Flight Safety Information September 13, 2013 - No. 190 In This Issue FAA reports increase in air-traffic mistakes Aviation Safety Graduate Research Survey Narrow escape for Indigo passengers as plane veers off runway in Bangalore (India) Taiwan invited to attend ICAO assembly Bombardier's aviation-related Safety Standdown set for Sept. 30-Oct. 3. Flights resume at BWI after lightning strike shuts down airport Juneau Airport to host fake airplane crash this Saturday Congress seeks investigation into CBP searches Pilots talk safety after fatal Connecticut accident Boeing Poised to Be Sole Bidder on Air Force One Jet Replacement Think ARGUS PROS ANA Close to Decision on 25 Airbus, Boeing Aircraft Order Auburn University Aviation receives FAA ATP for AU aviation students WSU wins big grant from FAA for bio-fuels research POSITION WANTED...Looking for a New Opportunity Flight Safety Information - Searchable Database FAA reports increase in air-traffic mistakes But the incidents may stem from greater voluntary reporting by controllers and better radar detection. Planes flew too close to each other more than 4,000 times last year FAA says skies safe, increase due to increased reporting Planes flew too close to each other 4,394 times last year - more than doubling the previous record from 2011, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Thursday. But in a new report, the agency drew no conclusions about whether skies are less safe because the incidents grew from greater voluntary reporting by air-traffic controllers and better radar detection that was fully deployed last year. None of the incidents resulted in a collision. More than 99% of the country's nearly 133 million landings and takeoffs went off without a hitch. "We run the safest and most efficient system in the world, and we have the most highly skilled controllers and technicians," David Grizzle, FAA's chief operating officer, said in a letter accompanying the report. "We've gone from counting errors to identifying and mitigating safety risk." Kevin Hiatt, CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation, a group that studies aviation and makes safety recommendations, said voluntary reporting and automated detections are providing more information than ever before for regulators to identify problems and then fix them. "Are we less safe than we've been before? No," Hiatt said. "It's going to allow us to do better in the future." A spokesman for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said his organization takes pride in the efforts to reduce close-air incidents and increase reporting between controllers and the FAA. "Safety is and always has been NATCA's top priority," said spokesman Doug Church. "The fact is they have made a difference and improved the overall safety of the aviation system." Capt. Sean Cassidy, first vice president of the Air Line Pilots Association, a union representing 50,000 pilots, commended the FAA for refining how the agency is identifying and fixing risks. "It doesn't make me worried about the level of safety because all we're doing is applying a more refined data-gathering measure," Cassidy said. "It increases the level of safety actually because it gives us a much more precise picture of what the world is like out there." The numbers spiked because of better reporting of the incidents when planes were within 3 miles of each other horizontally when near an airport. The FAA counted 1,895 incidents in 2011 where planes flew too close together or violated other air-traffic guidelines. That was just eight more than the year before. Those numbers jumped significantly from the 1,234 incidents in 2009. That increase coincided with different reporting rules that encouraged air-traffic controllers to voluntarily report incidents without fear of reprisals. In January 2012, a radar program was fully deployed to 189 sites nationwide to automatically detect when planes get too close. The program increased the amount of data that FAA collects by 10 times.The agency's goal is to study the problems reported by controllers or detected by machines and fix them before there's an accident. Of the 4,394 incidents, the FAA focused on 1,271 where planes were at least one-third closer than regulations allow, or typically within 2 miles of each other horizontally near an airport. The agency found 41 incidents characterized as "high-risk" under the new reporting system. The agency broke down the high-risk incidents into five categories: turns on final approach, using parallel runways, aborted landings called "go-arounds," correcting altitude and coordinating planes' courses "Correction is the ultimate measure of our progress," Grizzle said. Cassidy said the key is to use the reporting to fix problems rather than as discipline for pilots or controllers who make honest mistakes. "I'm fairly confident they are moving in the right direction and towards identifying these separation issues," Cassidy said. The agency took 19 actions in 2012 to keep planes separated, according to the report. For example, in dealing with parallel runways that are common at all of the country's largest airports, the agency found that as two planes approached the runways to land, one might turn too wide and blunder too close to the other plane. The remedy was to instruct pilots to turn sharper so they remained lined up with their own runway. