Flight Safety Information October 22, 2014 - No. 215 In This Issue Russia Cites Negligence, Drunkenness on Jet Crash that Killed Total CEO Embry-Riddle UAS Challenge Pilot errors, fatigue led to deadly Ga. jet crash Canso Outlines Vision To Improve African Air Safety Oz aircraft forced to land in Manado for trespassing Passenger's injury diverts American Airlines flight to RDU Plane passengers hospitalized due to Ebola concerns FAA Safety Officials to Speak at NBAA2014 PRISM TO HELP PREPARE FOR E-IOSA Convergent Performance and USAIG Announce Collaborative Success Invitation to the 2014 Global FOD Prevention Conference Boeing And China Are Working Together To Make Jet Fuel From 'Gutter Oil' Airbus partners with Aerion to develop supersonic business jet Legacy 500 Wins FAA Approval Wanted:...Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) Upcoming Events Employment Russia Cites Negligence, Drunkenness on Jet Crash that Killed Total CEO Officials Look at Roles Played by Air-Traffic Controllers and Snowplow Driver An investigator looked over the jet-crash site in Moscow on Tuesday, in an image taken from video. MOSCOW-Russian investigators blamed negligent airport management and the alleged intoxication of the driver of a snowplow that drove on to the runway for a crash that killed Total SA 's chief executive, as well as three crew members. The accident highlights the risk of so-called runway incursion, a problem that rarely leads to fatalities and still affects countries with a better record of managing aviation than Russia, where safety remains spotty. Russia's Investigative Committee said Tuesday that it opened a criminal probe into the incident, which happened just before midnight when the jet clipped the vehicle, burst into flames and crashed into the runway at the Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow's southwest. The committee said it had detained the driver and was investigating whether he or air-traffic controllers had made an error that led to the crash. A lawyer for the driver said that he wasn't drunk, was directed to where he was by flight dispatchers and was being made a scapegoat. "It's already clear that the cause of the incident wasn't a tragic set of circumstances...but the criminal connivance of officials who were unable to ensure coherent actions of airport staff," Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said in a written statement. The accident is a rare example of a fatal runway incursion, which aviation authorities around the world have spent more than a decade trying to eradicate. Such incidents often happen when air-traffic controllers mistakenly clear an aircraft for takeoff or vehicle drivers drive on to a runway when they shouldn't, aviation experts said. Russia has in recent years experienced a number of air crashes blamed on inadequate infrastructure or crew errors. Five crew members were killed in 2012 when a plane overshot the runway at Vnukovo; 44 people died after a plane carrying a hockey team crashed in 2011; and 96 were killed, including Polish President Lech Kaczynski , when their Polish air-force plane crashed on landing in 2010. Total CEO Christophe de Margerie had been in Moscow for an annual meeting with government ministers on foreign investment in Russia. Vnukovo is the main airport in Moscow for official delegations, used by political leaders including President Vladimir Putin as well as corporate jets. Investigators said Mr. de Margerie's private jet hit the snow-removal vehicle shortly after beginning its takeoff run en route to Paris. Video broadcast on state television news showed the smoldering fuselage of the upturned plane on grass next to the runway. Investigators said they questioned the driver, Vladimir Martynenko, for five hours and that tests showed he was under the influence of alcohol. They gave no precise details as to the alleged level of intoxication of the driver, who was placed under detention for two days. Russia has a zero-tolerance law for alcohol while driving, meaning any alcohol in the blood is considered intoxication. A lawyer for the driver said medical records showed that Mr. Martynenko wasn't under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident and doesn't drink alcohol because of a chronic heart complaint. The lawyer, Alexander Karabanov, said Mr. Martynenko was driving his vehicle in accordance with flight dispatchers' instructions. "We don't want all the guilt for the incident to be shifted on to an ordinary person," he told Interfax news agency. Video broadcast on state television showed a gray-haired man in blue-and-gray overalls, apparently the driver, being walked to a car by police officers. A spokeswoman for the airport said all airfield service employees undergo tests for alcohol before