Flight Safety Information August 29, 2014 - No. 178 In This Issue Is the FAA limiting drone innovation? U. S. airplane near-collisions jumped in 2013, FAA reports To Revive Damaged Brand, Malaysia Airlines To Lay Off 6,000 Workers Reclining Seat Ruckus Forces American Airlines Flight To Divert To Boston NTSB to Meet on UPS Flight 1354 Plane Crash and to Consider a Safety Study on Drug Use in Aviation Makalu Air aircraft skids off runway in Humla - no casualty (Nepal) U.N.'s Aviation Safety Arm Says Risk of Ebola Transmission on Flights Low ATRA Releases the 2014 Airline Holistic Safety Rating PRISM TO HELP PREPARE FOR E-IOSA American Airlines picks Durst as first female to hold DFW chief pilot job Disneyland drones? Disney files three patents for unmanned aircraft Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach Campus Offers Aviation-Focused Professional Programs for 2014 Small UAS Challenge ISASI 2014 - Annual Seminar, October 13-16, 2014 - Early Bird Registration Deadline Upcoming Events Employment Is the FAA limiting drone innovation? The aircraft regulatory agency's delays on making rules for commercial drones is forcing businesses to wait. And wait. In the winter of 2013, Scott Pham had finished teaching his fall semester on drone journalism-a new journalistic method of reporting and photographing stories by using unmanned aircraft-at the University of Missouri. While gearing up for the spring, the federal government sent a letter that disrupted his plans. "The letter was quite vague," Pham recalled. "It said something like-your actions 'may be' in violation of our regulations." The letter came from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-the U.S. regulatory agency that ensures safe passage of manned and unmanned aircrafts. In drones, Pham found the perfect reporting tool. One of his students flew a drone along the Missouri River and collected visual evidence on how oil and gas companies used the water for drilling operations without paying any money to the government. "We chose environment and agricultural stories because we thought, for safety and regulatory reasons, we wanted to avoid stories that would require us to fly over cities and populated areas," Pham said. That didn't seem to make a difference to the FAA. Pham called up the local FAA regulator in Missouri and explained to him the value that drones could add to journalism. The regulator was unmoved. "He told me in no uncertain terms 'we want you to stop flying," Pham said. "Do not fly." The university initially vowed to support him, says Pham. "There was a moment where they were very combative. They were like-'we are going to bring this to the Supreme Court.'" Pham was in the process of applying for the future grants to run the program further. A few weeks later, the university turned a cold shoulder on him. They asked him to follow the FAA guidelines, which meant not flying outside for content gathering. Pham felt that would kill the basic essence of drone journalism and decided to leave the program. Later, also following a directive from the FAA, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln also ended its drone-reporting classes. In a statement to Fortune, an FAA spokesperson explained that since universities are public entities, they are required to apply for a Certificate of Authorization (COA) before launching a drone journalism program. Pham says he didn't pursue a COA because the process took months, and that the students weren't flying drones for commercial reasons, but for research. A year later, Bill Allen, an assistant professor at Missouri's School of Journalism and co- founder of the drone reporting program, took charge. Allen revised it and opened it up to students of others fields of study, including geology, geography and conservation biology. "There really is no official Missouri drone journalism program right now," Allen said. "We are staying inside, continuing to find ways to teach our students without flying drones outside." In the past four years, the FAA has fired off letters to individuals and organizations operating what it calls "suspected commercial Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) operations." First the FAA issues a verbal warning; then it sends a letter. Users who continue to fly receive "cease and desist" letter. The FAA is choosing to go after anyone using drones to make a profit, though that remains somewhat difficult to prove. Hobbyists are permitted to fly drones for pleasure. Then there are certain air-traffic rules: as an on-ground pilot, you cannot fly above 500 feet, or lose sight of your flight. These guidelines are hard to follow. In 2012, Congress asked the FAA to bring the drones under the legal canopy of national airspace by 2015. In the meantime, pilots who want to fly commercial drones are required to seek approval from the FAA. Since then, regulators have been deluged with petitions. Hollywood filmmakers, farmers, real estate agencies, power line and oil rig inspection companies have sought permission to operate drones. After Amazon announced its plan in late 2013 to use drones for package delivery on CBS's 60 Minutes, the company sought clearance from the FAA to test its bots outdoors. The request is still pending but it gave drone lobbyists enough leverage to criticize the FAA for limiting innovation with "slow law-making." "Manufacturers are starting to get anxious about migrating a lot of this technology into the commercial sector," says Ben Gielow, a lobbyist at Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI)-a Washington D.C. based drone advocacy group. "The commercial market is expected to outstrip the military demand within the next decade." Lockheed Martin, one of Gielow's clients, has already bought two drone startups and it is eyeing other companies that monitor weather and natural disasters, aerial imaging and satellite communications. According to AUVSI, the FAA clearance to commercial drones could contribute $82 billion to the economy and the creation of 100,000 jobs in the U.S. by 2025. And any further delay, Gielow told me, would result in the loss of $27 million per day. So what's the hold up? A spokesperson for the regulator told Fortune that the agency has made "significant progress toward that goal, even as it dealt with disruptions due to sequestration and a three-week government shutdown." Then there are technical issues to work through: the spokesperson said, the agency is developing a mechanism through which manned and unmanned aircrafts can communicate to avoid collisions. "This is an exciting new technology," the FAA said in statement. "People want to see what it can do-and what they can do with it. Detect and Avoid and Command and Control are two key integration-related research areas that must be addressed before routine beyond-line-of sight operations will be authorized to fly." But the Department of Transportation