Flight Safety Information July 16, 2015 - No. 139 In This Issue Boeing's New 747 Jumbo Risks Dangerous Vibration, FAA Says 46 people indicted in drug-smuggling bust at Dallas-Fort Worth airport LASERS POINTED AT PLANES UPON APPROACH TO NEWARK AIRPORT Why Airplane Flights Are Taking Slightly Longer Every Year GAGAN, aviation navigation system, launched; to improve airline operations (India) Sky's the limit but safety stops at 10,000ft (Australia) New software lets pilots warn other planes about turbulence Israeli firm develops health-warning sensor for pilots Leaked MH17 Draft Report Blames Pro-Russian Rebels PROS 2015 TRAINING Mass layoff announced by Piper Aircraft of Vero Beach Delta Abandons $4 Billion Jet Deal on Failed Pilot Contract Predator, Reaper drone pilots to get up to $135K re-up bonus Embraer sees quarterly uptick in light jet deliveries Is consumer jet pack flight coming soon? 3 Stats That Forecast the Rapid Growth of In-Flight Connectivity NAVIGATING EAA AIR VENTURE Boeing's New 747 Jumbo Risks Dangerous Vibration, FAA Says Boeing Co.'s newest 747 jumbo jetliner faces a risk of dangerous vibrations, known as "flutter," in limited situations, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Data analysis shows that "divergent flutter," oscillations of a wing that could cause it to break up, may occur on the 747-8 during a "high g-load maneuver in combination with certain system failures," the FAA said Wednesday. G-loading refers to the stresses on a plane that can increase during acceleration and turns. Operators of the passenger and freighter versions of the hump-backed jets are required to make wing repairs during the next year to five years to avoid safety issues, according to an FAA bulletin. The required modifications apply to eight 747-8 aircraft operated in the U.S. Boeing will pick up the tab for repair costs estimated at about $400,000 per jetliner because the planes are still under warranty, the FAA said. The directive makes mandatory changes that Chicago-based Boeing had recommended to operators in February 2014 "to ensure airplanes are configured with the latest certified software and system changes," Karen Crabtree, a company spokeswoman, said in an e-mail. About 71 of the four-engine jets delivered globally before that date are affected, she said. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-15/boeing-s-new-747-jumbo-at-risk-of-dangerous-vibration-faa-says Back to Top 46 people indicted in drug-smuggling bust at Dallas-Fort Worth airport Airline workers smuggled phony heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine through Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport for distribution nationwide as part of an undercover sting that led to the indictment of 46 people Wednesday, federal officials said. In the elaborate operation orchestrated by federal and local agents, airline employees used their knowledge, airport friends and security credentials to evade Transportation Security Administration scrutiny and to board planes to Chicago, Las Vegas, Newark, Phoenix, Wichita and San Francisco. The indictment unsealed Wednesday alleges that four people were at the core of the smuggling operation, at least eight others laundered money paid by the undercover agents and others helped people carrying alleged drugs evade TSA security. Most of the defendants are from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Airport officials said that none of those indicted are employed by the agency. "DFW Airport was aware of the FBI sting operation and cooperated fully," said airport spokesman David Magaņa in a statement. "None of the people named in the indictment is employed by DFW Airport." Crimes of all sorts happen in airports, though would-be criminals must contend with ubiquitous surveillance cameras, a multitude of police officers, dogs sniffing about and legions of airport workers who are to report anything suspicious. "We have periodically discovered criminal activity among the aviation worker population," said TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger. There are ongoing investigations, and it's a constant attempt to determine whether there is any criminal activity going on." With notable exceptions, most people arrested in airports are charged with petty crimes or with attempting to bring banned weapons onto airplanes. Still, though, the TSA is tightening controls on airline and airport workers after the discovery in December that an airline baggage handler in Atlanta took part in an alleged conspiracy to smuggle guns - including assault rifles - to New York City. FBI investigators determined the gun-running scheme had been fostered by airline workers whose identity badges gave them access to areas that are off-limits to passengers. The TSA responded by reducing access points to secure areas, increasing the frequency of criminal background checks, subjecting workers to random screenings and sending airport workers traveling as passengers through regular security checkpoints. According to the indictment Wednesday, an undercover agent was told by an airline worker at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport that he could smuggle drugs on United and American Airlines flights. On several subsequent occasions, the agent supplied the worker with purported drugs and they were transported by a relative of the worker who was on the employee flight list and exempt from scrutiny faced by other passengers. Most of the defendants were charged with at least one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute heroin, methamphetamine or cocaine. Eight defendants are charged with at least one count of money laundering or conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation that, upon conviction, would require each defendant to give up any property involved in or traceable to property involved in their crime. The maximum penalty for each of the drug-trafficking conspiracy charges is life in prison and millions of dollars in fines. Each count of conspiracy to launder money carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. Each substantive money laundering count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/undercover-sting-snags-would-be-airline-drug-smugglers-at-dallas-fort-worth/2015/07/15/4d016a0e-2b04- 11e5-bd33-395c05608059_story.html Back to Top LASERS POINTED AT PLANES UPON APPROACH TO NEWARK AIRPORT Pilots report lasers pointed at landing planes NEWARK (WABC) -- The FAA and New Jersey State Police are investigating green laser-pointing