and after their shifts. She declined to comment on this particular case. Investigators said they were also checking to see if bad weather or pilot error was to blame. The airport said in a written statement that visibility was 1,150 feet at the time the plane tried to take off. When plows are removing snow and runways are temporarily closed in the U.S. and Europe, airports routinely send patrol vehicles to ensure there are no obstacles before planes are cleared to resume using the strips. The Moscow-led Interstate Aviation Committee began a probe into the crash, saying it had retrieved the flight recorders and would assess air-traffic controllers' recordings and surveillance footage. France's air-accident office, the BEA, is sending a team of three investigators to assist the probe, along with two from the charter service Unijet and one from Dassault Aviation SA, which made the Falcon 50 jet. The global aviation community has made tackling runway incursions a priority since 2001 when the United Nations' aviation-safety body began an outreach effort to try to improve awareness. In the U.S., vehicles or pedestrians blundering on to active runways account for roughly 17% of all runway incursions, or incidents in which planes come closer than allowed to other planes on the ground or to something else located on the runway. Pilot mistakes cause roughly four times as many incidents. Big airports in the U.S., Europe and Asia rely on layers of safety equipment and specific practices to guard against plane-vehicle collisions on runways. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is working on more technologies to help warn operators of potential hazards. In more remote locations overseas, inadequate infrastructure-including fences around airports-and poor adherence to procedures has made reducing runway incursions more of a challenge, aviation experts said. The FAA has placed a priority on curbing runway incursions, which it said numbered 1,241 in the U.S. during the fiscal year ended in September 2013, 11 of which were rated as serious. That is down from 67 serious incidents in fiscal 2000, according to an FAA report. Most such incidents don't cause high numbers of fatalities, though there have been exceptions. In 1977, two Boeing Co. 747s collided on the runway of a Tenerife airport, killing 583 on board-still the deadliest crash in commercial flying. In Russia, 178 people died when an Aeroflot Tu-154 jet struck a vehicle while landing at Omsk in 1984. The most infamous airline accident stemming from runway obstructions occurred in 2000, when a Singapore Airlines Ltd. Boeing 747 mistakenly attempted to take off during a typhoon from a runway in Taipei that was closed for construction. More than 80 people died because the crew lined up its plane on the incorrect strip in low visibility and the jumbo jet slammed into heavy construction equipment. http://online.wsj.com/articles/russia-opens-probe-into-death-of-total-ceo-christophe-de-margerie-in- plane-crash-1413884521 Back to Top Embry-Riddle UAS Challenge We're holding another Challenge at the Wings Over Houston Airshow, 1-2 Nov 14 and would appreciate any publicity you would offer. Below is our official press release and the registration/rule info is located at: http://worldwide.erau.edu/Assets/worldwide/data/Houston%20UAS%20Challenge.pdf Back to Top Pilot errors, fatigue led to deadly Ga. jet crash SAVANNAH, GA. - The pilot of a private jet failed to follow correct landing procedures and likely was fatigued from a lack of sleep when the plane went down in a fiery crash in eastern Georgia last year, killing a vascular surgeon and four co-workers on board, federal investigators concluded in a report Tuesday. Richard Trammell was at the controls of the jet on the evening of Feb. 20, 2013, when it aborted a landing attempt at a small airport in Thomson, and struck a 72-foot utility pole less than 2,000 feet from the runway. The plane was carrying Dr. Steven Roth and his surgical staff based in nearby Augusta, who would routinely fly to satellite clinics in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina for vein-care surgeries and patient consultations. Roth and his colleagues all were killed when the Beechcraft 390 Premier jet crashed at the end of its 400- mile return flight from Nashville, Tennessee. The only survivors were Trammell and his co-pilot, Jeremy Hayden, who both suffered severe injuries. In its report Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board largely blamed the crash on errors made by the pilot and concluded he probably didn't get enough sleep. Trammell told investigators he woke at 2 a.m. the day of the crash - after sleeping about five hours - and napped for about four more hours in a chair at a pilot's lounge in