Flight Safety Information January 9, 2014 - No. 009 In This Issue 1 Missing in Navy Copter Crash That Killed 2 Air NZ aircraft makes emergency landing at Melbourne Airport NTSB to finish Boeing 787 battery investigation in March; final report due in the fall Special Conditions: Airbus, Model A350-900 Series Airplane; Flight Envelope Protection The Boeing Company : Patent Issued for Multi-Functional Aircraft Structures Dreamlifter Pilots Thought Equipment Was Faulty, Used Eyesight To Land At Wrong Airport Aircraft Accident Fatalities Drop to Lowest Level in a Decade D/FW Airport ranked second nationally last year in gun confiscations Think ARGUS PROS Airlines go on a record new jet shopping spree Position Available: Director of Safety. GIBSON NAMED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NEXTGEN INSTITUTE Singapore to Double Changi Airport Capacity as Demand Increases Approach and Go-Around Safety A Flight Operations Seminar 1 Missing in Navy Copter Crash That Killed 2 A sailor remained missing Thursday after a Navy helicopter with five crew members crashed into the ocean off the Virginia coast during a routine training mission, killing two crew members and leaving two in the hospital, the U.S. Navy said. The two who died were among four crewmembers hoisted from the 42-degree waters Wednesday by a Navy helicopter and taken to a hospital, the Navy said in a statement. The two surviving sailors were being treated at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. One is listed in serious condition, the other has been upgraded to fair, the Navy said in a news release. "Today has definitely been a tough day on all of us," Capt. Todd Flannery, the commander of Helicopter Sea Combat Wing Atlantic, said at a news conference. "Our heartfelt prayers go out to the families and loved ones of those killed and injured in today's crash." The Navy identified the aircraft as an MH-53E Sea Dragon assigned to Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron Fourteen based at Naval Station Norfolk. In July 2012, two crew members were killed when the same model helicopter crashed into a canyon in the Gulf nation of Oman while lifting a downed aircraft. According to the Naval Air Systems Command website, the three-engine helicopter searches for sea mines and does onboard delivery missions. The 99-foot craft holds a crew of up to eight, including two pilots and is capable of speeds of more than 170 mph. It was not immediately known why the chopper, which weighs up to 34 tons, went down about 20 miles from Virginia Beach, and the Navy said the crash is under investigation. The Navy said Virginia Beach Fire Department boats located the aircraft fuselage and tail section. Coast Guard and Navy ships also responded, including the guided missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham. Navy aircraft also were involved in the search. The Navy said the identity of the dead crewmen would be released 24 hours after their families were notified. Those aboard the chopper were wearing survival suits designed to keep water away from the body. An adult could survive probably one to three hours in 40- to 50-degree water and would become exhausted or unconscious between 30 and 60 minutes, according to the Personal Flotation Device Manufacturers Association website. Survival also varies based on body size, body fat percentage and movement in the water. According to a Navy investigation obtained by The Virginian-Pilot in November, the July 2012 crash of the $50 million helicopter revealed a series of problems within the Navy Sea Dragon program, which is headquartered in Norfolk. In that specific crash, the report blamed the crew for skipping preflight safety checks and for failing to develop a concrete plan for how and when to abort the mission. But Flannery told the newspaper following the investigation that the Navy has invested millions of dollars to upgrade and better maintain its remaining 29 Sea Dragon airframes since the crash, including adding more than 100 maintenance personnel to the Norfolk-based squadrons. The Navy had planned to phase them out beginning in the mid-2000s, but kept the Sea Dragons flying because the service had no viable replacement. At the news conference Wednesday, Flannery said he doesn't have any concerns about the safety of the aircraft. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/coast-guard-navy-helicopter-off-virginia-21462883 Back to Top Air NZ aircraft makes emergency landing at Melbourne Airport A Melbourne Airport spokeswoman said the captain made a mayday call as was standard practice but the plane landed safely and without incident. An Air NZ A320 has made an emergency landing at Melbourne Airport tonight night after experiencing engine trouble shortly after takeoff. A pilot on board Flight NZ726, which had 145 passengers and six crew on board, made a mayday call soon after taking off for Auckland just before 8pm. Emergency services, including eight fire engines and police, rushed to the airport but the flight landed without incident. Kiwi comedian Jeremy Elwood was on board and tweeted soon after it landed. "In all my years of flying, I just had my first turnaround due to engine failure. Hello again, Melbourne!" When asked on Twitter what the engine failure sounded like and whether the passengers could hear it, Elwood said: "Nope, all very calm. Plane just turned around. Fire engines waiting for us when we landed but no fire." Air NZ spokesman Andrew Aitken said engineers were still investigating the nature of the fault but reports of a fuel leak were incorrect. He said passengers would be put up in a hotel tonight and accommodated on alternative services tomorrow. Melbourne Airport spokeswoman Anna Gillett said the captain's mayday call was standard practice in such a situation and the incident was all over within 30 minutes. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11183895 Back to Top NTSB to finish Boeing 787 battery investigation in March; final report due in the fall The US National Transportation Safety Board on Wednesday said that investigative work into the Jan. 7, 2013, fire aboard a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 at Boston Logan Airport is estimated to be completed by the end of March. "The analytical and report writing phase of the investigation will follow the completion of the investigative activities. The final report is expected to be presented to the board at a public meeting in Washington in the fall," NTSB said in a statement. A NTSB hearing in April shed little light on the incident's root cause. NTSB had previously determined that short circuiting in a cell of the lithium ion battery that starts the aircraft's auxiliary power unit caused thermal runaway-uncontrolled chemical reactions resulting from overheating-that cascaded to other battery cells and led to a fire while the aircraft was parked at Boston Logan Airport. But finding the cause of the short circuiting-the root cause of the event-had proven elusive for NTSB investigators. Members of the investigative team have been conducting work in the US, Japan, France and Taiwan. NTSB said it has also been working closely with Boeing, FAA, the Japan Transport Safety Bureau, the French BEA, and technical advisors from Japan and France. NTSB said the date of the board meeting at which the findings of the investigation will be released, including the probable cause of the battery fire, will be announced later in the year. http://atwonline.com/safety/ntsb-finish-boeing-787-battery-investigation-march-final-report-due-fall Back to Top Special Conditions: Airbus, Model A350-900 Series Airplane; Flight Envelope Protection: High Speed Limiting SUMMARY: This action proposes special conditions for Airbus Model A350-900 series airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature associated with high speed limiting. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These proposed special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards. EFFECTIVE DATE: Send your comments on or before February 7, 2014. ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2013-0901 using any of the following methods: * Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/ and follow the online instructions for sending your comments electronically. * Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room W12-140, West Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001. * Hand Delivery or Courier: Take comments to Docket Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. * Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at 202-493-2251. Privacy: The FAA will post all comments it receives, without change, to http://www.regulations.gov/, including any personal information the commenter provides. Using the search function of the docket Web site, anyone can find and read the electronic form of all comments received into any FAA docket, including the name of the individual sending the comment (or signing the comment for an association, business, labor union, etc.). DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement can be found in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-19478), as well as at http://DocketsInfo. dot.gov/. Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at http://www.regulations.gov/ at any time. Follow the online instructions for accessing the docket or go to the Docket Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joe Jacobsen, FAA, Airplane and Flightcrew Interface Branch, ANM- 111, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington 98057-3356; telephone (425) 227-2011; facsimile (425) 227-1320. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We invite interested people to take part in this rulemaking by sending written comments, data, or views. The most helpful comments reference a specific portion of the special conditions, explain the reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data. We will consider all comments we receive on or before the closing date for comments. We may change these special conditions based on the comments we receive. Background On August 25, 2008, Airbus applied for a type certificate for their new Model A350-900 series airplane. Later, Airbus requested and the FAA approved an extension to the application for FAA type certification to June 28, 2009. The Model A350-900 series has a conventional layout with twin wing-mounted Rolls-Royce Trent engines. It features a twin aisle 9-abreast economy class layout, and accommodates side-by-side placement of LD-3 containers in the cargo compartment. The basic Model A350-900 series configuration will accommodate 315 passengers in a standard two-class arrangement. The design cruise speed is Mach 0.85 with a Maximum Take-Off Weight of 602,000 lbs. Airbus proposes the Model A350-900 series to be certified for extended operations (ETOPS) beyond 180 minutes at entry into service for up to a 420-minute maximum diversion time. The longitudinal control law design of the Airbus Model A350-900 incorporates an overspeed protection system in the normal mode; this would prevent the pilot from inadvertently or intentionally exceeding a speed approximately equivalent to VFC or attaining VDF. Current Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 25 sections do not relate to a high speed limiting protection system that might preclude or modify flying qualities assessments in the overspeed region. However, the requirements of SEC 25.253 (High-speed