incidents at planes coming into Newark-Liberty Airport in New Jersey. Numerous pilots reported a green laser shining into their cockpits while landing Wednesday night. The planes began reporting the laser incidents about six miles from the airport just after 9 p.m. Eventually the tower changed the approach path after determining where the laser was being pointed from. Newark had 28 reported laser-pointing incidents last year. The most recent were two incidents in March. Last May, four planes departing from Kennedy Airport reported their aircrafts were targeted by a laser, shined from Farmingdale, during the same time period. Pointing a laser into a cockpit is a federal crime that carries a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The FAA said 11 commercial flights reported that lasers illuminated their aircraft Wednesday night. The FAA released a summary of the incidents: -Porter 141 was at 3,000 feet 15 miles southwest of Newark Liberty International Airport; -American Airlines 1472 was 20 miles southwest of Newark Airport; -United Airlines was at 9,000 feet seven miles from Newark Airport; -American Airlines 966 was at 3,00 feet 15 miles south of Newark Airport; -Delta Air Lines 504, Shuttle America 3489 and JetBlue 828 were at 3,000 feet four miles south of the Outerbridge Crossing; -JetBlue 2779 did not report its location; -American Airlines 348 was at 9,000 feet over New Jersey heading to LaGuardia Airport; -One aircraft reported it was illuminated when it was over Ocean City; -Republic Airlines 4632 reported it was at 9,000 feet seven miles northeast of Robbinsville. The flight was heading to Pittsburgh, PA. http://7online.com/news/lasers-pointed-at-planes-upon-approach-to-newark-airport/855301/ Back to Top Why Airplane Flights Are Taking Slightly Longer Every Year In the future, hopping on a plane from LA to Honolulu might take a minute longer than it does today. You probably won't miss that lost moment, but the airline industry will: The tiny additional flight time could amount to thousands of extra hours and millions of dollars of additional jet fuel each year. That, at least, is one takeaway from a new research paper published this week in Nature Climate Change, which examined U.S. Department of Transportation data on 250,000 commercial flights between Honolulu to the West Coast. The study found that climate variability, rather than day-to-day weather, determines average flight times, and that stronger jet stream winds across the Pacific over the 21st century will, on average, make roundtrip flights slightly longer. "Upper level wind circulation patterns are the major factor in influencing flight times," said lead study author Kris Karnauskas of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in a statement. "Longer flight times mean increased fuel consumption by airliners. The consequent additional input of CO2 into the atmosphere can feed back and amplify emerging changes in atmospheric circulation." As temperatures in the equatorial Pacific rise and fall, atmospheric waves are sent off toward higher latitudes of both the Northern and Southern hemisphere. A major factor influencing these air circulation patterns is the El Niņo Southern Oscillation, a band of warm ocean water that develops ever 3 to 5 years off the west coast of South America and spreads across the tropical Pacific. The ENSO, Karnauskas found, is a strong predictor of high-altitude wind speed-and therefore flight times-across the Pacific as well. Why Airplane Flights Are Taking Slightly Longer Every Year Monthly flight time difference (shown in blue) for United flights between HNL- LAX and average wind speed index (shown in black) are almost perfectly correlated. Image via of Karnauskas et al 2015 As we continue pumping heat-trapping CO2 into the air, the ENSO and air circulation patterns are changing. Analyzing 30 different global climate models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Karnauskas and his team found that a warming world may reposition the jet stream such that airplanes face stronger winds traveling from California to Hawaii, adding a little bit of time and fuel to the trip. By the same token, shorter flights going easbound could burn less fuel. But Karnauskas finds that the fuel savings going east didn't cancel out the additional fuel on flights headed west. You might wonder why an extra few minutes in the air really matters. Well, Karnauskas did some fast math and showed that if an additional one minute were tacked onto each of 30,000 round trip US flights every day, it would amount to 300,000 additional air hours per year and a billion additional gallons of jet fuel. This, in turn, would cost the airline industry $3 billion dollars annually, while adding an additional 10 billion kilos CO2 to our atmosphere. Those numbers may sound staggering, but they shouldn't be taken as predictions: Karnauskas is merely showing us that small changes in flight times can amount to big economic and environmental costs. But even if a fiercer jet stream means longer trans-Pacific flights, it's not at all clear how climate change will impact flight times, jet fuel use, and airplane carbon emissions globally over the 21st century, because wind patterns are changing differently in different regions. As Penn state geoscience professor told Scientific American, "This study is focused primarily on one part of the total picture, as you know, and so points the way to larger studies assessing something more like the whole (airline industry) route structure as currently flown and what might be flown in a changing world." Which is to say, air travel is just another aspect of our world that Earth's changing climate is going to impact-and in ways we're just beginning to understand. http://gizmodo.com/why-airplane-flights-are-taking-slightly-longer-every-y-1717746947 Back to Top GAGAN, aviation navigation system, launched; to improve airline operations (India) NEW DELHI: Civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Monday formally launched the GPS-Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) system, which would make airline operations more efficient and cut down costs as it reduces separation between aircrafts, increase air safety and fuel efficiency. The system will provide augmentation service for GPS over the country, Bay of Bengal, south east Asia and Middle East expanding up to Africa. Ministry of civil aviation would encourage states and other ministries to avail the GAGAN system as its use is just not confined