Nashville. However, the report said, Trammell's cellphone records showed outgoing calls and text messages during that time, indicating his sleep was interrupted several times. "Those who depend on pilots to provide safe transportation deserve pilots who are well rested and otherwise fit for duty. That did not happen in this case," NTSB board member Robert Sumwalt said in a statement submitted with the agency's report. "Tragically, five lives were lost." The report said that during the flight, the co-pilot had to remind Trammell about a speed restriction and also to adjust his altimeter. "Say, I'm kinda out of the loop or something," the pilot said after the second reminder, according to the report. "I don't know what happened to me there but I appreciate you lookin' after me there." The NTSB report doesn't name Trammell as the pilot. But the agency identifies him in supplementary documents, including a summary of his interview with investigators. Trammell's attorney, J. Arthur Mozley of Atlanta, did not immediately return a phone message Tuesday. Federal investigators found the pilot made two key mistakes while attempting to land. First, a warning light indicated the jet's anti-skid system had failed, meaning it would need more distance to come to a stop. The NTSB said the pilot didn't do the proper calculations that would have told him the small airport's runway was too short. "It is likely that after touchdown, the pilot recognized that the airplane was not slowing as he expected and might not stop before the end of the runway," the NTSB report said. "Rather than risk a high-speed overrun, he elected to conduct a go-around." The pilot was trying to gain altitude for another landing approach when the jet struck the utility pole. The impact sheared off the plane's left wing, causing fuel to leak and burst into flames. Investigators said wing spoilers used to help slow the jet on the runway remained extended after the landing was aborted and likely inhibited the plane's ability to climb. Last November, Trammell and Hayden both sued the city and county governments that operate the airport as well as Georgia Power, which owns the utility pole. The NTSB previously reported Georgia Power built the pole in 1989 but didn't notify the Federal Aviation Administration. The pole wasn't listed as an obstruction on aeronautical charts. The lawsuit is still pending. In addition to Roth, the crash killed four staff members at his medical practice, the Vein Guys -ultrasound technicians Tiffany Porter and Heidi McCorkle, nurse anesthetist Lisa Volpitto and Kim Davidson, who was Roth's executive assistant. http://www.wral.com/pilot-errors-fatigue-led-to-deadly-ga-jet-crash/14101199/#70Tbok5qIWyXc7e1.99 Back to Top Canso Outlines Vision To Improve African Air Safety "The ATM [air traffic management] industry has made good progress but there is still a long way to go. Both the industry and states can take important measures to further improve safety and transform ATM performance." That was the position Jeff Poole, director general of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (Canso), expressed last week as he outlined the organization's vision to improve aviation safety in Africa, while also achieving seamless regional airspace by explaining the steps necessary to transform ATM performance. "Aviation is vital to African development, and air traffic management is critical to the safety, growth and development of aviation across the continent," commented Poole at Canso's October 8 Africa Conference in Abuja, Nigeria. "One of Canso's strategies in improving safety in the region is to support a runway safety program to educate airport managers, ANSPs, pilots and air traffic controllers about the causes and risks related to unstable approaches. Poole added, "Many ANSPs have difficulty in adequately funding the modernization and expansion of infrastructure." Canso believes revenues generated by the civil aviation sector should be re-invested in the sector and that regional cooperation and integration is the best way to secure cost-effective investments and achieve better returns. http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ainsafety/2014-10-13/canso-outlines-vision-improve-african-air- safety Back to Top Oz aircraft forced to land in Manado for trespassing An Australian twin-engine aircraft Beechcraft 95 en route to The Philippines from Darwin was forced to land at the Sam Ratulangi Airport in Manado, North Sulawesi on Wednesday for allegedly trespassing in Indonesian airspace. The pilot and co-pilot, identified respectively as Jacklin and Richard, are still being questioned at the base. Air Force Operation Command II Makassar spokesman Lt. Col. Andi Arman said the aircraft was first detected on Air Force radar