Flight Safety Information May 21, 2015 - No. 099 In This Issue Airbus A400M plane crash linked to software fault Germanwings Pilot Suicide Prompts FAA Review of Medical Test International efforts underway to improve aircraft tracking, flight data recovery A330-200 Aircraft under repair (Fiji) FlightSafety Offers Courses for Business Aircraft Passengers Hawker 800 Accident (Colombia) PROS 2015 TRAINING The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award Mirage 2000 fighter jet lands on Yamuna Expressway in trial exercise The Ill-Fated History of the Jet Pack Woodward, GE in joint venture for aircraft fuel systems Gogo Turns to New Tech to Enable Connected Aircraft Ruili Airlines orders 60 Boeing737 MAX aircraft with Chinese lessors Airbus A400M plane crash linked to software fault The A400M cargo plane crashed near Seville airport on 9 May Investigators have found evidence a military plane crash in Spain may have been caused by software problems. The Airbus A400M crashed near Seville, on 9 May, after a failed emergency landing during its first flight. The four crew members on board were killed in the accident. A spokesman for the European planemaker told the BBC that its engineers had since discovered anomalies in the aircraft's data logs that could be relevant to the accident. It has sent out an alert to other air forces that have taken deliveries of the propeller aircraft, saying that they should carry out checks of the Electronic Control Units (ECU) on board. "For practical purposes, these are computers, and there is one on each engine," the spokesman said. "What the ECU does is take the pilot's inputs on the controls and then makes the engines perform in the optimum way to achieve what the pilot is asking it to do, taking a whole number of things into account. "You can conclude that as we've asked for checks to be made on the ECU, that that is the area of interest." A400M funeral He added that problems had only been found after the company's investigators had checked both the maintenance data gathered by Airbus's flight-operations team and the logs that had been generated during ground tests of flight MSN23. "The maintenance data is vast streams of data showing everything going on all over the aeroplane, and one of the things we saw seems as if it could be pertinent to the accident," he said. According to a report by the news agency Reuters, the problem might have been caused by the way the software had been installed rather than an issue with its design. Grounded flights The A400M was created to give Europe's Nato partners independent access to heavy aircraft to transport troops and large weaponry. It was originally budgeted to cost €20bn ($22.3bn; £14.5bn) under a fixed-price contract in 2003. But European defence ministers subsequently had to provide extra funds to Airbus after cost overruns and delays. The first plane was eventually delivered to France in August 2013. But last month's accident means that the countries that have bought the aeroplane - Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Luxemburg, Spain and Turkey - face the prospect of further delays. A400M Other A400m planes have been grounded pending the results of the crash investigation "Until more detail about the cause of the recent A400M crash in Seville is known, the RAF has paused flying of its A400M Atlas aircraft," said a spokeswoman for the UK's Ministry of Defence. "As an A400M operator, the UK MoD has received an Alert Operator Transmission (AOT) from Airbus Defence and Space, informing us of checks that should be made relating to aircraft engine software, and we can confirm that we will carry these out." While Airbus is carrying out its own investigations, the official inquiry into the crash is being led by Spanish defence officials, who were unable to provide more detail. "The competent court has ruled secrecy of judicial inquiries. Therefore [Spain's] MoD won´t comment on any details affecting the course of investigation," said Capt Miguel Gonzalez Molina. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-32810273 Back to Top Germanwings Pilot Suicide Prompts FAA Review of Medical Test Investigators carry boxes from the apartment of Andreas Lubitz, the co-pilot on Germanwings flight 4U9525, on March 26, in Duesseldorf. Authorities believe Lubitz, who was in treatment, hid his medical condition from his employer, according to the release. Photographer: Sascha Steinbach/Getty Images The U.S. government is taking steps that may change the way airlines vet employees for mental illness, a response to the downing of an airplane by a suicidal pilot in France two months ago. The Federal Aviation Administration has created a panel of government and industry officials to recommend ways to improve the evaluation of pilots' fitness to fly. It is one of the most comprehensive reassessments ever of pilot medical rules, said a person familiar with the matter, who wasn't authorized to speak publicly. "We support this," Tim Canoll, president of the Air Line Pilots Association union, said Wednesday in response to questions after a speech in Washington. "When it comes out, we'll have a much better understanding of whether we need to make changes." ALPA, the largest pilot union in North America, is participating in the group, Canoll said. The creation of such panels have led to significant rule changes, including stricter pilot- fatigue standards and training requirements. The committee will focus on how doctors should assess