to aviation, both civil and military, purposes, but in other areas such as surface transport and agriculture among others, Raju said after the launch. Jointly developed by Indian Space Research Organization (Isro) and Airports Authority of India, at an investment of Rs 774 crore, the system will offer seamless navigation to the aviation industry. Since February 14 last year, it has been continuously providing navigation signals from GSAT-8 and GSAT-10 satellites launched by ISRO, augmenting the performance of GPS signals received over Indian airspace. The benefits of GAGAN include improved efficiency, direct routes, increased fuel savings, approach with vertical guidance at runways, significant cost savings due to withdrawal of ground aids and reduced workload of flight crew and air traffic controllers. GAGAN implementation will immediately benefit 50 operational airports in the country, civil aviation secretary RN Choubey said, adding this air navigation can be used by all SAARC countries. According to the ministry, GAGAN is the first SBAS (Satellite Based Augmentation System) in the world certified for approach with vertical guidance operating in the equatorial ionospheric region and the third SBAS to have achieved this feat, after WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) of the USA and EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) of Europe. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/GAGAN-aviation-navigation-system-launched-to-improve-airline-operations/articleshow/48062874.cms Back to Top Sky's the limit but safety stops at 10,000ft (Australia) 'Wherever there is radar surveillance, we should provide a radar service to low level': Virgin Independent Pilots Association spokesman Matthew Bowden. Picture: Cameron Laird Source: News Corp Australia Air travel to and from some regional airports is "nowhere near" as safe as it should be because available radar systems are not being fully used at lower altitudes, Virgin Australia pilots have warned. Entering a growing debate over air safety, the Virgin Independent Pilots Association called yesterday for greater use of radar and radar-like surveillance systems to guide planes at regional airports. VIPA spokesman Matthew Bowden, an experienced pilot, told The Australian yesterday that planes arriving at regional airports were typically switched off from radar surveillance and control at 10,000-12,000 feet. He said this occurred even at airports that had radar or radar-like coverage well below these altitudes, including Hobart and Launceston, Ballina in NSW, and Proserpine and Mackay in Queensland. "There is low-level radar surveillance in place but we are not using it," Mr Bowden said. He described this as mystifying, given the superior safety of radar control. Instead, at those airports that have air traffic control towers, controllers work to avoid collisions by "procedural separation", based on pilots radioing in their positions and on visual observations. "There are multiple regional airports that have low-level radar coverage and we would advocate that, wherever there is radar surveillance, we should provide a radar service to low level - just like we do in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane (airports)," Mr Bowden said. "Commonsense should prevail. If you can have the accuracy (of radar) available at Sydney and Brisbane then surely you can find a way of having the accuracy available at these regional airports." VIPA's position adds to a string of concerns about regional air safety management in Australia, amid frustration that regulators are failing to maximise the use of radar and ground staff observations to assist pilots. Newly appointed Civil Aviation Safety Authority chairman Jeff Boyd has foreshadowed a shift towards a safer US-style model, with improved control of regional airspace. In response to VIPA's latest concerns, an Airservices Australia spokesman said radar was used by air traffic controllers "in all types of airspace where coverage is available". Mr Bowden said some airports, such as Ballina and Proserpine, did not have air traffic control towers, but did have low-altitude radar that was not used. He said that where it was available it should be used to extend the service provided by radar controllers, centralised in Melbourne and Brisbane, rather than merely as an add-on tool for local tower controllers. In particular, full support by radar to low altitude was far safer in bad weather, when visibility was poor. "In bad weather, a radar controller is watching us (on radar screen) all the way until we are established on approach (to the runway)," Mr Bowden said. VIPA was "perplexed" as to why Airservices spent $6 million installing a radar-like system in Tasmania, capable of providing coverage to ground level, but still relied on the less safe procedural separation below 12,500ft. "Why would you bother spending $6m, or any amount of money, on a radar surveillance system, if you are not going to let the radar controller use it?" Mr Bowden said. Aviation sources said the Civil Aviation Safety Authority often did not approve the use of radar as the primary means of separating aircraft above regional airports because of patchy coverage. For example, coverage of the Tasmanian radar-like system is deemed by CASA to be insufficient below 7000ft. Instead, it is used only as an additional tool to assist tower controllers. Pilots argue that any inadequacies should be addressed to bring existing radar up to scratch for use at lower altitudes. Multiple industry sources say Airservices failed to install a sufficient number of ground signal units to support the use of the Tasmanian system to control aircraft below 7000ft. Airservices argues this was not necessary because air traffic volumes in Hobart and Launceston are far below those of Sydney and Melbourne. Mr Bowden said there may be a case for extending radar to other regional airports where it could be supported by cost-benefit analysis. At the very least, where radar already existed, it should be used to maximise safety above regional airports. "It is nowhere near as safe as it could be if we used the (radar) surveillance in the way it is supposed to be used - by a radar controller," he said. Airservices and CASA insist all airspace is managed safely and in accordance with the level of air traffic experienced. CASA said questions relating to radar use at low altitudes over regional airports were of an "operational" nature and most appropriately directed to Airservices. By