Flight Safety Information July 24, 2015 - No. 145 In This Issue Five 'wow' aviation moments at the Oshkosh air show NTSB: Southwest Airlines captain in 2013 accident should have done 'go-around' Airservices resisted safety drive, says ex CASA boss John McCormick (Australia) Safety measures criticized after Germanwings crash Pilots Union President Urges Federal Aid for Aspiring Aviators Officials: Progress made cleaning up massive jet fuel spill DeBeque jet pilot is know to FAA (Colorado) European Pilots Slam Liberalization of the Skies Over Safety Flaws PROS 2015 TRAINING Boeing cash flow surges on record commercial-jet deliveries China Needs Pilots British Navy Warship Tests a 3-D-Printed Drone at Sea AW169 achieves EASA certification ISASI 2015, Germany, August 24 - 27, 2015 Aircraft Crash Survival Investigation and Analysis - Course Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University MOOC To Investigate Aviation Accidents NTSB Course: "Managing Communications Following an Aircraft Accident or Incident" Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) Aircraft Request/Search Five 'wow' aviation moments at the Oshkosh air show About 10,000 aircraft of all shapes and sizes come to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the annual aviation fest. CNN's Thom Patterson is covering the Experimental Aircraft Association's AirVenture airshow this week in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Follow him in real time on Twitter at @thompatterson. Oshkosh, Wisconsin (CNN)They call it the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture. But for some, it's so famous, it's just "Oshkosh." Never heard of it? It's kind of like an aviation buff's Disneyland. Or maybe Comic-Con. I'm one of those buffs. This is my first visit to Oshkosh. And I can tell you it's a weeklong orgy of aircraft, with about 500,000 avgeeks and 10,000 planes stirring up a delirious mix of aviation and overstimulation. Iconic and experimental aircraft are everywhere. Breathtaking aerobatic performances happen every day. There's something cool to see at every turn. My head feels like it's on a swivel. Come to think if it, my neck hurts. Like Disneyland, it's a fantasy world for aviation geeks. And like at Comic-Con, some of the planes have become heroes in the aviation community, just as iconic as Spider-Man, Superman and Batman. Unlike Comic-Con, there's not a lot of cosplay here. But some pilots do walk around in their flight suits. For folks who've never been to Oshkosh during airshow week, let me offer a few basics: A. Usually, some kind of machine is flying overhead. B. This forces nearly everyone to constantly look up. C. Folks not looking up are probably looking down, using their smartphones. D. Because of A, B and C, a lot of people have been bumping into each other. So, in cased you missed some of the action this week, here are five things that wowed 'em at Oshkosh: 1. The arrival of the world's newest airliner, the Airbus A350XWB It was enough to pull gawkers out of their lawn chairs and on to their feet. Direct from Airbus headquarters in France, the world's newest airliner emerged from the clouds Monday afternoon. The Airbus A350XWB tour of the Americas arrived at Oshkosh all decked out in black, white and gray. At the controls: British Airbus test pilot Frank Chapman, who put the plane through its paces. High-banked turns and low passes thrilled the hundreds of aviation fans who crowded along a runway at Oshkosh's Wittman Regional Airport. This thing announced itself with the roar of a pair of Rolls-Royce engines. After the A350 landed, the crew displayed an American flag out the cockpit window, prompting applause from the crowd. Chapman really knows how to make an entrance. And he should! Two years ago, Chapman wowed the crowd when he landed an Airbus A380 -- the world's biggest airliner -- on this same narrow airstrip. Read more about the A350's tour of the Americas 2. Military wows Military planes brought thrills. The Air Force F-22 Raptor and the newer F-35 Lightning II showed off their dynamic flying abilities. But neither fighter jet could hold a candle to the July 17 entrance of a gigantic Air Force B-52 Stratofortress for the first time at Oshkosh. "Loud as hell," said one who watched the thing touch down. Air Force Reserve Maj. Jeremy Holt landed this B-52 bomber at Oshkosh on Friday. As the pilot, U.S. Air Force Reserve Maj. Jeremy Holt, put it: "It was pretty cool, actually." These bombers are so big, they hadn't been allowed to land here since the airshow started more than 60 years ago. This thing has a wingspan wider than the height of the Tower of Pisa. In fact, 6,000 feet of lights had to be removed from each side of the runway to make room. Even then, the plane was nearly too wide to fit its "tip gear," wheels located near the end of the plane's huge wings. Those wheels had only about a foot of clearance on each side of the runway, Holt said. And the runway is 3,000 feet shorter than B-52 pilots are used to landing on. That can be a problem, especially when you're at the controls of a 185,000-pound airplane. To avoid running out of runway, Holt touched down at an extremely low speed, about 145 mph. He admitted that he brought the nose up a little late just before touching down. "Other than that, it was uneventful." The crowd disagreed. This landing was most certainly an event. Another military aircraft that grabbed attention: the world's only flying B-29 Superfortress. Almost 70 years after the last one rolled off the assembly line, "FIFI" is still in the air. The B-29 model will always be known as the only plane to wage nuclear warfare. In 1945, this type of aircraft dropped atomic bombs on two Japanese cities, marking the end of World War II. Read more about FIFI, the B-29 3. Super glider aims for the edge of space The Oshkosh airshow featured the Perlan 2 glider, designed to set an altitude record for piloted, sustained fixed-wing flight. When Oshkosh visitors heard about what Jim Payne wants to do with this plane, they got really interested. A super glider called Perlan 2 will attempt to set a world altitude record for a piloted, fixed-wing aircraft in sustained flight. How high? Between 90,000 and 100,000 feet, higher than the famous U-2 and SR-71 spy planes. But gliders have no engines, so how is that actually possible? Chief pilot Payne gave me a better understanding of how the 1,800-pound plane works. First, the glider is towed into the air over South America by a powered aircraft. Then the Perlan detaches from the tow plane and begins riding wind currents called the stratospheric polar night jet that will push the plane's wings higher and higher. At 100,000 feet in the air, stars are visible even during the day. "It'll be a lot of fun, that's for sure," Payne said. Read more about the Perlan 2 glider 4. A 'Jet Ski with wings' Pilots at Oshkosh were buzzing about the new ICON A5, a portable two-seater airplane. Pilots and tech types were buzzing about this thing all week. Imagine owning a small, floating, portable airplane not much bigger than a recreational boat. Its wings fold. Plop it on a trailer, and you can tote it to your favorite lake or airfield for an afternoon of fun in the air. That's the idea behind the ICON A5. "How would ya like to have one of those in the garage?" I heard one Oshkosh attendee ask over my shoulder. Save your pennies, pal. A tiny personal airplane like this will cost you about $190,000. 