Flight Safety Information February 20, 2013 - No. 040 In This Issue Boeing To Present 787 Fix Proposal To FAA FAA turns its aviation oversight to unmanned drones in U.S. airspace Delta jet slides off runway at Savannah airport Civil Aviation Authority to replace DGCA (India) Overcrowding Clouds Indian Aviation Global Event Celebrates Women Of Aviation Turkish civil aviation to sign deal with 5 countries PROS IOSA Audit Experts HAI Reorganizes Flight Operations & Safety Department Lufthansa announces plans to buy 108 aircraft Beechcraft Plans Sale of Hawker Jet Business Chinese mining firm bids $20 mln for French airplane manufacturer Database Brings Pilots, Recruiters Together International Accident Investigation Forum...Singapore, 23 - 25 April 2013 Graduate Research Survey Boeing To Present 787 Fix Proposal To FAA A Boeing team led by Commercial Airplanes President Ray Conner is set to present details of its proposed near-term solution to the 787 battery issues to the FAA later this week, possibly as early as Feb. 21. According to airline sources, Conner will present details of the manufacturers' revised battery system directly to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta in Washington D.C. If the plans are accepted then Boeing is understood to have provisional plans in place to begin flight testing the modified system immediately, and for fleet-wide retrofit action which would enable the first 787 to return to service as early as mid-March. However, given the high-profile nature of the battery probe, and the subsequent review of the FAA's oversight in connection with the original certification of the 787, it is far from clear if the agency will even consider Boeing's request until the National Transportation Safety Board has completed its investigation. The NTSB, and its Japanese counterpart, the JTSB, are still evaluating the root cause of multiple battery failures in early January which prompted a worldwide grounding of the 787 on Jan. 16. Boeing, which revealed additional details of the aircraft's battery and related electrical system features on Feb. 20, declines to comment on the upcoming appeal to the FAA or on reported details of the proposed interim battery modification. Without identifying specifics, Boeing says that details published last weekend in a local newspaper contain "significant errors and speculation." The manufacturer adds it is "working tirelessly in cooperation with our customers and the appropriate regulatory and investigative authorities. Everyone is working to get to the answer as quickly as possible and good progress is being made." Boeing's bid for approval, which is based on developing a sturdy containment system and additional sensors, comes as investigators from the JTSB reveal that two cells in the second battery of the All Nippon Airways 787 that made an emergency landing at Takamatsu Airport on Jan. 16 were "swollen." Although the emergency was prompted by problems with the main battery, which was badly damaged by burning electrolyte, the signs of apparent degradation were found in the auxiliary power unit battery located in the aft electrical/electronic equipment bay. The JTSB says the APU battery was initially thought to be undamaged, but adds that subsequent tomographic scans revealed evidence of slight swelling. Officials, however, say that the probe remains focused on the causes of the original failure in the main battery. Airlines meanwhile continue to make contingency plans to cover for the continued grounding of the 787. United Airlines expects the aircraft to remain out of service through March 30, while Air India expresses hope that the 787 will be back in operation by early April. http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/awx_02_20_2013_p0-550650.xml Back to Top FAA turns its aviation oversight to unmanned drones in U.S. airspace The Boeing ScanEagle is an unmanned aircraft used for intelligence-gathering purposes. The FAA is developing guidelines to introduce drones for military and non-military use into U.S. airspace. / Boeing Travelers already sweat the safety issues inherent in congested airspace, and the planned introduction of unmanned aircraft, some of which are prone to jamming of their GPS, will only heighten concerns. The FAA is moving ahead with plans to facilitate a vast expansion of the domestic use of drones amidst acute concerns about privacy and aviation security. The FAA has called on universities, state and local governments, and other public entities to submit proposals to create six research and test sites for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) around the country. At the same time, the FAA kicked off a 60-day public comment period into the privacy issues raised by this pilot UAS program, while the U.S. Government Accountability Office recently cited fears about increased high-tech surveillance, violations of the Fourth Amendment's prohibitions against unlawful searches and seizures, and the harm to aviation safety given the potential for GPS "spoofing." The stakes are high in the privacy debate, given past cases of negligence by government contractors handling sensitive, personal information, and the potential for abuse. The U.S. government realizes that it has to confront the issues deftly as otherwise greatly expanded use of drones in the skies over the U.S. could be in jeopardy. Law enforcement and military use There has been limited use of drones