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/12/faa-errors-airlines/2803759/ Back to Top Aviation Safety Graduate Research Survey Dear Colleagues: I am a PHD student at Northcentral University. I would like to invite you to participate in a research study. The name of this study is titled Examining Principle Core Competencies for Aviation Safety Professionals. This study is in the area of Safety Management Systems and aviation technologies. Your feedback will help evaluate core aviation safety competencies. If you would like to participate, please check the Informed Consent Agreement Box at the survey site. The Survey is located at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CLCompetencySurveyStudy If you have any questions, please let me know. Thank you for your help in this research. Respectfully, Curt Lewis ___________ Curtis L. Lewis Doctoral Candidate - Northcentral University 1802 Briarcrest Lane Arlington, TX 76012 Cell: 817-845-3983 Home: 817-303-9096 E-mail: curt@curt-lewis.com Dr. Dalijit Singh Dissertation Committee Chair E-Mail: dsingh@ncu.edu Back to Top Narrow escape for Indigo passengers as plane veers off runway in Bangalore (India) Passengers onboard an Airbus A 320 had a miraculous escape when the aircraft veered off the runway while landing, hitting the edge lights, before stopping at the Bangalore International Airport on Thursday night. Though no one was injured in the incident, authorities had to suspend air operations for more than two hours leading to a massive disruption of air travel across the country. Airport authorities said there were 110 passengers and six crew members on the Indigo Airlines (6E 125) on Bangalore-Delhi sector. The flight landed on runway 27 amidst heavy rains and downpour at 8.10 pm. "The aircraft landed in heavy rains on the right of the centre of the runway and veered to the right causing damage to five edge lights," an airport spokesperson said. The wheels on the landing gear underneath the right wing were deflated under the impact. The aircraft was later taxied off the runway onto taxi track "Foxtrot" and stopped. The passengers and the crew disembarked after getting necessary approval and were offered food and beverages. The incident has been reported to the Director General of Civil Aviation. "Both DGCA and airlines would be conducting enquiry. We will also be undertaking maintenance check on the aircraft, which will be grounded till then." "The runway was immediately shut after the incident and the ground staff started working on repairing the lights," a Bangalore International Airport spokesperson said. The airport sources said that the incident occurred during the peak time for international arrivals, causing inconvenience to passengers besides several passengers who had arrived for departures were also stranded. At least 10 flights that were arriving were diverted and 15 others delayed while 9 flights departing from Bangalore were delayed. Social media networks were agog with passengers tweeting to express their concern about missing their connecting flights. One of the twitter users was wondering whether she would be able to catch her connecting flight to reach New York. Flights diverted to Chennai Chennai Staff Reporter reports: Sixteen flights that had to arrive at Bangalore from Delhi, Kolkata, Coimbatore, Kochi and Hyderabad were diverted to Chennai late on Thursday as the runway had been closed, said officials of Airports Authority of India (AAI). As of 11.45 p.m. on Thursday, four of the 16 flights departed to Bangalore and the rest of them would leave one after another, they added. http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/narrow-escape-for-indigo-passengers-as- plane-veers-off-runway-in-bangalore/article5121010.ece Back to Top Taiwan invited to attend ICAO assembly CAA Director-General Jean Shen will lead a ROC delegation to the triennial ICAO assembly Sept. 24-Oct.4 in Montreal, Canada. (CNA) Taiwan has been invited to attend the 38th assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization as a special guest, according to the ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sept. 13. "The invitation marks an important development as it is the first time in 42 years, since the ROC lost its U.N. seat, that the ICAO has invited Taiwan to participate in its activities," a MOFA official said. "It is also a positive development that Taiwan can further take part in a U.N. specialized agency, after the country began attending the World Health Assembly five years ago." Jean Shen, director-general of the Civil Aeronautics Administration, will lead a delegation of civil aviation officials to the triennial ICAO assembly Sept. 24-Oct. 4 in Montreal, Canada, the MOFA official said. "It is of great significance for Taiwan to attend the event as the government can have effective and immediate access to accurate international aviation information, regulations and standards; exchange information with other aviation bodies and officials from around the world; and contribute to the global aviation system to ensure the safety and convenience of air passengers from Taiwan and the rest of the world." This development is also a step forward in the ROC government's bid for meaningful participation in the ICAO, the official said. Launched in 2009, the bid asks for Taiwan to take part in the aviation body in a "professional, pragmatic, dignified and meaningful" manner, and has won strong