pilots' psychological health, Laura Brown, an FAA spokeswoman, said in an interview. There have been at least seven fatal crashes caused intentionally by airline pilots around the world since 1982, including on March 24 when investigators say a Germanwings co- pilot suffering from depression flew his plane into a French Alps mountainside. The co- pilot, Andreas Lubitz, and 149 passengers and crew were killed. Medical Checks Currently, airline pilots must receive a medical check by an FAA-approved physician at least once a year to ensure they are fit to fly. Once they reach age 40, the check occurs every six months, according to the agency. While there's no direct psychological screening, pilots must fill out a form that asks questions about their mental health and disclose drugs they are taking, including medications for depression. Lubitz passed an FAA medical exam while training as a pilot in the U.S., according to agency records. It's going to be difficult to effectively screen for the dramatic psychotic breakdowns that have led pilots to commit suicide and kill passengers, Philip Scarpa, a physician and former president of the Aerospace Medical Association, said in an interview. "However, there are lot of things we can do," Scarpa said. Standardize Approach Better screening would still have value because too many airline pilots suffer from depression, anxiety and substance abuse issues that can threaten safety, he said. The Aerospace Medical Association, which does scientific research into the fitness and safety of pilots and astronauts, has in the past suggested that FAA-approved doctors ask more questions designed to reveal these conditions. The association's work was prompted by a JetBlue Airways Corp. captain who had a breakdown on a 2012 flight and was locked out of the cockpit. At the same time, regulations and airline policies should allow pilots to reveal these issues without jeopardizing their careers, Scarpa said. "The better we can standardize the approach on this the better we'll be," he said. Privacy Laws In the Germanwings crash, French and German prosecutors have said the co-pilot, Lubitz, was suffering from psychological problems that weren't fully apparent to his employer because of privacy laws designed to encourage people to consult doctors without fear for their jobs. Germanwings is a unit of Deutsche Lufthansa AG. Most U.S. airlines have programs to encourage pilots to voluntarily reveal health issues or to anonymously disclose concerns related to other employees. More than 15 people have been asked to participate in the panel, which the FAA calls an Aviation Rulemaking Committee, said the person familiar with the agency's plans. It includes representatives from airline trade groups, unions, doctors and the FAA. People from the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Air Transport Association, a trade association representing carriers, will also work on the group. FAA Rules The FAA sets rules for U.S.-based airlines as well as for flights by foreign carriers into the country. In addition to pilots, the committee will re-examine the required periodic medical checks for other airline workers, including mechanics, flight attendants and safety inspectors, according to the person familiar with the matter. The FAA disputes that. Brown, the agency spokeswoman, said the scope would be limited to pilots. The panel's recommendations are due by the end of the year, the person said. "It's going to go study it in the way it should with the right people involved," American Airlines Group Inc. Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker, said at an event Friday in Washington, without elaborating on the committee's work. An American Airlines employee is on the committee. Parker and Delta Air Lines Inc. Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson defended U.S. airline pilots during a joint appearance. The major U.S. carriers typically hire pilots with more experience and education than their European competitors, Anderson said. The U.S. also had a policy requiring at least two people in the cockpit at all times. Most nations have adopted the rule since the Germanwings crash. Of the seven intentional fatal crashes since 1982, none have occurred on U.S. airlines. There was at least one non-fatal incident in the U.S., when a FedEx Corp. pilot attacked fellow pilots on a plane in 1994 before being subdued. The industry will do everything possible to ensure a pilot suicide doesn't happen here, Parker said. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-20/germanwings-pilot-suicide-has- faa-rethinking-mental-health-tests Back to Top International efforts underway to improve aircraft tracking, flight data recovery With last year's disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines flight, the international community has proposed steps to better monitor and track planes using existing technologies and improve flight data recovery, but some stakeholders have expressed concerns about the impacts to cost and safety, congressional investigators observed in a new report. The Government Accountability Office did not make any recommendation in its April 16 report (pdf) to the Federal Aviation Administration or National Transportation Safety Board given the international efforts underway. But the report, which was publicly released May 18, said that FAA should ensure that any international standard for aircraft tracking and flight data recovery is consistent with a performance-based