Flight Safety Information August 5, 2015 - No. 153 In This Issue MH370 crash: experts in France begin examination of Boeing 777 flaperon Aircraft narrowly lead fatalities list in wildland fire study Drones spotted by pilots near Austin Airport (ABIA) United Airlines pilots may now taxi before receiving final weights Southwest jet wing at DIA clips truck, wing damaged, flight grounded 'World's best airport' may temporarily close one runway Pranksters With Lasers in Singapore Pose Aviation Safety Threat PROS 2015 TRAINING Flight 370 'Social Media Hype' Hurting Malaysian Airlines Demand Mitsubishi Aircraft to partner with Seattle company Aircraft Shipment Report Shows Surprising Results Pilots wanted: AirNet to start hiring following acquisition John Leslie Munro, the Last of the World War II 'Dambuster' Pilots, Dies at 96 Boeing updates jet specifications: more seats, shorter range Non stop Riyadh - Los Angeles: Saudia ready to make aviation history LOT Polish Airlines Now Accepts Bitcoin GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST RESEARCH REQUEST ISASI 2015, Germany, August 24 - 27, 2015 "Pilot Error" Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) MH370 crash: experts in France begin examination of Boeing 777 flaperon Identification of aircraft part that washed up on Réunion island last week could be first clue to fate and whereabouts of missing Malaysia Airlines flight Debris from an as-yet unidentified aircraft thought to be MH370 washed ashore in Saint- Andre de la Réunion last week. Technical experts in France will on Wednesday begin examining a plane part that almost certainly belonged to missing flight MH370, raising hopes that some light may finally be shed on one of aviation's darkest mysteries. The Malaysia Airlines jet disappeared on 8 March last year when it inexplicably veered off course en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board, and a colossal multinational hunt for the aircraft proved fruitless. Last week's discovery of a two-metre-long wing part called a flaperon on the French Indian Ocean island of Réunion raised fresh hopes for relatives desperate for answers. The piece - which has been confirmed as part of a Boeing 777 - has been taken to the south-western French city of Toulouse, where it will undergo the high-profile examination. The only missing Boeing 777 in the world is flight MH370. It is also thought to be the only 777 ever to have crashed in the southern hemisphere. A French source close to the case said it would be opened early on Wednesday afternoon, in the presence of French and Malaysian experts, Boeing employees and representatives from China - the country that lost the most passengers. Australia, which is heading the seabed search for the missing aircraft in the southern Indian Ocean, said official word on whether the part is from flight MH370 is expected this week. "Malaysian and French officials may be in a position to make a formal statement about the origin of the flaperon later this week," said Australian deputy prime minister Warren Truss. He added that an expert from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which is coordinating the search, would be involved in examining the wing part. On Wednesday, the ATSB admitted that initial debris drift modelling undertaken in June 2014 had mistakenly indicated that the first possible landfall of debris would be on the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, in the first weeks of July 2014. Models run by Australia's national science agency, CSIRO, in November last year and updated last month found, however, that an Indonesia landfall was highly unlikely. The mistake did not affect the extensive international surface search for the missing plane off the west coast of Australia, ATSB said. That search was called off in April, more than a month after the plane went down. Truss said CSIRO had confirmed that drift modelling showed debris could have been carried by wind and currents to Réunion, 4,000km (2,500 miles) from the region where MH370 was thought to have gone down. "For this reason, thorough and methodical search efforts will continue to be focused on the defined underwater search area, covering 120,000 square kilometres, in the southern Indian Ocean," he said. What is a flaperon? Jean-Paul Troadec, the former head of France's BEA agency, which investigates air accidents, said the analysis would focus on two issues: whether the flaperon belongs to MH370 and if so, whether it can shed light on the final moments of the plane. He said the paint on the piece was a key element of the investigation. "Every airline paints their planes in a certain way ... and if the paint used is used by Malaysia Airlines and other companies, there may be more certainty," he said. Troadec said experts would also examine the way the part detached itself from the wing. "Was it in a violent impact with the sea or not?" he said. "This piece looks like it is in good condition; it doesn't look like the part of a plane that fell vertically in the water at 900km [600 miles] an hour." Ships have been scouring more than 50,000 square kilometres (19,000 square miles) of deep ocean floor for evidence of the missing aircraft. Authorities plan to search a total of 120,000 square metres. Michael Smart, a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Queensland, said there was some reason for hope in the search. "If one piece turns up, perhaps there's a likelihood that others will as well," he said. "It's strange to think you'd find one part that floated and nothing