characteristics) and its related policy are applicable to the Model A350-900 series and not affected by this proposed special condition. Type Certification Basis Under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 21.17, Airbus must show that the Model A350-900 series meets the applicable provisions of 14 CFR part 25, as amended by Amendments 25-1 through 25-129. If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness regulations (i.e., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for the Airbus Model A350-900 series because of a novel or unusual design feature, special conditions are prescribed under SEC 21.16. Special conditions are initially applicable to the model for which they are issued. Should the type certificate for that model be amended later to include any other model that incorporates the same or similar novel or unusual design feature, the special conditions would also apply to the other model under SEC 21.101. In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and proposed special conditions, the Model A350-900 series must comply with the fuel vent and exhaust emission requirements of 14 CFR part 34 and the noise certification requirements of 14 CFR part 36 and the FAA must issue a finding of regulatory adequacy under section 611 of Public Law 92-574, the "Noise Control Act of 1972." The FAA issues special conditions, as defined in 14 CFR 11.19, under SEC 11.38, and they become part of the type-certification basis under SEC 21.17(a)(2). Novel or Unusual Design Features The Model A350-900 series will incorporate the following novel or unusual design features: An overspeed protection system which prevents the pilot from inadvertently or intentionally exceeding a speed approximately equivalent to VFC or attaining VDF. At VMO + 10 knots or MMO + 0.02, an automatic nose up pitch is applied with phase advance in case of high acceleration. The speed stabilizes at VD - 10kts/MD - 0.02 if the stick is full forward, or the speed will return below VMO /MMO if the stick is released. Discussion This proposed special condition establishes requirements to ensure that operation of the high speed limiting protection system does not impede normal attainment of speeds up to the overspeed warning. Its main features are: 1. It protects the airplane against high speed/high Mach number flight conditions beyond VMO /MMO. 2. It does not interfere with flight at VMO /MMO, even in turbulent air. 3. It still provides load factor limitation through the "pitch limiting" function described below. 4. It restores positive static stability beyond VMO /MMO. Applicability As discussed above, these proposed special conditions apply to Airbus Model A350-900 series airplanes. Should Airbus apply later for a change to the type certificate to include another model incorporating the same novel or unusual design feature, the proposed special conditions would apply to that model as well. Conclusion This action affects only certain novel or unusual design features on the Airbus Model A350-900 series airplanes. It is not a rule of general applicability. http://www.4-traders.com/news/Special-Conditions-Airbus-Model-A350-900-Series-Airplane-Flight-Envelope- Protection-High-Speed-L--17769046/ Back to Top The Boeing Company : Patent Issued for Multi-Functional Aircraft Structures The Boeing Company (Chicago, IL) has been issued patent number 8617687, according to news reporting originating out of Alexandria, Virginia, by VerticalNews editors. The patent's inventors are McCarville, Douglas A. (Orting, WA); Guzman, Juan C. (Seattle, WA); Rotter, Daniel M. (Lake Forest Park, WA). This patent was filed on August 3, 2009 and was published online on December 31, 2013. From the background information supplied by the inventors, news correspondents obtained the following quote: "The present disclosure relates generally to structures and, in particular, to structures for use in aircraft. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to structures that have multiple functions in an aircraft. "The weight of an aircraft is a factor in the operating expense and performance of the aircraft. For example, an aircraft with a lighter weight may consume less fuel and may be able to travel for longer distances, as compared to an aircraft with a greater weight. For example, performance, such as stall speed, maximum range air speed, maximum endurance air speed, rate of climb, maneuvering speed, and other performance factors are related to the weight of an aircraft. "In an effort to reduce weight and improve performance, the commercial aircraft industry has increased the use of composite materials. In this effort, aircraft are being designed and manufactured with greater and greater percentages of composite materials. Some aircraft may have more than 50 percent of their primary structure made from composite materials. Composite materials are used in aircraft to decrease the weight of the aircraft. "This decreased weight may improve payload capacities and fuel efficiencies. Further, composite materials may provide longer service life for various components in an aircraft. "Composite materials may be tough, light-weight materials, created by combining two or more dissimilar components. For example, a composite material may include fibers and resins. The fibers and resins may be combined to form a cured composite material. "Further, by using composite materials, portions of an aircraft may be created in larger pieces or sections. For example, a fuselage in an aircraft may be created in cylindrical sections that may be put together to form the fuselage of the aircraft. Other examples may include, without limitation, wing sections joined to form a wing or stabilizer sections joined to form a