approach and implemented uniformly and cooperatively across the world. The GAO report basically provided a rundown of international initiatives different entities have proposed and their assorted challenges. Following the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in the southern Indian Ocean, among other recent accidents, an industry task force called on airlines to provide "automatic position reporting" every 15 minutes or more frequently when triggers like an unusual change in altitude occur, GAO said. Stakeholders said that existing technologies can meet this standard since many domestic aircraft have such equipment, but some organizations may require additional ground infrastructure. However, GAO added that some airlines may face costs to equip aircraft now, although, in the longer term, satellite-based surveillance could provide such global aircraft tracking. Additionally, the International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. agency, has proposed a long-term framework to track aircraft and locate survivors in case of emergencies. That framework includes a proposal for the development of an autonomous distress tracking system that would operate apart from a regular aircraft tracking system. "This system could be automatically triggered by unusual [altitude], speed or acceleration, failure of the regular aircraft tracking system or surveillance avionics, or a complete loss of engine power," the GAO report said. "In addition, the system would operate independently of aircraft power or other systems, and be tamper-proof." Regarding flight data recovery, GAO said that low-cost savings are planned to improve the battery life, from 30 to 90 days, of underwater locator beacons, which transmit a ping to help locate flight records. There are also proposals to develop recorders that would separate automatically before a crash and float, but GAO said some stakeholders have raised issues over safety testing and the high costs to equip aircraft since oceanic accidents are rare. Another proposal is automatic data transmission during emergencies, but some questioned whether that's feasible and raised concerns over data protection. GAO pointed out that stakeholders have expressed concerns that international standards may be prescriptive. Instead, they prefer a more performance-based approach that calls for a voluntary adoption of such initiatives. The report said such an approach provides industry with flexibility especially since technology rapidly changes. "Additionally, the safety record in the National Airspace System may make it difficult to demonstrate that the benefits of new equipage on U.S. airlines outweigh the costs as part of a regulatory analysis," the report added. For more: - read the GAO report on aircraft tracking and data recovery (pdf) http://www.fiercegovernmentit.com/story/international-efforts-underway-improve- aircraft-tracking-flight-data-recove/2015-05-19 Back to Top A330-200 Aircraft under repair (Fiji) A FIJI Airways aircraft involved in a tarmac incident last Saturday has been sent to Australia for damage assessment. The Namuka-i-Lau aircraft was flown to Brisbane on Tuesday afternoon. In a statement, Fiji Airways revealed the aircraft would be out of service for a while. "It's too early to confirm when the aircraft will be back in service," the airline stated. "Our teams are working hard on ensuing flight disruptions and we are grateful to our customers for their patience in the event of delays or schedule changes. "The disruptions will come at a substantial cost to Fiji Airways, but we're unable to confirm what this will be at the present time." The airbus was reportedly damaged after an ATS loader backed into the parked aircraft on Saturday night causing substantial damage. Customers have been advised to contact the airline to check on their flight status over the next two days. The A330-200 Airbus was the second of three aircraft purchased by the airline. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=306580 Back to Top FlightSafety Offers Courses for Business Aircraft Passengers FlightSafety International is offering safety courses designed for passengers of business aircraft called Executive Safe Flight. The courses provide passengers with a basic understanding of aircraft operations and training for a wide variety of emergency situations. They also train on the use of emergency equipment. "FlightSafety's commitment to enhance aviation safety through professional training extends to passengers of business aircraft," said David Davenport, FlightSafety executive vice president. The classes use FlightSafety training devices, including specially equipped corporate aircraft cabin trainers, aircraft crew fire trainers and in-water egress trainers. Courses also include training on the use of onboard emergency equipment such as fire extinguishers, aircraft exits, oxygen equipment, life vests and life rafts. The courses are available at FlightSafety Learning Centers in Long Beach, California; Savannah, Georgia; Teterboro, New Jersey, and at the Paris-Le Bourget airport in France. The centers in Savannah and Teterboro have indoor pools for sea survival training, which includes a cabin egress trainer and a helicopter hoist rescue trainer. In addition, a cabin trainer equipped with a visual system depicts various emergency scenarios in the cabin and cockpit windows for realism in training. FlightSafety also offers an Executive Emergency course but is given at the customer's