Flight Safety Information June 22, 2015 - No. 121 In This Issue Airlines Put Pilots in a Real Spin in New Training Initiative Allegiant Air has second emergency landing this month at St. Pete-Clearwater Singapore Airlines flight from Mumbai makes emergency landing Aircraft tyre bursts during take-off Allegiant Airlines pilots concerned about plane safety Senate Dems would add cargo pilots to rules limiting time flying Portugal Pilots Warned of 70,000 Homing Pigeons How Jet Contrails Apparently Can Affect the Weather Man (42) charged with endangering safety of aircraft after transatlantic flight forced to divert Hackers force Polish airline to cancel flights PROS 2015 TRAINING Kite-surfing aircraft could solve your Wi-Fi problems Man, trying to fly around world in gyro, to land in Maine Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) Airlines Put Pilots in a Real Spin in New Training Initiative Delta, SAA among airlines worried about erosion of manual-flying skills A single-propeller stunt plane flies at a recent air show in Florida. Airlines are eager for jetliner pilots to get more experience of extreme flying conditions at the controls of small aircraft. By ANDY PASZTOR LE BOURGET, France-The latest trend in training pilots to fly commercial jets features the practicing of extreme maneuvers in small, propeller-powered aircraft. Using a technique unheard of until recently, carriers such as Delta Air Lines Inc. and South African Airways are sending some of their most experienced flight instructors back to flight school to learn how to recognize and recover from airborne upsets. The efforts are part of a world-wide trend to step up so-called upset recovery and stall training, prompted by a series of deadly accidents that have raised concerns about an erosion of manual flying skills in the cockpit. Simulators generally are considered less effective at depicting extreme aircraft behavior. "We wanted our instructors to really understand the concepts" through actual flying experiences, said Brad Bennetts, an Airbus A340 captain who is in charge of the initiative for the South African carrier. "The feedback from pilots has been unbelievably positive." The focus reflects lessons learned from the June 2009 crash of an Air France Airbus A330 jet in the Atlantic after the crew failed to understand they were in a high-altitude stall. Earlier that year, the crash of a Colgan Air turboprop approaching Buffalo also pointed to training lapses regarding stall recognition and recovery. Although stalls are a rare occurrence for commercial aircraft, requirements for stall training were among topics that came up repeatedly during discussions with safety experts in the past week at the Paris Air Show, which brought together airline and aerospace executives for the industry's premier sales event. With upset-recovery training figuring prominently on the global air-safety agenda, regulators on both sides of the Atlantic are mandating more simulator sessions in coming years to ensure pilots know what to do if their planes end up in unusual attitudes, causing them to fly too slowly and lose aerodynamic lift. Makers of simulators, which currently can't precisely recreate such conditions on the ground, are working to improve the fidelity of virtual tools. And airlines are adjusting simulator-training sessions to reflect new insights about how to avoid and escape from stalls. Thales demonstrates its concept for a virtual reality head-up-display unit at the Paris Air Show. The device allows a pilot to see flight information overlaid on a virtual terrain. Delta and South African Airways have opted to go well beyond simulators and government mandates. The airlines' training managers say nothing is as effective as having pilots sit behind the controls of an aircraft in flight to experience the violent buffeting, loss of control and sometimes abrupt spins associated with upsets and stalls. Air New Zealand, Emirates Airline and others carriers have asked for information about the program, Mr. Bennetts said. The program, which takes place at an Arizona flight school, entails intensive, roughly one-week courses that combine ground school and simulator exercises, capped by training in aircraft. Pilots may practice as many as four dozen real-world upsets as part of the instruction. Those who go through the program return to their home base to teach fellow simulator instructors, who in turn pass on the principles to other pilots. An Airbus A380, the world's largest jetliner, generates vortex during a flying display at the Paris Air Show on Thursday. "It really does serve to make the academics come alive," said John Tovani, Delta managing director responsible for flight training. The in-plane experiences are intended to help pilots avoid freezing up or instinctively pulling back on the controls at the sudden onset of a stall. Military pilots routinely experience airborne upsets as part of their normal training, but changing pilot demographics means many aviators currently flying passengers have had more limited exposure to