Flight Safety Information July 21, 2015 - No. 142 In This Issue Air Force: Pilot's incapacitation caused August F-15 crash Allegiant jet makes emergency landing in Central Florida 4 dead in Wyoming plane crash, aircraft bound for Billings NASA jet studies weather over Kansas FedEx airplane pops wheelie while unloading Skills Shortage Ahead for Aircraft Technicians EASA certifies Airbus ROPS for A330 family of aircraft Soaring Bird Population Prompts FAA to Consider Plane Standards PROS 2015 TRAINING Embry-Riddle to Salute Top Aviation Organization Leaders at EAA AirVenture with Personalized Aircraft NBAA to Host First-Time 'Meet and Greet' With Safety Specialists at Oshkosh ISASI 2015, Germany, August 24 - 27, 2015 Wanted: Pilots to fly looming $5.6 trillion surge in jet orders Pilots prepare for U.S. Nationals, Great Texas Balloon Race Forget Fighter Pilots, Today's Air Force Wants Drone Jockeys NTSB Course: "Managing Communications Following an Aircraft Accident or Incident" Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) Air Force: Pilot's incapacitation caused August F-15 crash An F-15C pilot was incapacitated during a rapid descent, causing the fatal Aug. 27 crash near Deerfield, Virginia, the Air Force announced Monday. Lt. Col. Morris Fontenot, a pilot with the 104th Fighter Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, was returning to his home base of Barnes Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts, from Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, where his jet was receiving a radar upgrade. An Air Force Accident Investigation Board report released Monday states the Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center requested that Fontenot make a routine radio frequency change at about 8:56 a.m. He responded, "Hawk 11, declaring emergency," using his radio call sign. The air traffic controller acknowledged the statement, and asked for the pilot's status. Seconds later, the pilot responded "Affirm. Standby." That was the last radio call. The pilot continued a rapid descent, reaching supersonic speed, before crashing into a heavily wooded area at 8:58 a.m. At impact, he was inverted between 60 to 70 degrees nose low and at an airspeed of .83 Mach, or more than 631 miles per hour. Investigators were unable to find a reason Fontenot was incapacitated. "With no eyewitness accounts, surviving aircrew members, detailed emergency calls, or flight data recordings, and with minimal information from analysis of recovered (aircraft components), the specific reason (Fontenot) became incapacitated could not be determined," the report states. The F-15C was destroyed in the crash at a loss of $45.2 million. There were no other injuries. Fontenot was a 1996 graduate of the Air Force Academy, and an F-15 instructor pilot with more than 2,300 flight hours. He was a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School and had flown Eagles for more than 17 years. After the crash, rescuers - including local officials on horseback, several helicopters and an HC-130 from Moody Air Force Base, Georgia - searched for two days to find the wreckage. http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2015/07/20/af-pilots-incapacitation-caused-august-f-15-crash/30418307/ Back to Top Allegiant jet makes emergency landing in Central Florida Incident the latest in series of issues with airline SANFORD, Fla. - Allegiant Airlines is facing more problems. In the most recent incident, a jet was forced to make an emergency landing in Central Florida because of a mechanical problem. The issue occurred Monday on a flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Memphis. About 45 minutes into the flight, something went wrong on board, forcing the pilot to divert and make an emergency landing at the Orlando-Sanford International Airport. All 148 passengers were safe. Last week, passengers on a flight from Jacksonville had their flight canceled after sitting on the runway for over an hour. The flight was rescheduled the following day, when the same thing happened. Allegiant pilots have raised concerns about safety. Last month, pilots accused the airline of having a "bare minimum approach to maintenance" after a series of emergency landings in St. Petersburg. Allegiant has one of the oldest fleets of jets in country, but the airline said it also has one of the best safety records. Allegiant said it's conducting an investigation into the latest emergency landing in Central Florida to figure out what happened. http://www.clickorlando.com/news/allegiant-jet-makes-emergency-landing-in-central-florida/34270632 Back to Top 4 dead in Wyoming plane crash, aircraft bound for Billings CODY, WY - The Park County Sheriff's Office said Monday that four people were killed in the small plane crash Saturday near Cody. Members of the Park County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Unit, which included Sheriff Scott Steward, spent all day Sunday at the crash scene of a small twin engine Cessna 310 aircraft which went down Saturday 1.5 miles west of the Mooncrest Ranch, north of the Buffalo Bill Reservoir. They were assisted by members of the Shoshone National Forest fire team. Steward confirmed there were four occupants of the plane, including two males and two females, and no survivors, according to a report in REBOOT. The aircraft left the Sheridan County Airport on Saturday morning sometime after 11 a.m. bound for Billings. According to Salt Lake City air traffic control, shortly after takeoff, the plane deviated from its scheduled flight path and headed to Yellowstone