Flight Safety Information July 10, 2015 - No. 135 In This Issue Volcanic Ash Shuts Airport in Bali After 33 days of search, flight data recorder of missing Donier aircraft found Another Southwest Flight With Engine Problem Aborts Takeoff GoAir plane carrying 168 passengers hits aerobridge after landing at Chennai airport Cessna 208 Caravan Accident (Dubai) Small plane crashed at Renton Airport PILOT SAYS AT-HOME FLIGHT SIMULATOR NOT UNUSUAL United Airlines pilot flushed bullets down a plane toilet after realizing he'd packed them accidentally Laser Attacks - By: Tracy Lamb PROS 2015 TRAINING Battery-Powered Aircraft Crosses the Alps American light aircraft engines 'to be produced in Siberia' AirAsia selling 120 aircraft for lease option Ethiopian Airlines mulls aircraft orders to double fleet NASA chooses SPACE PILOTS who'll take the USA back into manned flight Embry-Riddle To Offer Free Online Course On Aviation Accident Investigation Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) Volcanic Ash Shuts Airport in Bali Indonesia's Mount Raung spews ash into one of the world's most crowded flight paths Drifting ash from a volcanic eruption in Indonesia shut down airports on the country's resort islands of Bali and Lombok, causing chaos for travelers. Drifting ash from a volcanic eruption shut down airports on two of Indonesia's most famous resort islands for a second day Friday, stranding passengers and disrupting local businesses at the peak of the summer holiday season. Authorities closed airports in Bali and the neighboring island of Lombok on Thursday night as Mount Raung in East Java continued to spew ash into one of the world's most crowded flight paths. International carriers such as Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Malaysia Airlines and Etihad Airways were among the airlines affected by the airport closures. Mount Raung, which is about 150 kilometers west of Bali, erupted on July 5, prompting authorities to require pilots nearby to fly above 24,800 feet for safety reasons. Indonesian authorities expect the airports to reopen after wind patterns shift direction. "We will see if we can reopen the airports after the sunset," Transportation Ministry spokesman Adravida Barata said. Bali airport normally handles about 48,000 passengers daily, while Lombok airport serves about 3,600. The two islands' economies are heavily dependent on tourism, which is a sector Indonesia's government is relying on to bring foreign exchange into the country amid a slump in its commodity-heavy exports. Indonesia is home to dozens of active volcanoes that sit along the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire. Volcanic eruptions sometimes disrupt flights in the country, but have never been linked to aviation accidents. http://www.wsj.com/articles/volcanic-ash-shuts-airports-in-bali-1436506214 Back to Top After 33 days of search, flight data recorder of missing Donier aircraft found Chennai: In a major breakthrough in the search for the Donier aircraft, the flight data recorder of the missing Indian Coast Guard plane was recovered on Friday. After 33 days of search operation scouring sea and land areas, the flight data recorder was found today at around 3:30 pm. The Coast Guard Dornier plane, CG-791, had taken off for a routine maritime surveillance sortie in coastal Tamil Nadu on June 8. It was believed to have crashed into the sea near the Goa coast and since then was untraceable despite the Coast Guard and the Navy undertaking a massive search operation in the sea and the land areas. http://zeenews.india.com/news/goa/after-33-days-of-search-flight-data-recorder-of-missing-donier-aircraft-found_1627901.html Back to Top Another Southwest Flight With Engine Problem Aborts Takeoff For the second time this week, a Southwest Airlines plane has aborted a takeoff at Chicago's Midway International Airport because of engine trouble. Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory says the crew reported problems with one if its engines as the plane moved down the runway to begin its takeoff Friday morning. The FAA will investigate. Southwest did not immediately respond to a request for more information. There were no reports of any injuries. A passenger on board the aircraft told WLS-TV it was bound for Philadelphia. A similar incident took place Wednesday night when a Southwest plane headed to Boston cut short its takeoff because of a mechanical issue. The Chicago Fire Department said one of that plane's engines caught fire. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/southwest-flight-engine-problem-aborts-takeoff-32352141 Back to Top GoAir plane carrying 168 passengers hits aerobridge after landing at Chennai airport; none hurt Chennai: A GoAir plane carrying 168 passengers from Mumbai on Friday hit an aerobridge after landing at Chennai airport damaging a portion close to its front door but there was no report any injuries. The incident occurred at around at 6.35 AM, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) sources said, adding that the A-320 aircraft has been grounded. There was no report of any of the 168 passengers, including an infant, on board being hurt in the incident, they said. "The flight hit while aligning with the aerobridge damaging the fuselage close to the front door of the aircraft," a DGCA source said. The GoAir 8-305 flight was to leave for Port Blair after a halt in Chennai. DGCA has ordered a probe into the incident. "The GoAir Aircraft No.G 8 305 (Mumbai to Portblair via Chennai) while docking with passenger boarding bridge (PBB) slightly got damaged by the side of the door," a statement from the Chennai Airport Director said. All the onboard passengers and crew were safe and disembarked later, it said. "The PBB operator was licenced to operate the PBB and the incident is being investigated by DGCA," it added. The flight's onward journey to Portblair was cancelled, officials said. http://www.firstpost.com/india/goair-plane-carrying-168-passengers-hits-aerobridge-landing-chennai-airport-none-hurt-2336682.html ****************** Date: 10-JUL-2015 Time: 06:30 Type: Airbus A320-214 (WL) Owner/operator: GoAir Registration: VT-GOL C/n / msn: 5463 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 168 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: Chennai Airport (MAA/VOMM) - India Phase: Taxi Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Mumbai-Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM/VABB) Destination airport: Chennai Airport (MAA/VOMM) [VT] Narrative: An Airbus A320-214 operated by GoAir sustained damage after impacting a jetbridge at Chennai Airport, India. The aircraft operated flight G8305 from Mumbai to Chennai and Port Blair, India. The aircraft had landed on runway 25 at 06:22 hours local time (00:52 UTC). www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Cessna 208 Caravan Accident (Dubai) Status: Preliminary Date: Tuesday 7 July 2015 Time: 08:00 Type: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan Operator: Skydive Dubai Registration: DU-SD1 C/n / msn: 208B-1141 First flight: 2005 Engines: 1 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 14 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 15 Airplane damage: Destroyed Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: near Dubai-Skydive Dubai Campus ( United Arab Emirates) Phase: En route (ENR) Nature: Parachuting Departure airport: Dubai-Skydive Dubai Campus Airport, United Arab Emirates Destination airport: Dubai-Skydive Dubai Campus Airport, United Arab Emirates Narrative: The Cessna 208 Caravan operated by Skydive Dubai suffered a "technical problem" after takeoff, forcing the pilot to carry out a forced landing in the desert. All aboard escaped unharmed. However a fire broke out which consumed the aircraft. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Small plane crashed at Renton Airport Fire crews are responding to a small plane crash at Renton Airport. RENTON, Wash. - A fire official says the pilot of a small plane that crashed at the airport in the south Seattle suburb of Renton was not seriously hurt. The pilot was alone in the aircraft Thursday afternoon. The Seattle Times reports that Renton Deputy Fire Chief Erik Wallgren says the pilot's injuries included scrapes and abrasions. http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/small-plane-crashed-renton-airport/nmwRq/ *************** Date: 09-JUL-2015 Time: 15:00+ Type: Cessna 150J Owner/operator: private Registration: N12MM C/n / msn: 15069873 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Renton Municipal Airport (KRNT), Renton, WA - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Unknown Departure airport: Destination airport: Renton Muni (KRNT) Narrative: The aircraft impacted airport terrain and came to rest on the East Perimeter Road at Renton Municipal Airport (KRNT), Renton, Washington. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the sole pilot onboard received undetermined but apparent minor injuries. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top PILOT SAYS AT-HOME FLIGHT SIMULATOR NOT UNUSUAL The pilot of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 built a sophisticated at-home flight simulator that has come under scrutiny by authorities this week, but other pilots say there's nothing amiss about a professional flier practicing at home. Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah had more than 18,000 hours of experience in the air as a pilot for Malaysia Airlines when his last flight, from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, disappeared last week. Authorities are looking into whether Shah or other members of the plane's crew had any motive to bring down the plane, but have found no evidence. On YouTube videos Shah posted online, he can be seen posing in front of his multi-screen flight simulator he used at his house. Randy Patfield, a licensed pilot with more than 10,000 hours of flying experience and the CEO of Aviation International News, told ABC News today that many pilots use at-home software to practice flying different routes and become acquainted with unfamiliar airports. "I don't have numbers on it but I know people that have (simulators) and find them very useful. I'm 64, but I think younger people who grew up having flight simulators on their computers and got really