abnormal aircraft behavior. The in-plane training "helps pass the torch to the next generation of pilots," according to Mr. Tovani. In a stall, planes shake, often roll unpredictably from side to side and sometimes even flip over. Pilots are taught to push the nose down and then advance the throttles to regain speed, even if the plane is flying upside down, twisting sharply or already in a dive. That is the only way to predictably recover from an aerodynamic stall, said Sunjoo Advani, a consultant to South Africa Airways, so "it is all about psychology." Mr. Advani, one of the leading proponents of stall training, said the flight-school experience is especially important because it helps pilot break from what comes naturally when necessary. Pushing down the nose further in a dive to ensure the wings have greater lift may seem counterintuitive, he said, "but it is what you have to do to get out of the situation." Fledgling private pilots routinely spend some time practicing aerodynamic stalls in single- engine, propeller-powered planes before they get their license. Regulators in Europe have gone a step further. Under Patrick Ky, the European Union's top air-safety official, regulators in March for the first time mandated additional stall- recovery practice in the air for pilots training to get initial approval for a commercial license. One question is at which stage in their training pilots should be exposed to enhanced stall-recovery maneuvers. The latest rules, Mr. Ky said in an interview earlier this month, require that "all pilots will have to be trained in real aircraft" before they are cleared to start flying passengers. Insurers for the South African carrier agreed to pay for some of the flight-school tuition, once they were convinced about the safety benefits. Several other airlines are talking to their insurance companies to try to follow the lead of South African Airways, Mr. Advani said. http://www.wsj.com/articles/airlines-put-pilots-in-a-real-spin-in-new-training-initiative- 1434709532 Back to Top Allegiant Air has second emergency landing this month at St. Pete-Clearwater Allegiant officials have said the airline has one of the best safety records in the industry. The company flies about 70 aircraft. CLEARWATER - An Allegiant Air flight made an emergency landing at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport on Wednesday after pressurization problems, the second time this month an Allegiant aircraft has been forced to return to the airport. Flight 866 had been heading to Pittsburgh before landing in Clearwater at 5:07 p.m., just under an hour after taking off, according to the airline. The flight made it about as far north as Ocala before reversing course, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.com. Allegiant's maintenance team was evaluating the plane Wednesday evening. In the meantime, the airline rescheduled a flight for 7:10 p.m. All 154 passengers were given $50 vouchers for future travel. "I don't feel safe flying Allegiant," said one displaced passenger, Mary Fagan, who said there were several dozen others who, like herself, chose not to take the rescheduled flight. "You just get that feeling. It's scary." Fagan, who had been flying north for work, fell asleep after takeoff. She was nudged awake by the man next to her, who told her about the turnaround. "I said, 'Am I dreaming or what?' " she recalled. Later, as the rescheduled flight took off, she waited for her niece to pick her up. "It's just very frustrating," she said. "I don't know what my next move is." Earlier in June, another Allegiant flight made an emergency landing after taking off from the St. Pete-Clearwater airport. Smoke appeared in the plane's cabin about eight minutes after takeoff, and passengers disembarked on emergency slides after landing. Three passengers and one flight attendant reported injuries, and the airline gave all passengers $200 and a full refund. Allegiant pilots reported more than three dozen mechanical issues across the country from September to March, including nine incidents involving St. Pete-Clearwater International. An April report detailing those incidents was compiled by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters' Aviation Mechanics Coalition, or TAMC. Chris Moore, a TAMC chairman and veteran aviation mechanic who wrote the report, said in an interview that Wednesday's emergency landing was just the latest evidence that the airline needs to do more to address safety issues. "This supports everything we've been saying," Moore said of the latest incident. "The problem is there. We've been seeing it on almost a daily basis not just in Florida but around the country. The FAA needs to take a much closer look, a much harder look at Allegiant's maintenance program." Of the nine incidents in the report involving St. Pete-Clearwater, three involved flights in which Allegiant planes were forced to return to the airport after takeoff. One involved a Jan. 19 flight bound for Ohio that returned due to the crew reporting smoke in the cockpit. The other two flights involved electrical and pressurization problems, the report said. Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said earlier Wednesday, before the emergency landing, that the FAA did not have data that would allow the comparison of Allegiant with other airlines on the number of minor mechanical issues like those noted in the union report. After Moore's report was released in April, the FAA said it was closely monitoring the airline. Allegiant officials could not be reached to comment Wednesday. But they have previously defended the airline, saying it has one of the best safety records in the industry. "The FAA is continuously monitoring, evaluating and providing oversight of Allegiant Air to ensure the carrier is capable of meeting its responsibility for safe operations," the FAA said at the time. "The FAA has increased surveillance while the airline deals with the current labor issues." The average age of Allegiant's fleet of about 70 aircraft is 22.2 years, with most of the fleet having been built in the 1980s, according to the union report. Most airline experts agree safety is not compromised by flying older planes with adequate maintenance. But the pilot's union, which has been involved in a labor dispute with Allegiant, has complained that Allegiant's older fleet is serviced by relatively inexperienced mechanics with 55 percent of the airline's 1,800 mechanics having less than four years of experience. http://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/pressurization-problems-force- emergency-landing-for-allegiant-flight/2234102 Back to Top Singapore Airlines flight from Mumbai makes emergency landing Flight SQ425 made the landing at Kuala Lumpur International Airport yesterday when a cargo fire alarm warning went off. SINGAPORE: A Singapore Airlines aircraft from Mumbai to Singapore was forced to make an emergency landing in Malaysia after it received a cargo fire warning message, a report said today. Flight SQ425 made the landing at Kuala Lumpur International Airport yesterday when a cargo fire alarm warning went off. The warning was sounded towards the end of its flight, just 20 minutes before the descent into Singapore, according to a report by The Straits Times. Singapore Airlines spokesman said that the aircraft, a Boeing 777, landed in Kuala Lumpur without incident at 4.01 pm (local time). "Thorough inspections were carried out on the ground, which showed no signs of fire, and the aircraft departed for Singapore at 7.24pm," it said. PTI http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/- aviation/singapore-airlines-flight-from-mumbai-makes-emergency- landing/articleshow/47764015.cms Back to Top Aircraft tyre bursts during take-off The plane, Boeing 737 800, was to take off for Mumbai at 4.45 pm from Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Amritsar. A SpiceJet flight with 76 people on board, including the crew members, was aborted moments before it was to take-off when an Airport Authority of India official notice that one its rear tyres had burst. The plane, Boeing 737 800, was to take off for Mumbai at 4.45 pm from Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Amritsar. It had landed from Srinagar. Spicejet flight to Srinagar returns after piece of tyre found on runway An official, who deals with SpiceJet operations at Amritsar airport, said "the tyre of the plane was replaced and it took off in the night". The passengers were delayed by over five hours. The official said "leakage in the tyre resulted in its bursting". "I have reported the matter to the Regional Executive Director in Delhi," official said. ens http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/aircraft-tyre-bursts-during-take- off/#sthash.PRaDLiA1.dpuf Back to Top Allegiant Airlines pilots concerned about plane safety Pilots currently in contract negotiations with airline SANFORD, Fla. -Allegiant Airlines pilots claim the airline is cutting corners on safety after mechanical problems forced a flight to make an emergency landing in St. Petersburg on Wednesday. Pilots from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union sent a letter to shareholders, claiming the airline is ignoring Federal Aviation Administration recommendations on important safety programs. Citing a report by the Aviation Mechanics Coalition, an airline mechanics union, pilots claim between January and March of this year, there were 38 instances of mechanical issues with Allegiant. Issues include failing engines, pressurization problems, smoke in the cockpit, inoperable radar systems and failing windshield anti-ice devices. The pilots are in the middle of contract negotiations with the airline, but they claim their safety complaints are not related to the negotiations. "The pilots are very concerned," union representative Chris Moore said. "They relayed to me that they're never sure what kind of aircraft they're going to get or what's going to break." The report found pilots were "forced to fly aircraft that barely passes acceptable safety standards," and it found 55 