National Park. After circling the park, the pilot radioed Salt Lake City and requested a new IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) heading to Billings. Salt Lake City approved the new flight plan and advised the pilot to climb to 14,800 feet. The pilot responded correctly to the instructions given, however shortly afterward the plane suddenly turned due east towards Cody and immediately went into a steep descent. No further voice contact was made as the plane dropped below radar at 11:56 a.m. Salt Lake City then contacted the Park County 911 Communications Center and advised of the approximate location of the aircraft. Upon reaching the crash site, Steward commented that the scene looked like a bomb had exploded. "The impact area is no bigger than 30 feet in diameter with debris scattered in all directions," said Steward. "Taking into account what we know from air traffic control and evidence at the scene, I'm convinced something catastrophic happened aboard that aircraft. However given the condition of the site, it will take some time to sift through the evidence to determine exactly what happened." Steward said that representatives of the National Traffic Safety Board will arrive shortly to assume responsibility for the investigation. The victims were airlifted from the site Sunday afternoon by helicopter from Sky Aviation in Worland. They were turned over to Park County Coroner Tim Power who will perform scheduled autopsies on Monday. The identities of the victims are being withheld pending positive identification and notification of next of kin. The investigation is ongoing and no further information is available at this time. http://www.kpax.com/story/29587657/4-dead-in-wyoming-plane-crash-aircraft-bound-for-billings Back to Top NASA jet studies weather over Kansas Goal is to understand night-time storms KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The radar screens in the jetliner show massive storm systems around Wichita and Dodge City growing and beginning to merge. Any commercial aircraft in the area have already diverted. But this DC-8 heads right between the storms. Then it flies circles around them, The Kansas City Star reports. "Everybody is trying to get away. We're going towards it," flight navigator Walter Klein says. "They're thinking, 'What's wrong with these guys?'" No thrill-seekers here. These storm chasers are on a scientific mission. They're trying to figure out how to better predict a little-examined peculiarity of summer weather on the Great Plains: its enormous, and often ferocious, nighttime thunderstorms. The voluminous data they're gathering - information that may take years to analyze - will be used to improve computer models to better foretell where nighttime storms will occur and how much rain will fall. More precise predictions would better warn the public about flooding and could help farmers decide when to plant or harvest. "There's a lot of uncertainty about when these storms are going to form, if these storms will form and where they will form," said Richard Ferrare, NASA's chief scientist on the mission. Right now, the bull's-eye for a storm prediction may be the entire state of Kansas. "We want to shrink that," he said. Since the beginning of June, Ferrare and other researchers from NASA, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, along with scientists and students from a long list of research laboratories and universities, have been in Hays. They're gathering data from weather balloons, ground stations, fleets of mobile weather stations and radar trucks, and three aircraft. The $13.5 million project, paid for largely by the National Science Foundation, goes by PECAN, for Plains Elevated Convection at Night. NASA scientists study nighttime thunderstorms NASA scientists spent between June 1 and July 15 flying above sections of Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas on a modified DC-8 jetliner collecting data before and during nighttime thunderstorms to learn more about how they form, how they become severe and how to predict them more accurately. NOAA's contribution includes a small prop plane that flies into trailing regions of the storms. It's the job of NASA's jetliner to skirt the storms, allowing its laser to study the "clear air" that may develop into bad weather. Most of the DC-8's flights have been in Kansas, Nebraska and northern Oklahoma, but they have ranged as far as South Dakota, Iowa and Missouri, chasing after stormy weather. Monday night, on flight number 8, the target was a rectangle of central Kansas bordered roughly by Salina down to Wichita on the east and by Goodland south to Ulysses on the west. Forecasters had decided by midafternoon that it was the area most likely to yield weather worth studying. Klein described the zigzag course the plane will take as "mowing the lawn in front of the storms." "We don't penetrate," he said. "That would tear the wings off the aircraft. It's the hail, it's the downdrafts, it's the turbulence. That's dangerous, very dangerous." In most places, thunderstorms typically start in the afternoon and are tied to Earth's surface. Air warmed at ground level rises and meets falling air cooled at higher altitudes. But in this part of the country, storms usually occur at night. That includes more than 60 percent of summer thunderstorms in Kansas, as well as more than 60 percent of the rainfall. Much of the rain that has inundated Kansas City this summer has fallen overnight. The storms are caused by fast-moving, low-altitude wind currents from Texas as they move