5. The Oshkosh debut of Goodyear's new 'blimp' Goodyear's new Zeppelin airship "Wingfoot One" appeared at Oshkosh this year for the first time since its 2014 launch. Oshkosh attendees got their first look at the new generation of Goodyear "blimps." Like a lot of superhero movie franchises lately, this icon has undergone a radical reboot. Goodyear is replacing its fleet with Zeppelins, made by the same German outfit that built the famous Hindenburg airship. Goodyear's "Wingfoot One" is longer, faster and more nimble than the older Goodyear blimps. These Zeppelins have three engines instead of two. They hold more passengers and -- unlike their predecessors -- have onboard restrooms. Technically, these things don't qualify as blimps. They're actually semi-rigid airships because the giant "envelope" of helium that keeps them flying has an internal skeleton. The three-aircraft Goodyear fleet is expected to be all Zeppelins by 2018. http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/23/travel/oshkosh-airshow-top-five-feat/index.html Back to Top NTSB: Southwest Airlines captain in 2013 accident should have done 'go-around' rather than attempt LaGuardia landing A Southwest Airlines jet tilts on a New York LaGuardia runway after a landing went badly in July 2013. (NTSB photo) The captain of a Southwest Airlines flight that landed hard and badly at New York LaGuardia Airport two years ago should have aborted the landing and made another attempt, the National Transportation Board said Thursday. The NTSB said it had "determined that the captain's failed attempt to recover from an unstabilized approach by transferring airplane control at low altitude instead of performing a go-around, caused a hard landing" at LaGuardia on July 22, 2013. In its release, the NTSB stated: Contributing to the accident was the captain's failure to comply with standard operating procedures during the approach. NTSB found that the first officer was conducting the approach, and the captain took control away from the first officer, but not until the plane was 27 feet above the ground. This late transfer of control from the first officer to the captain resulted in neither pilot being able to effectively monitor the airplane's altitude and pitch attitude. According to the Southwest Airlines Flight Operations Manual, the captain should have called for a go-around well before this point in the approach instead of trying to salvage the landing. For example, Southwest's stabilized approach criteria require an immediate go-around if the airplane flaps are not in the final landing configuration by 1,000 feet above the ground. In this case, the flaps were not correctly set until the airplane was 500 feet above the ground. "Southwest has fully cooperated with the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation since the event occurred in 2013," Southwest spokesman Brian Parrish said Thursday. "Additionally, Southwest's flight operations policies and training programs have been thoroughly reviewed to ensure required procedures are clear, comprehensive and directly support the safe operation of the airline's more than 3,800 flights per day," Parrish said. "Safety will always be the top priority at Southwest, and we thank the NTSB for their thorough investigation." The report said that eight of the 144 passengers suffered minor injuries. One of those passengers, Blake Arjoonsingh, filed a lawsuit Tuesday in U.S. District Court in New York seeking damages for "physical injuries, emergency hospital and other medical treatment, emotional and psychological injuries, a closed head injury and other losses." The airplane landed first on its front landing gear, causing it to collapse. The airplane slid for 2,175 feet before grinding to a stop on the right side of the runway. The airplane, a Boeing 737-700, was written off as a total loss. http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2015/07/ntsb-southwest-airlines-captain-in-2013-accident-should-have-done-go-around-rather-than-attempt- laguardia-landing.html/ Back to Top Airservices resisted safety drive, says ex CASA boss John McCormick (Australia) John McCormick Former head of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, at Canberra Airport. Picture: Kym Smith Source: News Corp Australia The former head of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority says his five-year campaign for safer skies came up against repeated resistance from Airservices Australia, which dragged its heels against reforming airspace management along US lines. John McCormick, who stepped down from CASA last year, said that he met opposition each time he moved to have Airservices, the government-owned body that runs the nation's air traffic control and navigation system, extend controlled airspace. In his first interview since leaving the aviation watchdog, Mr McCormick said Airservices seemed reluctant to implement measures that involved its air traffic controllers directing aircraft over a wider range of airspace where reliable radar was available. "Their objections were not based on safety; to my belief, they were internal Airservices issues," Mr McCormick said. In one case, Mr McCormick said, he had to issue a directive to have Airservices' air traffic controllers take charge of aircraft around Avalon airport in Victoria, a move he believes may have prevented a potential serious air accident. Mr McCormick said he supported calls from businessman and aviator Dick Smith and others for Airservices to have its fire and rescue crews at regional airports without control towers to provide pilots with basic local air traffic and weather information via radio, as do their counterparts in the US. Airservices chairman Angus Houston has vigorously opposed the suggestion. Mr McCormick said it made sense because Airservices' prime responsibility was air safety and the firefighters were its employees. "You have to say, 'What are they there for ... what do we want them to do'," Mr McCormick said. Mr McCormick, who started his career as a RAAF fighter pilot before becoming a Qantas pilot and later a senior executive with Cathay Pacific, put his weight behind restarting the effort begun in the early 2000s to move to the US and Canadian national airspace system. In those countries, whether radar is available or not, commercial aircraft are always under direction by air traffic controllers almost right to the runway. "They say they have implemented it, but of course they haven't," Mr McCormick said of the unfulfilled plans to introduce the North American system. Australia still has a mishmash of regimes in which some airports are in designated controlled airspace, but most others, including some with significant airline traffic, are not, requiring pilots in cloud to talk to each other to work out their relative positions and avoid collisions. The Airservices media unit yesterday refused to provide information or comment. Mr McCormick's decision to speak out follows a sustained campaign by The Australian raising issues of air safety and the administration of government aviation organisations. While the new CASA chairman, Jeff Boyd, recently unveiled to this newspaper a reform agenda to embrace the US model, Mr Smith suspects he will encounter push-back from Airservices because of what he claims is a misguided assumption on its part that it would mean hiring more air traffic controllers. Mr McCormick said he did succeed in some reform, such as improving airspace arrangements at the main secondary airports used for general aviation in each mainland capital. At Avalon, not far from Melbourne's Tullamarine airport, the situation was absurd, Mr McCormick said, because the radar coverage of the area was so good "you could see aircraft on the ground" but it was not being used for air traffic control down to the runway. "I said that this was unacceptable. For various reasons, there was a bit of objection," Mr McCormick said, referring to Airservices. He said Airservices did not move fast to implement the CASA directive to bring Avalon under controlled airspace. "It took them a year. They hybrided their way towards it," Mr McCormick said. It was after controlled airspace was introduced at Avalon that air traffic controllers helped avoid what potentially could have been a major air accident, Mr McCormick said, after a Tiger Airways airline pilot decided on a go-around of the runway at night. "In the subsequent missed approach procedure the radar controller noticed they were descending when they shouldn't be," Mr McCormick said. "The controller told them, then they arrested their descent. If that airspace wouldn't have been changed, he or she would not have had the requirement to monitor that aircraft." It was a further example, Mr McCormick said, of how controlled airspace should be extended at least wherever reliable radar coverage was available. In 2004, air traffic controllers did not intervene when a radar alarm warned them an aircraft was off-course in uncontrolled airspace, and it crashed into terrain near Benalla in Victoria with the loss of six lives. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/airservices-resisted-safety-drive-says-ex-casa-boss-john-mccormick/story-e6frg6n6-1227451642646 Back to Top Safety measures criticized after Germanwings crash Security matters have been a hot topic of discussion since the Germanwings crash in late March. Pilots consider some of the recommendations to be unsuitable. Cockpit des Airbus A320 Everyone agrees that an accident like that should never happen again. As a result, two expert groups are now discussing new safety measures. Pilots consider some of the recommendations to be unsuitable. Four months ago to this day, a Germanwings' Airbus crashed into the French Alps, leaving 150 people dead. The news sent shockwaves across of Europe. Soon after that, investigators reported their assumption that the co-pilot intentionally steered the plane into the mountains when the pilot left the cockpit to use the toilet. The question as to whether the tragedy could have been averted was posted immediately. For one thing, : "the rule of two" was adopted in all of Europe's airspace only eight days after the disaster. Ever since then, at least two crew members must in the cockpit at all times. Opinions on this rule differ. Pilot associations and unions are even demanding to reverse it. "We are of the opinion that these measures do not boost security, but instead, that potential disadvantages outweigh the benefits," stated Markus Wahl, the spokesman for the German pilots' association, Cockpit, in an interview with DW. A French gendarme helicopter flies over the crash site of an Airbus A320, near Seyne-les-Alpes Cockpit takes part in the two work groups arranged by the EU and the German government. They discuss whether new air travel safety measures are required. Even the interim report issued by the German expert group notes that the "risk of external penetration (by a terrorist or criminal) would be the most probable activity." Nonetheless, the work group recommends abiding by the rule and that in a year's time, it should be re-examined and possibly eliminated. Psychological examinations You can't read a pilot's mind, but you can at least try to get a better picture of what's going on. Preliminary psychological examinations should become a standard procedure for pilots. "Currently, there are professional pilots who have never been psychologically assessed," writes the European expert group in its interim report. Lufthansa has been using psychological assessments in its selection process for a long time now. Also, Lufthansa has been providing their crew members with a psychological support center for many years. Employees can go there if they encounter psychological difficulties - their own or other employees'. The German work group, led by the German Aviation Association (BDL), calls for the standardization of this procedure in the entire European Union in the future. "The existing help offerings have been well received. That is why they should be expanded," says Matthias von Randow, executive director of the German Aviation Association (BDL). Victims of the plane crash were transferred to Germany in June Regular blood and drug testing Both work groups recommend regular and unannounced blood and drug tests for pilots. Markus Wahl doubts such measures will work. "Tests like that could prove to be counterproductive and not serve the goal of air travel safety," he said. Studies have shown that unannounced drug tests are not effective, yet still very expensive, explained Wahl. All these measures must build up trust, so pilots do not feel compelled to hide their problems, but instead, accept help offerings when difficulties arise. "Someone affected by problems will only open up if there is no fear of an immediate impact on a work contract." Merging medical examination files For the same reason, Wahl, who is a pilot himself, rejects plans of merging medical examination files. "In our view, mutual trust between a doctor and a patient is necessary for flight safety. Only if I, as a pilot, know that my doctor will treat my files confidentially, will I confide in him." Despite Cockpit's objections, the two groups insist on following their recommendations. "An essential part of medical suitability assessment is that doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists who treat a patient, as well as supervisory authorities, all have access to the examination history of a pilot," says Matthias von Randow, executive director of the German Aviation Association (BDL). Data will be anonymized in the future in order to maintain medical confidentiality and data protection standards. None of these measures has been finalized; nonetheless, they serve as a basis for further talks and also include laws. Markus Wahl from Cockpit points out that one should never stop improving air travel safety systems and that until now, things have been going well. http://www.dw.com/en/safety-measures-criticized-after-germanwings-crash/a-18605374 Back to Top Pilots Union President Urges Federal Aid for Aspiring Aviators ALPA chief Canoll says airlines should also provide assistance to prevent cockpit crew shortages By ANDY PASZTOR WASHINGTON-The head of North America's largest pilots union urged stepped-up government and industry initiatives to attract more prospective aviators and address worries about possible cockpit crew shortages at some carriers. In an interview at a safety conference here, Tim Canoll, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, said the union intends to launch a campaign in coming months calling for federal and airline financial assistance to reduce the cost of loans that student pilots need to complete training and become eligible for commercial flying jobs. Congress years ago mandated higher minimum flying experience for new hires, a move that substantially boosted average training costs for prospective airline pilots. The result, according to industry and government experts, has scared off many aspiring pilots and reduced the pool of applicants, particularly at regional carriers where young aviators typically start their careers. Some worry that airlines may run short of pilots in the future. Mr. Canoll said recent hiring bonuses and other short-term incentives have helped alleviate the decline in applicants. The union also argues that raising starting salaries, some of which remain below $30,000 a year, is essential. But barring such a shift in industry economics, he said, "I think our companies have to have a stake in it...our government has to have a stake in it." With many students paying more than $100,000 to put the necessary hours in logbooks, Mr. Canoll said, loans often prove to be too expensive and end up scaring off prospective hires. Referring partly to government agencies, he said, "There have to be ways to lower the cost or defer the cost or offset the cost." In the past, the union generally stayed away from championing such programs. But without providing specifics, Mr. Canoll also said "our airlines should step in" to help defray the cost of loans or provide access to lower-cost training programs they may control. "The major [carriers] have to be the driving force behind it." The focus on possible financial assistance comes as surveys show continued erosion in the percentage of college students interested in becoming airline pilots. Professor Kent Lovelace of the University of North Dakota, who has kept tabs on the issue for many years, told the conference that survey results indicated that nearly 50% of students who started out training to be airline pilots ended up dropping out of the program. "There needs to be more industry support," he said, along with "a more defined career path." http://www.wsj.com/articles/pilots-union-president-urges-federal-aid-for-aspiring-aviators-1437692561 Back to Top Officials: Progress made cleaning up massive jet fuel spill ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - State and federal officials are becoming increasingly confident they'll be able to clean up a massive plume of jet fuel at the edge of Albuquerque before it reaches drinking water wells. First detected in 1999, the leak at a fueling station at Kirtland Air Force Base was believed to have been seeping into the ground for decades. Estimates of the amount of fuel spilled have ranged from 6 million to 24 million gallons. First look at the new currency laws now in effect. This could cause big issues for US dollar holders Doctor Reveals Hair Restoration Secret That Forced Him To Give Up His Own Practice. A pump-and-treat system began operating