Flight Safety Information September 25, 2014 - No. 197 In This Issue 2 injured in Sonoma County plane crash Air France-KLM Scraps European Expansion Plan German Navy grounds half of helicopters over cracks in tails As commercial space travel approaches, FAA issues recommendations Union alleges Allegiant Air pilots leaving at accelerated rates PRISM TO HELP PREPARE FOR E-IOSA MythBusters: Airlines Are Boarding Their Planes All Wrong! Retired Teacher Spends 60 Years Folding over 10,000 Paper Planes of All Shapes and Sizes ICAEA-ANAC-CIPE Aviation English Workshop Project Dixon: Quant Survey for respondents from Aircraft MRO companies ISASI 2014 - Annual Seminar, October 13-16, 2014 - Early Bird Registration Deadline Upcoming Events Employment 2 injured in Sonoma County plane crash Two people were injured when an experimental airplane crashed into a vineyard in Sonoma County Wednesday afternoon, officials said. The two-seat plane, a Kitfox IV, apparently went down at 2:15 p.m. after hitting power lines about four miles west of the Napa Airport near Ramal Road, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor. The two people aboard, whose identities were not released, were taken to a nearby hospital, and their conditions were not immediately known, Gregor said. The FAA will look into the crash, Gregor said. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/2-injured-in-Sonoma-County-plane-crash-5778806.php Back to Top Air France-KLM Scraps European Expansion Plan PARIS-Franco-Dutch airline Air France-KLM confirmed it has shelved plans to expand its Transavia low-cost airline across Europe in a bid to halt a crippling pilots' strike at its French arm that has cost the company millions of euros. Pilots walked out on Sept. 15 to oppose the project and demanded that all the group's pilots be given the same working conditions and benefits as those at its French arm. They feared the company would use Transavia to replace France-based pilots with those in countries where salaries are lower. After a 10-day strike that has cost the company up to €20 million ($25.6 million) a day, Air France-KLM said late Wednesday that instead of creating Transavia offshoots in other European countries it will now only expand the airline in France. The company called on pilots to return to work immediately. "This balanced proposal answers the labor unions' concerns by bringing a renewed guarantee there won't be any relocation," the statement said late Wednesday. The strike has hammered Air France's already precarious finances and threatened restructuring plans aimed at turning around the loss-making airline. Despite repeated calls by the airline's management and government officials to end the strike, the main pilots' unions extended it beyond the originally planned one-week protest. During the first week, Air France-KLM Chief Executive Alexandre de Juniac refused to shift his position. Then on Monday he proposed freezing the Transavia expansion plan for three months while pursuing talks with pilots. Presenting the concession package as an "ultimate" step, Mr. de Juniac also proposed fast- tracking the development of Transavia-France, increasing its fleet to 37 planes from 14. Mr. de Juniac said Monday that the company needed to secure slots and order planes by the end of the year to allow a quick start for Transavia Europe. The pilots rejected the Monday offer and demanded that Transavia Europe be shelved. The SNPL-Air France union described the Monday offer as the "ultimate provocation." Its president Jean- Louis Barber called on the government to intervene. The state owns 15.9% of the company. Early Wednesday, French transport minister Alain Vidalies, anticipated the ending of the Transavia Europe project during a radio interview. Union officials weren't immediately available to comment. http://online.wsj.com/articles/air-france-bows-to-pilots-demands-1411628894 Back to Top German Navy grounds half of helicopters over cracks in tails The German Navy has reportedly grounded approximately half of its helicopters after detecting a 20cm rip on the tail of one of the aircraft. The navy has also suspended flight operations of the Sea Lynx Mk88A helicopter until further advancements are made. According to German publisher Sueddeutsche Zeitung, one of the helicopters suffered a crack in its tail, and further investigations found similar rips on three other aircraft and 'substantial damage' to several others. With none of them cleared to fly, 22 grounded Sea Lynx Mk88A helicopters are currently going through further maintenance tests, which will last until 2015. The German Navy's chief aircraft engineer has now launched new policies that include a lower limit on the maximum load to be carried by the aircraft and a reduction of the fleet's flight hours by up to 75%. The helicopters from the navy's 5th naval aviation squadron were expected to be deployed aboard Lübeck from 18th September as part of the European Atalanta operation to fight piracy off the Horn of Africa. Manufactured by British firm Westland, the Sea Lynx Mk88A helicopters are used to execute reconnaissance, submarine-hunting and transport operations. They include the L-3 Communications AN/AQS-18 active dipping sonar, Sea Skua all-weather anti-ship missiles and Seaspray Mark 3000, as well as a range of depth charges. http://www.naval-technology.com/news/newsgerman-navy-grounds-half-of-helicopters-over-cracks-in- their-tale-4383474 Back to Top As commercial space travel approaches, FAA issues recommendations NASA isn't the only federal player in space travel anymore. As commercial space travel gets closer to reality, the Federal Aviation Administration released a framework of recommended practices for human space flight safety. The document, called Recommended Practices for Human Space Flight Occupant Safety, was released Sept. 16 by the administration to "serve as a starting point should there be a need for the government to issue regulations at some point in the future." Commercial space travel has been gaining traction