Flight Safety Information January 2, 2014 - No. 002 In This Issue 2013 a safe year for commercial aviation. NTSB: Hawaii plane floated 25 mins, then sank Airline industry marks 100 years of commercial air travel Incentives for quieter aircraft take effect over Grand Canyon GULF LURES PILOTS WITH MEGA BUCKS (India) Think ARGUS PROS 2013 a safe year for commercial aviation An aviation group said 2013 was the second-safest year on record, with only 265 people dying in crashes all year. (CNN) - The Aviation Safety Network said 2013 was a very safe year for commercial flying. In a report issued Wednesday, it said there were 29 accidents in which at least one person died. That's the second-safest year by number of accidents. In those 29 accidents, 265 people died. The worst accident of 2013 was in November, when a plane crashed on approach to Kazan, Russia. That accident killed 50 people. http://www.live5news.com/story/24344652/2013-a-safe-year-for-commercial-aviation Back to Top NTSB: Hawaii plane floated 25 mins, then sank HONOLULU (AP) - The National Transportation Safety Board says in in a preliminary accident report that a small commercial plane that crash-landed in Hawaii waters floated for about 25 minutes before sinking. The NTSB said in its brief preliminary report that it took rescuers about 80 minutes to reach the nine passengers after they exited the plane following the Dec. 11 crash. Hawaii Health Director Loretta Fuddy died in the crash near Molokai. Maui police have not released results of an autopsy to determine how she died. The NTSB report released Monday largely confirmed previous accounts by passengers and the plane's pilot. Those aboard the Makani Kai Air flight from Kalaupapa to Honolulu say they heard a loud bang, then the plane lost power. The pilot glided the single-engine Cessna into the water. http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/24339076/ntsb-hawaii-plane-floated-25-mins-then-sank Back to Top Airline industry marks 100 years of commercial air travel Triumphant pilot Tony Jannus waves as he lands in Tampa on the first leg of that first regularly- scheduled airline flight in 1914. NEW YORK - Millions of people step aboard airplanes each day, complaining about the lack of legroom and overhead space but almost taking for granted that they can travel thousands of miles in just a few hours. Wednesday marks the 100th anniversary of the first commercial flight: a 23-minute hop across Florida's Tampa Bay. The St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line was subsidized by St. Petersburg officials who wanted more winter tourists in their city. The alternative: an 11-hour train ride from Tampa. That day, pilot Tony Jannus had room for just one passenger, the mayor of St. Petersburg, who sat next to him in the open cockpit. Three months later -- when tourism season ended -- so did the subsidy. The airline had carried 1,204 passengers but would never fly again. Air travel was a risky business back then, according to DePaul University transportation expert, Dr. Joseph Schwieterman. "Those early flights were akin to a roller-coaster ride today, but the risk was real." It took some time for the commercial airline industry to really get going. Back then, train travel ruled. "Most people viewed air travel as an expensive extravagance at the time," Schwieterman said. "But this new mode of travel also captured everyone's imagination. People knew that big things were coming and that air travel would be in the middle of of it all." In the 1920's other regional, commercial airlines started to pop up, like the Detroit-Grand Rapids Airline, which charged $35 for a round-trip ticket. Commercial air travel has changed a lot in 100 years, and with budgets stretched more and more, Schwieterman said we can expect Airlines explore plans to personalize charging for air travel . "We may soon get a taste of European-style no-frills services in which costs are at an absolute minimum. As crazy as it sounds, we could eventually see planes being akin to packed subways, in which people stand while clinging to overhead straps." With the 100th anniversary in mind, The Associated Press reached out to today's aviation leaders to see what they are predicting for the future of flying. In five years, Richard Anderson, CEO of Delta Air Lines thinks small jets will start to be a thing of the past. "Just over a decade ago airlines seemed to be buying every 50-seat aircraft they could get their hands on," he says. "But the real utility of those small jets has come and gone and in the next five years we'll see their numbers in the U.S. continue to dwindle." In that same time frame, Gary Kelly, CEO of Southwest Airlines, predicts, "We'll have fewer airlines, but they will be bigger, stronger and healthier." Fast forward 25 years and Sir Richard Branson, president of Virgin Atlantic Airways said "I have no doubt that during my lifetime we will be able to fly from London to Sydney in under two hours, with minimal environmental impact. The awe-inspiring views of our beautiful planet below and zero-gravity passenger fun will bring a whole new meaning to in-flight entertainment." Mark Dunkerley, CEO Hawaiian Airlines paints a less rosy picture. "Many of today's consumers will be priced out of the air," he said. "Failure to invest in aviation infrastructure and the insatiable appetite for regulation will not be offset by relatively modest further improvements in aircraft efficiency." Jump ahead 100 years, and David Siegel, CEO of Frontier Airlines predicts pilot-less commercial craft and countless other innovations. Doug Parker, CEO of American Airlines says in looking that far into the future, the sky's the limit. "I am quite certain that