Flight Safety Information December 8, 2014 - No. 247 In This Issue Heathrow plane in near miss with drone U.S. Airways Jet From Israel Diverts to Rome After 16 Get Sick Qantas jet makes emergency landing in Perth after air conditioning fault Europe Presses for New Air-Travel Safeguards Drones in demand: Congress eyes more surveillance craft for Islamic State fight Boeing Aircraft Launches First Green Diesel Flight Naples Airport Authority hires noise abatement specialist Cyber attacks, drones to impact aviation safety: study PRISM TO HELP PREPARE FOR E-IOSA Aviation Students: Grants Available to Attend 2015 CHC Safety & Quality Summit 60th Annual Business Aviation Safety Summit Scheduled for May 2015 Airbus looks to claim bigger slice of corporate jet market Malaysia Airlines picks Aer Lingus CEO to lead overhaul AIRCON3 - Pre-Conference Workshop Upcoming Events Heathrow plane in near miss with drone An unidentified drone came close to hitting a plane as it landed at Heathrow, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has confirmed. An Airbus A320 pilot reported seeing a helicopter-style drone as the jet was 700 feet off the ground on its approach to the runway at 1416 GMT on 22 July. The CAA has not identified the airline or how close the drone came to the plane, which can carry 180 people. It gave the incident an "A" rating, meaning a "serious risk of collision". This is the highest incident rating the CAA can give. Investigators were unable to identify the drone, which did not appear on air traffic control radar and disappeared after the encounter. Crash warning In May the pilot of an ATR 72 turbo-prop plane reported seeing a helicopter drone only 80 feet away as he approached Southend airport at a height of 1,500 feet. The incidents have prompted a warning from the British Airline Pilots' Association (Balpa) that the rapid increase in the number of drones operated by amateur enthusiasts now poses "a real risk" to commercial aircraft. The association's general secretary, Jim McAuslan said drones could cause a repeat of the "Hudson River experience", when a plane was forced to land in water in New York in 2009 after birds were sucked into its engines. Heathrow airport "The risk of a 10 kilogram object hitting a plane is a real one that pilots are very concerned about" he said. "A small drone could be a risky distraction for a pilot coming into land and cause serious damage if they hit one." Sales of drones have increased rapidly, with UK sales running at a rate of between 1,000 and 2,000 every month. They are expected to be very popular as Christmas presents. They cost as little as £35 for a smaller model - more advanced drones capable of carrying a high definition camera and travelling at 45 miles per hour cost almost £3,000. Only a very small minority of people operating drones have attended training courses in how to fly them. 'Common sense' A spokesman for the CAA said it had to depend on people using their common sense when they operated drones. He said the current level of risk should be "kept in perspective" but warned that breaking laws governing the use of drones could potentially threaten commercial aircraft. A drone The CAA said it had to depend on people using their common sense when they operated drones "People using unmanned aircraft need to think, use common sense and take responsibility for them", he said. "There are rules which have the force of law and have to be followed." Drones may not be flown higher than 400 feet or further than 500 metres from the operator, and they must not go within 50 metres of people, vehicles or buildings. There are exclusion zones around airports and the approaches to them for drones weighing more than seven kilograms. Mr McAuslan said there was an urgent need for rules to be tightened before much larger unmanned cargo planes - potentially the size of a Boeing 737 - took to the skies. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-30369701 Back to Top U.S. Airways Jet From Israel Diverts to Rome After 16 Get Sick LONDON - Two passengers and 14 crew members were given medical treatment after a U.S. Airways flight to Philadelphia from Israel made an emergency landing in Rome the airline said. Among the crew, three flight attendants were taken by ambulance to a clinic at Rome's Fiumicino Airport after the Airbus A330 made an "unscheduled landing" following reports of an odor in the cabin, said Martha Thomas, a spokeswoman for American Airlines, which last year merged with U.S. Airways. The others were treated at the same clinic and all were released. "The aircraft landed safely and all passengers were re-accommodated on other flights," Thomas said, adding that engineers were evaluating the twin-engine to find out what happened. The flight, US797, took off from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport late Friday and was carrying 129 passengers and 14 crew comprising 10 flight attendants and four pilots. An AFP agency report said the crew and passengers were suffering from red eyes and nausea. