Flight Safety Information October 15, 2013 - No. 212 In This Issue FAA and EASA Will Upgrade Stall Training TAIC opens inquiry into Antarctica flight safety incident (New Zealand) TSA screenings at Phoenix airport (PHX) draw fire from disabled travelers EPA Tests Show "High" Percentage of Airplanes Still Have Bacteria in Water Served On-Board Second A350 XWB test aircraft successfully completes first flight EU strategies on enhancement of air safety discussed in Luxembourg Julian Plane Crash Not Investigated Due to Shutdown (California) Detained Yakutia Airlines jet released Nigeria to shut financially distressed airlines For second time in two days, dry ice explosion reported at Los Angeles airport IFA Forum in Hong Kong 26-27 Nov 2013 Next GFSC Meeting 06 November 2013, Abu Dhabi Think ARGUS PROS Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. : First MRJ Flight Test Aircraft Final Assembly Commences United Airlines launches 100th aircraft with satellite Wi-Fi GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY FAA and EASA Will Upgrade Stall Training The FAA this month will issue a rule requiring a new approach to stall training for airline pilots that runs counter to previous guidance. According to Dr Jeff Schroeder, the agency's chief scientific and technical officer, the new approach will, "take a lot of work to undo previous training because some pilots are 'spring- loaded' to the previous technique." At the Royal Aeronautical Society's annual International Flight Crew Training Conference in London last month, Schroeder explained that operators will have five years to comply with the new requirement. Flight simulator providers will need to make changes to stall, buffet and icing models used in their devices, and rules governing these changes should be issued in 2015 with a three-year implementation grace period. European Aviation Safety Agency rulemaking officer Dean Dousi told the conference that his agency will publish similar rules in the third quarter of 2016, following the publication of a concept paper before year-end. This will be subject to public consultation next year, with resulting recommendations to be made to the European Commission in 2015. The rulemaking process follows in the wake of highly publicized accidents involving stalls, including Colgan Air Flight 3407 near Buffalo, N.Y., and Air France Flight 447's plunge into the Atlantic Ocean within four months in 2009. Since then, multiple industry groups have debated improved approaches for dealing with loss of control in flight, identified as the leading cause of aircraft fatalities. Schroeder estimated the total cost to develop new aerodynamic models for 50 aircraft types at $20 million, plus another $30 million for these to be installed on approximately 300 full-flight simulators. http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ainsafety/2013-10-14/faa-and-easa-will-upgrade-stall-training Back to Top TAIC opens inquiry into Antarctica flight safety incident (New Zealand) Press Release: Transport Accident Investigation Commission TAIC opens inquiry into Antarctica flight safety incident The Transport Accident Investigation Commission has today (11 October 2013) opened an inquiry into a safety incident which involved a Royal New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757 landing in Antarctica on Monday (7 October 2013) in weather below minimum standards for landing and with insufficient fuel to reach an alternate airport. The RNZAF had advised the Commission of the incident on Monday, and information provided since had allowed the Commission to determine it should and could investigate under the Transport Accident Investigation Commission Act 1990, chief investigator of accidents Captain Tim Burfoot said. "The Commission's inquiry will work alongside but independently of the Air Force's own investigation of the incident." "While the Commission is precluded from investigating incidents and accidents confined to New Zealand Defence Force resources, this occurrence involved a combination of military and civilian personnel and services," Captain Burfoot said. He said it was too early to say how long the investigation would take or whether international participation in the inquiry would be required. The Commission is a standing Commission of Inquiry that investigates occurrences with significant implications for transport safety in order to explain them and make recommendations, where appropriate, to help improve transport safety and prevent a recurrence. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1310/S00124/taic-opens-inquiry-into-antarctica-flight-safety-incident.htm Back to Top TSA screenings at Phoenix airport (PHX) draw fire from disabled travelers Dozens of disabled travelers have filed complaints with Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, accusing Transportation Security Administration security agents of conducting inappropriate and humiliating screenings. The Arizona Republic reports that 26 complaints were filed on behalf of people with disabilities at the airport's checkpoints in 2012, which is more than double the national average, according to records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. One of the complaints was filed by an 82-year-old woman in a wheelchair who was reportedly required to take out her prosthetic breast while passing through a TSA security checkpoint before boarding a flight to London last June. "At her age and physical capability, she posed absolutely no risk whatsoever to anyone's safety and should not have been subjected to such invasive and (undignifed) treatment," the woman's grandchild wrote in a complaint obtained by the paper. "This sort of degrading treatment is more appropriate for prisoners." In another incident, a breast cancer survivor complained that an agent at Sky Harbor ordered a pat-down of her prosthetic breast and refused to conduct the search in a private area. "She made me pull it out in front of the world. When I got upset, I was told to shut up. I have never been so humiliated in my life," the woman wrote in the complaint. "The TSA has overstepped their bounds and ruined my vacation." Between October 2009 to June 2012, the TSA's disability branch received 920 complaints about screenings from people alleging discrimination on the basis of disabilities and medical conditions, according to a Government Accountability Office reviewed by The Arizona Republic. The newspaper requested records of complaints from disabled travelers after a Marine who lost his legs in an IED explosion in Afghanistan was reportedly asked to remove his prosthetic legs and stand so agents at Sky Harbor could check his wheelchair for explosives. The TSA refuted the unnamed Marine's claim, arguing that security footage proves that prosthetics were not removed. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., who first came forward with the veteran's claim in March, told The Arizona Republic the complaints by travelers with disabilities reveal a "disturbing pattern." "TSA agents are entrusted to do an important job, but there's a serious shortage of confidence that lessons are being learned. Examples like these show a recurring disregard for passengers, even in secondary screening situations, and a lack of basic common sense," Hunter said. The TSA on its website recommends that travelers with disabilities and medical conditions call a hotline ahead of traveling for information about what to expect during the screening process. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/10/15/screenings-at-phoenix-airport-draw-fire-from-disabled-travelers/ Back to Top EPA Tests Show "High" Percentage of Airplanes Still Have Bacteria in Water Served On-Board NBC 5 investigation reveals what's in airplane coffee, tea and water In this exclusive report, NBC 5 Investigates obtained test results from the Environmental Protection Agency. The numbers show years after EPA launched an effort to clean up the water on-board planes, the water may not be much cleaner than it was when EPA conducted sample tests in 2004. NBC 5 Investigates has obtained new test results from the Environmental Protection Agency showing how often the drinking water served on commercial airline flights tests positive for bacteria. The numbers show, nine years after EPA launched a major effort to ensure the safety of drinking water on- board planes, the water may not be much cleaner than it was when EPA conducted sample tests in 2004. In 2004 the EPA sampled about 300 planes and found 15 percent of them, or just more than 1 out of every 10 planes, tested positive for coliform, an indicator that other potentially harmful bacteria may be in the water. At the time EPA said that percentage was "high". Now, new EPA data obtained through a Freedom of Information Act Request, shows in 2012, 12 percent of commercial airplanes in the U.S. had at least one positive test for coliform. That's still just about one out of every 10 planes. "I would say that's still a high percentage," said Bill Honker, deputy director of the Water Quality Protection Division, EPA Region 6, in Dallas. Honker believes the airlines can still do better. "I think there is more that needs to be done. So we're expecting to see further improvement by all the airlines in the county," Honker said. Coliform itself is not likely to make a person sick, but it can be a red flag that other bacteria, like E. coli, have made their way into the water. E. coli presents bigger health concerns, but is only rarely found in samples taken from commercial airliners. The EPA now requires airlines to test for coliform and E. coli on every airplane at least once year. If a plane tests positive with either bacteria, EPA requires airplanes to flush the tanks and re-test the water. The airline also has to restrict access to the water on the plane until tests show it is clean. The EPA said it doesn't have any documented