percent of mechanics have less than four years' experience in the field. "In our opinion, there are just a disproportionate number of air returns and gate returns for such a small fleet of aircraft," said Moore. Pressurization problems forced the flight to make an emergency return landing in St. Pete this week. Last week, passengers leapt onto evacuation slides after smoke filled the cabin. Top video: Penn. bridge collapse caught on video In October, a landing gear issue forced a flight to return to Sanford, and in September a flight to Michigan was forced to make an emergency landing due to a cabin pressure problem. Last year, Allegiant flew more than 5,400 flights. Statement from Allegiant: Allegiant is in ongoing negotiations with our pilots, who are represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The report issued by the TAMC was commissioned by the Teamsters and was not conducted by Allegiant mechanics, who are not represented by the union. In our view this is just another tactic employed by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in an effort to manipulate the public by raising unfounded concerns about the safety of our operations. Allegiant's safety record is among the best in the aviation industry. In fact, as a result of the threatened strike by the Teamsters, Allegiant recently completed a period of heightened surveillance by FAA. Throughout this process, the FAA did not find any safety issues with our operations Allegiant is fortunate that our unique network allows for our aircraft to be inspected and serviced by our mechanics every night. In addition to the routine maintenance and service on individual aircraft, Allegiant has two separate programs in place - an analysis and surveillance program and a reliability program - to continually monitor and share data with the FAA regarding the overall health of the fleet. Neither Allegiant nor the FAA have identified abnormal trends. http://www.wesh.com/news/allegiant-airlines-pilots-concerned-about-plane- safety/33680276 Back to Top Senate Dems would add cargo pilots to rules limiting time flying Senate Democrats introduced legislation Thursday to include cargo pilots in Department of Transportation rules that limit flying time, which now only apply to pilots of passenger planes. Under the requirements that went into effect in January 2014, pilots of passenger planes are limited to flying either eight or nine hours, depending on the start time, and airlines are required to provide pilots with a minimum of 10 rest hours, with the opportunity for at least eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. The Safe Skies Act, introduced by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Maria Cantwell (D- Wash.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Al Franken (D-Minn.), aims to ensure that America's cargo plane pilots are sufficiently rested and alert for flying. "Whether flying a passenger or a cargo plane, pilot fatigue can have tragic consequences," Klobuchar said in a statement. "That's why we need consistent rules throughout the aviation system to help prevent any tragedies. Pilots of cargo planes, the lawmakers said, are now allowed to be on duty for up to 16 hours a day, 60 percent longer than other pilots. "When a large plane flies over your house in the middle of the night, it doesn't matter whether it's carrying cargo or passengers, whether you are a Democrat or a Republican," said retired airline Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who speaks about airline safety. "The danger is all the same if the pilots are fatigued." http://thehill.com/regulation/245444-house-bill-would-add-cargo-pilots-to-rules- limiting-time-flying Back to Top Portugal Pilots Warned of 70,000 Homing Pigeons LISBON, Portugal - Airplane pilots in Portugal have been advised to fly with special care after 70,000 homing pigeons were released in Spain to participate in a race back to their homes in Portugal. Portugal's national civil aviation authority issued a warning after consulting with the Portuguese Federation of Pigeon Fanciers, which had traveled to the eastern Spanish city Valencia with trucks towing trailers specially equipped to release the birds all at once on Saturday. The federation wants to see which pigeon returns home the fastest. The aviation authority has asked pilots to be vigilant when flying below 2,000 feet (610 meters) in continental Portugal's airspace over the weekend. The aviation authority said pigeons could fly in groups of between five and 20 birds as they navigate their way. http://abcnews.go.com/Weird/wireStory/portugal-pilots-warned-70000-homing-pigeons- 31909728 Back to Top How Jet Contrails Apparently Can Affect the Weather The evidence jets sometimes leave in the sky of their flight paths - the contrails - can apparently affect how we on the ground experience the weather. According to research from Pennsylvania State University, jet contrails can influence ground temperature, reducing the difference between the day's highs and lows. Geography professor Andrew Carleton