else." http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/05/mh370-crash-experts-france-begin- examination-boeing-777-flaperon Back to Top Aircraft narrowly lead fatalities list in wildland fire study An Erickson Air Crane used for firefighting sits at the helibase for the Reynolds Creek fire in Glacier National Park near St. Mary last week. A new study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that air attack teams might be safer if there was more communication with wildland firefighters on the ground. HELENA - Montana lawmakers are trying to decide how to provide workers' compensation to the state's thousands of volunteer firefighters. Read more Up in the air: Pilot has logged 27,000 hours flying everything from Cessnas to 767s POLSON - The passengers on the Chicago-to-L.A. flight felt something quite odd as their plane cruised along at 30,000-plus feet. Then the pilo... Read more Neptune jets in running for new U.S. Forest Service fire-bomber contracts The bids are in the mail for the next Next-Generation round of large firefighting aircraft, including a new proposal from Missoula-based Neptu... Read more Retardant bombers and helitack teams might be safer if they talked more with the wildland firefighters they're defending on the ground, according to a new study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Aircraft accidents are the leading cause of death in forest fires by a slight margin, the study found. The category accounted for 26 percent of fatalities between 2000 and 2013. Tied for second place were vehicle incidents (including rollovers and being hit by a vehicle) at 23 percent, and medical events such as heart attacks at 23 percent. The fourth leading cause was burn-overs or entrapment by the forest fire itself, at 15 percent. "One thing we would encourage is more communication with people on the ground," said Mary O'Connell, one of the lead authors of the study. "Tragically in aviation, the aviation component of a firefighting group communicates mainly amongst itself. We encourage expanding the definition of crew to not just the cockpit or tower, so we're drawing in help from all areas that the pilots might not be aware of otherwise." O'Connell said ground firefighters on the scene might provide better advice on how winds shift around a water-dipping pond or obstructions at a landing zone. "Firefighting always involves a diverse group of agencies, and sometimes that group isn't totally united," O'Connell said. "You haven't trained together, so you're not a well-oiled machine. That requires more attention paid to activities and operations." Dan Snyder of Missoula-based Neptune Aviation has seen a preliminary version of the study. He said it reinforces an effort the wildfire aviation industry has been working on for several years. "More communication never hurts - that's always true," Snyder said. "The biggest thing in aerial firefighting now is the Safety Management System, or SMS, that's come along in the last five years." SMS is a method of reviewing an entire organization, government or private, for how each activity affects safety. "It takes in everything from executive management to pilot decisions in the cockpit," Snyder said. "It puts everything through a risk analysis centered around the idea of safety." *** To get their statistics for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health report, O'Connell and co-researcher Corey Butler gleaned several different state and federal data sets of workplace injuries and fatalities. They also expanded some categories to better classify deaths that show up in one set but not another. In the case of aviation-related fatalities, they combined aircraft crash incidents with deaths of smokejumpers or helitack firefighters, whose planes may not have had any reportable problems. The study looked at 298 wildland firefighter fatalities over the 13-year period. They found 41 aviation-related events that killed 78 people. About a quarter of those involved some kind of mechanical failure in the aircraft, while another quarter was attributed to the pilot's loss of control. Private contractors employed 42 of the 78 aviation victims, followed by the federal government (15), state agencies (10), ground contractors (7) and the military (4). California was the site of a quarter of the deaths, with eight occurring in Nevada and seven in Idaho. The study was limited by several factors. The authors said they weren't able to reliably gather information on aviation deaths that might have occurred on training missions, maintenance or transit to or from a fire. They also had difficulty determining the total population of wildland firefighters, because of the variety of local fire departments, prison inmate crews and interrelated state agencies that all provide help at a forest fire. And perhaps most critically, they found it hard to devise a good measuring stick to see what trends might flow from their statistics. For example, they found the number of aviation-related fatalities was higher between 2000 and 2006 (28) than 2007 and 2013 (13), but that straddles a period when the federal government briefly grounded most of its large air tankers after a series of fatal crashes in 2004. Just over half the incidents involved airplanes, with helicopters making up 45 percent. Causes ranged from engine failure to midair collision to failure of rappelling gear in a helitack mission. http://missoulian.com/news/local/aircraft-narrowly-lead-fatalities-list-in-wildland-fire- study/article_dc90dba5-5703-5ccd-9c19-ea7bba29759e.html Back to Top Drones spotted by pilots near Austin Airport (ABIA) The Federal Aviation