in the national airspace for decades, with the aircraft ranging in size from model aircraft to those with a wingspan as massive as a Boeing 737, and they have been authorized to further law enforcement, border patrol, military training, firefighting, search and rescue, and disaster relief efforts. Congress and the administration envision vastly increasing the use of drones and integrating them into the national airspace. The idea for test sites was approved in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. The FAA, which only is responsible for the aviation-safety issues in drone implementation, recognizes that the further expansion of the drone program could create a firestorm on the privacy front - and hence the start of a public comment period to address the issues. In a scathing report in September 2012, the GAO cited a June 2012 Monmouth University Polling Institute national poll that found that 42% of respondents expressed privacy concerns about unmanned aircraft being equipped with high-tech cameras, although there was support for border control efforts (64%), and search and rescue missions (80%). The Monmouth University announcement about the poll noted that "30,000 drone aircraft are expected to patrol the nation's skies within a decade." Privacy and GPS spoofing "Concerns about national security, privacy, and the interference with Global Positioning System (GPS) signals have not been resolved and may influence acceptance of routine access for UAS in the national airspace system," the GAO warned. The GAO noted that the FAA has missed a deadline on the Congressional mandate to speed UAS integration, "could miss others," and should expand monitoring of other government agencies' efforts to ensure the drone initiative proceeds in a timely fashion. The GAO concluded in 2008 that unmanned aircraft would be unsafe to introduce and mingle with commercial aircraft, and stated there are still numerous obstacles to safely integrating unmanned aircraft into national airspace, including: "... the inability for UAS to sense and avoid other aircraft and airborne objects in a manner similar to manned aircraft; vulnerabilities in the command and control of UAS operations; the lack of technological and operational standards needed to guide safe and consistent performance of UAS; and final regulations to accelerate the safe integration of UAS into the national airspace system." Unencrypted communications The GAO noted that low-cost devices are widely available to jam GPS signals, and this could imperil UAS that rely solely on GPS with unencrypted communications. Although the military and Department of Homeland Security operate UAS that typically have redundant systems, encryption costs could be cost-prohibitive for other civilian and smaller unmanned aircraft, the GAO study notes, adding: "...nonmilitary UAS GPS signals are unencrypted, risking potential interruption of the command and control of UAS." Both the GAO and FAA are keenly aware that the spectre of drones with high-tech surveillance equipment mounting intelligence-gathering missions on U.S. citizens, or even monitoring the nation's highways to hand out speeding tickets, could ignite a deep, public backlash. As the GAO report states: "In addition, stakeholders we interviewed stated that developing developing guidelines for technology use on UAS ahead of widespread adoption by law enforcement entities could preclude abuses of the technology that could lead to a negative public perception of UAS and possibility affect their acceptance and use. In relation to potential "negative public perceptions," the GAO and FAA never refer to the aircraft as drones, opting instead for the more neutral-sounding term, "unmanned aircraft systems." http://skift.com/2013/02/18/domestic-drones-could-mean-high-tech-surveillance-and-imperil- aviation-safety/ Back to Top Delta jet slides off runway at Savannah airport SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Delta Air Lines apologized to passengers arriving in Savannah after a jet veered off a runway and ended up in a grassy area. Delta said in a statement that it apologizes for the inconvenience caused by the Tuesday evening incident at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. No injuries were reported among the 125 passengers or crew members. Authorities say the DC-9 aircraft was arriving from Atlanta around 6:45 p.m. when the plane's front wheel made the initial contact with the grass as the plane turned onto a taxiway at the end of a runway. Eventually the entire plane ended up in the grass. Airport spokeswoman Lori Lynah tells The Savannah Morning News (http://bit.ly/XvePZC) that everyone aboard was able to safely exit the plane. Back to Top Civil Aviation Authority to replace DGCA (India) New Delhi, Feb 20 (IBNS) Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh on Wednesday said that Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will soon replace the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Addressing a press conference, the Minister said that the Bill for creation of the Authority is likely to be introduced in the second part of the Budget session of Parliament. The Civil Aviation Authority will be headed by a Chairperson who will be supported by Director- General and seven to nine members. Chairperson, DG and Members will be appointed by the Central Government on the recommendation of a Selection Committee. "In this backdrop, the