earlier this month, and officials have plans to bring two more extraction wells online before the end of the year. More monitoring wells also are planned. "Things are moving forward. The Air Force is working in good faith and expeditiously, but just because they got that first well up and running doesn't mean we're going to slow down," said Dennis McQuillan, a geologist with the New Mexico Environment Department. "We're just going to keep moving full throttle to intercept and collapse this plume." McQuillan and other officials planned to update the public during a meeting Thursday in Albuquerque. With some of the city's drinking water wells at risk, the state set a series of deadlines last year for the U.S. Air Force to address the plume. Tons of soil that had surrounded the old pipeline at the fueling station were removed by tractors and semi-trucks last summer. The Air Force also used a vacuum system to suck vapors from the soil at deeper levels. That technology has recovered more than 600,000 gallons of fuel. Cleaning up the contaminated water hundreds of feet below the surface has been one of the more complicated pieces of the plan. Officials prepared for the public dozens of detailed slides, maps and cross sections of what the work entails. With the pump-and-treat system, contaminated water is fed through a filtration system on base property. The system is capable of treating about 100 gallons per minute, and that will increase as more extraction wells are drilled over the next year. So far, the first extraction well has removed more than 1 million gallons. That was treated and used to water Kirtland's golf course. "With multiple technologies attacking different parts of the plume, we'll get it cleaned up," McQuillan said. Officials say 16 new groundwater monitoring wells have been drilled and they show the plume is not moving toward two of the closest wells. Monthly testing of drinking water also has not detected any contamination. For many of the experts working on the project, they've never had to deal with contamination at such depths. The problem has been further complicated by a shift in the water table, which trapped some of the oils at lower levels. After dropping for years, the city's water table rebounded thanks to conservation efforts and more reliance on water from the Rio Grande. As more extraction wells come online, experts say they'll monitor the effect on the plume and the aquifer to determine where future wells need to be drilled. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jul/23/officials-to-update-public-on-cleanup-of-jet-fuel-/? Back to Top DeBeque jet pilot is know to FAA (Colorado) The pilot who buzzed De Beque Canyon two months ago was on a non-military flight on his way to Alabama, federal officials told Mesa County officials and representatives for U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Colo. The pilot could lose his pilot certificate if an investigation warrants such a step, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The pilot, who remained unidentified, was on a non-military ferry flight returning to the civil operator's home base in Alabama at the time of the incident, according to officials with the Federal Aviation Administration. The plane, an Aero L-39 Albatros, which was designed as a fighter trainer for Warsaw Pact nations, had recently been operated in support of the U.S. military, according to a report by the FAA. Officials with the agency spoke on the telephone with Mesa County Commissioner Scott McInnis and a Tipton representative, and on Thursday provided them with notes from the meeting, as well as answers to some of the questions that were raised. "The pilot held the appropriate civil authorizations to fly the aircraft and was acting in a civil aviation capacity as a commercial pilot. His employment status was not relevant to our investigation," wrote Diane Fuller, senior adviser to the FAA's Northwest Mountain Region. While the pilot was identified by the FAA, the passenger in the co-pilot's seat was not, Fuller wrote. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board both are investigating the incident, Fuller wrote, noting that the FAA investigation typically takes a year. So far, however, the FAA has concluded that "pilot competency was not a factor" in the incident. An air-safety investigator with the NTSB said Wednesday that his report is to be released "ASAP." Earlier this month, the Albatros was trucked away from Grand Junction Regional Airport and taken to Gadsden, Alabama. It had been stored at the airport since it landed safely after it sheared seven power cables in the canyon near the Colorado Highway 65 intersection. The pilot told the Colorado State Patrol that he was eastbound up the canyon when the jet struck cables, shearing off a portion of the right wing. Two westbound vehicles on Interstate 70 were struck by cable whipping through the air, the patrol said. Others vehicles that were eastbound also may have been struck. The pilot pulled up out of the canyon and circled the Grand Valley for about 45 minutes, burning off fuel, before landing without further incident. http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/debeque-jet-pilot-is-known8232to-faa Back to Top European Pilots Slam Liberalization of the Skies Over Safety Flaws Germanwings Airbus A320 Crash in Southern France Pilots in Europe are up-in-arms over plans to liberalize global air transport, which they say could imperil safety in the skies. The European pilots union, ECA, has said plans to liberalize air transport have raised serious concerns over aviation safety. They fear that liberalization could lead to pilots from outside the European safety regulatory environment - and therefore unchecked - taking control of aircraft. Letter Box Airlines The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Air Transport Regulatory Panel is currently considering a proposal to "develop a long-term vision for international air transport liberalization." But the ECA says that a small group of countries is pushing hastily for full liberalization of the global airline industry, without safeguards, or consideration of the impact of such a move. It says the drafting approach is focused on reducing the economic regulatory 'burden' on airlines, removing government involvement in decisions and operations deemed to be commercial, and minimizing the use of regulation. Dirk Polloczek, President of the European Cockpit Association said: "This is a TTIP for aviation, but at a global level - full scale, instant, worldwide liberalization that would change the aviation industry overnight." "This lack of such provisions clearly demonstrates how the original mandate of the two working groups set up by the panel 'to ensure respect for the highest levels of safety and security' continues to be flagrantly ignored," he said. At issue is the proposal to change the rules on ownership and control of airlines, which could lead to the setting up of "letter box" companies which, in turn, could leave some airlines setting up in countries they deem to have more relaxed aviation regulations. ECA believes the liberalization deal and its safety implications has been covered up, Polloczek, said: "The fact that you don't hear many voices against this agreement is not because there is a consensus, but because there is a deliberate and partisan effort to keep this deal off the radar." On a separate matter, the ECA is co-operating with the investigation into the Germanwings disaster in the French Alps on March 24, 2015 which brought calls for a review of air safety after investigators discovered the co-pilot Andreas Lubitz had locked himself alone in the cockpit and deliberately crashed the aircraft. Following the crash, the EU transport commissioner Violeta Bulc asked the European Aviation Safety Agency to establish a task force to assess the preliminary investigation report on the causes of the crash by the French Civil Aviation Safety Investigation Authority. The task force is expected to produce a report with recommendations at the end of July, after which the European Commission will have to decide whether to update aviation safety rules. http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150715/1024654837.html#ixzz3goPBR1Nu Back to Top Back to Top Boeing cash flow surges on record commercial-jet deliveries CHICAGO - Boeing's cash flow surged during the second quarter, with the 787 Dreamliner pacing record jet deliveries as the company profited from an order backlog stretching into the 2020s. Free cash flow of $2.6 billion reversed the first quarter's negative result, Boeing said Wednesday. While Boeing pared its 2015 earnings forecast, the planemaker had telegraphed the move with its July 17 warning of a $536 million after-tax charge on swelling costs to develop a new U.S. Air Force refueling tanker. Together with a quarterly profit that topped the consensus estimates, the results were welcomed on Wall Street, where investors have been waiting for Chicago-based Boeing to end the financial drag from the once-troubled 787. The shares rallied the most in two months and led the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Boeing's quarter was "pretty good," even with the unexpected tanker costs, said Howard Rubel, a Jefferies LLC analyst who rates the stock as buy. "If you back out the charge, these were terrific numbers. I think they are doing what they need to do in terms of running the business. It's as simple as that." Annual profit will be $7.70 to $7.90 a share, Boeing said, down from the $8.20 to $8.40 range that predated the disclosure of the tanker setback. The charge was the second in a year on the plane, bringing the combined costs absorbed by Boeing on the initial fixed-price contract to $1.3 billion. Quarterly earnings excluding some pension expenses were $1.62 a share, beating the $1.37 average of 14 analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Sales of $24.5 billion exceeded analysts' $24.3 billion prediction. A 12 percent jump this year through Tuesday was the sixth-best performance among the 30 Dow companies. "There will be some relief that at least Boeing has kept this set of results surprise free," Robert Stallard, an RBC Capital Markets analyst, said in a note to clients. The results signal that Boeing is back on track to reach a goal of generating more than $9 billion in operating cash flow, after a "disappointing cash performance" a quarter earlier, said Stallard, whose sector perform rating on Boeing is the equivalent of hold. Boeing bought back $2 billion in stock during the quarter, cushioning the blow from the charge on the tanker's development. The jet is based on Boeing's 767 passenger model. Deferred production cost from the 787 climbed 2.9 percent to $27.7 billion from the prior quarter. The expense is an accounting measure that is supposed to drop as a projected gain in efficiency reduces assembly costs on the carbon-composite jet, whose 2011 debut ran more than three years late. The $790 million increase was $3 million less than a quarter earlier. "The trajectory is consistent with our estimate and the company's previous guidance," Douglas Harned, a Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. analyst, said in a note. He expects deferred production costs to peak late this year at about $28 billion. Boeing has said it expects 787 costs to climb this year, as it gathers inventory to prepare for a 20 percent rise in output. Costs should start to fall next year when Boeing reaches the new tempo of 12 jets a month. Last quarter's 34 Dreamliner deliveries marked an increase of four from a year earlier. Those were among 197 aircraft handed to buyers, a 9 percent jump and Boeing's most ever, according to the company. Commercial-jet revenue rose 18 percent to $16.9 billion, while sales for Boeing Defense, Space & Security fell 3 percent to $7.54 billion. The reporting period was Boeing's last quarter under former Chief Executive Officer Jim McNerney, who was succeeded on July 1 by Chief Operating Officer Dennis Muilenburg. Net income was $1.1 billion, or $1.59 a share. Boeing earned $2.24 a share a year earlier, when it booked a one-time tax benefit. The company focuses on per-share profit excluding pension costs, a measure that it dubs core earnings. Boeing says that figure gives a clearer picture by adjusting for market fluctuations in the cost of its retirement programs. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-wp-blm-news-bc-boeing22-20150722-story.html Back to Top China Needs Pilots A boom in Chinese air travel is sending hundreds of novices to flight school in Arizona. TransPac Aviation Academy's February 2015 graduating class, in character. The Arizona flight school's student body is roughly 80 percent Chinese. (Kim Gale) Just out of university in Fujian, China, Sheldon Yu faced an impossible choice. It was either a master's degree in Marxist philosophy or a career as a commercial airline pilot. Among the perks of the latter option: unlimited travel, social prestige, smartly tailored uniforms, lots of pretty women, and a lifelong contract with good salary. So what did Yu choose? Marxist philosophy. "I decided to study," he chuckles. "My parents wanted me to be a middle school teacher so I could remain near home and see them all the time." But fate, and a thirst for flight, intervened. Twice in his undergraduate years, Yu applied for Chinese flight training; he'd even passed the Xiamen Airlines physical, one of the toughest in commercial aviation. Though his parents opposed the idea, Sheldon kept thinking of the airplanes he used to watch take off and land at Fujian Airport near his home when he was a boy. "So here I am at 26, just graduating with a three-year master's degree," he continues, "and quite accidentally a Xiamen Airlines recruiter is interviewing candidates in the office next to mine. 'Hey,' I tell him, 'I've just finished my master's in Marxist philosophy. Could you give me an opportunity to fly?' The recruiter said 'Okay.' And step by step I ended up here today." He grins. We're in a conference room at TransPac Aviation Academy near Scottsdale, Arizona, and on the wall behind him hang a Chinese good luck sign and a map of his country. Yu, whose formal Chinese name is Yu Zonghua (he prefers his adopted Western name for professional purposes), is regaling me and his fellow classmates, Troy Tao and Kinno Yang, with stories about the serendipities that brought him to this American flight academy, one with a distinct Chinese style. He sparkles in his crisp navy and white uniform, a pair of aviator sunglasses hanging from his shirt pocket. Headquartered at Deer Valley Airport and Chandler Municipal Airport, which are about 45 minutes apart if traveling by car, TransPac is one of a few large, private U.S. flight schools specializing in the training of Asian pilots. In TransPac's case, the student body, approximately 400, is more than 80 percent Chinese, with about 45 Vietnamese and a few American and Colombian students in the remainder. Yu, Tao, and Yang come from very different academic backgrounds, but all three are part of TransPac's 2015 class of ab initio-"zero to hero"-Chinese pilots earning their commercial ratings in less than 14 months. The three are among 360 Chinese candidates at TransPac who have been tapped to get this elite commercial education: from private and instrument ratings to multi-engine turbine, all the way up to a high-performance rating that readies them for specific jet training back in China. Each Chinese cadet's tuition and living package, at more than $100,000 each, is paid in full by his or her "home" airline. Because of the demands created by rapid expansion, regional Chinese airlines are too busy to train all their pilot candidates. Instead, the recruited cadet signs a contract for lifelong service, then takes the training in the United States. David Morse (far left), a senior instructor at TransPac, leads students (from left) Kinno Yang, Sheldon Yu, and Troy Tao through a standard preflight check, inspecting the ailerons of one of 15 Piper Seminoles in TransPac's 58-aircraft fleet. (Eric Long) "There's a huge market in China right now for aviation, especially general aviation," says David Hsu, the vice president of Pegasus International Resources Inc., a company that paves the way for relationships and contracts among the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the Chinese commercial carriers, and U.S. flight academies. Before 2012, Hsu explains, the Chinese military controlled all airspace, and pilot training programs were extremely limited. But now China is considering opening up airspace below 1,000 meters (about 3,300 feet) for general aviation, and