Flight Safety Information December 3, 2013 - No. 247 In This Issue Pilot use of automation eyed in air crashes There's plenty of planes in the Middle East; but where are the pilots? Rescuers scramble as Antarctica helicopter crash leaves 3 seriously injured Southwest Airlines faces $325,000 penalty for bad fix on AirTran windshield de-icer Senators Demand Answers on Warrantless GA Stops John Hale to be VP-flight at new American Airlines Group Think ARGUS PROS BOOK REVIEW:...46 Driver...By: Arnold Reiner. Both GE and Rolls Royce Are To Use 3D Printing To Make Jet Engines Giant World War II aircraft-carrying submarine discovered off Oahu coast China begins mass production of fighters for aircraft carrier Pompeo's Small Airplane Revitalization Act is now law Watch for: AVIATION MAINTENANCE & ENGINEERING EXCHANGE Pilot use of automation eyed in air crashes By: JOAN LOWY, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) - Pilots are becoming so reliant on computer systems that do most of the flying in today's airliners that on the rare occasions when something goes wrong, they're sometimes unprepared to take control, according to aviation safety experts and government and industry studies. Increasing automation has been a tremendous safety boon to aviation, contributing to historically low accident rates in the U.S. and many parts of the world. But automation has changed the relationship between pilots and planes, presenting new challenges. Pilots today typically use their "stick and rudder" flying skills only for brief minutes or even seconds during takeoffs and landings. Mostly, they manage computer systems that can fly planes more precisely and use less fuel than a human pilot can. But humans simply aren't wired to pay close and continual attention to systems that rarely fail or do something unexpected. "Once you see you're not needed, you tune out," said Michael Barr, a former Air Force pilot and accident investigator who teaches aviation safety at the University of Southern California. "As long as everything goes OK, we're along for the ride. We're a piece of luggage." The National Transportation Safety Board holds a two-day investigative hearing Dec. 10-11 on the crash of an Asiana Airlines jet that was flying too low and slow while trying to land at San Francisco International Airport last July. The plane struck a seawall just short of the runway, shearing off its tail and sending the rest of the airliner sliding and turning down the runway before breaking apart and catching fire. Three passengers were killed and scores of others injured. The hearing will focus on "pilot awareness in a highly automated aircraft," the board said. Investigators want to know how the three seasoned pilots allowed a passenger jet with no apparent mechanical problems in near- perfect weather conditions to lose speed so dramatically that it was on the brink of stalling moments before the crash. The pilot flying the plane was attempting to land without use of the autopilot. Normally, the pilot in the second seat is supposed to have his eyes on the plane's computer screens to monitor airspeed and other readings, rather than looking out the window. In this case, the second pilot was a training captain who was grading the performance of the pilot flying the plane. The training captain told investigators he thought the plane's autothrottle was maintaining engine power and thus speed, but discovered that wasn't the case just moments before the crash. The autothrottle was "armed," or made ready for activation, investigators said in briefings after the accident, but they left open the question whether it was engaged and in idle or another mode. Aircraft systems can have many modes, or settings, and perform quite differently depending upon the mode. Pilot "mode awareness" is a more common automation-related problems showing up in accidents and incidents, according to an automation study released last month by the Federal Aviation Administration. Mode changes occur frequently during flight, often without any direct action by pilots. If pilots aren't continually paying close attention, they can lose track of which mode their systems are in. Pilots also make mistakes when selecting modes. Mode selection errors were cited in 27 percent of the accidents reviewed in the FAA study. Less than six weeks after the Asiana crash, a United Parcel Service cargo jet flying too low while trying to land in Birmingham, Ala., struck trees and then a power line before crashing into a hillside near the airport. Both pilots were killed. In that case the autopilot was on, and seconds before the crash there was a loud automated warning that the plane was losing altitude too rapidly, according to investigators. The investigation is continuing, but some safety experts see a possible link between the two accidents. "I think mode awareness is going to be very central in both investigations," said John Cox, an aviation safety