facility and aboard the customer's aircraft. The location and training are flexible to meet the needs of owners and passengers. http://aviationweek.com/ebace-2015/flightsafety-offers-courses-business-aircraft- passengers-0 Back to Top Hawker 800 Accident (Colombia) Status: Preliminary Date: Wednesday 20 May 2015 Type: Hawker 800 Operator: Unknown Registration: registration unknown C/n / msn: First flight: Crew: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Airplane damage: Damaged beyond repair Location: off ??Puerto Colombia ( Colombia) Phase: En route (ENR) Nature: Illegal Flight Departure airport: ? Destination airport: ? Narrative: An unidentified Hawker 800 jet crashed into the waters off Puerto Colombia, Colombia after being intercepted by a Colombian Air Force plane after illegally flying into Colombian airspace. The aircraft departed had from Venezuela and was bound for Central America. Video footage released by the Colombian Air Force show the Hawker's nr.2 engine on fire as it descended over sea. The aircraft impacted the water and broke up. At the scene of the crash a still undetermined number of packages were found floating. Also the body of an unidentified man was recovered. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top 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 Mirage 2000 fighter jet lands on Yamuna Expressway in trial exercise A Mirage 2000 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force landed successfully on the Agra Yamuna Expressway as part of a trial run on Thursday morning. This trial exercise was to test whether the national highways can be used for emergency landings. The fighter jet soared down the highway and smoothly landed before taking off again. Mirage 2000 fighter jet lands on Yamuna Expressway in trial exercise. IBNMirage 2000 fighter jet lands on Yamuna Expressway in trial exercise. IBN The aircraft landed at about 6:40 AM, senior IAF officers said, adding that the force has plans to activate more such stretches on highways in the future. The IAF has been considering the use of national highways for emergency landing by fighter aircraft. For today's trial, all facilities like make shift Air Traffic Control, safety services, rescue vehicles, bird clearance parties and other requirements were set in place by the IAF. "The operation was conducted in coordination with District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police of Agra and Mathura," an IAF statement said. The aircraft first made a practice approach on the highway coming down to 100 metres before landing on the next approach. IAF officials said such landings can be carried out in emergencies if an active airport is not available under certain circumstances. TV reports had said that this is the first road runway in India, and preparations were being made for emergency landing in strategic areas. Mumbai and Mangalore are also being considered are strategic locations where these landings can happen. The IAF had also been carrying out trial exercises for a couple of days. http://www.firstpost.com/india/mirage-2000-fighter-jet-makes-a-killer-trial-emergency- landing-on-yamuna-expressway-2255606.html Back to Top The Ill-Fated History of the Jet Pack The space-age invention still takes our imaginations on our wild ride From the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center (Carolyn Russo / NASM, SI) First we tried feathers and wax. Then Leonardo specified linen and wood. No matter the mythology or the machinery, the dream has always been the same: We're flying. Floating over fields and cities, unstuck, untroubled, cut loose from the dust. The same dream again and again since we came out of the caves, right through Daedalus and Icarus to Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. This Bell Aerospace rocket belt is the dream made real-albeit updated by science and science fiction. By the late 1950s, Wendell F. Moore of Bell Aerosystems, one of the great crew-cut, pocket-protected engineers at one of the great aviation companies of the postwar jet age, went to the drawing board and came back with the SRLD, the Small Rocket Lift Device, a Commando Cody-style backpack that could carry a single soldier into battle. But only if that battle was about a block away. The limiting factor for every rocket belt is the fuel load. Enough fuel to carry a flier for more than 20 seconds or so was too heavy to lift. That the SRLD worked at all was an engineering triumph. It could fly, hover, turn, go high or low, but could travel only short distances. Still, it was beautiful. Recognizable by its polished fuel tanks and control arms, custom-machined valves and foil-wrapped exhaust nozzles, stainless hoses and fiberglass backboard, it looks like a hot-rod scuba rig. Today, the second one ever built resides in the Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM). A Bell No. 2 rocket belt, also known as a Small Rocket Lift Device, donated to the National Air and Space Museum in 1973. (NASM, SI) It works by sending pressurized hydrogen peroxide through a decomposition catalyst-in this case a series of fine-meshed screens made of silver. The peroxide instantly expands into superheated steam, producing a few hundred pounds of thrust at the exhaust nozzles. These are controlled by the pilot's hand grips. There's no aerodynamic lift; the thing stays aloft through the physics of brute force. It has the glide angle of an Acme anvil. By 1962 the Bell team had a patent, and a flying rocket