Flight Safety Information May 18, 2015 - No. 096 In This Issue Two tires blew out as Alaska Air flight landed at Sea-Tac 1 Marine Killed, Others Injured, After 'Hard-Landing Mishap' (MV-22 Osprey) Japanese Worry Over Osprey Safety After Fatal US Air Crash Officials look into whether hacker really took over plane PIA moot discusses importance of flight safety SEAIR, Skyjet lose air operator certificate on 'safety shortcomings' (Philippines) NTSB begins probe of plane crash that kills family of 4 An-2 Aircraft Feared Shot Down Over Lithuania Air India to invite CPL holders for Airbus as type-rated pilots flunk psychometric test Jet Fuel Driver Arrested After Driving Tanker While Drunk: San Diego Harbor Police The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award PROS 2015 TRAINING Why the US military is designing disposable drones Billionaires Aren't Buying Enough Private Jets Why are fliers avoiding the world's largest airline? Flight Safety Foundation Promotes Flight Data Monitoring; Information Protection Global Training and Development Study Aviation Master of Science at City University London Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) Two tires blew out as Alaska Air flight landed at Sea-Tac SEATAC, Wash. - Passengers have been tweeting about an Alaska Airlines plane's rough landing at Sea-Tac airport overnight. Pictures from Twitter show Flight 601 from Las Vegas on the tarmac after landing just after midnight Monday. Alaska Airlines said two of the Boeing 737's left tires blew after landing. The captain and co-pilot didn't know anything was wrong until pilots on another plane saw smoke. Firefighters sprayed the tires with foam. The plane is being inspected to determine what caused the tires to blow. All 173 passengers on board exited the plane safely. http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/passengers-say-tires-blew-out-alaska-air-flight- la/nmJNG/ Back to Top 1 Marine Killed, Others Injured, After 'Hard-Landing Mishap' (MV-22 Osprey) At Bellows Air Force Station In Hawaii One Marine was killed and others injured Sunday morning after a military aircraft reportedly went down at Bellows Air Force Station in Waimanalo, Hawaii, sending plumes of smoke in the air that could be seen for miles. According to an official statement released by the Marine Corps, the Marine was killed and 21 others were sent to the hospital after an MV-22 Osprey experienced a "hard- landing mishap": One Marine was killed when an MV-22 Osprey from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit experience a hard-landing mishap while conducting training aboard Marine Corps Training Area - Bellows at approximately 11:40 a.m., Hawaii time. Twenty-two Marines were aboard at the time, and all other 21 have been transported to local hospitals for assessment and treatment. The Marines were conducting routine sustainment training at the time. The 15th MEU departed San Diego May 10 on a seven-month deployment to the Pacific Command and Central Command areas of operation. The cause of the incident is under investigation. The Associated Press reports that the injuries sustained by the other passengers ranged from critical to minor. Honolulu fire crews were responding to the "hard landing" just after 11:45 a.m. local time, according to KITV. Witnesses told Hawaii News Now that they saw three aircrafts doing multiple rotations in the sky. Then, the three aircrafts moved lower toward the ground, but only two aircrafts came back up. The news station obtained the below footage of what appears to be the aircraft's hard landing. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/17/bellows-crash_n_7302314.html *************** Date: 17-MAY-2015 Time: 11:00 Type: Bell/Boeing MV-22 Osprey Owner/operator: 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, USMC Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 22 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Bellows Air Force Station, Waimanalo, Oahu, HI - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Military Departure airport: Destination airport: Bellows AFS Narrative: A 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit MV-22 Osprey sustained substantial damage upon impact with Bellows Air Force Station terrain during landing at Waimanalo on the island of Oahu. A post-impact fire insued and one personnel onboard the tilt-rotor aircraft received fatal injuries. The remaining twenty-one personnel onboard received injuries of unreported severity. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Japanese Worry Over Osprey Safety After Fatal US Air Crash TOKYO - A fatal crash of a U.S. Marine Corps Osprey in Hawaii has renewed safety concerns in Japan, where more of the hybrid aircraft are to be deployed. Gov. Takeshi Onaga on the southern island of Okinawa said Monday that flights of Ospreys should be suspended until the cause of the crash is found. The tilt-rotor MV-22 Osprey can take off and land like a helicopter but flies like an airplane. An Osprey caught fire after a hard landing on Sunday at Bellows Air Force Station on Hawaii's main island of Oahu, killing one Marine and sending 21 others to hospitals. "From the (Okinawan) residents' point of view, Osprey deployment is not acceptable to begin with," Onaga told a televised news conference. "The significance of this crash is extremely big. We seek an adequate investigation into the cause and an explanation, and of course eventually demand the withdrawal of Ospreys." Onaga said he plans to demand that the U.S. military suspend all Osprey flights on Okinawa until the authorities determine the cause of the latest accident. The U.S. military says the Osprey is safe but Okinawans have worried that it may be prone to crashes. Anti-U.S. military sentiment is particularly high on Okinawa, home to half of the about 50,000 American troops based in Japan under bilateral security treaty. Many complain about noise and crime linked to U.S. bases on the island. The U.S. operates 24 Ospreys on Okinawa and announced a week ago that 10 more would be deployed to Yokota Air Base near Tokyo beginning in 2017. The first three are to arrive in Yokota in the second half of 2017, with the remainder to be deployed by 2021. The announcement immediately prompted opposition from Japanese residents near the base, with dozens protesting over the weekend. Separately, Japan's Defense Ministry plans to buy 17 Ospreys for deployment at Japanese Self-Defense Forces bases over the next few years, although the exact locations have not been released. The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency in early May announced the State Department has approved a possible sale to Japan of V-22B Blok C Osprey aircraft and related equipment and logistical support for an estimated $3 billion. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a regular news conference Monday that he believes the aircraft is safe, but asked the U.S. side to promptly provide information about the accident. Officials from six municipalities near the Yokota base have demanded the Japanese government do more to provide information about the aircraft and the accident. Ospreys on Okinawa are deployed at the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, which is at the center of a longstanding relocation dispute. Tokyo and Washington agreed in 1996 to relocate the base, which is now in a densely populated part of the island, to another location on Okinawa to address safety and nuisance complaints. Many Okinawans want Futenma moved completely off the island. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/japanese-worry-osprey-safety-fatal-us- air-crash-31116824 Back to Top Officials look into whether hacker really took over plane SAN FRANCISCO - U.S. authorities are probing whether a computer security expert was actually able to hack into the computer system of a plane he flew aboard and cause it to bank sideways for a brief time. Chris Roberts, a well-known cybersecurity researcher, had previously alerted authorities to what he said were security flaws in several common airliners. He told FBI agents in April that he had hacked into the in-flight entertainment systems on numerous planes and, in one case, made a plane briefly fly sideways by telling one of the engines to go into climb mode. Senior law enforcement officials said Sunday that no evidence gathered thus far suggests that such a capability, as outlined by Roberts, exists. The official was not authorized to speak publicly. "While we will not comment on specific allegations, there is no credible information to suggest an airplane's flight control system can be accessed or manipulated from its in flight entertainment system. Nevertheless, attempting to tamper with the flight control systems of aircraft is illegal and any such attempts will be taken seriously by law enforcement." Roberts did not respond to requests for comment, but did tweet on Saturday that he's been advised to keep quiet on the topic. "There's a whole five years of stuff that the affidavit incorrectly compressed into 1 paragraph....lots to untangle," he tweeted. Roberts told Fox News in March that he knew how to "take planes out of the sky" by hacking into their entertainment systems. The FBI filed an affidavit in a New York court for a warrant to search Roberts computers April 17, first reported by a Canadian news service on Friday. http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/2015/05/18/officials-look-into-whether-hacker-really- took-over-plane/27518959/ Back to Top PIA moot discusses importance of flight safety KARACHI: Air travel is a common means of travel today. However, with air travel attached with various aspects of flight safety, this is a subject that invites the attention of experts and common travelers alike. A very interesting seminar on flight safety was recently held by the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) where local and foreign professionals discussed what flight safety is all about and how safety hazards can be countered. The Pakistan International Airlines has been taking many initiatives with regard to flight safety that have contributed to the improvement of aviation safety in the region and worldwide. Nasser N Jaffer, chairman of PIA, said: "We need to chalk out strategies, so PIA and other operators from Pakistan can provide safety education not only to Pakistan but to the regions, such as the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia and Africa." Jaffer emphasised the need to apply the airline's experience and qualifications in raising awareness about the flight safety. While it is a fact that PIA has one of the best safety records in the industry, it continues to be concerned about the industry's safety aspects and is willing to take positive steps in establishing high aviation safety standards. Frank Del Gandio, president of International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) appreciated this approach. He has lauded the steps that PIA has taken in furthering flight safety standards and the positive role it has played in the region. Multi-tasking is a key aspect of a pilot's job, whether flying a military plane or a civilian aircraft. It is a function that needs to be fulfilled with full responsibility and dexterity by pilots because it contributes greatly to maintaining the flight safety. The pilot needs to be fully organised in the multi-tasking environment of the flight cockpit because the effectiveness and management of flying tasks is visible in the attitudes, processes and procedures that the pilot undertakes to ensure safety during a flight. The crash of a Germanwings flight in the French Alps is a horrific incident that defies the expertise of aviation psychiatrists. The impact of the disaster and the loss of innocent lives was discussed at the PIA's safety seminar. The incident was specially mentioned by Air Marshal Saleem Arshad, a former director general of the Civil Aviation Authority and the incumbent president of the Royal Aeronautical Society (Pakistan Chapter). Dr Unaiza Niaz, who is a renowned aviation psychiatrist, further emphasised the importance of the sound mental health of air crew. Since she has a long experience with PIA in the practice of aviation medicine, her views quite comprehensively brought out the key aspects of aviation psychiatry with reference to maintaining flight safety standards. She stressed that since aviation psychiatry is a preventive aspect of medicine, she treated or prevented conditions to which aircrews were particularly susceptible. She termed the human factor as being critical to flight safety. Flying by wire in today's modern airplanes that have 'glass' cockpits is a great boon to pilots. However, to veteran aviators like Captain Johnny Sadiq, who is a renowned pilot and has also served as Flight Check Captain in PIA, flying on auto is not quite what aviation is all about. He is concerned about the fact that today's planes are all auto and the pilots who fly these planes are so used to flying by wire that they cannot fly manually. Capt Sadiq says pilots need to be given proper training in manual flying so that they can deal with emergencies when autopilots (meaning on-board computers) fail and the safety of passengers is unnecessarily compromised. The phenomenon, called Situation Awareness or SA, is an aspect of flying that worries many aviation psychiatrists. One such professional psychiatrist is Squadron Leader Naveed Sultan of the PAF Institute of Air Safety. Situation awareness involves aeronautical decision making (ADM). It is a systematic approach to the mental process used by airplane pilots to consistently determine the best course of action in response to a given set of circumstances. The importance of effective ADM skills cannot be overemphasised. While progress is continually being made in the advancement of pilot training methods, aircraft equipment