an online membership directory; the LPBA Journal, which is a valuable aviation law and information resource; and fun-filled, entertaining, and rewarding Summer and Winter continuing legal education meetings. The LPBA is dedicated to aviation safety, the just administration of the law and continuing legal education. Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association P.O. Box 1510 Edgewater, MD 21037 Tel: 410-571-1750 Fax: 410-571-1780 Email: karen@lpba.org Back to Top Saudi postpones awarding new aviation licenses JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) has postponed awarding new carrier licenses until the end of this year as it needs more time to evaluate the bids, it said in an emailed statement on Wednesday. The winning bids were expected by the end of November. "GACA needs more time to choose the best operating models after it completes the analysis and evaluation of the bids that were received from the companies," it said in the statement. The license, which 14 companies had applied for, is to operate both local and international flights. Qatar Airways, Bahrain Air and Gulf Air are among the firms in pre- qualified consortia bidding for the license. In July, Qatar Airways said it was in talks with GACA about opportunities to invest in the Saudi aviation sector. Currently only two airlines, the national carrier Saudi Airlines and budget airline National Air Services (NAS), service a domestic market of around 27 million people. But with a price cap on domestic flights, private airlines have struggled with their profit margins. In 2010, a third carrier, Sama Airlines, was forced to suspend its operations. Saudi Airlines, which is undergoing a slow privatization process, receives fuel at subsidized prices unlike private carriers, allowing it to offset the limits of the ticket cost ceiling. Back to Top PIA to buy eight aircraft next year The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will add eight Airbus aircraft to its fleet in 2013. ISLAMABAD, Nov 28: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will add eight Airbus aircraft to its fleet in 2013, with the first aircraft joining the operation in February next year. PIA Managing Director Junaid Yunus, leading the new management, informed Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf here on Wednesday that five Airbus aircrafts will be added to the PIA fleet during the first half of 2013, while three such aircrafts will be acquired during the second half of the year. The PIA official informed the prime minister that the narrow-body aircraft will be fuel- efficient and lead to massive savings in fuel cost which presently constitutes 55 per cent of total revenue earned by the airlines. PIA is actively considering a proposal to outsource non-core operations in order to reduce employee-to-aircraft ratio which is presently 485 employees per aircraft, MD PIA informed the prime minister. "A business plan of the airline is being firmed up with emphasis on facilitating the passenger so that business can be attracted. The business plan being worked out is being prepared with the objective of attaining a break even by 2013," he added. The present share of PIA in the international passenger business generating from Pakistan is 32 per cent while PIA has a share of 71 per cent in the domestic market, he informed. The national airline has earned operational profit in September and October this year which sets the tone and pace of recovery, he said. It was also shared that PIA will start flights on Quetta-Kandhar route from December 25 this year. This is the first time that a new destination has been initiated in years, he said. The prime minister directed the PIA management to consider feasibility of running more flights to Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. He expressed the confidence that the new management of PIA will turnaround the airline with a new passenger-friendly face. He asked the management that all grey areas must be addressed and loopholes plugged and economic viability of PIA ensured. http://dawn.com/2012/11/29/pia-to-buy-eight-aircraft-next-year/ Curt Lewis