north into Oklahoma and Kansas, Ferrare said. If these warm, moisture-rich jets run into cooler air or a low-pressure area, they can build into thunderstorms that start 5,000 to 10,000 feet above the surface. Midwest thunderstorms often collect together into huge complexes called mesoscale convective systems. They can last for hours and travel hundreds of miles, usually following a west-to-east route. For example, by Monday afternoon a storm that had started in Minnesota the night before had made its way to Indiana. Kansas was chosen for the PECAN project because it's at the center of this storm activity. It's also flat and has relatively few trees, giving surface radar a clear view of weather conditions. And the Salina airport's long runway can accommodate the 1960s-era DC-8. Time for takeoff The jetliner took off just before 8 p.m. Monday, climbing steadily to 28,000 feet over a patchwork of farm fields for what was planned to be an eight- hour flight. In the distance, a range of cumulus clouds was lit orange by the sun. The plane headed southwest toward large storms brewing around Wichita and Dodge City. Satellite feeds and instruments onboard revealed an 80- mile line of thunderstorms to the south, a little more than 100 miles away, and moving slowly to the southeast. NASA acquired the DC-8 in 1986. The four-engine jetliner, based at the Armstrong Flight Research Facility in Palmdale, Calif., is a flying laboratory that's been used for scientific missions around the world, studying weather, atmospheric radiation, melting polar ice caps, even ancient Mayan ruins in the Guatemalan rain forest. On the cabin wall, the crew has pasted dozens of stickers from far-flung outposts the plane has visited - Hawaii, Alaska, Fiji, Singapore and Pago Pago. Seating is first class. And like other commercial jetliners from that era, there's plenty of legroom. But that's about it for amenities. Most of the seats and overhead bins have been removed to make way for navigation gear and scientific instruments. Utilitarian footlockers and instrument racks are bolted to the floor. Safety measures are serious. Everyone gets a smoke hood, in case of fire. Seat belts have shoulder harnesses. Ferrare sat toward the aft of the cabin, keeping track of the storms displayed on his computer screen. Across the aisle is a 6-foot-long laser that is the key to NASA's role on this mission. The system was developed in the early 1990s and custom-built at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. The laser shoots its invisible light beams down to Earth's surface and upward as high as 50,000 to 60,000 feet. It provides details of the variation in moisture levels in clear air - a thick cloud can stop its beams like a brick wall. Layers of air with lots of water vapor may be found at different altitudes. The higher altitudes may be where the Midwest's nighttime storms start. "What makes it difficult for forecasting is that most of the measurements we get are near the surface," Ferrare said. An atmospheric scientist with a background in physics, Ferrare is based at Langley. He has flown the DC-8 on numerous missions, to Tahiti and Easter Island and over the North Pole to measure ozone depletion in the stratosphere. It's been his lifelong ambition. "As a kid, I was always interested in the weather. In school, I became interested in lasers." 'A real mission' Many of the NASA flight crew are retired military. "Once you're in the military, it's in your blood. Once you're flying, it's in your blood," said navigator Garry Beauregard, a retired Air Force colonel who flew B-52s. Beauregard said he had no desire to go into commercial aviation. Flying the DC-8 is "a real mission," he said. "We can use this airplane to help scientists succeed. It does make a difference." Because he's been with NASA for just three months, Beauregard is the new guy. Co-pilot Bill Brockett is the veteran. He left Pan Am for NASA in 1987, attracted by the variety of aircraft the agency would let him fly. "There's no place in the civilian world where you can do that," he said. Before his stint in commercial aviation, Brockett, an Air Force Academy graduate, flew transport planes in Vietnam. Brockett was in the aft galley on a midnight tea break - he takes it with milk, a preference he attributes to his Irish mother - when he recounted some of his experiences flying the DC-8. Shortly after arriving at NASA, Brockett took the plane over the South Pole to measure whether the destruction of ozone in Earth's atmosphere was occurring at the high altitudes where the gas provides a protective shield from the sun. Data from that mission contributed to the Montreal Protocol, the international agreement to phase out the production of chemicals that contributed to ozone depletion. More recently he has flown over Antarctica, looking for signs of shrinkage of the polar ice cap. "The scientists tell you many parts of the ice cap are decreasing rapidly, but as a whole they can't say if it's increasing or decreasing." Then he added: "But most believe it's shrinking." In the cockpit, Brockett stayed busy on his iPad, making constant course corrections to follow the storms and alerting air traffic controllers to the changes. Cutting it short By 11:40 p.m., the plane was flying west, with the big storm systems to its north. About 12:40 a.m. Tuesday, the plane was flying south between the two storm systems. On weather radar, the storms looked like continents drifting together. About an hour later came word from the ground that seriously bad weather was headed toward Salina. The