in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) airspace. "We asked whether they had permission to fly over Indonesian territory and it turned out that they didn't have the permission. We then asked them to come down but they refused, so we sent up two Sukhoi jet fighters to force them to land," he said. He added that entering Indonesian airspace was unavoidable when flying from Darwin to the Philippines. Therefore, obtaining permission from the Indonesian government was mandatory. "We will release the pilot and co-pilot once they comply with the regulation," he said http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/10/22/oz-aircraft-forced-land-manado-trespassing.html Back to Top Passenger's injury diverts American Airlines flight to RDU MORRISVILLE, N.C. - An American Airlines passenger was hospitalized Tuesday night after his stab wound was reopened mid-flight, causing the plane to make an unscheduled stop at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The passenger, who boarded American Airlines flight 2372 from Miami to Boston, was stabbed earlier Tuesday, but was treated at a hospital and was medically cleared to fly, officials said. After the wound reopened, the passenger required immediate medical attention, which led to the plane landing at RDU, officials said. The passenger's condition was not immediately known. http://www.wral.com/stab-wound-diverts-american-airlines-flight-to- rdu/14102275/#quat7tpj4rFUXFdZ.99 Back to Top Plane passengers hospitalized due to Ebola concerns An airline passenger was being evaluated at a hospital in Newark, New Jersey Tuesday due to Ebola concerns, reports CBS New York. Two others were hospitalized after getting off planes into Chicago. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokesperson Carol Crawford said the Newark passenger was "identified as reporting symptoms or having a potential exposure to Ebola" during the enhanced screening process for those arriving in the U.S. from the West African nations of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. "(The) CDC or state/local public health officials will contact other passengers on the aircraft should it be determined that there was any risk to the other passengers of exposure to communicable disease," Crawford continued. The Record newspaper reported that the passenger was on a flight from Liberia that went through Brussels before arriving at Newark Liberty International Airport Tuesday afternoon. The passenger was held briefly at customs at Terminal C at the airport and was then sequestered from the other passengers from the flight, the newspaper reported. The CDC didn't name the hospital, but the newspaper reported there was a "flurry of activity" near University Hospital in Newark Tuesday night. In Chicago, two passengers who took ill while flying into O'Hare from Liberia have become the first to test the city's new Ebola protocols, although officials say they see no evidence that either has the deadly disease, according to CBS Chicago. One of the passengers, a child, reportedly vomited during the flight and is now being quarantined at University of Chicago Medical Center. The child was screened by federal authorities and found to have no fever and no other Ebola symptoms other than vomiting. Separately, an adult also traveling from Liberia reported nausea and diarrhea. That passenger was taken to Rush University Medical Center for evaluation. That person is being monitored, but has not been tested for Ebola. The two passengers are not related and were not traveling together, says CBS Chicago. Customs and Border Protection officers earlier this month started screening passengers from West Africa who arrived at John F. Kennedy, Newark Liberty, Washington's Dulles, Chicago's O'Hare and Hartsfield- Jackson Atlanta airports. Since the screenings started Oct. 11, at New York's Kennedy, 562 people have been checked at the five airports, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Of those, four who arrived at Washington's Dulles airport were taken to a local hospital. No cases of Ebola have been discovered. Word of the latest hospitalization came as the Obama administration, fending off demands to ban travel from Ebola-stricken West Africa, instead tightened U.S. defenses against the virus by requiring that all arrivals from the disease-ravaged zone pass through one of the five U.S. airports. The move responds to pressure from some members of Congress and the public to impose a travel ban from the three countries at the heart of the Ebola outbreak, which has killed over 4,500 people, mostly in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, since it emerged 10 months ago. Beginning Wednesday, people whose trips began in Guinea, Liberia or Sierra Leone must fly into one of the five U.S. airports performing fever checks for Ebola, the Homeland Security Department said. Previously, the administration said screenings at those airports covered about 94 percent of fliers from the three countries but missed a few who landed elsewhere. There are no direct flights from those nations into the U.S; about 150 fliers per day arrive by various multi-leg routes. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said, "We currently have in place measures to identify and screen anyone at all land, sea and air ports of entry into the United States who we have reason to believe has been present in Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea in the preceding 21 days." Homeland Security officials at the airports use no-touch thermometers to check for fever, which can be a symptom of Ebola infection. People who have been infected with the virus may not develop a fever and illness for up to 21 days, however. As the U.S. closed a gap in its Ebola screening, an Ebola-free African country said it would begin checking visiting Americans for the disease. Rwanda's health minister said Tuesday that travelers who have been in the United States or Spain - the two countries outside of West Africa that have seen transmission during the Ebola outbreak - will be checked upon arrival and must report on their health during their stay. No Ebola cases have been reported in Rwanda, which is in East Africa. The U.S. Embassy in Rwanda said that country is banning visitors who have recently traveled to Guinea, Liberia, or Sierra Leone, the three countries at the heart of the outbreak, as well as nearby Senegal, which had a single case The change in U.S. policy falls short of the demands by some elected officials and candidates for an outright ban on travel from the West African outbreak zone. Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York described the action as an "added layer of protection against Ebola entering our country." http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ebola-plane-passenger-hospitalized-after-screening/ Back to Top FAA Safety Officials to Speak at NBAA2014 Several officials from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will participate in a panel session on safety and regulation this week during NBAA 2014. John Hickey, the FAA's deputy associate administrator for aviation safety, will lead the agency delegation participating in the NBAA2014 session, "A Conversation with FAA's Top Safety Leaders," on Wednesday, Oct. 22 from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. in Room S320E at the Orlando County Convention Center. The panel will be moderated by Doug Carr, NBAA vice president for regulatory and international affairs, and Mark Larsen, NBAA senior manager for safety and flight operations. "The FAA has committed a great team to attend our convention this year," said Carr. "This session is our community's opportunity to hear what's on the FAA's safety and regulatory agenda while also posing timely questions about the implementation of FAA rules and policies." Also participating in the session will be: * John Duncan, director of the FAA's Flight Standards Service * Steve Douglas, manager of the FAA's Aircraft Maintenance Division * Les Smith, manager of the FAA's Air Transportation Division * James Viola, manager of the FAA's General Aviation and Commercial Division "With officials responsible for aircraft operations, maintenance, safety and training all in one room, this year's session is the ideal forum to talk directly with experts on all aspects of business aviation safety," said Carr. "This session fills up quickly so I suggest attendees arrive early to secure a seat." http://www.aviationtoday.com/the-checklist/FAA-Safety-Officials-to-Speak-at- NBAA2014_83316.html#.VEelevnF98E Back to Top Back to Top Convergent Performance and USAIG Announce Collaborative Success and New 'Never Events' Maintenance Technician Program™ New York, NY (Oct. 22, 2014)...Convergent Performance and USAIG proudly announced the success of their collaboration in the USAIG Performance Vector program with a new program specifically for aviation maintenance professionals. Since the program's inception in 2011, Performance Vector has welcomed over 200 students from 52 flight departments to Convergent's on-line courses and 110 flight departments have enrolled groups into their webinar series. USAIG, a global leader in aviation insurance underwriting, developed the Performance Vector program to deliver complimentary, safety-enhancing training and support to USAIG-insured turbine operators. Convergent Performance's webinars and e-Learning programs enable USAIG policyholders to choose either group or individual formats for training accomplished at their own