stabilizer. "Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a method and apparatus which takes into account one or more of the issues discussed above, as well as possibly other issues." Supplementing the background information on this patent, VerticalNews reporters also obtained the inventors' summary information for this patent: "In one illustrative embodiment, a method is present for manufacturing a composite structure. A filler material with a barrier material for a channel in the filler material is formed. A composite material and the filler material with the barrier material are laid up onto a tool in a shape of the composite structure. The composite material and the filler material in the shape of the composite structure are cured. "In another illustrative embodiment, an apparatus comprises a composite structure having a first channel, a filler material located in the first channel, and a barrier material associated with walls of a second channel in the filler material. "In yet another illustrative embodiment, an apparatus comprises a composite structure having a channel and a barrier material associated with walls of the channel. "The features, functions, and advantages can be achieved independently in various embodiments of the present disclosure or may be combined in yet other embodiments in which further details can be seen with reference to the following description and drawings." For the URL and additional information on this patent, see: McCarville, Douglas A.; Guzman, Juan C.; Rotter, Daniel M.. Multi-Functional Aircraft Structures. U.S. Patent Number 8617687, filed August 3, 2009, and published online on December 31, 2013. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph- Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=87&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch- bool.html&r=4319&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=20131231.PD.&OS=ISD/20131231&RS=ISD/20131231 http://www.4-traders.com/THE-BOEING-COMPANY-4816/news/The-Boeing-Company--Patent-Issued-for- Multi-Functional-Aircraft-Structures-17771500/ Back to Top Dreamlifter Pilots Thought Equipment Was Faulty, Used Eyesight To Land At Wrong Airport (AP) One of the pilots of a Boeing 747 that landed at the wrong airport in Wichita last November was not sure the plane was landing at the right place. The Trade publication Aviation International News, or AIN, obtained a copy of a training video describing what happened. Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, which employed the pilots and made the video, confirmed that Atlas pilots were aiming to land at McConnell Air Force Base. Instead, they landed at Col. James Jabara airport, 9 miles away. An Atlas executive on the video says the co-pilot's flight display had intermittent issues earlier in the flight. Those issues made the pilots skeptical about the reliability of the plane's automation. So although they were using the plane's instruments to guide them to McConnell, the flying pilot abandoned that approach and flew using his vision, after spotting a brightly-lit runway to his left. The pilot disconnected the autopilot and descended more rapidly toward that runway. According to AIN's description of the video, the other pilot "was uncertain about the runway's identity, but remained silent." The plane landed safely and flew the next day to its intended destination. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident. http://kmuw.org/post/dreamlifter-pilots-thought-equipment-was-faulty-used-eyesight-land-wrong-airport Back to Top Aircraft Accident Fatalities Drop to Lowest Level in a Decade Aircraft accident fatalities fell to a 10-year low in 2013, with 224 deaths involving large commercial planes compared with 703 annually on average from 2003 to 2012. Last year there were 17 aircraft accidents worldwide involving such planes, compared with a yearly average of 27, the European Aviation Safety Agency said in a statement today. There were no airliner fatalities in EASA member states, which include European Union countries and Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein, EASA said. The encouraging statistics come at the beginning of the 100th anniversary of commercial aviation this year, EASA said. Last year's performance was the best for safety in aviation history, EASA said. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-08/aircraft-accident-fatalities-drop-to-lowest-level-in-a- decade.html Back to Top D/FW Airport ranked second nationally last year in gun confiscations Federal agents confiscated nearly 100 firearms last year from travelers at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, placing it behind only Atlanta's airport. The Medill National Security Journalism Initiative at Northwestern University offered a peek at the numbers, which won't be released by the Transportation Security Administration for a few days. The Medill report says the number of guns confiscated from U.S. passengers increased by 20 percent in the last year to 1,828. "The increase over 2012 is the third annual jump since 2010 - and the largest," according to the report. Ninety-eight guns were taken by TSA agents at D/FW Airport, the third-busiest in the United States. The busiest, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, was No. 1, with 110 guns seized, and Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport was third, far behind D/FW, with 67 seizures. Most of the guns confiscated at D/FW were .380-caliber and 9mm weapons, and 84 percent were loaded. One in four had a bullet in the chamber. The Medill report doesn't deal with other weapons, like the "dagger belt buckle" the TSA says it took off a passenger at D/FW in November or the "small knife discovered in a shoe" in June or the two