cases of people getting sick from airplane drinking water. However, doctors said that doesn't mean it's not happening. In most cases it would be very difficult to track an illness back to water served on a plane. While most airlines now serve bottled water on their beverage carts, many airlines still make coffee and tea with water that comes from a tank on-board. That tank is filled at airports in all different cities. And sometimes the hoses used to fill the tanks are filthy. NBC 5 Investigates obtained photos, taken by the Food and Drug Administration inspectors at Texas airports. In some photos you can see slimy residue growing on the nozzles that supply airplane water. Dirty hoses can put bacteria in the tank, including coliform and E. coli. "There's poop in the water if there's E. coli in the water, and that's not a good thing," said Brenda Wiles, who manages a lab in Fort Worth that is certified to test aircraft drinking water. What about the two largest airlines in the Dallas-Fort Worth area? EPA results showed Fort Worth-based American Airlines fared about average last year in coliform tests. Coliform was found in water on about 13 percent of the company's planes, but less than ˝ of 1 percent of American's water samples tested positive for E. coli, the more dangerous bacteria. The EPA cautions the data could contain some errors, although American Airlines told NBC 5 Investigates the EPA data was generally consistent with their own numbers. In a written statement, American said, "We are continuously seeking to improve our procedures ... We are confident that our water on board all our aircraft is safe. Rigorous corrective action procedures are in place for any water sample suggested not to meet drinking water guidelines." Dallas-based Southwest Airlines has some of the cleanest water in the air, according to the EPA numbers. Only about 3 percent of Southwest planes tested positive for coliform in 2012. None of the water samples collected from Southwest planes contained E. coli. Southwest provided NBC 5 video that shows how they routinely use ozone to disinfect the tanks and clean the faucets in the galleys and the restrooms. Only disinfection will kill bacteria, heating the coffee usually isn't enough. "It might kill some of the organisms, the more susceptible ones, but it's not going to kill the majority of them", said Wiles. Dr. Cedric Spak, an infectious disease specialist at Baylor University Medical Center, said a healthy immune system can handle some bacteria and that no tap water is sterile. Spak said he wouldn't worry much about drinking airplane coffee, but he would not suggest someone with a compromised immune system drink a glass. He would also think twice before filling a baby bottle with water from an airplane tank. "That doesn't sound like a very good idea," said Spak. So some passengers may think twice about what they drink in the air, while the EPA keeps testing and urging airlines to do better. "I can assure you the industry is getting the message," said Honker with the EPA. http://www.nbcdfw.com/investigations/EPA-Tests-Show-High-Percentage-of-Airplanes-Still-Have-Bacteria-in- Water-Served-On-Board-226813491.html Back to Top Second A350 XWB test aircraft successfully completes first flight Airbus announced the second A350 XWB to fly, MSN3, successfully competed its first flight, lasting approximately five hours. MSN3 - similarly to the first test flight aircraft, MSN1 - has no cabin interior but is equipped with heavy flight test installation. MSN1 to date has flown 330 flight test hours in almost 70 flights. These flights have been devoted to the identification and freeze of all flap and slat configurations, loads and aeroelastic testing and evaluation of the aircraft's handling characteristics and systems' operation throughout the operational envelope. Three more A350 XWB test aircraft will join MSN 1 and MSN 3 to perform the planned 2500 hours up to type certification. Airbus has 725 firm orders from 37 customers for the A350. http://centreforaviation.com/news/second-a350-xwb-test-aircraft-successfully-completes-first-flight-273213 Back to Top EU strategies on enhancement of air safety discussed in Luxembourg The European Union (EU) strategies on how to increase safety and efficiency of air traffic management, improve air traffic control and safety, and better protect air passenger interests were discussed on October 10, 2013, in Luxembourg at the Meeting of Transport, Telecommunications and Energy (TTE) Council, informed BC the Transport Ministry of Lithuania. The ministers held an orientation debate on European Commission's proposal for a regulation to establish common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and cancellation or long delay of flights. The debate focused on the need to better inform air passengers on their rights to assistance and compensation. Ministers touched upon air carrier liability in respect of the carriage of passengers and their