doesn't buy the FAA timetable. In an audit report published on June 26th, the Department of Transportation doubts that the FAA will meet the September 2015 deadline. The auditor suggests that the FAA wasn't "effectively collecting and analyzing" the drone safety data in order to pinpoint risks. That flaw existed because the agency has neither developed a process that ensures all drone safety incidents are "reported and tracked" nor does it share that data with the U.S. Department of Defense, which, according to the auditor, is the largest user of drones. With the regulatory uncertainty, many operators are brushing aside the commercial prohibition and flying for money. Every other day, newspapers report on commercial uses from weddings being filmed with drones to gas pipeline inspection to smuggling of marijuana in a South California prison. Until recently, the agency viewed the option of slapping a hefty fine on violators as a potent weapon but that too has been neutralized in the court. As a result, the FAA is caught between public criticism and legal ordeals. Brendan Schulman, who tweets as @dronelaws, is America's best-known drone lawyer. The 40-year-old native of New Jersey has been flying model aircrafts since he was in his teens. Schulman entered the conference room of his Midtown Manhattan office with a plastic drone tucked under his arm. Schulman defended the most important case in the drone history. In 2010, the FAA slapped a $10,000 fine on Raphael Pirker, an Austrian drone photographer, who flew a remote-controlled aircraft to record a promotional film for the University of Virginia. As Pirker put up the raw footage on You Tube, the FAA sent a letter, accusing him of reckless flying, premised on the notion that his aircraft was used commercially and therefore subject to the airspace regulations. When Schulman read about it in newspapers he contacted Pirker, whom he knew through hobby circles, and offered his legal help. "He was flying a five-pound aircraft with a camera in the front," Schulman said. "He didn't hurt anybody or damage any property. So we took on the case and defended it primarily on the basis that there is no actual regulation concerning model aircrafts people now call drones." The judge agreed with Schulman and in March 2014 quashed the fine. Since Schulman won the precedent setting case, the FAA appealed to the National Transportation Safety Board. But the federal court's decision managed to ease the atmosphere, opening the doors for real estate firms, architects, wedding planners, ad agencies and others to use this technology for business. Schulman is critical of the FAA's argument-that its prime consideration is safety. For him, the guidelines for hobby drones can be applied to commercial machines too. The reason: "When lightweight systems (drones) are flown close to the ground, little regulation is needed to ensure safety." Terry and Belinda Kilby, a couple from Baltimore, use drones for their photo business. Four years ago, Terry bought "a kind of a gum stick camera" and stuck it to the bottom of a remote-controlled model aircraft. "It started off as a joke," Terry said. "We flew it and took a few photos, and they were terrible, but my wife saw the potential." Belinda, a former art teacher, instantly saw the traits that existed in past artistic movement. "Such as the impressionist movement or Japanese prints-they often had a birds eye view of their subjects," Terry said. "She saw the same sweet space-of being above a crane and below the plane." They started a two-person operation, in which Terry designed, built and flew the drones, and Belinda controlled the camera. They soon produced Drone Art Baltimore, " which is the first photography book ever to be shot entirely by a drone." By 2012, this artistic adventure turned into an entrepreneurial success with several land developers, real estate dealers and architects contacting the couple to shoot for them. Jeffery Penza, the owner of Penza + Bailey architectural firm in Baltimore, wanted to create a floor plan for the renovation of an 80-year-old penthouse and needed to photo- document it. "There were no drawings of the building whatsoever," Penza explained. Penza hired the Kilbys to bring their drone and asked them to capture the roofline of the penthouse. "We were able to identify a window that had been covered up with the plaster. We didn't know it was there until we saw the photographs," said the architect. Like several other drone photographers across the U.S., Terry has decided to fly for commercial reasons. It usually starts as a hobby and serendipitously turns into a business. Since obtaining permission from the FAA is an arduous task, the operators sidestep the agency. "There is kind of a legal gray area because the FAA is yet to pass any rules either for or against us," Terry said. "So we police ourselves-we do everything possible to make sure all of our flights are safe." The rising demand for drones has convinced the industry to manufacture the aircrafts of different shapes and sizes with an ability to take wide range of tasks-from Amazon-type deliveries to transporting heavy-duty goods both nationally and internationally. To achieve that vision, instead of taking "crawl-walk-run approach", the drone enthusiasts want to move fast. "The FAA can clearly do more," said Gielow, the drone lobbyist. "We have been saying that on the Hill. We would like to see FAA taking a risk-based approach. I mean we need at least a limited access now and then we can build upon that and allow more widespread integration in future." Many drone advocates fear that the ongoing delay will make the U.S a laggard, behind countries like Canada, which issues flying permits in couple of weeks. In 2013, Canada's airspace regulator issued 945 drone permits-a significant increase compared to 345 issued in 2012. Here in the U.S. the FAA has issued 700-750 authorizations since 2006. Brendan Gibbons, one of Pham's students at the University of Missouri, covers the environment beat for Scranton's The Times-Tribune. At the university, he filmed the fracking wells along the Missouri River. "I was pleased how I could edit together the pump jacks which are those up-and-down bobbing, hungry dinosaur looking things, and then shots of the rig, and of the river behind it-you can really see how close these operations were to the river," he recalled. As a journalist, however, Gibbons feels restrained in his reporting by the FAA. Last month, while covering a massive factory fire near Scranton, he wanted to fly a drone and capture the fire. Despite what he learned in the drone journalism classes, he was forced to rely on other means to do his reporting. "What is unfortunate about the FAA regulations is that we had to get that photo from a reader," Gibbon said. "Somebody who lived around that site had a hobby drone flown over the fire. We traced that person online