Flight Safety Information October 3, 2014 - No. 203 In This Issue IATA Continues Push to Improve Aviation Security EASA Rules Ease Up Instrument Ratings for Private Pilots Air Force Keeps Pilots Alive with iPlane Upgrade PRISM TO HELP PREPARE FOR E-IOSA Gulfstream expected to launch all-new G450 business jet Insurance Against Loss of License Rotorcraft "Moral Courage Safety Award Optimal Strategix Group Inc. SURVEY ISASI 2014 - Annual Seminar, October 13-16, 2014 Upcoming Events Employment IATA Continues Push to Improve Aviation Security Incidents involving two Malaysian Airlines aircraft earlier this year are among the occurrences driving the global air transportation industry's push to continue to improve aviation security. International Air Transport Association (IATA) leadership is continuing to lead the industry in that regard with a focus on bringing together all of the various aspects of the global aviation industry to address aviation industry security challenges. The aviation industry group announced its upcoming AVSEC World conference and exhibition focusing on aviation security will bring more than 300 airline, airport, defense and aviation technology security experts to Washington D.C. Image of the Dnipropetrovs'k FIR, CTA 2 and 4, the flown (red line) and ATC cleared (dotted red line) route of flight MH17. Photo: UkSATSE via Dutch Safety Board. "The recent tragedy involving MH17 has shone a spotlight on the critical role that security plays in protecting air connectivity that drives global commerce and mobility, reunites friends and families and makes the world a better place. AVSEC World provides an opportunity for stakeholders in industry and government to come together to address critical security areas, such as the sharing of information about conflict zones and improving border control and airport processes to facilitate the safe and secure movement of people and goods," said Tony Tyler, director general and CEO of IATA. Topics that will be addressed during the conference will include a focus on sharing of information and data for risk assessments about different aspects of the air transportation industry. Two of the incidents that prompted the focus of the upcoming conference include the Malaysia Airlines MH370 Boeing 777-200 aircraft which went missing from Air Traffic Control (ATC) radar coverage in March, an incident which still remains unresolved. The other incident also involved Malaysia Airlines, with flight MH17 resulting in another Boeing 777-200 reportedly being shot down while flying over a conflict zone in Hrabova, Ukraine. A preliminary report on MH17 from the Dutch Safety Board on MH17 notes that the aircraft was penetrated by a "large number of high-energy objects." The flight's path through a conflict zone is prompting the IATA's focus on improving information sharing across the various global regions of the air transportation industry. Following the other Malaysian Airlines incident, MH370, IATA formed the Aircraft Tracking Task Force (ATTF), which will propose a solution for enhancing global aircraft tracking to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) by the end of the year. Members of the ATTF include Airbus, Boeing, Embraer and the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines. http://www.aviationtoday.com/av/topstories/IATA-Continues-Push-to-Improve-Aviation- Security_83194.html#.VC6O__ldV8E Back to Top EASA Rules Ease Up Instrument Ratings for Private Pilots Under new EASA rules, pilots can count flight in IMC toward earning their instrument ratings. October 2, 2014, 3:35 AM The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has made it possible for private pilots to obtain a full European instrument rating in an alternative, flexible, "competency-based modular" way. In addition to a private pilot license, a candidate can use a UK IMC rating or an overseas (FAA, for example) instrument rating as the basis, along with experience logged flying in IMC or under instrument flight rules. On August 1 the UK CAA released an Information Notice stating: "The European Aircrew Regulation [EC Regulation 1178/2011] has introduced an alternative route to obtaining an instrument rating (IR) that is often referred to as the 'competency-based instrument rating' (CBIR). The CBIR is available for aeroplanes only. The privileges of the CBIR do not include flying 'high-performance aeroplanes' (HPA) under IFR unless further theoretical knowledge is obtained." The new rules have been widely welcomed and many have been surprised that the EASA, long criticized for not consulting properly with industry before making changes, has in this case shaped new legislation after full consultation and incorporating the industry's requirements. Much of the lobbying for improving on the previous JAR system has come from AOPA UK, but also from PPL/IR Europe (pplir.org), an organization made up of instrument-rated private pilots. The EASA received 1,535 comments from interested parties, including