and systems, accidents do occur. It is therefore considered essential for pilots to have complete, accurate and up-to-the-minute situation awareness. Sultan feels that situation awareness needs to be recognised as a critical condition for successful decision-making across a broad range of systems in achieving flight safety. Maintaining high standards of flight safety has helped save thousands of lives around the world through independent and expert safety guidance. Flight safety issues must be further highlighted and priorities set. This can be achieved by collecting data, sharing information and establishing communications. What is needed is effectiveness in bridging cultural and political differences for the common cause of flight safety. http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-3-318298-PIA-moot-discusses-importance- of-flight-safety Back to Top SEAIR, Skyjet lose air operator certificate on 'safety shortcomings' (Philippines) The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has ordered the suspension of the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) of low-cost carrier South East Asian Airlines International Inc. (SEAIR) and leisure airline Magnum Air Inc. (Skyjet) for "various safety shortcomings." The decision was based on a report by the European Union Assessment Team on the observations and data from an assessment visit on April 16-24 . In a letter to SEAIR President Avelino Zapanta and Magnum Air official Capt. Teodoro Fojas, CAAP said both airlines failed to meet the rules and standards prescribed under the Philippine Civil Aviation Regulations (PCAR). The results of the assessment visit and the CAAP investigation point to the need for both airlines to apply proper and immediate "corrective actions," CAAP Director General William Hotchkiss lll said. According to the CAAP letters, the EU team gathered 15 observations on SEAIR's operations that include management structure, safety management system, accident prevention and flight safety program, and flight data management. In the case of Magnum Air, the EU team reported eight observations covering flight data monitoring, quality assurance, and airworthiness and maintenance control. The suspension will remain in effect until CAAP is assured that the airlines made the necessary changes to comply with aviation safety standards. SEAIR is the second oldest airline brand in the Philippines founded in 1995. Focusing on leisure travel, the airline pioneered commercial flights to Boracay via Caticlan and Busuanga in Coron, Northern Palawan. It also opened up Batanes to the tourist market and provided uninterrupted access to domestic locations such as Jolo and Tawi-Tawi. Magnum Air has dubbed itself as the "country's first boutique leisure travel" airline. It started operations in December 2012, and offering flights from Manila to Batanes, Coron in Palawan, Boracay, Kalibo, and Baler. It uses a fleet of the 80-seater British Aerospace Jet BAE-146 series 100, the same aircraft used by the British royal family. http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/489222/economy/companies/seair-skyjet- lose-air-operator-certificate-on-safety-shortcomings Back to Top NTSB begins probe of plane crash that kills family of 4 SAN ANTONIO - The National Transportation Safety Board has begun investigating the cause of a plane crash in Comal County that killed a family of four Saturday. Pilot Scott Galloway, his wife, Heather, and their two children Clayton and Cheyenne died in the crash at Strutty's Feed and Pet Supply Store on Highway 281 near Spring Branch, north of San Antonio. The plane had taken off around 12:30 p.m. from Kestrel Air Park, according to a spokesperson from the Federal Aviation Administration. NTSB spokesperson Ed Malinowski said Sunday morning's storm delayed the investigation but once the rain stopped, they were able to go through and start collecting evidence. Malinowski said Galloway's aircraft, a Piper PA-24 Comanche, did not have a flight data recorder on it. He said investigators are looking into the wreckage and background of the four-seat, low-wing aircraft as well as Galloway's background. Representatives of Piper Aircraft, the plane's manufacturer, and the FAA were also at the crash site Sunday. "We're looking to gather everything from witness marks, how the airplane impacted the ground at an angle, where the burning did occur during the ground impact fire," Malinowski said. Tina Platt, an area resident who came by the site, said, "Even if you didn't know the family themselves, we know people who knew them, worked with them, who loved them. It impacts us all. There's a heavy dark sadness all over the area today," On the FAA website, it indicates Galloway's plane is owned by Charles Torkelson. Torkelson did not want to talk on camera but said he no longer owns the plane. He said most likely, Galloway did not sbumit the registration certificate to FAA. Torkelson said he sold the plane more than a year ago and did not have any issues with it when he owned the aircraft. He said when he owned it, a mechanic doing an annual inspection accidentally ran it into a hangar. He said the insurance settlement indicated that it was a total loss and the insurance company sold it to a salvage company called Wentworth Aircraft in Minnesota. Torkelson said it ended up being sold to someone in Pleasanton, Texas. Then, that person sold it to Galloway. Torkelson said he saw Galloway fixing up the aircraft at an airport in Castroville. He said after talking with Galloway, he could tell he was an experienced mechanic. Though, he didn't know how long Galloway had been flying. Malinowski said the NTSB will post a preliminary report on the cause of the crash on its website in five or six days. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/05/18/ntsb-begins-probe-of-plane- crash-that-kills-family-of-4/27518493/ *************** Date: 16-MAY-2015 Time: ca 12:30 Type: Piper PA-24-260B Comanche Owner/operator: Registration: N9032P C/n / msn: 24-4494 Fatalities: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Spring Branch, east of Kestrel Airpark (1T7), San Antonio, Texas - United States of America Phase: Initial climb Nature: Departure airport: San Antonio-Kestrel Airpark, TX (1T7) Destination airport: Narrative: A Piper PA-24 was destroyed when it impacted a parking lot on Highway 281. The airplane was consumed by the post impact fire and the four occupants onboard received fatal injuries. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top An-2 Aircraft Feared Shot Down Over Lithuania A Soviet-made An-2 aircraft has gone missing in Lithuanian airspace and its two pilots have gone missing as a result of what the plane's owner said was a possible shooting down of the craft. A Soviet-made An-2 (NATO reporting name "Colt") aircraft is feared shot down after it went missing in Lithuanian airspace while it was en route from Sweden to Lithuania on Saturday. Lithuania has been ramping up air defense efforts in response to what it alleges are airspace violations by Russian planes. The aircraft's two pilots, both of whom have over 40 years experience flying, are missing. "I know that they were in Lithuanian airspace and were in contact with Palanga Airport, but then the signal disappeared. Maybe the plane got shot down, maybe something else," the head of Klaipeda Airlines which owns the plane told Delfi. Lithuania Says 2 Russian An-22 Escorted by NATO Jets Were Flying According to Agreed Plan The company bought the Soviet-made plane in Sweden and was transporting it to Lithuania for agricultural use. A Lithuanian navy helicopter has been searching for the missing craft, but was unable to find it and rescue ships have continued the search. The country has asked its neighbor Latvia for assistance. http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150517/1022238415.html#ixzz3aUhk0mjS Back to Top Air India to invite CPL holders for Airbus as type-rated pilots flunk psychometric test Air India is now looking for holders of a commercial pilot licence, not specialising in a particular aircraft type, to fill the vacancies, a senior Air India official has told FE. After rejecting nearly a fourth of its candidates - type-rated pilots certified to fly Airbus - invited for the 'senior trainee pilot' post on the grounds that they failed the psychometric test, Air India is now looking for holders of a commercial pilot licence, not specialising in a particular aircraft type, to fill the vacancies, a senior Air India official has told FE. The airline, which has a mandate to hire 197 pilots for its Airbus fleet, had earlier invited only type-rated pilots for the vacancies. About 260 candidates made it to the first round of a simulator proficiency test, and 160 of them were chosen for an interview and psychometric test, the final hiring step. The carrier finally selected 78 pilots after they successfully completed the final round. Type-rated pilots are those certified to fly a certain aircraft type, which requires training beyond the scope of the initial licence. "The airline will now invite holders of commercial pilot licence (CPL) for the vacancies in its airbus fleet. It will begin advertisements for it by the beginning of next month," the senior official said. However, CPL holders who participate in the recruitment process will have to face a tougher interview schedule. While the type-rated pilots had to complete a simulator proficiency assessment check (SPAC) and an interview that included a psychometric test, the CPL holders applying for the position will have to undergo four rounds of interviews and tests. This will include a proficiency test, psychometric test, aptitude test and finally an interview. "The plan was to hire at least 10 commanders and fill the rest of the vacancies with type-rated pilots. However, we couldn't get commanders to join us. Now we will give an opportunity to CPL holders to fill the required vacancies," the senior official said. The national carrier, one of the first in the world to include a psychometric test in the process of hiring pilots, is contemplating regular psychometric tests for existing pilots after the recent incident of a Germanwings co-pilot crashing his flight deliberately into the French Alps, killing all 150 on board. Air India currently has 1,464 pilots in its ranks while its fleet consists of about 110 aircraft. "The regulator (DGCA) is currently framing guidelines to check the mental health of pilots so that incidents like Germanwings don't occur in India. However, the airline is also considering the idea to frame its own rules, tests and guidelines if DGCA doesn't come out with its guidelines quickly," the official said. Currently, pilots at commercial airlines are not under compulsion to take psychometric tests even though they have to undergo medical checks, which include complete examination of eye, ear, nose, throat, heart (ECG), every six months. A complete body check is also conducted for pilots every two years, which includes an ultrasound scan of all vital organs and a treadmill test. "The mental health of pilots is extremely important to us. The recent incident has proved that we can't take the matter lightly," the senior official added. http://www.financialexpress.com/article/companies/air-india-to-invite-cpl-holders-for- airbus-as-type-rated-pilots-flunk-psychometric-test/72937/ Back to Top Jet Fuel Driver Arrested After Driving Tanker While Drunk: San Diego Harbor Police Harbor Police say 56-year-old James Stewart was arrested with a blood alcohol content of .24, three times the legal limit. A jet fuel driver is facing a drunken driving charge after being arrested in April at the San Diego International Airport while trying to fuel a plane, Harbor police said. NBC 7 Investigates' Wendy Fry reports. (Published Wednesday, May 13, 2015) A jet fuel driver is facing a DUI charge after he was arrested at the San Diego International Airport while trying to fuel a plane, Harbor Police said. James Stewart, 56, was arrested in April with a blood alcohol content of 0.24, three times the legal limit to drive a vehicle. "He was there to fuel an aircraft, and that's when he had gotten out of the vehicle, and he was walking around, and that's when the ground service workers thought there was something wrong with him," Harbor Police Lt. John Forsythe said. A port spokeswoman, who declined to do an on-camera interview, said Stewart is a contractor for the Airport Authority. ASIG, the company he works for, did not return multiple requests for comment. Messages left on Stewart's phone were also not returned. Forsythe said it was fellow ground service crews who noticed Stewart's odd behavior around 10 p.m. on April 16. "And they called the supervisor for the fuel truck drivers who responded immediately and talked to their employee and determined that they were probably under the influence of alcohol they immediately called the Harbor Police Department that responded," Forsythe said. A Harbor Police official said the danger of operating the highly-flammable jet fuel tankers while intoxicated is obvious. Forsythe said all 7,000 airport employees are trained in safety measures. "Our employees at the airport are really vigilant," Forsythe said. "And trained to let us know; call the Harbor Police if there's anything unusual or suspicious or anything out of the ordinary that may present a danger to the traveling public or the contractors or employees. They called us right away and we were able to make the arrest and this gentleman will have his day in court." The Airport Authority sent the following statement about the incident: "Ensuring a safe and secure environment for airport passengers, employees and contractors is always our top priority. Vigilance by everyone who works at the airport is one of the reasons this incident was spotted, reported and dealt with expeditiously. This was