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/u-s-airways-jet-israel-diverts-rome-after-16-get-n262946 Back to Top Qantas jet makes emergency landing in Perth after air conditioning fault Plane travelling from Dubai to Sydney diverted after it developed a fault over the Indian Ocean about an hour north-east of Perth A Qantas passenger jet has been forced to make an early morning emergency landing in Perth. Flight QF2 travelling from Dubai to Sydney was diverted on Monday after the air conditioning developed a fault when the plane was above the Indian Ocean, about an hour north-east of Perth. "As a precaution the aircraft descended to 10,000 feet and the captain requested a priority landing," Qantas said in a statement. Passenger Nigel Richardson tweeted pictures from the cabin showing all was calm on board. "Full shut down of air conditioning system that keeps plane pressurised at altitude was the problem," he tweeted. Richardson praised the response of the crew to the emergency saying "#qantas first officer walking through plane giving personal situation update to everyone as best he can. Full marks to crew #QF2". The plane is being inspected by engineers. Passengers have been given accommodation and will be booked on the next available flight to their destination. http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/dec/08/qantas-jet-makes-emergency-landing-perth Back to Top Europe Presses for New Air-Travel Safeguards Civilian Officials Pursue Safety Review With Military, Intelligence Groups By ANDY PASZTOR and ROBERT WALL European air-safety officials are considering novel steps to safeguard airliners from potential military threats in the wake of July's downing of a Malaysia Airlines jet, but some proposals are provoking controversy among other countries. The safety discussions follow the death of 196 Dutch citizens and 102 victims from other nations in the presumed shootdown of Malaysia Flight 17 by a high-altitude antiaircraft missile over eastern Ukraine. Propelled by intense public demands for action in the Netherlands, Dutch authorities are pushing to create a first-of-its-kind passenger notification system-intended to explicitly warn travelers about possible dangers of flights over war zones-according to industry and government officials. Specifics are under debate and the outcome remains unclear. Dutch officials envision that such warnings would be provided to passengers before takeoff, according to these officials. But it remains unclear exactly how or when travelers would receive the notifications. The initial concept sparked strong opposition from international safety experts concerned about unilateral action by the Netherlands or the European Commission. At the same time, the European Aviation Safety Agency, the region's premier regulator, is conducting a detailed safety review in conjunction with military and intelligence groups of recent overflights of various countries by Russian military planes. EASA previously steered clear of military matters, but an agency spokesman said European Union defense officials asked it to investigate the matter more closely. Workers last month loaded debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 on to a truck outside Donetsk, Ukraine, for delivery to the Netherlands. ENLARGE Workers last month loaded debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 on to a truck outside Donetsk, Ukraine, for delivery to the Netherlands. XINHUA/ZUMA PRESS Russia in the past has denied its flights are provocative. The separate initiatives highlight Europe's continued focus on finding new ways to protect passenger planes from the fallout of hostilities on the ground or military maneuvers in the air. The issues are expected to come to a head on Tuesday and Wednesday during closed-door meetings in Montreal, when a task force set up by the International Civil Aviation Organization, an arm of the United Nations, debates recommendations for stepped-up warnings to airlines about airspace hazards. EASA and ICAO, as the U.N. group is known, are seeking extensive security data to provide better guidance to carriers about where it is and isn't safe to fly. The high-level group advising ICAO favors, among other things, more-coordinated sharing of information about hostile threats to commercial aviation world-wide. Members of the task force, according to people involved in the process, also are seeking a compromise that will satisfy Dutch passenger-rights advocates while avoiding disruptions to current ticketing and routing arrangements. RELATED Malaysia Says Intelligence Reports on Flight 17 'Pretty Conclusive' European Air-Safety Body Calls for Improved Information Sharing U.N. Agency Meets to Seek Air-Safety in Combat Zones Dutch officials didn't respond to requests to comment. Spokesmen for ICAO and the International Air Transport Association, the airline industry's top global trade group, have declined to comment on details of the task force's deliberations. Based on preliminary recommendations, the ICAO panel is expected to call for more timely and proactive steps to formally alert carriers when airspace is closed due to identification of antiaircraft missiles or other advanced weapons on the ground. In addition, ICAO already has launched pilot programs to set up centralized clearinghouses of updated information about shifting military