consultant and former accident investigator for the Air Line Pilots Association. "In both cases the airplane appears to have been properly maintained, everybody is properly trained. A lot of the focus is on how the crew operated the airplane so that it ended up with the airplane short of the runway." The Asiana accident was the first fatal crash of a passenger airline in the U.S. since a regional airline pilot lost control of his plane during a landing approach in Buffalo, N.Y., in February 2009. In that crash, investigators found the two pilots weren't closely monitoring airspeed and failed to notice when the speed began dropping rapidly. The plane plummeted to the ground, killing all 49 people on board and a man in a house below. There was nothing mechanically wrong with the plane, and the captain should have been able to regain control of the plane if he had responded correctly to an automated stall warning, investigators said. Such "loss of control" accidents accounted for 43 percent of fatal passenger airline and air cargo accidents over the five years that ended in December 2012, according to the International Air Transport Association, which represents carriers around the world. Last month, the FAA issued new pilot training regulations calling for more attention to teaching pilots how to recover from stalls. ___ http://www.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/20131202_ap_fbb030bd43fd433b8762e5dd7e40f440.html#keAxFfqrDMzuSqH3.99 Back to Top There's plenty of planes in the Middle East; but where are the pilots? The recent surge in airplane buying has produced a surge in demand for pilots. The demand for pilots in the Middle East is soaring after estimates showed that 40,000 will be needed over the next 20 years, mainly because of recent orders of over 500 aircrafts by some of the leading airlines in the region according to a report in Gulf News. Abdullah Al Hammadi, the manager for the Pilot and National Cadet Pilot Programme at Emirates Airlines, said earlier forecasts of the shortage had come two years ago but figures are continuing to increase. "They rang the bell a long time back but no one was listening because we could not see [the shortage] but now we can see it in China," Al Hammadi said. "The shortage has already come to life in China where they started grounding aircraft because they don't have pilots... and now we can feel the shortage coming to us." He added: "Twenty or 30 years back we had a lot of pilots from the military who moved into [commercial] aviation, but now we don't find those pilots so that's another worry. Who will fill up that gap?" 500,000 pilots needed Al Hammadi said pilot training globally has not significantly improved over the past 60 years to cope with technological changes in aircrafts. The result is having to invest in training - a process that typically takes about four years before pilots can fly the likes of a Boeing 777. He suggested changes in the current pilot-training curriculum so pilots can fly larger planes directly without having to go through the system of earning hours. Discussing Emirates' strategy to overcome the shortage, Al Hammadi said they will open a flight academy for pilots in 2015. The academy will be able to take up to 600 pilots and will be located in Dubai. With the growth in the aviation sector in the region, he forecast that the shortage will only grow over the next few years. Other airlines shared a similar view, citing a global demand for pilots. A statement by Air Arabia said: "The Middle East region is leading the world in terms of new aircraft orders and as a result, more pilots will be in need. At Air Arabia, we have taken necessary measures to serve our long-term need for pilots and will be recruiting more pilots as we receive more aircraft in the years to come." Air Arabia has already invested in establishing a flight academy, which is up and running in Sharjah. "This step comes in place to cater to the increasing demand for pilots," the statement said. "In addition, such step will create more job opportunities for the local talents available in the UAE." In conferences held during the Dubai airshow last week, experts from the aviation industry warned of the shortage, saying that the Middle East is down by 65 per cent compared to the demand for pilots regionally. However, the Middle East is not alone in this hurdle. Boeing reported that there will be a need for almost 500,000 pilots globally over the next 20 years. Meanwhile, experts cited 14,000 pilots as the biggest number ever recruited into the industry on an annual basis. Boeing's Current Market Outlook 2013-2032 report described the demand for personnel to fly and maintain airplanes as 'unprecedented'. "Growth of Middle Eastern aviation outpaced the global average and will continue to do so, supported by a variety of growth strategies," the report said. http://www.albawaba.com/business/uae-pilots-shortage-537912 Back