CAA would take over the responsibilities of the DGCA in areas like air safety, airspace regulation, setting aviation standards, licensing of airlines, pilots, air traffic controllers and consumer protection," Singh said. "It would have financial and operational autonomy to take expeditious decisions on matters relating to a range of activities. It will have power and authority to call for information including financial information and conduct investigations, power to issue directions, power of seizure, power to punish any person, operator, company or a Government Department, if they fail to comply with its orders or directions and the punishment will be in the form of fine as prescribed under the Rules," he said. Singh said the authority will have full financial autonomy and shall have a separate fund, the "Civil Aviation Authority of India Fund" which will be used for all expenses of the authority in connection with the discharge of its functions including salaries etc. "The Authority will be a self-funding entity duly authorized by the Government and will have power to fix and collect fees and charges for all functions, duties and services required to be performed by the Authority. "Authority may levy charges for safety oversight functions of the air navigation services, safety fee from the passengers for safety oversight functions and safety fee for surveillance inspection of air transport operators etc. with the prior permission of the Government," he said. "It is proposed to create this fund by collecting fee from air navigation service providers and passengers in additional to the budgetary support given by the Government," Singh said. The main functions and powers of the proposed CAA, which would replace the DGCA will be to regulate civil aviation safety and provide for the better management of civil aviation through safety oversight of air transport operators, airport operators, air navigation service operators and providers of civil aviation services. "It will also issue licenses, certificates, permits, approvals etc. required to be issued under the Aircraft Act, 1934 and Aircraft Rules. Besides, it will also provide environment regulations for airports, airlines and other civil aviation activities and protect interest of the consumers," said Singh. The minister said that the reasons for establishment of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are because of shortage of trained human resource, its inability to recruit and retain adequate manpower due to procedural and structural problems. "The manpower has remained the same over the years though passenger traffic, cargo and aircraft movements have increased manifold. Therefore, DGCA is overloaded with increased work and under- staffed. "It has limited delegation of financial powers and incapable to make adequate structural changes to meet the demands of a dynamic Civil Aviation sector.This necessitates replacement of DGCA with CAA which will have more administrative and financial power to deal with the fast changing domestic and global aviation scenario," said Singh. http://www.indiablooms.com/NewsDetailsPage/2013/newsDetails200213a1.php Back to Top Overcrowding Clouds Indian Aviation Air Asia and India's Tata propose joint airline A recent move to open up India's airline industry to more foreign investment may well pay off for the country's travelers in terms of lower fares. The outcome for India's airlines, though, could be less positive. Five months after New Delhi allowed foreign airlines to own stakes of up to 49% in domestic carriers, Malaysia's AirAsia and India's Tata Sons are teaming up-along with another domestic investor-to form a new low-cost airline in India. The combination of one of India's most powerful conglomerates with Southeast Asia's biggest budget airline by sales should have India's domestic airlines in a spin. The country's rising middle class offers much aviation promise in terms of traffic growth. But carriers such as Jet Airways, SpiceJet and IndiGo have suffered as demand has failed to keep pace with a rapid rise in capacity in recent years. Indeed, the number of passengers carried by local airlines fell 3% from the previous year to 53 million between January and November 2012, according to data from the India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Problems include high fuel taxes and poor airport infrastructure. India's recent economic malaise-high inflation, high interest rates, and slowing gross domestic product growth- hasn't helped either. Intense competition, though, may be the biggest woe. The recent fall from grace of Kingfisher Airlines -grounded last year after failing to keep its costs in check-offered some relief to other carriers flying on India's crowded routes. But rivalry remains tough. Several airlines announced steep fare cuts earlier this week, a sign that competition is intense. Also, AirAsia and Tata aren't the first to take advantage of the revised foreign investment rules. Jet Airways is already in talks with Etihad Airways of the United Arab Emirates. AirAsia and Tata have so far released few details of the proposed Indian carrier. The plan hasn't been approved by India's regulators-working through the country's notorious bureaucracy won't be straightforward, though Tata's connections should help. Despite its powerful backers, the new airline wouldn't be a guaranteed success in a difficult Indian market. If it does get off the ground, though, it will introduce an aggressive player looking to bring cheaper fares to domestic travelers. For a sector that is already struggling, more downward pressure on pricing and tougher competition is an unwelcome proposition. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323549204578315794058742184.html Back to Top Global Event Celebrates Women Of Aviation For the fourth year, Women of Aviation Week Worldwide will be held during the week of March 8, which is International Women's Day. From March 4 to 10, aviators around the world will celebrate women who fly and invite women to learn more about aviation and go for a flight. Many airports and aviation museums will host open-house events especially for women and girls, and the organization also holds a photo contest and art contest. This year's event celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first spaceflight by a woman, with the theme "Women and space." Listings of events can be found at the group's web site. Valentina Tereshkova, a skydiving enthusiast, was chosen from among 400 applicants as one of five women to participate in Russia's space program. She was trained in engineering and took flying lessons, and completed another 120 parachute jumps. On June 16, 1963, she became the first woman to travel to space, aboard Vostok 6 for a three-day mission. She was alone in the small spherical spacecraft, and when it returned to the atmosphere, she parachuted back to the planet surface. Since then, 55 women have traveled in space, representing 11 percent of all astronauts around the world. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/GlobalEventCelebratesWomenOfAviation_208198-1.html Back to Top Turkish civil aviation to sign deal with 5 countries Turkey will sign agreements with Belgium and Egypt in February and and with Albania, Hungary and Russia in March. Civil Aviation Directorate General of Turkey under the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications stated, it will sign agreements with five countries in two months and host an international aviation conference in cooperation with US. According to a written statement released from the Civil Aviation Directorate General of Turkey on Wednesday, in the scope of increasing the number of overseas flights, adding new destinations to the flight network and holding bilateral aviation negotiations, they keep holding works. Turkey will sign agreements with Belgium and Egypt in February and and with Albania, Hungary and Russia in March. Moreover, between May 1 and 4, Directorate General of Turkey's Civil Aviation will host US Conference and hold bilateral aviation talks with countries in the American continent. http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=103610 Back to Top Back to Top HAI Reorganizes Flight Operations & Safety Department Alexandria, Va. - Helicopter Association International (HAI) President Matt Zuccaro today announced a significant change in the organization's staffing, designed to keep up with members' changing needs. Paul Schaaf, currently the Chief Pilot for the Fairfax County Police Department, will join HAI in mid-March to assume the duties and responsibilities of Vice President of Operations, a job which was previously being handled by Zuccaro. J. Heffernan, formerly vice president of aviation and product safety for Sikorsky Helicopters, returns to HAI as the director of safety, and current Director of Safety Stan Rose moves into the newly created position of director of safety outreach programs. "Providing our members with the highest level of safety programs, operational and regulatory support so as to enhance their day-to-day activities is at the heart of our mission," said HAI President Matt Zuccaro. "These changes strengthen an already strong department and will make it possible for us to further enhance our member services in these areas." As vice president of operations, Schaaf will oversee the activities of the flight operations, safety, and regulatory staff members, who track maintenance, operational, and safety developments throughout the industry, as well as regulatory issues around the world that affect helicopter operations. In addition, Operations Department personnel act as staff liaisons to seven of HAI's 14 member-run committees. Schaaf is a 7,000+ hour pilot, with airline transport pilot certificates for both rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft. He began his career as a U.S. Army aviator, flying 11 years as a utility helicopter pilot for the District of Columbia Air National Guard. He joined the Fairfax County Police Department in 1988 as the Helicopter Division's Safety Officer, and since 1997 has served as the division's chief pilot, overseeing helicopter law enforcement and medical transport activities. In addition, from 1999 until 2007, Schaaf owned and managed a Part 91 aircraft management and consulting company that operated several helicopters and provided advanced flight instruction and consulting services to clients in the United States and abroad. He is a graduate of Transportation Safety Institute's Rotorcraft Accident Investigation School. J. Heffernan returns to HAI as director of safety after a 42-year career in civil and military aviation operations and aircraft manufacturing. He served as the association's director of safety 2008-2010, and headed the initiative that ultimately led to the development of helicopter standards