used to it would like it a lot more than I do. One of our pilots (at AIN) does it a lot and enjoys it as a free time activity," Patfield said. "It's really hard to infer anything positive or negative or nefarious by the fact that he had this simulator," he continued. "It could be to practice his routes or it could have been more for fun." Patfield cautioned that all pilots have to undergo routine training in multi-million dollar simulators with instructors, and those machines are very different from the at- home kind that Shah built. The home simulators are not for purposes of licensing or improving skills. "The prices of these devices are coming down all the time," he said. "I've seen them at air shows and conventions where you could get something that would easily fit in your garage. It wouldn't have full motion, but it would have really great visual displays and be able to show various phases of operations and you could get some flight controls too. They just don't have hydraulics and autopilot systems connected to them." Malaysian authorities took apart Shah's flight simulator from his home and put it back together at their police headquarters in recent days, searching it for clues as to what happened to the missing flight. They found some deleted files that had been erased in February, but otherwise found nothing suspicious, police said. The FBI and Malaysian authorities are now trying to recover the deleted files. Shah's friend, Peter Chong, told ABC News last week that Shah was merely a "tech geek" who had friends over to play with his simulator all the time. http://abc7news.com/news/pilot-says-at-home-flight-simulator-not-unusual/8269/ Back to Top United Airlines pilot flushed bullets down a plane toilet after realizing he'd packed them accidentally * A United Airlines captain flushed bullets down a toilet while on his way to Germany which has strict gun laws * Pilots are allowed to have guns on board to prevent the plane from being hijacked though they are only allowed on domestic flights * A flight attendant looking for a passenger's missing ring found 10 bullets in a waste bin and alerted the captain who told her he had flushed them * The pilot will not likely face criminal charges A United Airlines captain threw bullets in a trash bin accessible to passengers and later flushed them down a toilet on board a flight that he was piloting to Germany. A United spokeswoman said on Thursday that the pilot should not have thrown the bullets in the toilet. She said the pilot hasn't been fired but that the incident is still under investigation. Airline spokeswoman Karen May said the pilot is allowed to carry a gun on domestic flights under a post-9/11 federal program intended to make planes harder to hijack. Mistake: A United Airlines captain threw bullets in a trash bin accessible to passengers and later flushed them down a toilet on board a flight that he was piloting to Germany where guns and ammunition are not allowed She said the pilot dumped the bullets in a waste bin then in a toilet after realizing he had them in his bag on a June 23 flight from Houston to Munich. Germany has strict gun laws. 'He did incorrectly dispose of the ammunition,' May said, 'but it is likely that the pilot is not going to face any criminal charges.' The Transportation Security Administration and Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment. United declined to name the pilot. He is likely to be very experienced - it takes many years of seniority for pilots to become captains on international flights for major U.S. airlines. May said the pilot was still employed by United, but she declined to say whether he had been grounded. Imroper diposal: Pilots are allowed to carry a gun on domestic flights under a post-9/11 federal program intended to make planes harder to hijack though the pilot forgot he brought them on the international flight Improper disposal: Pilots are allowed to carry a gun on domestic flights under a post-9/11 federal program intended to make planes harder to hijack though the pilot forgot he brought them on the international flight 'We are investigating,' she said. 'I can't give any details about his status other than he is still with us.' The incident was first reported by The Aviation Herald, which said that a flight attendant looking for a passenger's missing ring found 10 bullets in a waste bin and alerted the captain. He flushed the bullets down the toilet and alerted German authorities when he realized that the flight attendant would report the incident, according to the Herald. After landing in Munich, the plane taxied to a remote area where passengers got off and the waste tanks were emptied to find the bullets. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3155528/United-Airlines-pilot-flushed-bullets-plane-toilet-realizing-d-packed-accidentally.html#ixzz3fUFKhaKU Back to Top Laser Attacks - By: Tracy Lamb B.A, MBA, Avn. In 2013, there were 3,960 laser attacks on aircraft in the United States (FAA, Feb 2014). Many of these resulted in pilot incapacitation, disruption to ordinary flight duties and posed serious risks to flight safety. Temporary pilot dazzle and incapacitation is commonly reported as a result of an accurate attack, with varying magnitude of the brightness and accuracy of the laser beam either illuminating the cockpit, or striking the pilot directly in the eye. The fact that no laser attack has been the cause of a major accident or incident this far is most likely a matter of luck. On the 5th Dec 2013, approximately 19.35 local time, Boeing 737 BH-V;; was on final approach to runway 16 at Melbourne 's Tullarmarine Airport. Last light in Melbourne at the time of year is approximately 20.40. At the time of the incident, sunshine filtered through higher scattered clouds, visibility was greater than 50km with ambient light consistent with dispersed sunset one hour before last light. The Captain was the Pilot Flying. At approximately 2000 feet (5nm) from the threshold, the First Officer noticed a bright green light off to the right of the control tower. Due to the bright ambient light conditions, the natural reaction to avert eyes inside the flight deck was absent. The position of the light near the tower was in the usual field of view of the landing environment. In the seconds it took to recognize that it was a laser, the First Officer suffered significant dazzle. This caused temporary incapacitation of the First Officer. The Captain was flying on instruments and did not see the laser. The landing checklist had to be read by memory, the First Officer expressed they could not see properly due to looking at the laser. The landing continued normally, however, the "after landing scan" was performed with assistance of the Captain, and the First Officer could not see to assist the Captain in confirming taxi duties, or effectively complete the after landing duties without assistance. One and a half hours after landing, the First Officer was still unable to complete a Safety Report due to blurred vision and the residual effects of the dazzle. The First Officer was unable to drive, experienced headache, eye discomfort and continued to experience blurred vision for 5 hours until falling asleep at home. Consider the safety risks if it had have been the Captain. 1. Recognition of incapacitation and hand over of / or take over of control, possibly by use of the SAFE framework. 2. This would have occurred at or under 1000 feet in this incident, some crew may choose to execute single pilot "go around". 3. First Officer / Right hand seat taxi off runway with no tiller for directional steering if the high speed exit was missed. 4. The runway would be temporarily closed if the high speed taxi-way was missed. 5. The use of non-normal procedures to start the APU, shut down the engines, attain a tug, tow the aircraft on to the bay. The First Officer had witnessed 10 laser attacks, having previously reported four incidents with the airline, and 6 at their previous employer. None of these previous attacks resulted in incapacitation. All of these attacks occurred at night, and when detected with peripheral vision, their eyes were immediately diverted inside onto the instruments. The daylight conditions suppressed this natural avoid reaction, resulting in a direct strike to the pilots eyes. Laser incidents have increased 17% in New York City from 2012, and 1100% across the US since 2005. (Robert A Ferdman, 2013. Quartz Media Publications, USA). These attacks are a risk to drivers, law enforcement officers, and even sports competitors at major sporting events (Laserpointer.com). Handheld lasers are widely available and have been marketed as tools for lecturers, speakers and presenters, generally they are RED, often used to excite and give your cat something to chase. However the low-cost, and availability of infrared (IR) diode laser modules of up to 1000 mW (1 watt) output has created a generation of IR- pumped frequency-doubled (DPSS) handheld lasers in green, blue, and violet, of higher visible power, typically up to 300 mW are readily available on the internet for prices from $18.99 to $28.00. To generate these colours requires high power, due to nonlinear optical effects (frequency doubling). The result is high power outputs, well in excess of safe limits for direct and indirect eye exposure. For example, a typical red laser pointer (there are maximum power limits for a laser to be referred to as a laser pointer) has a power less than 1mW, the maximum permissible for a class 2 laser, which has the blink reflex as the safety precaution (limiting the exposure time to less than 0.25 seconds). Green laser pointers are technically limited to 5mW as Class 3R lasers, but this comes with a requirement that the laser be used safely and responsibly. Policing there use or misuse is proving to be a challenge. High power green lasers are the most dangerous they are more powerful and potentially harmful to the human eye due to character of the absorption spectrum and anatomy of our eyes. They require a permit to own, and are used by Astronomy students and hobbyists, Bird Watchers, other civil groups and also, are used by the Military. Handheld green lasers can be purchased with powers in excess of 800 mW with a quoted range of 200miles. This laser, with a small beam divergence (0.5mRad) would be hazardous at a distance of about 350m, and at greater distances cause flash blindness, veiling glare, or distraction. Effective 1st July 2008, Australian Customs have prohibited the import of laser pointers greater than 1mW in output, and classified those pointers with 50 mW or greater as a Prohibited Weapon. Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia has also placed restrictions on the use of lasers these can be found in AC139-23 "Laser Emissions Which May Endanger the Safety of Aircraft". This information uses the ICAO Doc 9815 as guidance. Most of the laser reported incidents indicate that the origin of the laser is well within these zones, and it must be considered that since the time of implementing this document (2003), there have been several advances in readily available hand held laser pointers. The advancing technology in this area continue to grow exponentially. Currently researchers are working to develop tinted coating that can be adhered to the surface of flight deck windows to absorb the more dangerous wavelengths of the laser emission that have the ability to dazzle pilots, however this solution is years away from being implemented. Laser protection glasses are available from various on line sources, we are aware of four brands as of (June 2013): Laser-Gard eyewear from "Sperian"/Honeywell, "LaserShields" eyewear from "NoIR" Laser Co., Laser Armor eyewear from Night Flight Concepts, and "LaseReflect" Aviator eyewear from "Iridian" Spectral Technologies (laserpointersafety.com) However the efficacy and practical use of these at night within the flight deck has not been tested or recommended by any airline as yet. Most laser attacks occur under 6000 feet and on approach to land, rather than takeoff. Most attacks occur at night, however, attacks during day and during conditions of high ambient light do not diminish the laser's power, intensity or potential to harm the retina of the human eye. The lack of contrast of the laser during the daylight can nullify the natural "blink" and avoid reaction, so extra vigilance during light conditions is now recommended. Report any laser activity with the time and location both to Air Traffic Control, and via a Air Safety Occurrence Report as soon as possible. Reporting of these events will assist with policing the illegal use of these weapons. If you encounter a laser attack; * Timely recognition (self / other pilot) * Be positive and proactive. Hand over or take over control as soon as there is doubt. * Use a positive risk identification framework such as S.A.F.E * Consider the risks of a single pilot Go Around, and consider the implications in the event of a Left Seat incapacitation * Consider laser events in the approach briefing, ( this would be considered an essential consideration if lasers have been reported in the area on the Aerodrome Terminal Information Service ATIS). Tracy Lamb gratefully acknowledges the assistance and academic expertise of Dr Graham Wild, (BScHons, GradCert, MScTech, PhD) Program Manager and Senior Lecturer, Aviation School of Aerospace, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Engineering, RMIT University Melbourne. Tracy Lamb B.A, MBA, Avn. Back to Top Back to Top Battery-Powered Aircraft Crosses the Alps Researchers of the Institute of Aircraft Design in Stuttgart showed the practicability of battery powered aircraft in a flight across the Alps mountains - a first time for a battery-powered plane. The flight also marks a milestone in the quest for energy-efficient and carbon-neutral aviation. The electric aircraft e-Genius. Source: EE Times Europe [This] past Saturday morning, the electric aircraft "e-Genius" flew from the airfield Hahnweide near Stuttgart over the Alps to Italy. On its way to the airfield Calcinate del Pesce in Northern Italy the aircraft covered a distance of 320 km (200 miles) and climbed to an altitude of 4000 m (13.200 feet) in order to safely pass the summits of the Swiss Alps. The airplane represents a state-of-the art touring glider in most of its design characteristics - two pilots in a side-by-side seat arrangement, wing span of 16,9 metres and a glide ratio of 34. The most significant difference: The plane is equipped with a 60kW electric motor that drives a constant-speed propeller, located at the top of the vertical tail fin. The energy is stored in four lithium ion battery packs with a total capacity of 56 kWh. During its record flight the e-genius was flown by pilots Klaus Ohlmann and Ingmar Geiß of the University of Stuttgart. e-Genius arrived at its destination in little over two hours. On the same day, the batteries were recharged and e-Genius headed back to Stuttgart in the afternoon. This was a particular challenge because of the steep profile of the Swiss Alps. In order to have enough time to climb, a flight path across the Gotthard pass was chosen, which meant the aircraft had to cover an even longer 365 km distance back to its home airfield. Besides emitting extremely little amounts of carbon gas, the energy consumption of the flight showed the impressive potential of this aircraft technology: for both flights combined, only 83 kWh were used, the energy equivalent of 9.2 