to Top Rescuers scramble as Antarctica helicopter crash leaves 3 seriously injured Rescuers were in a race against time Monday to save three people badly injured in a helicopter crash in Antarctica, officials said. The pilot and two passengers were forced to make an emergency landing while returning from a scientific mission to survey a penguin colony Sunday night, the Australian Antarctic Division said. Stranded more than 170 miles from the nearest major outpost, the casualties were being treated by the crew of a second helicopter which was flying with them in tandem. The Australian Antarctic Division, which chartered the helicopter, said it now needs to find a gap in the weather so it can land a suitable aircraft and transfer the wounded to Davies Station, its main base in Antarctica around 172 miles away. Advertise | AdChoices "Because of the nature of the incident and the environment, their injuries are being treated as serious," an Australian Antarctic Division statement said. "The Australian Antarctic Division is hoping a weather window in the next few hours will allow further positioning of aircraft to assist with the recovery." On Sunday, Prince Harry and his team set out for their charity trek to Antarctica; uncertain weather conditions have delayed them. NBC special correspondent Ben Fogle reports. The Australian Antarctic Division dispatched an airplane early afternoon Monday (Sunday night ET), to look for a suitable place to land so they could begin transferring the casualties to Davis Station. "The pilot and a passenger on the second helicopter are caring for the injured until additional medical support can be flown to the area and a recovery operation mounted," the Australian Antarctic Division added. "Reports from the incident site are that all are warm and sheltered and being closely monitored. Communication is being maintained with Davis Station." Although November and December are two of the warmer months in that area, temperatures rarely go above 30 degrees Fahrenheit and can drop to as low as 12 degrees, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. An Australian Antarctic Division spokeswoman told the Australian Associated Press: "Everyone's warm, everybody's well attended to, there's a field training officer who's got extensive wilderness first aid skills down there so they are very well attended to." Several reports said the three on board were Australian nationals. But the New Zealand Herald reported one of them was a New Zealand citizen, citing a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman. The Australian Antarctic Division said it does not yet know the cause of the incident. http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/02/21718382-rescuers-scramble-as-antarctica-helicopter-crash-leaves-3- seriously-injured Back to Top Southwest Airlines faces $325,000 penalty for bad fix on AirTran windshield de-icer The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it is fining Southwest Airlines $325,000 because its AirTran unit kept flying a Boeing 717 that had had a bad repair on a windshield de-icer. According to the FAA announcement: "On Aug. 29, 2011, maintenance personnel improperly installed a switch that enables flight crews to test the windshield heating system on a Boeing 717 that AirTran Airways Inc. was operating. Southwest is in the process of merging with AirTran. "Proper installation of the switch would have allowed personnel to isolate the windshield anti-ice system that was causing a warning that the windshield heater was failing. Instead, the center and left windshield warning systems were reversed. The right windshield warning system continued to operate properly. The aircraft was operated on 1,140 passenger flights before the problem was corrected." Said Southwest spokeswoman Brandy King: "Safety is the top priority at Southwest Airlines. We were aware of the proposed penalty and have been actively working with the FAA on a resolution. The modification referenced is an additional feature that was placed onto the aircraft post-delivery as a safety enhancement. The installation error did not result in a safety-of-flight issue as the primary notification system remained effective to alert the crew of a potential window heater malfunction. The error referenced was rectified immediately upon discovery." FAA is also proposing a $304,000 penalty against little Great Lakes Aviation "for allegedly conducting 19 flights with aircraft that were not in compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations": "Great Lakes operated the aircraft in conditions in which the carrier could reasonably expect frost, snow or ice to adhere to the planes, the FAA alleges. The FAA maintains that Great Lakes flew Beech 1900 aircraft out of Hays, Kan., in January 2011 with deicing fluid that exceeded the maximum temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit. The Great Lakes deicing manual states that fluid