backing from the EU, U.S. and ROC diplomatic allies on the back of Taiwan's long-term compliance to international norms. The ICAO invitation proves the effectiveness of the ROC government's viable diplomacy, the official said. Other evidence of its efficacy includes ROC President Ma Ying-jeou's successful state visit to Paraguay and four Caribbean nations in August; settlement of the Guang Da Xing No. 28 fishing boat case between Taiwan and the Philippines; the signing of the Agreement between New Zealand and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu on Economic Cooperation in July; as well as the conclusion of a Taiwan- Japan fisheries pact in April. "Viable diplomacy helps expand Taiwan's international space and boost its image in the global community," the official said. (RC-SDH) http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=209609&CtNode=414 Back to Top Bombardier's aviation-related Safety Standdown set for Sept. 30-Oct. 3 Bombardier Learjet will host its 17th annual Safety Standdown, a four-day seminar focusing on safety training for pilots, flight crews, maintenance personnel and managers, later this month. Organizers expect about 450 attendees. Safety Standdown attracts pilots and personnel from every branch of the military, from other manufacturers and from groups such as the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board, Transport Canada and others, said Bombardier spokesman Patrick Botter. "We don't charge anything for the seminar itself, with the idea of creating a community of professionals all looking to improve safety throughout the industry," Botter said. "The reality is ... it's right for business." The event offers a variety of general sessions and workshops. A new session, the Zoology of Safety, looks at how man is part of nature and how survival hinges on two forces that affect survival in the rest of the natural world: awareness and adaptation. "Using a variety of illustrations from the animal kingdom, keys to safety, survival and growth are linked to the aviation environment," organizers said. Other seminars will focus on issues such as safety management, human factors, leadership, crew monitoring, risk mitigation, managing fatigue, preventing stress, how to recognize hypoxia symptoms and other topics. Practical training will focus on aircraft cabin evacuations on land and water with instruction on smoke and fire fighting, underwater egress training, how to handle medical emergencies and other workshops. "Immerse yourself in real-life risk scenarios and see if you are ready for the unexpected factors such as smoke or hypoxia," information about the seminars said. "Train your muscle memory to know how to unbuckle underwater by taking the Underwater Egress Training. Become confident in handling emergency situations with Inflight Medical Training. Those workshops will leave you more prepared for the 'unplanned' part of the trip." Safety Standdown will be held Sept. 30 to Oct. 3 at the Hyatt Regency Wichita hotel. For information and to register, go to http://www.safetystanddown.com/aviation-safety- seminars/united-states-2013. Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2013/09/12/2997038/bombardiers-aviation- related-safety.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top Flights resume at BWI after lightning strike shuts down airport One controller shocked as thousands of travelers are delayed or stranded Lightning struck Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport's air traffic control tower, injuring one person and shutting down the airport for nearly three hours Thursday afternoon, delaying or stranding thousands of travelers. A bolt struck the tower about 2:30 p.m., shocking a controller as he was flipping a switch to turn on a generator that powers backup runway lights, said John Dunkerly, president of BWI's chapter of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. The controller, whom he declined to identify, fell to his knees and experienced numbness in his left arm and leg, Dunkerly said. He since has recovered and was released from the hospital Thursday evening. To avoid the risk of other injuries, the tower was shut down, prompting airport officials to ground all departures and divert all incoming flights. Air traffic resumed about 5 p.m., though the control tower remained out of commission, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The Potomac Terminal Radar Approach Control, which handles air traffic control in the air space around the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., region, assumed control of BWI air traffic, the FAA said. The FAA said nothing more Thursday about the lightning strike and BWI officials referred inquiries to the FAA. The lightning strike dumbfounded the controllers on duty, said Dunkerly, who added that he has never heard of such an incident in nearly 30 years in the industry. It also underscored concerns about safety in the 30-year-old tower, he said. "We didn't have any idea why it happened," Dunkerly said. "Usually [the towers] are pretty safe during these storms." Delta passenger Mark Levine, of Alexandria, Va., was on a plane readying to take off for Cincinnati when the pilot told passengers of the lightning strike, he said. The plane spent more than two hours on the runway without air conditioning before returning to a gate, Levine said. Having missed a connection to Nashville, Tenn., Levine