and got the photo from him." http://fortune.com/2014/08/28/faa-limiting-drone-innovation/ Back to Top U. S. airplane near-collisions jumped in 2013, FAA reports The number of times U.S. airplanes nearly collided more than doubled last year, though the biggest increase by far was in the low-risk category, a new Federal Aviation Administration report said. The number of times U.S. airplanes nearly collided almost doubled last year, though the biggest increase by far was in the low-risk category, a new Federal Aviation Administration report said. The FAA is getting more reports of these events from employees and its new systems -- two factors that are helping to drive the increases. In 2013, there were 38 high-risk incidents, down slightly from 41 the previous year, the FAA report says. The FAA technically calls near misses a "loss of separation." The top safety threat it identified revolves around communications, which impeded recoveries after planes nearly collided. The other top hazards were not issuing advisories, faulty monitoring, overly similar sounding call signs, and conflicting procedures. "The National Transportation Safety Board is concerned about any situation in which airplanes get too close to each other," an agency spokesman said Thursday. New York-area travelers experienced two such incidents this year. In June, two planes flew within a half-mile of each other at Kennedy Airport. In April, two planes came even closer to running into each other at Newark International Airport: only about 200 feet separated them laterally; the vertical distance was about 400 feet. In both cases, there should have been 3 miles of horizontal space between the aircraft, and 1,000 feet vertically. At high altitudes, the horizontal distance that is allowed increases to 5 miles while the vertical distance remains the same. Last year there also were 224 medium-risk near-misses, up 23 percent from 182 in 2012, the FAA report says. Meanwhile, the low-risk category leaped 100 percent, rising to 2,097 from 1,048. However, these spikes might simply reflect a leap in reporting. "It's impossible to say with certainty that's the reason, but I think it's probably a pretty good conclusion," Michael F. Canders, a retired Air Force colonel who teaches aviation at SUNY-Farmingdale, said Thursday. "I don't think people need be overly concerned about it." He applauded the system for reporting by workers. "There's no reprisal, no punishment. . . it just allows for a recap and the proper actions, procedures, discussions to prevent it from happening again."He added, "The bottom line is that the FAA and the aviation organizations and airlines are trying to work together to prevent accidents." This year, the FAA finished installing an automated system that records every near- collision. Airports with fewer flights now are voluntarily reporting events. There also was a 128 percent rise in reports of these problems from pilots and controllers. Last year, there were 7,213 such reports. Such calls do not subject people to discipline, according to the FAA. Instead, they are part of an effort to improve safety procedures. People who fly in and out of Newark this fall will get the benefit of a safety improvement -- special concrete placed at the end of runways that have less room for planes to overshoot. The surface crushes under the weight of any plane that goes off the runway, slowing it down. The FAA earlier this month said Newark will get its second runway outfitted with the concrete improvement. JFK and LaGuardia already have two. http://www.newsday.com/long-island/u-s-airplane-near-collisions-jumped-in-2013-faa- reports-1.9176866 Back to Top To Revive Damaged Brand, Malaysia Airlines To Lay Off 6,000 Workers Malaysian Airline System Bhd. (MAS) air crew walk through Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang, Malaysia, on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2014. Malaysia Airlines are scheduled to release second quarter earnings Aug. 27 as the airline considers job cuts, a review of aircraft orders and replacing its chief executive officer after the national carrier suffered two disasters this year, people familiar with the plan said. Photographer: Charles Pertwee/Bloomberg via Getty Images KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysia Airlines will cut 6,000 workers as part of a $1.9 billion overhaul announced Friday to revive its damaged brand after being hit by double passenger jet disasters. The staff reduction represents about 30 percent of its current workforce of 20,000. A search for a new CEO is underway but there is no move to change the airline's name, which some branding experts had said was necessary for a successful makeover. Khazanah Nasional, the state investment company that owns 69 percent of the airline, said the overhaul includes the establishment of a new company that will take over the existing Malaysia Airlines business and its reduced staff. The revamp and new investment in the carrier will cost about 6 billion Malaysian ringgit ($1.9 billion). Analysts say the substantial staff cuts suggest the airline will reduce flights to Europe and China. The twin disasters and ongoing financial woes "created a perfect storm for the restructuring to take place," said Khazanah Managing Director Azman Mokhtar. "We need to have a fresh start." The plan aims to "strike a balance between Malaysia's desire to revive a national carrier against the prudent use of public funds," he said. The airline will be removed from the Malaysian stock exchange and taken completely under the wing of the government. Khazanah, which previously announced that it plans to take 100 percent ownership, aims to restore Malaysia Airlines to profitability by the end of 2017 and then relist its shares on the stock exchange by the end of 2019. A substantial revamp has long been on the cards for Malaysia Airlines, which was struggling with chronic financial problems even before it was hit by the double disasters this year. Investigators continue to scour the southern Indian Ocean for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 which veered far of course while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8 with 239 people on board. In July, 298 people were killed when Flight 17 was blasted out of the sky as it flew over an area of eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian separatists. The tragedies have scarred the airline's brand, once associated with high-quality service. Travelers on recent long-haul flights have posted photos on social media of nearly empty cabins and departure lounges. The airline says passengers fell 11 percent in July from the year before. Azman said Khazanah's 6 billion ringgit investment "will not be a bailout" and that the investment company will get its money back if the airline follows strict conditions laid out under the 12-point plan restructuring plan. Khazanah, which