Flight Safety Information September 16, 2013 - No. 191 In This Issue 6 passengers fall ill on flight from Germany to O'Hare Aviation Safety Graduate Research Survey UN analysts assess risk at Mongolian aviation companies New helipad approach system improves low-vis safety (Australia) Police Seize Gun From Carry-On Bag At Airport Customs from overseas is worst at JFK Airport: report Delta flight bound for Detroit diverted due to odor inside the airplane US puts DGCA on 45-day notice over air safety standards (India) Think ARGUS PROS Boeing Forecasts Growing Need for New Pilots in Asia Pacific Region China opens world's highest civilian airport POSITION WANTED...Looking for a New Opportunity 6 passengers fall ill on flight from Germany to O'Hare Five people complained of chest pain on a flight from Germany to O'Hare Airport on Saturday night. Lufthansa Flight 432, carrying 309 passengers from Frankfurt to Chicago, already had made an emergency stop in London, where a passenger who had a heart attack was taken to a hospital, airline spokesman Nils Haupt said Sunday night. After the Boeing 747 took off from London to continue to Chicago, five other passengers complained of chest pressure. "The cases seemed unrelated," Haupt said. "Everything was fine with the aircraft, and there were no complaints about food." Three doctors who happened to be aboard the plane took care of them until the flight landed in Chicago, he said. One of the passengers was treated at the airport; none were seriously ill. Two passengers were taken to Our Lady of the Resurrection Medical Center, according to the Chicago Fire Department. The plane returned to Frankfurt early Sunday morning, Haupt said. http://www.suntimes.com/22582129-418/6-passengers-fall-ill-on-flight-from-germany-to-ohare.html 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 UN analysts assess risk at Mongolian aviation companies The United Nations sends its analysts to countries for assessments o politics, economics and food conditions in order to ensure the health and safety of its workers all over the world. One of the UN's assessments is conducted in the aviation sector, specifically looking at passenger safety as practiced by aviation companies and during flights. In the 1990s, the UN warned its workers not to use Mongolian aviation services, and use only other means of transportation, as it ran high safety risks at the time. But a recent evaluation by UN analysts gave MIAT Mongolian Airlines a rating of "B", which means passengers shouldn't have concerns about MIAT's service. Eznis Airways also earned a "B", Aero Mongolia was given a "C" rating, and the much criticized Khunnu Airways received a rather poor assessment due to its lack of an airplane repair center. The assessment is not for the public, but intended for UN workers worldwide. Aeroflot, Korean Air and Turkish Airlines, which carry many Mongolian passengers, also received favorable assessments. http://ubpost.mongolnews.mn/?p=6052 Back to Top New helipad approach system improves low-vis safety (Australia) An EC145 landing at the newly upgraded helipad. (Eurocopter) Eurocopter has commissioned a high precision GPS-supported instrument approach procedure for the helipad at its corporate headquarters at Donauwörth in Germany, becoming the first helipad in Europe to make use of Localiser Performance with Vertical (LPV) guidance. The new procedure supplements conventional lateral guidance systems by adding the vertical component, which enables approach guidance to be displayed in 3D for the first time. The improved guidance enables obstacles to be overflown with increased safety when visibility is poor. The license permitting LPV approaches to the helipad also means Eurocopter in Donauwörth can use the new procedure when testing and approving the latest navigation systems for use in its helicopters. Eurocopter is currently conducting these tests using its twin-engine EC135 and EC145 T2 helicopters. Eurocopter will offer training to its customers for the new system Eurocopter's special on-site helicopter landing pad, which welcomes some 6,000 take-offs and landings a year, is one of the few helipads in the world to have been certified as suitable for all-weather operations in line with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requirements. http://australianaviation.com.au/2013/09/new-helipad-approach-system-improves-low-vis-safety/ Back to Top Police Seize Gun From Carry-On Bag At Airport IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) - A Rexburg man who authorities say tried to bring a handgun onto a commercial airliner in his carry-on bag at Idaho Falls Regional Airport has been cited and the weapon seized. The Post Register reports that Transportation Security Administration officers spotted the unloaded 9 mm Kel- Tec gun Thursday when 50-year-old Jeffrey Jones sent his luggage through the X-ray machine. TSA spokeswoman Lorie Dankers says the weapon didn't appear to be intentionally hidden. Idaho Falls Police spokeswoman Joelyn Hansen says officers had no reason to believe Jones intended to use the weapon in the airport or on the plane. Jones received a misdemeanor citation and was allowed to board the flight to Las Vegas. The