said there was some research done regarding contrails, or rather, the lack thereof, during the days after 9/11 when no commercial jets were flown. Taking it a step futher, Carleton said longer research needed to be done on the effects of the trails of condensed water left in the sky. First, here's a bit of information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on how contrails form and persist in the atmosphere: Contrails form when hot humid air from jet exhaust mixes with environmental air of low vapor pressure and low temperature. Vapor pressure is just a fancy term for the amount of pressure that is exerted by water vapor itself (as opposed to atmospheric, or barometric, pressure which is due to the weight of the entire atmosphere above you). The mixing occurs directly behind the plane due to the turbulence generated by the engine. If condensation (conversion from a gas to a liquid) occurs, then a contrail becomes visible. Since air temperatures at these high atmospheric levels are very cold (generally colder than -40 F), only a small amount of liquid is necessary for condensation to occur. Water is a normal byproduct of combustion in engines. This cloud formation is very similar to the process that occurs when you breath on a cold winter day and you can see your own breath in the form of a "cloud". You may have noticed that on some days this "cloud" you produce lasts longer than on other days where it quickly disappears. The length of time that a contrail lasts is directly proportional to the amount of humidity that is already in the atmosphere. A drier atmosphere leads to a more short-lived contrail, while an atmosphere that has more humidity will lead to longer-lived contrails. However, if the atmosphere is too dry, no contrails will form. Occasionally a jet plane, especially if ascending or descending, will pass through a much drier or more moist layer of atmosphere which may result in a broken pattern to the contrail, with it appearing in segments rather than in one continuous plume. Carleton and graduate student Jase Bernhardt identified weather stations in the U.S. - one in the South in January and one in the Midwest in April - that they knew were frequently under contrails or not under contrails and proceeded to record daily temperatures at these locations. The researchers made sure the stations were in similar area in terms of land use, soil moisture and other conditions. Like "ordinary clouds," a news release from the university stated, contrails seemed to decrease the daily maximum temperature in an area and raise the minimum temperature: In the South, this amounted to about a 6 degree Fahrenheit reduction in daily temperature range, while in the Midwest, there was about a 5 degree Fahrenheit reduction. Temperatures the days before and after the outbreaks did not show this effect, indicating that the lower temperatures were due to the contrail outbreaks. "Weather forecasting of daytime highs and lows do not include contrails," Carleton said in a statement. "If they were included in areas of contrail outbreaks, they would improve the temperature forecasts." Watch PSU's video for more details about the research: These findings were published in the International Journal of Climatology. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/06/19/see-a-bunch-of-jet-contrails-in-the-sky- heres-how-they-could-be-affecting-the-temperature-near-you/ Back to Top Man (42) charged with endangering safety of aircraft after transatlantic flight forced to divert to Ireland The United Airlines plane was en route from Rome to Chicago yesterday. A 42-year-old man has been charged with endangering the safety of an aircraft after a transatlantic flight was forced to divert to Ireland. The United Airlines plane was en route from Rome to Chicago yesterday when the captain made the decision to touch down at Belfast International Airport. It is understood the aircraft was over north-west Scotland when the call was made. The man, who has dual American-Italian nationality, was charged by Belfast International Airport Constabulary with disruptive behaviour on board an aircraft and common assault. He is being held in the custody suite at Antrim station and is due to appear at Coleraine Magistrates Court tomorrow. http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/man-42-charged-with-endangering-safety- of-aircraft-after-transatlantic-flight-forced-to-divert-to-ireland-31318206.html Back to Top Hackers force Polish airline to cancel flights * Passenger jet terror attack fears after hackers access flight plan computers and force planes to be grounded at Polish airport * LOT airline saw its systems broken into yesterday in 'first attack of its kind' * Around 1,400 passengers grounded at Warsaw airport after cyber-attack * Specialists took five hours to fix problem causing 10 flights to be cancelled * The airline's spokesman said it 'could be a threat to others in the industry' A cyber-attack against a Polish airline caused around 1,400 passengers to be grounded yesterday after hackers accessed