an isolated incident and there were no safety impacts to the traveling public or airport operations. More than 7,000 employees and contractors are badged to work at the airport. All badged employees and contractors must undergo and pass a rigorous background check in order to work at the airport. We don't take this type of incident lightly. All employees and contractors are bound by the Airport Authority's safety, security and personal conduct codes, as well as all federal, state and local laws." The City Attorney's office is prosecuting the DUI charge. Stewart is scheduled to be arraigned on May 29. http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Jet-Fuel-Driver-Arrested-After-Driving-Tanker- While-Drunk-Harbor-Police-303676521.html#ixzz3aUZbDWBo Back to Top The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award It's time to honor individuals or groups that have made significant contributions to aviation safety-either in the past year or over a longer period of time. Nominations for the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award are being accepted through June 1, 2015. The release contains detailed instructions, but the basics are simple. The award's recipient is selected for a "significant individual or group effort contributing to improving aviation safety, with emphasis on original contributions," and a "significant individual or group effort performed above and beyond normal responsibilities." To nominate someone or a group, fill out the form available at the following links and provide a 1-2-page narrative. Submit nominations at the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award website via http://ltbaward.org/the-award/nomination-form/ ...or the Flight Safety Foundation website at http://flightsafety.org/aviation-awards/laura-taber-barbour-air-safety-award Remember--this year's nominations are due on or before June 1. Thank you in advance for your nomination! Sincerely, The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award Board www.ltbaward.org Back to Top Back to Top Why the US military is designing disposable drones Will single-use drones change the way the military uses remote technology? US military scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory have created a drone that can locate enemy submarines, detect tornadoes, and record conversations - all while being small enough to fit in your hand. Named after the cicada - an insect that spends years underground before reappearing suddenly in great numbers to reproduce and then die - these drones are meant to work in swarms. "The idea was why can't we make UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) that have the same sort of profile," Aaron Kahn a flight controls engineer at the Naval Research Laboratory, told AFP. "We will put so many out there, it will be impossible for the enemy to pick them all up." Recommended: Are you smarter than a US Marine? Take the recruitment quiz The design of the Cicada, short for Covert Autonomous Disposable Aircraft, is simple. With only about 10 individual parts and no motor, it is programmed to glide to a specific set of GPS coordinates after being dropped from an aircraft or a larger drone. The Cicada has the advantage of being quieter than most drones, since it has no engine or propulsion system and although it does not fly, it hits its target a high level of accuracy. In a test conducted three years ago, Cicada drones were dropped from 57,600 feet and still landed within 15 feet of its target. Its simplicity also makes it inexpensive to build. Prototypes cost just $1,000 to build, and Khan believes the cost could drop as low as $250. In flight tests, the Cicada has been equipped with sensors that send back weather readings for temperature, air pressure and humidity, but its designers intend for it to have military applications as well, including sensing enemy submarines or eavesdropping on enemies. "You equip these with a microphone or a seismic detector, drop them on that road, and it will tell you 'I heard a truck or a car travel along that road.' You know how fast and which direction they're traveling," Kahn said. While many a hobbyist has attached their GoPro to their personal drone, the Cicada will, for now, not be equipped with a video camera. These drones are designed with the understanding that they will not necessarily be recovered, and retrieving video from a drone remotely requires too much bandwidth, according to researchers. Despite their size, these drones can handle a lot of wear and tear. "They've flown through trees. They've hit asphalt runways. They have tumbled in gravel. They've had sand in them," Daniel Edwards, an aerospace engineer at the Naval Research Laboratory, told AFP. "They only thing that we found that killed them was desert shrubbery." Until the Cicada drones are ready for deployment in military operations, they may be used to aid meteorologists in collecting the temperature readings used to predict tornadoes. Unlike the current sensors, which are confined to the ground, the Cicada can take temperature readings from the air and provide more accurate data. http://www.csmonitor.com/Technology/2015/0517/Why-the-US-military-is-designing- disposable-drones Back to Top Billionaires Aren't Buying Enough Private Jets Economic turmoil in Russia and the slowdown in China have together claimed another set of victims: Canadian aircraft workers. The problem this time is that billionaires in those countries and in Latin America aren't buying enough private jets. From a press release issued this morning by Montreal-based Bombardier: Bombardier Business Aircraft confirmed today that current economic conditions and geopolitical issues in some market regions, such as Latin America, China and Russia, have impacted order intake levels industry-wide. As a result, Bombardier Business Aircraft will reduce its production rate for Global 5000 and Global 6000 aircraft. This will mean 1,750 layoffs, most of them at Bombardier's Montreal operations, but also in Toronto and Belfast, Northern Ireland. Bombardier vies with Gulfstream (a division of General Dynamics) for bragging rights as the biggest maker of what people in the industry call "business jets," with Gulfstream currently slightly ahead in revenue. Trailing well behind those two are Cessna (a division of Textron), Dassault and Embraer. These companies are quite aware that billionaires are a big part of what makes the private-jet business go. This is from Bombardier Business Aircraft's annual market forecast, issued last summer: It could be that this chart, with its misspelling of "billionaire," is the source of Bombardier's problems. "You cannot even spell what I am," I can hear some Russian oligarch saying. "Why should I buy your stupid jet?" Actually, that's probably not it. But selling to oligarchs has definitely become an issue. Reports Bloomberg's Frederic Tomesco: "A lot of the oligarchs made their money with oil, and