heated to more than 180 degrees could damage the aircraft or the deicer." http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2013/12/southwest-airlines-faces-325000-penalty-for-bad-fix-on-airtran-windshield-de- icer.html/ Back to Top Senators Demand Answers on Warrantless GA Stops Eight senators have called out the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about numerous stops and searches of law-abiding pilots on domestic flights that never leave U.S. airspace. In a letter to DHS Acting Secretary Rand Beers, the lawmakers, all members of the Senate General Aviation Caucus, demanded that the DHS provide records of all stops of GA flights since 2009, including explanations of the "reasonable suspicion" that led to each stop by officers from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the "probable cause" that resulted in a search. The DHS is the parent agency of CBP. "Recent reports and first-hand accounts from pilots indicate a significant rise in the number of unwarranted stops and searches of U.S. general aviation aircraft that did not cross the U.S. border by the Air and Marine Division of the [CBP] agency," the solons wrote. "While we appreciate law enforcement efforts to protect our national interests and combat illegal activity, the abrupt increase in the number of stops and searches of personnel aboard general aviation aircraft raises concerns that CBP may be violating our citizens' Fourth Amendment rights," they said. Some House members also have signaled their concern with what appear to be warrantless searches. During a September 9 meeting, AOPA president and CEO Mark Baker and Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), co-chairman of the House General Aviation Caucus, discussed the importance of protecting law-abiding pilots from unreasonable search and seizure. Graves, a GA pilot, sent a letter to the inspectors general at the Transportation Department and DHS asking for an investigation into CBP's actions. In his letter, Graves noted that in more than 40 reported cases of stops and searches, no evidence of criminal activity has been found, raising the question of whether the searches are reasonable. In a response to the letter, Thomas Winkowski, acting commissioner of CBP, cited regulations allowing any federal agent to check pilot and aircraft documents as the basis for stopping, searching and sometimes detaining law-abiding pilots on domestic flights. AOPA has filed numerous Freedom of Information Act requests in an attempt to determine under what authority the CBP is stopping purely domestic flights. The association brought the issue to the attention of lawmakers after its requests were ignored or received inadequate responses. "Without a reasonable suspicion of illegal activity, a warrant or probable cause, law enforcement has no business stopping aircraft in the first place, let alone searching and possibly detaining law-abiding pilots," said AOPA general counsel Ken Mead, a former DOT inspector general. "We can't afford to have law enforcement agencies that act outside the scope of their authority and then try to hide behind laws designed to protect our national security. They have to be accountable to the citizens they are supposed to serve and [the senators' letter] is one way to help ensure that accountability." http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2013-12-03/senators-demand-answers-warrantless-ga-stops Back to Top John Hale to be VP-flight at new American Airlines Group John Hale, chief pilot and vice president of flight at American Airlines, will become vice president of flight in the new American Airlines Group as of next week. Tim Campbell, an operations consultant who takes over as senior vice president of air operations when the American Airlines-US Airways merger closes on Monday, Dec. 9, announced Hale's appointment in a letter to his team Monday. Campbell had appointed most of his incoming team last summer as a merger date of late August was approached. An Aug. 13 lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice delayed the merger for nearly four months. "You may recall that we deferred announcing the future leader of our important Flight department," Campbell wrote Monday. "Today I am pleased to announce Captain John Hale as vice president, Flight, at the new American." Campbell said that with nearly 30 years at American, "I am confident Captain Hale's extensive aviation experience and passion for serving his team will help us safely and successfully navigate our airlines new opportunities. "In the time I've known John, I've come away with a strong belief that he possesses the skills we need to blend our two Flight groups into what is truly one team. Please join me in congratulating Captain Hale!" Campbell wrote. US Airways' vice president of flight operations, Lyle Hogg, "has agreed to serve in a transition role to help John and me by providing oversight of the US operating