has previously pumped 7 billion ringgit into the airline, said it would consider selling all or some of its stake to "strategic buyers from the private sector" once the carrier returns to the stock market. But after four previous restructuring in a dozen years, the latest plan was met with some skepticism by analysts. "It's like a fairy tale that you tell your baby to put him to sleep. It has a happy ending," said Maybank analyst Mohshin Aziz. He said said staff reductions were one of the restructuring plan's key points because "that automatically tells you they're going to cut their capacity by a similar quantity - one third - as well." Analysts have been predicting the airline will cut unprofitable routes to China and Western Europe, where many of the passengers in the two disasters were from. Azman said Khazanah has recommended to the government that the Malaysia Airlines name remain unchanged. He also said there are no plans to sell its profitable maintenance arm. In releasing its latest quarterly financial result, a loss, on Thursday, Malaysia Airlines said the worst financial impact from the disasters will come in the second half of this year. Khazanah has begun a search for a new chief executive for the airline, which is likely to be completed by the end of this year. Current CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya will continue to head Malaysia Airlines until its new incarnation is established in July next year. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/malaysia-airlines-layoffs_n_5734806.html Back to Top Reclining Seat Ruckus Forces American Airlines Flight To Divert To Boston For the second time in the U.S. this week, a commercial plane diverted its flight over a reclining seat ruckus when a hypertensive man became upset after the woman in front of him reclined her seat Wednesday night, aviation authorities said. Reports said the American Airlines Miami to Paris flight was forced to divert to Boston after passenger French national Edmund Alexandre,61, became upset and unruly over a legroom dispute with a woman who reclined her seat in front of him. Authorities said Alexandre continued to be disruptive, despite the crew member's efforts to calm him. Alexandre then followed one of the crew members and grabbed his arm. According to reports, the Frenchman was complaining to crew members that he has high blood pressure and diabetes, telling them that he was experiencing difficulties due to the passenger in front reclining her seat. Two undercover air federal agents on the flight stepped in and subdued him. He was then handcuffed by the air marshals. After the diverted plane landed at around 10 p.m. Alexandre was arrested by Massachusetts state police and escorted directly to a local hospital for observation and treatment of his illnesses. Prosecutors have charged Alexandre with interfering with flight crew and he was arraigned in the hospital Thursday. An American Airlines spokesman said that the flight 62 plane continued its flight to Paris on Wednesday night. This latest incident comes just days after a man on a United Airlines flight used a device called a 'knee defender' to keep the person in front of him from reclining her seat. When the woman in front was unable to recline, she confronted the man and an argument ensued. The woman reportedly threw a cup of water in his face. Both passengers were seated in United's Economy class which gives extra legroom for extra fees. The spat forced the New Jersey-to-Denver flight to divert to Chicago. The two passengers reportedly were not allowed to return back to the plane which continued its trip to Denver. Passenger plane crew members have reported an increase in unruly passenger incidents as planes become more packed and legroom space decreases. Reports state that aviation officials are looking into this emerging problem. http://www.chinatopix.com/articles/8256/20140829/reclining-seat-ruckus.htm Back to Top NTSB to Meet on UPS Flight 1354 Plane Crash and to Consider a Safety Study on Drug Use in Aviation August 28, 2014 WASHINGTON - The National Transportation Safety Board will meet to determine the probable cause of the Aug. 14, 2013, crash of UPS Airlines Flight 1354 on approach to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Birmingham, Ala. The Airbus A300-600 crashed short of runway 18 during a localizer non-precision approach. The captain and first officer were fatally injuried and the airplane was destroyed. Immediately following the board's consideration of the UPS accident, the board will consider the findings of a safety study on drug use trends in aviation. The NTSB study will examine trends in over-the-counter, prescription and illicit drug use documented from toxicology reports of pilots that died in plane crashes in the United States from 1990-2012. Event: Board Meeting Date/Time: Tuesday, September 9, 2014, 9:30 am ET Location: NTSB Board Room and Conference Center 429 L'Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC Participants: NTSB board members Live Webcast: A link to the webcast will be available on the following page shortly before the start of the meeting: http://www.capitolconnection.net/capcon/ntsb/ntsb.htm www.ntsb.gov Back to Top Makalu Air aircraft skids off runway in Humla - no casualty (Nepal) KATHMANDU: A Makalu Air aircraft (C-208) carrying cargo from Surkhet to Humla Simikot Airport has skidded off the runway's threshold this morning while landing. According to Hira Jung Kafle of the Simikot Airport confirmed that the 'minor' incident took place at 10:39 am this morning. "It is just that it slipped a little bit away from the point where it should have stopped," Kafle told THT Online over phone. According to him, a malfunction in the aircraft's brakes could have been resulted in the slip. "The aircraft authority have said the problem has already been solved," he said. "However, we will keep the grounded aircraft under monitoring." Kafle said expert technicians are on way to Humla from Kathmandu to examine the aircraft. "Nothing can be said about the cause behind the aircraft's skidding before experts examine the aircraft inside-out," he said. However, there are no direct flights from Kathmandu to Simikot. The expert technicians have to first make it to Nepalgunj and take another flight from Nepalgunj to Simikot. "Technicians are likely to arrive here tomorrow only," Kafle said. The Simikot Airport stands at an elevation of 9,246 feet. It receives nearly 10 aircrafts from seven domestic carriers - Tara, Sita, Goma, Makalu, Kashtamandap, Yeti -- among others. http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php? Back to Top U.N.'s Aviation Safety Arm Says Risk of Ebola Transmission on Flights Low Statement Comes as WHO Declares Ebola Outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern The United Nations' aviation safety arm on Monday tried to reassure nervous airline