right now oil prices are being challenged," Eric Martel, president of Bombardier Business Aircraft, said Wednesday of Russian jet buyers. "Also, taking money out of the country right now is challenging. All of this put together results in the slowdown we can see now." A broader issue is the shift of the business-jet market from small planes that fit a chief executive officer and a couple of aides to spacious jets that can hold a serious entourage and fly longer distances. Bombardier's Global 5000 "can be configured to seat 17 passengers in complete comfort." With the 6000, that goes up to 19. Rival Gulfstream's G500s, G550s and G650s seat as many as 18. The G650, incidentally, is the hottest business jet of the past few years, and the only one (I think) to have a No. 1 hit sung about it. Bombardier also owns Learjet, the iconic maker of small business jets. Fifteen years ago, Learjet accounted for the majority of the business jets it sold. Since then, though, Learjet sales have plummeted. The same thing has happened to small-jet sales across the industry. As a result, private jet sales are still well below the levels that prevailed before the financial crisis: Thanks to rising sales of bigger, more expensive jets, though, the industry's estimated billings last year topped $22 billion for the first time: A couple of comments here: One is that the business-jet market has clearly grown a lot during the past two decades. Another is that, at $22 billion in revenue, it's still relatively small. Between them, the commercial-aerospace divisions of Boeing and Airbus reported $115 billion in revenue last year. So now we have a business-jet market that is increasingly skewed toward the ultra-high end. This is in part a reflection of the continued growth in income inequality. I don't think there are any signs that this trend is played out. These jets, though, are so expensive that even a billionaire -- or a big corporation -- is unlikely to buy one on a whim. A new Gulfstream G650 will cost you at least $64.5 million. The Bombardier Global 5000 runs about $48 million. It's also been around long enough that there are a lot of used ones on the market, with an average price of $21 million, but that creates its own problems for the manufacturer. This seems to be a business that has both matured and is becoming more sensitive to slight changes in sentiment and/or economic conditions. That's OK if you're Gulfstream, and have a three-year backlog of G650 orders to work through. In an earnings call at the end of last month, General Dynamics Chief Executive Officer Phebe Novakovic said Gulfstream too is seeing fewer orders from Russia, Latin America and China, but because of the backlog won't be cutting production. Bombardier can afford no such luxuries. http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-05-14/billionaires-aren-t-spending- enough-on-private-jets Back to Top Why are fliers avoiding the world's largest airline? How far will travelers go to avoid the world's largest airline? Austin Wolff paid an extra $360 to stay away from American Airlines, flying from Albuquerque, N.M., to Jacksonville, Fla., on Delta Air Lines, on a recent holiday weekend. Why no AA? "It's more a statement toward the overall approach to customer service," says Wolff, who works for a news organization in Albuquerque. "It's the general apathy displayed by this company." Avoiding American isn't easy. It's in the throes of a merger with US Airways, which will make it the largest airline in the world. With only three legacy carriers remaining in the USA, the number of choices is dwindling. But that's just fueling the anti-American sentiment. Wolff's reason for staying away from American is common. He feels as if the company doesn't care. Wolff says he tried to complain about its service, writing a detailed account of what went wrong on a recent flight. "When I submitted the actual account, the airline's website wouldn't allow it," he says. "I could only use up to 500 characters. That's really what sent me running away." Craig Conroy steers clear of American, too. "I know what I want in an airline," says Conroy, a professional speaker who lives in Pittsburgh. "It's customer service." He goes to great lengths to avoid flying on AA, even when the airline offers a lower price or more convenient route. Conroy would rather make a stopover in Cincinnati, Atlanta or Chicago with Delta Air Lines or United. He even prefers to fly on Southwest, despite its one-class configuration that deters some business travelers. Conroy says he'd forfeit the ability to collect enough frequent-flier miles for elite status - that's how badly he wants to avoid the airline. What could possibly stir such strong feelings among air travelers? A look at American's customer satisfaction scores and complaint numbers reveals one possible answer: Some passengers don't like it. American scored a 66 out of 100 points in the latest American Customer Service Index, unchanged from 2013. That's 5 points below the industry average. The Department of Transportation received 3,083 service complaints about American Airlines in 2014, up 546 from the previous year. It's the third most-complained about airline, behind United Airlines and Frontier Airlines. American acknowledges that it can do better, and says it's trying. "This year, our customer relations teams have worked around the clock through an extremely difficult winter and the complaints that come with that," says Joshua Freed, an American Airlines spokesman. "We answer every complaint - most within a couple of days, and each one is categorized so our executives can see where the problems are, and fix them." But industry-watchers aren't impressed by its efforts. "American Airlines proves the adage that customers will only put up with so much rudeness and discourtesy before they respond," says Harlan Platt, a finance professor at Northeastern University. The complaints aren't all related to the weather. They're the result of airline policies, a changing corporate culture and, of course, the ongoing merger between US Airways and American. In March, American combined its loyalty programs without incident. Now, they are aligning company rules and. later this year, the carriers will combine their reservations systems, often the most difficult part of any airline combination. In a sense, having people say they're avoiding American doesn't really matter. The fact is, they're not. The airline just reported a record quarterly profit of $1.2 billion, triple its year-ago net profit, excluding a special credit. With earnings like that, which are the result of lower fuel costs, higher fares and cutting capacity after the merger, who needs happy customers? But that some are writing off American should worry the airline in the long term, say experts. That's because, while there may be fewer airlines, people still have options. If too many people try to avoid American, that could be a problem - and, perhaps, a reason to up the airline's customer-service game. "Actually, most Americans still have a reasonable number of choices when it comes to air travel," says Seth Kaplan, editor of Airline Weekly. "Even if it's fewer choices than they once did." How to avoid an airline * Cast a wide net. Check out alternate airports near a hub city. Chicago O'Hare, for example, is home to airline hubs for American and United, but head over to Midway and you can also find a hub for Southwest Airlines. * Consider alternate transportation. Trains offer a competitive product with East Coast shuttles. But buses are growing at an impressive pace, too, and can often get you to your destination in about the same amount of time that it takes to check in, go through the TSA line, wait for your flight and fly. * Move. In some cities (Philadelphia, Dallas) American is so dominant that it's almost impossible to avoid, particularly if you're flying internationally. Ditto for other airlines in certain places. If you feel so strongly about staying away, you may have to relocate. http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/advice/2015/05/17/american-airlines-customer- service/27360549/ Back to Top Flight Safety Foundation Promotes Flight Data Monitoring; Information Protection The Flight Safety Foundation is back at EBACE 2015 with updates on some of its most recent focused activities. Founded in 1947, FSF (Booth E095) is an independent, non- profit international organization focused on research, education, advocacy and publishing-all dedicated to improving aviation safety at all levels. This year, FSF's senior director, business development and membership Susan Lausch will be here in Geneva promoting several top-of-mind programs and initiatives for EBACE visitors and participants. At the head of the list is FSF's Global Safety Information Project. A pet project of Peter Stein, chairman of FSF's business advisory committee, the project aims to leverage the benefits of expanded flight data monitoring (FDM). The principles of FDM center on collecting hundreds of parameters of flight data collected from flight data recorders, distilling the information and making it available to participating members for their own analysis. "We're urging more business aircraft operators to contribute data via FDM recorders and share their data for the greater good," said Stein, who is passionate about the programs potential to improve business aviation safety "We're trying to catch up with the airlines on FDM," said Stein, explaining that the concept began in the 1970s, when airlines first used the hundreds of parameters of data from flight data recorders to evaluate their flight operations. Using information gleaned from airline fleets enabled management to identify operational issues. "The trend in aviation systems is toward proactive rather than reactive systems, and flight data management programs fit right into that scenario," said Stein. So how can data monitoring help? The collected information includes data on engine performance, navigation, airspeeds, bank angles, altitudes, climb-and-descent rates, cabin environment and much more. FDM can be useful for maintenance providers, as well. They can note trends in engine and systems anomalies, incidents of flap overspeeds (flaps being extended at excessive airspeeds), etc. Airlines were able to process information on incidence of unstable approaches, sometimes defined differently by each operator, but involving excessive bank angles at low altitude, high sink rates close to the airport elevation, etc. Stein is quick to point out that the FDM project is not meant as a program to catch wayward cockpit crews in mistakes. In fact, the data is meant to be "de-identified" early in the collection and collating process. "The idea is to look for trends," said Stein, enabling operators to gauge their own data as compared with industry standard. Initially skeptical, airline pilot unions no longer object to FDM principles, said Stein. And there are other tangible benefits. For example, FDM data revealed an unusual number of unstable approaches to the airport in Savannah, Georgia. Upon investigation, officials found that a nearby military operating area topped at 4,000 feet, requiring a steep descent. After negotiation, air traffic control was able to lower the MOA crossing altitude to 3,000 feet, and the unstable-approach issue at dissipated. Stein and the FSF have a strong position on retaining protection for those who participate in the FDM program, and in fact, for those who participate in any of the safety reporting programs around the world. The FSF's Safety Information Protection initiative is aimed at defending the anonymity of the sources of safety information. Stein emphasizes the emphasis is not on providing protection from certification action against offending pilots and other personnel (the so-called "get out of jail" card), but rather, to protect the data from being used in civil litigation. The FSF official cited the example of the Comair takeoff crash in Lexington, Kentucky in which the crew took off from the wrong runway at night, resulting in a fatal accident. In the resulting civil law suits that followed, plaintiffs' attorneys were successful in making public Comair's accumulated voluntary safety reporting information. "It is vital to protect this information. The Comair case had a chilling effect on the data-reporting network," he said. Without state protection, he explained, the ability to motivate crews to self report is heavily compromised, and each incidence erodes the system that much further. Here at EBACE, one of Lausch's missions is to educate and promote state protection of flight data monitoring information. FSF counsel Ken Quinn sits on the ICAO task force producing documentation on amending practices "to include stronger language on protecting safety data," said Stein. The ultimate goal is to "send a strong message to nation states to implement protection of safety data into law," he continued. http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2015-05-17/flight-safety- foundation-promotes-flight-data-monitoring-information-protection Back to Top Global Training and Development Study Be a part of a doctoral study about the experiences of multicultural learners in a corporate classroom setting. The purpose of the study is to explore the student's opinion of learning in a corporate training course using English instruction. This research is intended to understand if different teaching methods are needed to help increase the multicultural learner's understanding of course content. A focus group discussion will be held with study participants to ask their opinions. Who may be eligible? * Identify as Hispanic * Speak Spanish and English * Attended a formal training class at your employer within the past 6 months * Live in the Dallas, Texas area What you will be asked to do? * Participate in a group discussion