late yesterday, Airservices had declined to make someone available for interview. However, a spokesman - as well as saying air traffic controllers did make use of radar where available - defended Airservices' handling of the Tasmanian radar project. "In Tasmania, the Wide Area Multi-lateration (WAM) 'radar' system ... gives visibility of all aircraft down to the ground in Hobart and Launceston," he said. "The WAM system not only supports air traffic controllers in providing services that keep flights safely separated from other traffic, but also enables controllers to assist pilots with navigation, weather or terrain avoidance." http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/skys-the-limit-but-safety-stops-at-10000ft/story-e6frg95x-1227443467312 Back to Top New software lets pilots warn other planes about turbulence Pilots can report turbulence in real time to other pilots, so airliners can avoid the bumpy rides that cause injuries. Airlines are using new software that transmits weather data from planes in the air to analysts on the ground, allowing pilots to avoid turbulence that can injure passengers and damage planes. A passenger and two flight attendants were hospitalized Saturday after United Airlines flight 1597 ran into turbulence on the way into Washington Dulles International Airport from San Juan, Puerto Rico. A second flight also ran into strong turbulence while flying to Washington from San Francisco, but no serious injuries were reported. To avoid such injuries, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines have been testing new sensors and software that relay information as a plane experiences turbulence and transmits it to other airlines. The software, made by Andover, Mass.-based WSI, could help aircraft prepare for turbulence or avoid it, the company says. "Pilots would typically give you the report after the turbulence had abated," said Des Keany, manager of flight planning and weather support for American Airlines. "Now, with this technology, the aircraft reports in real time." According to a study by the NASA Weather Accident Prevent Project, turbulence is a major cause of airline injuries, costs up to $100 million in damage each year. Each incident costs airlines between $28,000 and $167,000, the study said. There have been between 12 and 76 injured passengers and crew members every year since 2002, according to the FAA. Alaska Airlines said that improving safety was its first priority, but it's also hoping the software could help cut maintenance costs. In the past, when a plane ran into turbulence, pilots would decide whether the disturbance was severe enough to require maintenance. There have been instances in which pilots overestimated the severity of turbulence and requested unnecessary inspections, Keany said. Sensors and software installed by WSI, a division of the Weather Company, can measure turbulence intensity and provide information on whether the plane requires an inspection. "This information is one piece of the puzzle in avoiding areas of turbulence," said Halley Knigge, a spokeswoman for Alaska Airlines. Another tool pilots can use is an iPad. American Airlines is starting to issue iPads to pilots to help them visualize inclement weather and potential areas of turbulence. "The pilot can now see the routed flight plan and anything that's along the track so they can determine where turbulence reports might be," Keany said. Another new piece of technology is the MultiScan ThreatTrack radar system that can detect hazardous weather up to 320 nautical miles away. These improved sensors scan horizontally and vertically for potential threats. http://www.pressherald.com/2015/07/14/new-software-lets%E2%80%A8pilots-warn-other-planes-about-turbulence/ Back to Top Israeli firm develops health-warning sensor for pilots Israeli defense electronics firm Elbit Systems says it has developed a body sensor that could help save the lives of pilots by forewarning of possible loss of consciousness in extreme manoeuvres or because of oxygen starvation. Named "Canary", the system is initially geared for the military market and fighter pilots who experience extreme physiological stress during sharp turns, high-speed acceleration or possible oxygen starvation at high altitude. But it may be adapted for civil aviation use as well. Loss of consciousness because of high G-forces that prevent blood getting to the brain, known as G-LOC, is a regular concern for fast-jet pilots. Hypoxia can affect anybody flying at high altitude and can also lead to incapacitation. Both phenomena have caused crashes and deaths over many years, said Yaron Kranz, a senior research and development director at Elbit, which developed the sensor together with Israeli start-up LifeBEAM. Systems that can take over an out of control plane have already been developed by aircraft and auto-pilot manufacturers, but Elbit's system is different in that it senses the condition of the pilot rather than the aircraft. "The system detects the physiological state of the pilot while he is still in control and it can predict if he is going to lose consciousness, giving enough time to take evasive action," said Kranz, a former fighter pilot. Two well-documented examples of hypoxia were the Helios Airways disaster in 2005, in which 121 people died when their airliner came down near Athens, and the 1999 business jet crash of top golfer Payne Stewart in the mid-Western United States. Canary, which includes a button-sized sensor and related computer, is contained within the pilot's helmet. The system will only flash an alert on the helmet's visor if it senses an imminent threat. If it detects the pilot has passed out, it will tell the plane's mission computer to take control to avert disaster, Kranz said. To detect hypoxia in civilian aircraft, the sensor could be adapted to be worn without a helmet. Elbit Systems, whose drones and surveillance devices are top sellers worldwide, is Israel's largest listed defense company. Together with Rockwell Collins, it is developing the pilot helmet, expected to be ready for production within a year, for Lockheed Martin Corp's advanced F-35 fighter. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2015/07/15/israeli-firm-develops-health-warning-sensor-for-pilots/ Back to Top Leaked MH17 Draft Report Blames Pro-Russian Rebels A photo taken on September 9, 2014, shows part of MH17 at the crash site in the village of Hrabove, some 80 kilometers east of Donetsk. The Dutch Safety Board's draft investigative report on Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 blames pro-Russian separatists for shooting down the Boeing 777 nearly a year ago, killing all 298 passengers and crew members, according to a CNN report. The secret draft report is several hundred pages long. On June 2, it was distributed for review to agencies and other accredited representatives in the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team -- including the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration, and Boeing. Other members of the investigating team are from Malaysia, Australia, Britain, Russia, and Ukraine. The recipients of the secret draft report have until August 1 to submit comments. The Dutch Safety Board will then draw up its definitive final report, which is expected to be released in October. On July 16, a day before the first anniversary of the tragedy, CNN revealed details from sources who have seen the draft. Two sources told CNN the Dutch-led investigators concluded that MH17 was shot down by a Russian surface-to-air Buk missile fired from a village in separatist-controlled territory of eastern Ukraine. Both sources said the Dutch Safety Board also puts some blame on Malaysia Airlines for dispatching the plane over the conflict zone en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. They said investigators faulted the airline for not reading other countries' warning notices to airmen, known as NOTAMs, that might have steered them away from airspace over the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The Dutch Safety Board says it will not comment on its "confidential draft final report." In Washington, both the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration refused to comment on the investigation or on the leaked findings. In their preliminary report released in September, the Dutch-led investigators announced that the plane's fuselage had been pierced from the outside by a large number of "high-energy objects." Those findings were consistent with a fragmentation warhead like the one carried by a Buk antiaircraft missile. Fred Westerbeke of the Dutch National Prosecutors Office told reporters in September that MH17 "most likely" had been shot down from the ground. A pro-Russian separatist officer told AP after the disaster that the plane had been shot down by a mixed team of separatists and Russian military personnel who thought they were targeting a Ukrainian military plane. Audio recordings of intercepted phone conversations between the separatists that were released by the Ukrainian government support that version of events. Westerbeke warned that the difficulties of carrying out an investigation in a conflict zone like eastern Ukraine meant that a suspect may never be identified and brought to trial. But on July 15, a lawsuit filed in a U.S. court accused Igor Girkin, the former commander of pro-Russian separatist forces in eastern Ukraine known as "Strelkov," of orchestrating the shoot-down. Filed in Chicago, the lawsuit also alleges that Girkin acted with the blessings of the Kremlin when his forces fired at the Boeing 777. Lawyer Floyd Wisner is using the U.S. Torture Victim Protection Act, which can be used against foreign nationals, to bring the case against Girkin in a U.S. court. The lawsuit seeks $900 million for families of 18 MH17 passengers. Wisner said the case "is not about money. It is about getting answers from Girkin and putting pressure on Russia to cooperate" with an international tribunal to bring criminal charges against those responsible. Malaysia and other countries participating in the Joint Investigation Team have been pushing for the establishment of a UN-mandated international tribunal that would prosecute those who are accused of shooting down the plane. But Russia said on July 9 that it would oppose a UN Security Council resolution to establish such a tribunal. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on July 11 in Kuala Lumpur that investigators are "really close to naming those guilty." He also called "on all nations concerned to provide the fullest cooperation, so that we will be able to gather irrefutable evidence as to what happened -- and especially as to who were responsible for this unforgivable incident." http://www.rferl.org/content/mh17-draft-report-points-to-pro-russian-rebels-ukraine/27130860.html Back to Top Back to Top Mass layoff announced by Piper Aircraft of Vero Beach A mass layoff announced today by Piper Aircraft Inc. of Vero Beach will impact more than 100 workers and possibly as many as 150. The airplane manufacturer is reducing its workforce by at least 15 percent and may cut its staff by as much as 20 percent. Piper currently employs roughly 750 people, and it sells single- and twin-engine aircraft to both American and international customers. The company's layoff announcement follows two consecutive quarters of declines in the company's revenue, sales, and deliveries. Simon Caldecott, the company's president and CEO, issued a formal statement, saying, "Piper Aircraft has experienced steady recovery since 2009, however, we are facing challenges and economic instability in several key regions of the world, including Asia, parts of Europe, and Latin America. The team at Piper is committed to the business and as such must make the agonizing decision to adjust accordingly." In Piper's press release about the layoffs, the company said it was preparing a staff reduction schedule and would inform laidoff employees of their status as soon as possible. The company also indicated that it would be working with the Florida state unemployment office and local job placement organizations to ensure that its displaced workers receive assistance. http://www.floridatoday.com/story/money/business/2015/07/15/mass-layoffs-announced-piper-aircraft-vero-beach/30185091/ Back to Top Delta Abandons $4 Billion Jet Deal on Failed Pilot Contract Delta Air Lines Inc. abandoned plans to add at least $4 billion of Boeing Co. and Embraer SA jets after union pilots rejected the contract needed to trigger the deal. "Those orders will be canceled," Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson said Wednesday on a conference call without elaborating. He spoke after Delta posted a second-quarter profit that beat analysts' estimates and slowed growth in seating capacity. Delta's decision erases the purchase of 40 Boeing 737-900ERs and 20 Embraer E190s, which the airline linked to ratification of the proposed contract. The Air Line Pilots Association, whose members at Delta