baggage by air. "We all agree that it is necessary to guarantee air passenger interests and, therefore, ensure more efficient air carrier's assistance to passengers in the event of flight disruption. Additionally, it is important that in a liberalized market air carriers operate on equal terms, so that their financial costs spent on ensuring air passenger rights are proportionate" - said the Minister of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania Rimantas Sinkevi?ius, who chaired the Council meeting. In order to improve air traffic management and safety, the Council agreed on establishing the next generation air traffic management system (SESAR) and continuing a joint venture's (which develops this system) activity till year 2024. "The new air traffic management system will be implemented by new communication, control and computing technologies between the ground and aircraft. This will optimize the work of air traffic controllers and pilots. The new system is particularly significant for the management of growing air traffic. It should considerably improve flight safety and will help to increase Europe's competitiveness in the global aviation market." - added Rimantas Sinkevi?ius. In the Council the EU Ministers of Transport reached a general approach on the railway safety directive, which is one of the four directives of the Fourth railway package. Rimantas Sinkevi?ius noted that this directive will set clear responsibilities in the rail safety sector. Furthermore, it will establish rules on certification of railway operators and maintenance of rolling stock. Finally, it will make a contribution towards creating a common European railway area. "This agreement is relevant also for Lithuania as it is an additional step towards complete integration into the EU railroad and legal systems. This is particularly relevant to the further development of the European railroad infrastructure project Rail Baltica. It will connect the Baltic states with the EU railroad network through Poland." - said the Minister of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania. The ministers of transport also sought an agreement on further funding for the European Maritime Safety Agency for 2014-2020. This facilitates the continuation of agency's activity in the field of safety as well as prevention of pollution from ships and pollution caused by oil and gas installations. The Council also agreed to set up European Global navigation satellite system (GNSS) agency, aimed at implementing security accreditation of the European satellite navigation systems. http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/transport/?doc=82004 Back to Top Julian Plane Crash Not Investigated Due to Shutdown (California) The government shutdown is putting some plane crash investigations on hold, including the investigation into a deadly crash near Julian. Roberta Ann Rose, 52, and Andrew William Thulin, 55, died Wednesday after their single-engine plane crashed into a rugged hillside on Volcan Mountain. Five days after the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has yet to visit the crash site or start an investigation. "The people who would normally be doing this investigation would be NTSB and FAA. With government furlough, they are not going to be sending representatives down here," San Diego County Sheriff's Department Public Information Officer Jan Caldwell said during an interview Thursday. More than 2,900 FAA inspectors have been furloughed because of the shutdown, including 20 in San Diego. "We still don't know if there was a mechanical problem," said John Wilfong, a retired FAA air traffic controller. Wilfong said he's frustrated by the furlough because time is of the essence for investigators. "They collect any kind of samples around that airplane, in the airplane and preferably the black box," he said. Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) is the union that represents FAA investigators. NBC 7 asked PASS Vice President Linda Goodrich what type of crash would trigger on FAA investigation despite the furlough. "Any accident that was an air carrier," Goodrich said. "Maybe somebody of high visibility is on the airplane or presumed to be on the airplane," she added. "That would probably be the two triggers." Goodrich said furloughed investigators want to help, but are being shut out by the shutdown. "A good word is outraged, outraged over the fact that aviation safety and the safety of the public is going second to politics." Goodrich said she feels terrible for the victims' families in the Julian crash because her organization can't answer their questions. NBC 7 spoke with victim Roberta Rose's family shortly after the crash. They said they were frustrated because they had no contact with federal and regional agencies that normally provide information to the victims' families. They said they found out about their daughter's death from a friend. Meanwhile, the shutdown is impacting