threats to airliners. ICAO's policy-making council won't consider any proposals until February and internal plans indicate some of the changes could take many more months-or even years-to implement. Nonetheless, one ICAO document emphasizes "there is significant room for improvement to reinforce and enhance" civil aviation safety with regard to conflict zones. Patrick Ky, EASA's executive director, told a hearing of the European Parliament's transportation committee in September his agency was entirely dependent on U.S. intelligence in assessing the safety of airspace in other regions. Since then, however, the downing of Flight 17 and its aftermath have led EASA to start working more closely with European military and intelligence personnel to develop ways to share relevant security information, according to industry and government officials. "Intelligence services should share information about airspace issues better," Peter van Dalen, a Dutch member of the European Parliament's transportation committee, said. The information should be circulated among security services and all airlines, he said, expressing frustration that some carriers were avoiding Ukrainian airspace before the Malaysian airliner was shot down while others continued flying there. 'Intelligence services should share information about air-space issues better.' -Peter van Dalen, member of European Parliament's transportation committee Traditionally, intelligence agencies have opposed widely sharing information, particularly with companies. That remains a potentially major stumbling block for ICAO's plans. Thomas Windmuller, senior vice president for security at IATA, the airline trade group, said the challenge can be managed through the type of information that is shared. "We don't need to know sources and methods" by which the intelligence was collected, he said. "We need to know what the operational consequences are." Where there are doubts about airspace security, flights should be barred, Mr. van Dalen said. Ukraine had closed airspace below where Flight 17 was cruising, though left the airspace above 32,000 feet clear for airlines to traverse. Partial openings make no sense in an era where "there is so much modern equipment that could be in the hands of insurgents," Mr. van Dalen said. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization last month said flights of Russian bombers have surged recently and that alliance members conducted more than 100 intercepts of Russian aircraft this year. The Russian planes typically don't file flight plans or use transponders, which makes them difficult for civilian air-traffic controllers to detect. Michael Fallon, the U.K.'s defense secretary, said in a recent interview that such flights provocative and illegal. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also urged recently "more transparency and predictability" between Russia and the alliance "to avoid that the crisis spirals into something worse." http://www.wsj.com/articles/europe-presses-for-new-air-travel-safeguards-1417471678 Back to Top Drones in demand: Congress eyes more surveillance craft for Islamic State fight Rep. Duncan Hunter, California Republican and a former Marine combatant in Iraq, said more MQ-1 Predators and the newer, higher-flying MQ-9 Reaper make sense. He said commanders need constant air surveillance to find on-the-move Islamic State fighters. (Associated Press) Congress is blocking the Air Force from retiring next year any of its most famous drone assassins, and is increasing procurement of a second bomb-dropping and surveillance unmanned aircraft. The moves, in a joint defense budget by the House and Senate Armed Services committees, can be seen as a rejection of the Pentagon's limited procurement plans for remotely piloted aircraft, including the storied terrorist-killing Predator and its Hellfire missiles. "The committee believes that we have a deficit of ISR platforms around the world, one that is only going to grow," said Claude Chafin, a spokesman for the House committee. ISR refers to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The committees took action on the fiscal 2015 budget after some lawmakers contended that the U.S.-led coalition is not deploying enough remotely piloted aircraft to battle the Islamic State terrorist army in Iraq and Syria. Rep. Duncan Hunter, California Republican and a former Marine combatant in Iraq, said the U.S. has no combat troops on the ground to eye the enemy, so more RPAs are essential to spying and conducting airstrikes. Congress is increasing the order for more MQ-9 Predator B and other drones to fight the Islamic State. (Associated Press) Congress is increasing the order for more MQ-9 Predator B and other ... more > He said more MQ-1 Predators and the newer, higher-flying MQ-9 Reaper make sense, particularly in this type of fight. He said commanders need constant air surveillance to find on-the-move fighters for the Islamic State. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/7/drones-in-demand-congress-eyes-more-surveillance- a/#ixzz3LJU72gDk Back to Top Boeing Aircraft Launches First Green Diesel Flight The first experiment of using green diesel as fuel in planes has been successful when a Boeing aircraft launched the first flight using this green diesel. The Boeing flight was a test that used sustainable bio fuel made from vegetable oils, cooking oil and fat. Although the green fuel has already been used in trucks and other vehicles, use of green diesel in air crafts is a major breakthrough in the environmental and aviation industry. The technology is going a long way in reducing harmful emissions, protecting the environment and weaning away from fossil fuels. The aircraft company powered its ecoDemonstrator 787 with a blend of 15 percent green diesel and 85 percent conventional jet fuel in one of the engines. The green diesel was supplied by Finnish company Neste Oil and it was blended in the United States by EPIC Aviation. It is expected that sustainable green diesel can minimize the carbon emissions by 50 to 90 percent as compared to regular fuel. The green fuel technology used by Boeing has to go through several rigorous industry and security procedures before it can be used for commercial flights. Green fuel is commonly available and used in ground transportation and this fuel is similar to Hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) in their chemical composition that was approved for aviation use in 2011. With the manufacturing of green diesel, it is expected that it can make the supply of bio fuel available at an affordable price for commercial use. Its wholesale cost at about $3 per gallon is quite close to regular jet fuel. Unlike other types of fuels, green diesel is being produced on a large-scale and it is expected to be at the same price level of conventional fuel when it will be released for commercial aviation purposes. Once the green fuel passes all regularity and security checks, it will be used as a 50 percent blend with regular fuel in air crafts without any modifications to aircraft engines. The same blend of fuel can also be used by airlines and cargo carriers in their trucks and other transportation. It is expected that about 800 million gallons of green fuel will be produced in the United States, Europe and Asia, which can meet the global jet fuel demand by one percent. U.S. commercial aviation and military consumes around 20 billion gallons of jet fuel in a year. According to the chief pilot for New Airplane Product Development, Mike Carriker, the first test Boeing aircraft launch flight with green fuel was as good as with conventional fuel and encountered no issues during the whole flight. This is how Boeing expected the flight to operate with this new type of fuel. Production of green diesel is among a few new top technologies being tested under ecoDemonstrator 787. Other technologies include atmospheric observation equipment of a Japanese project that involves a new aviation system, environmental research and meteorological departments. These projects have been ongoing for many years in which Japanese airplanes have been equipped with sensors to gather greenhouse gas information during the flight. The launch of first Boeing aircraft flight with green fuel has opened a new door of aviation technology. It is in the near future that green fuel will be available for commercial use in air crafts and will be helpful in the reduction of environmental pollution without any extra cost for the aircraft companies and passengers. https://ui.constantcontact.com/rnavmap/emcf/email/create?copyUid=1119373628556 Back to Top Naples Airport Authority hires noise abatement specialist NAPLES, Fla. - The Naples Airport Authority has hired a former New Hampshire airport manager to deal with nearby residents' biggest complaint: noise. Diane Terrill, who headed Laconia Municipal Airport in Gilford for 15 years, has been hired as Naples Municipal Airport's communications specialist for noise abatement, with a yearly salary of $70,720. She will oversee the noise program, respond to residents' noise concerns, promote abatement procedures among pilots, do public outreach and work with the nine-member NAA Noise Compatibility Committee. "This position demonstrates the Airport Authority's commitment to noise abatement and communication with airport users, our neighbors and the public," said Ted Soliday, the airport's executive director. "Finding a candidate with Diane's airport experience and enthusiasm is advantageous, not only for the airport, but also for the community." Airport officials said 39 people applied for the position. Before Terrill became Laconia Airport's manager in 1999 - the state's only female airport manager - she was assistant airport manager for four years and began her career there in 1990, as an administrative assistant, according to her LinkedIn profile. Under Terrill, the airport underwent $15 million in improvements, news reports show. In 2007, the Federal Aviation Administration awarded her a certificate of recognition for her "bold and courageous actions," which ended in the airport receiving the largest single grant - $8 million - ever given to a general aviation airport in that state. She was in charge when Laconia Airport created its Noise Reduction and Good Neighbor policies. Terrill said Laconia is different than Naples due to snow and the