the FAA, and the rulemaking group received 39 responses to its comment response document. Path to Rating The modular route-referred to as CBIR(A) or CBM(IR)-requires 40 hours instrument time under instruction but this can include up to 10 hours FNPT 1 (flight and navigation procedures trainer), up to 25 hours FNPT 2 or up to 30 hours actual IMC/IFR flying as PIC on a foreign pilot certificate. According to PPL/IR Europe, at least 10 hours' instruction must be completed at an approved training organization (ATO), while the other 15 could be credited from a UK IMC rating or non-EASA IR. The remaining 15 hours can be credited using logged IMC/IFR time in lieu of further instruction. Both this and the prior course credit must be in place before the 10 hours at the ATO and skill test. A third-country instrument rating holder with 50 hours IMC can effectively fast-track (which must include 15 hours in a multi-engine aircraft) with an oral examination for theoretical knowledge, and then an ATO assessment leading to training "as required" until the candidate can pass the IR skill test. Learning objectives for complex and high-performance aircraft have been shifted to a separate, later exam for those progressing beyond light aircraft, so the full IR is now more appropriate for private pilots adding the rating. The CBIR and new en route IR (EIR)-which can lead to the CBIR-have the same study course, which takes three to four weeks (80 hours of study). Previously, those going for the full instrument rating were assumed to be aspiring commercial pilots and so had to take eight exams (or the full 14 ATPL exams). Learning about large commercial aircraft and their systems can now be left for the CPL/ATPL. The CAA said it planned to start issuing the new CBIR beginning September 1, and the EIR from October 1. http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2014-10-02/easa- rules-ease-instrument-ratings-private-pilots Back to Top Air Force Keeps Pilots Alive with iPlane Upgrade This graphic shows how the Air Force's new Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System is supposed to work. New software roboflies F-16s out of trouble The Air Force has long expressed concern over the fact that the leading cause of fighter- pilot deaths is when perfectly-operating aircraft simply fly into the ground because of poor weather, pilot distraction, or unconsciousness due to extreme maneuvers that can drain the blood from a pilot's brain. This tendency even has its own grim acronym: CFIT (pronounced see-fit), for "controlled flight into terrain." Too often, Air Force accident-investigation boards have ended like this one last year in Afghanistan ("MP" refers to the "mishap pilot"): Screen Shot 2014-09-30 at 2.10.22 PMThe Air Force estimates that CFIT has killed 75% of the 123 F-16s pilots-92-lost since the first fatal F-16 crash in 1981. But the software upgrade should sharply reduce such accidents. "This is a significant development and will save lives," says retired Air Force lieutenant general David Deptula, a fighter pilot with more than 3,000 flight hours, including 400 in combat. The system is likely to be added to the service's F-22 and F-35 warplanes. The Air Force began grappling with the problem 25 years ago, but crashes persisted. "By the early 1990s, several F-16 mishap boards had made strong recommendations that such systems be installed," says Alan Diehl, a longtime Air Force safety expert, now retired. "But these recommendations were always rejected by senior Air Force leaders." The push to do something finally kicked into high gear in 2003, when Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld challenged the military to cut its accident rate in half. "World-class organizations," he told the Air Force and the other services, "do not tolerate preventable accidents." But more training could only accomplish so much. "Reductions in the [CFIT] rates have long been stagnant and no large improvements from training are envisioned for the future," an Air Force report said in 2006. "The human being is now the limiting factor because he or she cannot always recognize a warning or respond appropriately to prevent a mishap." For years, the service has used posters like this to impress upon pilots the dangers posed by "Controlled Flight into Terrain," or "CFIT." Air Force That's when the Air Force, with help from NASA and F-16-builder Lockheed Martin, got to work on the robo-pilot now being installed on F-16s (109 already have them, and all 631 are slated to by next summer, according to Air Force spokesman Daryl Mayer. The fix is not planned for the 338 F-16s built before 1989 that lack digital flight-control systems). Here's how it works: when an F-16's sensors and digital map detect that the plane is getting too close to the ground, an alarm sounds. It is triggered by a complex formula involving speed, trajectory-and what might be just ahead. The alarm goes off when the plane is in a place where a 5 G escape maneuver would be