voted almost 2-to-1 against the accord, declined to comment on Anderson's remarks. Analysts had hailed the proposed contract as a sign of labor peace, six months ahead of the January start date for new terms at the least-unionized major U.S. airline. The rejection was a rare sign of friction between management and pilots at a carrier that otherwise has among the best labor relations in the industry. Delta included the planes as a sweetener because the E190s would have been a new, smaller class of aircraft for the carrier's main jet operations. While the E190 might have created jobs, it came with a lower, "second-tier" pay scale, said Tim Caplinger, who leads a startup union seeking to replace ALPA. Some pilots also were concerned that the jet would replace some of Delta's older mainline planes, rather than adding to the fleet, he said. Profit Rises "Delta is free to bring those airplanes if they'd like, and we're not concerned about their choice to reject them at this time at those low B-scale pay rates," said Caplinger, head of the Delta Pilots Association. Scrapping the plane deal capped a busy day for Delta. Besides posting adjusted earnings of $1 billion for the quarter, the world's third-largest airline slowed growth in seating capacity for the rest of 2015 and forecast that revenue for each seat flown a mile would fall more than some analysts had estimated. Delta rose 0.8 percent to $43.99 at the close in New York, reversing an earlier decline. Jet fuel fell to $1.58 a gallon, the lowest price since Jan. 29, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. A weak third-quarter forecast for so-called unit revenue -- down 4.5 percent to 6.5 percent -- "was the only negative thing I see" in the results, said Michael Derchin, an analyst with CRT Capital Group. Some investors may have expected that measure to improve after last quarter's 4.6 percent slide, he said. Positives Seen "Otherwise, there's a lot of positives in the report," Derchin said. The capacity pullback responds to analysts' urgings for slower growth as airlines struggle to charge more. At the same time, the U.S. Justice Department is investigating whether the major carriers are colluding on those adjustments to their seat supply, boosting airfares. Available seating will rise by 3 percent this quarter and be unchanged in the year's final three months, Delta said. It's restraining growth while discounters such as Spirit Airlines Inc. and Southwest Airlines Co. pile on capacity faster than the expansion of U.S. gross domestic product. Average domestic fares have fallen 8 percent from a June 2014 high, as demand failed to keep pace with the jump in seat supply, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Excluding some items, Delta's earnings of $1.27 per share exceeded the $1.21 average estimate among 16 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Sales were $10.7 billion, compared with a consensus analyst estimate of $10.6 billion. A 39 percent drop in jet kerosene prices buoyed earnings in the three months ending in June and will continue to do so in the current period, Anderson said in a statement. Delta saved $463 million on fuel compared with the same period last year. Delta expects its cuts on capacity to help "stem the erosion" in unit revenues, President Ed Bastian said in the statement. Available seating at Atlanta-based Delta had risen by at least 3.2 percent in every period since April 2014 and by as much as 5 percent in the first three months of this year. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-15/delta-drops-plan-for-4-billion-of-jets-on-failed-pilot-contract Back to Top Predator, Reaper drone pilots to get up to $135K re-up bonus A Predator on the prowl MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper drone pilots will be eligible for retention bonuses worth up to $135,000 beginning in fiscal 2016 under a new policy announced by the Air Force. Also, beginning this August, the Air Force plans to steer 80 undergraduate pilot training graduates directly into drone squadrons, instead of traditional manned aircraft. "In a complex global environment, RPA [remotely piloted aircraft] pilots will always be in demand," Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said in a release Wednesday. "Remarkable airmen have ensured the success of the MQ-1/9 programs. We now face a situation where if we don't direct additional resources appropriately, it creates unacceptable risk." Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Chris Karns said that the critical skills retention bonus will only be offered to pilots in the 18X Air Force specialty code. 18X pilots who are reaching the end of their initial six-year commitment can get the bonuses by agreeing to serve another five or nine years. They will get $15,000 a year, meaning they will get either $75,000 or $135,000, depending on how long they agree to stay. They can also choose to get 50 percent of their bonus as an upfront lump-sum payment. The 80 undergraduate pilot training graduates directed into drone squadrons will serve one assignment tour - typically lasting three years - before being offered the opportunity to move to a manned aircraft. The last time the Air Force did this was between 2009 and 2011. About 30 percent of the 248 pilots who were given the opportunity to fly manned aircraft at the end of their tours decided to remain drone pilots, Karns said. The Air Force hopes these moves will lessen the strain on overworked drone squadrons. Fighter pilots fly an average of 250 hours per year, Karns said. But drone pilots fly about 900 hours per year, and are taxed by combatant commanders' ever-growing need for more intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. "The RPA community has been operating at surge capacity for eight years," Karns said. And the Air Force isn't producing enough drone pilots to fill those needs. In an email, Karns said the Air Force's current operations tempo requires it to produce about 300 active-duty pilots per year, but it is only turning out 190 each year. RPA pilots got some relief in April, when Defense Secretary Ash Carter approved a reduction of combat air patrols, Karns said. At that point, drone pilots flew 65 CAP missions per day, but they're now down to 61 per day, and are expected to hit 60 in October. "It's one of those situations where this decision needed to be made to ensure the long-term viability of the RPA enterprise, and to be be able to meet current and long- term combatant commander needs," Karns