the CAAC has recommended opening airspace as high as 3,000 meters. While the military has yet to approve these changes, and China's airline radar system isn't ready for them- Hsu says the expected boom in air traffic would require a massive upgrade-the CAAC's announcements have set off a pilot-training and equipment- buying frenzy. Some 200 Chinese companies have applied for general aviation licenses, most for corporate or private flying. Commercial carriers are diving into the mix with new acquisitions and expanded training plans. To meet rising demand, the country will support as many as 100 airlines in the next few decades, according to Chinese media. Yet Boeing recently estimated that within 20 years, China will have a shortfall of 77,400 commercial pilots. (The country's regional airlines are recruiting foreign pilots: Shenzhen Airlines recently advertised for a captain's position paying an annual salary of $212,000.) The country's 12 civilian aviation academies are operating at full capacity, and can turn out only 1,200 to 1,400 certified commercial pilots per year. Chinese airlines spend the equivalent of $162 million annually to send 80 percent of the student pilot candidates abroad: about 2,000 to the United States, the others to Europe and Australia. The big advantage of learning abroad is English language immersion. Aviation, even in China, is a business conducted in English. TransPac promotes itself as a multicultural flight academy that teaches, as much as possible, "the Chinese way." Many of the school's requirements- which include 60-plus hours of aviation English, a six-week ground school in China prior to students getting the final go-ahead to train in Arizona, and a military approach to scheduling and discipline-have been shaped by interactions with the CAAC and Chinese airline clients. "Airline culture is more formal in Asia," Hsu says.But even students who have struggled with English or flying skills have been encouraged to stick it out. David Morse, Chief Instructor at TransPac, smiles when he recalls a student named Shi Kai, who went by Stanley. "He was from Chengdu, a rural kid from Sichuan province," Morse says. "He was really having trouble adjusting to English, but he wanted to do it and he'd come into everyone's office to practice and ask questions. Everyone fell in love with him." When he fell behind his class by several months, "he did everything in his power to catch up. Finally, at his graduation he got a standing ovation. He had struggled, but he put his head down and just went to work." Mastering aviation English along with flight skills is a tall order. Nader Yassa, an American citizen who was born in Egypt but came to the United States at the age of two, is TransPac's CEO and CFO. He learned to fly in the Phoenix area. "I was always listening on the radio to these young men and women learning to speak English and to fly a plane at the same time," Yassa says. "I have always had the greatest respect for them." In Yassa's view, Americans believe flying is an expression of freedom and adventure; individuals pay for that privilege. The Chinese see it less romantically: Being a pilot is a job, albeit a prestigious and well-paid-and subsidized-one. Still, Yassa says some U.S. flight academies approach international students as though there is no difference in orientation. "We ask our clients, 'What are your requirements? What's the best way to train students coming from your country?' " he says. Although the Asian recruits now generally come from math and engineering universities (there are still a few from the Chinese military, but not as many as before), the CAAC expects that about 10 percent of the candidates who make it to Arizona will fail or drop out. Most Chinese candidates have never flown an airplane before; a few, from rural backgrounds, never flew in one before they were selected for the TransPac training program. But the school has managed to reduce attrition to less than three percent, Yassa says, and not by lowering check ride standards or curving exam scores. The low washout rate is due to a tough preflight vetting of international candidates, says Yassa-in the form of that six-week course students take in China, conducted in English by TransPac staff, before they leave for Arizona. (Vietnamese candidates complete a three-month program at Vietnam's Air Force Academy in Nha Trang.) "We're even able to vet for motivation," Yassa says. "That's the last piece of the puzzle. In a standard one-time screening, you can't tell who is really motivated. But if you sit with a student, you'll know after three weeks." Candidates fly five days a week in TransPac's fleet of 58 aircraft, mostly Piper Archers and Piper Seminoles, and they're required by CAAC regulation to finish all their ratings in about 250 hours-plus the high-performance bridge program, a five- to seven-week polisher that students complete after earning their commercial aviation rating at TransPac. This is a CAAC-mandated program, a prep course for the advanced Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 that includes 129 hours of academic coursework, 10 hours in a full-motion simulator, and 10 hours in the air in a turbine aircraft. For the latter requirement, TransPac uses a Beechcraft King Air 90 eight-seater. But long before they get there, the school drills students with safety protocol, see-and-avoid drills, and heavy red indicators on ramps to prevent propeller accidents. Checklists aren't enough, according to Brett Cavitt, TransPac's Senior Director of Advanced Training, who joined the school in 2008. Chinese students, he says, are amazing at memorization, "but memorizing isn't an indication of understanding," he says. "So we spend time on situational awareness-what's happening, probing deeper. It's almost a Socratic method of teaching. The students talk about scenarios and learn it's not all about a checklist." Once they pass all their certifications, students return to China and take three tests. Two are in aviation English; one is the theoretical Air Transportation Pilots License (ATPL) exam. If the candidate passes, and most do, the regional airline will accept him or her as a pilot employee and provide additional training on the fleet's jets-either Airbus A320s or Boeing 737s. The pilot takes another 56 to 72 hours of simulation and practices 12 to 20 takeoffs and landings. After passing a check ride, the candidate is bumped up to a position of third-tier "first officer" and placed in a cockpit jump seat behind a real captain and first officer. Chinese airlines require another 200 to 250 hours of jump-seat observation before a new pilot can sit in the right seat and fly the airplane. Several hundred more hours in this position are required before the candidate is finally promoted to first-tier first officer and gets to take off and land the airplane with passengers aboard. Certified flight instructors working at TransPac also undergo stringent vetting before they're employed as teachers. They attend ground school to learn TransPac procedures, undergo simulation training, and have to perform the exact same stage checks-that is, verification by another CFI that you know all the things you're expected to know, in the form of a written or oral quiz plus a test flight-in the air that students would demonstrate at the end of the course. While many schools only employ freelance instructors and pay at an hourly rate, TransPac instructors get a full-time salary and benefits. Morse says the washout rate for instructors is a little less than 20 percent, a figure he attributes to the academy's high standards and rigid approach to discipline. "It takes a special instructor to teach in this type of environment," he says. It also takes a special student. Cadets Kinno Yang and Troy Tao both struggled with culture shock upon arriving in Arizona. "When I first came here I really wasn't adjusted to the school atmosphere," says Yang, a 23-year-old Nanjing native and junior at Nanjing University of Aeronautical and Astronomical Engineering. "I have no brothers or sisters; I'm one son, and my parents have big plans for me." Yang's father had wanted to be a pilot but he couldn't pass the physical. All hopes are on Yang, who will be flying with Sichuan Airlines when he graduates. You can imagine the pressure he's under. So what stresses him out most? The