Flight Safety Information November 21, 2014 - No. 237 In This Issue New policies for hiring air traffic controllers under scrutiny Fargo company creates app that detects drones, alerts pilots Southwest Airlines Pilots Union Requests Federal Mediation in Contract Talks Boeing's 777 Problem: Delta and Everyone Else Want Newer Planes 320 pilots flying with expired licences, eight suspended PRISM TO HELP PREPARE FOR E-IOSA HUD for Glass is a Pilot's New Best Friend AIRCON3 - Pre-Conference Workshop Upcoming Events New policies for hiring air traffic controllers under scrutiny HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) - More than 24 million Americans will fly somewhere for Thanksgiving this year. Now, there are questions about new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) hiring practices for air traffic controllers and if those new policies are putting the flying public at risk. A U.S. Congressman has called it illogical. A growing number of college graduates with aviation degrees say it's eliminating some of the best and brightest. Prior to 2014, the FAA put a premium on hiring air traffic control candidates from College Training Initiative (CTI) schools. Several dozen schools participated in the program. The closest to North Alabama is Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. According to the FAA's own website, the program is designed to give students a curriculum based on the fundamentals of aviation and the government organization "considers AT-CTI graduates a valuable hiring source." CTI students were not guaranteed jobs - they still were required to pass an AT-SAT aptitude test and obtain specific and specialized training. This year, the rules changed and the FAA opened up hiring to everyone. That means people right off the street, with no prior aviation training or skills, could apply. They also added a biographical assessment questionnaire for any potential candidate. That's a move that Washington Senator Patty Murray questioned United States Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx about earlier this year. Foxx oversees the FAA. "The FAA took an opportunity to do a more broad opening of the aperture, if you will," Foxx told Senator Murray when she asked about the biographical assessment questionnaire. "28,000 applicants took the test. Only 2,200 passed," Murray then told Foxx. "Nobody understands what this biographical questionnaire is evaluating." According to Andrew Brigida, the questionnaire asked him very little about his aviation knowledge. "It asks questions such as how many art credits did you take in high school," said Brigida, who ultimately failed the biographical questionnaire. He graduated last year from Arizona State University, a CTI school, with a degree specializing in air traffic control and aviation. Brigida told us he scored 100 percent on his aptitude test. However, because he failed the biographical questionnaire, or as he describes it, a diversity test, the FAA didn't hire him. And he's not alone. Thousands of CTI school graduates failed the questionnaire; around nine out of every ten. Who is passing? According to the Chicago Tribune, of the roughly 1,600 air traffic controller jobs available this year, the FAA offered 837 of the positions to people who applied off the street. Those are the applicants with little to no aviation training. "My goal, my dream is to become a controller," said Joel Sushereba. Sushereba is a veteran. He served several years in the United States Navy, where he worked as an air traffic controller. "I could really jump into a facility right now without the need for the FAA academy at all," Sushereba said about the new hiring changes. The veteran now teaches air traffic control classes at a CTI school in Maryland. A veteran who has air traffic control training, on the job experience, and currently teaches the skill to other potential FAA candidates would seem like a slam dunk hire, right? Wrong. He failed the biographical questionnaire. "I had to read it a couple of times to make sure I was reading it right, that a personality test told me I was not qualified," said Sushereba. Both Sushereba and Brigida say the public needs to be aware of the changes. "This is most certainly a safety issue," said Sushereba. The safety issue, both men said, is that if some of the FAA's new candidates can't cut it, they'll get the cut and leave a control tower expecting a new person understaffed and overwhelmed in the interim. "These overworked, overtired, taxed controllers are going to be more prone towards mistakes," said Sushereba. Now Congress is getting involved. Two months ago, two congressmen from Illinois, Representatives Randy Hultgren and Dan Lipinski, introduced the Safe Towers Act. The lawmakers are touting the legislation as restoring common sense to the hiring of air traffic controllers. The bill, if approved, would restore the FAA's preferred hiring status for CTI graduates and qualified veterans and eliminate the biographical questionnaire. Congressman Hultgren issued a statement about the act: The SAFE TOWERS Act is targeted at making sure we have the best and brightest in our control towers. When you climb into an airliner, you trust the pilot, the crew and air traffic controllers will keep you safe. The new hiring standards jeopardize air travel safety because they divert the hiring process around highly-qualified, CTI-certified trainees and elevate off-the-street candidates. Psychological assessments are important, especially for high-stress jobs. But disqualifying highly-trained, certified graduates because they did or did not play sports in high school, as one Bio Q question asked, is ridiculous. The SAFE TOWERS Act ensures our towers are again operated by qualified veterans and graduates with specialized aviation degrees, and provides relief for those who 'aged out' of the process. Further, it makes sure the FAA is open and transparent about their hiring procedures. The bill has been referred to a