certificate and assistance with the enormous amount of integration work we have ahead of us," Campbell added. "This includes the execution of our extensive plan to achieve a single operating certificate from the FAA,' he wrote. "I can't thank Lyle enough for his leadership, professionalism and collaboration. He has worked both tirelessly and selflessly during a demanding period of task saturation and ambiguity. John and I are very fortunate to have his assistance and counsel during the merger planning process." Keep reading for the entire Campbell letter. Dear Air Operations team, Thanks to a lot of hard work and unwavering support throughout both airlines, we are now one week away from legally closing our merger and becoming one company! As announced last July, I will have the honor and privilege to assume the position of senior vice president, Air Operations, upon merger close. Our combined team in Air Operations will include pilots, flight attendants and everyone in our respective operations control groups. I am thrilled to join the new American and humbled to lead such an esteemed and experienced group of aviation professionals. The purpose of this note is to introduce myself to those of you I haven't met since I came aboard in a consulting role this past summer, and to present some organizational changes that will take place at our new company next week. By way of my background, I've worked in the aviation industry for 28 years. I started my career as an engineer at Boeing and later went on to serve in a variety of leadership roles in finance and operations at Northwest Airlines and Delta. At Northwest, I had the pleasure of serving with a number of US Airways folks that will now be helping to lead the new American. The opportunity to work with them, and you, as we restore American Airlines to its rightful position as the best airline in the world is what motivated me to accept this huge opportunity. As noted above, the Air Operations division at our new American will include all the teams that directly contribute to the flight side of operations. The new structure will facilitate improved coordination by having us on one team with one mission. In July, we announced a couple of key leadership roles that will report directly to me: Hector Adler, vice president, Flight Services and Captain Kimball Stone, vice president, IOC (Integrated Operations Control). For our colleagues at US Airways, the IOC is the equivalent of your OCC; it is the nerve center of the airline. Hector and Kimball are currently serving similar roles at US Airways and American, respectively. Hector will also assume responsibilities for Catering as he does today at US Airways. Both Hector and Kimball will share letters next week with more information to their respective teams. You may recall that we deferred announcing the future leader of our important Flight department. Today I am pleased to announce Captain John Hale as vice president, Flight, at the new American. With nearly three decades of service at American, including his current role as vice president, Flight, I am confident Captain Hale's extensive aviation experience and passion for serving his team will help us safely and successfully navigate our airlines new opportunities. In the time I've known John, I've come away with a strong belief that he possesses the skills we need to blend our two Flight groups into what is truly one team. Please join me in congratulating Captain Hale! Additionally, I am very pleased to announce that Captain Lyle Hogg, vice president, Flight Operations at US Airways, has agreed to serve in a transition role to help John and me by providing oversight of the US operating certificate and assistance with the enormous amount of integration work we have ahead of us. This includes the execution of our extensive plan to achieve a single operating certificate from the FAA. I can't thank Lyle enough for his leadership, professionalism and collaboration. He has worked both tirelessly and selflessly during a demanding period of task saturation and ambiguity. John and I are very fortunate to have his assistance and counsel during the merger planning process. I've spent a lot of time on airplanes over the past five months. As many of you know firsthand, this has allowed me to speak to dozens of flight crews. I've also been able to meet many others in our various crew bases. The feedback I've received from you is truly motivating. The enthusiasm at both legacy airlines about the merger and all that it promises is incredible. As we prepare to navigate these changes, I encourage you to regularly visit Jetnet, WINGS and your respective departmental websites to learn more about the new American, next steps and significant milestones, especially as you plan for interactions with customers and new colleagues. Anyone involved in this business has experienced some tough times over the past decade with many dark days and things we