flying? Exams? "Oral English," Yang says. "Sometimes I have to use a dictionary for aviation terms because all the textbooks and instructions are in English." After completing the private pilot's exam, Yang says, he relaxed a bit, and that helped his English improve. His days aren't all stressful now. "The spirit of the school, the weather, the atmosphere, suits me," he says. The school's atmosphere of military discipline does not mean Spartan living conditions. Students live near Deer Valley Airport in dormitory-style apartments, two students to a bedroom, two or three bedrooms in a spacious, fully furnished suite. They have TVs, air conditioning, and well-equipped kitchens and bathrooms. There's a gym, movie rooms, and outdoor pools. The school provides six buses for transport and even offers Chinese cooking classes for cadets who never learned to cook at home. In their spare time, buddies will pool their airline per diem and do grand shopping trips, and get together to cook in teams. On the weekends, they play basketball, go bowling or shopping, or swim and have barbecues. Troy Tao, who has a master's degree from Xiamen University in nanotechnology and engineering, had no trouble with English or the Western lifestyle. But Phoenix's summer climate taxes him. "Sometimes the weather changes here are fierce and so is the turbulence we fly in," he says, noting that in the summer, it can get to 113 degrees Fahrenheit. TransPac has had its own share of turbulence. Online, disgruntled instructors have posted that pay is low and that students share exam questions on social media, enabling others to cheat. The school has also experienced several accidents. In May 2013 an airplane with two TransPac instructors was struck 900 feet above ground by a Cessna rented by an independent instructor from a neighboring flight school. The TransPac teachers, the Cessna pilot, and his student all died. In May of this year, the National Transportation Safety Board issued a finding that the probable cause of the crash was "the failure of the pilots in both aircraft to maintain adequate visual lookout in a known training area where multiple aircraft frequently operated." A February 2014 Arizona Republic report documented a total of three fatal accidents involving TransPac students between 2010 and 2013, concluding that TransPac's accident rate, calculated per 100,000 flight hours, was substantially lower than the national average. Since the May 2013 accident, TransPac has installed ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) on its entire fleet, equipment the Federal Aviation Administration will mandate for all aircraft by 2020. For Tao, trust in his instructors and aircraft equipment was a big part of getting back into the cockpit after his frightening, early experience with turbulence. "The first time I flew over Phoenix at night with my instructor, I thought the lights were incredibly beautiful," he says. "I loved that." Sheldon Yu, the Marxist philosopher, says that when he prepared for his first solo flight, he wasn't afraid at all. He's absorbed a "Just do it" attitude. "My impression is that American optimism is a talent," he says. "In China, people are goal-directed and worried about things like 'Tomorrow I'll buy a house.' But a lot of Americans aren't like that; they don't worry and think that way. The Americans seem happier." Yu has learned to reconcile his ambition to fly with his need for philosophical inquiry. "I can now get on a plane and announce, 'Marx said my career choice of being a pilot was a great thing!' " After all, a pilot's contribution to society is clear. Especially in 21st century China. http://www.airspacemag.com/flight-today/china-needs-pilots-180955992/?no-ist Back to Top British Navy Warship Tests a 3-D-Printed Drone at Sea The successful launch of a 3-D-printed drone from a ship shows a possible route to cheaper autonomous aircraft. WHY IT MATTERS Cheaper ways to make drones could lead to them being applied in a broader range of situations. An unmanned aircraft with body and wings made using a 3-D printer was assembled on a Royal Navy ship Tuesday and performed a successful flight test. On Tuesday this week, the Royal Navy ship HMS Mersey launched something unusual from its gun deck off England's southern coast-a cheap drone made using a 3-D printer. The three-kilogram craft with an airplane-style design was launched by a three-meter catapult and autonomously flew between a few preprogrammed waypoints for five minutes before being piloted to a safe belly landing on a pebbly beach. The cheap drone had been printed on shore and then assembled on the ship. The test was meant to demonstrate how more-or-less disposable drones that could, in a pinch, be printed onboard might cut costs and let a crew adapt quickly to a new mission, for example after a natural disaster. Making plastic drones for Navy ships using conventional mass production techniques doesn't offer such flexibility and is also more expensive because the numbers needed aren't large enough to offset setup costs, says Geoff Hayward, UAV desk officer at the Maritime Warfare Centre, who was onboard HMS Mersey to oversee the flight. Before the test, it wasn't clear whether a low-cost printed drone could handle rolling swell and windy conditions, he says. "As far as we know, it was a world first." The technology was developed in partnership with researchers and a 3-D printing company, and could find its way into civilian and commercial use. The 1.5-meter-wingspan, propeller-driven drone was developed by aeronautical engineers at the University of Southampton and is known as Sulsa. It is clipped together from four parts made by a printer that fuses together nylon powder with a laser. Even the craft's hinged control surfaces like rudders and ailerons are made in the printer. A battery, control electronics, propeller, and motor are needed to complete the drone, and sensors like cameras and radar can also be added. The finished drone can fly at up to 100 miles per hour. Ship-launched drones already exist but are typically much larger and cost millions of dollars, says Jim Scanlan, a professor at Southampton who works on Sulsa. "The navy thinks today's ship-launched UAVs are too expensive," he says. Scanlan singles out Boeing's Scan Eagle surveillance drone as an example. "Whoever is operating it is always petrified they might lose one," he says. "If its single engine coughs, it goes for a swim." The Sulsa can be printed for just a few thousand dollars, says Scanlan. He concedes that it can fly for only 40 minutes. But that could be enough for missions such as responding to reports of piracy, where being able to easily check out a vessel from a distance of 10 miles or so is valuable. "If they shoot at it, who cares? You send another one up," says Scanlan. He envisages ships putting out to sea carrying printed parts to make up to 50 drones as well as a 3-D printer and the powder feedstock needed to print spares or bespoke vehicles for different missions, which might require different sensors. However, work remains to be done to prove that printing planes at sea makes sense. Printing the parts for a Sulsa takes hours, and existing printers would need to be modified so they could stay level at sea. http://www.technologyreview.com/news/539586/british-navy-warship-tests-a-3-d-printed-drone-at-sea/ Back to Top AW169 achieves EASA certification AgustaWestland predicts FAA certification will follow the announced EASA certification in the next few months. AgustaWestland Photo Fimeccanica-AgustaWestland has announced the new generation AW169 helicopter was issued with type certification by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on July 15, 2015. Delivery of the first production helicopters to customers will now commence. AgustaWestland has achieved EASA type certification less than five years after the AW169 program launch. This achievement has been made possible also due to the strong collaboration between the EASA and AgustaWestland teams. With the AW169, AgustaWestland has responded to market demand for a new generation versatile light-intermediate twin-engine helicopter and has achieved its aim of greatly reducing the time to market, whilst meeting the most stringent operational and safety requirements set by the certification authorities and by the market. The AW169 4.6 tonne