other agencies that monitor disasters as well. About 30 seismologists and other experts at the U.S. Geological Survey offices in Southern California have been furloughed. The USGS Web site has also been taken offline. Officials said they will continue monitor and report earthquake activity, but accuracy and timeliness could be affected. http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Shutdown-Puts-Plane-Crash-Investigations-on-Hold- 227744191.html#ixzz2hmoaqyyc Back to Top Detained Yakutia Airlines jet released A financial dispute that led to the seizure of a Boeing 737 leased to Yakutia Airlines ended with the plane returning to Russia from Anchorage, according to Mark Dudley, regional director for InterPacific Aviation and Marketing in Seattle. Dudley said that the plane was released last week "presumably because all disagreements between the parties had been resolved. The aircraft has already departed Anchorage and is back in Russia under the airline's control." Dudley's firm has been working on the marketing for the seasonal weekly flights from Russia to Anchorage that ended in September. The International Lease Finance Corp. said it was owed $2.6 million by the airline in back lease payments. http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/20131014/ak-beat-yakutia-airlines-jet-released-anchorage-detention Back to Top Nigeria to shut financially distressed airlines Nigerian airlines that do not pay staff regular salaries will be shut and a comprehensive audit of all carriers will soon be conducted, aviation authorities said on Monday as concerns are being raised over the safety of Nigeria's skies. The Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Captain Fola Akinkuotu said at a press conference in Lagos, southwestern Nigeria, that financially distressed airlines will be stopped from operating. "NCAA will not permit any airline that is not financially sound to continue to operate," Akinkuotu said. He said NCAA has enough power to intervene and to look at economic viability of the airlines. Akinkuoto said while the agency does not intend to kill airlines or stifle their growth, as a regulator it will ensure that only financially sound airlines operate in the interest of safety. Akinkuotu, who spoke at the NCAA headquarters in Lagos disclosed that all Nigerian airlines will also be required to go through an IATA Operational Safety Audit, also known as IOSA audit. An IOSA programme is an evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline. It is a programme designed by the International Air Transport Association, IATA. "Airlines will be required to have IOSA audit as we go forward and ensure that their audit is tidy," Akinkuotu said. He said he will address the issue of airlines interlining in the near future. But experts say as a regulator, NCAA does not have that power. Interlining, also known as interline ticketing is a voluntary commercial agreement between individuals airlines to handle passengers travelling on itineraries that require multiple airlines. Akinkuotu also debunked reports by some NCAA staff that the agency is broke. An aircraft inspector had told the media that the agency is broke and training has dwindled in the agency. But Akinkuotu said the agency is financially buoyant. "The NCAA is not broke. As I speak, there's a group of young people in training in Manchester. There is nobody who is supposed to go to training who has not gone for training. NCAA has a huge budget for training. People go for training almost everywhere," he said. NCAA DG said the incident involving an IRS plane at the Kaduna airport on Sunday was not very serious even though passengers had to disembark on the runway and firefighters and other emergency teams were on standby. He said information given to the media was not correct and called on journalists to cross check information before going to press. "This briefing has become necessary, even after our press statement yesterday, explaining the circumstances that necessitated the aircraft landing on the runway, because of the misrepresentation of facts on the incident in some sections of the press," Akinkuotu said. "For the purpose of reinforcement, we wish to restate that the affected F100 aircraft operated by IRS Airline, Reg. No. 5N-HIR landed safely at the Kaduna Airport, following a hydraulic alert in the cockpit while on final approach at the airport," he said. Akinkuotu said he is willing to use his 40-year experience in the aviation industry to train Nigerian journalists on how to report aviation stories. However, when a journalist asked the chairman and chief executive officer of IRS airline, Rabiu Isyaku Rabiu, how many aircraft he has in its fleet and when he last paid his staff, Akinkuotu said the airline boss should not answer because he was invited as a guest. He said Rabiu will provide the answer after the press conference. However, after the press conference ended Rabiu passed through the back door