belt. It flew in trials, in the Pentagon courtyard, in front of President Kennedy. But as soon as you took off, you had to find a place to land. And rocket belts are hard to build, maintain and control, expensive to fuel and relatively dangerous. As a practical matter, they're a failure. But oh man, what a ride! And, NASM curator Thomas Lassman points out, every failure is a kind of scientific necessity, leading away from what doesn't work to what does. "I think there is much historic value in this artifact because it illustrates so clearly a technological dead end," he told me, "and shows us how technological enthusiasm can fail to meet expectations. Such failures are frequent in technological innovation." So your commuter rocket belt isn't around the corner. It was obsolete the day it came out of the shop. It's also not really a belt, but a pack strapped on by a harness. "Rocket pack" would have been best, but somehow the shorthand term "belt" gained currency. Still, the device works-within strict limits- and it speaks to the age of space travel and to the Rocketeer in every one of us. Every so often Bell rocket belts turn up in movies and on television. "Lost in Space," for example, or "Gilligan's Island." The most memorable example likely being the very first, the 1965 James Bond thriller Thunderball. Since then, the handful of packs ever built have made it into civilian hands and become air show mainstays and popular halftime attractions. The belt's appearance at the opening ceremonies of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics remains its peak moment. The crowd on its feet below you, roaring. Those awed and upturned faces! Imagine the fame, the glory, the money! So dreamers and shade tree engineers are crazy about these things. Down in Houston in the mid-1990s, three schemers formed what they dubbed the American Rocket Belt Corporation. Brad Barker engineered it in Joe Wright's workshop. Thomas "Larry" Stanley bankrolled it. They built a rocket belt that extended the time aloft from 20 seconds or so to around 30. But the partnership came apart over money. The belt disappeared. Wright wound up murdered (the case remains unsolved). Barker was abducted by Stanley, who tried to force his hostage to reveal the rocket belt's whereabouts. Stanley ended up in prison. No one has seen the device since 1995. The broad outlines of the dark tale are found in Pretty Bird, a regrettable 2008 movie starring Paul Giamatti. Better to see the Bell rocket belt in the new traveling exhibition, Above and Beyond, opening at NASM in August. Because even in our jaded age, the jet pack still fires the imagination. It's just one more future that never got here from the past. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ill-fated-history-jetpack- 180955294/#VpZrS114Sz5muRqT.99 Back to Top Woodward, GE in joint venture for aircraft fuel systems A GEnx-1B commercial jet engine hangs from the ceiling of a test tunnel at the GE Aviation Test Operations facility in Peebles, Ohio Colorado manufacturer Woodward Inc. says it has launched a joint venture with the aviation unit of General Electric Co. for fuel systems for GE's large commercial aircraft engine lines. The 50-50 joint venture "will design, develop, source, supply and service the fuel system, including components from the fuel inlet up to the fuel nozzle," for GE Aviation's GE90, GEnx and GE9X commercial engines and all future large commercial engines it develops, Fort Collins-based Woodward (Nasdaq: WWD) said in a statement. Woodward said will receive $250 million in cash from GE (NYSE: GE) as part of the joint venture, and the two companies "will participate jointly in the operating results of the respective programs." Woodward said it will be the preferred supplier to the joint venture. Woodward said it will use that $250 million in capital to buy back outstanding shares over the next 12 months. The deal, subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to close near the end of the year. Woodward - formerly known as Woodward Governor Co. - designs, manufactures and services energy control systems and components for aircraft and industrial engines and turbines. Evendale, Ohio-based GE Aviation is the world's largest manufacturer of aircraft engines. "The fuel systems are a key component to GE's advanced technology aircraft engines, and Woodward has a strong reputation in fuel systems development and manufacturing," said David Joyce, president and CEO of GE Aviation. "The joint venture will further strengthen both companies' capabilities and secure a high quality fuel systems supplier for GE's record production volume on large commercial engines." http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2015/05/20/woodward-ge-in-joint-venture- for-aircraft-fuel.html Back to Top Gogo Turns to New Tech to Enable Connected Aircraft Gogo is looking to 2Ku deployment and additional Air-to-Ground (ATG) capacity to enable the connected aircraft and expand revenue capabilities. Speaking at the J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference yesterday, Gogo Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Norman Smagley laid out the In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) provider's plans to drive revenue through their expanding capacity. "The connected aircraft really is the service, the crew, the cockpit and the aircraft itself and that is a tremendous opportunity because it gives airlines the opportunity to reduce maintenance