short, three-month vacation season at Lake Winnipesaukee, but the aircraft are similar, from home-built to Global Express jets. Terrill, who already met with the Old Naples Association to discuss noise, said she hopes to have a continuing dialogue with airport neighbors. "We will do more community outreach on both sides of the runway," Terrill said Friday. "It's also just a matter of educating the users of the airfield." The Naples airport is home to flight schools, charter operators, car rental agencies, corporate aviation and nonaviation firms, in addition to fire and rescue services, mosquito control, the county sheriff's aviation unit and other community services. Like Laconia, the Naples airport is self-sustaining, using no taxpayer dollars, with funds for operation, maintenance and improvements coming from airport activities, as well as federal and state grants. During the last fiscal year, there were 95,120 takeoffs and landings in Naples. FAA statistics show an average of 120 takeoffs and landings daily in Laconia, compared with 259 in Naples. There are two jets in Laconia, compared with 58 here. Naples, however, has more transient traffic, 66 percent, while Laconia's is 90 percent local. Two years ago, the NAA and its Noise Compatibility Committee launched the "Please Fly Safe, Fly Quiet" campaign to encourage pilots to minimize noise and adhere to a recommended 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. aircraft curfew. It recommended using the full runway length for takeoffs and landings, observing "keep-it-high" landing procedures and quieter departure techniques, adhering to preferred flight paths and minimizing reverse thrust. Signs are posted throughout the airport, brochures are offered and newspapers handed out to passengers have a sticker about the program. An FAA conference years ago held up Naples' airport's creative ways of dealing with noise, Terrill said, adding, "From an outside perspective, these measures are very effective." Noisy, large jets and noise curfew violations are still Naples residents' top complaint. Complaints peaked in 2000, with 1,718, dropping to 121 in 2010 and rising to 369 and 550 in the next two years, according to quarterly reports. There were 480 complaints in 2014 through this June. "The bulk of the noise is jets. There's no question about it," said Alan Parker, who heads Naples Airport Watch, a citizen activist group, with Larry Schultz. "It's just been a long, long struggle for us." "We have great hopes they will try to seek a better balance of community and airport concerns," he added. "That's been our goal all along. The airport is not going to go away." Parker is demanding an FAA Regulation Part 150 noise study be conducted. The last was abandoned in 2010, when Parker and Schultz were on the study's technical advisory committee. The voluntary study evaluates the potential to reduce aircraft noise exposure. The last study completed, resulting in the FAA accepting the bulk of recommendations, was in 1997. "That's nearly 20 years of changes in Naples," Parker said. "Back then, they didn't have many jets. Think about the growth and population in Naples since then. The growth has been incredible all these years." To learn more about airport noise, go to www.FlyNaples.com and click on Noise Abatement. To contact your area's representative or get information about the Noise Compatibility Committee, call the Noise Abatement Office at 239-643-1140. http://www.naplesnews.com/business/local/naples-airport-authority-hires-noise-abatement- specialist_11619622 Back to Top Cyber attacks, drones to impact aviation safety: study There are new risks facing the aviation industry, with the threat of cyber attacks on automated systems and the growth of drones in commercial use posing unique challenges for insurers. "New generation aircraft are highly exposed to cyber crime due to the prevalent use of data networks, onboard computer systems and navigation systems," says Ludovic Arnoux, AGCS's Global Head of Aviation Risk Consulting. "Data breaches and cyber attacks are perceived to be growing risks." This year's aviation disasters contradict the industry's long-term improvement in safety with currently fewer than two passenger deaths for every 100 million passengers on commercial flights, according to a new report by aviation insurer Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE (AGCS). By comparison during an early decade of the jet age (1962-1971) there were 133 passenger deaths for every 100 million passengers. However, the aviation industry's safety management record will be tested further in the future by a number of potential new risk scenarios. These include the increasing likelihood of cyber attacks, greater reliance on automation and the anticipated growth of drones in commercial use, according to AGCS's Global Aviation Safety Study. "Air safety has improved greatly, underpinned by technology, navigation systems, engine improvement and design implementations such as fail-safe design criteria and fly-by-wire control," says Joe Strickland, Global Head of Aviation, Americas at AGCS. "At the same time, the standard of training of crew and safety management have become notably