never want to see again. I can assure you I am dedicated to doing all I can to capitalize on this unique opportunity that officially starts next week. I want to maintain our momentum toward the new dawn on the horizon, and not on the times fading into the sunset. It won't be easy and change won't happen overnight, but if we work together and remain open to change, it will be worth the journey. We should all be proud to tell others we work at the new American Airlines! Sincerely, Tim Campbell Senior Vice President Air Operations http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2013/12/john-hale-to-be-vp-flight-at-new-american-airlines-group.html/ Back to Top Back to Top BOOK REVIEW: 46 Driver By: Arnold Reiner It was just published. It's a quick read at 152 pages. In addition to the "sea stories" there's also a summary of the twenty six CH- 46 Marine Corps non -combat fatal and or hull loss accidents from 1965 through 1968. In that period there were 286 non-combat CH-46 accidents. You can get the book on Amazon.com or through the publisher at Bluewater Press. Author: Arnold Reiner grew up in New York City and entered the Marine Corps Platoon Leader Class Officer program at age 19. After earning an industrial journalism degree at the University of Bridgeport in 1964 he was commissioned a second lieutenant, entered naval flight training and was designated a Naval Aviator in 1965. He deployed to Vietnam with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron HMM-265 in 1966 and also served in Vietnam with HMM-164. Captain Reiner joined Pan American World Airways in 1967 as a Boeing 707 copilot flying routes to Europe and South America and later was a captain on the Boeing 727 and Airbus A310 and the company Director of Flight Safety. Captain Reiner joined Delta Air Lines concurrent with the sale of Pan Am's European routes to Delta and retired in 2000 as a Boeing 727 captain. He lives in Pensacola, Florida with his wife, Cascille. http://www.amazon.com/Driver-Marine-Helicopter-Pilots-Vietnam/dp/1604520841/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386077808&sr=8- 1&keywords=46+driver Back to Top Both GE and Rolls Royce Are To Use 3D Printing To Make Jet Engines And Violate Engineering's Prime Commandment There is an old and important saying in engineering: fast, better, cheaper. The point being that you can only ever have two out of the three. But in this pair of tales about how both GE and Rolls Royce are to be using 3D printing in order to produce their respective jet engines we've an interesting violation of that basic engineering commandment. Here's the GE story: General Electric GE 0% (GE), on the hunt for ways to build more than 85,000 fuel nozzles for its new Leap jet engines, is making a big investment in 3D printing. Usually the nozzles are assembled from 20 different parts. Also known as additive manufacturing, 3D printing can create the units in one metal piece, through a successive layering of materials. The process is more efficient and can be used to create designs that can't be made using traditional techniques, GE says. The finished product is stronger and lighter than those made on the assembly line and can withstand the extreme temperatures (up to 2,400F) inside an engine. This is 3D printing using metals of course, not the plastics that most of the home and small business printers are currently using. But do note that they are claiming that the new process is both more efficient (that is, cheaper) and also better, in that they can create more complex parts this way. And then there's the Rolls Royce side of the story: Rolls-Royce is looking to use 3D printers to make lighter components for its aircraft engines, the company's head of technology strategy has said. Henner Wapenhans said the new technology could allow the manufacturer to produce parts more quickly, slashing lead times, the Financial Times reported. "3D printing opens up new possibilities, new design space," Dr Wapenhans said. "Through the 3D printing process, you're not constrained [by] having to get a tool in to create a shape. You can create any shape you like. The point here being that they can now do things faster. For, in order to make these metal parts in the traditional manner you need first to have the tool made, that is, the form by which you will make the part. And that process can take 18 months to go through all of the necessary iterations. Putting the two stories together we can thus see that 3D printing is going to allow faster, better and cheaper: a direct violation of that basic engineering commandment. But no, this isn't a miracle, nor even a refutation of the rule. For what is left unsaid in the only being able to have two of the three is "using current technologies". We're limited when we use traditional techniques to gaining only two of the three things we desire, yes, but as every engineer knows if you can bring in some entirely new method of doing