Congressional committee. Sushereba and Brigida are closely watching it in hopes it passes and helps them move past this job hunt nightmare. "I'm frustrated because I've been investing in a career in the FAA for the last nine years," said Sushereba. "The part that amazes me about it is there are current controllers that saw how ridiculous this new process was," said Brigida. "They applied to be controllers just to take this test and they also failed this questionnaire test. Even though they're already controllers, they somehow would not get hired currently if they were not controllers." We reached out to the FAA and asked them several questions including if they plan to use the biographical questionnaire when hiring in the future. Their statement in response is as follows: The FAA reviewed the end-to-end process of hiring and assigning air traffic control specialists and chose to make several improvements to the way it selects, trains, and assigns air traffic controllers in order to recruit a better qualified candidate and reduce costs associated with testing and training. Improvements were made to enhance decision making and increase objectivity in the assessment of candidates. The selection process for new air traffic controllers was very competitive. In the course of two weeks, we received over 28,000 applications for 1,700 positions. We expect to hire additional controllers next year and have encouraged those not selected to reapply then. The agency plans to hire more than 6,600 new controllers over the next five years to keep pace with expected attrition and traffic growth. In previous hires, the FAA would typically keep an inventory of qualified candidates and draw from that pool as needed. In some cases applicants might wait for long durations and never receive a tentative offer letter from the agency, which was a point of criticism from candidates. In this hire, the FAA did not create an inventory and as a result the number of actual positions was very limited. We have received feedback from Members of Congress and the public and we continue to evaluate our recruitment and applicant assessment process closely. We plan to make further improvements to the process before the next round of hiring. http://www.waff.com/story/27442230/new-policies-for-hiring-air-traffic-controllers-under-scrutiny Back to Top Fargo company creates app that detects drones, alerts pilots The news clip about a drone entering busy airspace and nearly colliding with an aircraft caught Shawn Muehler's eye. There's got to be a way to prevent these near misses, Muehler, a military pilot, thought as he watched the increasingly familiar story unfold. For the past eight months, Fargoans Muehler and Alex Kube, a software developer, have been working to create a safety application for unmanned aircraft. The result is Botlink, an application that shows drone pilots where manned aircraft are as well as controlled airspaces, which require permission to enter. "At the heart of the platform is safety," said Muehler, chief executive officer of the company, which was founded as Aerobotic Innovations. The app plots the drone's position relative to other aircraft by harnessing real-time Federal Aviation Administration data. If the drone approaches controlled airspace, the app alerts its pilot, and provides contact information for the control tower. The company is also developing a cellular device that straps to drones and allows real-time information to be communicated from multiple drones to multiple users. For example, a law enforcement agency with 20 unmanned aircraft searching for a missing person could have a video feed from all of its drones relayed to all of its squad cars, instead of from one drone to one operator. The company's software, hardware and cloud technology poises Botlink to become an industry standard once widespread commercial use of unmanned aircraft systems is approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. Kube, chief operating officer, said the company wants to be for drone operations what Microsoft Windows is for offices. "We want to provide software solutions to drone problems," he said. Muehler said their familiarity with drone operations separates them from competitors. The first few months of their business venture was spent in a "think tank," writing possible problems on a whiteboard and brainstorming solutions they could bring to market. Now operating with a staff of seven out of Fargo's Black Building, they plan to roll out the free Botlink Android app in the next few weeks, targeting hobbyists and enthusiasts. "The more people that are on, the safer everyone is," Muehler said. The startup company is currently in the third phase of Innovate ND, a state program that provides funding and support to entrepreneurs. Paul Tefft, a consultant with the North Dakota State University and Research Park, where Fargo's Innovate ND program is housed, described Botlink's work as cutting edge. "What these guys are doing is something that may have nationwide significance," Tefft said. "I think that the sky is kind of the limit for these guys." http://www.twincities.com/nation/ci_26976279/fargo-company-creates-app-that-detects-drones-alerts Back to Top Southwest Airlines Pilots Union Requests Federal Mediation in Contract Talks After more than two years of negotiations on a new labor agreement, the union that represents 8,000 Southwest Airlines Co. pilots said it officially filed for mediation Thursday with the National Mediation Board, the federal agency that oversees contract talks in the airline and railroad industries. Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association said the two sides "are currently too far apart to realistically expect an agreement outside of a mediated process." In a statement, Capt. Mark Richardson, the union president, said requesting mediation is "certainly not a typical step in the pilot and management relationship at Southwest Airlines. But times have certainly changed." The Transport Workers Union, which represents 10,000 Southwest ramp and cargo workers, already has filed for mediation. The International Association of Machinists union, agent for Southwest's customer- service and reservations agents, also filed for mediation. But the latter group reached a tentative agreement in October on a four-year labor contract and members are slated to vote on the deal Dec. 2. Southwest, the Dallas-based discount airline that is the No. 4 U.S. carrier by traffic, said it had been optimistic it was closing the gap with the union on a new agreement. But the SWAPA board "stopped further negotiations and has chosen mediation as its next step," said Randy Babbitt, Southwest's senior vice president of labor relations. In a statement, Mr. Babbitt also said Southwest indicated its willingness to file jointly with the union for mediation, which would have allowed them to seek an expedited process that likely would lead to a quicker agreement. But the union declined that offer, he said. The labor executive added that Southwest wants to ensure that its pilots are not only fairly compensated but that their futures are secure. Over the company's four decades of existence labor relations generally have been quite positive, something that can't be said for the rest of the industry. Southwest, which has exceeded its financial goals in recent months and is on pace to report record profits this year, is in labor talks with all of its major unions, with the goal of reaching new deals that are essentially "cost-neutral" with its current pacts. Southwest's current compensation is at or near the top of the industry, based on the size of its aircraft versus comparably sized planes at other airlines, and executives have repeatedly said they want to find ways of boosting productivity and hold the line on labor cost increases. Capt. Richardson said his union seeks "marginal improvements in schedule, pay and especially retirement, an area where Southwest pilots lag significantly compared with our peers at other airlines." He said filing for mediation is the next step in the process, and said the pilots "are trying to avoid the destructive and combative relationships that have plagued our industry." The National Mediation Board routinely facilitates labor talks. For instance, the board currently it is assisting United Continental Holdings Inc. and its two flight attendants' unions in efforts to reach a joint labor agreement following the 2010 merger of United Airlines and Continental Airlines. United also is in mediation with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents its mechanics. http://online.wsj.com/articles/southwest-airlines-pilots-union-requests-federal-mediation-in-contract- talks-1416501262 Back to Top Boeing's 777 Problem: Delta and Everyone Else Want Newer Planes New airplane technology almost always trumps the old. The planes that are built today burn less fuel and need less maintenance than their predecessors. If you manufacture airplanes, however, this truism presents a tricky problem: How do you keep selling an older model after you announce its successor (PDF) as the latest and greatest thing to ever have reached the skies? Boeing (BA) faces that issue with its 777, a jumbo jet that has become a well-liked staple of global airline fleets over the past 15 years. The 777 sales problem drew a fresh spotlight this week, when Delta Air Lines (DAL)announced an order for 50 twin-aisle jets from Airbus (AIR:FP), split between the A350 and A330neo models, to replace Delta's aged 747 and 767-300 fleets. With a list price of $330 million, the 777-300ER accounts for virtually all of the remaining 777 order book- making it a key component of Boeing's profitability. "The good news is that the 777-300ER has had really strong pricing, so that gives you some cushion" for discounting, says Teal Group analyst Richard Aboulafia. "The bad news is: I have no idea where any demand would come from." The Delta deal is driven in no small part by the lower prices and faster delivery speeds Airbus was able to offer the airline. But the older 777s Boeing pitched for use at Delta's Seattle hub and on its trans-Atlantic routes were a big factor, and Delta's decision underscores the market's lack of interest in a plane that is awaiting replacement. "It's just reached the end of its life," says Scott Hamilton, editor of the aviation website Leeham News and Comment. "Why would you buy an airplane that you might take delivery of in 2017 or 2018 or 2019 when you have the brand-new model coming in 2020?" Boeing says it can bridge the production gap from the old 777 to the 777X, its next-generation replacement, by netting as few as 40 orders per year. So far this year Boeing has taken 55 orders for the 777, including a deal announced on Thursday to sell 10 to Kuwait Airways. The new order is worth $3.3 billion at list price, but Kuwait Airways probably negotiated a discount in excess of 50 percent, given both Boeing's need to move 777s and the price breaks manufacturers typically offer customers. In July, All Nippon Airways (9202:JP) finalized an order for six of the older planes. Boeing clearly believes it can meet its goal. "We expect demand for the 777 to remain healthy through the end of this decade," Boeing Chief Executive Officer Jim McNerney said last month during an earnings call. There are two likely ways Boeing could try to fill the interval until the new aircraft arrives: turn out fewer than eight 777s each month and offer steep discounts to buyers. The company vows to continue the current pace of making 100 777s per year, although many observers are skeptical. "There is nobody in the marketplace that I have talked to who believes that posture and frankly, if you talk privately to anybody inside Boeing," says Hamilton, "they don't believe it either." Discounting, on the other hand, is almost certainly on the table for the 777 sales team. The big question is whether Boeing will be able to cobble together enough small orders, even with strategic price cuts, to keep the 777 viable for an additional five years. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-11-21/boeings-777-problem-delta-and-other-airlines-want- newer-planes Back to Top 320 pilots flying with expired licences, eight suspended Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has suspended eight pilots and issued a warning letter to 57 others after it found that 320 pilots from Air India, SpiceJet, IndiGo and Jet Airways were flying with expired licenses, the Hindustan Times reported today. The airlines, however have denied any wrongdoing. "The pilots are not suspended. Since their licenses weren't renewed, they are not being utilised for flying duties. No pilot has flown with an expired license," an AI spokesperson told the Hindustan Times. This is not the first time pilots in India have been brought to heel over documentation of pilots' licences. In September the Times of India reported, the DGCA found 131 Jet Airways pilots were flying without clearing a mandatory biannual exam - a mandatory test for pilots to keep their licenses valid. The audit was done after the airline's Mumbai-Brussels flight plunged 5,000ft over Turkish airspace on August 8 and resulted in the removal of their chief of training, reports the Hindustan Times. The pilot was taking a controlled rest, according to the global airline rules, and the co-pilot was reportedly busy on her tablet when the incident occurred, reports the International Business Times. This was followed by an internal check by them in October where they discovered that three pilots' certificates had expired, prompting airline officials to raise the alarm, reports the Economic Times. Then, Air India in October, discovered that as many as 102 pilots of its wide body Boeing fleet have been flying without clearing a mandatory test that helps keep their licences valid. http://firstbiz.firstpost.com/corporate/320-pilots-flying-expired-licences-eight-suspended-109427.html Back to Top Back to Top HUD for Glass is a Pilot's New Best Friend Google has been working on company's Glass project for more than a few years - during that time, people in the know realize Glass' tremendous potential... in fact, it has gone way beyond pure potential. Firefighters, the police, schools, pipeline workers, emergency responders, and hospitals are all using them, specific ones though, but still. By doing so, they are already reaping the many benefits hands-free information can provide, especially in critical and analytical situations. There are others that have simply heard a few news reports or read a few articles about Glass. This type of news has mostly sensationalized them or has been about organizations with complaints concerning the many privacy issues that can arise because of the potential for their misuse. Strip clubs, bathrooms, pedophiles, bars, using Glass at the movies have all been closely documented - they have even been banned in many places before public sales even took place. Another new app is now available for Glass called 'HUD for Glass' - it is a Heads-up Display, designed by a pilot. It is not designed to replace your flight instruments by any means, but as an aid for helping a pilot or co-pilot when they have to be away from the main controls. It displays altitude, speed, aircraft heading, pitching and roll. No internet connection is needed, although GPS is required to display altitude and speed data. It is designed for ease of use, so you can get all of the information that you need without losing focus on what you are doing. HUD for Glass supports feet/knots as well as meters and km/h. Click on our source link at the end of the article to find out more. You have to commend Google on their patience in bringing Glass out - testing is good and allowing new app developers time to tap into their full potential is a good thing. But there comes a point in time when you must finally release the product before too much bad press has people suspicious and afraid of your product for no apparent reason whatsoever. The good that Glass is doing MUST be their focus before people start to hate this product and destroy its potential. http://www.androidheadlines.com/2014/11/hud-for-glass-is-a-pilots-new-best-friend.html Back to Top Pre-Conference Workshop: Thursday, January 15th: Investigations in support of Safety Management Systems (SMS): The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) defines SMS as "A systematic approach to managing safety, including the necessary organizational structures, accountabilities, policies and procedures." Most Civil Aviation Authorities support the implementation of SMS in aviation training organizations and service providers. Many also include the provisions for a Safety Manager within those safety programs. This workshop will investigate the attributes of a supportive Safety Culture along with the competencies and skill-sets required of the Safety Manager to appropriately collect, analyze and take actions on safety information. The outcomes of this workshop will be assembled and distributed to participants in order for their consideration for inclusion into existing and future aviation programs and curricula. Workshop Leaders: Stewart Schreckengast, PhD, Senior Lecturer, Aviation Department, University of South Australia & Douglas Drury, PhD, Senior Lecturer, Aviation Department, University of South Australia are hosting. Free conference add on- but space is limited. Sponsored by the Robertson Safety Institute Registration Back to Top Upcoming Events: 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 Event: "The Future of Regulation of SMS and QA" Symposium. Keynote: Mr. Martin Eley, Director General Transport Canada. Location: Coronado Resort Hotel @ Disney World, Orlando Florida. Date: Jan 4-6, 2015 info: http://www.dtiatlanta.com/symposium.html 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 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 Curt Lewis