Administration has confirmed two separate reports of pilots spotting drones near Austin Bergstrom International Airport. The first incident occurred at 4:48 p.m. on Monday, August 3. The incident involved Jazz Flight 840, a Canadair regional jet. The pilot reported a small unmanned aircraft passing in front of the flight about 12 miles north of Bergstrom. No evasive action was taken. Later that same day, around 5:15 p.m., the captain of American Airlines Flight 2298 reported passing a drone five miles north of Bergstrom at an altitude of 2,500 feet. The pilot said the unmanned aircraft was to the right side of the American flight and was black and red in color. Again, no evasive action was necessary. Law enforcement was notified of both incidents The FAA reports that there are around 60 drone sightings a month near airports around the country and involve consumer-grade models. According to the FAA, flying model aircraft for a hobby or recreation does not necessarily require FAA approval. However all model aircraft operators must operate according to the law, including a provision that no unmanned aircraft should be operated higher than 400 feet above the ground and no closer than five miles from an airport without notifying air traffic controllers, still remaining at 400 feet or below. http://keyetv.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/Drones-spotted-by-pilots-near- ABIA-180417.shtml Back to Top United Airlines pilots may now taxi before receiving final weights United Airlines is reverting to a pre-merger United policy that will permit all pilots to taxi before they receive final weights, the carrier said in a memo dated July 31. The issue was contentious at United, an industry source said, as the carrier had long permitted pilots to taxi to the runway before they received their final weight manifest and takeoff data message. But Continental Airlines had required pilots to wait in the gate area for final numbers, and the combined carrier preferred that approach, even though most of the industry permits taxi before final weights, the source said. One problem with waiting for final numbers is that it led to delays. United told pilots the new policy will help ensure that aircraft leave gates and aprons faster, a move the carrier said should "reduce gate-availability delays for inbound flights." United told pilots the new system should permit to run a "safer, more efficient and reliable operation." "[This] allows our airport operations co-workers a realistic amount of time to input accurate payload values into the load planning system, getting it right the first time as opposed to sending through revisions," United told pilots. Several of United's fleet has already started using the new policy, and the rest of the aircraft types should come online soon, the airline said. United's largest fleet, the Boeing 737, will begin using the new policy in the middle of this month. http://atwonline.com/airports-routes/united-airlines-pilots-may-now-taxi-receiving-final- weights Back to Top Southwest jet wing at DIA clips truck, wing damaged, flight grounded The wing of a Southwest Airline jet clipped a truck at DIA Tuesday, tipping the truck over, damaging the aircraft, and forcing passengers off the plane. The incident happened shortly after 6 p.m., according to a passenger on the flight. Two Denver fire trucks were dispatched to the incident, said passenger Bob Kinney, an IT executive with The Denver Post. Southwest Flight 4309, bound for San Jose, was backing out of Concourse C, gate 28, when there was a bump, Kinney said. "There were a couple of comments, jokes," from fellow passengers, Kinney said. "It didn't seem like anything serious." About a minute later two Denver fire trucks raced to the scene, and passengers on one side of the full flight could see the truck on its side. A short time later the pilot told passengers that the wing had been damaged, but there was no fuel leak or further trouble. Passengers got off the plane using air stairs, short of the concourse. Southwest Airlines, in a statement, said there were no injuries aboard the aircraft. The jet was being pushed back from a gate when it "came in contact with a parked aircraft service vehicle," the airline said. "The driver of the vehicle, a Southwest employee, was taken to a local hospital for an evaluation." "The aircraft involved remains out of service for repairs," Southwest said. "The safety of our customers and crew is our highest priority and we appreciate the patience of our 143 customers as we work to re-accommodate them on another aircraft." A DIA spokesman said the truck driver's injuries are minor. http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_28586459/sw-jet-wing-at-dia-clips-truck-plane Back to Top 'World's best airport' may temporarily close one runway (CNN) Singapore Changi Airport may close one of its two runways -- possibly by 2019 -- to accommodate a massive Terminal 5 construction project. The airport served more than 54 million passengers and handled over 1.8 million tons of cargo last year, making it the world's sixth busiest airport for international passenger traffic. Though some delays are expected, the likely runway closure may not dramatically impact traffic at the airport. It's expected that a still-under-construction third runway will be open and continue operating by the time the second runway is temporarily shut. "This (shutdown) requires Runway 3 to be first completed and operational, after which Runway 2 will be closed temporarily, to allow for works such as underground tunneling and the construction of