the company's computer system used to issue flight plans. Polish airline LOT saw their systems broken into at about 4pm local time and it took specialists around five hours to find a solution to the problem. The state-owned company was forced to cancel ten national and international flights while more than a dozen were delayed at Warsaw's Frederic Chopin Airport. Cyber-attack: Polish airline LOT saw their systems broken into at about 4pm local time and it took specialists around five hours to find a solution to the problem LOT spokesman Adrian Kubicki described the incident as the 'first attack of its kind' in an interview with TVN 24 television. He added: 'We're using state-of-the-art computer systems, so this could potentially be a threat to others in the industry.' LOT provided seats on other flights for some passengers, and offered accommodation for those who were forced to stay overnight. Flights to Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Copenhagen and Polish cities were affected, although LOT stressed that the glitch did not affect the airport or aeroplanes that were already in the air. The passengers' lives were not in danger at any point, and the airport itself was not affected, Mr Kubicki insisted. The airport itself was not affected, its spokesman said, and the source of the hack is not yet known. Poland's security agencies were investigating the attack with international software security group Kaspersky Lab. David Emm, principal security researcher at Kaspersky said: 'At the moment we have no idea how the attack on Polish airline LOT was launched, the nature of the systems targeted or what the motives of the attackers may have been, beyond the fact that the attack affected ancillary systems rather than the planes themselves. 'This story highlights the fact that, as more and more aspects of our lives become cyber- dependent, we offer a greater attack surface to cybercriminals - including critical infrastructure systems. It also follows on from recent concerns about possible threats to aeroplane security from Wi-Fi. 'It's essential that all organisations pay close attention to security, assessing the potential risks and deploying defence in-depth to reduce the risks.' Concerns around aviation and hacking are on the rise - particularly since many airlines now operate with online systems. It's feared cyber-terrorists have the potential to take control of planes remotely. In December 2014 the International Civil Aviation Organization called cyber-crime a serious threat to safety in the skies. They vowed to step up the 'security culture' protecting travellers against terror attacks. In April, a US report warned that hackers could exploit in-flight entertainment systems to fatally sabotage cockpit electronics. The report by an investigative arm of the US Congress came just weeks after a co-pilot crashed his Germanwings A320 into the French Alps - murdering all 150 people on board and sparking debate about whether airliners should be completely automated one day. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3134258/Passenger-jet-terror-attack-fears- hackers-access-flight-plan-computers-force-planes-grounded-Polish- airport.html#ixzz3dn6h5PkA Back to Top Back to Top Kite-surfing aircraft could solve your Wi-Fi problems Embry-Riddle team developing Dual Aircraft Platform (DAP) A Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University team is developing a wind-powered aircraft that could one day provide Internet access to remote areas.A composite showing the gliders connected by a thin cable, propelled by a patented sailing algorithm and solar power. (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) Embry-Riddle research team developing solar and wind-powered aircraft with potential to provide bandwidth Embry-Riddle using kite surfing concept to power stratospheric communications aircraft A team at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach is developing a wind- and-solar-powered aircraft that could provide Internet access to remote areas. William "Bill" Engblom, Embry-Riddle, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and lead on the Dual Aircraft Platform (DAP), recently explained the concept to Go for Launch. Sail end of Dual Aircraft Platform Two airplane-like gliders connected by a strong cable will be propelled by wind energy at 60,000 feet. The rendering shows the top glider which acts as a kite would for a kite surfer, providing aerodynamic thrust. (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) Two airplane-like gliders connected by a strong cable will be propelled by wind energy at 60,000 feet. The top glider acts as a kite would for a kite surfer, providing aerodynamic thrust, the bottom glider acts as a guide providing direction as would the board on which a kite surfer stands. In June the engineering team was awarded a $100,000 grant from Phase I of NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program. The team will move onto the next phase of testing their design with help from NASA Marshall Flight