tried - unsuccessfully - to find another flight, then returned home to try again Friday. "There's still thousands of people at BWI who are in line," Levine said Thursday evening. Steve Sarkady of Atlanta had boarded a flight that was scheduled to take off at 12:50 p.m but was running late. "We heard a couple loud booms around the airport," said Sarkady, who grew up in Rockville and was in the area on business. "It actually felt like it hit the plane." The passengers were kept on the plane for more than an hour, and then the crew said they would take off. But they later told them the flight was canceled because of the lightning strike. He planned to leave for Atlanta again Friday afternoon. "I'll just roll the dice for tomorrow because today was just way too much," Sarkady said. Shortly after flights resumed at the airport, travelers were scrambling to rearrange plans, making calls on cellphones and lining up at ticket counters. Dozens of flights were canceled, both arrivals and departures, with many others delayed by hours, according to flight tracking website FlightStats.com. Lacey Shaver, 28, sat on the floor near the airport lost-and-found office, charging her phone. The Washington, D.C., resident was headed to Memphis, Tenn., for a high school reunion and a work conference on urban sustainability. But she had a problem checking her luggage, and there was so much confusion during the outage that she wasn't even sure whether her flight had taken off. "I have no idea if it's canceled," she said as she waited for ticketing lines to shorten so she could figure out her next steps. "In about 30 or 45 minutes, I couldn't find anyone to talk to." St. Louis, Mo., resident Joe Blaes was planning to return home from a business trip when his 3:50 p.m. American Airlines flight to Dallas was first delayed and later canceled. Blaes, chief editor of Dental Economics magazine, said BWI officials handled the situation well and kept travelers informed. He is staying at a hotel Thursday night and intends to fly home Friday. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/weather/weather-blog/bs-md-bwi-lightning- 20130912,0,5300473.story#ixzz2em1OZtQ1 Back to Top Juneau Airport to host fake airplane crash this Saturday An Alaska Airlines flight comes in for a landing at the Juneau International Airport. Airport officials, emergency responders and volunteer victims will be acting out a fake airplane crash at Juneau International Airport on Saturday. Deputy Airport Manager Marc Cheatham says the Federal Aviation Administration requires airports the size of Juneau's to conduct a live emergency drill once every three years. "So if we actually do have an accident here, one, we're ready and prepared, and two, we can identify flaws through the drills to mitigate them if something really does happen," Cheatham says. This year's scenario is the crash of an Alaska Airlines 737 south of the airport in the Mendenhall Wetlands. Cheatham says volunteer victims will de-plane a fake fuselage, and first responders will try to rescue them using the Emergency Vehicle Access Road, or Airport Dike Trail. Firefighters may also put out a small fire. So, if you see emergency vehicles in and around the airport tomorrow, Cheatham says don't panic. "We are going to have signage out there letting people that come and go at the airport that there is a live drill here, and the general public, please don't be alarmed," he says. The Emergency Vehicle Access Road will be closed for the drill starting at 6 p.m. Friday. It will reopen Saturday afternoon around 5:00. Cheatham says the airport also holds annual table top emergency exercises in addition to the tri-annual live drill. http://www.ktoo.org/2013/09/12/juneau-airport-to-host-fake-airplane-crash-this-saturday/ Back to Top Congress seeks investigation into CBP searches Baker asks congressional leaders to protect pilot rights AOPA President Mark Baker spent much of his first week on the job meeting with members of Congress as elected officials returned to work following the summer recess. Among the top issues on Baker's agenda was a series of stops and searches conducted by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents. Some of the more than 40 searches involved flights that never left the country and AOPA has demanded that the agency put a stop to searches conducted without probable cause or reasonable suspicion. During a Sept. 9 meeting, Baker and Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) discussed the importance of protecting law-abiding pilots from unreasonable search and seizure. Graves went on to sign a letter to the inspectors general at the Department of Transportation and Department of Homeland Security asking for an investigation into CBP's actions. In his letter, Graves noted that in the more than 40 reported cases of similar stops and searches, no evidence of criminal activity has been found, raising the question as to whether the searches were reasonable. He added that some of the searches were conducted by local law enforcement at the request of CBP. "It is clear from local law enforcement information that they are being instructed by CBP to conduct stops on private citizens' property without probable cause and with little additional guidance," Graves wrote. The letter from Graves came after AOPA filed Freedom of Information Act requests with numerous agencies, including CBP, Homeland