additional rapid-exit taxiways," a spokesperson for Singapore's Transport Ministry told Singapore's The Straits Times. The third runway will be located some distance away from Changi's three existing airport terminals. http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/05/travel/changi-airport-close-runway/ Back to Top Pranksters With Lasers in Singapore Pose Aviation Safety Threat There's a threat in the Singapore night sky. Laser pointers are now a safety hazard as flashing the pen-sized gadgets at aircraft has become a pasttime for some. Pilots flying over the city-state have reported being disoriented or momentarily blinded by the bright lights shone into the cockpit. "It's concentrated energy being put into the eye," Sean O'Byrne, a lecturer at the University of New South Wales specializing in lasers, said by phone. "Because they're lasers, they don't spread out like a torch, so they can travel very large distances without losing too much of their energy." In a country ranked top in regulatory enforcement, and where public protests take place after permits are granted, authorities haven't been able to stamp out the problem. The number of cases stayed constant in the past two years amid a public campaign on the dangers of lasers directed at planes in Singapore, which is spending about S$4 billion ($2.9 billion) to expand Asia's second-busiest international airport. "Most of the time, the culprits are individuals such as young people who are simply up to mischief and unaware of the risks," Alan Tan, a professor of aviation law at the National University of Singapore, said in an e-mail. In June, the city-state distributed flyers on the potential hazards of laser lights, focusing on households close to Changi Airport. It also has made a YouTube video detailing the dangers, installed signboards in coastal parks near the airport and is carrying out ground patrols. The authority says the reported color of the lasers is usually green. These are commonly used by astronomy enthusiasts to point out objects in the sky and can be bought online. 'Green Sun' Tracy Lamb, a pilot with 18 years of experience, was on the final approach to Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport before nightfall in December 2013 when she saw a green light glowing close to the control tower. She didn't have time to look away before it hit her eyes. "It was like looking at a green sun. It was dazzling and disorienting," she said in an e- mail. "I became incapacitated. It was all white and blurry shapes." Lamb said she had to retract the aircraft flaps "by feel" after the captain landed the plane safely. For days afterward, she saw spots in front of her eyes. Powerful lasers have an output of more than 5 milliwatts and are able to burst balloons, burn paper, ignite matches and even blind people, the Singapore aviation authority says. A 50-milliwatt model was listed on the Qoo10.sg retail site with a price tag of S$20.90. Gum Mischief Anyone convicted in Singapore of shining a laser light at an aircraft could be fined as much as S$20,000. Repeat offenders face a S$40,000 penalty and 15 months in jail. Acts of mischief involving chewing gum led Singapore to curb its sale and import in 1992. The ban came a year after gum stuck between subway train doors caused multiple disruptions. Repeat offenders of the ban risk a fine of as much as S$200,000 and three years in jail. The city's aviation regulator says there were 25 cases of laser lights striking aircraft last year and in 2013, down from a peak of 45 a year earlier. Five were reported in the first six months. Singapore's experience reflects a problem that also has plagued authorities in other countries. Laser strikes on aircraft in the U.S. have surged more than 10-fold in less than a decade despite a public education campaign, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Singapore Airlines Ltd. recorded 53 instances of laser lights flashed on aircraft across its global network in the past seven years, Nicholas Ionides, a company spokesman, said in an e-mail. Twelve occurred in the past year, with three within Singapore's airspace. None resulted in injury to pilots. While commercially available lasers are strong enough to damage the retina if viewed up close, the greater risk for pilots who are further from the light source is dazzle and disorientiation, said University of New South Wales's O'Byrne. "They are extremely bright and they tend to diffuse through the window and fill the cabin with light," he said. "It's extremely irritating and very distracting." http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-04/beware-singapore-pranksters- laser-lights-risk-blinding-pilots Back to Top Back to Top Flight 370 'Social Media Hype' Hurting Malaysian Airlines Demand Christoph Mueller, chief executive officer of Malaysia Airlines. Media coverage of the search for missing Flight 370 is hurting ticket sales at Malaysia Airlines, Chief Executive Officer Christoph Mueller said. "Particularly pronounced" coverage of the search for MH370, which is thought to have crashed in the Indian Ocean off Australia's western coast in March 2014, "correlates unfortunately but very positively with our demand figures" in Australia, Mueller told a conference in Sydney Tuesday. "It is fueled in most cases by social media hype." On Wednesday, investigators in France will begin testing a wing part from a Boeing Co. 777 -- the same type as the missing plane -- that was found on Reunion island, a French territory east of Africa. If the part, known as a flaperon, is confirmed to be from Flight 370, it will