plane needed to cut its flight short by about 90 minutes or risk being diverted to another airport. That left extra time for the DC-8's final PECAN flight Tuesday night. For all the storms and course corrections, the flight was remarkably serene. "We try to move to keep us in clear air all the way to the ground," Brockett said. But sometimes the weather couldn't be avoided. At one point, the plane hit a cloud deck. Darkness engulfed the cockpit. Turbulence rattled the plane. The pilot, Gregory Slover, parried a reporter's remark. "Your passenger comfort is not one of our mission objectives," he said dryly. http://cjonline.com/news/2015-07-20/nasa-jet-studies-weather-over-kansas Back to Top FedEx airplane pops wheelie while unloading MEMPHIS, TN (WMC) - Part of a FedEx airplane ended up on top of a loading truck Sunday. Witnesses took pictures of the plane after seeing it pop a wheelie while standing still. A viewer sent WMC Action News 5 the photos. The viewer said the plane looked like it was loaded with too much cargo weight and gravity took over. "Oh my god, look at the landing gear ohhh!" a viewer said. FedEx said while unloading the plane, too much weight ended up in the back and not enough in the front, causing the plane to tilt backward on its wheels. There is a video that caught the action from the ground. In the background, witnesses could be heard worrying that people were hurt, but that was luckily not the case. "We had an aircraft being offloaded when the nose came up and the fuselage came to rest on a loader; no flight crew members were on board, and the offload crew is reported to be fine," FedEx released in a statement. FedEx also said it is investigating whether procedures were followed correctly when the incident happened. http://www.kpho.com/story/29586480/fedex-airplane-pops-wheelie-while-unloading#ixzz3gWlRjWDp Back to Top Skills Shortage Ahead for Aircraft Technicians The additional staff will be needed to run a projected 38,000 new aircraft added to the global fleet over the next 20 years, Boeing said. NEW YORK--Commercial airlines will need to recruit and train 609,000 new aircraft maintenance technicians over the next 20 years to meet rising demand, according to a Boeing forecast released Monday. The demand is similar for pilots: Boeing predicts there will be a need for 558,000 new pilots over the same time period. Asia Pacific will see the largest growth, according to the report. The additional staff will be needed to run a projected 38,000 new aircraft added to the global fleet over the next 20 years, the U.S. aerospace giant said. Boeing has 17 training campuses worldwide. "The challenge of meeting the global demand for airline professionals will not be solved by one company alone," said Sherry Carbary, vice president of Boeing Flight Services. "Aircraft manufacturers, airlines, training equipment manufacturers, training delivery organizations, regulatory agencies and educational institutions are all stepping up to meet the increasing need to train and certify pilots and technicians." Compared with the company's 2014 outlook, demand for technicians rose about 5%, and pilot demand, 4%. After Asia Pacific, North America was second as far as new technician staff needed with 113,000, followed by Europe (+101,000), Middle East (+66,000), Latin America (+47,000) and Africa and Russia/CIS (both +22,000). http://www.industryweek.com/education-training/skills-shortage-ahead-aircraft-technicians Back to Top EASA certifies Airbus ROPS for A330 family of aircraft The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has certified Airbus's Runway Overrun Prevention System (ROPS) technology for the A330 family of aircraft. ROPS is now certified and available for line-fit and retrofit to all Airbus models. It is an onboard cockpit-alerting system that reduces exposure to runway-overrun risk, and if necessary, provides active protection. It was first approved by EASA on the A380 in October 2009, and is currently in service or ordered for most of the A380 fleet. It is part of the A350's basic configuration, and in August 2013, was also certified for the A320 family. Korean Air will be the first operator to implement ROPS on its A330s. Runway excursions-which comprise either an aircraft veering off the side of the runway, or overrunning at the very end-remain the primary cause of civil airliner hull losses, particularly as other formerly prevalent categories of aircraft incidents have now largely been eliminated. Recognizing this, various industry bodies-including EASA and Eurocontrol in Europe, and the NTSB and FAA in the US-are supporting measures by commercial-aviation stakeholders to eliminate the risk of runway excursions. "Already in service on the A380, A350 and A320 families, ROPS is the result of years of continuing research by Airbus. This EASA certification for ROPS on the A330 family is an example where innovative technology and services meet for the benefit of operators and aviation safety, and is thus an important step to offering the enhanced operational benefits across all our aircraft," Airbus Executive Vice President-Customer Services Didier Lux said. http://atwonline.com/daily-news/easa-certifies-airbus-rops-a330-family-aircraft Back to Top Soaring Bird Population Prompts FAA to Consider Plane Standards by Alan Levin An AirTran Airways Inc. jet takes off behind a flock of birds at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Arlington. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg U.S. regulators are considering whether airplanes need to be built to better withstand collisions with birds because of an increase in the population of Canada geese, pelicans and other species. The Federal Aviation Administration is asking airlines, manufacturers and the public whether costly new protections are needed amid the "significant population increases" from the types of birds that can damage a plane's structure. The agency hasn't proposed any specific changes so far. "The bird strike threat has increased, especially the threat due to larger birds," the agency said in a filing posted Monday in the U.S. Federal Register. Comments are due Nov. 17. While no airline fatalities have been caused by birds colliding with aircraft for decades, the steady expansion of several species of birds and a series of incidents prompted the FAA to re-examine its standards. The FAA cited U.S. data showing that the population of Canada geese reached 3.8 million in 2013, up from 500,000 in 1980, and the North American snow goose rose to 6.6 million from 2.1 million, among several species. The most dramatic incident occurred in January 2009, when a flock of geese struck a US Airways plane, knocking out both engines. Dubbed the "Miracle on the Hudson," Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger put the Airbus A320 down on the frigid Hudson River and no one died. Five people were killed in March 2008 when a chartered Cessna Citation jet struck one or more pelicans after taking off in Oklahoma City, damaging a wing, according to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. Exceeded Protections The FAA said it concluded that in numerous incidents the impact of a bird on an aircraft exceeded the protections required under existing standards. Most surfaces of commercial aircraft must be able to withstand the impact of a 4 pound (1.8 kilogram) bird, while for the tail area it is 8 pounds. The FAA is asking whether the entire aircraft should have to withstand a strike from a heavier bird, to 8 pounds or some other weight. It also wants to know if aircraft should be strengthened against birds in other ways. Industry members of an FAA working group in 2003 failed to reach agreement on the need for new safety standards related to birds, according to the FAA. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-20/soaring-bird-population-prompts-faa-to-consider-plane-standards Back to Top Back to Top Embry-Riddle to Salute Top Aviation Organization Leaders at EAA AirVenture with Personalized Aircraft University's Name A Plane Program Unveils Special Tributes to EAA, AOPA, NBAA, GAMA, NATA and HAI at Annual Air Show and Convention DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., July 20, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As part of its scholarship-raising Name A Plane Program, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will honor six aviation advocates in leadership roles in special dedication ceremonies at its exhibit booth during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2015. Representing some of the world's top aviation trade associations, these executives exemplify a shared vision to support pilots, safety, education and the industry as a whole. Embry-Riddle leadership, including Interim President Dr. John R. Watret, will unveil personalized decaled planes named for the following groundbreaking aviation organization leaders in daily ceremonies Tuesday and Wednesday: Mark Baker, President & CEO of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) - A longtime general aviation pilot, Baker is just the fifth president of the world's largest aviation member association. In addition to focusing on key advocacy initiatives like third class medical reform, making ADS-B equipage more affordable and protecting general aviation in the U.S., Baker is intensely focused on keeping pilots engaged and bringing new pilots into the community. Key programs he has spearheaded include AOPA's flight training initiative, a long-term effort dedicated to increasing the percentage of students who earn a pilot certificate; the flying clubs initiative designed to keep flying fun and affordable; and AOPA's new Rusty Pilot Program, designed to return lapsed pilots to the skies. Ed Bolen, President & CEO of National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) - Presidentially nominated to multiple commissions ensuring the future of the U.S. aerospace industry, Bolen has chaired and served government and nonprofit organizations that have impacted not only the nation's impact on aviation, but advancements in communications, surveillance, navigation and air traffic management. He also serves on the Aviation Advisory Board of MITRE Corp., a federally funded research and development corporation. Pete Bunce, President & CEO of General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) - A facilitator of new general aviation product and safety technology development through transformative regulatory initiatives, Bunce promotes policies that enable better, safer and more efficient certification processes globally. Winner of the Aviation Industry Leader of the Year by Living Legends of Aviation and the International Council of Air Shows (ICAS) Sword of Excellence, his work as an advocate for sound tax and trade policies is key in fostering the growth of general aviation. He also serves as co- chair of the U.S. NextGen Institute. Tom Hendricks, President & CEO of National Air Transportation Association (NATA) - As a longtime leader in aviation safety, security and operations, Hendricks is at the center of legislative and regulatory advocacy before