recently, especially after the end of NASA's shuttle program in 2011. The agency is currently awarding private sector companies contracts to send the first commercial crew to the International Space Station. On the same day the FAA released their framework, NASA awarded Boeing and SpaceX contracts - worth a combined total of $6.8 billion - to launch astronauts into space. In a news conference in Florida at the Kennedy Space Center, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said by allowing private companies to send humans to the ISS, the space agency can instead focus on sending humans to Mars. "Turning over low-Earth orbit transportation to private industry will also allow NASA to focus on an even more ambitious mission - sending humans to Mars," Bolden said. "Today we are one step closer to launching our astronauts from U.S. soil on American spacecraft and ending the nation's sole reliance on Russia by 2017." Since the end of the shuttle program in 2011, American astronauts have been relying on Russian launches to ferry them to the ISS. However, by releasing the recommended practices for human space flight safety, the FAA could be ushering in a new era of space travel spearheaded by private companies. Despite NASA's dominance of the space travel sphere, the FAA has actually been responsible for regulating and licensing any private companies and individuals involved in commercial space transportation. In fact, according to a fact sheet from the FAA, the agency's Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) has licensed more than 220 successful launches, including commercial launches by companies like Lockheed Martin, Boeing and SpaceX. The fact sheet says an FAA license is required for any craft's launch or reentry carried out by U.S. citizens anywhere in the world or by anyone within U.S. airspace. The FAA only covers commercial flight regulations; however, any NASA or Defense Department launches do not require an FAA license. The license evaluation process includes a public safety review, an environmental review, a national security or foreign policy review and an insurance requirement. In anticipation of a future commercial space travel industry, the FAA will also issue experimental permits instead of full licenses for launch or reentry of reusable suborbital rockets, those that do not complete one total orbital revolution around the Earth. In addition, the FAA's document assumes that any vehicle will stay in Earth's orbit for no more than two weeks and has the ability to return to Earth within 24 hours if necessary. "Orbital rendezvous and docking, flights longer than two weeks, extravehicular activity and any flights beyond Earth's orbit are not explicitly addressed," the document said. "Future versions of this document may cover such additional human space flight operations and missions." But although on the way, commercial human spaceflight is not here just yet. "No person may operate a reusable suborbital rocket under a permit for carrying any property or human being for compensation or hire," the fact sheet said. The recommended practices are also solely focused on the safety of potential human occupants and not focused on public safety or mission assurance. The document was compiled through the analysis of 50 years of human space flight, according to the introductory section of the recommendations. "AST reviewed existing government and private sector requirements and standards, including those from NASA, the European Space Agency and the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety," the document said. "Our purpose was not to copy NASA's requirements, but to use them as a means to capture safety practices and judge whether they are, at a general level, appropriate for the commercial human space flight industry." The document makes recommendations to commercial spacecraft manufacturers and space travel providers on design, manufacturing and operations. However, despite being issued as commercial space travel grows in popularity and possibility, the recommended practices document from the FAA actually has no regulatory power. "The document may serve as a starting point for a future rulemaking project, should there be a need for such an effort at some point in the future," the document said. "However, this document is not a regulation." http://fedscoop.com/commercial-space-travel-approaches-faa-issues-recommendations/ Back to Top Union alleges Allegiant Air pilots leaving at accelerated rates The union that represents the 400 pilots of Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air say pilots are leaving the airline at accelerated rates to work for companies that are offering higher pay and benefits. The Airline Professionals Association Teamsters Local 1224, based in Wilmington, Ohio, is surveying pilots that have left the airline to confirm their belief that they're leaving to work for companies with better and safer operations, working conditions and better schedules. Union officials say pilots already flying full schedules are forced to cover additional flights, keeping them away from home for weeks or months at a time. An Allegiant spokeswoman said the airline's pilot attrition rate is less than airlines of comparable size. "Allegiant prides itself on being a stable, growing company with an out-and-back model, offering commercial pilots a unique opportunity to go home every night," said Jessica Wheeler, a company spokeswoman. "Due to our continued growth, we also offer pilots one of the fastest promotion rates of major carriers in the U.S. Voluntary pilot attrition at Allegiant has stayed fairly consistent since 2012, with a yearly rate below the industry average." Allegiant has a prickly relationship with unions, which the company's management views as a drain on financial resources. Pilots voted for Teamsters representation in August 2012 and union officials said after the vote benefits were reduced to below previously negotiated levels, triggering a union lawsuit. Union representative Alan Meyers said Allegiant has