passengers that the risk of becoming infected from Ebola while on a flight is remote amid a growing death toll from the outbreak. "The risk of transmission of Ebola virus disease during air travel is low," the International Civil Aviation Organization said in a statement. The statement comes after the World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. More than 1,100 people have died in the Ebola outbreak across Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. There is no vaccine or treatment for the viral hemorrhagic fever, which causes symptoms such as fever, headaches, vomiting and diarrhea and can puncture blood vessels to cause internal bleeding. ICAO said it had teamed with the World Health Organization and other groups including the International Air Transport Association representing carriers to establish a Travel and Transport Task Force to "monitor the situation and provide timely information to the travel and tourism sector as well as to travelers." ICAO said that one reason passengers should not be concerned is because of the way Ebola spreads. "Transmission requires direct contact with blood, secretions, organs or other body fluids of infected living or dead persons or animals, all unlikely exposures for the average traveler," it said. The virus is only transmitted by people already suffering from Ebola, at which point they generally are too ill to travel, ICAO said. British Airways suspended some African flights over health concerns linked to the Ebola outbreak. Other carriers, such as Air France-KLM and Brussels Airlines that have extensive African networks, have continued service amid heightened passenger screening. ICAO said "affected countries are requested to conduct exit screening of all persons at international airports, seaports and major land crossings, for unexplained febrile illness consistent with potential Ebola infection." http://online.wsj.com/articles/u-n-s-aviation-safety-arm-says-risk-of-ebola- transmission-on-flights-low-1408381892 Back to Top ATRA Releases the 2014 Airline Holistic Safety Rating Geneva, Switzerland (MMD Newsire) August 28, 2014 -- The independent Swiss rating agency "Air Transport Rating Agency" (ATRA) is releasing the 2014 holistic safety rating for commercial airlines. 2014 is a black year for air disasters. Four major accidents occurred in only 5 months (flights MH370 and MH17 from Malaysia Airlines, GE222 from TransAsia Airways, and AH5017 from Air Algerie), then many passengers experienced new symptoms of fear of flying with these particular Airlines. However, accident records is not the only criteria for Airline safety, since accident rates cannot be used to derive any valid statistical interpretations. Whatever, case-by-case learnings are useful for the aviation community to understand and improve safety procedures. Such as individuals, the general health of the company is a very important safety factor. An "healthy" company would have less risk of accidents compared to companies in financial difficulties. For example, potential cost cutting strategies could significantly impact fuel management, suggesting to favor direct routes in minimizing storm avoidance, or flying over countries in conflict, which would increase external risk. Although most Airlines reach a very high level of safety requirements, there are real differences in terms of safety profiles among companies, but very poor information is currently available to compare Airlines according to multiple criteria. Unlike Airlines rankings based on passenger satisfaction surveys, which used to promote Asian and Middle East companies, the Air Transport Rating Agency is the only rating agency using an objective mathematical multi-criteria approach, which takes into account the complexity of air safety in order to obtain results which are tangible, meaningful and that can be reproduced without any arbitrary weighting systems: the ATRA holistic safety rating. Using mainly available public data sources, ATRA has selected 15 criteria contributing to a general safety profile. Quantitative parameters (such as financial benefit or the average age of the fleet) or qualitative parameters (such as the homogeneity of the fleet) were computed using mathematical algorithms in order to generate a synthetic indicator and to present a meaningful scientific rating. For example, Malaysia Airlines was at the 26th rank in the 2011 ATRA rating. It earned tree ranks one year later at the 23rd position in 2012, before falling at the 42nd rank in the last 2013 ranking. A situation which could be explained by the impact of important financial lost in the last years, which ATRA consider as a risk factor. The innovative and unique approach of the ATRA holistic safety rating is to take into account a number of parameters, which contribute to general safety, without being necessarily directly attributed to safety management or accident history. The quality and originality of the ATRA scientific multi-criteria approach adapted to the aviation sector, explains why a number of financial analysts, insurers and travel agencies use the ATRA holistic safety rating as reference. From a dataset of the 94 most important airlines in term of financial revenues, the top ten airlines 2014 (2012 data) from the holistic safety profiles are (by alphabetic order): - Air China - Air France KLM Group - AMR Corporation - China Southern Airlines Group - International Airlines Group - Delta Air Lines - Lufthansa Group - Southwest Airlines - United Continental Holdings - US Airways Group Of particular importance, the top 10 airlines represents the most important companies in terms of turnover, number of aircraft, employees, etc. This is because all these criteria directly or indirectly contribute to the general safety profile. The full rating of the 94 most important Airlines and their exact ranking details are available in the frame of technical reports for professionals (insurance companies, financial analysts, investors, etc.) under request to the Air Transport Rating Agency. Visit the official website: www.atra.aero http://www.aviationpros.com/news/11671620/atra-releases-the-2014-airline-holistic- safety-rating Back to Top Back to Top American Airlines picks Durst as first female to hold DFW chief pilot job Kathi Durst (American Airlines) American Airlines has appointed 26-year pilot Kathi Durst as chief pilot for American's largest pilot base in Dallas/Fort Worth. It makes her the first female chief pilot at the D/FW base in the airline's history. (Clarification, correction: An earlier version said Durst was AA's first chief pilot, with the inference that she was the first one at any AA base. In fact, a woman had served as a chief pilot in another AA base, Miami, prior to Durst's promotion.) Durst, 55, is a 1981 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. She was hired at American in July 1988 after seven years in the