things you can indeed gain the entire trinity. Which brings us to an interesting little end note. If traditional techniques can only bring us two of the three and we would need a breakthrough in technology in order to gain all of those three then....if we've a technology that can provide all three then we do have a breakthrough in technology. I've previously been rather dismissive of 3D printing as I've thought that there's a limit, and a low one, to the number of things that people will want to print out of plastic at home. But seeing it being used at the very esoteric end of the jet engine business is revising that view somewhat. I now think it's going to be a bigger thing than I previously did. http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/12/02/both-ge-and-rolls-royce-are-to-use-3d-printing-to-make-jet-engines-by- violating-enginererings-prime-commandment/ Back to Top Giant World War II aircraft-carrying submarine discovered off Oahu coast A World War II-era Imperial Japanese Navy mega-submarine, the I-400, lost since 1946 when it was intentionally scuttled by U.S. forces after its capture, has been discovered in more than 2,300 feet of water off the southwest coast of O'ahu. The discovery resolves a decades-old Cold War mystery of just where the lost submarine lay, and recalls a different era as one war ended and a new, undeclared conflict emerged. Longer than a football field at 400 feet, the I-400 was known as a "Sen-Toku" class submarine-the largest submarine ever built until the introduction of nuclear-powered subs in the 1960s. With a range of 37,500 miles, the I-400 and its sister ship, the I-401, were able to travel one and a half times around the world without refueling, a capability that, to this day, has never been matched by any other diesel-electric submarine. The new discovery of the I-400 was led by veteran undersea explorer Terry Kerby, Hawai?i Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL) operations director and chief submarine pilot. Since 1992, HURL has used its manned submersibles Pisces IV and Pisces V to hunt for submarines and other submerged cultural resources as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) maritime heritage research effort. Heritage properties like historic wreck sites are non-renewable resources possessing unique information about the past. This discovery was part of a series of dives funded by a grant from NOAA's Office of Exploration and Research and the University of Hawai'i at M?noa's School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST). Working with Steven Price of HURL, Kerby has researched the subject of lost submarines off O'ahu for decades. On these recent dives, Kerby was joined by two NOAA archaeologists with experience in documenting World War II vessels and submarines, Drs. James Delgado and Hans Van Tilburg. "The I-400 has been on our 'to-find' list for some time. It was the first of its kind of only three built, so it is a unique and very historic submarine," said Kerby. "Finding it where we did was totally unexpected. All our research pointed to it being further out to sea. The multi-beam anomalies that appear on a bottom survey chart can be anything from wrecks to rocks-you don't know until you go there. Jim and Hans and I knew we were approaching what looked like a large wreck on our sonar. It was a thrill when the view of a giant submarine appeared out of the darkness." The I-400 and the I-401 aircraft-carrying submarines held up to three folding-wing float-plane bombers that could be launched by catapult just minutes after the submarines surfaced. Each aircraft could carry a powerful 1,800-pound bomb to attack the U.S. mainland. But neither was ever used for its designed purpose, their missions curtailed by the end of armed conflict in the Pacific. "The innovation of air strike capability from long-range submarines represented a tactical change in submarine doctrine," said Delgado, director of NOAA's Maritime Heritage Program, within the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Washington, D.C. "The large I-400, with its extended range and ability to launch three M6A1 Seiran strike aircraft, was clearly an important step in the evolution of submarine design." Up until the Sen-Toku's day, submarines had been almost exclusively dedicated to sinking surface ships (and other submarines) by stealth attack from under water. "The I-400 is technologically significant due to the design features associated with its large watertight hangar," Delgado said. "Following World War II, submarine experimentation and design changes would continue in this direction, eventually leading to ballistic missile launching capabilities for U.S. submarines at the advent of the nuclear era." At the end of WWII, the U.S. Navy captured five Japanese subs, including the I-400, and brought them to Pearl Harbor for inspection. When the Soviet Union demanded access to the submarines in 