stun guns seized at the airport in April. TSA spokeswoman Carrie Harmon said the number of guns seized from travelers has been rising for years - with 660 in 2005, 1,123 in 2010 and 1,556 in 2012 - but the agency isn't speculating on why. "TSA screens approximately 1.8 million passengers and their luggage every day for prohibited items, including weapons and explosives," Harmon said in a written statement. "TSA takes the discovery of prohibited items seriously and urges all passengers to check the contents of their bags before leaving home." Harmon said fines range from $250 to $11,000 for a single civil penalty for taking a gun to a security checkpoint. "TSA has intercepted firearms and other dangerous weapons at security checkpoints nationwide, with an average of 35 firearms per week in 2013," she said. http://www.dallasnews.com/news/transportation/20140108-dfw-airport-ranked-second-nationally-last-year- in-gun-confiscations.ece Back to Top Back to Top Airlines go on a record new jet shopping spree In this photo Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013, photo, engine-less American Airlines jets sit parked at the airport in Roswell, New Mexico. Airlines are on the largest jet buying spree in the history of aviation, ordering more than 8,200 new planes with the old planes bing sent to the desert where the dry air prevents the aluminum airframe from corroding and spare parts can be harvested or the old jets get chopped up for scrap metal. ROSWELL, N.M. (AP) - Capt. Paul Wannberg glides an old Boeing 757 over the New Mexico desert, lining up with the runway. A computerized voice squawks elevation warnings. Forty feet. Thirty. Twenty. Ten. Touchdown. Outside the cockpit window sit nearly a hundred airplane carcasses, perfectly lined up. They are jets that nobody wants anymore. And - after 26,057 takeoffs and landings - this 24-year-old American Airlines plane is about to join them. "This is my first time here, and it's a sad place," First Officer Robert Popp tells the control tower. Airlines used to store planes in the desert during slow travel months. Sometimes, unwanted jets would be sold to carriers in Russia or Africa. Today, a man on the other end of the radio responds, "they're chopping them up." Airlines are on the largest jet-buying spree in the history of aviation, ordering more than 8,200 new planes with manufacturers Airbus SAS and The Boeing Co. in the past five years. There are now a combined 24 planes rolling off assembly lines each week, up from 11 a decade ago. And that rate is expected to keep climbing. The new planes allow the airlines to save on fuel, now their biggest cost, while offering passengers more amenities - some for a fee. Passengers can plug in to work or be entertained by a seat-back TV and fly some international routes nonstop for the first time. And the commercial divisions of Boeing and Airbus get a steady stream of cash for years, which is a key reason investors have doubled the companies' stock price in the past year. The bulk of the planes are going to new or quickly-growing airlines that serve an expanding middle class in India and the rest of Asia. The International Air Transport Association expects the number of passengers worldwide to grow 31 percent to 3.9 billion in the next four years. U.S. airlines are buying as well. After suffering through the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, bankruptcies and recessions, they're now strong enough financially to buy new jets. Domestic carriers spent $11.6 billion last year on capital improvements - including new planes - up from $5.2 billion in 2010. With the price of fuel nearly 4 times what it was 10 years ago, airlines need to replace aging, gas-guzzlers - like the American 757 that Capt. Wannberg parked in the desert in Roswell. The plane showed its age. Many armrests originally came with ashtrays. The seatback pocket on 27D was hanging by its last thread. And the window shade at 1F wouldn't close. American would have had to spend $6 million to $10 million for heavy maintenance checks on the airframe, overhauls of the engines and other part replacements to keep the plane flying. Instead, it went to Roswell. There, the dry air prevents the aluminum airframe from corroding. Spare parts will be harvested from the jet; eventually it will be chopped up for scrap metal. It's a fate many U.S. planes are facing. On Monday, Delta Air Lines retired the last of its DC-9s, a 35-year-old jet that had been the workhorse of U.S. airlines for decades. Over the past five years U.S. airlines have retired nearly 1,300 other planes - more than 20 a month - to various desert facilities in the last five years, according to Flightglobal's Ascend Online Fleets, which sells and tracks information about aircraft. American's old 757 will be replaced by one of 460 new single-aisle jets that the airline ordered in July 2011 - the largest single airplane order in history. The first one entered service on Sept. 16, and American is currently taking delivery of an additional new plane every week - models like the A321 from Airbus or the Boeing 737. Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines and just about every other U.S. carrier has a large order in place. Nearly 1,500 new planes will be delivered to U.S. airlines by Airbus and Boeing over the next decade. Several hundred smaller regional jets are also on order with other manufacturers. http://www.seattlepi.com/news/texas/article/Airlines-go-on-a-record-new-jet-shopping-spree-5126669.php Back to Top Position Available: Director of Safety F.I.T. Aviation, LLC of Melbourne, Florida is recruiting for the position of Director of Safety. F.I.T. Aviation was established in 1968 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Florida Institute of Technology, supporting the college of Aeronautics aviation program through our flight training activities. The Director of Safety is responsible for ensuring that appropriate standards are established and maintained to provide the highest level of safety. The Director of Safety develops, coordinates and implements preventive measures affecting present and potential safety issues. The successful candidate will have a bachelor's degree in Safety Management, Aviation Management, or Business Management; have 2-3 years related work experience in aviation Safety Management Systems (SMS); and hold a Commercial Pilot Certificate, ATP, or ICAO equivalent. Salary will be commensurate with experience. A complete job description or to apply to this position please visit our website at http://fitaviation.hirecentric.com/jobs/. This posting will remain active until January 31, 2014. F.I.T. Aviation, LLC is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Back to Top GIBSON NAMED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NEXTGEN INSTITUTE January 7, 2014, Washington, D.C. - Maj. Gen. Marke "Hoot" Gibson, USAF (Ret.) has joined the NextGen Institute as its Executive Director, effective January 13, 2014. "The aerospace industry believes strongly in the promise of the Next Generation Air Transportation System. Representing thousands of industry stakeholders in NextGen's continued success, we're delighted that someone of Marke Gibson's caliber and experience will be heading up the Institute," said Institute Management Council co-chairs Pete Dumont, President and CEO of the Air Traffic Control Association and Capt. Lee Moak, President of the Air Line Pilots Association. "Strong government/industry collaboration is essential to NextGen's continued success. Marke has demonstrated throughout his career the ability to bring a diverse group of stakeholders together - government, industry and local constituencies - to achieve important outcomes for aerospace and national security," said Dr. Karlin Toner, Director of the Joint Planning and Development Office and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Transportation for NextGen Coordination. In a career spanning several decades serving in the U.S. Air Force, Gibson held a number of senior positions in the Pentagon and in the field. Most recently, he was Director of Current Operations and Training, USAF Headquarters. He also served as the Deputy Commander of the 7th Air Force Korea (Osan, South Korea); Commander of the 354th Fighter Wing, Eielson AFB, Alaska; Wing Commander of the 332nd Expeditionary Wing, Balad, Iraq; and as the Deputy Director of Operations of NORTHCOM. Gibson also managed his own consultancy business providing advice and expertise to a number of Fortune 500 companies on a wide range of aerospace and defense issues, including UAV integration into the national airspace, cyber security and GPS landing systems. Gibson is a graduate of the Air Force Academy and holds an MBA from the University of Northern Colorado and a Masters Degree in National Security Strategy Studies from the National War College. www.nginstitute.org Back to Top Singapore to Double Changi Airport Capacity as Demand Increases Jan. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Asia's skies will become even busier this year as a fleet of new budget airlines get ready to launch. The region's airports handled almost a billion passengers last year and are racing to keep up with the demand. Singapore plans to almost double the capacity of its airport over the next decade with two terminals as the economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region makes it more affordable for people to travel by air. Changi airport, Asia's second-busiest for international travel, is expected to handle about 5 percent more passengers each year through the next decade, Singapore's Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said yesterday. A fourth terminal, which will be built by 2017 at a cost of S$1.28 billion ($1 billion), will handle 16 million passengers annually. A fifth will be added in the middle of the next decade to handle 50 million travelers, he said. "We need to have capacity ahead of demand," Lui said in an interview with Haslinda Amin. "You see rising income levels in Southeast Asia and Asia. You see aviation being increasingly within the reach of a larger segment of the population." From Vietnam to Indonesia, more than a dozen budget airlines have started across Southeast Asia in the past decade. Economic growth in the region, with a population that's two times bigger than the U.S., boosted demand for air travel. The capacity at the fifth terminal, which Lui described as a "mega" terminal, could increase to 75 million, he said. Changi, which serves more than 100 carriers, currently has a capacity to handle of 70 million passengers in the existing three terminals, he said. Passengers stand at Singapore Airlines Ltd.'s economy class check-in counters at Changi... Read More The airport will also lengthen an existing runway currently operated by the air force for commercial use, adding to the existing two landing strips. Changi handled 48.6 million visitors in the first 11 months of last year. The total wealth of millionaires in the Asia-Pacific region may top that of their peers in North America as soon as this year, according to a report by Cap Gemini SA and Royal Bank of Canada published Sept. 25. Travel demand in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to increase 7.4 percent this year, according the International Air Transport Association. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-08/singapore-to-double-changi-airport-capacity-as-demand- increases.html Curt Lewis