costs and improve their safety record in a number of ways," said Smagley. "The savings opportunity and the safety improvement opportunity is astronomical." The connected aircraft, or an aircraft in which all systems and components can be monitored and that communicates at all times through on-board connectivity, has tremendous application both with airline communications and with maintenance applications, according to Smagley. One of these moving pieces is the crew, for which Gogo launched its Crew Connect service at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany last month. This service will enable the crew to keep in touch with the airline and more effectively handle passenger operations. But there are still plenty of places in the aircraft that connectivity hasn't touched. "What we really want to be is the trusted communications platform to provide all the systems on the aircraft with a way to get the data to not only GE, who made the engine, but the airlines operations groups who's monitoring and doing health checks on the aircraft on an ongoing basis to make sure everything is okay," said Smagley. "So that will take some time." SITA and ARINC's duopoly over the bandwidth and systems capable of providing aircraft health monitoring could throw up a barrier to airlines who wish to equip for enhanced health monitoring and in-flight maintenance tracking, according to the Gogo executive. But Smagley stated firmly that the company will look to break up the duo's hold over the spectrum and provide in-flight health monitoring through Gogo's own system. As trials are launched for its satellite-based 2Ku system this summer, Gogo believes the enhanced connectivity alongside the spectrum they hope to win from the 14 Ghz auction will improve reliability and profitability amongst their offerings, thus enabling the connected aircraft of the future. "Once we get 2Ku deployed in a significant way, we now have capacity to really drive revenue growth so we won't be forced to manage the capacity through price, we can open up the service and price it to drive revenue instead of the opposite," said Smagley. This means the company could see price come down and take rates go up as a result instead of using price to regulate capacity. Through enhanced connectivity applications, the airline could also help its customers, said Smagley. This means that, in the future, a passenger will be able to redirect lost baggage or rebook a connecting flight all while onboard the aircraft. "Think about it in terms of airline-passenger interface. Before you actually get on the plane you have multiple interactions with the airline, you get on the plane you check the schedule you check the fares, you come back, you book the ticket, you come back, you get your boarding pass, and then you go on the airplane at the airport. So, you're sitting in their lap and there's radio silence now, the airline cannot interact with you," Smagley explained. The IFC provider seems to be undaunted by the Proton launch failure earlier in the week, which has postponed the launch of further satellites for Inmarsat's Global Xpress network. Smagley noted that in using a system based on Ku band instead of Ka, the robustness of choices in Ku satellites enables another satellite to easily take its place should one fail, or fail to reach orbit. "As we offload the existing fleets to 2Ku and then upgrade to next gen ATG we'll be able to truly drive revenue because we'll have capacity across all fleets to do that at a fraction of the cost, so it will be a tremendous win for us, both top line and bottom line," said Smagley. Also, as Gogo waits with baited breath for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to issue a report and order for the upcoming 14 GHz auction - originally set to be issued in December and now expected for the end of June - the additional ATG capacity will drive revenue and reliability in the ground side of the business. "In the Ka network that's not the case, they're generally regional players and as Inmarsat tries to launch their global network they are susceptible to this risk, which for them certainly in the short term is a problem," said Smagley. http://www.aviationtoday.com/av/commercial/Gogo-Turns-to-New-Tech-to-Enable- Connected-Aircraft_85064.html Back to Top Ruili Airlines orders 60 Boeing737 MAX aircraft with Chinese lessors Ruili Airlines has ordered 60 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in conjunction with AVIC International Leasing Co. and Minsheng Financial Leasing Co., as part of its domestic expansion plans. The deal is worth CNY38 billion ($6.2 billion) at current list prices. According to Ruili, the carrier will negotiate with the two lessors to partly or wholly use the aircraft on financial or operating leases. The Kunming-based carrier currently operates three aircraft, comprising two Boeing737- 700s and one -800 on seven domestic routes from Kunming to Mangshi, Chengdu, Nanchang, Wenzhou, Beihai, Xi'an and Hohhot. At the end of the year, Ruili plans to expand its fleet to six aircraft on 22 routes with 48 daily departures. By 2020, it plans to operate 24 aircraft on 60-70 domestic routes with 120 daily departures. Launched in May 2014, the carrier is wholly owned by Yunnan Jingcheng Group and has a registered capital of CNY600 million. http://atwonline.com/airframes/ruili-airlines-orders-60-boeing737-max-aircraft-chinese- lessors Back to Top Upcoming Events: 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