litres of gasoline. This leads to a total energy expense of only 21€ for the whole trip, assuming current electricity prices in Germany. The electric aircraft e-Genius was developed at the University of Stuttgart and is in a flight test program since May 2011. The goal of the project is the investigation of innovative propulsion technologies and aircraft configurations in order to minimize energy consumption as well as the carbon gas and noise emission of future aircraft. http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1327106 Back to Top American light aircraft engines 'to be produced in Siberia' Deal close to produce new Honeywell engines for An-2 planes in Novosibirsk. Siberian Research Institute of Aviation to produce American aircraft engines. Picture: Vadim Makhorov/dedmaxopka.livejournal.com A contract is expected 'in August' on the localisation of production to modernise the Soviet-era Antonov An-2 using the Western engines, say Russian sources. Vladimir Barsuk, director of the Siberian Research Institute of Aviation, said: 'Most likely, in August, will be signed contracts about the beginning of the localisation of collecting of aircraft engines. 'Initially, it is planned, this will be at our Institute and as we develop the technology we will create a production company. We agreed all with the Americans.' The beginning of production could be in autumn. The first engines collected in Novosibirsk will be installed on the aircraft An-2. During 2016 - 2017 years it is planned to modernize this way 150-200 aircrafts. He added: 'Unfortunately in Russia there are no engines similar to the American. Russia makes great engines for fighters, good reliable engines for passenger aircraft - and nothing for small aircrafts. 'This is because in Soviet times all the production of light aircraft was in Romania, Poland, Czechoslovakia. We did not have it since the 1950s, and our competence in the field of construction of light aircraft and engines we unfortunately lost.' A test flight of a modified An-2 biplane with redesigned, winglet-like braces and carbonfibre wing structures, was announced last month by Sukhoi. The plane was equipped with a five-bladed turboprop engine which, though not identified, was suspected to be the Honeywell TPE331 installed on a modernised version of the An-2 that entered service last year. The test flight was 'successful', and the design change increases the An-2 speed by 50%, claimed Sukhoi. The plane is widely used for agricultural uses. Honeywell is a Fortune 100 company. http://siberiantimes.com/business/others/news/n0301-american-light-aircraft-engines-to-be-produced-in-siberia/ Back to Top AirAsia selling 120 aircraft for lease option Investors don't appreciate the fact that the airline owns everything and has a USD2 billion cash pile and is in the market for the long-term. KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia, the largest budget carrier in the region, has confirmed that it will sell up to 120 of its aircraft under a sale-and-lease-back plan to cut debt. Earlier, there had been reports that AirAsia Indonesia may be grounded for lack of funds amidst questions over its accounting practices but which have since been cleared. "The plan would not affect capacity expansion through the development of new routes and rationalizing the existing network." The position taken by the airline, including the sale-and-lease-back plan, was announced by AirAsia Chief Tony Fernandes during an exclusive interview with Today Online in Singapore. The plan, not immediate, but to be implemented over a ten-year period, is expected to generate a net cash gain of USD2.5 billion. "Investors haven't really given us credit for the fact that we in fact own everything and that we have a USD2 billion cash pile," said Fernandes. "We are profitable in Malaysia and Thailand, Indonesia is breaking even and the Philippines will break even in the fourth quarter of this year." "We are not in this for the short-term. It took us five years to break even in Thailand and there's no way that we will give up Indonesia. The country has such tourism potential." Anyone who thinks AirAsia would quit Indonesia, stressed Fernandes, must be living in cuckoo land. He appeared to imply that investors would better appreciate the airline once the ten-year plan was implemented and this would translate into higher market capitalization and better perception in the industry. Already, the airline's shares rose 0.8 per cent on July 9 to close at RM1.31, up from a five-year low on July 8, as the market braced, as word leaked out, that the company under its sale-and-lease-back plan would streamline operations, pare debts, raise fresh funds and revitalize its network. Briefly, said Fernandes, 20 aircraft will be put on the market this year under the company's new plan. "This would bring down the airline's gearing to 2 times by the end of the year from 2.47 times now." "This would go hand in hand with raising fresh funds and bringing in new strategic investors. At least USD50 million in new equity will come in and we will match it." The game plan was to re-capitalize, and do USD100 million to USD150 million convertible