that were added to the International Standards of Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO). Prior to his return to HAI, Heffernan was Sikorsky's first vice president of Aviation and Product Safety, responsible for the safety of the more than 5,000 Sikorsky helicopters currently in operation. Heffernan began his aviation career as a U.S. Marine aviator in 1970, and served as helicopter pilot to the president of the United States while attached to Marine Helicopter Squadron HMX-1. He has more than 5,000 flight hours in more than 30 different aircraft models, and holds both rotary- and fixed wing pilot certificates. Stan Rose has served as HAI's director of safety since 2010. Under his leadership, HAI has increased the number of safety seminars available to helicopter operators, pilots and technicians, now averaging two per month in locations throughout the world. As a result, this outreach effort has become a full-time job in itself, which Rose will now continue to expand as the association's new director of safety outreach programs. Rose has had a varied career, touching many different missions throughout the helicopter industry. He began his aviation career as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot in Vietnam. He attended the Army's Maintenance Officer/Test Pilot Course, and after leaving the military worked in law enforcement, air medical, and offshore oil industries. He has extensive experience as an administrator and operator with maintenance, operations, management, and business development issues. http://www.rotor.com/Publications/RotorNews/tabid/843/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1900/HAI- Reorganizes-Flight-Operations-Safety-Department.aspx Back to Top Lufthansa announces plans to buy 108 aircraft Lufthansa is considering a fleet expansion and renewal plan that includes purchasing 108 aircraft at a value of €9bn ($12bn). The airline said the order would comprise both Boeing and Airbus aircraft, including eight long-range and 100 short and medium-range aircraft, and that it has already been in discussions with both manufacturers. However, it added that the deal is still subject to approval by Lufthansa's supervisory board. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2015 and to continue until 2025. By the end of 2025, the group expects to take delivery of 239 aircraft with an order volume of €23bn ($31bn), based on list prices. The airline said the orders will be funded from the group's own assets or from external financial resources, though did not disclose a financier. http://afm.aero/all-news/item/581-lufthansa-announces-plans-to-buy-108-aircraft Back to Top Beechcraft Plans Sale of Hawker Jet Business Hawker-800 KingAir The head of Beechcraft Corp. said Tuesday it plans to sell the assets of its shuttered Hawker's business jet unit by midyear as part of the firm's exit from bankruptcy protection. The company formerly known as Hawker Beechcraft Inc. filed for Chapter 11 last year as a prolonged slump in aircraft sales hit one of the most famous names in corporate jets and left it with an unsustainable debt load following a leveraged buyout in 2007. Beechcraft Chief Executive Bill Boisture said that the proposed sale would include designs and intellectual property related to its jets, as well as licenses, factory tooling and, potentially, its Little Rock, Ark., facility. An effort to sell the company's jet and turboprop aircraft business to China'sSuperior Aviation Beijing Co. for $1.79 billion collapsed last fall because of concerns about separating its military business, which includes the AT-6 attack aircraft. "This is a simpler, more understandable sale," said Mr. Boisture in an interview. "The sale of these [corporate jet] assets doesn't have the risk that the sale of the entire company had." Beechcraft officially emerged from bankruptcy protection on Feb. 15, and Mr. Boisture said Tuesday that the company would focus on reestablishing its battered brand, supporting existing customers and upgrading and developing new propeller-driven aircraft. Mr. Boisture said potential bidders for the jet business included some who had previously expressed interest in the company, as well as new suitors. In July, Hawker disclosed it had been in discussions with five suitors alongside Superior Aviation. According to people familiar with the discussions, the others in talks with Hawker were Textron Inc. ( TXT ), India'sMahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (500520.BY) of India, Brazil'sEmbraer SA (ERJ, EMBR3.BR), and New United, another Chinese company. Also mulling a bid was Carlyle Group ( CG ), the large U.S. private-equity firm, the people had said. Beechcraft emerged from Chapter 11 under the control of a group of hedge funds that will convert their debt into equity. Funds including Bain Capital'sSankaty Advisors, Angelo Gordon & Co. and Centerbridge Partners, would swap more than $920 million in debt for an 81.1% stake in the restructured company. Senior bondholders, unsecured creditors and the government's pension insurer would share in the remaining 18.9% stake. To fund the plan, lenders led by J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM) agreed to provide $600 million in bankruptcy-exit financing. Hawker's restructuring plan will slash $2.5 billion in debt off its books and hand ownership of the aircraft manufacturer to the group of hedge funds. Mr. Boisture flew himself