helicopter is the first all new aircraft in its weight category to enter the market in more than 30 years, setting new certification and safety standards and marking the operational readiness of the whole AW Family. The first units will be delivered from the Vergiate final assembly line in Italy. A second AW169 final assembly line is being established at AgustaWestland's Philadelphia plant in the USA. AgustaWestland's Yeovil plant in U.K. plays a key role in the production of rotor blades and the tail rotor transmission system. The AW169 program has benefitted from U.K. Government support and has already proven extremely successful in this market for corporate transport and public service duties. A Flight Training Device (FTD) and a maintenance training simulator are already operational at AgustaWestland's Sesto Calende Training Academy in Italy, while a Level D Full Flight Simulator will be available in 2016. More than 150 AW169 helicopters have been ordered by customers around the world to date, including framework contracts and options, for a wide range of applications including executive/corporate transport, air ambulance, law enforcement, offshore transport and utility roles. Designed with inherent dual-use capabilities, the AW169 is also ideally suited for the wide scope of parapublic and government applications and will be able to meet military and naval requirements. Background Information A versatile, new generation twin engine light intermediate category helicopter, the AW169 has been designed in response to the growing market demand for an aircraft that delivers high performance, meets all the latest safety standards and has multi-role capabilities. The AW169 is certified in accordance with EASA CS-29 / FAR Part 29 latest Amendments. FAA certification will follow in the next few months. The type incorporates several new technology features in the rotor system, engines, avionics, transmission and electric power generation and distribution systems. The AW169 can comfortably accommodate up to ten passengers in its large, unobstructed cabin, fitted with a range of customized equipment and entertainment systems. The aircraft is powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney PW210A turboshafts. An auxiliary power unit (APU) mode ensures the continued operation of the environmental control system, radios and medical equipment when the rotors are stopped. The AW169's avionic suite introduces state-of-the-art technology including a fully digital NVG compatible cockpit with three 8" x 10" large area (AMLCD) displays and touch screen technology with enhanced 3D graphics capability for maximum situational awareness. A 4-axis digital automatic flight control system (DAFCS) with dual Flight Management System (FMS) minimises crew workload, allowing single/dual pilot VFR/IFR operations. The avionics suite also complies with satellite-based navigation, communication and surveillance requirements and has the capability to perform satellite- based IFR LPV (localizer performance with vertical guidance) approaches to maximize round-the-clock utilisation of the helicopter. Safety enhancing avionics such as Terrain Awareness Warning Systems, airborne collision avoidance systems can be added to the standard avionic configuration. The AW169 features advanced variable speed main rotor which improves efficiency and reduces the external noise footprint. It is also the first helicopter in its category entering the market with an electric retractable landing gear which reduces complexity and maintenance requirements. Furthermore, several advanced aerodynamic solutions have been incorporated into the AW169 airframe under the European Clean Sky Green Rotorcraft GRC2 Drag Reduction program. The AW169 is designed with inherent ease of maintenance, for reliable, intensive utilisation in the most demanding conditions with high time between overhauls (TBO) and minimal life-limited parts. Time between successive inspections has been optimised to maximise aircraft availability and reduce maintenance man hours per flight hour, adopting MSG-3 approach for the maintenance process. Maintenance programs can be tailored to meet operators' specific requirements, making the AW169 an ideal platform for operators wanting to maximize aircraft utilization. The AW169 helicopter is part of AgustaWestland's family of new generation helicopters that also includes the AW139 and AW189. These helicopters all possess the same high-performance flight characteristics and safety features whilst sharing the same common cockpit concept and design philosophy. This approach facilitates synergies for operators of fleets across the 4 to 9 tonne categories in areas such as training, flight operations, maintenance and support. http://www.verticalmag.com/news/article/AW169achievesEASAcertification 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 Aircraft Crash Survival Investigation and Analysis * When: Sept. 21-25, 2015 * Where: Embry-Riddle Prescott, AZ Campus, Robertson Aviation Safety Center I * Early Bird Fee (Before August 1, 2015): U.S. $1,750 * Standard Course Fee: U.S. $2,000 * CEUs: 2 * Register Online: http://proed.erau.edu/programs/aviation-safety-accident-investigation/aircraft-crash-survival-investigation-and- analysis/index.html This exciting 5-day course entails a detailed analysis of the aircraft accident environment with particular emphasis on survivability factors. It explores factors and forces that cause injury and examines the injury-role played by impact forces and occupiable space compromises. The students will examine crashworthiness and delethalization technologies and concepts with a focus on the best ways to protect occupants during a crash. Selected aircraft accidents will be used as case studies, including use of the nation's largest full-scale investigation laboratory, the Robertson Aircraft Accident Investigation Lab. An in-depth review of basic kinematics and development of injury-related information will be completed. Back to Top Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University MOOC To Investigate Aviation Accidents Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide will be delivering a massive open online course (MOOC) on aircraft accident investigation at the end of the summer. Students will have the chance to try out their data collection skills in a virtual crash laboratory hosted by the Daytona Beach, FL-based institution. The new course will cover various aspects of the aircraft accident investigation process, from initial field investigation to publication of the final accident report. The university said an emphasis will be placed on the study of human factors and survival investigative techniques and the application of accident investigation findings in industry and research. The class will analyze aircraft accidents and evaluate causal factors. Participants in Embry-Riddle's aircraft accident investigation MOOC will be given the chance to practice data collection skills in Worldwide's Virtual Crash Laboratory. Participants will be given the chance to practice data collection skills in Worldwide's Virtual Crash Laboratory. Launched in May 2014, the lab introduces students to an animated crash using a short video. They then choose a male or female avatar to be the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator who walks through the crash site. They'll collect and export data that satisfies accident investigation criteria: survival factors, human factors, aircraft structures, aircraft systems, operations and maintenance. The MOOC, which is limited to 2,500 students, runs August 17 to September 13, 2015 and is hosted on the Canvas Network. It's expected to take between four and eight hours of work per week. All study materials will be provided within the course, and students who complete all four modules will receive a certificate of completion. There are no pre-requisites. http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/07/20/embry-riddle-aeronautical-u-mooc-to-investigate-aviation-accidents.aspx 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 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: Manager Airline Safety Cathay Pacific http://www.cathaypacific.com/careers Airline Safety Manager - SMS (ASM-SMS) Cathay Pacific http://www.cathaypacific.com/careers 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