Congress, federal agencies, and state and local governments. Overseeing NATA's gold standard Safety 1st training program and serving on numerous advisory boards and committees, including the National Aeronautic Association, he uses his background as an experienced pilot, retired Air Force Reserve colonel and airline flight/line operations director to establish excellence across the aviation industry. Jack Pelton, Chairman of Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - A forward-thinking executive with a deep respect for the organization's founder Paul Poberezny's vision for experimental aircraft, recreational aviation and EAA. Pelton has continuously worked on all issues that promote and advance the growth of recreational aviation. This includes advocacy on reducing the barriers for all aviators such as the third class medical reform, safety enhancement equipage, rules governing homebuilt aircraft and many other reforms. His career experience in product development (including new aircraft design) and as retired Chairman & CEO of Cessna Aircraft Company serves as groundwork for his continued passion for the industry as a whole. Matt Zuccaro, President & CEO of Helicopter Association International (HAI) - Active in the helicopter industry for nearly 40 years, Zuccaro is a longtime, key figure in commercial, corporate and public service operations in the aviation industry. A decorated Vietnam War veteran, he has served in multiple roles with HAI including being instrumental in restructuring the organization's by-laws and leading industry research and task force groups as a member and consultant. His role as past president and chairman of the Eastern Region Helicopter Council fostered a new era of development, retention of heliports, community interface and regulatory, airspace and infrastructure improvements. "The passion of these leaders and the immense impact their organizations have had on not just the business, but the future of aviation, is immeasurable," said Watret. "The Name A Plane Program is about recognizing and giving back, so we are proud to honor them and continue to work hand-in-hand with them and their organizations to inspire, train and educate the next generation of aviators." The Embry-Riddle booth space at No. 49, 50, 59, 60 and 61 is located in Aviation Gateway Park at EAA AirVenture. Times for specific ceremonies Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are TBD. MEDIA CONTACT: Melanie Hanns, Director of University Communications/Media Relations, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; (386) 226-7538, (386) 283-0753; melanie.hanns@erau.edu About Name A Plane Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Name A Plane Program provides a unique opportunity to personalize one of the university's residential campus fleets of Cessna 172s and Diamond Twin Stars as a tribute, honor, memorial or recognition of a loved one, special individual or organization. Money raised from this campaign goes directly to support students in the form of scholarships and financial aid. For more information, contact Director of Annual Giving, Yoon Choi, at (386) 226-7223 or choiy3@erau.edu. For more information on the Name A Plane Program, go to erau.edu/name 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., through the Worldwide Campus with more than 125 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and through online programs. 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.embryriddle.edu, follow us on Twitter (@EmbryRiddle) and facebook.com/EmbryRiddleUniversity, and find expert videos at YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv. About EAA AirVenture Oshkosh EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is "The World's Greatest Aviation Celebration" and EAA's yearly membership convention. Additional EAA AirVenture information, including advance ticket and camping purchase, is available online at www.eaa.org/airventure. EAA members receive lowest prices on admission rates. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 1-800-JOIN-EAA (1-800-564-6322) or visit www.eaa.org. Immediate news is available at www.twitter.com/EAA. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/embry-riddle-to-salute-top-aviation-organization- leaders-at-eaa-airventure-with-personalized-aircraft-300115775.html SOURCE Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University http://news.sys-con.com/node/3376338 Back to Top NBAA to Host First-Time 'Meet and Greet' With Safety Specialists at Oshkoshs Listen to an NBAA Flight Plan podcast about the Association's plans for AirVenture. As thousands of aviation enthusiasts gather in Oshkosh, WI from July 20 to 26 for the Experimental Aircraft Association's (EAA's) annual AirVenture Oshkosh fly-in, NBAA representatives will offer them a place to cool off, join up and talk about single-pilot operator safety. As in years past, the NBAA exhibit at AirVenture 2015 will be housed in a large, air-conditioned tent near the center of the air show, according to Kirby Konz, NBAA marketing project manager. "Each day at AirVenture we'll hold a drawing for one free registration to NBAA's Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA2015) in Las Vegas, and offer new Members a chance to join NBAA at a discount and pick up informational materials about the Association, as well as the No Plane No Gain program," she said. For the first time at AirVenture, NBAA will arrange a "meet-and-greet" opportunity with members of the NBAA Safety Committee. Show attendees will be able to stop by the NBAA tent