Security, and the Department of Justice, to try to determine whether CBP has the authority to conduct such searches. The response from CBP cited only a federal aviation regulation requiring pilots to present photo identification, a pilot certificate, and registration information to law enforcement officials who request it. But enforcement of the federal aviation regulations is the sole purview of the FAA and the agency says it has not requested assistance with ramp checks from CBP or other agencies. In addition to his meeting with Graves, Baker held meetings covering a range of issues with numerous House and Senate leaders, including Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma); House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pennsylvania); Rep. John Barrow (D-Georgia) who co-chairs the House General Aviation Caucus; Rep. Tom Latham (R-Iowa); Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-New Jersey); Rep. Ed Pastor (D-Arizona); Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kansas); and Rep. Nick Rahall (D-West Virginia). "Protecting our freedom to fly is the core of AOPA's mission, and we have to work closely with Congress be effective," Baker said of his meetings on the Hill. "We are fortunate that so many of our elected officials understand the value of general aviation and are sensitive to the needs of the aviation community. These meetings are just the beginning, and I expect to spend a lot of time in Washington in the coming months as we continue to work on issues like security, NextGen, FAA funding, user fees, avgas, and more. While those efforts continue, AOPA will continue to press its case for protecting pilot rights. Pilots who have been approached by law enforcement officials are encouraged to tell AOPA about their experiences using a simple online form. Pilots are also urged to download AOPA's kneeboard-formatted checklist, "What to do if stopped by law enforcement." http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-seeks-investigation-into-cbp-searches.aspx Back to Top Pilots talk safety after fatal Connecticut accident Air Safety Institute hosts specially designed seminar Safety SeminarAOPA Foundation President Bruce Landsberg and a team from the Air Safety Institute spent an evening discussing aircraft operations at congested airports following a tragic accident last month at nearby Tween-New Haven Airport. Landsberg, speaking to about 90 pilots and AOPA members who attended the "Safe Skies, Good Neighbors" seminar Sept. 10, covered a variety of emergency procedures and best pilot practices for operations at airports adjacent to residential neighborhoods. The Air Safety Institute designed the seminar after an Aug. 9 accident in which a Rockwell 690B Turbo Commander attempted a circle-to-land instrument approach at Tweed-New Haven and struck a home, killing two children in the home as well as the pilot and his teenage son. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident. Landsberg, addressing what he called, "the elephant in the room," discussed what is known so far about the accident at Tweed-New Haven, which is about 20 miles from Chester. Landsberg explained the difficulty pilots sometimes have keeping the airport in site while flying at circle-to-land approach at minimums, and how checking the airport's position should be made an integral part of the instrument scan during such approaches. "There's nothing simple about a circle-to-land approach," Landsberg told the pilots, a number of who fly out of Tweed-New Haven. "In fact, in many ways it can be one of the most difficult approaches, and we don't practice them enough." The seminar was held in a conference room provided by Whelen Engineering, the maker of aviation and emergency vehicle lighting products. Whelen has a manufacturing facility next to the Chester Airport. Landsberg also covered noise abatement procedures, such as power reductions during climbs and efficient energy management during approaches. In addition, he discussed emergency procedures near crowded airports, the best way to select off-airport landing sites, glide ratios, and the "Impossible Turn," or the perils of turning back to the airport after encountering engine problems during take-off. Only after gaining enough altitude and airspeed, he counseled, are turn-backs possible. Landsberg also discussed public policy of development near airports, displaying a picture of Tweed-New Haven when it as founded in 1931-with no buildings nearby-and as it stands today, with dense residential development surrounding it. By contrast, he noted that the airport authority of Birmingham, Ala., has spent the last several years buying and clearing homes in the approach path of that airport's Runway 18, the scene of an Aug. 14 crash of a UPS Airbus 300. Both crew members died. "Can you imagine the losses if the city had not bought up that property and moved those houses out?" Landsberg asked the audience. "Maybe it makes some sense to make sure these approach areas are clear." Pilots who attended the safety seminar were eligible for credit in the FAA's Wings program. http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2013/September/12/Pilots-talk-safety- after-fatal-Connecticut-accident.aspx Back to Top Boeing Poised to Be Sole Bidder on Air Force One Jet Replacement Boeing Co. (BA), whose aircraft have ferried U.S. presidents for more than half a century, is