1946 under the terms of the treaty that ended the war, the U.S. Navy sank the subs off the coast of O?ahu and claimed to have no information on their precise location. The goal was to keep their advanced technology out of Soviet hands during the opening chapters of the Cold War. HURL has now successfully located four of these five lost submarines. The HURL crew identified the wreck site by carefully combing through side-scan sonar and multi-beam sonar data to identify anomalies on a deep sea floor littered with rocky outcrops and other debris. The wreck was positively identified as the I-400 based on features including its aircraft launch ramp, deck crane, torpedo tube configuration, and stern running lights. The remains of the submarine's aircraft hangar and conning tower appear to have been separated from the wreck, perhaps in the blunt trauma of the three U.S. Navy torpedo blasts that sunk the ship in 1946. The I-400 was discovered in August 2013 and is being announced today after NOAA has reviewed its findings with the U.S. state department and Japanese government officials. "These historic properties in the Hawaiian Islands recall the critical events and sacrifices of World War II in the Pacific, a period which greatly affected both Japan and the United States and shaped the Pacific region as we now know it," said Van Tilburg, maritime heritage coordinator for NOAA in the Pacific Islands region. "Our ability to interpret these unique weapons of the past and jointly understand our shared history is a mark of our progress from animosity to reconciliation. That is the most important lesson that the site of the I-400 can provide today." Video from I-400 initial sighting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmjmPHNYXO8 Video from HURL submarine operations: https://www.youtube.com/user/HURLSubOps/videos http://www.hawaii.edu/news/article.php?aId=6166 Back to Top China begins mass production of fighters for aircraft carrier Taipei, Dec. 3 (CNA) Mass production has reportedly begun on China's Shenyang J-15, a carrier-based fighter jet, in a move that indicates Beijing has started picking up the pace in training and development for its first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning. China's Global Times and CCTV, both giant state-run media outlets, reported Tuesday that Shenyang Aircraft Corp. has already begun "handing (the planes) over to the military." Neither outlet gave specifics on the number of fighters produced. The news comes shortly after China drew global concern by declaring a broad air defense and information zone in the East China Sea. On the touchy issue of what the world thinks of China, the Global Times was defiant. "The mass production and delivery of J-15 jets not only breaks apart the slander and doubt of some foreign media, it also serves to further boost the progress and level of training for the Liaoning," the Global Times wrote in Chinese. Reports said the J-15 is sea-grey color, with the flag of the People's Liberation Army Navy behind the cabin and a flying shark painted on its rear wing. The nose art and tail are said to feature its official designation. That description differs from the yellow-painted test planes previously spotted landing on the Liaoning. Song Zhongping, a Beijing-based commentator on military affairs, said that the repainting means the fighters are in service and battle-ready. "They're pretty much ready. The J-15 (crew) has already completed its training and has begun shifting to a formal force," he said. http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201312030038.aspx Back to Top Pompeo's Small Airplane Revitalization Act is now law Congressman Mike Pompeo of Wichita authored and championed the Small Airplane Revitalization Act. You may have missed it over the holiday, but the Small Airplane Revitalization Act, authored and championed by Congressman Mike Pompeo of Wichita, was signed into law on Nov. 27 by President Barack Obama. The law will streamline the certification regulations for small aircraft manufacturers, helping them get their products to the market more quickly and efficiently. By the end of 2015, it will implement the recommendations of a Federal Aviation Administration committee that spent 18 months looking at how to improve the certification process. Pompeo said in a news release that the new law will mean more jobs in Kansas, while also making planes safer and lowering manufacturers' costs. Pete Bunce, president of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, joined Ed Bolen, CEO of the National Business Aviation Association, in lauding the legislation, calling its passage a "big win" for the general aviation industry. Pompeo introduced the bill in May. http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/news/2013/12/02/pompeos-small-airplane-revitalization.html Back to Top AVIATION MAINTENANCE & ENGINEERING EXCHANGE Published weekly on Wednesday. Curt Lewis