and left. Reports say IRS airline has only one aircraft and has not paid some staff for several months. http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2013/10/15/nigeria-to-shut-financially-distressed-airlines/ Back to Top For second time in two days, dry ice explosion reported at Los Angeles airport Los Angeles (CNN) -- For the second time in two days, dry ice placed in a container has exploded at Los Angeles International Airport. The explosion happened just before 8:30 p.m. Monday at the Tom Bradley International Terminal, airport police said. CNN affiliate KCAL said the blast took place in an employee restroom, inaccessible to nonemployees. Three plastic bottles containing dry ice were found, but only one had exploded, Los Angeles police Detective Gus Villanueva told the affiliate. Police and bomb experts cleared the scene by about 9:45 p.m., KCAL reported. There were no injuries, and no flights were delayed. "The investigation is in its infancy," Villanueva said. He added that there's "no nexus to terrorism at this point." The FBI was called in. On Sunday, dry ice in a plastic bottle exploded in an employee restroom at the airport, causing a brief shutdown of Terminal 2, the FBI said. No injuries were reported, and Terminal 2 resumed operations after a brief evacuation. The airport has nine terminals. Back to Top Back to Top Subject: NOTICE - Next GFSC Meeting 06 November 2013 To: "GFSC Membership" Dear GFSC Members, The GFSC Executive Committee is please to announce the details of the next Gulf Flight Safety Council meeting. The details are as follows: Date: Wednesday 06 November 2013 Venue: Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies, Al Bateen Airport, Abu Dhabi Time: 0830 - 1600 We would like to once again thank GCAS for their generous support in sponsoring the venue for this meeting. Thanks and kind regards, Mark Captain Mark Trotter Secretary - Gulf Flight Safety Council membership@gfsc.aero www.gfsc.aero Mobile: +971 50 120 9503 Back to Top Back to Top Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. : First MRJ Flight Test Aircraft Final Assembly Commences Mid Fuselage Arrives at MHI's Nagoya Aerospace Systems Works Komaki South Plant Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Nagoya, October 15, 2013 - Final assembly of the first MRJ flight test aircraft under development by Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) got underway today at the Komaki South Plant of MHI's Nagoya Aerospace Systems Works located in Aichi Prefecture. The start of final assembly follows the October 13 transfer of the aircraft's mid fuselage fabricated at the Tobishima Plant also in Aichi Prefecture. Assembly of the aircraft will progressively advance as other sections of the fuselage, main wings and other structural components arrive, after which electrical wiring, hydraulic and other systems will be installed, followed by other necessary equipment. In step with final assembly, plans call for the vertical tail and horizontal stabilizer - built at MHI's Oye Plant in Nagoya - as well as the aircraft's remarkably fuel-efficient cutting-edge engine - supplied by Pratt & Whitney - to be integrated to the airframe. The MRJ, Japan's first-ever commercial passenger jet, is on the road to becoming a reality. Looking ahead, Mitsubishi Aircraft and MHI will continue working closely with MRJ program partners, moving steadily towards successfully completing this next-generation regional jet that will offer outstanding fuel efficiency, environmental friendliness, and cabin comfort. About the MRJ The Mitsubishi Regional Jet is a family of 70- to 90-seat next-generation aircraft featuring Pratt & Whitney's revolutionary PurePowerŽ engine and state-of-the-art aerodynamics enabling drastic reductions in fuel consumption, noise and emissions while offering top-class operational benefits and an outstanding cabin with large overhead bins and other features designed for heightened passenger comfort. http://www.4-traders.com/MITSUBISHI-HEAVY-INDUSTRI-6491254/news/Mitsubishi-Heavy-Industries-Ltd-- First-MRJ-Flight-Test-Aircraft-Final-Assembly-Commences-Mid-Fuse-17362660/ Back to Top United Airlines launches 100th aircraft with satellite Wi-Fi CHICAGO, IL - United Airlines has launched its 100th aircraft equipped with satellite Wi-Fi Internet connectivity, offering more customers the ability to stay connected inflight. United offers satellite Wi-Fi on more long-haul overseas flights than any other U.S.