needed to avoid crashing into the ground (the F-16 can maneuver at up to 9 Gs, or nine times the force of gravity. That can make a 20-pound head feel like 180 pounds, and makes for a very stiff neck for passengers flying in the back seat of a two-seat F-16 trainer). Shortly after the alarm sounds-the duration depends on the flight's specifics-the plane's "Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System" takes over. It quickly rolls the plane upright and pulls it upward, away from the ground. The pilot can reassert control of the plane at any time; the software is designed not to interfere with low-level bombing or strafing runs. In the past, such alarms would sound-but it was up to the pilot to respond to the warning. At high speeds close to the ground, a delayed response can be deadly, as apparently was the case in that 2013 crash in Afghanistan. "Prior to impact, the mishap aircraft provided low-altitude warnings," the probe said. "However the mishap pilot did not take timely corrective action." Too often, the pilot's attention has been "channelized"-so focused on completing a demanding maneuver-that while the alarm may be heard, it is unlistened-to. Combined with frequent false alarms, the alarm-only setup hasn't made a major dent in CFIT accidents. The Air Force believes the new software will reduce the number of perfectly-fine F-16s flying into the ground by 90%. The service has estimated that could save 14 jets, 10 pilots, and more than a half-billion dollars in hardware. But it's also going to save something impossible to calculate. "From the human standpoint, nothing destroys morale like losing a squadron mate and friend," Lieut. Colonel Robert Ungerman said two years ago, during development of the software upgrade at California's Edwards Air Force Base. "The prevention of CFIT mishaps will avoid that anguish for dozens of spouses, parents, and children of lost pilots." http://time.com/3450595/air-force-keeps-pilots-alive-with-iplane-upgrade/ Back to Top Back to Top Gulfstream expected to launch all-new G450 business jet Gulfstream is expected to launch an all-new business jet in the category of a G450 when it hosts a customer event in Savannah, Ga., on Oct. 14. The plane is expected to be positioned above the company's current G450, but won't replace it, Cowen and Co. aerospace analyst Cai von Rumohr wrote in a note to investors Thursday. The plane "looks like a winner," von Rumohr wrote. It's expected to be a clean sheet design of an aluminum aircraft with a slightly larger cabin capacity and longer range than Gulfstream's current G450, von Rumohr wrote. "These features will make it a more effective competitor to the Falcon 5X and Bombardier Global 5000 at a higher price than the G450; and since the new (business jet) isn't a direct replacement of the G450, its cannibalizing impact on G450 demand should be somewhat limited," he said in the note. Deliveries of the new G450 are expected to begin possibly near the end of 2015, von Rumohr wrote. http://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/article2482041.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top Insurance Against Loss of License USAIG Clients Qualify for Preferential Terms New York, NY (Oct. 2, 2014)...USAIG has entered into a preferred arrangement with Hiscox Global Flying under which USAIG customers and their pilots will be able to apply for comprehensive loss of license insurance coverage from Hiscox Global Flying on preferential terms. Hiscox's loss of license insurance protects pilots against the financial consequences of losing their medical certification by reason of bodily injury or illness. Hiscox can provide coverage to fixed or rotary wing pilots who operate with either a Commercial or Airline Transport Pilot Certificate as long as they are gainfully employed and are actively at work. Product outline Hiscox offers the highest quality products while allowing clients the flexibility to select the coverage level appropriate to their budget. Their standard USA Elite policy includes the covers below and can be tailored for your requirements. KEY AREA USA ELITE Long-term unfitness Lump sum benefit Short-term unfitness Monthly benefit for up to 24 months Excess period 180 days Psychological disorder(s) 100% sum insured Previous disabilities excluded Prior to inception Proposal forms None Cover basis Worldwide Next steps For further details and a quote, please contact Malcolm Batehup at Howden Insurance Brokers. Malcom Batehup T. +44(0)20 7398 4815 E. malcolm.batehup@howdengroup.com Contact: Joan Mirabile, Vice President Joan.Mirabile@usaig.com 212-952-0100 Back to Top BacktoTop 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 BackToTop 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. 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 Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) NTSB Training Center, Ashburn, VA March 10-11, 2015 www.acsf.aero/symposium 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