poised to be the only contender for a Pentagon contract to provide the next Air Force One jetliner early next decade. Boeing said it's reviewing an Air Force request for information about the plane issued Sept. 9 and isn't ready to announce a bid. Toulouse, France-based Airbus SAS doesn't intend to make a proposal based on its double-decker A380 jet. That leaves Boeing as the "only credible offerer" for the iconic jet, said Loren Thompson, a defense analyst with the Arlington, Virginia-based Lexington Institute. The Air Force wants a four-engine plane, and the A380 and Boeing's 747-8 are the only Western commercial models that fit the bill. "The government might accept bids from companies other than Boeing, but I don't believe it would actually award the program to them," Thompson said in an e-mail. "It isn't going to buy an Airbus plane, and the integration challenge of turning a 747 into a next-generation Air Force One is just too demanding for anyone other than Boeing." It's still premature to say whether Boeing intends to bid, Dianna Ramirez, a spokeswoman for Boeing's military aircraft business, said this week in a phone interview. The survey, an early step in the process, aims to identify sources with the expertise, capability and experience to deliver the next presidential aircraft, Charles Gulick, an Air Force spokesman, said in an e-mail. Potential participants could range from a single large contractor to a systems integrator that modifies a four-engine airframe, he said. Boeing Boost Winning the next version of Air Force One would provide a boost to Boeing's 747-8 Intercontinental, its largest and most expensive passenger jet with a list price of $356.9 million, as it slows production amid slumping sales for four-engine aircraft. Boeing, based in Chicago, has sold nine customized versions of the jumbos to clients that include foreign heads of state, Doug Alder, a Boeing spokesman, said in an e-mail. The Pentagon is looking to replace its aging fleet of Boeing 747-200 aircraft, which will reach their planned 30-year service life in 2017. The next Air Force One jets are estimated to begin operations in fiscal 2023, Gulick said. The Air Force expects the next jets to have the range to fly between continents and comparable interiors to the current 747, whose features include work and sleeping quarters for the president and first family, according to the survey, which is posted on a government website. Strong Incumbent The Obama administration's budget for fiscal 2014 has allocated $1.14 billion to be spent on research and development of the new presidential aircraft through 2018. The total includes one aircraft, which would be purchased in fiscal 2017 and modified for system integration and developmental testing before it is added to the presidential fleet, Gulick said. After supplying Air Force One aircraft since 1962, Boeing "is in a pretty strong incumbent position including political backing" for the next contest, Robert Stallard, a New York-based aerospace and defense analyst with RBC Capital Markets, wrote in a Sept. 10 research note to clients. Airbus parent European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. (EAD) doesn't plan to duel with Boeing as it did over an earlier Air Force contract for aerial refueling tankers. "We do not anticipate bidding for Air Force One," Guy Hicks, a spokesman for EADS North America, said in an e-mail. "Our strategic intent when we bid on our major programs is to industrialize in the U.S. to support production." http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-12/boeing-poised-to-be-sole-bidder-on-air- force-one-jet-replacement.html Back to Top Back to Top ANA Close to Decision on 25 Airbus, Boeing Aircraft Order ANA Holdings Inc, the Japanese carrier whose fleet is dominated by Boeing Co. (BA) aircraft, will decide soon on placing an order for 25 jets, pitting the newest wide-body models of Airbus SAS and Boeing against each other. "It's getting close to the time we need to make a decision," President Shinichiro Ito said an interview in Tokyo, where Japan's biggest airline is based. He declined to elaborate on when the order will be made. "The key will be what plane matches our needs best." A Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner aircraft operated by All Nippon Airways Co. (ANA), rear, is parked as other ANA aircraft taxies at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg "It's getting close to the time we need to make a decision," said Shinichiro Ito, president and chief executive officer of ANA Holdings Inc. (ANA). ANA choosing Airbus would mark a triumph for the European manufacturer in a country where Boeing has enjoyed near monopoly for decades. The ties between the U.S. planemaker and Japanese carriers were reinforced as ANA and Japan Airlines Co. (9201) became the first operators of the carbon-composite Boeing 787 Dreamliner, when commercial flights started two years back. The new planes ANA will order are to replace aging wide-body aircraft, used in international flights, Ito said in the Sept. 4 interview. ANA, the biggest operator of Airbus planes in the country with 17 aircraft, will decide between the yet-to-be-made 777X model and Airbus A350. Boeing is marketing the 777X as a successor to its 777 jet and Chief Executive Officer James McNerney has said the planemaker expects to have the aircraft in service around the end of the