infraction carries a fine of up to $7,500. Back to Top Customs from overseas is worst at JFK Airport: report A Global Gateway Alliance study has found that it takes international passengers from 23 minutes to 2 hours to get through customs. International passengers arriving at JFK International experience the worst customs wait times of all major airports in the country according to a new report. Coming home from overseas through JFK Airport? Put aside an extra two hours for customs. International fliers need between 23 to 120 minutes to get through Kennedy Airport's arrivals terminals, an independent study revealed. The study - conducted by Global Gateway Alliance, an airport watchdog group founded by Thor Equities CEO Joe Sitt - found that the average delay at JFK during the summer was less than a half hour. But the average maximum delay - during peak hours in August - topped out at a whopping two hours. More than 3.2 million arriving travelers have gone through customs at JFK this year, more than any airport in the country. "You've got an eight-hour flight with your family and you're standing on line for two hours just trying to get out of the airport," said Stephen Sigmund, executive director for Global Gateway. "More than an hour is considered an extreme wait and JFK has more extreme waits than any other airport," said Sigmund. The next four busiest airports had much shorter maximum wait times, with Chicago's O'Hare Airport (44 minutes), Newark (42) and Miami International and Los Angeles International (both 40) rounding out the top five. Signs to make passengers aware of US Customs and Border Protection officers watch over passengers arriving Terminal 4 at JFK Airport. Officers are constantly looking for drug mules. Even during peak hours, O'Hare's customs delay of 74 minutes was far less than JFK's. To fix the problem, the Global Gateway Alliance wants JFK to get automated kiosks like ones used in O'Hare Airport so agents are not filling out and processing general customs and declaration forms by hand. They also recommend more staffing at JFK and an on-call rapid response team to help when lines get too long. The watchdog group also wants to eliminate preclearance facilities in unnecessary locations. The changes would improve wait times yet not sacrifice security, the group claims. "It's bad and it's been bad for a long period of time," said Sigmund. Officials for U.S. Customs and Border Patrol did not return requests for comment but told The News in July that they are working with air carriers and airport officials to enhance operations. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/customs-overseas-worst-jfk-airport-report-article- 1.1456882#ixzz2f3fLDq2G Back to Top Delta flight bound for Detroit diverted due to odor inside the airplane DETROIT (WXYZ) - A Delta Airlines flight from Frankfurt, Germany to Detroit was diverted to Dublin due to a strong odor inside the plane. Delta tells 7 Action News that Flight 143 landed safely at Dublin International Airport, "After diverting out of an abundance of caution." "The flight landed without incident and passengers deplaned normally. We apologize for the inconvenience and an alternate aircraft has been dispatched for customer reaccommodation," the airline said in a statement. http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/detroit/delta-flight-bound-for-detroit-diverted-due-to-odor-inside- the-airplane#ixzz2f3dsOQiP Back to Top US puts DGCA on 45-day notice over air safety standards (India) There may be no more new flights to the US if the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) fails to raise air safety standards within the next 45 days. Unhappy with the results of its audit, the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA), the US aviation safety regulator, has threatened to downgrade India, s aid civil aviation ministry sources. This could mean increased restrictions on Air India and Jet Airways, the two domestic airlines operating US- bound flights, and major inconvenience to passengers. The restrictions could also mean that Indian airlines will not be allowed to increase flight operations to the US. "Delay in appropriate action by the DGCA has resulted in this situation," said Vipul Saxena, independent aviation expert. "It is high time that the ministry of civil aviation intervenes and ensures that all the concerns raised by the FAA are addressed immediately. This will not only protect India's reputation, but also the commercial interest of Indian scheduled operators and the tourism sector." Other air safety experts concurred. Captain Mohan Ranganthan, member of the government-appointed Civil Aviation Safety Advisory Council, said complacency in safety measures brings the threat of downgrades "Now, Air India and Jet Airways might face worldwide surprise checks by FAA inspectors," said Ranganthan. Ministry sources, however said India's improved grades at the review audit conducted by the United Nation's aviation watchdog last month could help the DGCA. "The Inter national Civil Aviation Organisation team was satisfied with their latest audit. The DGCA might use that to earn some brownie points," said a senior ministry official. http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Mumbai/US-puts-DGCA-on-45-day-notice-over-air-safety- standards/Article1-1122657.aspx Back to Top Back to Top Boeing Forecasts Growing Need for New Pilots in Asia Pacific Region - Nearly 200,000 new commercial airline pilots required over 20 years - Large demand also seen for airline maintenance technicians SINGAPORE, Sept. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing projects the Asia Pacific region will continue to lead the globe in demand for hundreds of thousands of new commercial airline pilots and maintenance technicians to support expanding demand for new airplane deliveries over the next two decades. The 2013 Boeing Pilot & Technician Outlook, a bellwether industry forecast of aviation personnel demand, calls for 192,300 new commercial airline pilots and 215,300 new technicians in the Asia Pacific region through 2032. "There is a very real, urgent demand for competent aviation personnel globally, and the Asia Pacific region is particularly impacted," said Bob Bellitto, global sales director, Boeing Flight Services. "While Boeing is investing in cutting-edge technologies to attract and retain young people interested in careers in aviation, this is an industry-wide issue that can only be solved with industry-wide solutions." Leading the region in projected demand for new pilots and technicians: China - 77,400 pilots and 93,900 technicians Southeast Asia - 48,100 pilots and 50,300 technicians Other parts of the region will also continue to see long-term demand in the tens of thousands of pilots and technicians: Southwest Asia will need 30,900 pilots and 28,500 technicians Northeast Asia will need 18,500 pilots and 25,500 technicians The Oceania region will need 17,400 pilots and 17,100 technicians "Aviation is a great field to be in. We have a responsibility to make sure it's a viable career option for the world's youth," said Bellitto. "Tomorrow's aviation workforce is going to be very different than their present- day peers. We need to focus on their expectations for learning, moving away from paper and chalkboard- based techniques to incorporate tablets, eBooks, gaming technology and three-dimensional models." The Pilot & Technician Outlook is closely tied to projections for new airplane deliveries around the globe. As it does with personnel demand, the Asia Pacific region also leads the demand for new commercial airplane deliveries over the next 20 years, with 12,820 new airplanes needed by 2032 according to Boeing's 2013 Current Market Outlook. In April 2013, Boeing announced the decision to install two new full-flight simulators-a 777 and Next- Generation 737-at its Singapore training campus. The simulators are expected to be ready for training in early to mid-2014. The added 737 training capability will help meet demand as customers in Southeast Asia as well as, Japan, Korea and China take delivery of new airplanes. Airlines in China and Indonesia, as well as in the Middle East and Africa, will benefit from the increased 777 training capacity. More information on the 2013 Pilot & Technician Outlook is available at http://www.boeing.com/commercial/cmo/pilot_technician_outlook.html http://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/13/09/n3913831/boeing-forecasts-growing-need-for-new-pilots-in- asia-pacific-region#ixzz2f3ZJoXdS Back to Top China opens world's highest civilian airport The 1.58 billion yuan ($258 million) airport, designed to handle 280,000 passengers a year, will help open up the nearby Yading Nature Reserve to tourism China opened the world's highest civilian airport on Monday, in a restive and remote Tibetan region of southwestern Sichuan province, which will cut journey times from the provincial capital from two days to a little more than one hour. Daocheng airport in Garzi, a heavily ethnic Tibetan part of Sichuan, is 4,411 meters (14,472 feet) above sea level, and overtakes Qamdo airport in Tibet, which sits at 4,334 metres above sea level, for the title of world's highest. The official Xinhua news agency said flights would initially connect with Chengdu, the provincial capital, otherwise a two-day bus trip away. Flights to cities including Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing will begin at a later date. The 1.58 billion yuan ($258 million) airport, designed to handle 280,000 passengers a year, will help open up the nearby Yading Nature Reserve to tourism, Xinhua added, referring to an area renowned for its untouched natural beauty. China has embarked upon a multi-billion-dollar programme in recent years to revamp old airports and build new ones, especially in the remote west, as a way of boosting the economy. Some of these airports have been located in Tibetan regions, whose population chafes at Chinese political control, and often have a dual military purpose so troops can be bought in quickly during periods of unrest. Garzi has been the scene of numerous self-immolation protests against Chinese rule in the last three years or so and remains under tight security. http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=118076 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. Current China Validation. 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