to hear committee members share their latest efforts in the area of safety advocacy, including tools and resources the committee has developed. "The Safety Committee has been focused on the unique challenges that face single-pilot operations," said NBAA Project Manager Peter Korns. "Oshkosh brings this community together in an exclusive setting, giving us the opportunity to share our work on the issues that affect these pilots." Single-pilot safety, fitness for duty and airport/ramp safety are just some of the focus areas the committee members are dedicated to and will be on- site at EAA to discuss. Korns urged anyone with an interest in general aviation safety to stop by throughout the week to find out how NBAA is committed to promoting safety-enhancing initiatives throughout the industry. Read more about the Safety Committee's Top Safety Focus Areas for 2015. As in the past, NBAA will make its back porch available for Members and visitors to get out of the sun and view the daily AirVenture air show performances from comfortable, shaded seats. This year, EAA honors the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission. The mission's flight director, Gene Kranz, who was a speaker at NBAA's 2006 NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference, and astronauts Jim Lovell and Fred Haise, will take part in events at AirVenture. http://www.nbaa.org/advocacy/regional/events/20150720-nbaa-to-host-first-time-meet-and-greet-with-safety-specialists-at-oshkosh.php Back to Top ISASI 2015, Germany, August 24 - 27, 2015 "Independence does not mean isolation". The International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) will hold their 46th annual seminar at the Kongress am Park, Augsburg, Germany, from August 24 - 27, 2015. For all current information including the link to the registration and hotel pages please go to www.esasi.eu/isasi-2015 Note: Cut off dates for hotel reservations are June 23rd for the Dorint & July 23rd for the Ibis & the Intercity For questions regarding Sponsorship please contact Ron Schleede - ronschleede@aol.com or Steve Hull - steve.hull@rtiforensics.com Exhibitors should contact Steve Hull or Ann Schull - isasi@erols.com Back to Top Wanted: Pilots to fly looming $5.6 trillion surge in jet orders (Bloomberg) - Airlines across the globe will need to hire 558,000 new pilots over the next two decades to keep pace with surging travel demand and a $5.6 trillion jet shopping spree, according to a Boeing Co. forecast. That works out to about 28,000 new aviators a year, Boeing Flight Services Vice President Sherry Carbary said. Asia-Pacific countries probably will account for about 40 percent of the total, Boeing said Monday in its annual pilot and technician outlook. While a growing middle class is poised to send the region past North America as the top aircraft market, carriers in China and elsewhere may have to work hard to fill vacancies because private pilots are much rarer than in the U.S. "People have grown up without little airplanes flying overhead," Carbary told reporters on a conference call. The challenge for recruiters: "How do you get that population excited by aviation?" Boeing's latest forecast projected a need for 4 percent more pilots than in its 2014 assessment. Demand only declined in one region, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Airlines there will need 17,000 pilots over two decades, about 1,000 less than Boeing's 2014 estimate. With Russia's economy slumping, Carbary said, "we don't anticipate as many airplanes going into that market as we saw last year." Shares in Chicago-based Boeing were little changed at $146.82 at 12:33 p.m. in New York. They have risen 13 percent this year, compared with a 3.4 percent gain in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20150720/NEWS10/150729986/wanted-pilots-to-fly-looming-5-6-trillion-surge-in-jet-orders Back to Top Pilots prepare for U.S. Nationals, Great Texas Balloon Race KILGORE - The sun had barely made an appearance Saturday when Robert "Bob" Gonzales and his crew began working to inflate his hot air balloon at the Kilgore Airport. Gonzales was one of eight balloon pilots who took to the skies Saturday for practice flights in preparation for this week's U.S. Nationals and Great Texas Balloon Race. Gonzales has been flying balloons for five years and has flown in the Great Texas Balloon Race for three. He said after working as a crew member for two years, he finally took a ride. After that, he was hooked. "Can't help that I got addicted to this right off the bat," he said about ballooning. Gonzales has been a jet pilot for more than 15 years, but said the piney woods of East Texas are challenging to navigate in a balloon compared other terrain. "Albuquerque, (New Mexico), is pretty easy to fly, because it's open dessert," Gonzales said. "But I definitely enjoy coming to Longview; they're good people." One of the objectives of the competition is successfully hitting marked targets with beanbags while flying. Gonzales said this involves using heat to lower and raise the balloon. "The targets they picked out didn't quite work out the way they should," he said of Saturday's practice run. "They picked out targets, but because of the wind, we didn't get very close to any of them, which is kind of disappointing." Navigating the 5,000-pound balloon using only heat and wind is nothing like driving a car or jet, said Gonzales, who placed 30th out of 55 balloonists in the 2014 U.S. Nationals. "There's such a huge delay. Unlike, a steering wheel which responds instantly, with