said. "This will put us in a position to get healthy and be able to provide enhanced support going into the future." Undergraduate pilot training graduates will be chosen for drone duty based on their performance, their preference and the needs of the Air Force, Karns said. The highest-performing pilots will have the best shot of getting their pick of platforms, he said. But the Air Force will assign some pilots to drone duty to fill those slots. The Air Force now plans to only steer pilot graduates to drone duty for one year. Pilots who accept the bonus will no longer be eligible for the expanded monthly flight pay James approved in January, Karns said. That change increased the maximum amount 18X drone pilots can get from $650 per month to $1,500, if they keep flying unmanned aircraft beyond their six-year commitments. But pilots getting the bonus will still get the standard $650 monthly flight pay. The extra monthly flight pay adds up to $10,200 per year, meaning that by accepting the new $15,000 annual bonus, these pilots would get an extra $4,800 per year. The bonuses are similar to, but different from the up to $225,000 Aviator Retention Pay bonus that this year became available to some 11U RPA pilots. The 18X bonus was first reported Tuesday by The Wall Street Journal. http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/careers/air-force/2015/07/15/predator-reaper-drone-pilots-to-get-135k-re-up-bonus/30184499/ Back to Top Embraer sees quarterly uptick in light jet deliveries Phenom 100 and 300 in flight. Cessna's Brazilian business jet competitor saw an increase in its light jet deliveries in the second quarter of 2015. Embraer said in a news release Wednesday that it delivered 26 light jets in the three-month period ended June 30, up from 22 light jets in the same period last year. Embraer's light jets, which compete against some of Textron Aviation Cessna's Citation jets, include the Phenom 100 and 300. Embraer said deliveries of its large-cabin, long range jets were flat, at seven aircraft, in the second quarters of 2014 and 2015. http://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/air-capital-insider/article27310858.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top Is consumer jet pack flight coming soon? According to Nick "The Jet Pack Man" Macomber, it won't be long before people will be able to fly short distances in their own machines. "We're realistically a year or two away, I would say," Macomber said Wednesday on "CBS This Morning." Visions of a world with personal flight are a long-running fixture in movies and television. Jet packs have been celebrated in cartoons, spy movies and futuristic science- fiction flicks, but the reality is that dream has been slow to take off, until now. "This technology was developed in the '50s and '60s, but [at] Go Fast Sports and Jet Pack International, we're working on something that can fly for 30 minutes," Macomber said. He said they've built a prototype that uses a turbine-based platform. "It's a different configuration, but it's definitely a game-changer," Macomber said. Macomber is at the forefront of the sport. Ahead of the 2012 London Olympics, he took to the sky, flying the flame in the torch relay past London's National Space Centre. He made history over the weekend conducting the first successful jet pack flight in China as part of an innovators summit. Someday, Macomber hopes to fly over the Great Wall of China. Now he is featured in a new Smithsonian Channel documentary, "Incredible Flying Jet Packs" that explores this new frontier. Cameras were rolling as he set the world record for the highest jet pack flight from a building. He circled the 45th floor rooftop of The Four Seasons Hotel in Denver. While he said it was one of the most rewarding things he's ever done, it was also one of the most nerve-wracking. "The consequences are so much more at that height. If I'm 20 feet off the ground and I fall out of the sky, I break my legs, but I still live on a normal flight. If I fell out of the sky there, it's game over," Macomber said. Right now, Macomber can soar up to about 150 feet in the air. Flight time is limited 28 seconds because it takes an enormous amount of fuel to lift him off the ground. "I'm constantly battling this thrust to weight ratio and the more fuel I add in the machine, the longer I can fly, but then I get to a point where I don't get off the ground," Macomber said. He said the jet pack is about 65 pounds and twice that when fully loaded with hydrogen peroxide. But with about 130 flights under his belt, he said it's just like riding a bike. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nick-jet-pack-man-macomber-personal-flight-future-technology-documentary/ Back to Top 3 Stats That Forecast the Rapid Growth of In-Flight Connectivity The growth of connectivity and entertainment in-flight is both encouraging and impressive. We still feel the birds-eye view from the window is the most thrilling and entertaining thing about being on a plane, but it's great to have something to do when the lights are off. SITA's Airline IT Trends Survey reveals that 66% of airlines will offer passengers more wireless choices in-flight by 2018, compared to only 28% today. We know that the in-flight connectivity market is growing by leaps and bounds, with connectivity suppliers competing to offer greater bandwidth, better connections and more speed. At the same time, in-flight entertainment suppliers are offering better options for both embedded seat-back and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) entertainment. In fact, there is an overlap between those two technologies, with suppliers on both sides of the product range offering various solutions and enticing airlines to adopt connections with improved operations benefits. All this activity results in the dramatic improvements which SITA predicts for 2018. SITA indicates that inflight wireless apps, which provide both entertainment content and destination services, such as bookings for onward travel from the airport, will increase from 6% to 44% by 2018. In-flight duty free shopping, also supported by airline in-flight wireless apps, will increase from 11% to 47% over the same period. Source: SITA Airline IT Trends Report/SITA http://skift.com/2015/07/16/3-stats-that-forecast-the-rapid-growth-of-in-flight-connectivity/ Back to Top NAVIGATING EAA AIR VENTURE By Roger Rapoport With many special events of interest to the air safety community, EAA Air Venture makes Oshkosh an appealing destination