U.S. Air Force. Here's the internal announcement: Being a trailblazer is nothing new for Capt. Kathi Durst. In 1981 she graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy, in only the second class that admitted women. And she also became the first female pilot in a Flight management leadership role in American's history when she stepped up to assume the Fleet Captain position for the Boeing 737 fleet. Now, Kathy has broken new ground - as the first female Chief Pilot for American, at DFW. Capt. Jim Dees, Director, Flight, DFW, stated, "Kathi brings strong leadership skills, experience and a high standard of professionalism with her to serve the pilots of DFW." Kathi spent her seven-year Air Force career flying the Northrop T-38 at Williams Air Force Base in Arizona. In that time, she was an Instructor, Check Section Evaluator, Academic Officer, and the Student Squadron Executive Officer. While in Arizona, she earned a Master's in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Kathi was a former Check Airman on the Airbus A300 and Boeing 737 Fleets before taking over the Boeing 737 Fleet Manager role two years ago. She has also has spent a great deal of time mentoring young pilots through the Women in Aviation International group, and is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusiveness at American and in her community. To that end, this year she was a recipient this June of the 6th annual Earl G. Graves Award for Leadership in Diversity. Keep reading for an article she wrote for American's website several years ago: Fleet captain charted her own course to behind the cockpit. Flight plan for a fulfilling career When you grow up traveling the world with a father who serves as an Air Force fighter pilot, flying for a career becomes part of your dreams, and it's what I always thought I'd want to do if I ever had the opportunity. Now, after 25 years of flying with American, I'm thankful for the incredible opportunity to see the world from a cockpit and experience high-flying adventures on the ground. Upon graduating from high school, I entered the U.S. Air Force Academy with the second class that admitted women for what I thought would be a medical career. But, female pilot training became available when I was a junior, and I jumped at the chance to be at the controls. I completed pilot undergraduate training at Williams Air Force Base near Phoenix and graduated in the top 10 percent of my class. This qualified me for fighter pilot training, but it wasn't an option for women at the time. So, I went back to being a Northrop T-38 Talon instructor for another six years at Williams, and upon separating from the military, I was blessed to be able to go straight to American Airlines in 1988. When I started my career at American, the hiring process was very different than what the incoming group of 1,500 pilots will experience over the next five years. For one, computers weren't widely available, so my application was submitted through the mail. Then, there was the travel back and forth for interviews, medical checks and simulator training. It took almost a year to go from applicant to pilot. These days, applications are filtered online, everything is computerized and it takes only a few months to join our team. American was my first choice because the company has always been supportive of diversity and different cultures, and it's a company that supports its people. I also had confidence that American would one day grant me the seniority to fly the type of plane I wanted, offer the freedom to choose where I live and allow me to travel the world - which is one of my biggest hobbies in addition to flying. As a female pilot, I knew I wouldn't be held back in any way. That remains truer than ever, as I've now been in my current position as the Boeing 737 Fleet Captain for a little more than a year. As an American pilot, I have numerous fond memories and incredible stories to tell. There was the long layover in Rio de Janeiro where I went hang gliding; squeezed in a tour of the Panama Canal during a quick trip to Panama City, Panama; and of course, early in my career when I flew an all-nighter, and despite being so tired, our crew stayed up to visit Disney's Epcot Center together. I also find it fulfilling that American provides a lot of opportunities to give back to the community. In particular, I love that American is very supportive of military and veterans. Each fall, we work with the Airpower Foundation to host Sky Ball, a fundraiser and gala that supports military families and organizations. We also fly wounded warriors up to Dallas/Fort Worth from San Antonio to sit courtside at a Dallas Mavericks game for the annual Seats for Soldiers event, and our flight crews always volunteer their time. And, I can't forget the hundreds of volunteers each December who make new memories possible for families of fallen military with Snowball Express. It's exciting to be part of a company that has such a big heart, and that is one commitment I pray American will never change. http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2014/08/american-airlines-picks-durst-as-first- female-to-hold-chief-pilot-job.html/ Back to Top Disneyland drones? Disney files three patents for unmanned aircraft Disney has applied for three patents for unmanned aircraft - yes, drones! However, the contraptions would be used in the parks' entertainment shows. Disney's proposals include happy-sounding drones, like "flixels," or floating pixels. These floating pixels could replace dangerous, polluting, and inconsistent fireworks displays. In fact, it looks like the drone designs Disney has in mind could potentially eliminate some major issues associated with outdoor events. Could this type of commercial use, which is still prohibited by the FAA, change some public perceptions of drones? Drone expert and Pepperdine Law Professor Greg McNeal joins Alex Cohen to discuss. McNeal on how Disney would use drones in parades and aerial shows: "So replacing blimps, replacing inflatable-type things you see in parades - they think if they took similar inflatable things but had small drones that would move the arms in precise ways, move the face, move the mouth, move the wings of characters in precise ways, that would make a far more exciting demonstration for the people on the ground." How Disney would replace fireworks with drones: "Disney shoots off fireworks pretty much every single day. ... They want to replace the fireworks with coordinated light shows, where the drones assemble and create the image of Peter Pan or Tinkerbell in the air, and then in comes Captain Hook, swinging a lighted sword, and then Peter Pan flies away. And each of these points of light would be represented by a glowing drone in the sky that creates these stunning aerial demonstrations." Whether this all would be legal: "If they tried to do it now, it would be illegal. The