Center's realistic atmospheric model. The conceptual mission the team is preparing to simulate, with the NASA program, is to fly at 55,000 feet within a 150-mile circle of Orlando, providing a communications relay for those not able to directly connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot or a cell tower, Engblom said. "Something like this could help people in remote areas without cell towers," Engblom explains. "DAP could be integrated into the national airspace system to facilitate inter- aircraft communications or to support aircraft navigation and surveillance." Dr. William Engblom Dr. William "Bill" Engblom, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and lead on the Dual Aircraft Platform (DAP) project. (Embry- Riddle Aeronautical University) The aircraft will remain in the stratosphere, low Earth orbit, and will not require a rocket launch like orbital satellites. DAP will launch on its own, similar to an airplane keeping the cost at a fraction of an orbital satellite, Engblom says. The takeoff will be a bit more risky, because both gliders must take off together attached by the cable. As more people rely on bandwidth ideas like the DAP, it will become more in demand. Last year Google purchased a solar-powered aircraft developer and is currently testing an Internet-beaming drone. Facebook's Connectivity Lab plans to "build drones, satellites and lasers to deliver the Internet to everyone," according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg's blog post. Getting bandwidth to the masses can only help business like Google and Facebook get their products into the hands of more consumers. Engblom expects tech companies will be interested in their concept once additional testing is complete. If the NASA flight simulation phase goes well the team plans to test a small-scale model on the beach. If successful they would be eligible for a Phase II grant from NASA for up to $500,000. The Embry-Riddle research team includes Engblom, Hever Moncayo, assistant professor of aerospace engineering, and William "Billy" Barott, associate professor of electrical engineering. After the team received the NASA grant they will have additional support from Ryan Decker with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and Norm Princen with Boeing Research and Technology. Kushan Patel, a recent Embry-Riddle graduate, now with Boeing, and Esteban Sanchez, an Embry-Riddle graduate student, are also supporting the effort. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/space/go-for-launch/os-embry-riddle-nasa-kite- surfing-communication-aircraft-20150618-story.html Back to Top Man, trying to fly around world in gyro, to land in Maine BIDDEFORD, Maine (AP) - A man from Northern Ireland trying to fly around the world in an open-cockpit auto gyro aircraft to raise cancer awareness is expected to touch down in Maine. The Portland Press Herald (http://bit.ly/1LoWJU8 ) reports that 52-year-old Norman Surplus is scheduled to leave northeastern New York on Monday and land in Biddeford later in the day. Surplus survived bowel cancer in 2004 and us using the trip to raise awareness. He plans to be back in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in about three weeks. He says if he makes it will be the first time auto-gyro has attempted to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The gyro's blades are not powered. The craft moves forward using a rear-facing propeller and the blades spin automatically when the plane moves, generating lift. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/22/man-trying-to-fly-around-world- in-gyro-to-land-in-/#ixzz3dnG98fC6 Back to Top Upcoming Events: Fundamentals of IS-BAO July 7, 2015 Alexandria, VA USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659131 IS-BAO Auditing July 8, 2015 Alexandria, VA USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659136 EAA AirVenture Schedule July 19-26, 2015 Oshkosh, WI http://www.eaa.org/en/airventure/eaa-airventure-schedule-of-events Fundamentals of IS-BAO July 21, 2015 Orlando, FL USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659145 IS-BAO Auditing July 22, 2015 Orlando, FL USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659149 Fundamentals of IS-BAO August 19, 2015 Madrid, Spain https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659089 IS-BAO Auditing August 20, 2015 Madrid, Spain https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659096 Safety Management Systems Training & Workshop Course offered by ATC Vantage Inc. Tampa, FL August 6-7, 2015 www.atcvantage.com/training Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection & Investigation Course 9-11 Sept. 2015 Hotel Ibis Nanterre La Defense (near Paris) France http://blazetech.com/resources/pro_services/FireCourse-France_2015.pdf Back to Top JOBS AVAILABLE: NTSB Human Performance Investigator https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/404707900 Head of Quality & Safety AJA (Al Jaber Aviation) Send your CV with a covering letter to aja.hr@ajaprivatejets.com Curt Lewis