bond issues each in Indonesia and the Philippines, followed by a listing exercise in 2017, added Fernandes. "The Philippines is ahead of the game but Indonesia will soon follow." Looking back, Fernandes conceded that expansion has slowed in the last two years, cutting capacity-building by almost half as a result of the market in Indonesia and earlier in the Philippines, but that's all in the past. "We are back in an expansion mode in Malaysia and Thailand and will start to grow in Indonesia and the Philippines next year." "New routes will connect India and China with the ten-nation Asean bloc." The airline is taking action against a newly set up small research house which it says has been misleading the market, in violation of the Security Commission rules, with a series of negative reports to "influence the market direction". It has also decided to sue the newly appointed Chairman of the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, Wee Choo Keong. for echoing the research house in his blog postings but was before his recent appointment. http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2015/07/10/airasia-selling-120-aircraft-for-lease-option/#sthash.kxyI6iWE.dpuf Back to Top Ethiopian Airlines mulls aircraft orders to double fleet Ethiopian Airlines Chief Executive Tewolde GebreMariam. Photo©Jeune AfriqueAs part of plans to nearly double its fleet, Ethiopian Airlines is considering placing orders for Boeing 777-X , Airbus 350-1000 and Bombardier Q400 aircraft. The state-owned airline is also in talks with Airbus to bring forward the delivery of 14 A350-900 to 2016-2017 from an original target of 2016-2018, Ethiopian Airlines Chief Executive Tewolde GebreMariam told reporters at the launch of the airline's first direct flight to Manila. The airline plans to modernise and expand its fleet to 150 by 2025. The target is to reach 150 fleet by 2025 "We have 76 aircraft operating, 47 in order. We are evaluating the Boeing 777-X, Airbus A350-1000 and Bombardier Q400," GebreMariam said. Last month, Boeing said that Ethiopian Airlines ordered six 787-8 Dreamliners worth $1.3 billion at list prices. GebreMariam said the airline was looking to revise upwards its 2025 target of $10 billion annual revenues alongside a rapid expansion of its routes. http://www.theafricareport.com/East-Horn-Africa/aviation-ethiopian-airlines-mulls-aircraft-orders-to-double-fleet.html Back to Top NASA chooses SPACE PILOTS who'll take the USA back into manned flight Ace 'nauts who'll ride Boeing, SpaceX podules to the ISS The future of space flight is commercial NASA has chosen the astronauts who will be the first to fly in the upcoming return by the USA to manned space launch operations. All four are space veterans and former military test pilots. "For as long as I've been Administrator, President Obama has made it very clear that returning the launches of American astronauts to American soil is a top priority - and he has persistently supported this initiative in his budget requests to Congress," said NASA's administrator Charles Bolden. "Had we received everything he asked for, we'd be preparing to send these astronauts to space on commercial carriers as soon as this year. As it stands, we're currently working toward launching in 2017, and today's announcement allows our astronauts to begin training for these flights starting now." The foursome, three men and one woman, will be trained to fly the SpaceX Dragon capsule and Boeing's Crew Space Transportation CST-100 over the next two years. The roster includes some of the most experienced astronauts NASA has on its books and all have two orbital missions under their belts. All four are qualified military test pilots, rather than being scientists or teachers by training as many NASA astronauts are. Sunita Williams is probably the highest profile member of the crew; she has spent nearly a year in space in total and was, until recently, the world's most experienced female astronaut. Williams, a former ISS commander, also holds the Women's record for the amount of time spent spacewalking and has been at NASA longer than any of her compatriots. Before astronaut training she was a Navy test pilot. Robert Behnken is a specialist in robotics and is a former Air Force test pilot who helped develop the F-22 fighter before joining NASA as a pilot in 2000. He has completed two Space Shuttle missions, both on Endeavour, and helped install the Japanese Kibo Laboratory on the ISS. Eric Boe is another former Air Force test pilot, as well as a combat flier over Iraq with 55 missions on his record. He has flown two Space Shuttle missions, both as pilot, and delivered the ISS' infamous water recycling machinery that turns yesterday's coffee into today's cappuccino. In contrast to the two Air Force flyboys, Douglas Hurley is a former marine and naval test pilot who was the first jarhead to fly the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet. He was the pilot on the last ever Space Shuttle mission back in 2011 aboard Atlantis. Bolden said that the move to flying on American commercial spacecraft would save the agency a ton of money. The Russians are currently charging NASA $78m