in on a Beechcraft Bonanza to Wichita, Kan., where the 80-year-old company is based, on Monday morning to prep for talks with the company. He held the first of four meetings with employees starting at 7 a.m. CT on Tuesday. Hawker Beechcraft sought bankruptcy protection after laboring under a $2.3 billion-plus debt load tied to a 2007 leveraged buyout by Goldman Sachs Group Inc.'s (GS) private-equity arm and Onex Partners. The pair bought Hawker for $ 3.3 billion just before the financial crisis hit, damping demand for business jets. The company hired Robert S. "Steve" Miller, a restructuring veteran, to take over as CEO last February. Since then, the company has been cutting jobs, whittling away a workforce that had already shed 1,900 staff between late 2007 and the end of 2011. Mr. Miller will serve as a senior adviser and the board will decide his future involvement, Mr. Boisture said. http://www.nasdaq.com/article/beechcraft-plans-sale-of-hawker-jet-business-20130219-01273 Back to Top Chinese mining firm bids $20 mln for French airplane manufacturer Heima Mining, a Sichuan-based Chinese private mining firm is acquiring 70 percent of French airplane manufacturer Lisa Airplanes for 15 million euros, according to the Bureau of Commerce in Leshan City. Ma Hati, the legal representative of Heima Mining will be authorized as the new chairman of Lisa Airplanes after the acquisition. Lisa Airplanes, established in Chamberyin 2003, is focused on light airplanes for private tourism and entertainment. The company is reportedly launching "Lisa Akoya", a new two-seat light airplane to the European and American markets in 2014, with an initial price set at $350,000. According to Ma, after the acquisition the company will target a long aviation industrial chain including airplane manufacturing, sales and maintenance services. At present, Lisa Airplanes has received orders for ten new airplanes, Ma revealed. In fact, capital is increasingly favoring the general aviation industry,leading a bulk of private capital to flow to this sector serving civil aviation outside the realm of public transportation. For example, Huaxi village in Jiangsu province has invested 100 million yuan building a general aviation company, which has been approved by the China Civil Aviation Administration. The 12th Five-Year Plan for China civil aviation has suggested that the market scale of China's civil aviation will reach 150 billion yuan by 2015 with over 2,000 airplanes. Moreover, most Chinese general aviation companies are focusing on operations at present. In comparison, the key competitiveness of Lisa Airplanes is manufacturing, adding to Ma's confidence in his new business. "I'm optimistic about the development of the Chinese general aviation market," said Ma Hati to National Business Daily. http://www.morningwhistle.com/html/2013/Company_Industry_0220/217195.html Back to Top Database Brings Pilots, Recruiters Together ATP Flight School has opened a database aimed at helping pilots find jobs and also to help airlines find pilots. PilotPool.com allows pilots who want to join the airlines to register and keep their qualifications updated so that they may be considered by airline recruiters monitoring their progress and that of others registered on the site. As the pilots reach significant milestones in training and experience, the recruiters are notified. "As a provider of training to over 4,200 pilots every year, we know it is important to help our customers get contact with potential employers," said Vice President Jim Koziarski. "At the same time, we know how important it is for airlines to access data on pilot supply and training pipeline. PilotPool.com brings these two sides together." The flight school launched the site in 2011 but it was in beta form and was only available to its own students. Now that the site's form and function have been finalized, ATP has opened it up as a free tool for anyone in the industry. "With concerns of hiring shortages, solutions for finding good quality pilot candidates are needed," the company said in a news release. "Many airlines are unable to see candidates until they have met hiring minimums and send in their resume, which delays finding eligible pilots and prohibits a forward-looking hiring process." http://www.avweb.com/avwebbiz/news/Database_Pilots_Recruiters_208193-1.html Back to Top International Accident Investigation Forum Singapore, 23 - 25 April 2013 The Air Accident Investigation Bureau of Singapore (AAIB) will be hosting the Second International Accident Investigation (IAI) Forum at the Singapore Aviation Academy on 23 - 25 April 2013. It is AAIB's honour that the IAI Forum 2013 is strongly supported by: - International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), - Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), - European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC), and - International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI), The IAI Forum 2013 aims to bring together the world's top government investigation officials and experts to discuss issues relating to the organisation, infrastructure and management of accident investigation. It is open to investigation officials responsible for discharging their country's obligation under Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, regulatory officials and aviation safety professionals from the private sector. The IAI Forum 2013 will also serve as a