decade. A350 First Flight Airbus's A350 had its maiden flight earlier this year and the first variant is set to enter service by in 2014, with the largest model slated for late 2017. The planemaker has said the A350-1000 will offer 25 percent better operating economics than Boeing's 777-300ER. Toulouse, France-based Airbus has been gaining market share in Japan recently as low-cost carriers lease its planes. The aircraft maker has yet to sell wide-body jets to either ANA or Japan Airlines. ANA operates 17 Airbus single-aisle A320s, which the Japanese carrier started flying in 1991. The airline has a fleet of 236 planes, with 197 of them being Boeing aircraft. Japan Airlines, which has never bought a new Airbus plane, has a fleet of 214 aircraft. Japanese carriers flew 43 Airbus jets at the end of 2012, up from 36 a year earlier, according to the Japan Aircraft Development Corp. ANA and its affiliate Peach Aviation Ltd. are the main carriers using the European planemaker's aircraft. In comparison, domestic carriers had 409 Boeing planes, excluding MD-90s, up from 397. Skymark Airlines Inc., Japan's biggest discount carrier, is currently the only Japanese airline that has agreed to buy Airbus wide-body planes, with an order for six A380s. The airline is due to start operation of its first double-decker next year. Airbus is in discussions with Japan's two biggest carriers about an order for its A350-1000, three people familiar with the talks said in May. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-12/ana-close-to-decision-on-25-airbus-boeing- aircraft-order.html Back to Top Auburn University Aviation receives FAA ATP for AU aviation students Auburn University Aviation has received Federal Aviation Administration exemption for reduced flight time requirements for aviation graduates. The FAA changed rules for graduates in August. Auburn University is one of several universities nationwide to receive this certification and a great benefit to current aviation management students. This will allow students to be trained at AU and get hired at airlines with reduced flight times due to Auburn's nationally recognized flight training program. Auburn has more than 4,000 alumni in all aspects of the aviation industry http://www.wsfa.com/story/23418588/auburn-university-aviation-receives-faa-atp-for-au- aviation-students Back to Top WSU wins big grant from FAA for bio-fuels research SEATTLE - The FAA is expected to announce a $40 million grant to Washington State University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to lead extensive research into more development of aviation bio fuels. The grant is intended to establish a Center of Excellence, with both WSU and MIT leading a team of universities that also include the University of Washington, Oregon State, Boston University, Purdue, the University of Illinois, Stanford and eight others. The schools are asked to develop research in a variety of areas ranging from new alternative aviation fuels to studying the wear the new fuels might put on aircraft engines. Boeing, Alaska Airlines, United and other aerospace and fuel companies have been experimenting with alternative fuels that range from the non-food camelina plant grown across the northern plains, to other alternatives made from algae to spent cooking oil used to fry chickens. In its request for proposals, the universities are asked to develop fuel performance testing and examine the impact the use of alternatives fuels would have on aircraft noise and other impacts. "This innovative partnership supports President Obama's national plan to address climate change," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. Airlines have expressed strong interest in alternative fuels as a way to shield themselves from volatile oil prices, as well as a way to reduce their carbon footprint. In 2011, Alaska Airlines and its regional subsidiary Horizon Air conducted weeks of testing using fuel made from cooking oil on regularly schedules flights. WSU and the UW have already been involved in bio fuel research. Another alternative idea under study is using slash and other wood waste from Northwest forests. That idea has been advanced in part as a way to make removal of volatile forest debris more economical and to hold down the risk of wild land fire. The grant would provide $4 million a year for each of the 10 years the program would run and would be matched with private research dollars. http://www.king5.com/news/local/WSU-wins-big-grant-from-FAA-for-bio-fuels-reserch-- 223562071.html Back to Top POSITION WANTED Looking for a New Opportunity Experienced current Gulfstream and Challenger pilot looking for a new opportunity in the cockpit with strong safety management and training skills. Professional, customer- and safety-focused aviator with 16 years of experience in domestic and international flight operations seeking a permanent position or contract work. Current Type Ratings in the GV series (V/550/450) and Challenger 604/605. San Diego based. Over 8000 total hours, 2800 turbine PIC, 1000 G-550, and 500 CL 604/605. Hands-on experience in development of FRMS and SMS, Threat and Error Management, and Standards and Training. NBAA committee member on the International Operators Conference Planning Group, Safety and Access Committees. Nat Iyengar, San Diego, CA, USA Tel: +1-219-616-3135 / Email: natiyengar@earthlink.net Professional Profile Curt Lewis