with several other people * Discuss your personal classroom experience * Commit to about 1 hour of time for the group interview * Agree to be contacted after the group interview, if necessary Compensation You will receive a $10 gift card for your participation. If you have any question or are interested in participating, please contact: April Toussaint, study researcher and doctoral candidate (Northcentral University) Email: A.Toussaint9415@email.ncu.edu / Phone: 972-827-7450 Dr. Timothy Delicath, dissertation committee chair (Northcentral University) Email: tdelicath@ncu.edu The study is for research only and does not involve treatment of any kind. Back to Top Aviation Master of Science at City University London For many Executives, the aviation management career begins with a master's degree from City Over the last 15 years, City University London's Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering has educated over a thousand students to attain one of its three distinctive and highly sought-after Master of Science (MSc) degrees in Air Transport Management, Air Safety Management and Aircraft Maintenance Management. There are a wide variety of elective modules from which all students on either of the three programmes can freely choose from. The MSc programmes are very popular because they can be fitted around a full time work schedule which can be interrupted by career moves such as a First Officer being promoted to Captain. City's MSc modules are offered at the London City Campus, at the DIFC Dubai facility, in Bahrain and in Frankfurt, Germany. Prospective students can apply online at any time of the year. These Master courses are specifically designed for Aviation professionals, who hold a professional aviation license, have a minimum of 2 years industry experience and are currently employed in the aviation industry. Fluency in written and spoken English and two references are also required, but no prior Bachelor degree. Beginning with the new academic year 2015/16, entry into one of the three MSc programmes will be enhanced by a new induction workshop in which all students of one calendar quarter take part in a three-day workshop acquainting them with higher education skills, the essentials of academic study and guidance for successfully obtaining a City MSc degree. Students will also be introduced to administrative support officials, industry experts and alumni. The new group of students will be expected to elect a class spokesperson who will articulate the coherent interests and values of that class. The first third quarter induction workshop will be held at City University London in September and the fourth quarter induction workshop will take place at City's DIFC facility in Dubai in November. The induction workshop will conclude with a paper in which each new student is expected to write about what his or her industry will be like in the future. After undergoing the induction, the student can then proceed to select one of the three MSc degree programmes and its three core modules. Every student must also select five elective modules of his/her choice. A module consists of a pre-reading/studying phase at home, a three-day presence phase in one of the campuses (London, Dubai, Bahrain or Frankfurt), followed by assessment tests (written on the third day) and coursework (written at home within six weeks after the presence phase). The induction workshop and the eight modules should take the student approximately two years to complete. This will of course be dependent on the amount of time he or she can devote to their degree programme alongside their professional work commitments. Finally, each student is required to select a topic for an academic research project and write a dissertation about it, supervised by a Senior Lecturer or Professor. City students have over the years addressed many interesting topics in aviation through their dissertations and several have earned distinctions which allow their research to be used by other academics worldwide and become public research documents. The project phase takes between six and nine months; it draws on all of the topics studied in the modules but also comprises a 15,000-word statement proving that each student would have achieved an outstanding postgraduate degree. The culmination is the graduation ceremony at London's prestigious Barbican Centre (graduations are also conducted in Dubai), where both graduands and their professors join in celebration of the academic achievement. All alumni are permitted to retain their City email addresses - the alumni network guarantees an indissoluble bond of connection with the University and fellow/sister graduates. City graduates can be found in the executive ranks of all major airlines, air force corps, aircraft maintenance teams, air traffic control facilities, aviation organisations and regulatory bodies. 473 students are currently enrolled in the Aviation Master Programmes, based in 67 countries around the world, a true global entity for exchanging cultural views on aviation and management. A City aviation master's degree is an inspiring way to acquire an academic qualification alongside a professional aviation license/apprenticeship training, and gives the graduate an excellent toolkit for his/her future career in aviation management. Consider joining us for an elite MSc Degree in Aviation Management (Air Transport/Air Safety/Aircraft Maintenance) http://www.city.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/air-transport-management http://www.city.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/air-safety-management http://www.city.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/aircraft-maintenance-management Back to Top Upcoming Events: Aircraft Accident Investigation - Fire and Material Failures New course offered by BlazeTech Corp. Woburn MA USA 19-21 May 2015 www.blazetech.com IS-BAO Auditing June 10, 2015 Toluca, Mexico https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1710550 Fundamentals of IS-BAO June 15, 2015 CBAA 2015: St. Hubert, Quebec Canada https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659064 IS-BAO Auditing June 16, 2015 CBAA 2015: St. Hubert, Quebec Canada https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659075 Fundamentals of IS-BAH June 15, 2015 St. Hubert, Quebec Canada https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659069 IS-BAH Auditing June 16, 2015 St. Hubert, Quebec Canada https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659079 6th Pan American Aviation Safety Summit June 22-26th Medellin, Colombia http://www.alta.aero/safety/2015/home.php Safety Management Systems Training & Workshop Course offered by ATC Vantage Inc. Tampa, FL August 6-7, 2015 www.atcvantage.com/training Back to Top JOBS AVAILABLE: Operations Director www.helioffshore.org contact: info@helioffshore.org Managing Director, Safety Airlines for America http://airlines.org/careers/ Curt Lewis