platform for ICAO to inform, explain to and discuss with the safety investigation community regarding the developments and issues being pursued by ICAO. The Inaugural IAI Forum was held on 21 - 23 April 2010 was attended by 149 government investigation officials and aviation safety professionals from 29 countries. Ms Nancy Graham, Director of ICAO Air Navigation Bureau, and Capt. Kevin L. Hiatt, President and CEO of the FSF, have very kindly consented to attend the Second IAI Forum to each deliver a keynote speech. Registration for the IAI Forum 2013 is now opened via this website (http://www.amiando.com/IAIForum2013.html). Participants are encouraged to register before 15 March 2013. The Second IAI Forum will cover the following topics: - Developments in Accident Investigation * New ICAO Annex 19 on Safety Management and consequential amendments to other Annexes, in particular to Annex 13 * ICAO USOAP; Corrective Action Plan and the challenges in meeting them * Upgrading of ICAO Circular 285 on Guidance on Assistance to Aircraft Accident Victims and Their Families to Document 9973 and its impact to accident investigation agencies - Updates from AIG Communities * Conclusions of the AIG Roundtable held in Singapore on 16 - 17 October 2012 and chaired by Mr Marcus Costa, Chief of the ICAO Accident Investigation Section - Protection of Safety Information * Outcome of the ICAO Safety Information Protection Task Force - Management & operational challenges/lessons learnt from recent accidents - Investigators' training and maintaining competency in a safe aviation climate - Litigation and Criminalisation relating to Accident Investigation Administration - The IAI Forum will be held at the Singapore Aviation Academy (SAA). Free Wifi is available at SAA. - There is no registration fee for the IAI Forum. Participants will need to bear their own travelling, visa application (if applicable) and accommodation costs. Please register for the IAI Forum 2013 by 15 Mar 2013. - You may refer to the Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority's website to check if the travelling documents you and your delegates are holding require you to apply entry visa and application instructions. - Lunch and tea breaks will be provided each day. Hotel Accommodation - Participants may wish to consider staying at the Changi Village Hotel or Grand Mercure Roxy Hotel which are providing special rates to SAA. Please download and fill in the appropriate (Changi Village Hotel/Grand Mercure Roxy Hotel) reservation form from the IAI Forum Registration website and email/fax directly to the respective hotel. * Changi Village Hotel is the nearest hotel from the IAI Forum venue, at about 8 minutes' walk from the SAA. Hotel rates include scheduled airport transfer, breakfast and internet access. * Grand Mercure Roxy Hotel is located about 18 km away. The hotel offers a shuttle service to bring their guests to and from SAA. The shuttle service departs the hotel at 7.30 am, and picks up their guest at about 5 pm. Hotel rates include scheduled airport transfer, shuttle service to and from SAA, breakfast and internet access. For assistance in registration and more information on the IAI Forum 2013, please contact Mr Steven Teo (Email: steven_teo@mot.gov.sg or Fax: +65- 6-542-2394). Back to Top Graduate Research Survey The survey topic is "air rage" or "passenger misconduct". The objective is to measure the frequency and severity of any incidents experienced by the survey participants. The link is: http://pilot-survey.com/ If you have any desire to preview or test the survey, you may select "None of the Above" as your answer to the first question on page #2. This will mark the record as delete-able for me. My Background: I go by Rob or Robert Chapin. I am a senior undergraduate student at Eastern Michigan University (EMU), studying Aviation Flight Technology in the EMU College of Technology. I will be graduating in April this year. I hold a Commercial Pilot certificate with ASEL, AMEL, and Instrument Airplane ratings. I have 313 total hours logged. I am currently working on the Certified Flight Instructor and the Aircraft Dispatcher certificates. I have also completed the Airline Transport Pilot knowledge test. Project Background: I have a research fellowship at EMU called Symposium Undergraduate Research Fellow. This means I am nominated by a faculty member (Dr. Tartalone) and sponsored by the program donors. Last year, I developed the air rage research topic, read all available literature from 2001 to 2012, outlined and created a mock-up of the survey, and then delivered a formal research proposal. In researching the literature, I could not find any past example of a survey of pilots on the topic of air rage. As far as I can determine, this will be a first. So while the survey is designed with many groups in mind, I am personally interested in getting as many pilot participants as possible for the survey. This year, I designed and built the survey website from scratch. There is no limit on the number of participants this way, and I will be able to monitor the website to make sure it doesn't get overwhelmed by visitors. My goals after the survey collection are to discuss the preliminary results at the EMU Undergraduate Symposium, and then pursue journal publication of a final paper about the incident rate and circumstances pertaining to air rage. Sincerely, ________________ Robert A. Chapin Curt Lewis