higher. Innovations such as digital message communications systems - enabling pilots and controllers to text each other - are enhancing the aviation safety environment further." The report is published in association with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and charts the improvement in the safety record of the aviation industry from the beginning of the jet age in 1952. Safety drivers The study shows that over the past 60 years skies have become much safer. Today, it is estimated there is more chance of being killed by lightning (1 in 10.5 million) than dying in a plane crash in the U.S. and Europe (1 in 29 million). This is despite growth in the sector, which will see an estimated 3.3 billion passengers fly this year compared with just 106 million in 1960. Top causes of loss Despite the much-improved safety record, the cost of aviation claims is rising, driven by the widespread use of new materials in plane design, as well as ever-more demanding regulation and growth of liability- based litigation. "Today there are fewer fatalities or total hull losses compared with the past," says Henning Haagen, Global Head of Aviation EMEA and Asia Pacific at AGCS, "but new types of risk and losses, such as composite repairs, ground equipment damage or the risk of grounding, are additional drivers of exposure." Increasing fleet values and a rise in passenger numbers is expected to push the value of risk exposure through the $1 trillion barrier by 2020, possibly even earlier. In analysis of large insurance claims in excess of $1.36 million (€1 million), unsurprisingly, plane crashes are the major cause of loss in terms of number of insurance claims generated (23 per cent) and subsequent value (37 per cent). However, almost as many aviation claims by number (18 per cent) relate to ground handling claims and 16 per cent to mechanical failure. Regional gaps in safety While North America and Europe have the best commercial safety records, Africa is the poorest performer. In 2012, 88 per cent of global aviation fatalities occurred in Africa (45 per cent) and Asia (43 per cent). Africa currently uses the highest percentage of second generation aircraft - over 50 per cent of the total fleet analyzed. Upgrading the airline fleet to current generation aircraft is one of the safety initiatives that has lowered the global accident rate. In some parts of Africa, safety and training standards are comparable to those of 50 years ago in the U.S. or Europe. Man versus machine In commercial aviation operations, it is estimated 70 per cent of fatal accidents are related to human error with pilot fatigue a major contributor. Initiatives such as crew resource management and the automated cockpit have improved safety levels, but there are downsides to automation. A number of incidents have raised the question of whether pilots are too reliant on automation in the cockpit. "More focus should be placed on continuous training with pilots flying with and without automation," says Sebastien Saillard, Head of Aviation Claims, AGCS. "Basic airmanship remains essential to safely operate any aircraft if, for any reason, automation is unavailable." Improved safety records also mean many people in the aviation industry have not been involved in a major accident. This lack of experience is one of the biggest problems in emergency response preparation. Other highlights of the AGCS Global Aviation Safety Study include: Accidents by phase of flight: Analysis over 10 years (2003-2012) shows most accidents occur during Descent & Landing (57 per cent), followed by the Climb stage of the flight (24 per cent). Just 9 per cent occur during the Cruise stage. Analysis also shows there is no such thing as a safest seat on a flight, as no two crashes are comparable. Damage from foreign objects continues to be an issue for the aviation sector, with this being the fifth highest generator of insurance claims by number. Bird strikes are a notable cause but incidents on runways with animals such as zebras and cows can also cause losses. Ramp accidents can cost the aviation industry a reported $10 billion a year. Ineffective communication is at the heart of most incidents. Contact between airplanes and ground service equipment accounts for more than 80 per cent of incidents. Future of traffic and safety management: The tragic loss of MH370 highlights the challenges of air traffic management in keeping track of more than 30 million flights a year. Safety requires close cooperation between regulators, airlines and other stakeholders. Innovations such as a cloud-based black box could represent a quantum leap forward, allowing aircraft to stream real-time data about the aircraft systems, which are normally recorded by the on-board black boxes. http://www.ibamag.com/news/cyber-attacks-drones-to-impact-aviation-safety-study-20498.aspx Back to Top Back to Top Aviation Students: Grants Available to Attend 2015 CHC Safety & Quality Summit VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aviation students can now apply for an expenses-paid opportunity to attend the 11th-annual CHC Safety & Quality Summit, through grants which honour a longtime advocate of excellence in aviation