acknowledged staffing issues in some of the company's earnings calls. "We know from the company's first- quarter 2014 earnings call with investors on April 23 that Allegiant spent $8 million on sub-service flying due to staffing issues during the first quarter and an estimated $4 million during the second quarter of 2014," Meyers said. "The third quarter doesn't end until next week, and we won't have any official insight into how much sub- service they paid for until the company reports third-quarter numbers in October or November," he said. Meyers said union pilots have said they have seen third-party contractors flying Allegiant planes in several locations. "Addressing several key issues would go a long way towards stemming the company's losses," Teamsters Local 1224 President Daniel Wells, speaking on behalf of Allegiant pilots, said in a statement. "The Teamsters have presented the company with a comprehensive proposal to which they have refused to reply. The proposal addresses key and legitimate concerns held by the Allegiant Air pilots." http://www.reviewjournal.com/business/aviation/union-alleges-allegiant-air-pilots-leaving-accelerated- rates Back to Top Back to Top MythBusters: Airlines Are Boarding Their Planes All Wrong! Ever feel like boarding the plane is taking much longer than it should? If so, you aren't alone. The guys at MythBusters have thought about it so much that they devoted a whole segment of their popular Discovery Channel show to the topic. In an empty hangar, MythBusters built an airplane interior with 173 seats and staffed the mock aircraft with actual cabin crew to facilitate boarding. The show then tried a variety of boarding methods to determine which procedure is the quickest. Each method of boarding was also evaluated by passengers, with points given or taken away based on their impression of the boarding technique. The show found that the familiar back-to-front boarding method is, by far, the slowest method, with a time of 24.29 minutes. On the other hand, boarding with no assigned seats and no assigned order proved to be the quickest way to go, at 14.07 minutes. However, according to the passengers, this free-for-all style was the least pleasant boarding method. In the end, the team found the methods using the so-called "WILMA" method - in which window passengers are boarded first, followed by middle-seat flyers and finally travelers sitting in aisle seats - to be the most effective. The best combination of speed and consumer enjoyment came from the "reverse pyramid" method, which notched a time of 15.10 minutes and a satisfaction score of 113. This approach boards the aircraft from the back to the front and from the window seats in. http://www.businessinsider.com/mythbusters-airlines-are-boarding-their-planes-all-wrong-2014-9 Back to Top Retired Teacher Spends 60 Years Folding over 10,000 Paper Planes of All Shapes and Sizes Xu Shuquan, a retired primary school teacher from Chengdu city in Sichuan Province, has dedicated the past 60 years to folding paper planes. The 70-year-old now has a collection of 10,000 planes of different sizes, colors and shapes, in addition to various paper dolls and models of the 12 zodiac signs. What's so great about a grown man making paper planes, you ask? Well, Xu's planes aren't like those simple ones that kids make. He uses a complicated ancient origami-like folding technique called 'Zhezhi' to make a variety of aircraft models - from jumbo jets to fighter planes. In fact, Xu put his knowledge of Zhezhi to good use during his teaching career: "When children were naughty or not paying attention, I would get their attention by folding a simple paper dart with a message on it and flying it to them," he said. "The planes got more and more complicated and the children seemed to love them." The trick would backfire at times because his students loved the planes so much that they would create a ruckus on purpose. According to Xu, Zhezhi is China's own ancient art of paper folding that is said to pre-date Japanese origami. It was traditionally used to make figurines of boats and carts, and even fake gold nuggets that are burned at funerals for the dead to take into the afterlife. "Our craft has been eclipsed by origami in the West and I would very much love to be the person to revive it," said Xu. "My biggest hope is to hold my own exhibition where people can learn more about the traditional art." http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/retired-teacher-spends-60-years-folding-over-10000-paper-planes-of- all-shapes-and-sizes.html Back to Top ICAEA-ANAC-CIPE Aviation English Workshop Buenos Aires, Argentina. International Civil Aviation English Association Workshop, hosted by Argentina ANAC and CIPE. "Skills and competencies needed in aviation communications: The Latin American Challenge." Open to anyone interested in aviation English. Nov. 20-21, 2014. www.icaea.aero Back to Top Want to make a quick 100 bucks??? Complete this 15 min online survey... Optimal Strategix Group Inc. invites you to complete a 15 minute survey offering feedback on 3 product concepts targeted at protecting you from harmful chemicals and solvents while working on your tasks. Complete this survey before September 30,2014 and earn a cool $100. If you are interested, please click on the below link - http://survey.confirmit.com/wix/p3070608493.aspx 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: 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 SMS Seminars Daytona Beach, FL Nov. 17-18 & 19-21, 2014 www.erau.edu/sms ICAEA-ANAC-CIPE Aviation English Workshop. Buenos Aires, Argentina. International Civil Aviation English Association Workshop, hosted by Argentina ANAC and CIPE. "Skills and competencies needed in aviation communications: The Latin American Challenge." Open to anyone interested in aviation English. Nov. 20-21, 2014. www.icaea.aero 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: Positions Available: Pilots (India) TATA SIA Airlines Limited pilots@airvistara.com www.airvistara.com Curt Lewis