this coming week. With a week long schedule of events beginning July 20 at venues like the FAA Aviation Center, the show is an ideal place to catch up with the best and brightest innovations in flight safety. Navigating Oshkosh itself, is another matter. With over half a million visitors and thousands of aircraft descending on this college town on the shores of Lake Winnebago, it can be a challenge to make a last minute trip affordable and convenient. Here are a few handy tips to make your visit a winner, particularly if you're coming at the last minute. GETTING THERE: If you're not flying your own plane you may be landing at Green Bay, Appleton, Milwaukee or Chicago and renting a car. For the budget minded Amtrak, Greyhound and Megabus also provide convenient service to Milwaukee. Another handy way to get to travel west to Wisconsin is across Lake Michigan via the Lake Express from Muskegon to Milwaukee or the Badger which makes the trip to Manitowoc. These ferries avoid the Chicago bottleneck and it's possible to rent cars at either Wisconsin port. WHERE TO STAY: Housing is tight and can be expensive at the last minute. A good solution is the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh that provides on campus housing in a variety of student accommodations. The dorms offer convenient shuttle service to EAA, meeting space and affordable breakfast, lunch and dinner options. This college experience also puts you within walking distance of many of the city's good restaurants, museums and other attractions. For details call (920) 424-3226 or https://gcc.housing.uwosh.edu/ email uwoeaa@lists.uuwosh.edu Another good source of last minute information is Visit Oshkosh at 877 303-9200 or visitoshkosh.com DINING: Waits can be long. It's good to make reservations for popular restaurants like Fratello's Waterfront Restaurant and Brewery, Kodiak Jack's Steak & Seafood, and a breakfast favorite, Pilora's Cafe. Other restaurants worth checking out are Gardina's Wine Bar and Cafe, Wendt's On The Lake, Becket's and for roller skating car hops don't miss Ardy & Ed's Drive In Restaurant. RAINY DAYS: Bad weather creates a good opportunity to see some of the great museums in and around the Fox River valley communities of Oshkosh and Appleton. Locally the Paine Art Center and Gardens are a best bet. In nearby Neenah the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass is worth a visit and Appleton, just 20 minutes away is the city where Harry Houdini came of age and was Bar Mitzvahed. His story is featured at The History Museum at the Castle. Football fans won't want to miss the Green Bay Packers Stadium Tour (The Hall of Fame is currently closed for renovation). DAY TRIPS: If you're coming or going through Milwaukee, take time to see the city's memorable Art Museum. Now in the midst of renovation, you can enjoy Modern Rebels featuring artists from Van Gogh to Jackson Pollock at the Quadracci Pavillion designed by Santiago-Calatrava. One of the world's great architecture tours is Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin in Spring Green, about two hours from Oshkosh by car or half an hour in your own plane. Still under construction more than a century after the architect began his master work, this legendary home perched above the Wisconsin River may be the greatest remodeling project of all time. A few miles away is an outstanding repertory company, American Players Theater. FINAL NOTE: While EAA is all about aviation be sure to take time out to get to meet and chat with the wonderful people who work and live here. Arguably the friendliest city on earth, Oshkosh is all about midwestern hospitality. See for yourself and you'll understand why so many discerning aviators come back again and again. Roger Rapoport is the producer of the feature film Pilot Error which screens July 17-23 at Oshkosh Cinema. He'll be at most screenings. Details at pilot- errormovie.com/oshkosh. See the trailer at https://vimeo.com/110034584. Look for his updates from EAA this coming week. Back to Top Embry-Riddle hosts sUAS challenge at EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2015 Obstacle and speed courses part of Drone Cage at EAA's Aviation Gateway Park. Embry-Riddle hosts sUAS challenge at EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2015 Oshkosh, Wisconsin - EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2015 attendees can exhibit their own skills at the controls of unmanned flying machines as Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University hosts the Small Unmanned Aerospace System (sUAS) Challenge during this year's fly-in. The 63rd annual Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) convention is July 20-26, 2015, at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. The sUAS Challenge, which will include both obstacle and speed courses for the unmanned flying vehicles commonly referred to as drones, is an exciting addition to EAA's Aviation Gateway Park at AirVenture 2015. Daily competitions will be held beginning July 19, the day before AirVenture's opening day, through July 26. The sUAS Challenge is open to participants ages 10 and up, with a maximum of 15 competitors each day registered on a first-come, first-served basis. Each day's challenge will be held separately at the drone cage at Aviation Gateway Park, beginning with an afternoon operators' meeting followed by competition from 3p.m. to 5p.m. There will be qualification flying followed by an elimination bracket for the final four competitors each day. "This is a terrific, fun way to get people involved in hands-on flying and the whole new world of unmanned aerial vehicles, and we're very excited to be involved with EAA to bring this challenge to Oshkosh," said David Thirtyacre, Embry-Riddle Assistant Professor who is coordinating the contest. Participants may register in advance at thirtyad@erau.edu or during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh at the Embry-Riddle Experience exhibit at Aviation Gateway Park. Unmanned aircraft will be supplied for competitors courtesy of Hobbico and Horizon Hobby LLC, including Blade 180QX HD or Dromida Ominus systems. Weather or other factors may cause alterations or cancellation of each day's competition. http://www.onlineamd.com/embry-riddle-drone-cage-airventure-071115.aspx#.VaZXX_lViko 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: Director, ICAO Liaison International Business Aviation Council DILpost@ibac.org 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