Tony Jannus (who piloted the first commercial flight) never could have imagined the size and importance of commercial aviation today, or the impact it had on changing our world. Similarly, I cannot imagine what commercial aviation will look like in 2114." http://www.cbsnews.com/news/airline-industry-marks-100-years-of-commercial-air-travel/ Back to Top Incentives for quieter aircraft take effect over Grand Canyon FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The fees for air tour operators that use technology to quiet the sound of aircraft at Grand Canyon National Park have been reduced. The new $20 fee per flight took effect Jan. 1 for any of eight operators authorized to take visitors sightseeing over the massive gorge. Operators that don't have the technology considered to be quiet will continue to pay $25 per flight. The National Park Service and the Federal Aviation Administration were required to come up with incentives for quiet air technology aircraft at the Grand Canyon as part of a massive transportation bill passed in 2012. Hikers and tourists on the ground have complained that aircraft noise interferes with the feeling of solitude and appreciation of nature. "Any kind of a reduction from noise is going to provide a better experience for park visitors," said park spokeswoman Maureen Oltrogge. "It's not quiet but it's quieter than the standard technology." The FAA determines whether aircraft is considered quiet using a formula that takes into account noise certification levels and number of seats. About 60 percent of the aircraft conducting tours at the Grand Canyon already meet that standard, Oltrogge said. At full conversion, the reduced fee would save the operators $250,000 a year, she said. Quiet technology is in use at other national parks, including Volcanoes and Haleakala in Hawaii and the Statue of Liberty in New York, according to the FAA. The standard doesn't necessarily mean aircraft will be completely quiet. Operators could, for example, add more seats to existing aircraft or switch out engines to meet the definition of quiet technology. The benefit to visitors at the Grand Canyon depends on what action the operators take, said Jim McCarthy of the Sierra Club. "It potentially could be counterproductive," McCarthy said. The National Park Service was close to finalizing rules to manage air tours and noise at the Grand Canyon before the federal legislation forced the agency to change its goal for restoring natural quiet to the park. The Park Service wanted to make 67 percent of the canyon quiet for three-fourths of the day or longer. Some members of Congress pushed a provision in the 2012 federal transportation bill to make half of the park free from commercial air tour noise for at least 75 percent of the day and provide incentives for quiet air technology. Many of the tours originate from Las Vegas. Oltrogge said the Park Service's plan that had been in the works for decades since has been halted. U.S. Sen. John McCain applauded the incentive and said he is looking forward to more meaningful initiatives that would improve access to popular flight corridors for quieter aircraft. "This is the first step toward meeting the requirement set by Congress to convert all aircraft at the park to quiet technology in a way that protects tourism jobs and allows all visitors to enjoy some of the most breathtaking views of the Grand Canyon," he said in a statement. http://www.reviewjournal.com/business/incentives-quieter-aircraft-take-effect-over-grand-canyon Back to Top GULF LURES PILOTS WITH MEGA BUCKS (India) NEW DELHI: The New Year will see Indian airlines remaining a tense lot, trying to protect their prized pilots from being poached. While Gulf carriers are already on a poaching spree, Airbus A-320 pilots are waiting in the wings for the proposed Tata-Singapore Airlines JV to start hiring and also looking at Tata-AirAsia with interest. The biggest threat of poaching is from Gulf carriers as they expand their fleets at rapid pace and are offering almost double the salary that pilots get here. A commander in an Indian carrier has an average monthly pay of Rs 5-7 lakh while they offer over Rs 10-11 lakh! Air India, for instance, has seen almost 25 resignations in past four months with majority of them going to Gulf carriers. Etihad, which was recently cleared to buy five Boeing-777 200 (long range) planes of AI, has hired six AI pilots type-rated on this aircraft. Other airlines like Jet, IndiGo and SpiceJet are also seeing movement of pilots which they term as "normal attrition". "Just under AI, 20 commanders have sought no objection certificate to quit. Five or six of them are joining Emirates. After a long gap, there is a demand for trained and experienced commanders and co-pilots," said a source. Erstwhile IA pilots are unhappy as their wage parity with AI pilots is yet to take place. "For doing the same job, we get paid differently. We fly the same aircraft on same routes and still get half of what AI pilots get. When we agitate, we are termed rogues. When we try and leave for greener pastures, we are called traitors. This is unacceptable," said a pilot. A senior AI official said pay parity will happen shortly and then the only difference in emoluments of AI and IA pilots will be a wide body allowance that the former will get. Indian pilots trained to fly the Airbus A-320 - in airlines like erstwhile Indian Airlines, IndiGo and GoAir -are mainly eying the proposed Tata-Singapore Airlines (SIA) JV that may start operations later this year. Both the Tata JVs will have a fleet of A-320s. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Gulf-beckons-desi-pilots-with-mega- dollars/articleshow/28258134.cms Curt Lewis