per passenger into orbit, compared to $58m for US firms to do the same job. The SpaceX and Boeing spacecraft designs are also more efficient, managing to cram in four astronauts per trip - plus 100kg of cargo per person - compared to the three 'nauts that the Russian rockets can carry at a time. It also frees NASA from some of its negotiations with an increasingly fractious Putin regime. "I cannot think of a better way to continue our celebration of independence this July than to mark this milestone as we look to reassert our space travel independence and end our sole reliance on Russia to get American astronauts to the International Space Station," Bolden said. NASA also gave details of the next generation of astronauts, who have graduated to full flight status. The eight newbie astronauts, four men and four women, were whittled down from a list of more than 6,300 applicants - the largest number in NASA's history. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/07/09/ Back to Top Embry-Riddle To Offer Free Online Course On Aviation Accident Investigation Daytona Beach, Fla., July 7, 2015 - Aviation accident investigation plays a vital role in ensuring aircraft are designed, maintained and operated in a safe manner. Faculty from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Worldwide will share their accident investigation expertise this fall during a free massive open online course (MOOC). Registration for Aircraft Accident Investigation is limited and will open July 20. The course runs from Aug. 17 to Sept. 13. Participants will learn various aspects of the aircraft accident investigation process, from initial field investigation to publication of the final accident report. Particular emphasis will be placed on the study of human factors and survival investigative techniques and the application of accident investigation findings in industry and research. A critical analysis of selected aircraft accidents and an evaluation of causal factors will be addressed. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to practice data collection skills in Worldwide's Virtual Crash Laboratory. Embry-Riddle Virtual Crash lab MOOCs give students the flexibility of viewing lectures and working on assignments based on their own schedules. The online learning platform encourages a learning experience that focuses on student interaction using discussion boards and social media platforms such as Twitter. To learn more about the MOOC at Embry-Riddle Worldwide, visit http://worldwide.erau.edu/degrees-programs/free-online-courses/index.html. About Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 75 baccalaureate, master's and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts & Sciences, Aviation, Business, Engineering and Security & Intelligence. Embry- Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz.; online; and through the Worldwide Campus' network of education facilities in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit www.worldwide.erau.edu, follow us on Twitter (@ERAUworldwide) and www.facebook.com/EmbryRiddleWorldwide, and find expert videos at http://www.YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12090233/embry-riddle-aeronautical-university-worldwide-to-offer-free-massive-open-online-course-on-aviation-accident- investigation Back to Top Upcoming Events: EAA AirVenture Schedule July 19-26, 2015 Oshkosh, WI http://www.eaa.org/en/airventure/eaa-airventure-schedule-of-events Infrastructure and Safety Summit Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service July 20-24, 2015 McAllen, Texas http://TEEX.org/itsi 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 Fundamentals of IS-BAO August 25, 2015 Denver, CO USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1737105 IS-BAO Auditing August 26, 2015 Denver, CO USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1737126 Fundamentals of IS-BAO August 30, 2015 Casablanca, Morocco https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1725994 IS-BAO Auditing August 31, 2015 Casablanca, Morocco https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1725997 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 Regulatory Affairs Training Course September 15 & 16 Fort Worth, TX http://jdasolutions.aero/services/regulatory-affairs.php Suspected Unapproved Parts (SUPS) Training Course September 15 & 16 Fort Worth, TX http://jdasolutions.aero/ Back to Top JOBS AVAILABLE: Auditor Quality Assurance JetBlue https://careers.peopleclick.com/careerscp/client_jetblue/external_general/gateway.do?functionName=viewFromLink&jobPostId=5760&localeCode=en-us Deputy Director of Flight Operations and Technical Services Helicopter Association International https://www.rotor.org/AboutHAI/Employment.aspx Manager Safety Risk Management in Seattle Washington United States Alaska Airlines https://tam.alaskaair.com/psc/asjobs/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_CE.GBL?Page=HRS_CE_JOB_DTL&Action=A&JobOpeningId=25776&SiteId=10&PostingSeq=1 ? Engineering & Operations Manager Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), https://jobs-alpa.icims.com/jobs/1192/manager%2c-engineering-%26-operations/job Curt Lewis