be the first physical remnant recovered from the aircraft. The Paris prosecutor's office said a suitcase discovered near the part also will be studied. "We have been always cooperating with the investigators since day one, and so do we today," Mueller said. He declined to comment further on Malaysia Air's involvement in the investigation in Paris or specify what assistance the carrier was providing. Flight 370 was en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur in March 2014 when it vanished without a trace with 239 people on board. By analyzing satellite signals, investigators concluded the jet turned back over the Indian Ocean. The wreckage that washed ashore in Reunion is the strongest clue yet in a search that is now the longest ever for a missing commercial jet. Ships using deep-sea sonar have already scanned more than 55,000 square kilometers (21,325 square miles) of the seabed southwest of Australia. Demand at Malaysia Air plunged last year after the disasters with Flight 370 and Flight 17, which crashed over Ukraine in July 2014 in an accident the U.S. and other countries attribute to a missile attack from pro-Russian separatists. It's now wholly owned by Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd., which took the carrier private in a 1.38 billion-ringgit ($357 million) buyout and has committed to invest 6 billion ringgit to restructure the airline. The airline will restart under a new legal identity on Sept. 1, Mueller said Tuesday. It will cut expenses to a level where the main carrier is competitive with low-cost rivals such as AirAsia Bhd., Singapore Airlines Ltd.'s Scoot Pte. and Tiger Airways Holdings Ltd., he said. "We will embark as a new carrier," he said. It's "a complete reset of the system." http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-04/flight-370-social-media-hype- hurting-malaysian-airlines-demand Back to Top Mitsubishi Aircraft to partner with Seattle company SEATTLE (AP) - Mitsubishi Aircraft is expanding its aviation footprint in Washington state. The Japanese company announced Monday that it has partnered with an American company, Seattle-based AeroTEC, to create an engineering hub in Seattle. The hub will have 50 Japanese engineers working with 100 American counterparts, company officials said. "Our aim is to make the best use of the resources and skill sets of the aircraft experience and professionals in Seattle," said Hiromichi Morimoto, Mitsubishi Aircraft president. The Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation is entering the commuter jet market, offering two models, the MRJ70 and MRJ90. The planes have 76 and 88 seats respectively. The company said it had 223 confirmed orders from six airlines. The engineering hub in Seattle is just one of several spots where Mitsubishi is establishing its presence in the United States. The company will have a testing facility in Moses Lake in central Washington as well. Those test flights are scheduled to happen in the second quarter of 2016. The company says the Moses Lake will have 200 workers total. Other testing flights will happen around the U.S. The expansion was marked by company officials and government heads in Seattle Monday. Gov. Jay Inslee said Mitsubishi's move here shows that Washington is competitive in aerospace design and manufacturing. The Seattle area has been the Boeing Company's manufacturing center and the state Legislature gave the company a $8.7 billion in tax breaks. "Our cultures and economies have been intertwined for more than a century and now we're excited to build on the legacy of the MRJ," Inslee said. Washington state companies are also supplying parts for manufacturing the MRJ planes. http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Mitsubishi-Aircraft-to-partner-with-Seattle- company-320550022.html Back to Top Aircraft Shipment Report Shows Surprising Results The General Aviation Manufacturers Association released its quarterly shipment report last week - a report that compares general aviation aircraft delivery numbers year over year. This latest report compares the first half of 2015 to the same time period in 2014, and the results will not make the aviation industry jump for joy. The total number of GA airplanes delivered in the first half of 2015 dropped by 9.1 percent over the same period in 2014. This resulted in an overall decline in billings of 4.6 percent for a total of $10.4 billion. After very strong gains of 9,4 percent overall in 2014, the piston market saw the biggest drop, going from 526 airplanes delivered in the first half of 2014 to only 464 in 2015, a decline of 11.8 percent. Even more dismal was the rotorcraft market, the total number of billings of which dropped 16.8 percent over the reported time period for a total value of $1.9 billion. Total shipments went from 502 to 447, an overall decline of 11 percent. GAMA's president Pete Bunce blamed the declining numbers on the "volatile global markets and contraction within the energy sector." Another factor that would improve the market is the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, Bunce said. As of July 1, EXIM bank and its delegated lenders lost their authority to process new loan transactions. http://www.flyingmag.com/news/aircraft-shipment-report-shows-surprising- results#OwIWOMVfm0BzfpXV.99 Back to Top Pilots wanted: AirNet to start hiring following acquisition Kalitta Charters LLC had acquired the operational assets of Columbus-based AirNet Systems... more AirNet is ready to leave receivership behind and begin hiring in Columbus after reaching a deal to be acquired by Kalitta Charters LLC, the companies said Tuesday. Ypsilanti, Michigan-based Kalitta has purchased operational assets of Columbus-based AirNet Systems Inc., a specialized cargo carrier that has struggled to overcome a plunge in demand for flying canceled bank checks over the past decade. About 35 employees, mostly in Columbus, with some in St. Louis and Omaha, Nebraska, will keep their jobs under new Kalitta ownership. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. "We're buying the people," Doug Kalitta, president of Kalitta Charters, told me. "They've been in business for 40 years. They've scaled down and they really kept their best people." Kalitta provides air charter services for cargo, passenger and medical transport. AirNet operated under a court-appointed receiver since early 2014. Founded in 1974, the company was publicly traded from 1996 through 2008, when it was taken private. AirNet employed more than 1,000, many in Columbus, until its main source of business dried up when banks were authorized in 2004 to clear checks by sending digital images instead of physically transporting canceled checks. "From the check side of things, obviously none of that exists anymore," said Mark Simone, an executive with AirNet who spearheaded the sale of assets out of receivership. "(Now) it's radioactive pharmaceuticals, auto parts, getting parts to airplanes, organs for procurement." Kalitta Charters, which operates a fleet of 40 aircraft for flying passengers and cargo with quick response times, also was drawn to the company's aircraft maintenance operations based at Rickenbacker. "That's one of the things we're real excited about," Kalitta said. AirNet's operations will be downsized at Rickenbacker, moving to 3041 George Page Junior Road from headquarters at 7250 Star Check Drive. "It's a more appropriate building for our size," Simone said. "(Currently) we have 7,000 square feet, which was great when we had 1,000 employees." But Kalitta plans to begin hiring. "We're looking for definitely another dozen pilots," Kalitta said. http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2015/08/04/pilots-wanted-airnet-to-start- hiring-following.html Back to Top John Leslie Munro, the Last of the World War II 'Dambuster' Pilots, Dies at 96 John Leslie Munro was in the daring "Dambusters" mission that struck at Germany's industrial heartland. Credit New Zealand Bomber Command Association On the night of May 16, 1943, a squadron of bombers set out from Britain to conduct a series of strikes against heavily fortified dams in the Ruhr Valley of Germany, using bombs that bounced on the water before exploding. Of the 133 who started the mission, only 77 returned. The last surviving pilot of those who came back was John Leslie Munro, who died on Tuesday at 96 in Auckland, New Zealand. His death was met with tributes across the globe, including in Britain and in his native New Zealand, for his role in the daring "Dambusters" mission that struck at the industrial heartland of the Nazi war effort and lifted Allied morale. "Our New Zealand Bomber Command Association patron and well-known Dambuster pilot, Les Munro, passed away this morning following a spell in hospital with heart problems," the New Zealand Bomber Command Association said on its Facebook page. Mr. Munro, who was known as Les, was part of the Royal Air Force's 617 squadron, tasked with destroying three dams with specially designed bombs shaped like cylinders that had to be dropped at a height of about 60 feet. Mr. Munro, front center, with his crew in front of the bomber they flew on the Dambusters raid. Credit Rex Features, via Associated Press The bombs were designed to bounce across the water, allowing them to avoid obstacles like antitorpedo nets, and then sink to the base of the dam walls before exploding, magnifying their effect. During the mission, the Lancaster bomber piloted by Mr. Munro was hit by flak. The plane's communications abilities were destroyed, and he was unable to attack the dams. But he managed to fly to safety despite a large hole in the aircraft's body. Mr. Munro was "very modest about what he did during the war," the BBC quoted Dave Homewood of the New Zealand Bomber Command Association as saying. "I think he was pretty proud to have been part of the Dambusters, although he was disappointed he never got to drop his weapon." According to accounts of those who survived the mission, called Operation Chastise, the pilots and crew had only a few weeks to prepare, and they learned of their targets just hours before the raid. The dams in the Ruhr Valley supplied hydroelectric power and water for steel making, and were therefore important to Hitler's war machine. The bombs caused devastating flooding in the Ruhr Valley, and historians estimate that more than 1,300 people on the ground, including prisoners of war, were killed. John Leslie Munro, 96, died on Monday in New Zealand. Credit Alan Gibson/New Zealand Herald, via Associated Press The bombers were hailed as heroes, and the mission was immortalized in "The Dam Busters," a 1955 film starring Michael Redgrave and Richard Todd, which told the story of a determined aeronautical engineer who persuaded initially skeptical R.A.F. leaders to embrace his innovative bouncing bombs. In an interview with the BBC to mark the 70th anniversary of the Dambusters mission, Mr. Munro said he had not been afraid. "I approached most operations with a thought: 'If I'm going to cop it, so be it,' " he said. The son of a Glasgow-born father who emigrated to New Zealand, Mr. Munro was born on April 5, 1919, in Gisborne, New Zealand. He enlisted in the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1941. After returning from the mission, Mr. Munro became a squadron leader. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1943. After the war, he returned to New Zealand, where he farmed and became involved in local politics. He eventually became mayor of a local council in Waitomo, on the North Island of New Zealand. Survivors include four children, 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, The Associated Press reported. Mr. Munro was still flying planes well into his 90s. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/05/world/europe/les-munro-dambusters-pilot- dies.html?_r=0 Back to Top Boeing updates jet specifications: more seats, shorter range Boeing Co said on Tuesday it had updated the technical specifications, or performance characteristics, of its jetliners to reflect the way airlines use them and also the trend toward heavier passengers, seats and cargo. The world's biggest plane maker stressed that the airplanes themselves have not changed. Instead, the specifications were altered a few days ago to better reflect their actual performance, a shift industry experts called long overdue. Boeing increased the seat count on its main widebody planes, the 787 and 777, which makes the cost per seat lower for airlines. Seat counts for the narrow-body 737s remain unchanged. Boeing cut the range for all of the planes, with the recently introduced 787-9 falling the most, by 665 nautical miles (1,230 km). Those changes reflect the fact that the new premium seats, often lie-flat beds, are about 100 pounds heavier than in the past. Assumptions for passenger and luggage weights also are higher, but Boeing declined to say what assumptions it uses. Boeing said it has not changed the way it markets the jets. But since it does not reveal specific data from airlines, "we develop generic numbers to explain the performance," Randy Tinseth, vice president of marketing, wrote in a blog post explaining the changes. The larger seating capacity on its widebody jets was not an effort to show better operating economics, the company said. Rather it reflects the fact that many airlines are flying with two-class configurations in widebody planes, rather than three-class. However, industry sources said decisions about standard seat counts can give broad clues to the way planemakers want their products to be perceived by airlines and lessors. Boeing's changes were first reported by industry publication Flightglobal. They come after Europe's Airbus made similar revisions to its aircraft performance figures, also showing more seats on some of its widebody jets. Under the new measurements, Boeing's biggest plane, 747-8, is no longer its largest in terms of standard capacity. The 777-9X, a variant due to enter service after 2020, now is expected to seat up to 425 passengers in two classes, compared with 410 for a 747-8, in three classes. (Reporting by Alwyn Scott; Editing by David Gregorio) http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/04/boeing-aircraft-performance- idUSL1N10F3B020150804 Back to Top Non stop Riyadh - Los Angeles: Saudia ready to make aviation history This Friday, August 8, will be another historic day for Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) and for the international aviation industry. Saudi Arabian Airlines is all set for the very first nonstop flight from Los Angeles to the Saudi Arabian capital city of Riyadh. Known for its excellent service, an ultra modern Saudia Boeing B777-300ER will be making this inaugurate flight which, at more than 16 hours, should be one of the longest flights in commercial aviation today. The Saudi flag carrier launched its Jeddah to Los Angeles nonstop service last year, on March 31, 2014. It started with three flights a week and currently during the summer peak season, the frequency for this route was increased to five flights weekly. While the nonstop LAX-RUH flights will only be limited to the month of August due to the airline's peak period, the service is expected to be restored in the future to fulfill the needs of Saudi Arabian students, the diplomatic community as well as business travelers who prefer to fly nonstop to the Saudi capital. Aside from Los Angeles International, Saudia flies daily to New York JFK, daily to Washington Dulles International and three times a week to Toronto Pearson International Airport. All flights are nonstop either from and to Jeddah or Riyadh. Saudia's flights are timed to have convenient connections to all Saudi domestic points, and to other international destinations beyond Saudi Arabia in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe. Saudi Arabian Airlines currently flies to more than 80 destinations worldwide. As a member of the global airline alliance SkyTeam, Saudia has access to more than 1,000 worldwide destinations serviced by the alliance's 20 airline members. All flights are operated with Boeing B777-300ER offering a 2 and 3-class configurations. The RUH-LAX flights has 24 seats in First Class, 36 seats in Business Class and 245 seats in its Guest Class. Saudia recently announced the acquisition of 50 new Airbus A330 and A320 aircrafts. Eight Boeing B787-900 Dreamliners are also on order with the first aircraft expected to be delivered at the end of the year. http://www.eturbonews.com/62243/non-stop-riyadh-los-angeles-saudia-ready-make- aviation-history Back to Top LOT Polish Airlines Now Accepts Bitcoin LOT Polish Airlines is now accepting bitcoin payments, meaning the digital currency can be used to pay for flights