FAA has basically said that if you're flying drones for commercial purposes without specific authorization fro the FAA, it's unlawful. That's the scope of the FAA prohibition until later this fall, when they're supposed to promulgate new regulations." Whether those rule changes are likely to happen: "The first challenge with the rules is that the FAA is expected to miss its deadline. They've already missed a few deadlines, and many people close to this think they're also going to miss the deadline in the fall. Congress has directed since 2012 that the FAA has to integrate drone aircraft into the national airspace. We're going on more than two years without much movement on that front. The second challenge is that even if they did hit their timeline, it's not clear that the FAA knows how to innovate. What Disney is trying to do is something very innovative. ... Will the FAA have rules in place that will accommodate whatever type of drone it is that Disney wants to use? I'm hopeful but I'm not optimistic." On safety concerns about Disney drones: "It's tough to think about a company that would be more concerned with safety than Disney. They fire off pyrotechnics every day and they have rides that people are on every day. The other interesting thing about Disney is that after the Sept. 11 attacks, the company's lobbyists convinced congress to add to an appropriation rider a prohibition on flights above Disneyland or Disney World. So no aircraft can fly below 3,500 feet within three miles of Disneyland or Disney World. What that means is that Disney's drones would have no possibility of colliding with other aircraft. And because Disneyland has so much space, there's little likelihood that they're going to need to fly these things directly over people." http://www.scpr.org/programs/take-two/2014/08/28/39073/disneyland-drones-disney- files-three-patents-for-u/ Back to Top Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach Campus Offers Aviation-Focused Professional Programs for 2014 SOURCE: EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY AUG 27, 2014 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - As part of Embry-Riddle's commitment to continuing professional education and lifelong learning, the university is hosting a variety of aviation-focused short courses and workshops at the Daytona Beach Campus taught by aviation industry subject-matter experts. These Professional Programs courses are designed for industry professionals involved in the operation, management and supervision of aviation organizations. The staff at Professional Programs can also create specialized programs to offer on-site, customized education and training in a variety of aviation, safety and security subjects. "Embry-Riddle's professional programs are offered through all three campuses and provide an opportunity for aviation professionals to continue their education past the 'traditional' university level," said Sarah Ochs, Director of the College of Aviation's Professional Programs in Daytona Beach. "A great example of a customized curriculum from this past year is the aviation operations and safety workshop organized for South African aviation and regulatory agencies that was held at Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach Campus." For a complete list of professional and corporate education programs at our Daytona Beach, Prescott and Worldwide Campuses, go to: http://proed.erau.edu/index.html. Fall 2014 Certificate of Management in Aviation Safety Short-Courses* at Daytona Beach Campus Oct. 20-24, 2014: OSHA/Aviation Ground Safety This course gives the participant working knowledge of OSHA's General Industry Safety and Health standards. In addition, participants will gain a fundamental working knowledge of an aviation ground safety program. Participants will also receive the OSHA 30-Hour General Industry Safety & Health Card. Oct. 27-31, 2014: Aviation Safety Program Management Participants will gain working knowledge of the development and management of an effective safety program. Topics include economics of safety; risk management; safety climate; regulatory safety and health programs; safety analysis techniques; and safety management systems. Nov. 3-7, 2014: Aircraft Accident Investigation and Management This course will teach the fundamentals required to conduct or manage an aircraft mishap/accident investigation. The participant will review the investigation sequence from the preplanning stage through the general survey and specific analysis of a mishap/accident, culminating with the determination of contributing factors and probable cause/s. *The above series of courses can be completed independently or as part of the Embry- Riddle Certificate of Management in Aviation Safety; discounts are available for multiple course selection. Fall 2014 Workshops at Daytona Beach Campus Oct. 2-3, 2014: Airline Network Planning This short course is intended for air transport industry managers and aviation professionals entering a management role and focuses on airline schedule planning framework, profitability forecasting models, fleet assignment and revenue management. Nov. 17-18, 2014: Introduction to Aviation Safety Management Systems Participants will gain a solid foundation in basic Safety Management Systems (SMS) concepts that will support further implementation of SMS within their organizations. Topics include safety culture; human factors; reactive, proactive and predictive safety management tools; external audits; safety assurance; and SMS implementation overview. Nov. 19-21, 2014: SMS: Applications & Implementation This course will give participants an expanded background in intermediate and advanced Safety Management Systems (SMS) concepts, and will support both implementation and continuous improvement of an active SMS within their organization. Attendees will be able to implement the theory, principles and applications of SMS as well as the current FAA guidance for operators and organizations. Dec. 9-11, 2014: Unmanned Aircraft Systems The Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) course identifies the key concepts, attributes and challenges of UAS operations. Topics include core concepts; UAS regulation; sensors, payloads and geospatial data; human factors in UAS; and national airspace integration. For detailed course descriptions and dates, and to register online, go to: www.proed.erau.edu. For more information, please contact Sarah Ochs, Director of Professional Programs at (386) 226-6928 or case@erau.edu. About Professional and Corporate Education at Embry-Riddle Facilitated by industry leaders from around the globe, the curriculum at Embry-Riddle covers the operation, engineering, research, manufacturing, marketing and management of modern aircraft and the systems that support them. Individuals and organizations benefit from professional development courses offered on two