safety training. "Integrated Safety Management Systems: Access All Areas." The Dr. Peter Gardiner Student Grant, worth more than C$4,000, covers admission to the summit, a choice of one of the pre-event courses, as well as C$1,500 in hotel and travel reimbursement. This year's pre-event training courses will include "Human Factors Analysis Classification System," taught by Dr. Douglas A. Wiegmann and Dr. Scott A. Shappell and others to be confirmed. The summit, hosted by CHC Helicopter, the operating company of CHC Group Ltd. (NYSE:HELI), is recognized by many as the most important helicopter-safety conference in the world. This year's event will be focused on the theme "Integrated Safety Management Systems: Access All Areas." The 2015 summit will be held March 23-25 at the Westin Bayshore Resort in Vancouver, with pre-summit courses starting March 18. This will be the fifth year Drs. Wiegmann and Shappell, of HFACS Inc., have sponsored a student to participate in the summit, in recognition of Dr. Gardiner. In addition, the Westin Bayshore - the host hotel - has generously matched the grant for a second time, enabling a second student to attend. The late Dr. Gardiner was president and chief executive officer of the Southern California Safety Institute (SCSI). His objective for SCSI was to provide people in aviation with the best possible tools and training, to reduce accident rates and ultimately increase the safety of those that fly. The focus on the human side of aviation safety and the development of safety management systems attracted Dr. Gardiner to the CHC event, where for three years he brought a unique blend of professionalism and humour to the sessions he taught. The student grant is a tribute to Dr. Gardiner's commitment to aviation safety, and is intended to help inspire excellence in aviation students. Students interested in this year's grants must apply and submit a 500-word essay prior by the Jan. 5 deadline. More information about the grants and access to the application are available at www.chcsafetyqualitysummit.com. About CHC CHC Helicopter is a leader in enabling customers to go further, do more and come home safely, including oil and gas companies, government search-and-rescue agencies and organizations requiring helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul services through the Heli-One segment. The company operates about 230 aircraft in approximately 30 countries around the world. Contacts CHC Helicopter SUMMIT Barbara Long, 919-599-6727 Executive Assistant, Safety & Quality summit@chc.ca or MEDIA Liam Fitzgerald, 604-232-8273 Communications Advisor communications@chc.ca Back to Top 60th Annual Business Aviation Safety Summit Scheduled for May 2015 Alexandria, VA - Flight Safety Foundation announced today that the 60th annual Business Aviation Safety Summit (BASS 2015) will be held at the Bonaventure Resort and Spa in Weston, Florida from May 13-14, 2015. FSF summits, including the very successful 67th International Air Safety Summit (IASS) which just concluded in Abu Dhabi, UAE last month, attract attendees from every segment of the industry and feature presentations and panels on the latest safety information as well as topical keynote speakers. BASS 2015 will also include an exhibit hall and numerous sponsorship opportunities in order to increase visibility before and during the meeting. Details about these opportunities can be found on the website at flightsafety.org/bass2015. BASS is traditionally FSF's largest meeting each year with an increasingly large percentage of attendees, exhibitors and sponsors from outside North America. It will provide a forum for the business aviation industry to meet in a collaborative environment to identify safety concerns, devise approaches to reduce risk and implement initiatives to improve safety. The seminar will cover safety, training, practical solutions, management, human factors and other issues concerning the business aviation industry. Contact: Emily McGee, +1 703 739 6700, ext. 126; mcgee@flightsafety.org Flight Safety Foundation (www.flightsafety.org) is an independent, non-profit, international organization engaged in research, education, advocacy and publishing to improve aviation safety. The Foundation's mission is to be the leading voice of safety for the global aerospace community. © Press Release 2014 https://www.zawya.com/story/60th_Annual_Business_Aviation_Safety_Summit_Scheduled_for_May_2015- ZAWYA20141208074625/ Back to Top Airbus looks to claim bigger slice of corporate jet market with 330 Summit Airbus hopes to grab a bigger share of the large corporate jet market with the launch of its wide-body A330 workhorse to customers in the region as the delayed rollout of its successor, the long-range A350, helps Boeing gain altitude over its fiercest rival. With a price tag of less than US$200 million, according to the Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ) chief Benoit Defforge, the A330 Summit can fly between the Arabian Gulf and the US west coast non-stop and features a bedroom with en suite bathroom, an office and a conference and dining room. It can accommodate up to 90 passengers. That compares to a list price of $218m for