to more than 60 global destinations. Tickets can be purchased on LOT's desktop and mobile websites. LOT does not accept directly, but exchanges the digital currency for fiat using an unnamed payment service provider, the media outlet said. LOT now accepts bitcoin alongside payment methods including American Express, PayPal, MasterCard and Visa. Jiri Marek, executive director of sales and distribution for the company, said the decision demonstrates how LOT is open to "every client need" as well as innovations in the travel industry. Marek said: "Many of our customers are shopping online, including flights. It is only a matter of time before virtual currency payments will become as popular as credit card use nowadays. We saw this potential." With the decision, LOT becomes the latest eastern European air carrier to accept bitcoin, following airBaltic in July 2014 and Air Lituanica in August of last year. Mexico's TAR later became the first air carrier in Latin America to accept bitcoin in June. In more developed markets, Bitnet recently inked a partnership with UATP aimed at encouraging airlines to accept bitcoin, though no integrations have been announced as a result of that deal. http://www.coindesk.com/lot-polish-airlines-accept-bitcoin/ Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST Aircraft Maintenance Technician Decision-Making Purpose of Project My name is Robert Norcross. I am a doctoral student at Northcentral University in Arizona. I am conducting a research study about aircraft maintenance technician decision-making processes when aircraft repair information is not in the aircraft maintenance repair manuals. Focus group sessions will be held to gain your valuable experience, views, and opinions on nine questions pertaining to the research topic. Your views on the questions are important to me and I invite you to participate. The focus group sessions should last between 30 and 60 minutes and held at a date and time convenient for you. The focus group sessions will use www.gotomeeting.com and a conference call phone number. You are eligible to participate in this research if you: 1. 1. Are older than 18 years of age. 2. 2. Hold a Federal Aviation Administration issued Airframe and Power Plant certificate. 3. 3. Issued the Airframe and Power Plant certificate on or before 1 January 2010. 4. 4. A resident of the United States. Risks: There are minimal risks in this study. Some possible risks include: discomfort sharing views about the proposed research questions, other participants knowing your identity. To decrease the impact of these risks: you can refuse to answer any question, stop participating at any time, or request to answer the questions with a phone call to the researcher. Benefits: If you decide to participate, there is no direct benefits/compensation to you. The potential benefits to others are improved efficiency and less time and money spent reworking aircraft discrepancies. If you are interested in participating please contact me, Robert Norcross at R.Norcross4749@email.ncu.edu or 757-281-9289. Back to Top RESEARCH REQUEST Volunteers needed to take a survey for research: Who is conducting this research? Alex Chaparro, PhD (Alex.Chaparro@wichita.edu), & Brady Patzer (bspatzer@wichita.edu) of Wichita State University What are we studying? This study is examining the causes of failures to follow procedure in aircraft maintenance to identify potential strategies to mitigate their impact and rate of occurrence. Why participate? Participating in this study will be an opportunity to provide input on actionable methods for handling failures to follow procedure. This study could improve the efficiency and safety of aviation maintenance work. Who is eligible? We are interested in surveying mechanics, supervisors, and inspectors that currently work with part 121 aircraft, who have either failed to follow procedure in the past, or have seen other personnel fail to follow procedure for any reason. Your responses will be held confidential. How do I participate? If you are interested, please navigate to the following website to complete the survey: https://wichitastate.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_7P5Iije0oWJNfgN The entire survey will take approximately 20-30 minutes. 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 Back to Top Upcoming 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 AViCON - Aviation Insurance Conference September 10th and 11th, 2015 Stevensville, MD 21666 http://www.rtiforensics.com/news-events/avicon 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/ Safeskies 2015 Aviation Safety Conference 22 to 24 September 2015 Realm Hotel, Canberra www.SafeskiesAustralia.org 'DTI QA & SMS Workshops are Back in Town!' (Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Melbourne FL, and YOUR town just contact us) www.dtitraining.com Back to Top JOBS AVAILABLE: Director, Aviation Safety NetJets www.netjets.com/careers Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS) Program Advisor Virgin Australia http://careers.virginaustralia.com/cw/en/job/496246/fatigue-risk-management-systems- frms-program-advisor Head of Safety Qantas http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/job-search-current-vacancies/global/en Safety Specialist Netjets www.netjets.com/careers Business Aviation Regional Sales Manager ARGUS International, Inc. https://home2.eease.adp.com/recruit/?id=18211162 Manager Airline Safety Cathay Pacific http://www.cathaypacific.com/careers Airline Safety Manager - SMS (ASM-SMS) Cathay Pacific http://www.cathaypacific.com/careers Curt Lewis