residential campuses and at classrooms around the world. Learn more about upcoming seminars and workshops at www.proed.erau.edu. Daytona Beach, Fla., Campus Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach Campus offers participants world-class technical and research lab facilities led by a team of leading industry experts and top academics. Prescott, Ariz., Campus The Prescott Campus is home to the Robertson Safety Institute (RSI), a nationally recognized center for research, development and corporate outreach in safety education. The Institute includes the Robertson Crash Lab, aviation safety and security archives and access to advanced engineering, scientific and forensic resources. Worldwide Campus With more than 150 campuses across the globe and the option to take online courses, Embry-Riddle Worldwide's Professional and Corporate Education Program offers over 25 targeted courses in aviation, aerospace UAS and business management that can deliver professional development solutions via classroom, online, a live webcast or a blended training approach. About Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 70 baccalaureate, master's and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, Engineering, and Security and Intelligence. Embry- Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., and through the Worldwide Campus with more than 150 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit http://www.embryriddle.edu, follow us on Twitter (@EmbryRiddle) and https://www.facebook.com/EmbryRiddleUniversity, and find expert videos at https://www.YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv. www.erau.edu Back to Top NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AIR RACES EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO Small UAS CHALLENGE OVERVIEW: The objective of the sUAS ERAU Challenge held in conjunction with the National Championship Air Races is to educate the public on UAS opportunities and operations, highlight the rapidly expanding business opportunities of UAS, highlight Nevada's and ERAU's leadership in the field, and showcase the innovative developments in multiple areas of UAS design (e.g., system, subsystem, and element development and configuration, verification and validation testing, application, and integrated system demonstration). Participants of this inaugural event will benefit by displaying their sUAS and its capabilities to a broad range of aviation enthusiast, businesses, governmental and media organizations. Two major issues surrounding the use of sUAS in national airspace system (NAS) are safety and liability;concerns that are also paramount to the Reno Air Races. To mitigate these concerns (i.e., Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations governing the use of UAS are in the development phase), an indoor facility (hangar) and/or an outdoor facility with safety nets and other safety precautions will be used. Since no flying will occur outside a controlled area, the FAA rules would not apply and competitors can participate in the challenge knowing their safety and legal concerns are mitigated. However, participants are required to sign an acknowledgement of liability and that they are entering the challenge at their own risk. The race course will be challenging and damage to participant's sUAS is possible. PARTICIPANTS: The Challenge is open to any private, academic or commercial participant, limited to one vehicle per entity and a maximum field of 20 entries or as determined by the event staff. The sUAS must be able to take off and land vertically (VTOL), be less than approximately 36 inches in major axis, less than 18 inches in elevation, and weigh less than 10 pounds. The sUAS will be required to use an electric propulsion, actuation, and powersystem, controlled by remote transmission using the FCC unlicensed bands (operators for all entries will be required to hold at least a Technician Class Amateur Radio license, show documentation or demonstrate that transmission power levels of their design conform to unlicensed requirement levels). To ensure control reliability, a spectrum analyzer will be employed to ensure deconfliction. CHALLENGE: The Challenge will be composed of three separate events combining for an overall and individual event champion. The events will be (subject to change): - Obstacle Course (emphasizing agility and maneuverability, time measured) - Dead Lift (lifting ability, weight measured both maximum and specific weight) - Time Trial (speed over a closed course, time measured) Initial inspection of each sUAS will occur prior to the competition start from 9:00am to 10:00am each morning to ensure compliance with size and modification rules. A full list of rules will be available upon request. The Challenge will take place over three days with check in at 9:00am and the competition from 10:00am to 1:00pm daily. The course will be open for practice on Thursday of race week. Thursday, Sep 11: Registration and practice Friday, Sep 12: Qualifications Saturday, Sep 13: Eliminations Sunday, Sep 14: Finals There will be no charge for entry in the ERAU sUAS Challenge and each entry will receive complementary general admission tickets to the National Championship Air Races for Thursday through Sunday. Back to Top INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF AIR SAFETY INVESTIGATORS ISASI 2014 45TH ANNUAL SEMINAR "Investigations and Safety Management Systems" This year's seminar will take place at the Stamford Hotel in Glenelg, near Adelaide, Australia, from 13 -16 October, 2014. All current information regarding seminar registration, hotel reservations and speakers can be found on the official seminar website at www.asasi.org. Please note the deadline for Early Bird Registration and the discounted rate at the hotel is midnight September 4. Questions can be directed to: Mr. Lindsay Naylor ISASI 2014 Seminar Chair lindsaynaylor77@gmail.com or Ms.Barbara Dunn International Seminar Chair - ISASI avsafe@shaw.ca Back to Top Upcoming Events: ACI-NA Annual Conference and Exhibition Atlanta, GA September 7 - 10, 2014 http://annual.aci-na.org/ Small UAS CHALLENGE September 11-14, 2014 Reno, NV IFA - Maintaining Airworthiness Standards and Investing in the Most Important Asset 'The Human Element' 17 - 18 September, 2014 Emirates Eng Facility, Dubai www.ifairworthy.com ISASI 2014 - Annual Seminar October 13-16, 2014 Adelaide, Australia www.isasi.org IASS 2014 Abu Dhabi, UAE November 11-13, 2014 http://flightsafety.org/meeting/iass-2014 ERAU UAS FUNDAMENTALS COURSE December 9 - 11, 2014 ERAU Daytona Beach Campus, FL www.daytonabeach.erau.edu/uas FAA Helicopter Safety Effort three-day safety forum April 21-23, 2015 Hurst, Texas eugene.trainor@faa.gov www.faahelisafety.org Back to Top Employment: ARGUS PROS CHEQ Manager Please submit your cover letter and resume at: https://home2.eease.adp.com/recruit/?id=13469062 Curt Lewis