this, there's about a 20 or 30 second delay," he said. "So you're sitting here trying to steer something that weighs over 5,000 pounds, and there's a huge delay in reaction, all this because you're trying to navigate to an 'X' on the ground." After a 40-minute flight that landed near a business on West Loop 281 in Longview, Gonzales' ground crew met him to help break down and repack the balloon. "I would love to (fly)," said Alicia Thomas, a member of the crew. "I always say, if I ever win the lottery, the first thing I'm going to do is buy a balloon." http://www.news-journal.com/news/2015/jul/19/pilots-prepare-for-us-nationals-great-texas-balloo/ Back to Top Forget Fighter Pilots, Today's Air Force Wants Drone Jockeys Calling it a "national security imperative," the Air Force is going on in on drone technology. In response to a shortage of remotely controlled aircraft pilots, The Pentagon is now offering huge bonuses of $15,000 a yearto entice new recruits. "We now face a situation where if don't direct additional resources approptiately, it creates an unacceptable risk," Secretary of the Air Force Debroah James told the AFNS. Experts who teach drone control think the military will not have a problem finding qualified applicants. Professor Jack Esparza at Texas A&M Corpus Christi says kids these days have grown up playing video games. Manning the controls of an unmanned aerial vehicle are not all that different. "It's just a remote control. That's all it is," he tells Newsradio 1200 WOAI. "Withing two or three hours, students master the ability to control on screen aircraft." In addition to the bonuses, the Air Force has also begun moving pilot training undergrads at bases like Laughlin and Sheppard to the remotely piloted aircraft mission as a way to ease the workload. James says the average drone pilot is currently flying 900 hours a year, compared to fighter pilots, who fly an average of 250 hours. http://www.woai.com/articles/woai-local-news-sponsored-by-five-119078/forget-fighter-pilots-todays-air-force-13780012/#ixzz3gWaTbzZf Back to Top Title Managing Communications Following an Aircraft Accident or Incident Co-sponsor Airports Council International - North America (ACI-NA) Description The course will teach participants what to expect in the days immediately following an aviation accident or incident and how they can prepare for their role with the media. ID Code PA302 Dates, Tuition and Fee October 22-23, 2015 $1034 early registration, by September 19, 2015 $1134 late registration, between September 20 and October 19, 2015 $100 processing fee will be added to tuitions for all offline applications. A tuition invoice can be ordered for a $25 processing fee. Note: payment must be made at time of registration. Times Day 1: 8:30am - 5pm Day 2: 9am - 3pm Location NTSB Training Center * 45065 Riverside Parkway * Ashburn, Virginia 20147 Status OPEN. Applications are now being accepted. Apply to Attend SIGN UP FOR THIS COURSE HERE CEUs 1.3 Overview * How the National Transportation Safety Board organizes an accident site and what can be expected in the days after an aviation disaster from the NTSB, FAA, other federal agencies, airline, airport, media and local community * Strategies for airline and airport staff to proactively manage the communication process throughout the on-scene phase of the investigation * How the NTSB public affairs officers coordinate press conferences and release of accident information and what information the spokespersons from the airport and airline will be responsible to provide to the media * Making provisions for and communicating with family members of those involved in the accident * Questions and requests likely encountered from the airlines, airport staff, family members, disaster relief agencies, local officials and others > Comments from course participants > See the 219 organizations from 28 countries that have sent staff to attend this course Performance Results Upon completion of this course the participant will be able to: * Be better prepared to respond to a major aviation disaster involving a flight departing from or destined for participant's airport * Demonstrate greater confidence in fielding on-scene questions about the many aspects of the investigation and its participants, including what types of specific information may be requested * Identify the appropriate Public Affairs roles for the various organizations involved in an accident investigation. * Be more productive in the first few hours after an aviation disaster by understanding which tasks are most important and why * Perform job responsibilities more professionally and with greater confidence given the knowledge and tools to manage the airport communications aspect of a major aviation disaster Who May Attend This course is targeted to who, in the event of an aviation disaster, will need to provide a steady flow of accurate information to media outlets and/or other airport, federal or local authorities. Accommodations Area hotels and restaurants Airports Washington Dulles International (IAD): 10 miles Washington Ronald Reagan National (DCA): 30 miles Baltimore/Washington International (BWI): 60 miles More Information Email TrainingCenter@ntsb.gov or call (571) 223-3900 Courses, forums and symposia are added to the schedule throughout the year. Subscribe to the e- newsletter to learn about upcoming events and new programs:http://app.ntsb.gov/trainingcenter/list/list_mw020207.htm 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 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 Curt Lewis