convenience, regardless of location, anywhere around the globe. The Contemporary Human Factors and Mind Body Link webinar series, as well as Pilot and Maintenance Reliability online courses, were designed by award-winning author Dr. Tony Kern and his group of human factors experts. These programs provide any professional or organization a high impact shot in the arm through greater levels of personal responsibility, optimized team execution, and reliable mission accomplishment. "The new 'Never Events' Webinar Series for Maintenance Technicians is focused on six of the most costly and avoidable events in aviation maintenance; Wrong Part, Wrong Person, Wrong Fluid, Improper Movement, Lost Tool, and Unsecured Panels," said Dr. Tony Kern, CEO of Convergent Performance. "It is designed to improve awareness and empower maintenance techs to see and avoid these preventable events with a deep understanding of the human factors that cause them." "Convergent Performance's programs recognize the unique scheduling demands of business aviation" said David L. McKay, USAIG President and CEO. "They are designed to deliver training flexibly and be accessible while on the road or in the office, 24/7. We are thrilled at our policyholders' enthusiastic response to Convergent Performance's courses and webinars, and that our Performance Vector initiative enables this world-class human factors and error reduction training to reach so many people across the business aviation industry." Performance Vector-eligible USAIG policyholders can enroll in the new 'Never Events' Webinar Series for Maintenance Technicians now. The first round of the series will kick off in January 2015. Performance Vector programs meet aviation regulatory requirements, accreditation protocols and industry standards such as FAA, IS-BAO, NBAA's Certified Aviation Manager program, and ICAO. Eligibility to enroll in an additional Performance Vector option refreshes upon each policy renewal. For additional information about the USAIG Performance Vector program, check the Safety tab at usaig.com or contact Paul S. Ratté, USAIG Director of Aviation Safety Programs at: safety@usaig.com. Learn More at the NBAA Convention Visit USAIG at the NBAA convention in Orlando from October 21 through 23, booth #3331. Meet USAIG's team of aviation insurance and safety experts, and take part in discussions about Performance Vector and USAIG's other safety initiatives. USAIG Booth 3331 Orange County Convention Center Contact: Joan Mirabile, Vice President Joan.Mirabile@usaig.com 212-952-0100 Back to Top Invitation to the 2014 Global FOD Prevention Conference 2014 Global FOD Prevention Conference Birds, Bolts, Budgets - Tracking the Dangers of Foreign Objects and What We Can Do About It The 2014 Global FOD Conference will take place at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on 2 December 2014. You can purchase tickets for the event at www.stopfod.com. Diverse and distinguished speakers from all parts of the aviation industry will discuss problems that airports face with FOD and their implications to flight safety and airport operations. The discussions will cover the FOD problems and potential mitigating measures from a variety of perspectives, including that of regulators, airport operators, media analysts, insurers, technological experts and finance. Participants will have a number of opportunities to network and share experiences and practices with the speakers and other representatives. Keynote speaker: Christopher Hart NTSB Acting Chairman http://www.ntsb.gov/about/bio_hart.html Please visit www.stopfod.com to learn more about the conference. There are limited seats available, we encourage participants to register early to avoid disappointment. Limited Sponsorship Opportunities available. We look forward to seeing you at the 2014 Global FOD Conference! www.stopfod.com Back to Top Boeing And China Are Working Together To Make Jet Fuel From 'Gutter Oil' China Southern Airlines Boeing 787-8 on final approach. Aircraft makers Boeing and Commercial Aircraft Corp of China have launched a joint pilot project to turn used cooking oil into jet fuel. Their plant, based in the southeastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, will be able to convert just under 240,000 liters a year of used cooking oil into fuel, Boeing said in a statement. The project will allow the two aircraft makers to test the viability of producing biofuel using the cheap and widely available form of cooking waste, referred to in China as "gutter oil". Boeing and its Chinese state-owned partner estimate that 1.8 billion liters of fuel could be produced in China a year using gutter oil. In February, the Civil Aviation Administration of China granted a subsidiary of state-owned behemoth Sinopec Corp a license