-based carrier, enabling customers throughout the aircraft to connect to the Internet via their personal devices and remain productive. United is outfitting approximately 30 aircraft each month with satellite Wi-Fi technology and expects to have nearly 200 aircraft equipped with the service by the end of 2013. The airline currently offers satellite Wi-Fi on 13 Boeing 747 aircraft, which fly international routes to and from San Francisco - the country's premier trans- Pacific hub - as well as routes to and from Los Angeles. United also offers satellite Wi-Fi on more than half of its combined fleet of Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft, which operate in North America markets, and air-to-ground Internet connectivity on its entire fleet of Boeing 757 transcontinental p.s. Premium Service aircraft, which operate between New York Kennedy and Los Angeles and San Francisco. "United is improving the inflight experience and offering more customers the ability to stay connected, whether traveling throughout the country or abroad," said Jeff Foland, executive vice president of marketing, technology and strategy. "The expansion of satellite Wi-Fi capability underscores our commitment to provide our customers with the user-friendly experience they expect from the world's leading airline." In-Flight Entertainment Options United currently offers live television on 200 aircraft and plans to equip those aircraft with satellite Wi-Fi. The airline expects to introduce the first Boeing 737 aircraft equipped with Ka-band satellite technology into service later this fall. Additionally this fall, United will begin rolling-out Wi-Fi-enabled wireless entertainment, which the airline expects to eventually have on more than 200 aircraft, including Airbus A319s and A320s, Boeing 747s and other fleets by mid-2014. This new option will offer customers on-demand programming from a library of movies and television shows, and equipped aircraft will offer more than 150 movies and nearly 200 television shows through its wireless network. Customers may access these entertainment options with a host of portable electronic devices, including many laptops, smartphones and tablets. http://www.eturbonews.com/38828/united-airlines-launches-100th-aircraft-satellite-wi-fi Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY: Dear Colleagues, Hello - I am currently a Senior Researcher at Saint Louis University and have graciously been offered the opportunity by your moderator to post a web link for the remainder of Oct 2013 to my web-based, dissertation research survey. My career has spanned 33 years in four flavors of aviation. My first job was spent hunting submarines with the US Navy on active duty for eight years and then an additional 12 1/2 years in the US Navy Reserves. My corporate career was spent in aerospace at McDonnell Douglas / Boeing where I spent all of my 23 years on advanced development projects, things that are not in the mainstream, yet. A very influential assignment was with Boeing's Air Traffic Management group. We were way ahead of the state-of-the art in 2001 and were advocating a space-based infrastructure with significant automation for both the airplanes and how they would be managed (not controlled as they are today). The essential guts of these ideas exist today in the FAA's NextGen program. Now, I am pursing a final career chapter in academia. Concurrent through these three career phases has been my continual General Aviation participation, since 1978, as a Private, Commercial and Certified Flight Instructor pilot. It is a very expensive hobby, but there is no better way to travel than to fly yourself, if you can swing it. My dissertation research is exploring the factors which may be essential for passenger travel on unmanned, autonomous airliners. Current public policy concerns with unmanned systems are focused more on privacy. A longer-range view envisions unmanned systems continuing to make inroads into all segments of aviation. The likely last adaptation of unmanned technology would be passenger airlines. Thus, my dissertation is focused on the trust, safety and cost factors that may make you (1) more comfortable traveling on such an airliner, (2) factors that would make you less comfortable traveling on such an airliner and, (3) factors that do not matter in this decision. For this research I have chosen to use a fractional factorial survey. It is factorial because multiple factors (8), at two opposite levels each, are embedded in a short, one-page, story which you read. And, it is fractional because while there are 256 possible combinations of these factors in the story, you will randomly be presented with one of 16 versions of the story (a ?16 fraction of 256). The survey link leads to one lead-in question, the 1-page vignette, five follow-up questions and four demographic questions. Total completion time takes about 5-7 min, unless you would choose to comment, which you are most welcome to do. Will you please consider having your voice counted in the evaluation of a potential future of commercial aviation? Here is the link to the survey: this: https://slu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_1Mrk8KmQOjMbblr Thank you !! Sincerely, Matt Vance Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology Saint Louis University 3450 Lindell Boulevard McDonnell Douglas Hall, Room 1036 St. Louis, MO 63103 office: 314-977-8244 svance1@slu.edu Curt Lewis