the 787 business jet from Boeing. "The ACJ330 provides Airbus with a short-term viable corporate jet rival to [the] 787-8/9 Boeing Business Jet [BBJ] until it can devise a longer-term base using the A350 platform," said Saj Ahmad, chief analyst with StrategicAero Research. "Given the pressures on businesses and individuals to be less active in the business jet market, demand for this jet will be piecemeal given that many such jets last for many years and are seldom replaced just because something newer exists." The first 787-8 BBJ - also known as the 787 VIP - was delivered in December last year, a few months after the commercial version was handed over to airlines. Its main feature is its fuel-efficiency, thanks to a composite frame. The first A350 is slated to be delivered to Qatar Airways next week and Airbus has an order backlog for 800 aircraft, leaving corporate clients facing a long wait for a bespoke model. The Middle East is Airbus's biggest market for corporate jets with more than half of its 170 private aircraft sold in the region, primarily Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, it said. The Middle East Business Aviation Association (Mebaa) - which is hosting an industry event kicking off in Dubai today - has predicted that the number of registered aircraft in the region will reach 1,200 by 2020, up from 530 in 2013. However, Honeywell Aerospace said in a late October report that business jet demand from the Middle East and Africa had moved below its historical growth rate of 4 to 7 per cent a year, citing ongoing conflict in the region, lower oil prices and health crises in Africa. The dogfight between Boeing and Airbus for supremacy in the large business jet market is as keen as it is in the commercial sector, with total historical sales of 217 BBJs for Boeing and 178 ACJs for Airbus. However, with austerity still top of mind for most companies, crude sliding 40 per cent since June and the 787 already being delivered to customers, the pressure is on Airbus. "It's a challenging market for everybody but it is a key business tool and allows executives to be more productive," said David Velupillai, marketing director for Airbus Corporate Jets. "Sales are less today than pre-2008 for all manufacturers. Today we would expect to sell 10 aircraft a year, whereas a few years ago we would have sold 15 aircraft a year. The market we are in is cyclical with peaks and troughs. We are driven by economic growth and the prospects for economic growth is good." The global business jet market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 9.4 per cent between 2012 and 2016, accoridng to Mebaa. http://www.thenational.ae/business/aviation/airbus-looks-to-claim-bigger-slice-of-corporate-jet-market- with-330-summit Back to Top Malaysia Airlines picks Aer Lingus CEO to lead overhaul KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysia's government said Friday it has picked Christoph Mueller, the CEO of Ireland's Aer Lingus, as the new head of its beleaguered flag carrier, Malaysia Airlines. He will be the first ever foreigner to head Malaysia Airlines, which was struggling with chronic financial problems before it was further hit this year by two deadly jet disasters. State investment arm Khazanah Nasional, the parent company of Malaysia Airlines, said discussions are ongoing for Mueller to start work before his contract with Aer Lingus ends May 1 but "no earlier than March 1." Khazanah in August announced a $1.73 billion overhaul, which includes delisting the airline by year-end and cut 6,000 workers, or 30%, of its current workforce of 20,000. Mueller will be the CEO of a new company that will be launched in July 2015 to take over the existing Malaysia Airlines business and its reduced staff under the revamp. "It is imperative that we have the best available talent with the expertise and experience to help drive the progress of the restructuring effort further forward," Prime Minister Najib Razak said in a statement. "The government is committed to seeing through the complete overhaul of (the airline) to its successful conclusion." Mueller has been CEO of Aer Lingus since 2009, helping to turn around the Irish airline within a year despite tepid market conditions. Khazanah aims to restore Malaysia Airlines to profitability by the end of 2017 and then relist its shares on the stock exchange by the end of 2019. The airline's business has suffered after a Malaysia Airlines jet with 239 people on board, mostly from China, went missing March 8 while en route to Beijing. No trace of it has been found. In July, a Malaysia Airlines jet was shot down over Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. Last week, in its last public financial result before the privatization and overhaul, the flag carrier said its net loss in the July-September quarter rose 53% from a year earlier to 576.1 million ringgit ($166 million). http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2014/12/07/malaysia-airlines-picks-aer-lingus-ceo-to-lead- overhaul/20066527/ 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: 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 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