to produce jet fuel from used cooking oil. Gutter oil has long been a public health concern in China due to its widespread use in restaurants. Used cooking oil can contain toxic compounds and is often considered insanitary. Chinese media reported in 2010 that crime rings were collecting used cooking oil from sewers and drains, rebottling it and selling it as new. Over the past two years, dozens of people have been given lengthy prison sentences for the scam, which has made many Chinese in major cities sick. Last year one man was sentenced to life in prison for making and trafficking gutter oil. http://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-and-china-are-working-together-to-make-jet-fuel-from-gutter-oil- 2014-10#ixzz3GsJRRnnD Back to Top Airbus partners with Aerion to develop supersonic business jet ORLANDO, FLA. - Allan McArtor of Airbus North America and executives from Aerion held a joint news conference at Aerion's exhibit at the National Business Aviation Association's annual convention to talk about the partnership between the two companies. Airbus and Aerion will work together to develop a multimillion-dollar supersonic business jet. They will collaborate on the jet's development and exchange capabilities on the design and certification. Airbus will provide technical and certification support. McArtor, however, said Airbus likely won't manufacture the supersonic jet. But "I think we could certainly contribute to component manufacturing," McArtor said. The strategy is to get ahead for the future, he said of Airbus' interest in supersonic travel. "We don't want to read" that someone else is doing it, he said. "It's a first mover thing. There's not going to be room for four supersonic business jets." Airbus doesn't have a plan or a vision for supersonic commercial aircraft, he said. He also talked a little about the Airbus engineering center in Wichita. "We really like our Wichita facility," McArtor said. "It's doing great. They're contributing on every program." The Wichita team is the "go to" team, he said. It's where Airbus turns when there's a problem, he said. http://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/article3209044.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top Legacy 500 Wins FAA Approval Embraer says the long-awaited FAA certification of the Legacy 500 mid-size business aircraft was granted on October 21 following completion of flight tests and initial approval from Brazilian authorities in August. U.S. approval follows delivery of the first production Legacy 500 to a Brazilian customer earlier this month. Further international deliveries are also set to begin following European EASA certification which Embraer hopes to clinch in November. The aircraft is included in the static park at this year's NBAA display alongside a prototype of its Legacy 450 mid-light stablemate. Brazilian certification of the Legacy 450 meanwhile remains on track for mid-2015. The static line-up also includes Embraer's five other major current production corporate models, marking the first time the Brazilian manufacturer has displayed the full business aircraft portfolio ranging from the Phenom 100 all the way to the large cabin Lineage 1000E. The full display will, however, be temporary as the super midsize Legacy 650 is scheduled to leave Florida's Orlando Executive Airport on Tuesday for a 21-day round-the-world tour covering 11 stops. http://aviationweek.com/business-aviation/legacy-500-wins-faa-approval Back to Top Wanted: Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) Part Number: P/No. APS 2000; Fresh OH/SV Contact: curt@curt-lewis.com Back to Top Upcoming Events: ERAU UAS Challenge November 1-2, 2014 Houston, TX http://worldwide.erau.edu/Assets/worldwide/data/Houston%20UAS%20Challenge.pdf 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 2014 Global FOD Prevention Conference Birds, Bolts, Budgets - Tracking the Dangers of Foreign Objects and What We Can Do About It Reagan National Airport 2 December 2014 www.stopfod.com ERAU UAS FUNDAMENTALS COURSE December 9 - 11, 2014 ERAU Daytona Beach Campus, FL www.daytonabeach.erau.edu/uas A3IR CON 2015 January 16-17, 2015 Phoenix, AZ http://commons.erau.edu/aircon/2015/ 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 IS-BAO Workshop Information and Registration 12 - 13 Nov. 2014 Omaha, Nebraska USA 18 - 19 Nov. 2014 Houston, TX USA 2 - 3 Dec. 2014 Orlando, FL USA 6 - 7 Dec. 2014 Dubai, UAE 13 - 14 Jan. 2015 Baltimore, MD USA https://www.regonline.com/CalendarNET/EventCalendar.aspx?EventID=1592658&view=Month Back to Top Employment: Position Available: Flight and Maintenance Safety Manager www.piedmont-airlines.com/careers/ Curt Lewis Curt Lewis and Associates, LLC | Post Office Box 120243 | Arlington | TX | 76012